Workload Trend Analysis for the Military Graduate Medical Education Program in San Antonio

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-25

Procedures 57 Introduction and Methodology 57 Results and Discussion 58 Craniotomy 61 Introduction and Methodology 61 Results and Discussion 62...distribution of major vascular procedures by age group for FY 00-04 36. WHMC and BAMC craniotomies for FY 00-04 by age group 37. WHMC and BAMC FY 00-04...average craniotomies by age group compared to required average based on RRC requirement 38. WHMC and BAMC distribution of craniotomies by age group for

Age and ethnic disparities in incidence of stroke over time: the South London Stroke Register.

PubMed

Wang, Yanzhong; Rudd, Anthony G; Wolfe, Charles D A

2013-12-01

Data on continuous monitoring of stroke risk among different age and ethnic groups are lacking. We aimed to investigate age and ethnic disparities in stroke incidence over time from an inner-city population-based stroke register. Trends in stroke incidence and before-stroke risk factors were investigated with the South London Stroke Register, a population-based register covering a multiethnic population of 357 308 inhabitants. Age-, ethnicity-, and sex-specific incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, assuming a Poisson distribution and their trends over time tested by the Cochran-Armitage test. Four thousand two hundred forty-five patients with first-ever stroke were registered between 1995 and 2010. Total stroke incidence reduced by 39.5% during the 16-year period from 247 to 149.5 per 100 000 population (P<0.0001). Similar declines in stroke incidence were observed in men, women, white groups, and those aged>45 years, but not in those aged 15 to 44 years (12.6-10.1; P=0.2034) and black groups (310.1-267.5; P=0.3633). The mean age at stroke decreased significantly from 71.7 to 69.6 years (P=0.0001). The reduction in prevalence of before-stroke risk factors was mostly seen in white patients aged>55 years, whereas an increase in diabetes mellitus was observed in younger black patients aged 15 to 54 years. Total stroke incidence decreased during the 16-year time period. However, this was not seen in younger age groups and black groups. The advances in risk factor reduction observed in white groups aged>55 years failed to be transferred to younger age groups and black groups.

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…

[Effects of active parenting today based on goal attainment theory on parenting stress, parenting behavior, and parenting satisfaction in mothers of school-age children].

PubMed

Park, Kyung Im; Oh, Sangeun

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to verify effects of the Active Parenting Today (APT) program based on King's Goal Attainment Theory on parenting stress, parenting behavior, and parenting satisfaction in mothers of school-age children. This was a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design. Participants were 39 mothers of school-age children (19 in the experiment group and 20 in the control group) who were registered at two community children centers in G city. The experimental group received the APT program (2 hours/session/week) and telephone counseling (2 times/week) for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, t-test, Fisher exact probability test, and ANCOVA with the SPSS/Win15.0 program. Parenting stress was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Positive parenting behavior and parenting satisfaction were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. However, negative parenting behavior was not significantly different between the two groups. The results of this study indicate that the APT program based on King's Goal Attainment Theory is useful in reducing parenting stress, creating positive parenting behavior change, and promoting parenting satisfaction in mothers of school-age children.

Sex ratio of congenital abnormalities in the function of maternal age: a population-based study.

PubMed

Csermely, Gyula; Urbán, Robert; Czeizel, Andrew E; Veszprémi, Béla

2015-05-01

Maternal age effect is well-known in the origin of numerical chromosomal aberrations and some isolated congenital abnormalities (CAs). The sex ratio (SR), i.e. number of males divided by the number of males and females together, of most CAs deviates from the SR of newborn population (0.51). The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the possible association of maternal age with the SR of isolated CAs in a population-based large dataset of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980-1996. First, SR of 24 CA entities/groups was estimated in 21,494 patients with isolated CA. In the next step SR of different maternal age groups was compared to the mean SR of the given CA-groups. The SR of four CA-groups showed some deviation in certain maternal age groups. Cases with anencephaly had female excess in young mothers (<25 years). Cases with skull's CAs particularly craniosynostosis had a male excess in cases born to women over 30 years. Two other CA groups (cleft lip ± palate and valvar pulmonic stenosis within the group of right-sided obstructive defect of heart) had significant deviation in SR of certain maternal age groups from the mean SR, but these deviations were not harmonized with joining age groups and thus were considered as a chance effect due to multiple testing. In conclusion, our study did not suggest that in general SR of isolated CAs might be modified by certain maternal age groups with some exception such as anencephaly and craniosynostosis. © 2014 Japanese Teratology Society.

Prospective memory in adults with spina bifida

PubMed Central

Dennis, Maureen; Nelson, Rebekah; Jewell, Derryn; Fletcher, Jack M.

2011-01-01

Introduction Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders have been observed to show accelerated cognitive aging or even dementia as early as 30 and 40 years of age. Memory deficits are an important component of age-related cognitive loss. Methods In this study, we investigated prospective memory, which is often impaired in aging, in a group of 32 adults with spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM), including members of the oldest living cohort successfully treated with shunts to divert excess cerebrospinal fluid, ventriculomegaly, and hydrocephalus, who are now around 50 years of age. Seventeen typically developing adults provided a comparison group. Results The SBM and comparison groups differed in the prospective memory total score as well as in both time-based and event-based subscores. Prospective memory was impaired in both older and younger individuals with SBM. However, the percentage of individuals with impaired or poor prospective memory was three times higher in the older SBM group than in the younger SBM group. The results are considered in relation to specific features of the complex brain reorganization in SBM. PMID:20393850

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.

Analysis of Lyrics from Group Songwriting with Bereaved Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Fiore, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Songwriting is a group intervention that is often used to help bereaved children and adolescents express thoughts and feelings associated with grief experiences. Few studies have examined the lyrical content of songs written by bereaved children/adolescents and how thematic content may vary by age and developmental understanding of death. The purpose of this study was to determine whether experiences of songwriting and lyrical content of songs written by children and adolescents participating in a bereavement camp vary by age. Thirty-three participants, ages 6-16, were grouped according to age (child, tween, or teen) and asked to write a group song. Analysis of song lyrics was based on both inductive and deductive content analysis processes. A seven-item questionnaire was also used with the tween and teen groups to gather descriptive information about the songwriting process, including participant views on benefits, enjoyment, and preferences. Analyses revealed a total of five different themes among the three age groups, with two of the five themes present across the age groups. A majority of the participants enjoyed the songwriting process, but no clear indication of preference for verbal or written contribution was determined based on age or gender. The lyric content of the songs varied across the age groups, with the older groups providing more diverse content and demonstrating growth in their understanding of death. Providing participants both written and verbal options to contribute to the songwriting process allows for individual preferences among tweens and teens. © the American Music Therapy Association 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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.

Anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence among chronic viral hepatitis patients in Kelantan, Malaysia.

PubMed

Ahmad, Fazlina; Hamzah, Nor Aizal Che; Mustaffa, Nazri; Gan, Siew Hua

2011-09-28

To determine the seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and to justify the need for hepatitis A vaccination. Patients (n = 119) were enrolled between July and September 2009. The diagnosis of CLD was based on the presence of viral markers for more than 6 mo. The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis was based on clinical, biochemical and radiological profiles. Patient serum was tested for anti-HAV IgG. The overall anti-HAV seroprevalence was 88.2%. The aetiology of CLD was hepatitis B in 96 patients (80.7%) and hepatitis C in 23 patients (19.3%). Mean age was 44.4 ± 14 years. Patients were grouped according to age as follows: 24 (20.2%) patients in the 21-30 years age group, 22 (18.5%) in the 31-40 years age group, 31 (26.1%) in the 41-50 years age group, 23 (19.3%) in the 51-60 years age group and 19 (16.0%) patients aged greater than 60 years, with reported seroprevalences of 66.7%, 95.5%, 93.5%, 91.3% and 94.7%, respectively. There was a marked increase of seroprevalence in subjects older than 30 years (P = 0.001). Our study demonstrated that patients aged greater than 30 years of age were likely to have natural immunity to hepatitis A. Therefore, hepatitis A vaccination may not be routinely required in this age group.

Association of young and advanced age of pregnant women with the risk of isolated congenital abnormalities in Hungary - a population-based case-matched control study.

PubMed

Csermely, Gyula; Susánszky, Éva; Czeizel, Andrew E

2015-03-01

To analyze the possible association of maternal age with the risk of all congenital abnormalities (CAs) in a population-based large case-matched control data set. The Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities included 21,494 cases with isolated CA and their 34,311 matched controls. First the distribution of maternal age groups in 24 CA-groups and their matched controls was compared. In the second step, young (19 years or less) and advanced (35 years or more) age groups were compared. Finally, the subgroups of neural-tube defects, congenital heart defects and abdominal wall's CA were evaluated separately. A higher risk of gastroschisis, congenital heart defects, particularly left-sided obstructive defects, undescended testis and clubfoot was found in the youngest age group (19 years or less) of cases. The higher proportion of pregnant women with advanced age (i.e. 35 years or more) showed only a borderline excess in cases with clubfoot. The so-called U-shaped risk of maternal age distribution was found in cases with clubfoot and in the total group of isolated CAs. The maternal age is a contributing factor to the origin of some isolated CAs mainly in young pregnant women.

Walking-age analyzer for healthcare applications.

PubMed

Jin, Bo; Thu, Tran Hoai; Baek, Eunhye; Sakong, SungHwan; Xiao, Jin; Mondal, Tapas; Deen, M Jamal

2014-05-01

This paper describes a walking-age pattern analysis and identification system using a 3-D accelerometer and a gyroscope. First, a walking pattern database from 79 volunteers of ages ranging from 10 to 83 years is constructed. Second, using feature extraction and clustering, three distinct walking-age groups, children of ages 10 and below, adults in 20-60s, and elders in 70s and 80s, were identified. For this study, low-pass filtering, empirical mode decomposition, and K-means were used to process and analyze the experimental results. Analysis shows that volunteers' walking-ages can be categorized into distinct groups based on simple walking pattern signals. This grouping can then be used to detect persons with walking patterns outside their age groups. If the walking pattern puts an individual in a higher "walking age" grouping, then this could be an indicator of potential health/walking problems, such as weak joints, poor musculoskeletal support system or a tendency to fall.

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.

Home-based Early Intervention on Auditory and Speech Development in Mandarin-speaking Deaf Infants and Toddlers with Chronological Aged 7-24 Months.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Liu, Yue-Hui; Fu, Ming-Fu; Li, Chun-Lin; Wang, Li-Yan; Wang, Qi; Sun, Xi-Bin

2015-08-20

Early auditory and speech development in home-based early intervention of infants and toddlers with hearing loss younger than 2 years are still spare in China. This study aimed to observe the development of auditory and speech in deaf infants and toddlers who were fitted with hearing aids and/or received cochlear implantation between the chronological ages of 7-24 months, and analyze the effect of chronological age and recovery time on auditory and speech development in the course of home-based early intervention. This longitudinal study included 55 hearing impaired children with severe and profound binaural deafness, who were divided into Group A (7-12 months), Group B (13-18 months) and Group C (19-24 months) based on the chronological age. Categories auditory performance (CAP) and speech intelligibility rating scale (SIR) were used to evaluate auditory and speech development at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of habilitation. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic features and were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. With 24 months of hearing intervention, 78% of the patients were able to understand common phrases and conversation without lip-reading, 96% of the patients were intelligible to a listener. In three groups, children showed the rapid growth of trend features in each period of habilitation. CAP and SIR scores have developed rapidly within 24 months after fitted auxiliary device in Group A, which performed much better auditory and speech abilities than Group B (P < 0.05) and Group C (P < 0.05). Group B achieved better results than Group C, whereas no significant differences were observed between Group B and Group C (P > 0.05). The data suggested the early hearing intervention and home-based habilitation benefit auditory and speech development. Chronological age and recovery time may be major factors for aural verbal outcomes in hearing impaired children. The development of auditory and speech in hearing impaired children may be relatively crucial in thefirst year's habilitation after fitted with the auxiliary device.

School Age Outcomes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Received Community-Based Early Interventions.

PubMed

Vinen, Zoe; Clark, Megan; Paynter, Jessica; Dissanayake, Cheryl

2018-05-01

This study followed children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from early intervention into their early schooling years, when they were aged between 6 and 9 years, on autism symptom severity and cognitive functioning. The children, matched at pre-intervention, were compared on type of community provided service: 31 were in receipt of community-based group Early Start Denver Model and 28 had received other community provisions for ASD. Irrespective of groups, cognitive functioning was found to have significantly improved by school age compared to pre-intervention. Autism symptom severity increased during the same developmental period, seemingly driven by an increase in restricted and repetitive behaviours over time. In contrast, both groups displayed improved social affect by school age.

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.

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 hypercholesterolemia (46.6%). The Asian group had the lowest mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score (score of 1.4); the American Indian group had the highest CCI score (score of 1.8). Of the age groups, the 65- to 74-year group had the highest percentages of those with hypertension (69.0%) and hypercholesterolemia (67.4%). The mean CCI scores in the 65- to 74-year and ≥75-year age groups (scores of 1.8 for both) were significantly higher than in the 18- to 64-year age group. The Asian group had the lowest percentage of participants reporting hypoglycemia (37.3%). The 18- to 64-year age group had the highest percentage of participants reporting hypoglycemia (52.7%). Limitations of this study include selection bias (Internet-based survey), recall bias, missing values, and descriptive analyses without adjustment for multiplicity. There are many factors that contribute to diabetes burden and the complexity of diabetes management. The results of this study provide insight from a patient perspective regarding how these factors vary across age and race/ethnicity to aid in the individualization of diabetes treatment. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by EM Inc USA.. All rights reserved.

Motivational interviewing-based training vs traditional training on the uptake of cervical screening: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Zolfaghari, Z; Rezaee, N; Shakiba, M; Navidian, A

2018-07-01

Cervical cancer, a major health issue affecting women, is preventable and can be successfully treated. It is essential that measures are taken to improve the uptake of screening for this cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of motivational interviewing (MI)-based training and traditional training on the frequency of cervical cancer screening tests in a group of working female teachers. This is a quasi-experimental study. This research was conducted in 2017 among 134 teachers (aged 30-60 years) working in southeastern Iran. The participants were selected from among the eligible individuals and subsequently divided into MI-based training and traditional training groups (n = 67 for each group). Each group received a three-session training program, and 20 weeks after the end of the last training session, the information obtained from cervical cancer screening tests was documented. To analyze the data, independent t-test and Chi-squared test were run in SPSS, version 21. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics such as age, age at the first pregnancy, age of marriage, the number of parities, and educational level. Twenty weeks after intervention, 20.9% of the MI-based training group underwent Pap smear screening test, while 9% of the women in the traditional training group took the test, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.0.5). MI-based training has a significant positive effect on women's compliance with cervical cancer screening tests. Therefore, it is recommended that this technique be adopted in women's health centers. IRCT2017100729954N4. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life review based on remembering specific positive events in active aging.

PubMed

Latorre, José M; Serrano, Juan P; Ricarte, Jorge; Bonete, Beatriz; Ros, Laura; Sitges, Esther

2015-02-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of life review (LR) based on specific positive events in non-depressed older adults taking part in an active aging program. Fifty-five older adults were randomly assigned to an experimental group or an active control (AC) group. A six-session individual training of LR based on specific positive events was carried out with the experimental group. The AC group undertook a "media workshop" of six sessions focused on learning journalistic techniques. Pre-test and post-test measures included life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, experiencing the environment as rewarding, and autobiographical memory (AM) scales. LR intervention decreased depressive symptomatology, improved life satisfaction, and increased specific memories. The findings suggest that practice in AM for specific events is an effective component of LR that could be a useful tool in enhancing emotional well-being in active aging programs, thus reducing depressive symptoms. © The Author(s) 2014.

Effect of artificial aging on the surface roughness and microhardness of resin-based materials.

PubMed

Santos, M Jacinta M C; Rêgo, Heleine Maria Chagas; Mukhopadhyay, Anuradha; El Najjar, Mai; Santos, Gildo C

2016-01-01

This study sought to verify the effects of aging on the surface roughness (Ra) and microhardness (Knoop hardness number [KHN]) of resin-based restorative materials protected with a surface sealer. Disc specimens of 2 resin-modified glass ionomers (RMGIs) and 1 composite resin (CR) were fabricated in a metal mold. Specimens of each material were divided into 1 group that was covered with surface sealer and 1 group that was not. Both groups of each material were then subdivided according to whether they were stored (aged) in cola or distilled water. Surface roughness and KHN values were obtained from each specimen before and after storage. After aging of the specimens, significantly higher Ra values were observed in the 2 RMGIs when they were not covered with a surface sealer, while the CR was not affected. The KHN values varied by materials and storage conditions (with and without a surface sealer). All the groups with a surface sealer exhibited increased Ra values after aging.

Consumption of soy-based infant formula is not associated with early onset of puberty.

PubMed

Sinai, Tali; Ben-Avraham, Shely; Guelmann-Mizrahi, Inbal; Goldberg, Michael R; Naugolni, Larisa; Askapa, Galia; Katz, Yitzhak; Rachmiel, Marianna

2018-03-20

The use of soy products is common in young children with cow milk allergy (CMA). The aim was to examine prospectively the association between infantile consumption of soy-based formula, growth parameters and early pubertal signs, in comparison to cow milk-based formula. A nested case-control study was conducted, selected from a cohort of infants prospectively followed from birth until the age of 3 years for eating habits and the development of IgE-mediated CMA. Infants who consumed only soy-based formula were included in the soy group. The control group was randomly selected from those without IgE-CMA and not receiving soy formula. Study participants were reevaluated between ages 7.8 and 10.5 years by an interview, nutritional intake by 3 days diaries, and height, weight, and pubertal signs by physical examination. The soy-fed group included 29 participants (17 males), median age 8.92 years IQR (8.21, 9.42). The control group included 60 participants (27 males), median age 8.99 years IQR (8.35, 9.42). The groups had comparable height and BMI z scores (- 0.17 ± 1.08 versus - 0.16 ± 1.01, p = 0.96, and 0.67 ± 1.01 versus 0.53 ± 1.02, p = 0.56, for soy and control groups, respectively). Four (three males and one female) from the soy-group (13.8%) and eight females from the control-group (13.3%) had early pubertal signs (p = 0.95). No association was detected between puberty and infantile nutrition, after controlling for BMI and family data. No association with puberty or differences between groups were found in current daily consumption of soy, micronutrients, energy, carbohydrates, fat, and protein. This is the first prospective, physical examination-based study, demonstrating no association between infantile soy-based formula consumption and growth and puberty parameters.

The first report of Japanese antimicrobial use measured by national database based on health insurance claims data (2011-2013): comparison with sales data, and trend analysis stratified by antimicrobial category and age group.

PubMed

Yamasaki, Daisuke; Tanabe, Masaki; Muraki, Yuichi; Kato, Genta; Ohmagari, Norio; Yagi, Tetsuya

2018-04-01

Our objective was to evaluate the utility of the national database (NDB) based on health insurance claims data for antimicrobial use (AMU) surveillance in medical institutions in Japan. The population-weighted total AMU expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID) was measured by the NDB. The data were compared with our previous study measured by the sales data. Trend analysis of DID from 2011 to 2013 and subgroup analysis stratified by antimicrobial category and age group were performed. There was a significant linear correlation between the AMUs measured by the sales data and the NDB. Total oral and parenteral AMUs (expressed in DID) were 1.04-fold from 12.654 in 2011 to 13.202 in 2013 and 1.13-fold from 0.734 to 0.829, respectively. Percentage of oral form among total AMU was high with more than 94% during the study period. AMU in the children group (0-14 years) decreased from 2011 to 2013 regardless of dosage form, although the working age group (15-64 years) and elderly group (65 and above years) increased. Oral AMU in the working age group was approximately two-thirds of those in the other age groups. In contrast, parenteral AMU in the elderly group was extremely high compared to the other age groups. The trend of AMU stratified by antimicrobial category and age group were successfully measured using the NDB, which can be a tool to monitor outcome indices for the national action plan on antimicrobial resistance.

Can an evidence-based book club intervention delivered via a tablet computer improve physical activity in middle-aged women?

PubMed

Ehlers, Diane K; Huberty, Jennifer L; de Vreede, Gert-Jan

2015-02-01

Fewer than 50% of middle-aged women participate in regular physical activity (PA). Innovative approaches that engage women who may not otherwise participate in PA programs are warranted. The purpose of this study was to explore the acceptability and feasibility of a 12-week tablet-based book club for improving middle-aged women's PA. Thirty women (35-64 years of age) were randomized to the Fit Minded Tablet (n=15) and the Standard Fit Minded (i.e., face-to-face intervention) (n=15) groups. The Fit Minded Tablet was adapted from the Standard Fit Minded, a previously tested, theory-based book club intervention using books as a platform for discussion and group support to help women adopt regular PA. Both interventions met weekly for 3 months, for a total of 12 sessions. Tablet group participants accessed materials (e.g., e-books, workbook, live/recorded videoconferencing) via a tablet computer; Standard group participants received materials (e.g., printed books, workbook, live face-to-face meetings) in person. Feasibility (i.e., implementation and expansion) was assessed using process evaluation, qualitative interviews, satisfaction surveys, and quantitative outcome assessments. Women in the Tablet group attended fewer meetings (mean, 8.25) than women in the Standard group (mean, 9.9). Videoconferencing, digital literacy, and participant engagement limitations were observed in the Tablet group. Tablet participants enjoyed the e-books but thought technology barriers hindered their engagement during meetings. Women in both groups valued the support they received from other group members. Standard participants cited this support as a key contributor to their PA changes, whereas Tablet participants reported needing in-person contact to feel more connected. Given the popularity of tablet computers and the value that middle-aged women place on group interaction to support their PA behaviors, additional research is warranted to determine best strategies for optimizing social support, mitigating technology barriers, and improving engagement in online and mobile health promotion programs targeting middle-aged women.

Age and Environment Determined Children's Preference Towards Dentist Attire - A Cross - Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Dhanalakshmi; Gurunathan, Deepa; Karthikeyan, Shanmugaavel; Subbramanian, Emg; Samuel, Victor A

2016-10-01

The attire of the dentist has an influence on child's behaviour in dental setup. Recent research has shown that the children have preferences towards the outfit worn by the dentist. The aim of the study was to determine the preference of children towards dentists' attire based on various age groups and environment. A total of 534 children aged between 6-11 years participated in the study. Children were divided into three groups based on their age as younger, middle and older age groups. Photographs of the dentist in different attires such as white coat, surgical scrubs and regular outfit were shown to children and the questionnaire was evaluated by a single, qualified Paediatric dentist in two different environmental set ups, namely school and dental environment. The anxiety level was evaluated by using Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f)]. Data was collected and tabulated. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. A statistically significant difference was evident in the preference level of children towards dentist attire (p-value= 0.002). There was a positive correlation in the preference level of children towards dentist attire in different age groups. A statistically significant difference was evident in the preference level of children towards the dentist attire in school and dental environment (p-value <0.001). Younger age group children preferred regular outfit and middle and older age group preferred white coat and surgical scrubs respectively. Children preferred white coat in school environment and surgical scrubs in dental environment.

Effect of a commercially available fish-based dog food enriched with nutraceuticals on hip and elbow dysplasia in growing Labrador retrievers.

PubMed

Manfredi, Sabrina; Di Ianni, Francesco; Di Girolamo, Nicola; Canello, Sergio; Gnudi, Giacomo; Guidetti, Gianandrea; Miduri, Francesca; Fabbi, Martina; Daga, Eleonora; Parmigiani, Enrico; Centenaro, Sara; Volta, Antonella

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hip and elbow dysplasia in a group of growing Labrador retrievers fed a fish-based diet enriched with nutraceuticals with chondroprotective properties. The puppies ranged from 3 to 12 mo of age and were divided into 2 groups, each fed a different diet. The control diet consisted of a high quality, chicken-based dog food, while the test diet was a fish-based dog food, enriched with nutraceuticals. Hip and elbow joints were radiographed and scored at 6 and 12 mo of age. Overall, 42 dogs completed the study. At 12 mo of age, no differences were found between the groups in the prevalence of hip and elbow dysplasia, although dogs fed the fish-based food enriched with nutraceuticals had a less severe grade of osteoarthritis at 12 mo. It was concluded that the fish-based diet with nutraceuticals did have beneficial effects on the development of severe osteoarthritis.

Modeling Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Increased Efforts to Attract Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Clients Ages 20-29 in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Kripke, Katharine; Hatzold, Karin; Mugurungi, Owen; Ncube, Gertrude; Xaba, Sinokuthemba; Gold, Elizabeth; Ahanda, Kim Seifert; Kruse-Levy, Natalie; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Zimbabwe aims to increase circumcision coverage to 80% among 13- to 29-year-olds. However, implementation data suggest that high coverage among men ages 20 and older may not be achievable without efforts specifically targeted to these men, incurring additional costs per circumcision. Scale-up scenarios were created based on trends in implementation data in Zimbabwe, and the cost-effectiveness of increasing efforts to recruit clients ages 20-29 was examined. Zimbabwe voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program data were used to project trends in male circumcision coverage by age into the future. The projection informed a base scenario in which, by 2018, the country achieves 80% circumcision coverage among males ages 10-19 and lower levels of coverage among men above age 20. The Zimbabwe DMPPT 2.0 model was used to project costs and impacts, assuming a US$109 VMMC unit cost in the base scenario and a 3% discount rate. Two other scenarios assumed that the program could increase coverage among clients ages 20-29 with a corresponding increase in unit cost for these age groups. When circumcision coverage among men ages 20-29 is increased compared with a base scenario reflecting current implementation trends, fewer VMMCs are required to avert one infection. If more than 50% additional effort (reflected as multiplying the unit cost by >1.5) is required to double the increase in coverage among this age group compared with the base scenario, the cost per HIV infection averted is higher than in the base scenario. Although increased investment in recruiting VMMC clients ages 20-29 may lead to greater overall impact if recruitment efforts are successful, it may also lead to lower cost-effectiveness, depending on the cost of increasing recruitment. Programs should measure the relationship between increased effort and increased ability to attract this age group.

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.

Summary of the NICHD-BPCA Pediatric Formulation Initiatives Workshop-Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System (PBCS) Working Group

PubMed Central

Abdel-Rahman, Susan; Amidon, Gordon L.; Kaul, Ajay; Lukacova, Viera; Vinks, Alexander A.; Knipp, Gregory

2012-01-01

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) allows compounds to be classified based on their in vitro solubility and intestinal permeability. The BCS has found widespread use in the pharmaceutical community as an enabling guide for the rational selection of compounds, formulation for clinical advancement and generic biowaivers. The Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System (PBCS) working group was convened to consider the possibility of developing an analogous pediatric based classification system. Since there are distinct developmental differences that can alter intestinal contents, volumes, permeability and potentially biorelevant solubilities at the different ages, the PBCS working group focused on identifying age specific issues that would need to be considered in establishing a flexible, yet rigorous PBCS. Objective To summarize the findings of the PBCS working group and provide insights into considerations required for the development of a pediatric based biopharmaceutics classification system. Methods Through several meetings conducted both at The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Human Development (NICHD)-US Pediatric Formulation Initiative (PFI) workshop (November 2011) and via teleconferences, the PBCS working group considered several high level questions that were raised to frame the classification system. In addition, the PBCS working group identified a number of knowledge gaps that would need to be addressed in order to develop a rigorous PBCS. Results It was determined that for a PBCS to be truly meaningful, it would need to be broken down into several different age groups that would account for developmental changes in intestinal permeability, luminal contents, and gastrointestinal transit. Several critical knowledge gaps where identified including: 1) a lack of fully understanding the ontogeny of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, in the liver and in the kidney; 2) an incomplete understanding of age-based changes in the GI, liver and kidney physiology; 3) a clear need to better understand age-based intestinal permeability and fraction absorbed required to develop the PBCS; 4) a clear need for the development and organization of pediatric tissue biobanks to serve as a source for ontogenic research; and 5) a lack of literature published in age-based pediatric pharmacokinetics in order to build Physiologically- and Population-Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) databases. Conclusions To begin the process of establishing a PBPK model, ten pediatric therapeutic agents were selected (based on their adult BCS classifications). Those agents should be targeted for additional research in the future. The PBCS working group also identified several areas where a greater emphasis on research is needed to enable the development of a PBCS. PMID:23149009

Prevalence of Invalid Performance on Baseline Testing for Sport-Related Concussion by Age and Validity Indicator.

PubMed

Abeare, Christopher A; Messa, Isabelle; Zuccato, Brandon G; Merker, Bradley; Erdodi, Laszlo

2018-03-12

Estimated base rates of invalid performance on baseline testing (base rates of failure) for the management of sport-related concussion range from 6.1% to 40.0%, depending on the validity indicator used. The instability of this key measure represents a challenge in the clinical interpretation of test results that could undermine the utility of baseline testing. To determine the prevalence of invalid performance on baseline testing and to assess whether the prevalence varies as a function of age and validity indicator. This retrospective, cross-sectional study included data collected between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016, from a clinical referral center in the Midwestern United States. Participants included 7897 consecutively tested, equivalently proportioned male and female athletes aged 10 to 21 years, who completed baseline neurocognitive testing for the purpose of concussion management. Baseline assessment was conducted with the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), a computerized neurocognitive test designed for assessment of concussion. Base rates of failure on published ImPACT validity indicators were compared within and across age groups. Hypotheses were developed after data collection but prior to analyses. Of the 7897 study participants, 4086 (51.7%) were male, mean (SD) age was 14.71 (1.78) years, 7820 (99.0%) were primarily English speaking, and the mean (SD) educational level was 8.79 (1.68) years. The base rate of failure ranged from 6.4% to 47.6% across individual indicators. Most of the sample (55.7%) failed at least 1 of 4 validity indicators. The base rate of failure varied considerably across age groups (117 of 140 [83.6%] for those aged 10 years to 14 of 48 [29.2%] for those aged 21 years), representing a risk ratio of 2.86 (95% CI, 2.60-3.16; P < .001). The results for base rate of failure were surprisingly high overall and varied widely depending on the specific validity indicator and the age of the examinee. The strong age association, with 3 of 4 participants aged 10 to 12 years failing validity indicators, suggests that the clinical interpretation and utility of baseline testing in this age group is questionable. These findings underscore the need for close scrutiny of performance validity indicators on baseline testing across age groups.

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.

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

Factorial invariance of pediatric patient self-reported fatigue across age and gender: a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis approach utilizing the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.

PubMed

Varni, James W; Beaujean, A Alexander; Limbers, Christine A

2013-11-01

In order to compare multidimensional fatigue research findings across age and gender subpopulations, it is important to demonstrate measurement invariance, that is, that the items from an instrument have equivalent meaning across the groups studied. This study examined the factorial invariance of the 18-item PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale items across age and gender and tested a bifactor model. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) was performed specifying a three-factor model across three age groups (5-7, 8-12, and 13-18 years) and gender. MG-CFA models were proposed in order to compare the factor structure, metric, scalar, and error variance across age groups and gender. The analyses were based on 837 children and adolescents recruited from general pediatric clinics, subspecialty clinics, and hospitals in which children were being seen for well-child checks, mild acute illness, or chronic illness care. A bifactor model of the items with one general factor influencing all the items and three domain-specific factors representing the General, Sleep/Rest, and Cognitive Fatigue domains fit the data better than oblique factor models. Based on the multiple measures of model fit, configural, metric, and scalar invariance were found for almost all items across the age and gender groups, as was invariance in the factor covariances. The PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale demonstrated strict factorial invariance for child and adolescent self-report across gender and strong factorial invariance across age subpopulations. The findings support an equivalent three-factor structure across the age and gender groups studied. Based on these data, it can be concluded that pediatric patients across the groups interpreted the items in a similar manner regardless of their age or gender, supporting the multidimensional factor structure interpretation of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.

Gender differences in mental rotation across adulthood.

PubMed

Jansen, Petra; Heil, Martin

2010-01-01

Although gender differences in mental rotation in younger adults are prominent in paper-pencil tests as well as in chronometric tests with polygons as stimuli, less is known about this topic in the older age ranges. Therefore, performance was assessed with the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) paper-pencil test as well as with a computer-based two-stimulus same-different task with polygons in a sample of 150 adults divided into three age groups, 20-30, 40-50, and 60-70 years. Performance decreased with age, and men outperformed women in all age groups. The gender effect decreased with age in the MRT, possibly due to a floor effect. Gender differences remained constant across age, however, in the error rates of the computer-based task.

Development and evaluation of two web-based interventions for the promotion of physical activity in older adults: study protocol for a community-based controlled intervention trial.

PubMed

Muellmann, Saskia; Bragina, Inna; Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia; Rost, Eric; Lippke, Sonia; Meyer, Jochen; Schnauber, Jochen; Wasmann, Merlin; Toborg, Merle; Koppelin, Frauke; Brand, Tilman; Zeeb, Hajo; Pischke, Claudia R

2017-05-25

Regular physical activity (PA) is a key contributor to healthy ageing. However, despite known health benefits, only one third of older adults in Germany reach the PA levels recommended for persons aged 65 years and above by the World Health Organization. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two web-based interventions for the initiation and maintenance of regular PA (i.e., intervention groups 1 and 2) compared to a delayed intervention control group of older adults aged 65 to 75 years. Study participants will be randomly assigned to one of three study arms in five communities in the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan region: a) Participants in the first arm will receive access to a web-based intervention for 10 weeks allowing them to track their weekly PA (subjective self-monitoring, intervention group 1); b) participants in the second arm will receive access to the web-based intervention for 10 weeks and, in addition, track PA using Fitbit Zips (objective self-monitoring, intervention group 2); c) participants in the delayed intervention control group will receive access to the intervention implemented in the first study arm after completion of the 12-week follow-up in the other two groups within each community. In addition, weekly group meetings in the communities will be offered to study participants in the intervention groups providing the opportunity to address questions related to the use of the website and to practice PA in groups (e.g., neighborhood walks, strength and balance exercises). To evaluate short-term effects of the intervention on physical and psychological health, PA, physical fitness, and cognitive and psychological variables will be assessed at baseline and 12-week follow-up. This study will provide answers regarding acceptance and effectiveness of web-based interventions promoting uptake and maintenance of regular PA in persons aged 65-75 years. Study findings will contribute to a growing body of evidence in Germany concerning the role of community-based interventions for the promotion of PA and healthy ageing in older adults. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00010052 (Date of registration 07-11-2016).

Pediatric Patients with High Pulmonary Arterial Pressure in Congenital Heart Disease Have Increased Tracheal Diameters Measured by Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Ohashi, Nobuko; Imai, Hidekazu; Seino, Yutaka; Baba, Hiroshi

2017-12-06

Determination of the appropriate tracheal tube size using formulas based on age or height often is inaccurate in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), particularly in those with high pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). Here, the authors compared tracheal diameters between pediatric patients with CHD with high PAP and low PAP. Retrospective clinical study. Hospital. Pediatric patients, from birth to 6 months of age, requiring general anesthesia and tracheal intubation who underwent computed tomography were included. Patients with mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg were allocated to the high PAP group, and the remaining patients were allocated to the low PAP group. The primary outcome was the tracheal diameter at the cricoid cartilage level, and the secondary goal was to observe whether the size of the tracheal tube was appropriate compared with that obtained using predictable formulas based on age or height. The mean tracheal diameter was significantly larger in the high PAP group than in the low PAP group (p < 0.01). Pediatric patients with high PAP required a larger tracheal tube size than predicted by formulas based on age or height (p = 0.04 for age and height). Pediatric patients with high PAP had larger tracheal diameters than those with low PAP and required larger tracheal tubes compared with the size predicted using formulas based on age or height. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Office-Based vs Traditional Operating Room Management of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: Impact of Patient Characteristics and Disease Severity.

PubMed

Tatar, Emel Çadalli; Kupfer, Robbi A; Barry, Jonnae Y; Allen, Clint T; Merati, Albert L

2017-01-01

Management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in adults has evolved to include office-based laser techniques. To determine whether demographic or disease characteristics differ between patients undergoing office-based (office group) vs traditional operating room (OR group) surgical approaches for RRP. This study was a medical record review of adult patients with RRP treated between January 2011 and September 2013 at a tertiary care center. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the setting in which the patient had the most procedures during the past 2 years. Demographic and disease characteristics were compared between patients receiving predominantly office-based vs predominantly OR management. Of 57 patients (47 male and 10 female, with a mean [SD] age of 53.5 [16.4] years) treated during the 2-year period, 34 patients underwent predominantly office-based management and 23 patients underwent predominantly OR management. Sex, age, and weight were not statistically significantly different between the 2 groups. Patients in the OR group had a younger age at RRP diagnosis (mean [SD], 28.7 [22.0] years in the OR group and 45.5 [20.5] years in the office group), with a mean difference of 16.8 years (95% CI, -28.3 to -5.4 years). Patients in the OR group also had a significantly higher Derkay score (mean [SD], 15.1 [5.7] in the OR group and 10.7 [5.0] in the office group), with a mean difference of 4.4 (95% CI, 1.6-7.3). No statistically significant differences in comorbidities were observed between the 2 groups except for type 1 or 2 diabetes, which was more common in the OR group. There were 5 patients (22%) with diabetes in the OR group and 1 patient (3%) with diabetes in the office group, with a mean difference of 19% (95% CI, 2.7%-35%). In a subanalysis that excluded patients with juvenile-onset RRP, Derkay score (mean [SD], 13.9 [4.5] in the OR group and 10.8 [5.1] in the office group), with a mean difference of 3.1 (95% CI, 0.5-6.1), and the incidence of diabetes (25% [4 of 16] in the OR group and 3% [1 of 31] in the office group), with a mean difference of 22% (95% CI, 3%-40%), remained significantly higher in the OR group, while age at diagnosis of RRP was no longer statistically significant (mean [SD], 40.2 [15.6] years in the OR group and 49.6 [16.4] years in the office group), with a mean difference of 9.4 years (95% CI, -19.4 to -0.7 years). There were no sex or age differences between patients with RRP treated in the office compared with those treated in the OR. Patients with earlier age at diagnosis of RRP and greater disease severity were more likely to be managed in the OR.

Mortality Risk in Pediatric Motor Vehicle Crash Occupants: Accounting for Developmental Stage and Challenging Abbreviated Injury Scale Metrics.

PubMed

Doud, Andrea N; Weaver, Ashley A; Talton, Jennifer W; Barnard, Ryan T; Schoell, Samantha L; Petty, John K; Stitzel, Joel D

2015-01-01

Survival risk ratios (SRRs) and their probabilistic counterpart, mortality risk ratios (MRRs), have been shown to be at odds with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) severity scores for particular injuries in adults. SRRs have been validated for pediatrics but have not been studied within the context of pediatric age stratifications. We hypothesized that children with similar motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries may have different mortality risks (MR) based upon developmental stage and that these MRs may not correlate with AIS severity. The NASS-CDS 2000-2011 was used to define the top 95% most common AIS 2+ injuries among MVC occupants in 4 age groups: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-18 years. Next, the National Trauma Databank 2002-2011 was used to calculate the MR (proportion of those dying with an injury to those sustaining the injury) and the co-injury-adjusted MR (MRMAIS) for each injury within 6 age groups: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-18, 0-18, and 19+ years. MR differences were evaluated between age groups aggregately, between age groups based upon anatomic injury patterns and between age groups on an individual injury level using nonparametric Wilcoxon tests and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests as appropriate. Correlation between AIS and MR within each age group was also evaluated. MR and MRMAIS distributions of the most common AIS 2+ injuries were right skewed. Aggregate MR of these most common injuries varied between the age groups, with 5- to 9-year-old and 10- to 14-year-old children having the lowest MRs and 0- to 4-year-old and 15- to 18-year-old children and adults having the highest MRs (all P <.05). Head and thoracic injuries imparted the greatest mortality risk in all age groups with median MRMAIS ranging from 0 to 6% and 0 to 4.5%, respectively. Injuries to particular body regions also varied with respect to MR based upon age. For example, thoracic injuries in adults had significantly higher MRMAIS than such injuries among 5- to 9-year-olds and 10- to 14-year-olds (P =.04; P <.01). Furthermore, though AIS was positively correlated with MR within each age group, less correlation was seen for children than for adults. Large MR variations were seen within each AIS grade, with some lower AIS severity injuries demonstrating greater MRs than higher AIS severity injuries. As an example, MRMAIS in 0- to 18-year-olds was 0.4% for an AIS 3 radius fracture versus 1.4% for an AIS 2 vault fracture. Trauma severity metrics are important for outcome prediction models and can be used in pediatric triage algorithms and other injury research. Trauma severity may vary for similar injuries based upon developmental stage, and this difference should be reflected in severity metrics. The MR-based data-driven determination of injury severity in pediatric occupants of different age cohorts provides a supplement or an alternative to AIS severity classification for pediatric occupants in MVCs.

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

The Effects of a Home-Based Intervention for Young Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, J. Y.; Nhan, N. V.; Lee, S. -B.; Crittenden, K. S.; Flory, M.; Hong, H. T. D.

2009-01-01

Background: This study was conducted to examine the impact of a 1-year intervention for children with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Vietnam. Method: Subjects were 30 preschool-aged children with ID (ages 3 to 6 years). Sixteen were assigned to an intervention group and 14 to a control group. Based on the Portage Curriculum (CESA 5 2003), the…

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.

[Establishment of reference ranges of sex hormones for healthy children in Shenzhen, China based on chemiluminescence].

PubMed

Sun, Li-Fang; Li, Ying-Ying; Huang, Bao-Xing; Fu, Xiao-Ying; Yang, Fang-Hua; Ma, Dong-Li; Zhang, Qin

2017-12-01

To study the reference ranges of six sex hormones, i.e., luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone, for healthy children aged 0-18 years in Shenzhen, China. Stratified cluster sampling was performed to select 2 178 healthy children aged 0-18 years in the districts of Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Bao'an, and Longgang in Shenzhen between September 2015 and September 2016. There were 1 219 boys and 959 girls, including 81 neonates, 335 infants, 346 young children, 469 preschool children, 419 school-aged children, and 528 adolescents. The American Beckman DXI800 chemiluminescence meter was used to measure the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone. There were significant differences in the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone between different age groups (P<0.05). There were also significant differences in the levels of these sex hormones between boys and girls in the same age group (P<0.05). The reference ranges of six sex hormones were established for healthy children aged 0-18 years in Shenzhen based on the levels of these hormones in different age groups. There are significant differences in sex hormones between different age groups or sex groups. The reference ranges of six sex hormones established for different sexes or ages have great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine diseases in children.

FUNdamentals: A Research-Based, Phonics Tutorial Learn To Read Program. [Educational Kit].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eller, Jeanie

FUNdamentals puts the "FUN" back in learning for all age groups. FUNdamentals is an intensive, systematic phonics learn-to-read program that helps improve comprehension, spelling, and penmanship. It is designed for use by every age group. Formulated for use with learners from preschool through adult ages, FUNdamentals is the key to…

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-related characteristics of patients with myofascial TMDs when developing appropriate management strategies.

Amino Acid-based Formula in Cow's Milk Allergy: Long-term Effects on Body Growth and Protein Metabolism.

PubMed

Canani, Roberto Berni; Nocerino, Rita; Frediani, Tullio; Lucarelli, Sandra; Di Scala, Carmen; Varin, Elena; Leone, Ludovica; Muraro, Antonella; Agostoni, Carlo

2017-04-01

The long-term effects of amino acid-based formula (AAF) in the treatment of cow's milk allergy (CMA) are largely unexplored. The present study comparatively evaluates body growth and protein metabolism in CMA children treated with AAF or with extensively hydrolyzed whey formula (eHWF), and healthy controls. A 12-month multicenter randomized control trial was conducted in outpatients with CMA (age 5-12 m) randomized in 2 groups, treated with AAF (group 1) and eHWF (group 2), and compared with healthy controls (group 3) fed with follow-on (if age <12 months) or growing-up formula (if age >12 months). At enrolment (T0), after 3 (T3), 6 (T6), and 12 months (T12) a clinical evaluation was performed. At T0 and T3, in subjects with CMA serum levels of albumin, urea, total protein, retinol-binding protein, and insulin-like growth factor 1 were measured. Twenty-one subjects in group 1 (61.9% boys, age 6.5 ± 1.5 months), 19 in group 2 (57.9% boys, age 7 ± 1.7 months) and 25 subjects in group 3 (48% boys, age 5.5 ± 0.5 months) completed the study. At T0, the weight z score was similar in group 1 (-0.74) and 2 (-0.76), with differences compared to group 3 (-0.17, P < 0.05). At T12, the weight z score value was similar between the 3 groups without significant differences. There were no significant changes in protein metabolism in children in groups 1 and 2. Long-term treatment with AAF is safe and allows adequate body growth in children with CMA.

SELF-CONCEPT DIFFERENTIATION AND SELF-CONCEPT CLARITY ACROSS ADULTHOOD: ASSOCIATIONS WITH AGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING*

PubMed Central

DIEHL, MANFRED; HAY, ELIZABETH L.

2011-01-01

This study focused on the identification of conceptually meaningful groups of individuals based on their joint self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC) scores. Notably, we examined whether membership in different SCD-SCC groups differed by age and also was associated with differences in psychological well-being (PWB). Cluster analysis revealed five distinct SCD-SCC groups: a self-assured, unencumbered, fragmented-only, confused-only, and fragmented and confused group. Individuals in the self-assured group had the highest mean scores for positive PWB and the lowest mean scores for negative PWB, whereas individuals in the fragmented and confused group showed the inverse pattern. Findings showed that it was psychologically advantageous to belong to the self-assured group at all ages. As hypothesized, older adults were more likely than young adults to be in the self-assured cluster, whereas young adults were more likely to be in the fragmented and confused cluster. Thus, consistent with extant theorizing, age was positively associated with psychologically adaptive self-concept profiles. This study examined whether conceptually meaningful subgroups of individuals can be identified based on their joint scores on self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC). Specifically, we considered whether individuals within such subgroups differed systematically from one another on measures of positive and negative psychological well-being (PWB). Of interest to us was also whether there were age differences in the distribution of adults across the SCD-SCC groups and whether age moderated the association between PWB and SCD-SCC grouping. PMID:22010361

Age estimation of living Indian individuals based on aspartic acid racemization from tooth biopsy specimen

PubMed Central

Rastogi, Manu; Logani, Ajay; Shah, Naseem; Kumar, Abhishek; Arora, Saurabh

2017-01-01

Background: Age estimation in living individuals is imperative to amicably settle civil and criminal disputes. A biochemical method based on amino acid racemization was evaluated for age estimation of living Indian individuals. Design: Caries-free maxillary/mandibular premolar teeth (n = 90) were collected from participants with age proof documents and divided into predefined nine age groups. Materials and Methods: Dentine biopsy from the labial aspect of the tooth crown was taken with an indigenously developed microtrephine. The samples were processed and subjected to gas chromatography. Dextrorotatory:levorotatory ratios were calculated, and a regression equation was formulated. Results: Across all age groups, an error of 0 ± 4 years between protein racemization age and chronological age was observed. Conclusion: Aspartic acid racemization from dentine biopsy samples could be a viable and accurate technique for age estimation of living individuals who have attained a state of skeletal maturity. PMID:29263613

The smell of age: perception and discrimination of body odors of different ages.

PubMed

Mitro, Susanna; Gordon, Amy R; Olsson, Mats J; Lundström, Johan N

2012-01-01

Our natural body odor goes through several stages of age-dependent changes in chemical composition as we grow older. Similar changes have been reported for several animal species and are thought to facilitate age discrimination of an individual based on body odors, alone. We sought to determine whether humans are able to discriminate between body odor of humans of different ages. Body odors were sampled from three distinct age groups: Young (20-30 years old), Middle-age (45-55), and Old-age (75-95) individuals. Perceptual ratings and age discrimination performance were assessed in 41 young participants. There were significant differences in ratings of both intensity and pleasantness, where body odors from the Old-age group were rated as less intense and less unpleasant than body odors originating from Young and Middle-age donors. Participants were able to discriminate between age categories, with body odor from Old-age donors mediating the effect also after removing variance explained by intensity differences. Similarly, participants were able to correctly assign age labels to body odors originating from Old-age donors but not to body odors originating from other age groups. This experiment suggests that, akin to other animals, humans are able to discriminate age based on body odor alone and that this effect is mediated mainly by body odors emitted by individuals of old age.

The Smell of Age: Perception and Discrimination of Body Odors of Different Ages

PubMed Central

Mitro, Susanna; Gordon, Amy R.; Olsson, Mats J.; Lundström, Johan N.

2012-01-01

Our natural body odor goes through several stages of age-dependent changes in chemical composition as we grow older. Similar changes have been reported for several animal species and are thought to facilitate age discrimination of an individual based on body odors, alone. We sought to determine whether humans are able to discriminate between body odor of humans of different ages. Body odors were sampled from three distinct age groups: Young (20–30 years old), Middle-age (45–55), and Old-age (75–95) individuals. Perceptual ratings and age discrimination performance were assessed in 41 young participants. There were significant differences in ratings of both intensity and pleasantness, where body odors from the Old-age group were rated as less intense and less unpleasant than body odors originating from Young and Middle-age donors. Participants were able to discriminate between age categories, with body odor from Old-age donors mediating the effect also after removing variance explained by intensity differences. Similarly, participants were able to correctly assign age labels to body odors originating from Old-age donors but not to body odors originating from other age groups. This experiment suggests that, akin to other animals, humans are able to discriminate age based on body odor alone and that this effect is mediated mainly by body odors emitted by individuals of old age. PMID:22666457

Summary of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-best pharmaceuticals for Children Act Pediatric Formulation Initiatives Workshop-Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System Working Group.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Susan M; Amidon, Gordon L; Kaul, Ajay; Lukacova, Viera; Vinks, Alexander A; Knipp, Gregory T

2012-11-01

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) allows compounds to be classified based on their in vitro solubility and intestinal permeability. The BCS has found widespread use in the pharmaceutical community to be an enabling guide for the rational selection of compounds, formulation for clinical advancement, and generic biowaivers. The Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System (PBCS) Working Group was convened to consider the possibility of developing an analogous pediatric-based classification system. Because there are distinct developmental differences that can alter intestinal contents, volumes, permeability, and potentially biorelevant solubilities at different ages, the PBCS Working Group focused on identifying age-specific issues that need to be considered in establishing a flexible, yet rigorous PBCS. We summarized the findings of the PBCS Working Group and provided insights into considerations required for the development of a PBCS. Through several meetings conducted both at The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Human Development-US Pediatric Formulation Initiative Workshop (November 2011) and via teleconferences, the PBCS Working Group considered several high-level questions that were raised to frame the classification system. In addition, the PBCS Working Group identified a number of knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to develop a rigorous PBCS. It was determined that for a PBCS to be truly meaningful, it needs to be broken down into several different age groups that account for developmental changes in intestinal permeability, luminal contents, and gastrointestinal (GI) transit. Several critical knowledge gaps were identified, including (1) a lack of fully understanding the ontogeny of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters along the GI tract, in the liver, and in the kidney; (2) an incomplete understanding of age-based changes in the GI, liver, and kidney physiology; (3) a clear need to better understand age-based intestinal permeability and fraction absorbed required to develop the PBCS; (4) a clear need for the development and organization of pediatric tissue biobanks to serve as a source for ontogenic research; and (5) a lack of literature published in age-based pediatric pharmacokinetics to build physiologically- and population-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) databases. To begin the process of establishing a PBPK model, 10 pediatric therapeutic agents were selected (based on their adult BCS classifications). These agents should be targeted for additional research in the future. The PBCS Working Group also identified several areas where greater emphasis on research was needed to enable the development of a PBCS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential associations between types of verbal memory and prefrontal brain structure in healthy aging and late life depression.

PubMed

Lamar, Melissa; Charlton, Rebecca; Zhang, Aifeng; Kumar, Anand

2012-07-01

Verbal memory deficits attributed to late life depression (LLD) may result from executive dysfunction that is more detrimental to list-learning than story-based recall when compared to healthy aging. Despite these behavioral dissociations, little work has been done investigating related neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in LLD. We compared list-learning to story-based memory performance in 24 non-demented individuals with LLD (age ~ 66.1 ± 7.8) and 41 non-demented/non-depressed healthy controls (HC; age ~ 67.6 ± 5.3). We correlated significant results of between-group analyses across memory performance variables with brain volumes of frontal, temporal and parietal regions known to be involved with verbal learning and memory. When compared to the HC group, the LLD group showed significantly lower verbal memory performance for spontaneous recall after repeated exposure and after a long-delay but only for the list-learning task; groups did not differ on story-based memory performance. Despite equivalent brain volumes across regions, only the LLD group showed brain associations with verbal memory performance and only for the list-learning task. Specifically, frontal volumes important for subjective organization and response monitoring correlated with list-learning performance in the LLD group. This study is the first to demonstrate neuroanatomical dissociations across types of verbal memory performance in individuals with LLD. Results provide structural evidence for the behavioral dissociations between list-learning and story-based recall in LLD when compared to healthy aging. More specifically, it points toward a network of predominantly anterior brain regions that may underlie the executive contribution to list-learning in older adults with depression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of patients’ age receiving therapeutic services in a cleft care team in Isfahan

PubMed Central

Soheilipour, Saeed; Soheilipour, Fatemeh; Derakhshandeh, Fatemeh; Hashemi, Hedieh; Memarzadeh, Mehrdad; Salehiniya, Hamid; Soheilipour, Fahimeh

2016-01-01

Background: Due to numerous difficulties in patients suffering from varieties of cleft lip and palate, their therapeutic management involves interdisciplinary teamwork. This study was conducted to compare the age of commencing treatments such as speech therapy, secondary palate and alveolar bone grafting and orthodontics between those who sought treatment early and late. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 260 files of patients with cleft lip and palate based on their age at the time of admission to a cleft care team were divided into two groups: The early admission and late admission. Both groups compared based on four variables including the mean age of beginning speech therapy, palatal secondary surgery, alveolar bone grafting, and receiving orthodontics using t-test. Results: Based on the results, among 134 patients admitted for speech therapy, the mean age of initiating speech therapy in early clients was 3.3 years, and in the late ones was 9 years. Among 47 patients with secondary surgery, the mean age in early clients was 3.88 years, and in the late clients was 15.7 years. Among 17 patients with alveolar bone grafting, the mean age in the first group was 9 years, and in the other was 16.69 years. Among 24 patients receiving orthodontic services, the mean age in early clients was 7.66 years, and in the second group was 17.05 years. Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the age of performing secondary surgery and alveolar bone grafting and the age of beginning speech therapy and receiving orthodontic services in early references and late references to the team. PMID:27274350

Physical Demands of Representative Match-Play in Adolescent Rugby Union.

PubMed

Read, Dale B; Jones, Ben; Phibbs, Padraic J; Roe, Gregory A B; Darrall-Jones, Joshua D; Weakley, Jonathon J S; Till, Kevin

2017-05-01

Read, DB, Jones, B, Phibbs, PJ, Roe, GAB, Darrall-Jones, J, Weakley, JJS, and Till, K. Physical demands of representative match-play in adolescent rugby union. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1290-1296, 2017-The purpose of this study was to quantify the physical demands of representative adolescent rugby union match-play and investigate the difference between playing positions and age groups. Players (n = 112) were classified into 6 groups by playing position (forwards and backs) and age group (U16, U18, and U20). The physical demands were measured using microsensor-based technology and analyzed using magnitude-based inferences to assess practical importance. Backs had a greater relative distance (except U16s) and a greater high-speed running distance per minute than forwards, with the magnitude of difference between the positions becoming larger in older age groups. Forwards had higher values of PlayerLoad (PL) per minute (accumulated accelerations from the 3 axes of movement) and PL slow per minute (accumulated accelerations from the 3 axes of movement where velocity is <2 m·s) than backs at all age groups. Relative distance, low-, and high-speed running per minute all had a trend to be lower in older age groups for both positions. PlayerLoad per minute was greater in U18 than that in U16 and U20 for both positions. PlayerLoad slow per minute was greater for older age groups besides the U18 and U20 comparisons, which were unclear. The contrasts in physical demands experienced by different positions reinforce the need for greater exposure to sprinting and collision-based activity for backs and forwards, respectively. Given PL metrics peak at U18 and locomotor demands seem to be lower in older ages, the demands of representative adolescent rugby union do not seem to be greater at U20 as expected.

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 populations from hospitalized patients and from community-based individuals differ, with a predominance of certain clonal lineages, often in association with elderly individuals, occurring in the hospital setting. PMID:25548052

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.

Jerky spontaneous movements at term age in preterm infants who later developed cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Kanemaru, Nao; Watanabe, Hama; Kihara, Hideki; Nakano, Hisako; Nakamura, Tomohiko; Nakano, Junji; Taga, Gentaro; Konishi, Yukuo

2014-08-01

Assessment of spontaneous movements in infants has been a powerful predictor of cerebral palsy (CP). Recent advancements on computer-based video analysis can provide detailed information about the properties of spontaneous movements. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between spontaneous movements of the 4 limbs at term age and the development of CP at 3 years of age by using a computer-based video analysis system. We analyzed video recordings of spontaneous movements at 36-44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) for 145 preterm infants who were born preterm (22-36 weeks PMA with birthweights of 460-1498g). Sixteen of the infants developed CP by 3 years of age, while 129 developed normally. We compared 6 movement indices calculated from 2-dimensional trajectories of all limbs between the 2 groups. We found that the indices of jerkiness were higher in the CP group than in the normal group (p<0.1 for arms and p<0.01 for legs). No decline was observed in the average velocity and number of movement units in the CP group compared with to the normal group. Jerkiness of spontaneous movements at term age provides additional information for predicting CP in infants born preterm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of ingested foreign bodies according to age, type and location: a retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Kim, S Y; Park, B; Kong, I G; Choi, H G

2016-12-01

This study aimed to analyse the types and locations of ingested foreign bodies according to different age groups, from infants to the elderly. A retrospective chart review. Tertiary referral centre. A total of 4682 patients who ingested foreign bodies from January 2006 through February 2014. The frequencies of foreign bodies were investigated in each age group. The types of foreign bodies were categorised into fish bones, chicken bones, seafood, tablets, food, metal, batteries, glass, teeth, plastics and others. The anatomic locations of the objects were classified as the oral cavity, tongue base, tonsils, oropharynx, hypopharynx, oesophagus, stomach and colon. The types, locations and origins of the foreign bodies were analysed according to the age groups. The frequency of foreign body ingestion was high in patients up to 14 years of age, after which the risk of foreign body ingestion markedly decreased. Fish bones were the most commonly suspected foreign bodies in all of the age groups. However, non-food-type foreign bodies were more common in both the young and elderly groups. The tonsils were the most common anatomic site of foreign body impaction except in the group of patients older than 65 years. The stomach and oesophagus were also common locations of foreign bodies in the groups of patients younger than 10 years (10.5%) and older than 65 years (39.4%). The frequency of foreign body ingestion was highest in young children. However, we observed specific age-based characteristics that indicate specific precautions to take to avoid foreign body ingestion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Small-quantity, lipid-based nutrient supplements provided to women during pregnancy and 6 mo postpartum and to their infants from 6 mo of age increase the mean attained length of 18-mo-old children in semi-urban Ghana: a randomized controlled trial12

PubMed Central

Arimond, Mary; Vosti, Stephen; Dewey, Kathryn G

2016-01-01

Background: Childhood stunting usually begins in utero and continues after birth; therefore, its reduction must involve actions across different stages of early life. Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of small-quantity, lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) provided during pregnancy, lactation, and infancy on attained size by 18 mo of age. Design: In this partially double-blind, individually randomized trial, 1320 women at ≤20 wk of gestation received standard iron and folic acid (IFA group), multiple micronutrients (MMN group), or SQ-LNS (LNS group) daily until delivery, and then placebo, MMNs, or SQ-LNS, respectively, for 6 mo postpartum; infants in the LNS group received SQ-LNS formulated for infants from 6 to 18 mo of age (endline). The primary outcome was child length by 18 mo of age. Results: At endline, data were available for 85% of 1228 infants enrolled; overall mean length and length-for-age z score (LAZ) were 79.3 cm and −0.83, respectively, and 12% of the children were stunted (LAZ <−2). In analysis based on the intended treatment, mean ± SD length and LAZ for the LNS group (79.7 ± 2.9 cm and −0.69 ± 1.01, respectively) were significantly greater than for the IFA (79.1 ± 2.9 cm and −0.87 ± 0.99) and MMN (79.1 ± 2.9 cm and −0.91 ± 1.01) groups (P = 0.006 and P = 0.009, respectively). Differences were also significant for weight and weight-for-age z score but not head or midupper arm circumference, and the prevalence of stunting in the LNS group was 8.9%, compared with 13.7% in the IFA group and 12.9% in the MMN group (P = 0.12). In analysis based on actual supplement provided at enrollment, stunting prevalences were 8.9% compared with 15.1% and 11.5%, respectively (P = 0.045). Conclusion: Provision of SQ-LNSs to women from pregnancy to 6 mo postpartum and to their infants from 6 to 18 mo of age may increase the child’s attained length by age 18 mo in similar settings. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866. PMID:27534634

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.

The Adoption and Diffusion of Information and Communication Technology in the Base of the Pyramid Population of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Study of Nigerian University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etim, Alice Sunday

2010-01-01

The global environment is a complex network of people who are grouped using different types of information. In each country, people are grouped based on such information as age, race, ethnicity, educational qualification, income, occupation, and net worth. These socioeconomic descriptions of people have relevance in our current Information Age.…

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.

The impact of population aging on medical expenses: A big data study based on the life table.

PubMed

Wang, Changying; Li, Fen; Wang, Linan; Zhou, Wentao; Zhu, Bifan; Zhang, Xiaoxi; Ding, Lingling; He, Zhimin; Song, Peipei; Jin, Chunlin

2018-01-09

This study shed light on the amount and structure of utilization and medical expenses on Shanghai permanent residents based on big data, simulated lifetime medical expenses through combining of expenses data and life table model, and explored the dynamic pattern of aging on medical expenditures. 5 years were taken as the class interval, the study collected and did the descriptive analysis on the medical services utilization and medical expenses information for all ages of Shanghai permanent residents in 2015, simulated lifetime medical expenses by using current life table and cross-section expenditure data. The results showed that in 2015, outpatient and emergency visits per capita in the elderly group (aged 60 and over) was 4.1 and 4.5 times higher than the childhood group (aged 1-14), and the youth and adult group (aged 15-59); hospitalization per capita in the elderly group was 3.0 and 3.5 times higher than the childhood group, and the youth and adult group. People survived in the 60-64 years group, their expected whole medical expenses (105,447 purchasing power parity Dollar) in the rest of their lives accounted for 75.6% of their lifetime. A similar study in Michigan, US showed that the expenses of the population aged 65 and over accounted for 1/2 of lifetime medical expenses, which is much lower than Shanghai. The medical expenses of the advanced elderly group (aged 80 and over) accounted for 38.8% of their lifetime expenses, including 38.2% in outpatient and emergency, and 39.5% in hospitalization, which was slightly higher than outpatient and emergency. There is room to economize in medical expenditures of the elderly people in Shanghai, especially controlling hospitalization expenses is the key to saving medical expenses of elderly people aged over 80 and over.

Protective Role of Educational Level on Episodic Memory Aging: An Event-Related Potential Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angel, Lucie; Fay, Severine; Bouazzaoui, Badiaa; Baudouin, Alexia; Isingrini, Michel

2010-01-01

The aim of the present experiment was to investigate whether educational level could modulate the effect of aging on episodic memory and on the electrophysiological correlates of retrieval success. Participants were divided into four groups based on age (young vs. older) and educational level (high vs. low), with 14 participants in each group.…

Ageing and Learning: What Do They Mean to Elders Themselves?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Maureen; Chui, Ernest

2016-01-01

This paper is about a quantitative study which has examined and elucidated the conceptualizations of ageing and learning by a group of elders in Hong Kong. In more specific terms, the study has investigated how this group of older people understood the meaning of successful ageing and elder learning in the context of their later lives. Based on…

The cognitive processes underlying event-based prospective memory in school-age children and young adults: a formal model-based study.

PubMed

Smith, Rebekah E; Bayen, Ute J; Martin, Claudia

2010-01-01

Fifty children 7 years of age (29 girls, 21 boys), 53 children 10 years of age (29 girls, 24 boys), and 36 young adults (19 women, 17 men) performed a computerized event-based prospective memory task. All 3 groups differed significantly in prospective memory performance, with adults showing the best performance and with 7-year-olds showing the poorest performance. We used a formal multinomial process tree model of event-based prospective memory to decompose age differences in cognitive processes that jointly contribute to prospective memory performance. The formal modeling results demonstrate that adults differed significantly from the 7-year-olds and the 10-year-olds on both the prospective component and the retrospective component of the task. The 7-year-olds and the 10-year-olds differed only in the ability to recognize prospective memory target events. The prospective memory task imposed a cost to ongoing activities in all 3 age groups. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Age determination of raccoons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grau, G.A.; Sanderson, G.C.; Rogers, J.P.

1970-01-01

Age criteria, based on 61 skulls and eye lenses from 103 known-age captives, are described for separating raccoons (Procyon lotor) into eight age-classes as follows: young-of-the-year, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-7, > 7 years. Criteria studied were eye lens nitrogen, cranial suture closure, tooth wear and incisor cementum layers. Lens nitrogen increased rapidly up to 12 months of age, but at much reduced rate thereafter. Total lens nitrogen was useful only in separating young-of-the-year from adults. The closure sequence for five cranial sutures accurately divided the total known-age sample of males into seven groups, and the adults into five groups. The tooth wear criteria divided the known-age sample into five relative age groups, but aging of individuals by this method was inaccurate. Histological sectioning of known-age teeth was the best method of observing layering in the cementum tissue. The technique of basing estimation of age on cementum ring counts, although subjective, was accurate for aging individuals through their fourth year but tended to underestimate the age of animals over 4 years old. However, suture closure or tooth wear can be used to identify males over 4 years old. In field studies, technical difficulties limit the utility of age estimation by cementum layers. Maximum root thickness of the lower canine was accurate in determining the sex of individuals from 5 months to ,at least 48 months of age.

Thin-plate spline analysis of the cranial base in subjects with Class III malocclusion.

PubMed

Singh, G D; McNamara, J A; Lozanoff, S

1997-08-01

The role of the cranial base in the emergence of Class III malocclusion is not fully understood. This study determines deformations that contribute to a Class III cranial base morphology, employing thin-plate spline analysis on lateral cephalographs. A total of 73 children of European-American descent aged between 5 and 11 years of age with Class III malocclusion were compared with an equivalent group of subjects with a normal, untreated, Class I molar occlusion. The cephalographs were traced, checked and subdivided into seven age- and sex-matched groups. Thirteen points on the cranial base were identified and digitized. The datasets were scaled to an equivalent size, and statistical analysis indicated significant differences between average Class I and Class III cranial base morphologies for each group. Thin-plate spline analysis indicated that both affine (uniform) and non-affine transformations contribute toward the total spline for each average cranial base morphology at each age group analysed. For non-affine transformations, Partial warps 10, 8 and 7 had high magnitudes, indicating large-scale deformations affecting Bolton point, basion, pterygo-maxillare, Ricketts' point and articulare. In contrast, high eigenvalues associated with Partial warps 1-3, indicating localized shape changes, were found at tuberculum sellae, sella, and the frontonasomaxillary suture. It is concluded that large spatial-scale deformations affect the occipital complex of the cranial base and sphenoidal region, in combination with localized distortions at the frontonasal suture. These deformations may contribute to reduced orthocephalization or deficient flattening of the cranial base antero-posteriorly that, in turn, leads to the formation of a Class III malocclusion.

Paleoglaciation of the Tibetan Plateau based on exposure ages and ELA depression estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyman, Jakob

2014-05-01

The Tibetan Plateau holds a major part of all glaciers outside the polar regions and an ample record of past glaciations. The glacial history of the Tibetan Plateau has attracted significant interest, with a large body of research investigating the extent, timing, and climatic implications of past glaciations. Here I present an extensive compilation of exposure ages and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) depression estimates from glacial deposits across the Tibetan Plateau to address the timing and degree of past glaciations. I compiled Be-10 exposure age data for a total of 1877 samples and recalculated exposure ages using an updated (lower) global Be-10 production rate. All samples were organized in groups of individual glacial deposits where each deposit represents one glacial event enabling evaluation of the exposure age clustering. For each glacial deposit I estimated the ELA depression based on a simple toe to headwall ratio approach using Google Earth. To discriminate good (well-clustered) from poor (scattered) exposure age groups the glacial deposits were divided into three groups based on exposure age clustering. A major part of the glacial deposits have scattered exposure ages affected by prior or incomplete exposure, complicating exposure age interpretations. The well-clustered exposure age groups are primarily from mountain ranges along the margins of the Tibetan Plateau with a main peak in age between 10 and 30 ka, indicating glacial advances during the global last glacial maximum (LGM). A large number of exposure ages older than 30 ka indicates maximum glaciation predating the LGM, but the exposure age scatter generally prohibits accurate definition of the glacial chronology. The ELA depression estimates scatter significantly, but a major part is remarkably low. Average ELA depressions of 333 ± 191 m for the LGM and 494 ± 280 m for the pre-LGM exposure indicate restricted glacier expansion and limited glacial cooling.

Is pregnancy over 45 with very high parity related with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes?

PubMed

Kale, A; Kuyumcuoğlu, U; Güzel, A

2009-01-01

To examine whether very high parity and age over 45 years are related with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. This study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007. Sixty-one pregnant women were enrolled in this prospective study. Mothers were classified in two groups: the study group (n = 23) included women with very high parity over 45 years of age (age > 45 and > or = 10 previous live births), and a control group (n = 38) included women with high parity between 40-45 years of age (between 40-45 years and 5-9 previous live births). Hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy, preterm labor, breech presentation, cesarean section ratio, mean APGAR scores, birthweight, fetal sex, fetal macrosomia, and early neonatal death were compared within groups. Six (26%) patients in the study group and 12 (31.5%) patients in the control group had hypertensive disorders of pregnancies (p > 0.05). Twelve (52.1%) patients in the study group and 22 (57.8%) patients in the control group had preterm labor (p > 0.05). One (4%) patient in the study group and two (5.2%) patients in the control group had breech presentation during delivery (p > 00.5). Twelve (52.1%) patients in the study group and 21 (55.2%) patients in the control group had cesarean operations (p > 0.05). Mean APGAR scores (at 1 min and 5 min), mean birthweight, fetal sex ratio, fetal macrosomia ratio, and early neonatal death ratio due to prematurity were not statistically significant in the study group as compared with the control group. It is generally assumed that women with advanced age have an increased risk for complications during pregnancy. However, prospective population-based studies do not exist and available publications give conflicting views. Based on our results, we hypothesized that cases aged 45 or over with very high parity are not always related with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.

A population based study of variations in operation rates for breast cancer, of comorbidity and prognosis at diagnosis: failure to operate for early breast cancer in older women.

PubMed

Bates, T; Evans, T; Lagord, C; Monypenny, I; Kearins, O; Lawrence, G

2014-10-01

Older women are less likely to have surgery for operable breast cancer. This population-based study examines operation rates by age and identifies groups which present with early or late disease. 37 000 cancer registrations for 2007 were combined with Hospital Episode Statistics comorbidity data for England. Operation rates were examined by age, ethnicity, deprivation, comorbidity, screen-detection, tumour size, grade and nodal status. Early and late presentation were correlated with Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) groups and tumour size. The proportion of women not having surgery increased from 7-10% at ages 35-69 to 82% from age 90. From age 70, the proportion not having surgery rose by an average of 3.1% per year of age. Women with a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of ≥1 (which increased with age), with tumours >50 mm or who were node positive, were less likely to have surgery. Although women aged 70-79 were more likely to have larger tumours, their tumours were also more likely to have an excellent or good NPI (p < 0.001). Good prognosis tumours were more likely to be screen-detected, and less likely in women aged 0-39, the deprived and certain ethnic groups (p < 0.02). From age 70 there is an increasing failure to operate for breast cancer. Younger women and certain ethnic groups presented with more advanced tumours. Older women had larger tumours which were otherwise of good prognosis, and this would not account for the failure to operate which may in part be related to comorbidity in this age group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Age and Cue-Action Reminders on Event-Based Prospective Memory Performance in Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kliegel, Matthias; Jager, Theodor

2007-01-01

The present study investigated event-based prospective memory in five age groups of preschoolers (i.e., 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds). Applying a laboratory-controlled prospective memory procedure, the data showed that event-based prospective memory performance improves across the preschool years, at least between 3 and 6 years of age. However,…

[The research of establishing discriminant function for patients with angina pectoris by stepwise analysis based on serum inflammatory factors].

PubMed

Chen, Zhi-bin; Liang, Yan-bing; Tang, Hao; Wang, Zhong-hua; Zeng, Li-jin; Wu, Jing-guo; Li, Zhen-yu; Ma, Zhong-fu

2012-12-01

To improve cost-efficiency, discriminant functions in stepwise method was founded for the differential diagnosis of angina pectoris by detecting the serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP). Thirty-nine SAP patients and 47 UAP patients were enrolled into the study, while 39 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the controlled group forming the entire set of training samples. The serum levels of hs-CRP, MIF, IL-4 and IL-10 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data was analyzed by software to define discriminant functions in the ways of "entering" and "stepwise". Both functions were evaluated by the results of validation. By the way of "enter independent together", the following discriminant functions were defined based on the data of training samples' age, hs-CRP, MIF, IL-4, IL-10: healthy control group =-129.858 + 2.869×age -2.451×hs-CRP + 1.393×MIF + 6.001×IL-4 + 4.848×IL-10; SAP group=-161.037 + 2.896×age-2.022×hs-CRP + 1.662×MIF + 6.703×IL-4 + 6.287×IL-10; UAP group=-199.087 + 2.468×age-1.440×hs-CRP + 3.404×MIF-13.875×IL-4 + 7.752×IL-10. Retrospective validation showed 4.8% of total miss-grouping, while cross-validation showed 5.6% of total miss-grouping. By the way of "stepwise", the above data was screened by software and training samples' age, MIF and IL-10 were suggested to define the following functions: healthy control group = - 125.218 + 2.659 × age + 0.599×MIF + 5.040 × IL-10; SAP group=-157.864 + 2.721×age + 1.008×MIF + 6.468×IL-10; UAP group=- 197.327 + 2.360×age + 2.932×MIF + 7.640×IL-10. Both retrospective and cross validation showed 6.4% of total miss-grouping. Both sets of discriminant functions had the same efficiency (100%) for differential diagnosis of SAP and UAP. The discriminant functions based on samples' age, MIF and IL-10, which were screened and suggested by stepwise method, may contribute to the differential diagnosis of atypical SAP and UAP, and therefore demonstrate better cost-efficiency.

[Successful Aging of Korean Older Adults based on Rowe and Kahn's Model: A Comparative Study According to the Use of Community Senior Facilities].

PubMed

Lee, Soo Jin; Song, Misoon

2015-04-01

This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of successful aging and factors influencing successful aging. This was a secondary analysis study. Data were analyzed from 10,462 elderly people who participated in the 2011 National Elderly Survey. According to the use of community senior facilities, participants were divided into 4 groups: those who used senior centers (group A, n=580), village senior clubs (group B, n=3,240), both of the 2 facilities (group C, n=339), and neither of the 2 facilities (group D, n=6,303). Cross-tabulation and logistic regression were performed. The prevalence of successful aging was highest in group C (20.94%) and lowest in group D (10.41%). The physical & mental function and active engagement domains were highest in group C, while they were lowest in group D. The disease & risk factors domain were highest in group A, while lowest in group B. An educational level of middleschool or higher and income level in the third or higher quintile were significant factors for predicting successful aging in all groups. These results provide a basis for designing prevention and management programs as interventions to increase the prevalence of successful aging in Korean older adults.

Vulvovaginitis in a pediatric population: relationship among etiologic agents, age and Tanner staging of breast development.

PubMed

Giugno, Silvina; Risso, Paula; Ocampo, Dolores; Rahman, Gisel; Rubinstein, Dra Anahí V

2014-02-01

Vulvovaginitis accounts for 25% of all pediatric gynecology consultations. To assess the etiology of vulvovaginitis based on age and Tanner staging of breast development. Descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted between January 1st and December 31st, 2011. Patients with vulvovaginitis were assessed based on two outcome measures: age group (GI: 0 to 8.9 years old, GII: 9 to 15.9 years old, and GIII: 16 to 18 years old), and the Tanner staging of breast development (I, II-III, IV-V). Results. Two hundred and twenty-nine patients were included, 78 girls in the GI group, 134 in the GII group, and 17 in the GIII group; 81 girls were classified as TI, 36 as TII-III, and 112 as TIV-V based on Tanner staging. Shigella and Oxyuris were the most commonly found etiologic agents in younger girls. Candida albicans, other Candida species, Gardnerella and Ureaplasma urealyticum were the germs most commonly observed in older patients. Oxyuris was predominant in prepubertal girls, while Candida albicans, in postpubertal girls. Hormonal influence was more relevant than the patient's age in terms of vulvovaginitis etiology.

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.

Serum levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in non-occupationally exposed population groups living near two incineration plants in Tuscany, Italy.

PubMed

De Felip, Elena; Abballe, Annalisa; Casalino, Francesco; di Domenico, Alessandro; Domenici, Pierangela; Iacovella, Nicola; Ingelido, Anna Maria; Pretolani, Elisabetta; Spagnesi, Maurizio

2008-05-01

A pilot study was carried out in Tuscany, Italy, to provide preliminary information on the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (DL-PCBs), and selected non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) in groups of subjects living in the vicinity of two incineration plants. Seventy-four volunteers were enrolled from areas identified as under a potential impact from incinerator emissions and from not exposed areas. No significant differences were observed between subjects living in the two types of areas. Total concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and DL-PCBs resulted to be in the range 23-30 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1), lipid base, for subjects in the 27-54 year age groups, while concentrations increased to 40-44 pgTEQ g(-1) for the two 55-67 year age groups. The levels of PCDDs and PCDFs were in good agreement with those observed for unexposed population groups in Italy, while the contribution to total TEQ from DL-PCBs was appreciably higher than those currently observed in the general population in Italy and other countries. As to NDL-PCBs, serum levels of the six "indicator" congeners were in the range 240-300 ng g(-1), lipid base, for subjects in the 27-54 year age groups. A raise in NDL-PCB body burden (430-470 ng g(-1), lipid base) was observed for the two 55+ year age groups, in agreement with the expected age-dependent increase. The findings from this study do not show an incremental exposure to PCDDs and PCDFs in the samples from subjects living around the two incineration plants, whereas PCB congener profiles in all samples suggest a possible impact on the area of interest of industrial activities from near industrial settlements.

Comparison in three dimensional gait kinematics between young and older adults on land and in shallow water.

PubMed

Abdul Jabbar, Khalid; Kudo, Shigetada; Goh, Kee Wee; Goh, Ming Rong

2017-09-01

This study investigated in three-dimensional space, firstly whether the aquatic medium and secondly ageing, had any effect on the lower limb's joint angles during aquatic-based gait. Three-dimensional joint kinematics of the lower limb of 51 healthy male participants [25 young group (24.6±4.9 years, 172.1±5.5cm, 69.8±10.3kg) and 26 older group (58.5±5.1 years, 167.9±5.1cm, 70.8±12.1kg)] were quantified during land and shallow water walking. Participants walked at their self-selected comfortable speed in both mediums. The results suggested that the properties of water - hydrodynamic drag, and buoyancy - affected the gait kinematics for both groups. Both age groups used more of their hip flexion in the aquatic environment to help them propel forward instead of using the ankle plantarflexion. The effect of age during the aquatic-based gait was identified in ankle adduction angle and knee abduction/adduction angle at initial contact. Only the older group elicited a significantly smaller ankle adduction angle during the aquatic-based gait when compared to the land-based gait. Only the young group elicited a significantly larger knee abduction/adduction angle at initial contact during the aquatic-based gait when compared to the land-based gait. These findings can facilitate professionals in the area of aquatic rehabilitation to better customise aquatic-based walking exercise programmes to suit their client's specific needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Various Laser Surface Treatments on Repair Shear Bond Strength of Aged Silorane-Based Composite

PubMed Central

Alizadeh Oskoee, Parnian; Savadi Oskoee, Siavash; Rikhtegaran, Sahand; Pournaghi-Azar, Fatemeh; Gholizadeh, Sarah; Aleyasin, Yasaman; Kasrae, Shahin

2017-01-01

Introduction: Successful repair of composite restorations depends on a strong bond between the old composite and the repair composite. This study sought to assess the repair shear bond strength of aged silorane-based composite following surface treatment with Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG and CO2 lasers. Methods: Seventy-six Filtek silorane composite cylinders were fabricated and aged by 2 months of water storage at 37°C. The samples were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=19) of no surface treatment (group 1) and surface treatment with Er,Cr:YSGG (group 2), Nd:YAG (group 3) and CO2 (group 4) lasers. The repair composite was applied and the shear bond strength was measured. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey posthoc test. Prior to the application of the repair composite, 2 samples were randomly selected from each group and topographic changes on their surfaces following laser irradiation were studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Seventeen other samples were also fabricated for assessment of cohesive strength of composite. Results: The highest and the lowest mean bond strength values were 8.99 MPa and 6.69 MPa for Er,Cr:YSGG and control groups, respectively. The difference in the repair bond strength was statistically significant between the Er,Cr:YSGG and other groups. Bond strength of the control, Nd:YAG and CO2 groups was not significantly different. The SEM micrographs revealed variable degrees of ablation and surface roughness in laser-treated groups. Conclusion: Surface treatment with Er,Cr:YSGG laser significantly increase the repair bond strength of aged silorane-based composite resin. PMID:29071025

Tremor severity and age: a cross-sectional, population-based study of 2,524 young and midlife normal adults.

PubMed

Louis, Elan D; Hafeman, Danella; Parvez, Faruque; Liu, Xinhua; Alcalay, Roy N; Islam, Tariqul; Ahmed, Alauddin; Siddique, Abu Bakar; Patwary, Tazul Islam; Melkonian, Stephanie; Argos, Maria; Levy, Diane; Ahsan, Habibul

2011-07-01

Mild action tremor occurs in most normal people. Yet this tremor mainly has been studied within the context of advanced age rather than among the vast bulk of adults who are not elderly. Whether this tremor worsens during young and middle age is unknown. Using cross-sectional data from a large population-based study of young and midlife normal adults (age range, 18-60 years), we assessed whether increasing age is associated with more severe action tremor. Two thousand five hundred and twenty-four adults in Araihazar, Bangladesh, drew an Archimedes spiral with each hand. Tremor in spirals was rated (0-3) by a blinded neurologist, and a spiral score (range, 0-6) was assigned. Spiral score was correlated with age (r = 0.06, P = .004). With each advancing decade, the spiral score increased (P = .002) so that the spiral score in participants in the highest age group (age 60) was approximately twice that of participants in the youngest age group (age 18-19); P = .003. In the regression model that adjusted for potential confounders (sex, cigarettes, medications, asthma inhalers, and tea and betel nut use), spiral score was associated with age (P = .0045). In this cross-sectional, population-based study of more than 2500 young and midlife normal adults, there was a clear association between age and tremor severity. Although the magnitude of the correlation coefficient was modest, tremor severity was higher with each passing decade. These data suggest that age-dependent increase in tremor amplitude is not restricted to older people but occurs in all adult age groups. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

Soy-based infant formula supplemented with DHA and ARA supports growth and increases circulating levels of these fatty acids in infants.

PubMed

Hoffman, Dennis; Ziegler, Ekhard; Mitmesser, Susan H; Harris, Cheryl L; Diersen-Schade, Deborah A

2008-01-01

Healthy term infants (n = 244) were randomized to receive: (1) control, soy-based formula without supplementation or (2) docosahexaenoic acid-arachidonic acid (DHA + ARA), soy-based formula supplemented with at least 17 mg DHA/100 kcal (from algal oil) and 34 mg ARA/100 kcal (from fungal oil) in a double-blind, parallel group trial to evaluate safety, benefits, and growth from 14 to 120 days of age. Anthropometric measurements were taken at 14, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of age and 24-h dietary and tolerance recall were recorded at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of age. Adverse events were recorded throughout the study. Blood samples were drawn from subsets of 25 infants in each group. Capillary column gas chromatography was used to analyze the percentages of fatty acids in red blood cell (RBC) lipids and plasma phospholipids. Compared with the control group, percentages of fatty acids such as DHA and ARA in total RBC and plasma phospholipids were significantly higher in infants in the DHA + ARA group at 120 days of age (P < 0.001). Growth rates did not differ significantly between feeding groups at any assessed time point. Supplementation did not affect the tolerance of formula or the incidence of adverse events. Feeding healthy term infants soy-based formula supplemented with DHA and ARA from single cell oil sources at concentrations similar to human milk significantly increased circulating levels of DHA and ARA when compared with the control group. Both formulas supported normal growth and were well tolerated.

Genetic and environmental contributions to age of onset of alcohol dependence symptoms in male twins.

PubMed

Liu, I-Chao; Blacker, Deborah L; Xu, Ronghui; Fitzmaurice, Garrett; Tsuang, Ming T; Lyons, Michael J

2004-11-01

To investigate genetic and environmental influences on the development of specific alcohol dependence symptoms. A classical twin study of 3372 male-male twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry based on telephone interviews about alcohol use. The nine diagnostic symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, version III (revised) (DSM-III-R) definition of alcohol dependence. Symptoms were grouped into those based on impaired control, biological effects and social consequences (Beresford's classification) or early versus late symptoms (Nelson's classification). Survival models with random effects were used to examine the age of onset of each symptom. Approximately 38% of the variation in age of onset of each symptom group based on Beresford's classification is due to additive genetic factors. The age of onset of late symptoms from Nelson's classification appears to be most affected by genetic factors. Estimates of genetic effects for impaired control symptoms are greatly decreased when twins with comorbid psychiatric disorders are excluded. Our results support the heritability of age of onset of DSM-III-R-defined symptoms for alcohol dependence. However, no symptom group in Beresford's classification could be identified as more heritable than other symptom groups. A strong association between genetic vulnerability and co-occurring diseases for symptoms indicative of impaired control could be found. In addition, our findings show that the late symptom group could be a good candidate for subsequent genetic research.

Age determination of female redhead ducks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dane, C.W.; Johnson, D.H.

1975-01-01

Eighty-seven fall-collected wings from female redhead ducks (Aythya americana) were assigned to the adult or juvenile group based on 'tertial' and 'tertial covert' shape and wear. To obtain spring age-related characters from these fall-collected groupings, we considered parameters of flight feathers retained until after the first breeding season. Parameters measured included: markings on and width of greater secondary coverts, and length, weight, and diameter of primary feathers. The best age categorization was obtained with discriminant analysis based on a combination of the most accurately measured parameters. This analysis, applied to 81 wings with complete measurements, resulted in only 1 being incorrectly aged and 3 placed in a questionable category. Discriminant functions used with covert markings and the three 5th primary parameters were applied to 30 known-age juvenile, hand-reared redhead females, 28 were correctly aged, none was incorrectly aged, and only 2 were placed in the questionable category.

Speech disorders did not correlate with age at onset of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Dias, Alice Estevo; Barbosa, Maira Tonidandel; Limongi, João Carlos Papaterra; Barbosa, Egberto Reis

2016-02-01

Speech disorders are common manifestations of Parkinson´s disease. Objective To compare speech articulation in patients according to age at onset of the disease. Methods Fifty patients was divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 30 patients with age at onset between 40 and 55 years; Group II consisted of 20 patients with age at onset after 65 years. All patients were evaluated based on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores, Hoehn and Yahr scale and speech evaluation by perceptual and acoustical analysis. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding neurological involvement and speech characteristics. Correlation analysis indicated differences in speech articulation in relation to staging and axial scores of rigidity and bradykinesia for middle and late-onset. Conclusions Impairment of speech articulation did not correlate with age at onset of disease, but was positively related with disease duration and higher scores in both groups.

Age correction in monitoring audiometry: method to update OSHA age-correction tables to include older workers.

PubMed

Dobie, Robert A; Wojcik, Nancy C

2015-07-13

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Noise Standard provides the option for employers to apply age corrections to employee audiograms to consider the contribution of ageing when determining whether a standard threshold shift has occurred. Current OSHA age-correction tables are based on 40-year-old data, with small samples and an upper age limit of 60 years. By comparison, recent data (1999-2006) show that hearing thresholds in the US population have improved. Because hearing thresholds have improved, and because older people are increasingly represented in noisy occupations, the OSHA tables no longer represent the current US workforce. This paper presents 2 options for updating the age-correction tables and extending values to age 75 years using recent population-based hearing survey data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Both options provide scientifically derived age-correction values that can be easily adopted by OSHA to expand their regulatory guidance to include older workers. Regression analysis was used to derive new age-correction values using audiometric data from the 1999-2006 US NHANES. Using the NHANES median, better-ear thresholds fit to simple polynomial equations, new age-correction values were generated for both men and women for ages 20-75 years. The new age-correction values are presented as 2 options. The preferred option is to replace the current OSHA tables with the values derived from the NHANES median better-ear thresholds for ages 20-75 years. The alternative option is to retain the current OSHA age-correction values up to age 60 years and use the NHANES-based values for ages 61-75 years. Recent NHANES data offer a simple solution to the need for updated, population-based, age-correction tables for OSHA. The options presented here provide scientifically valid and relevant age-correction values which can be easily adopted by OSHA to expand their regulatory guidance to include older workers. 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.

Satisfaction with life during pregnancy and early motherhood in first-time mothers of advanced age: a population-based longitudinal study.

PubMed

Aasheim, Vigdis; Waldenström, Ulla; Rasmussen, Svein; Espehaug, Birgitte; Schytt, Erica

2014-02-25

The trend to delay motherhood to the age of 30 and beyond is established in most high-income countries but relatively little is known about potential effects on maternal emotional well-being. This study investigates satisfaction with life during pregnancy and the first three years of motherhood in women expecting their first baby at an advanced and very advanced age. The study was based on the National Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Data on 18 565 nulliparous women recruited in the second trimester 1999-2008 were used. Four questionnaires were completed: at around gestational weeks 17 and 30, and at six months and three years after the birth. Medical data were retrieved from the national Medical Birth Register. Advanced age was defined as 32-37 years, very advanced age as ≥38 years and the reference group as 25-31 years. The distribution of satisfaction with life from age 25 to ≥40 years was investigated, and the mean satisfaction with life at the four time points was estimated. Logistic regression analyses based on generalised estimation equations were used to investigate associations between advanced and very advanced age and satisfaction with life when controlling for socio-demographic factors. Satisfaction with life decreased from around age 28 to age 40 and beyond, when measured in gestational weeks 17 and 30, and at six months and three years after the birth. When comparing women of advanced and very advanced age with the reference group, satisfaction with life was slightly reduced in the two older age groups and most of all in women of very advanced age. Women of very advanced age had the lowest scores at all time points and this was most pronounced at three years after the birth. First-time mothers of advanced and very advanced age reported a slightly lower degree of satisfaction with life compared with the reference group of younger women, and the age-related effect was greatest when the child was three years of age.

Peer influence on speeding behaviour among male drivers aged 18 and 28.

PubMed

Møller, Mette; Haustein, Sonja

2014-03-01

Despite extensive research, preventive efforts and general improvements in road safety levels, the accident risk of young male drivers remains increased. Based on a standardized survey of a random sample of 2018 male drivers at the age of 18 and 28, this study looked into attitudes and behaviours related to traffic violations of male drivers. More specifically, the role of peer influence on speeding was examined in both age groups. In regression analyses it could be shown that the descriptive subjective norm, i.e., the perception of friends' speeding, was the most important predictor of speeding in both age groups. Other significant factors were: negative attitude towards speed limits, injunctive subjective norm, and the perceived risk of having an accident when speeding. In the older age group it was more common to drive faster than allowed and their speeding was largely in line with the perceived level of their friends' speeding. In the younger age group a higher discrepancy between own and friends' speeding was found indicating that young male drivers are socialized into increased speeding behaviour based on peer pressure. By contrast for the 28-year-olds peer pressure mainly seems to maintain or justify individual speeding behaviour. It is suggested that preventive measures should take these different influences of peer pressure into account by using a peer-based approach for the 18-year-olds and a more individual approach for the 28-year-olds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cognitive Processes Underlying Event-Based Prospective Memory in School-Age Children and Young Adults: A Formal Model-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Rebekah E.; Bayen, Ute J.; Martin, Claudia

2010-01-01

Fifty children 7 years of age (29 girls, 21 boys), 53 children 10 years of age (29 girls, 24 boys), and 36 young adults (19 women, 17 men) performed a computerized event-based prospective memory task. All 3 groups differed significantly in prospective memory performance, with adults showing the best performance and with 7-year-olds showing the…

Using the Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups (ADGs) to predict 1-year mortality in population-based cohorts of patients with diabetes in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Austin, P C; Shah, B R; Newman, A; Anderson, G M

2012-09-01

There are limited validated methods to ascertain comorbidities for risk adjustment in ambulatory populations of patients with diabetes using administrative health-care databases. The objective was to examine the ability of the Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups to predict mortality in population-based ambulatory samples of both incident and prevalent subjects with diabetes. Retrospective cohorts constructed using population-based administrative data. The incident cohort consisted of all 346,297 subjects diagnosed with diabetes between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2008. The prevalent cohort consisted of all 879,849 subjects with pre-existing diabetes on 1 January, 2007. The outcome was death within 1 year of the subject's index date. A logistic regression model consisting of age, sex and indicator variables for 22 of the 32 Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Group categories had excellent discrimination for predicting mortality in incident diabetes patients: the c-statistic was 0.87 in an independent validation sample. A similar model had excellent discrimination for predicting mortality in prevalent diabetes patients: the c-statistic was 0.84 in an independent validation sample. Both models demonstrated very good calibration, denoting good agreement between observed and predicted mortality across the range of predicted mortality in which the large majority of subjects lay. For comparative purposes, regression models incorporating the Charlson comorbidity index, age and sex, age and sex, and age alone had poorer discrimination than the model that incorporated the Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups. Logistical regression models using age, sex and the John Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups were able to accurately predict 1-year mortality in population-based samples of patients with diabetes. © 2011 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2011 Diabetes UK.

Effectiveness of a website and mobile phone based physical activity and nutrition intervention for middle-aged males: Trial protocol and baseline findings of the ManUp Study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Compared to females, males experience higher rates of chronic disease and mortality, yet few health promotion initiatives are specifically aimed at men. Therefore, the aim of the ManUp Study is to examine the effectiveness of an IT-based intervention to increase the physical activity and nutrition behaviour and literacy in middle-aged males (aged 35–54 years). Method/Design The study design was a two-arm randomised controlled trial, having an IT-based (applying website and mobile phones) and a print-based intervention arm, to deliver intervention materials and to promote self-monitoring of physical activity and nutrition behaviours. Participants (n = 317) were randomised on a 2:1 ratio in favour of the IT-based intervention arm. Both intervention arms completed assessments at baseline, 3, and 9 months. All participants completed self-report assessments of physical activity, sitting time, nutrition behaviours, physical activity and nutrition literacy, perceived health status and socio-demographic characteristics. A randomly selected sub-sample in the IT-based (n = 61) and print-based (n = 30) intervention arms completed objective measures of height, weight, waist circumference, and physical activity as measured by accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X). The average age of participants in the IT-based and print-based intervention arm was 44.2 and 43.8 years respectively. The majority of participants were employed in professional occupations (IT-based 57.6%, Print-based 54.2%) and were overweight or obese (IT-based 90.8%, Print-based 87.3%). At baseline a lower proportion of participants in the IT-based (70.2%) group agreed that 30 minutes of physical activity each day is enough to improve health compared to the print-based (82.3%) group (p = .026). The IT-based group consumed a significantly lower number of serves of red meat in the previous week, compared to the print-based group (p = .017). No other significant between-group differences were observed at baseline. Discussion The ManUp Study will examine the effectiveness of an IT-based approach to improve physical activity and nutrition behaviour and literacy. Study outcomes will provide much needed information on the efficacy of this approach in middle aged males, which is important due to the large proportions of males at risk, and the potential reach of IT-based interventions. Trial registration ACTRN12611000081910 PMID:22894747

Patient Adoption and Utilization of a Web-Based and Mobile-Based Portal for Collecting Outcomes After Elective Orthopedic Surgery.

PubMed

Bell, Kerri; Warnick, Eugene; Nicholson, Kristen; Ulcoq, Sarah; Kim, Seong Jin; Schroeder, Gregory D; Vaccaro, Alexander

2018-03-01

Health care increasingly collects patient-reported outcomes (PROs) via web-based platforms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how patient age influences portal engagement. Patients undergoing elective surgery at a single multispecialty orthopedic practice from September 2014 to February 2017 had access to an online portal to complete PROs, message the clinic, and view physical therapy instructions. A mobile app was optionally available. Age, sex, log-in frequency, PRO completion rates, and number of messages sent were reviewed retrospectively. Message frequency, log-in rates, and PRO compliance were highest for patients aged 41 to 50, 51 to 60, and 61 to 70, respectively. Mobile app use decreased with age ( P = .002); yet, at all ages, the mobile app group was more engaged. In particular, for patients aged 18 to 30 years, log-in frequency increased 2.5-fold and PRO compliance improved 44% ( P < .001) in the mobile app group. This study demonstrates that portal interaction varies by age and that data capture is highest in patients who choose the mobile app.

Anatomical distribution and detection rate of colorectal neoplasms according to age in the colonoscopic screening of a Korean population.

PubMed

Lee, Suk-Young; Song, Wan Hee; Oh, Sang Cheul; Min, Byung-Wook; Lee, Sun Il

2018-01-01

Because data as a basis for the determination of proper age and modality for screening of colorectal neoplasms is lacking, we evaluated detection rates and anatomical distribution of colorectal neoplasms according to age in healthy individuals who underwent total colonoscopy for health checkup. A total of 16,100 cases that had received the colonoscopic examination from January to December in 2014 were analyzed. The total number of individuals who received total colonoscopy were divided by the number of individuals harboring colorectal adenoma to calculate the detection rate of colorectal adenoma. Individuals ≤50 years old were classified as young-age group and aged >50 were old-age group. Differences in anatomical locations of colorectal neoplasms were analyzed in the 2 age groups by chi-square test. Risk factors for colorectal adenoma in each age group were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Detection rates of colorectal adenoma were 13.7% in all cases and 12.8% for those in their 40's. The main anatomical location of colorectal adenoma was proximal colon in both age groups (P < 0.001). Hyperplastic polyp was mainly distributed to the distal colon in both age groups (P < 0.001). Distal colon was the major site for colorectal cancer in the old-age group (P = 0.001). Proximal location of neoplasms was a risk factor for colorectal adenoma in both age groups with multivariate analysis. These data could be the bases for earlier initiation of screening for colorectal neoplasms with total colonoscopy to detect clinically significant colorectal polyps.

Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems.

PubMed

Higgins, Eleanor L; Raskind, Marshall H

2004-12-01

This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of two programs developed by the Frostig Center Research Department to improve the reading and spelling of students with learning disabilities (LD): a computer Speech Recognition-based Program (SRBP) and a computer and text-based Automaticity Program (AP). Twenty-eight LD students with reading and spelling difficulties (aged 8 to 18) received each program for 17 weeks and were compared with 16 students in a contrast group who did not receive either program. After adjusting for age and IQ, both the SRBP and AP groups showed significant differences over the contrast group in improving word recognition and reading comprehension. Neither program showed significant differences over contrasts in spelling. The SRBP also improved the performance of the target group when compared with the contrast group on phonological elision and nonword reading efficiency tasks. The AP showed significant differences in all process and reading efficiency measures.

Interactive web-based format vs conventional brochure material for information transfer to children and parents: a randomized controlled trial regarding preoperative information.

PubMed

Lööf, Gunilla; Liljeberg, Cecilia; Eksborg, Staffan; Lönnqvist, Per-Arne

2017-06-01

Information transfer to patients is an integral part of modern medicine. Internet-based alternatives represent a new and attractive way for information transfer. The study used a prospective observer-blinded design. Children (3-12 years) and parents were instructed to get further preoperative information either through an interactive web-based platform, the Anaesthesia-Web, or conventional brochure material until day of outpatient surgery. On the day of surgery, children and parents were separately asked six different questions. The primary end-point was to compare the total question score in children between the two information options (maximum score = 36). Secondary aims were the total question score for parents and the influence of age, sex, and time between the preoperative visit and day of surgery. A total of 125 children were recruited, of which 103 were included in the final analysis (the Anaesthesia-Web group, n = 49; the brochure material group, n = 54). At the predetermined interim analysis, the total question score in children was found to be substantially higher in the Anaesthesia-Web group than in the brochure material group (median score: 27; IQR: 16.5-33 and median score: 19.5; IQR: 11.25-27.75, respectively, P = 0.0076). The median difference in score was 6; 95% CI: 0-9. The total question score in parents was also higher in the Anaesthesia-Web group than in the brochure material group. Increasing child age was associated with a higher total question score in both groups. Sex did not influence the total question score in the Anaesthesia-Web group, whereas girls scored better than boys in the brochure material group. Children in the age range 3-12 years of age as well as their parents do better attain preoperative information from an interactive web-based platform compared to conventional brochure material. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of maternal age on obstetric and neonatal outcome with emphasis on primiparous adolescents and older women: a Swedish Medical Birth Register Study.

PubMed

Blomberg, Marie; Birch Tyrberg, Rasmus; Kjølhede, Preben

2014-11-11

To evaluate the associations between maternal age and obstetric and neonatal outcomes in primiparous women with emphasis on teenagers and older women. A population-based cohort study. The Swedish Medical Birth Register. Primiparous women with singleton births from 1992 through 2010 (N=798,674) were divided into seven age groups: <17 years, 17-19 years and an additional five 5-year classes. The reference group consisted of the women aged 25-29 years. Obstetric and neonatal outcome. The teenager groups had significantly more vaginal births (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.04 (1.79 to 2.32) and 1.95 (1.88 to 2.02) for age <17 years and 17-19 years, respectively); fewer caesarean sections (aOR 0.57 (0.48 to 0.67) and 0.55 (0.53 to 0.58)), and instrumental vaginal births (aOR 0.43 (0.36 to 0.52) and 0.50 (0.48 to 0.53)) compared with the reference group. The opposite was found among older women reaching a fourfold increased OR for caesarean section. The teenagers showed no increased risk of adverse neonatal outcome but presented an increased risk of prematurity <32 weeks (aOR 1.66 (1.10 to 2.51) and 1.20 (1.04 to 1.38)). Women with advancing age (≥30 years) revealed significantly increased risk of prematurity, perineal lacerations, preeclampsia, abruption, placenta previa, postpartum haemorrhage and unfavourable neonatal outcomes compared with the reference group. For clinicians counselling young women it is of importance to highlight the obstetrically positive consequences that fewer maternal complications and favourable neonatal outcomes are expected. The results imply that there is a need for individualising antenatal surveillance programmes and obstetric care based on age grouping in order to attempt to improve the outcomes in the age groups with less favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Such changes in surveillance programmes and obstetric interventions need to be evaluated in further studies. 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.

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.

Measuring skin aging using optical coherence tomography in vivo: a validation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trojahn, Carina; Dobos, Gabor; Richter, Claudia; Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Kottner, Jan

2015-04-01

Dermal and epidermal structures in human skin change during intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Epidermal thickness is one of the most often reported parameters for the assessment of skin aging in cross-sectional images captured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We aimed to identify further parameters for the noninvasive measurement of skin aging of sun-exposed and sun-protected areas utilizing OCT. Based on a literature review, seven parameters were inductively developed. Three independent raters assessed these parameters using four-point scales on images of female subjects of two age groups. All items could be detected and quantified in our sample. Interrater agreement ranged between 25.0% and 83.3%. The item scores "stratum corneum reflectivity," "upper dermal reflectivity," and "dermoepidermal contrast" showed significant differences between age groups on the volar and dorsal forearm indicating that they were best able to measure changes during skin aging. "Surface unevenness" was associated with the skin roughness parameters, Rz and Rmax, on the inner upper arm and volar forearm supporting the criterion validity of this parameter on sun-protected skin areas. Based on the interrater agreement and the ability to differentiate between age groups, these four parameters are being considered as the best candidates for measuring skin aging in OCT images.

Measuring skin aging using optical coherence tomography in vivo: a validation study.

PubMed

Trojahn, Carina; Dobos, Gabor; Richter, Claudia; Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Kottner, Jan

2015-04-01

Dermal and epidermal structures in human skin change during intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Epidermal thickness is one of the most often reported parameters for the assessment of skin aging in cross-sectional images captured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We aimed to identify further parameters for the noninvasive measurement of skin aging of sun-exposed and sun-protected areas utilizing OCT. Based on a literature review, seven parameters were inductively developed. Three independent raters assessed these parameters using four-point scales on images of female subjects of two age groups. All items could be detected and quantified in our sample. Interrater agreement ranged between 25.0% and 83.3%. The item scores “stratum corneum reflectivity,” “upper dermal reflectivity,” and “dermoepidermal contrast” showed significant differences between age groups on the volar and dorsal forearm indicating that they were best able to measure changes during skin aging. “Surface unevenness” was associated with the skin roughness parameters, Rz and Rmax, on the inner upper arm and volar forearm supporting the criterion validity of this parameter on sun-protected skin areas. Based on the interrater agreement and the ability to differentiate between age groups, these four parameters are being considered as the best candidates for measuring skin aging in OCT images.

Formative evaluation on a physical activity health promotion program for the group home setting.

PubMed

Dixon-Ibarra, Alicia; Driver, Simon; VanVolkenburg, Haley; Humphries, Kathleen

2017-02-01

Physical inactivity and high rates of chronic conditions is a public health concern for adults with intellectual disability. Few health promotion programs target the group home setting which is the pre-dominant form of residential accommodation for persons with intellectual disability. A process evaluation of a physical activity health promotion program, Menu-Choice, was conducted with five group home sites for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Menu-Choice assists group home staff in including physical activity goals within resident schedules. The physical activity program was designed based on theoretical frameworks, community-based participatory approaches, and established health promotion guidelines for adults with disabilities. Fourteen program coordinators (age M 39; 77% females), 22 staff (age M 39; 82% females), and 18 residents (age M 59; 72% females; 56% ambulatory) participated. Results from the fidelity survey and program completion highlight potential challenges with implementation. Findings will assist with the refinement of the program for continued implementation trials in the group home community. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quantitative evaluation of age-related decline in control of preprogramed movement

PubMed Central

Lee, Jongho; Kodama, Mitsuhiko; Kakei, Shinji; Masakado, Yoshihisa

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examined the age-related changes in control of preprogramed movement, with emphasis on its accuracy. Forty-nine healthy subjects participated in this study, and were divided into three groups depending on their ages: the young group (20–39 years) (n = 16), the middle-age group (40–59 years) (n = 16), and the elderly group (60–79 years) (n = 17). We asked the subjects to perform step-tracking movements of the wrist joint with a manipulandum, and recorded the movements. We evaluated the accuracy of control of preprogramed movement in the three groups in terms of the primary submovement, which was identified as the first segment of the step-tracking movement based on the bell-shaped velocity profile, and calculated the distance between the end position of the primary submovement and the target (i.e. error). The error in the young group was found to be significantly smaller than that in the middle-age and elderly groups, i.e., the error was larger for the higher age groups. These results suggest that young subjects have better control of preprogramed movement than middle-age or elderly subjects. Finally, we examined the temporal property of the primary submovement and its age-related changes. The duration of the primary submovement tended to be longer for the aged groups, although significance was reached only for the elderly group. In particular, the ratio of the duration of the primary submovement to total movement time tended to be lower for the aged groups, suggesting that the proportion of additional movements that are required to compensate for the incomplete control in the preprogramed movement, which are under feedback control, was higher for the aged groups. Consequently, our results indicate that the distance between the end point of the primary submovement and the target center (i.e. error) in the step-tracking movement is a useful parameter to evaluate the age-related changes in control of preprogramed movement. PMID:29186168

Quantitative evaluation of age-related decline in control of preprogramed movement.

PubMed

Shimoda, Naoshi; Lee, Jongho; Kodama, Mitsuhiko; Kakei, Shinji; Masakado, Yoshihisa

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examined the age-related changes in control of preprogramed movement, with emphasis on its accuracy. Forty-nine healthy subjects participated in this study, and were divided into three groups depending on their ages: the young group (20-39 years) (n = 16), the middle-age group (40-59 years) (n = 16), and the elderly group (60-79 years) (n = 17). We asked the subjects to perform step-tracking movements of the wrist joint with a manipulandum, and recorded the movements. We evaluated the accuracy of control of preprogramed movement in the three groups in terms of the primary submovement, which was identified as the first segment of the step-tracking movement based on the bell-shaped velocity profile, and calculated the distance between the end position of the primary submovement and the target (i.e. error). The error in the young group was found to be significantly smaller than that in the middle-age and elderly groups, i.e., the error was larger for the higher age groups. These results suggest that young subjects have better control of preprogramed movement than middle-age or elderly subjects. Finally, we examined the temporal property of the primary submovement and its age-related changes. The duration of the primary submovement tended to be longer for the aged groups, although significance was reached only for the elderly group. In particular, the ratio of the duration of the primary submovement to total movement time tended to be lower for the aged groups, suggesting that the proportion of additional movements that are required to compensate for the incomplete control in the preprogramed movement, which are under feedback control, was higher for the aged groups. Consequently, our results indicate that the distance between the end point of the primary submovement and the target center (i.e. error) in the step-tracking movement is a useful parameter to evaluate the age-related changes in control of preprogramed movement.

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

The Relation among Sleep, Routines, and Externalizing Behavior in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Jill A.; Barry, Tammy D.; Bader, Stephanie H.; Jordan, Sara Sytsma

2011-01-01

The present study examined relations among sleep, routines, and externalizing behavior (based on parent report) in 115 children ages 6 to 12 years in two groups: 58 children with an autism spectrum disorder (age M = 9.0, SD = 2.09) and 57 non-ASD children (age M = 8.25, SD = 1.98). Within the ASD group, sleep hygiene and sleep quality were related…

Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages: impact on overweight and obesity in Germany.

PubMed

Schwendicke, Falk; Stolpe, Michael

2017-01-17

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the risk of overweight and obesity. Taxing SSBs could decrease daily energy consumption and body weight. This model-based study evaluated the impact of a 20% SSB-sales tax on overweight and obesity in the context of Germany. The population aged 15-79 years was modelled. Taxation was assumed to affect energy consumption via demand elasticities, which affected weight and BMI. Model-based analysis was performed to estimate the tax impact on BMI in different age, gender and income groups. Implementing a 20% SSB tax reduced energy consumption mainly in younger age groups, males, and those with low income. Taxation decreased the mean BMI in younger groups, with the largest decrease in those aged 20-29 years, while effects in groups 60 years or above were minimal. In absolute terms, taxation was estimated to avoid 1,028,000 (-3% relative reduction) overweight individuals and 479,000 obese individuals (-4%). Overweight decreased the most in males aged 20-29 years (408,000 fewer cases /-22%), the same applied for obesity (204,000/-22%). An SSB tax could have significant impact on overweight and obesity, which could translate into substantial reductions of morbidity and mortality.

Star Formation Histories of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. (Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 1996)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebel, E. K.

The star formation histories of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are reviewed. First the question of Local Group membership is considered based on various criteria. The properties of 31 (36) galaxies are consistent with likely (potential) Local Group membership. To study the star formation histories of these galaxies, a multi-parameter problem needs to be solved: Ages, metallicities, population fractions, and spatial variations must be determined, which depend crucially on the knowledge of reddening and distance. The basic methods for studying resolvable stellar populations are summarized. One method is demonstrated using the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. A comprehensive compilation of the star formation histories of dwarf irregulars, dwarf ellipticals, and dwarf spheroidals in the Local Group is presented and visualized through Hodge's population boxes. All galaxies appear to have differing fractions of old and intermediate-age populations, and those sufficiently massive and undisturbed to retain and recycle their gas are still forming stars today. Star formation has occurred either in distinct episodes or continuously over long periods of time. Metallicities and enrichment vary widely. Constraints on merger and remnant scenarios are discussed, and a unified picture based on the current knowledge is presented. Primary goals for future observations are: accurate age determinations based on turnoff photometry, detection of subpopulations distinct in age, metallicity, and/or spatial distribution; improved distances; and astrometric studies to derive orbits and constrain past and future interactions.

Formative evaluation of a practice-based smoking cessation program for diverse populations.

PubMed

Mahoney, Martin C; Erwin, Deborah O; Widman, Christy; Masucci Twarozek, Annamaria; Saad-Harfouche, Frances G; Underwood, Willie; Fox, Chester H

2014-04-01

Smoking rates are higher among those living at or below poverty and among persons with lower levels of education. We report on a formative research project examining patient perceptions of tobacco cessation strategies among diverse, low socioeconomic, urban smokers cared for in community-based primary care medical offices. We conducted 10 focus groups among low socioeconomic status participants recruited from urban primary care medical offices in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York. Participants included current or former smokers, who were stratified by age-group (18-39 years and 40+ years). The focus groups discussed perceptions of tobacco cessation strategies, previous quit attempts, and use/attitudes regarding technology and social media as potential platforms for cessation support. Participants (n = 96) included predominantly African Americans (n = 62, 65%) and European Americans (n = 16, 16%); 56% were older than 40 years and 92% were low income. Most participants were supportive of cessation message delivery via phone; however, the age-groups varied in their attitudes on quitting smoking, desired frequency of phone contacts, and social media usage. Participants aged 18 to 39 years reported more Internet use, greater use of text messaging, and were more open to health information via social media. Based on significant variation between younger and older smokers' perceptions of tobacco addiction and use of communication technologies, it appears reasonable to stratify the content and platform of health messaging by the target age-group.

Rule-Based and Information-Integration Category Learning in Normal Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddox, W. Todd; Pacheco, Jennifer; Reeves, Maia; Zhu, Bo; Schnyer, David M.

2010-01-01

The basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex play critical roles in category learning. Both regions evidence age-related structural and functional declines. The current study examined rule-based and information-integration category learning in a group of older and younger adults. Rule-based learning is thought to involve explicit, frontally mediated…

Focus Groups to Explore the Perceptions of Older Adults on a Pedometer-Based Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, David B.; Richeson, Nancy E.; Croteau, Karen A.; Farmer, Bonnie Cashin

2009-01-01

Focus group methodology was used to explore in depth the perceptions of older adults who had participated in a 12-week pedometer-based intervention. Nineteen women and 8 men, ages 55-86 years, volunteered to take part in the focus groups following participation in the intervention. Four focus groups of six to eight participants were scheduled at…

Data mining for average images in a digital hand atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Aifeng; Cao, Fei; Pietka, Ewa; Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.

2004-04-01

Bone age assessment is a procedure performed in pediatric patients to quickly evaluate parameters of maturation and growth from a left hand and wrist radiograph. Pietka and Cao have developed a Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) method of bone age assessment based on a digital hand atlas. The aim of this paper is to extend their work by automatically select the best representative image from a group of normal children based on specific bony features that reflect skeletal maturity. The group can be of any ethnic origin and gender from one year to 18 year old in the digital atlas. This best representative image is defined as the "average" image of the group that can be augmented to Piekta and Cao's method to facilitate in the bone age assessment process.

Variation in age composition among colony sizes in Cliff Swallows.

PubMed

Brown, Charles R; Roche, Erin A; Brown, Mary Bomberger

2014-09-01

Variation in group size is characteristic of most social species. The extent to which individuals sort among group sizes based on age may yield insight into why groups vary in size and the age-specific costs and benefits of different social environments. We investigated the age composition of Cliff Swallow ( Petrochelidon pyrrhonota ) colonies of different sizes over 18 years at a long-term study site in western Nebraska, USA. Using years elapsed since banding as a relative measure of age for over 194,000 birds, we found that the proportion of age-class-1 swallows (birds banded as nestlings or juveniles or adults in the year of banding) of both sexes increased in larger colonies and at colony sites becoming active later in the summer. Age composition was unrelated to how often a particular colony site was used. The effect of colony size most likely reflected the fact that older birds return to the same colony site in successive years even when the colony size there decreases, and that yearlings and immigrants benefit more from larger colonies than do older, more experienced individuals. The date effect probably resulted in part from later spring arrival by younger and/or immigrant swallows. At fumigated sites where ectoparasitic swallow bugs ( Oeciacus vicarius ) had been removed, age composition did not vary with either colony size or colony initiation date. The patterns reported here appear to be driven partially by the presence of ectoparasites and suggest that the hematophagous bugs influence variation in Cliff Swallow group composition. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that variation in colony size reflects, in part, age-based sorting of individuals among groups.

Age and Early Revision After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Meyer, Zachary; Baca, Geneva; Rames, Richard; Barrack, Robert; Clohisy, John; Nam, Denis

2017-11-01

Prior reports have noted an increased risk of early revision among younger patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) but have been confounded by the inclusion of various diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to assess the revision rate and the time to revision for patients undergoing THA for osteoarthritis based on age. Patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis who underwent both primary and revision THA at the same institution were identified. The time between primary and revision surgery and the indication for revision were collected. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on age at the time of primary THA: 64 years or younger (group 1) or 65 years or older (group 2). Between 1996 and 2016, a total of 4662 patients (5543 hips) underwent primary THA for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Of these, 100 patients (104 hips) received a revision THA (62 in group 1 and 42 in group 2). Mean age was 52.7±8.4 years in group 1 vs 73.4±6.3 years in group 2 (P<.001). There was no significant difference in mean body mass index (29.7±7.3 kg/m 2 vs 28.4±4.6 kg/m 2 , P=.30). Rate of revision was not significantly different between the groups (1.8% vs 2.0%, P=.7). Average time from primary to revision surgery was 3.0±3.2 years for group 1 and 1.1±2.1 years for group 2 (P=.001). Among patients undergoing primary THA for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, younger age is not associated with an increased rate of early failure or revision. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(6):e1069-e1073.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

The efficiency of multimedia learning into old age.

PubMed

Van Gerven, Pascal W M; Paas, Fred; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Hendriks, Maaike; Schmidt, Henk G

2003-12-01

On the basis of a multimodal model of working memory, cognitive load theory predicts that a multimedia-based instructional format leads to a better acquisition of complex subject matter than a purely visual instructional format. This study investigated the extent to which age and instructional format had an impact on training efficiency among both young and old adults. It was hypothesised that studying worked examples that are presented as a narrated animation (multimedia condition) is a more efficient means of complex skill training than studying visually presented worked examples (unimodal condition) and solving conventional problems. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that multimedia-based worked examples are especially helpful for elderly learners, who have to deal with a general decline of working-memory resources, because they address both mode-specific working-memory stores. The sample consisted of 60 young (mean age = 15.98 years) and 60 old adults (mean age = 64.48 years). Participants of both age groups were trained in either a conventional, a unimodal, or a multimedia condition. Subsequently, they had to solve a series of test problems. Dependent variables were perceived cognitive load during the training, performance on the test, and efficiency in terms of the ratio between these two variables. Results showed that for both age groups multimedia-based worked examples were more efficient than the other training formats in that less cognitive load led to at least an equal performance level. Although no difference in the beneficial effect of multimedia learning was found between the age groups, multimedia-based instructions seem promising for the elderly.

Prevalence of Dementia and Associated Factors among Older Adults in Iran: National Elderly Health Survey (NEHS).

PubMed

Sharifi, Farshad; Fakhrzadeh, Hossein; Varmaghani, Mehdi; Arzaghi, Seyed Masoud; Alizadeh Khoei, Mahtab; Farzadfar, Farshad; Taheri Tanjani, Parisa

2016-12-01

The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia is increasing in Iran and the world. There is no study available on the prevalence of dementia at the national level in Iran. This study aimed to report the rate of dementia at the national level in Iran. The National Elderly Health Survey (NEHS) was a cross-sectional study with multistage cluster random sampling on people aged ≥ 60 years in Iran. Dementia was diagnosed by trained general practitioners using Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT). In this study, the dementia diagnosis rate was considered as the ratio of individuals previously diagnosed with dementia to individuals considered as dementia. Analyses were carried out using survey analysis method. The provincial rates were standardized based on the Iranian population in 2011 and the national rate was standardized based on WHO standard populations. Association between risk factors and dementia was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model. The overall crude prevalence of dementia among people aged ≥ 60 years was 7.9% (8.7% in women and 6.9% in men) and age standardized dementia prevalence rate in Iran based on WHO standard population was 8.1% (9.6% in women and 6.5% in men). The prevalence of dementia was observed as 3.7% among people aged 60-64 years, 6.2% in the age-group 65-69 years, 10.4% in the age-group 70-74 years, 14.4% in the age-group 75-79 years, and 13.0% in the age-group ≥ 80 years. West Azerbaijan had the lowest and North Khorasan had the highest age-sex adjusted prevalence rate of dementia. Our results indicated that only 21.2% of subjects with dementia were diagnosed. We observed that diabetes mellitus, depressed mood, illiteracy, and increased age were associated with dementia. It seems that dementia is more common in Iran than many other countries. However, the rate of dementia diagnosis is much lower than that in developed countries.

Gender differences in the age-stratified prevalence of risk factors in Korean ischemic stroke patients: a nationwide stroke registry-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Park, Tai Hwan; Ko, Youngchai; Lee, Soo Joo; Lee, Kyung Bok; Lee, Jun; Han, Moon-Ku; Park, Jong-Moo; Kim, Dong-Eog; Cho, Yong-Jin; Hong, Keun-Sik; Kim, Joon-Tae; Cho, Ki-Hyun; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Cha, Jae-Kwan; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Lee, Byung-Chul; Yoon, Byung-Woo; Lee, Ji Sung; Lee, Juneyoung; Gorelick, Philip B; Bae, Hee-Joon

2014-08-01

Although ethnic or cultural differences affect prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, limited information is available about the age- and gender-stratified prevalence of the risk factors in Asian stroke population. We assessed gender- and age-stratified prevalences of major risk factors in Korean stroke patients, and assumed that the gender differences are attenuated by adjustment with lifestyle factors. Using the nationwide hospital-based stroke registry, we identified 9417 ischemic stroke patients admitted between April 2008 and January 2011. Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, prior stroke, and coronary heart disease was assessed in both genders by age groups. We analyzed gender differences of the prevalence among the age groups by calculating prevalence ratio, and further explored the influence of lifestyle factors on the gender difference in multivariable analyses. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were more common in men until middle age, but after that more common in women, whereas diabetes was more common in women after 65 years of age. Atrial fibrillation increased steadily with age in both genders but was more common in women through all age groups. Prior stroke and coronary heart disease showed inconsistent gender differences. Gender differences in hypertension and diabetes among the age groups were attenuated by adjustment with accompanying risk factors including lifestyle factors. Korean women with stroke had more hypertension and hyperlipidemia after middle age, more diabetes after 65 years, and more atrial fibrillation throughout all ages. Strategies to control risk factors in women at risk for stroke are eagerly needed. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2013 World Stroke Organization.

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.

Donor Age-Based Analysis of Liver Transplantation Outcomes: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes Are Similar Regardless of Donor Age.

PubMed

Chapman, William C; Vachharajani, Neeta; Collins, Kelly M; Garonzik-Wang, Jackie; Park, Yikyung; Wellen, Jason R; Lin, Yiing; Shenoy, Surendra; Lowell, Jeffrey A; Doyle, M B Majella

2015-07-01

The shortage of donor organs has led to increasing use of extended criteria donors, including older donors. The upper limit of donor age that produces acceptable outcomes continues to be explored. In liver transplantation, with appropriate selection, graft survival and patient outcomes would be comparable regardless of age. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,036 adult orthotopic liver transplantations (OLT) from a prospectively maintained database performed between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2013. The study focus group was liver transplantations performed using grafts from older (older than 60 years) deceased donors. Deceased donor liver transplantations done during the same time period using grafts from younger donors (younger than 60 years) were analyzed for comparison. Both groups were further divided based on recipient age (less than 60 years and 60 years or older). Donor age was the primary variable. Recipient variables included were demographics, indication for transplantation, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), graft survival, and patient survival. Operative details and postoperative complications were analyzed. Patient demographics and perioperative details were similar between groups. Patient and graft survival rates were similar in the 4 groups. Rates of rejection (p = 0.07), bile leak (p = 0.17), and hepatic artery thrombosis were comparable across all groups (p = 0.84). Hepatitis C virus recurrence was similar across all groups (p = 0.10). Thirty-one young recipients (less than 60 years) received grafts from donors aged 70 or older. Their survival and other complication rates were comparable to those in the young donor to young recipient group. Comparable outcomes in graft and patient survivals were achieved using older donors (60 years or more), regardless of recipient age, without increased rate of complications. Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CREATING A DECISION CONTEXT FOR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF INHALATION DOSIMETRY MODELS IN CHILDREN'S RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Estimation of risks to children from exposure to airborne pollutants is often complicated by the lack of reliable epidemiological data specific to this age group. As a result, risks are generally estimated from extrapolations based on data obtained in other human age groups (e.g....

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.

Community-based lifestyle modification of cardiovascular disease risks in middle-aged Japanese: a 27-month update.

PubMed

Fujii, Hiroko; Muto, Takashi; Haruyama, Yasuo; Nakade, Makiko; Kobayashi, Emiko; Ishisaki, Kaori; Yamasaki, Akiko

2010-04-01

Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of preventive management for people with cardiovascular disease risks, such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes. This study investigated the effect of a 27-month community-based lifestyle intervention on the reduction of cardiovascular disease risks in middle-aged Japanese. Of 549 participants with cardiovascular disease risk factors of overweight, hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes enrolled in this non-randomized controlled study, 397 participants aged 39-71 years old completed all 3 serial surveys at baseline, 15 months and 27 months. For the intervention group (39 males and 174 females), 31 specific interventions including individual counselling and group sessions were conducted. The control group (64 males and 120 females) only received 7 newsletters providing health information and results of health checkups. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, each baseline risk category and age category showed that the proportion of those who were overweight or showed dyslipidemia risk were significantly lower in the intervention group only at 27 months [Odds ratio (OR): 0.43 (95% CI 0.20-0.94), OR: 0.43 (95% CI 0.21-0.87), respectively] and the proportion of those showing diabetes risk was significantly lower in the intervention group at both 15 months [OR: 0.42 (95% CI 0.18-0.97)] and 27 months [OR: 0.56 (95% CI 0.32-0.99)]. In conclusion, the 27-month community-based lifestyle modification of cardiovascular disease risks shows significant reductions in risks of diabetes, overweight and dyslipidemia in middle-aged Japanese.

Guelph Family Health Study's Home-Based Obesity Prevention Intervention Increases Fibre and Fruit Intake in Preschool-Aged Children.

PubMed

Mirotta, Julia A; Darlington, Gerarda A; Buchholz, Andrea C; Haines, Jess; Ma, David W L; Duncan, Alison M

2018-06-01

The Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) pilot was designed to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a home-based obesity prevention intervention on health behaviours and obesity risk. The objective of this analysis was to determine the effect of the 6-month intervention on preschool-aged children's dietary intakes. Families with children aged 1.5-5 years old were randomized to receive one of the following: 4 home visits with a health educator as well as tailored emails and mailed incentives (4HV; n = 19 children); 2 home visits with a health educator as well as tailored emails and mailed incentives (2HV; n = 14 children); or general health advice through emails (control; n = 12 children). Three-day food records were completed by parents for their children before and after the 6-month intervention and analyzed for 3-day average intakes of energy, nutrients, and MyPlate food groups. After the 6-month intervention, the 4HV group had significantly higher fibre intake and the 4HV and 2HV groups had significantly higher fruit intake, both compared with the control group. This study provides support for a home-based intervention approach to improve the diet quality of preschool-aged children.

Teasing in younger and older children with microtia before and after ear reconstruction.

PubMed

Johns, Alexis L; Lewin, Sheryl L; Im, Daniel D

2017-06-01

This study prospectively measured teasing and emotional adjustment before and after ear reconstruction in younger and older children with microtia. Participants with isolated microtia (n = 28) were divided into two groups by age at surgery, with a younger group aged 3-5 years (n = 13) with a mean age of 4.0 (0.71) years at the time of surgery and an older group aged 6-10 years old (n = 15) with a mean age of 7.87 (1.30) years. Children and their parents were interviewed preoperatively and a year after surgery about teasing and emotions about their ear(s). Teasing began between the ages of 2.4-4.8 years. A third of the younger group and all of the older group reported preoperative teasing. Before surgery, the older group reported higher rates of negative emotions about their ear(s) and teasing was correlated for all ages with feeling sad, worried, and mad about their ear(s). After surgery, teasing and negative emotions significantly decreased with increased happiness about their ear(s). Postoperative teasing was correlated with trying to hide their ear(s). There were significant interactions from before to after surgery based on surgery age for frequency of teasing, sadness, and feeling mad, with the older group showing relatively greater change postoperatively. Teasing and negative emotions about their ear(s) decreased for all ages after surgery, with a potential protective factor seen in younger surgery age.

Stature and body weight growth during adolescence based on longitudinal data of Japanese children born during World War II.

PubMed

Ashizawa, K; Takahashi, C; Yanagisawa, S

1978-09-01

Longitudinal survey data of stature and body weight from age 7 to 17 were obtained for 100 boys and 100 girls during World War II. The growth rates and the average annual increments were compared with those of children born after the war. Growth attained at age 7 as a percentage of that at age 17 is larger in children of the control group, presumably as a result of an improved environment affecting the growth increment. The age at maximum velocity is six months to one year earlier for the current group of children. Although the maximum velocities for both items and sexes are nearly the same in the groups compared, the total increments are larger in the current group of children. Age, distance, and maximum velocity at adolescent growth spurt were obtained for each child. The mean values were compared according to growth patterns and growth attained at age 7. The "increasing type" growth group has the highest velocity at the greatest distance and the oldest age for stature. Children who were taller or heavier at age 7 have velocity peaks with greater distances.

[The battery of tests for behavioral phenotyping of aging animals in the experiment].

PubMed

Gorina, Ya V; Komleva, Yu K; Lopatina, O L; Volkova, V V; Chernykh, A I; Shabalova, A A; Semenchukov, A A; Olovyannikova, R Ya; Salmina, A B

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop a battery of tests to study social and cognitive impairments for behavioral phenotyping of aging experimental animals with physiological neurodegeneration. Object of the study were outbred CD1 mice in the following groups: 1st group - 12-month old male mice (physiological aging); 2nd group - 2-month old male mice (control group). Social recognition test, elevated plus maze test (EPM), open field test, light-dark box test, and Fear conditioning protocol were used to estimate the neurological status of experimental animals. We found that aging male mice in a contrast to young ones have demonstrated lower social interest to female mice in the social recognition task. EPM and light-dark box tests showed increased level of anxiety in the group of aged mice comparing to the control group. Fear conditioning protocol revealed impairment of associative learning and memory in the group of aged mice, particularly, fear memory consolidation was dramatically suppressed. Analysis of behavioral factors, social interactions and anxiety level in the experimental mice has confirmed age-related neurodegeneration in the 1st group. We found that the most informative approach to identifying neurological impairments in aging mice (social interaction deficit, limitation of interests, increased level of anxiety) should be based on the open field test light-dark box test, and Fear conditioning protocol. Such combination allows obtaining new data on behavioral alterations in the age-associated of neurodegeneration and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of age-related brain pathology.

Differentiation between Malignant and Benign Solitary Lesions in the Liver with 18FDG PET/CT: Accuracy of Age-related Diagnostic Standard

PubMed Central

Xia, Qian; Feng, Yuanbo; Wu, Cheng; Huang, Gang; Liu, Jianjun; Chen, Tao; Sun, Xiaoguang; Song, Shaoli; Tong, Linjun; Ni, Yicheng

2015-01-01

Objective: This study was to determine the reliability of age-stratified diagnostic index in differential diagnosis of malignant and benign solitary lesions in the liver using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FDG PET/CT). Methods: The enrolled 272 patients with solitary lesions in the liver were divided into three age groups, younger group (under 50 years), middle-aged group (50-69 years), and elderly group (70 years and above). Patients' ages were compared, and the optimal cut-offs of the standard uptake value (SUV) ratio (tumor-to-non-tumor ratio of the SUV), as well as areas under the curves (AUC), were evaluated in terms of malignant and benign lesions in each age group by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Based on optimal cut-offs, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy were calculated, and the diagnostic accordance rate was compared between each age group and all patients, supported by 18FDG PET/CT imaging data. Results: There was a significant age difference between the malignant and benign groups (t=3.905 p=0.0001). ROC analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value in all patients, younger group, middle-aged group and elderly group was 1.25, 1.17, 1.45 and 1.25 for SUVratio, and 0.856, 0.962, 0.650, 0.973 for AUC. The chi-square test proved that diagnostic accordance rate of 18FDG PET/CT in younger group and elderly group were superior to that in all patients (χ2=13.352, P=0.0003) and (χ2=8.494, P=0.0036). Conversely, overall diagnostic accordance rate in all patient group was higher than that in middle-aged group (χ2=9.057, P=0.0026). Representative 18FDG PET/CT imaging findings are demonstrated. Conclusion: This study indicates that diagnostic optimal cut-offs of SUVratio of liver solitary lesions of 18FDG PET/CT were different in each age group. In addition, the diagnostic performance of SUVratio was better in younger and elderly groups than that in all patients, and was poorer in middle-aged group than that in all patients. Therefore, age difference appears to be one of the important factors for discriminating malignant liver lesions from benign ones using 18 FDG PET/CT. PMID:25553087

Efficacy of a composite biological age score to predict ten-year survival among Kansas and Nebraska Mennonites.

PubMed

Uttley, M; Crawford, M H

1994-02-01

In 1980 and 1981 Mennonite descendants of a group of Russian immigrants participated in a multidisciplinary study of biological aging. The Mennonites live in Goessel, Kansas, and Henderson, Nebraska. In 1991 the survival status of the participants was documented by each church secretary. Data are available for 1009 individuals, 177 of whom are now deceased. They ranged from 20 to 95 years in age when the data were collected. Biological ages were computed using a stepwise multiple regression procedure based on 38 variables previously identified as being related to survival, with chronological age as the dependent variable. Standardized residuals place participants in either a predicted-younger or a predicted-older group. The independence of the variables biological age and survival status is tested with the chi-square statistic. The significance of biological age differences between surviving and deceased Mennonites is determined by t test values. The two statistics provide consistent results. Predicted age group classification and survival status are related. The group of deceased participants is generally predicted to be older than the group of surviving participants, although neither statistic is significant for all subgroups of Mennonites. In most cases, however, individuals in the predicted-older groups are at a relatively higher risk of dying compared with those in the predicted-younger groups, although the increased risk is not always significant.

Comparative effects of corn-based diet and phase-fed cassava-based diet on growth rate, carcass characteristics and lipid profile of meat-type ducks.

PubMed

Saree, Saowalak; Bunchasak, Chaiyapoom; Rakangtong, Choawit; Sakdee, Jessada; Krutthai, Nuttawut; Poeikhampha, Theerawit

2017-06-01

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of a corn- or cassava- based diet on the production of meat-type ducks. Four hundred day-old ducks were used in this experiment. They were divided into five groups with each group replicated eight times. The ducks fed the corn-based diets served as the control group. The four other groups comprised different treatments, with each one given the cassava-based diet based on phase-feeding. Three treatments were fed the cassava-based diet from 16, 28, and 35 d; respectively up to 42 d of age and the other group was fed the cassava-based diet from 1 to 42 d of age. The results indicated that ducks on either the corn- or cassava-based diets were similar in growth during 1 to 9 d of age. However, toward 35 to 42 d, the cassava-diet produced a higher weight gain (p<0.05). The cassava-based diet was better than the corn-based diet at increasing the outer and inner breast weights at 28, 35, or 42 d (p<0.05). In contrast, the corn-based diet was better at increasing abdominal fat (p<0.05). The two diets did not differ in their effects on the serum triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and liver cholesterol. The corn-based diet, however, caused a highly significantly greater level of liver triglyceride (p<0.01). The results of this study suggest that both the cassava- and corn- based diets are similar in their effect on meat-type ducks during the starter stage but toward the finisher stage, the cassava-based diet has a better influence on weight gain and carcass characteristics.

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.

Geriatric oncology: comparing health related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients.

PubMed

Silveira, Augusta P; Gonçalves, Joaquim; Sequeira, Teresa; Ribeiro, Cláudia; Lopes, Carlos; Monteiro, Eurico; Pimentel, Francisco L

2011-01-13

Population ageing is increasing the number of people annually diagnosed with cancer worldwide, once most types of tumours are age-dependent. High-quality healthcare in geriatric oncology requires a multimodal approach and should take into account stratified patient outcomes based on factors other than chronological age in order to develop interventions able to optimize oncology care.This study aims to evaluate the Health Related Quality of Life in head and neck cancer patients and compare the scores in geriatric and younger patients. Two hundred and eighty nine head and neck cancer patients from the Oncology Portuguese Institute participated in the Health Related Quality of Life assessment. Two patient groups were considered: the geriatric (≥ 65 years old, n = 115) and the younger (45-60 years old, n= 174). The EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires were used. Head and neck cancer patients were mostly males, 77.4% within geriatric group and 91.4% among younger patients group.The most frequent tumour locations were similar in both groups: larynx, oral cavity and oropharynx - base of the tongue.At the time of diagnosis, most of younger male patients were at disease stage III/IV (55.9%) whereas the majority of younger female patients were at disease stage I/II (83.4%). The geriatric patient distribution was found to be similar in any of the four disease stages and no gender differences were observed.We found that age (geriatrics scored generally worse), gender (females scored generally worse), and tumour site (larynx tumours denounce more significant problems between age groups) clearly influences Health Related Quality of Life perceptions. Geriatric oncology assessments signalize age-independent indicators that might guide oncologic geriatric care optimization. Decision-making in geriatric oncology must be based on tumour characteristics and chronological age but also on performance status evaluation, co-morbidity, and patient reported outcomes assessment.

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 ages 40, 50, 60 and 80 years, but only two groups of symptoms emerged among men aged 70 years. The prevalence among men aged 30 was too low for meaningful analysis. This population-based study suggests that LUTS can be divided into three subgroups consisting of voiding, storage and incontinence symptoms based on their inter-correlations. Our empirical findings suggest an alternative grouping of LUTS. The potential utility of such an approach requires careful consideration. © 2012 BJU International.

Reward speeds up and increases consistency of visual selective attention: a lifespan comparison.

PubMed

Störmer, Viola; Eppinger, Ben; Li, Shu-Chen

2014-06-01

Children and older adults often show less favorable reward-based learning and decision making, relative to younger adults. It is unknown, however, whether reward-based processes that influence relatively early perceptual and attentional processes show similar lifespan differences. In this study, we investigated whether stimulus-reward associations affect selective visual attention differently across the human lifespan. Children, adolescents, younger adults, and older adults performed a visual search task in which the target colors were associated with either high or low monetary rewards. We discovered that high reward value speeded up response times across all four age groups, indicating that reward modulates attentional selection across the lifespan. This speed-up in response time was largest in younger adults, relative to the other three age groups. Furthermore, only younger adults benefited from high reward value in increasing response consistency (i.e., reduction of trial-by-trial reaction time variability). Our findings suggest that reward-based modulations of relatively early and implicit perceptual and attentional processes are operative across the lifespan, and the effects appear to be greater in adulthood. The age-specific effect of reward on reducing intraindividual response variability in younger adults likely reflects mechanisms underlying the development and aging of reward processing, such as lifespan age differences in the efficacy of dopaminergic modulation. Overall, the present results indicate that reward shapes visual perception across different age groups by biasing attention to motivationally salient events.

Digital hand atlas for web-based bone age assessment: system design and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fei; Huang, H. K.; Pietka, Ewa; Gilsanz, Vicente

2000-04-01

A frequently used assessment method of skeletal age is atlas matching by a radiological examination of a hand image against a small set of Greulich-Pyle patterns of normal standards. The method however can lead to significant deviation in age assessment, due to a variety of observers with different levels of training. The Greulich-Pyle atlas based on middle upper class white populations in the 1950s, is also not fully applicable for children of today, especially regarding the standard development in other racial groups. In this paper, we present our system design and initial implementation of a digital hand atlas and computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system for Web-based bone age assessment. The digital atlas will remove the disadvantages of the currently out-of-date one and allow the bone age assessment to be computerized and done conveniently via Web. The system consists of a hand atlas database, a CAD module and a Java-based Web user interface. The atlas database is based on a large set of clinically normal hand images of diverse ethnic groups. The Java-based Web user interface allows users to interact with the hand image database form browsers. Users can use a Web browser to push a clinical hand image to the CAD server for a bone age assessment. Quantitative features on the examined image, which reflect the skeletal maturity, is then extracted and compared with patterns from the atlas database to assess the bone age.

Emotional indicators in children's human figure drawings.

PubMed

Catte, M; Cox, M V

1999-06-01

The human figure drawings of a group of emotionally-disturbed boys were compared with those of a group of well-adjusted boys closely matched for chronological age and another for mental age. A comparison based on Koppitz's (1968) original emotional indicators and another, based on new UK norms, showed that the emotionally-disturbed children included significantly more indicators in their drawings than their well-adjusted peers. Although this difference was statistically significant it is actually quite small. In addition, there were no differences among the groups in the kinds of indicators they exhibited. The usefulness of the Koppitz test as a tool for clinical use is questioned.

Effect of Play-based Therapy on Meta-cognitive and Behavioral Aspects of Executive Function: A Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial on the Students With Learning Disabilities.

PubMed

Karamali Esmaili, Samaneh; Shafaroodi, Narges; Hassani Mehraban, Afsoon; Parand, Akram; Zarei, Masoume; Akbari-Zardkhaneh, Saeed

2017-01-01

Although the effect of educational methods on executive function (EF) is well known, training this function by a playful method is debatable. The current study aimed at investigating if a play-based intervention is effective on metacognitive and behavioral skills of EF in students with specific learning disabilities. In the current randomized, clinical trial, 49 subjects within the age range of 7 to 11 years with specific learning disabilities were randomly assigned into the intervention (25 subjects; mean age 8.5±1.33 years) and control (24 subjects; mean age 8.7±1.03 years) groups. Subjects in the intervention group received EF group training based on playing activities; subjects in the control group received no intervention. The behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF) was administered to evaluate the behavioral and cognitive aspects of EF. The duration of the intervention was 6 hours per week for 9 weeks. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to compare mean changes (before and after) in the BRIEF scores between the groups. The assumptions of multivariate analysis of covariance were examined. After controlling pre-test conditions, the intervention and control groups scored significantly differently on both the metacognition (P=0.002; effect size=0.20) and behavior regulation indices (P=0.01; effect size=0.12) of BRIEF. Play-based therapy is effective on the metacognitive and behavioral aspects of EF in students with specific learning disabilities. Professionals can use play-based therapy rather than educational approaches in clinical practice to enhance EF skills.

Affective Aspects of an Age-Integrated Water Exercise Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Caroline R.; Jamieson, Nancy B.

1987-01-01

Surveyed 88 female participants of community-based age-integrated water exercise program designed to enhance comfort and social interaction. Affective measures and observation of membership as a support group elicited few differences by age. Members endorsed having age integration in classes and there was little indication that subgroups of…

Geographic and income variations in age at diagnosis and incidence of chronic myeloid leukemia.

PubMed

Mendizabal, Adam M; Younes, Naji; Levine, Paul H

2016-01-01

Developing countries have a younger population of CML patients than developed countries. Patterns of age at diagnosis and incidence by geography and gross national income (GNI) are not well understood. A population-based descriptive study was conducted using data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer's population-based registry compilation. Geographical regions were classified according to the United Nations World Macro Regions and Components. Age-Standardized Incidence Rates (ASR) were adjusted to the World Standard Population. Poisson regression was used to assess age-specific interactions. 57.2% were male among 33,690 diagnoses. Median age at diagnosis was lowest in Africa and Asia (47 years) and highest in Oceania (72 years). ASR was lowest in African males (0.61 per 100,000) and Asian females (0.55 per 100,000) and highest in Oceania males and females (1.78 and 0.96 per 100,000, respectively). A significant interaction (p < 0.0001) between age (<50 years and >50 years) and region exists; no significant differences were seen by region in the <50 age-group while significant differences by region exist in the >50 age group. Population-based estimates suggest that the median age at diagnosis and incidence varies by region. Geographic and income heterogeneity suggest an important effect of environment that warrants further studies.

Medium-term survival after primary angioplasty for myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock after the age of 75 years.

PubMed

Samadi, A; Le Feuvre, C; Allali, Y; Collet, J-P; Barthélémy, O; Beygui, F; Helft, G; Montalescot, G; Metzger, J-P

2008-03-01

To assess mortality in people > or =75 years of age 6 months after myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock and treated by angioplasty with complete revascularisation and optimal anti-thrombotic treatment; to compare results to those of younger patients with or without shock and to analyse predictive factors for death. The study is based on 1011 consecutive patients with myocardial infarction admitted for primary angioplasty, subdivided into four groups by age and the presence or absence of cardiogenic shock: group 1 (<75 years of age without shock, n=733), group 2 (<75 years of age with shock, n=49), group 3 (> or =75 years of age without shock, n=208) and group 4 (> or =75 years of age with shock, n=20). These four patient groups were compared for mortality rates and predictive factors for in-hospital and 6 month mortality. In-hospital mortality in groups 1 to 4 was 1.7%, 30.6%, 9.1%, and 70% (p<0.0001) respectively and 6-month mortality was 3.1%, 40%, 16% and 78% (P<0.0001). By univariate analysis renal failure was a predictive factor for death at 6 months in patients without cardiogenic shock (groups 1 and 3), and left ventricular function in patients in group 2. No predictive factors were found in group 4 patients. The independent predictive factors for death at 6 months were: age >75 years of age (P<0.0003), cardiogenic shock (P<0.0001), triple vessel lesions (P<0.01) and creatinine clearance (P=0.004). Mortality after angioplasty remains high in people > or =75 years with cardiogenic shock despite all the advances in the management of myocardial infarction. These disappointing results should encourage us to assess the role of surgical revascularisation and circulatory assistance.

Association between body mass index and presence of carotid plaque among low-income adults aged 45 years and older: a population-based cross-sectional study in rural China.

PubMed

Lou, Yongzhong; Li, Bin; Su, Lan; Mu, Zhenhong; Sun, Minghao; Gu, Hongfei; Ni, Jingxian; Wu, Yanan; Tu, Jun; Wang, Jinghua; Ning, Xianjia

2017-10-06

Carotid plaque is a good surrogate endpoint for assessing arterial atherosclerosis, and atherosclerosis is a reliable predictor of cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of body mass index on carotid plaque is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association between body mass index and carotid plaque in a low-income Chinese population. Residents aged ≥45 years and free of stroke and cardiovascular diseases were enrolled and divided into four groups based on body mass index. B-mode ultrasonography was performed to measure carotid plaque. The mean age of participants was 59.92 years overall. Significant correlations were observed between the presence of carotid plaque and male sex, older age, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol among the different BMI subgroups. Male sex increased the risk of carotid plaque in the overweight and obese groups. Older age and high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were the independent risk factor for carotid plaque in four groups. Increased systolic blood pressure was an independent risk factor in the normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups; however, fasting plasma glucose was only significant in the normal-weight group. Thus, controlling the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose is required to reduce carotid plaque risk.

Fracture resistance of zirconia-based implant abutments after artificial long-term aging.

PubMed

Alsahhaf, Abdulaziz; Spies, Benedikt Christopher; Vach, Kirstin; Kohal, Ralf-Joachim

2017-02-01

To investigate the survival rate, fracture strength, bending moments, loading to fracture and fracture modes of different designs of zirconia abutments after dynamic loading with thermocycling, and compare these values to titanium abutments. A total of 80 abutment samples were divided into 5 test groups of 16 samples in each group. The study included the following groups, "Group 1" CAD/CAM produced all-zirconia abutments, "Group 2" titanium abutments, "Group 3" zirconia-abutments adhesively luted to a titanium base, "Group 4" prefabricated all-zirconia abutments and "Group 5" zirconia-abutments glass soldered to a titanium base. Half the number of samples in each group was exposed to 1.2 million loading cycles (5-years simulation) in the chewing simulator. The samples that survived the artificial aging were later tested for fracture strength in a universal testing machine. The remaining 8 samples of the group were directly tested for fracture strength. All samples exposed to the 5-years artificial aging survived except of six samples in one group (Group 1). The surviving samples were later fracture tested in the universal testing machine. The bending moments (Ncm) values were as follow: Exposed groups: "Group 1" 94.5Ncm; "Group 2" 599.2Ncm; "Group 3" 477.5Ncm; "Group 4" 314.4Ncm; "Group 5" 509.4Ncm. Non-exposed groups: "Group 1" 269.3Ncm; "Group 2" 474.2Ncm; "Group 3" 377.6Ncm; "Group 4" 265.4Ncm; "Group 5" 372.4Ncm. Except in Group 1, the values were higher in the exposed groups, although, statistically there was no difference (p>0.05). The one-piece ZrO2-abutment group (Group 1 and Group 4) exhibited lower values, while the two-piece ZrO2-abutment groups (Group 3 and Group 5) showed similar values and fracture modes like the titanium abutment group. The titanium abutment group showed the highest values of bending moments among all groups. The implant-abutment connection area appeared to influence the bending moment value and the fracture mode of the tested abutment groups, and it was found to be the weakest part of an internal connection one-piece zirconia abutment. The titanium base in the two-piece zirconia abutment worked as a substitute for the weakest part of the abutment. Therefore, the titanium base can reinforce the fracture strength of a zirconia abutment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of age, gender, and stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kunimi, Mitsunobu

2016-01-01

This study focused on age-related changes in visual short-term memory using visual stimuli that did not allow verbal encoding. Experiment 1 examined the effects of age and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. Experiment 2 examined the effects of age, gender, and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. The worst memory performance and the largest performance difference between the age groups were observed in the shortest stimulus presentation period conditions. The performance difference between the age groups became smaller as the stimulus presentation period became longer; however, it did not completely disappear. Although gender did not have a significant effect on d' regardless of the presentation period in the young group, a significant gender-based difference was observed for stimulus presentation periods of 500 ms and 1,000 ms in the older group. This study indicates that the decline in visual short-term memory observed in the older group is due to the interaction of several factors.

Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in a large European cohort: results from the population-based Gutenberg Health Study.

PubMed

Korb, Christina A; Kottler, Ulrike B; Wolfram, Christian; Hoehn, René; Schulz, Andreas; Zwiener, Isabella; Wild, Philipp S; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Mirshahi, Alireza

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to describe the sex- and age-specific prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its correlation with urban or rural residence in a large and relatively young European cohort. We evaluated fundus photographs from participants in the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), a population-based, prospective, observational, single-centre study in the Rhineland-Palatine region in midwestern Germany. The participants were 35-74 years of age at enrolment. The fundus images were classified as described in the Rotterdam Study and were graded independently by two experienced ophthalmologists (CK and UBK) based on the presence of hard and soft drusen, retinal pigmentary abnormalities, and signs of atrophic or neovascular age-related macular generation (AMD). Photographs from 4,340 participants were available for grading. Small, hard drusen (<63 μm, stages 0b and 0c) were present in 37.4% of participants (95% confidence interval [CI], stage 0b, 31.6% [30.3-33.7]; stage 0c, 5.8% [5.1-6.5]). Early AMD (soft drusen, pigmentary abnormalities, stages 1-3) was present in 3.8% of individuals in the youngest age group (35-44 years) (95% CI, stage 1a, 0.4% [0.3-0.5%]; stage 1b, 3.2% [2.9-3.5%]; stage 2a, 0.1% [0.1-0.2%]; stage 2b, 0% [0-0.0%]; stage 3, 0.1% [0.1-0.2%]), whereas late AMD (stages 4a and 4b) did not appear in the youngest age group. In all age groups, signs of early AMD were detected in 11.9% of individuals (stage 1a, 2.1% [1.7-2.6]; stage 1b, 8.0% [7.2-8.8]; stage 2a, 1.0% [0.7-1.3]; stage 2b, 0.5% [0.3-0.7]; stage 3, 0.3% [0.2-0.6]). Late AMD (geographic atrophy or neovascular AMD) was found in 0.2% of individuals (stage 4a, 0.1 % [0.0-0.2]; stage 4b, 0.1% [0.0-0.2]). AMD increased significantly with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08-1.10). Sex, iris colour, and residence (rural vs. urban) were not associated with different rates of AMD. In this study, the prevalence of AMD increased dramatically with age; however, although AMD is usually thought to occur after age 50, signs of early AMD were found in 3.8% of individuals in the youngest age group (younger than 45 years). This population-based sample is the first to provide substantial epidemiologic data from a large German cohort, including data on macular degeneration in younger age groups and incidence data after recall.

CORKSCREW 2013 CORK study of children's realistic estimation of weight.

PubMed

Skrobo, Darko; Kelleher, Gemma

2015-01-01

In a resuscitation situation involving a child (age 1-15 years) it is crucial to obtain a weight as most interventions and management depend on it. The APLS formula, '2×(age+4)', is taught via the APLS course and is widely used in Irish hospitals. As the prevalence of obesity is increasing the accuracy of the formula has been questioned and a newer formula has been suggested, the Luscombe and Owens (LO) formula, '(3×age)+7'. To gather data on the weights and ages of the Cork paediatric population (ages 1-15 years) attending services at the Cork University Hospital (CUH), and to identify which of the two age-based weight estimation formulae has best diagnostic accuracy. CUH, Ireland's only level one trauma centre. Retrospective data collection from charts in the Emergency Department, Paediatric Assessment Unit and the Paediatric wards of CUH. 3155 children aged 1-15 years were included in the study. There were 1344 girls and 1811 boys. The formula weight='2×(age+4)' underestimated children's weights by a mean of 20.3% (95% CI 19.7% to 20.9%) for the ages of 1-15 years. The LO formula weight='(3×age)+7' showed a mean underestimation of 4.0% (95% CI 3.3% to 4.6%) for the same age range. The LO formula has been validated in several studies and proven to be a superior age-based weight estimation formula in many western emergency departments. This study shows that the LO formula leads to less underestimation of weights in Irish children than the APLS formula. It is a simple, safe and more accurate age-based estimation formula that can be used over a large age range (1-15 years). 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.

The Educational Aspects of Obesity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufmann, David A.

A traditional discussion of obesity considers the number of pounds over what is considered average for one's age, height, and sex, and is based on the assumption that the average weight for a given group of people of the same age, height, and sex is the healthiest status for that group. There is a physiological and biochemical basis for obesity.…

Evaluation of a Short-term, Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Primary Age Children with Anger-Related Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Rachel L.; Treadwell, Susanne; Dosani, Sima; Frederickson, Norah

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the school-based short-term, cognitive-behavioral group anger management programme, "Learning How to Deal with our Angry Feelings" (Southampton Psychology Service, 2003). Thirteen groups of children aged 7- to 11-years-old were randomly allocated to two different cohorts: One cohort ("n"?=?35) first…

Gonorrhea infection increases the risk of prostate cancer in Asian population: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Wang, Y-C; Chung, C-H; Chen, J-H; Chiang, M-H; Ti-Yin; Tsao, C-H; Lin, F-H; Chien, W-C; Shang, S-T; Chang, F-Y

2017-05-01

This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study evaluated the risk of developing prostate cancer among patients with gonorrhea. We identified cases of newly diagnosed gonorrhea in men between 2000 and 2010 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Each patient with gonorrhea was matched to four controls, based on age and index year. All subjects were followed up from the index date to December 31, 2010. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the risk of prostate cancer. A total of 355 men were included in the study group, and 1,420 age-matched subjects without gonorrhea were included in the control group. After adjusting for age, comorbidities, urbanization level, hospital level, and monthly income, gonorrhea was significantly associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (adjusted hazard ratio = 5.66, 95% confidence interval = 1.36-23.52). Men aged 45-70 years and those with lower monthly income were more strongly associated with prostate cancer in the study group than the control group. The higher risk for developing prostate cancer were also found in those without syphilis, without genital warts, without diabetes mellitus, without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, without benign prostatic hypertrophy, without chronic prostatitis, and without alcoholism. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the risk of prostate cancer was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. Gonorrhea may be involved in the development of prostate cancer. More intensive screening and prevention interventions for prostate cancer should be recommended in men with gonorrhea.

Effect of mouthwash and accelerated aging on the color stability of esthetic restorative materials.

PubMed

Lee, Y K; El Zawahry, M; Noaman, K M; Powers, J M

2000-06-01

To evaluate the color stability of esthetic restorative materials after immersion in mouthwashes and accelerated aging. Compomers and resin-based composites (RBC) were measured at baseline and repeatedly after immersion in three kinds of mouthwash (Listerine, Peridex, Rembrandt Age Defying) for 24 hrs and 7 days, and after aging for 150 kJ/m2. Color was measured according to CIE L*a*b* color scale on a reflection spectrophotometer. After immersion for 7 days, the mouthwash groups did not produce significantly higher color changes than the distilled water group, except with some mouthwashes used with Tetric-Ceram. After immersion for 7 days and aging for 150 kJ/m2, the mouthwash groups did not produce significantly higher color changes than the distilled water group. Aging in weathering chamber produced color change (deltaE*) of 1.1-3.9, which was mainly influenced by the material. With some exceptions, the color changes from immersion of the RBCs and compomers in mouthwashes were not perceptible (deltaE*<3.3).

Ageing influence in the evolution of strength and muscle mass in women with fibromyalgia: the al-Ándalus project.

PubMed

Latorre-Román, Pedro Ángel; Segura-Jiménez, Víctor; Aparicio, Virginia A; Santos E Campos, María Aparecida; García-Pinillos, Felipe; Herrador-Colmenero, Manuel; Álvarez-Gallardo, Inmaculada C; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel

2015-07-01

Fibromyalgia is associated with physical disabilities in daily activities. Moreover, patients with fibromyalgia present similar levels of functional capacity and physical condition than elderly people. The aim of this study was to analyse the evolution of strength and muscle mass in women with fibromyalgia along ageing. A total sample of 492 fibromyalgia patients and 279 healthy control women were included in the study. Participants in each group were further divided into four age subgroups: subgroup 1: 30-39 years old, subgroup 2: 40-49 years old, subgroup 3: 50-59 years old and subgroup 4: 60-69 years old. Standardized field-based fitness tests were used to assess muscle strength (30-s chair stand, handgrip strength and arm curl tests). Fibromyalgia patients did not show impairment on muscle mass along ageing, without values of skeletal muscle mass index below 6.76 kg/m(2) in any group. However, in all variables of muscle strength, the fibromyalgia group showed less strength than the healthy group (p < 0.05) for all age groups. As expected, handgrip strength test showed differences along ageing only in the fibromyalgia group (p < 0.001). Age was inversely associated with skeletal muscle mass (r = -0.155, p < 0.01) and handgrip strength (r = -0.230, p < 0.001) in the FM group. Women with fibromyalgia showed a reduction in muscle strength along ageing process, with significantly lower scores than healthy women for each age group, representing a risk of dynapenia.

[Pregnancy in the adolescent. IV. Borderline reproductive age risk among adolescents].

PubMed

Mathias, L; Nestarez, J E; Kanas, M; Neme, B

1985-01-01

This study examined the cases of 557 primiparous adolescents, between the ages of 9 and 19, who gave birth at the Obstetric Clinic of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, from January 1975 to June 1980. During this period 13,961 deliveries took place, producing an adolescent pregnancy incidence of 3.9%. Based on previous work, 2 groups were established: Group I, composed of 242 women aged 9 to 16, and Group II, composed of 315 women aged 17 to 19. The greatest number of unwed mothers occurred in Group I, the younger age group (98.4%), compared to 54.3% in Group II. An important characteristic in the younger age group was lack of adequate prenatal care. In Group I only 12% received adequate prenatal care, while in Group II, 28.6% received adequate care. Clearly the greatest frequency of prematurity was in the younger group (28.1% of Group I vs. 12.4% of Group II), along with a higher rate of perinatal mortality (4.9% in Group I vs. 2.5% in Group II). Cases of eclampsia occurred more frequently in the younger adolescents (3.3% of Group I vs 1.6% of Group II), but hypertension was more prevalent among the older adolescents (35.9% in Group II vs. 22.7% in Group I). The authors conclude that during pregnancy all adolescents reach similar biologic and endocrine maturity and display similar obstetric performance. The less satisfactory performance among patients in Group I is primarily due to socioeconomic conditions, inadequate resolution of problems related to acceptance of pregnancy, lack of family support, and inadquate prenatal care. The authors believe that the risks associated with adolescent pregnancy could be substantially reduced if adolescents were better informed and received psychological support and adequate prenatal care.

Cancer Specific Mortality in Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer before Age 50 Years: A Nationwide Population Based Study.

PubMed

Thorstenson, Andreas; Garmo, Hans; Adolfsson, Jan; Bratt, Ola

2017-01-01

We compared clinical characteristics and cancer specific mortality in men diagnosed with prostate cancer before vs after age 50 years. A total of 919 men 35 to 49 years old and 45,098 men 50 to 66 years old who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1998 and 2012 were identified in PCBaSe (Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden). Cancer specific mortality was compared among age groups (35 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 63 and 64 to 66 years) with and without adjusting for cancer characteristics, comorbidity and education in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. Clinical cancer characteristics indicated that most nonmetastatic cancer in men younger than 50 years was detected after prostate specific antigen testing. The proportion of nonmetastatic vs metastatic disease at diagnosis was similar in all age groups. A strong association between younger age and poor prognosis was apparent in men in whom metastatic disease was diagnosed before age 50 to 55 years. The crude and adjusted HRs of cancer specific mortality were 1.41 (95% CI 1.12-1.79) and 1.28 (95% CI 1.01-1.62) in men diagnosed before age 50 and at age 50 to 59 years, respectively. In men with nonmetastatic disease crude cancer specific mortality increased with older age but adjusted cancer specific mortality was similar in all age groups. Our findings suggest that an aggressive form of metastatic prostate cancer is particularly common in men younger than 50 to 55 years. Genetic studies and trials of intensified systemic treatment are warranted in this patient group. Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Passive Smoking on Hearing Impairment: Data from a Population–Based Study

PubMed Central

Chang, Jiwon; Ryou, Namhyung; Jun, Hyung Jin; Hwang, Soon Young; Song, Jae-Jun; Chae, Sung Won

2016-01-01

Objectives In the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of both active and passive smoking on the prevalence of the hearing impairment and the hearing thresholds in different age groups through the analysis of data collected from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Study Design Cross-sectional epidemiological study. Methods The KNHANES is an ongoing population study that started in 1998. We included a total of 12,935 participants aged ≥19 years in the KNHANES, from 2010 to 2012, in the present study. Pure-tone audiometric (PTA) testing was conducted and the frequencies tested were 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 kHz. Smoking status was categorized into three groups; current smoking group, passive smoking group and non-smoking group. Results In the current smoking group, the prevalence of speech-frequency bilateral hearing impairment was increased in ages of 40−69, and the rate of high frequency bilateral hearing impairment was elevated in ages of 30−79. When we investigated the impact of smoking on hearing thresholds, we found that the current smoking group had significantly increased hearing thresholds compared to the passive smoking group and non-smoking groups, across all ages in both speech-relevant and high frequencies. The passive smoking group did not have an elevated prevalence of either speech-frequency bilateral hearing impairment or high frequency bilateral hearing impairment, except in ages of 40s. However, the passive smoking group had higher hearing thresholds than the non-smoking group in the 30s and 40s age groups. Conclusion Current smoking was associated with hearing impairment in both speech-relevant frequency and high frequency across all ages. However, except in the ages of 40s, passive smoking was not related to hearing impairment in either speech-relevant or high frequencies. PMID:26756932

Diffusion Tensor Tractography Reveals Disrupted Structural Connectivity during Brain Aging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Lan; Tian, Miao; Wang, Qi; Wu, Shuicai

2017-10-01

Brain aging is one of the most crucial biological processes that entail many physical, biological, chemical, and psychological changes, and also a major risk factor for most common neurodegenerative diseases. To improve the quality of life for the elderly, it is important to understand how the brain is changed during the normal aging process. We compared diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based brain networks in a cohort of 75 healthy old subjects by using graph theory metrics to describe the anatomical networks and connectivity patterns, and network-based statistic (NBS) analysis was used to identify pairs of regions with altered structural connectivity. The NBS analysis revealed a significant network comprising nine distinct fiber bundles linking 10 different brain regions showed altered white matter structures in young-old group compare with middle-aged group (p < .05, family-wise error-corrected). Our results might guide future studies and help to gain a better understanding of brain aging.

Age and gender differences regarding physical performance in the elderly from Barbados and Cuba.

PubMed

Rodrigues-Barbosa, Aline; de Miranda, Leticia Miranda; Vieira-Guimarães, Alexsander; Xavier-Corseuil, Herton; Weber-Corseuil, Marui

2011-02-01

Presenting physical performance tests' (PPTs) descriptive reference values and prevalence according to gender and age-group regarding a representative sample of non-institutionalised older adults (aged 60 and over) living in Bridgetown (Barbados) and Havana (Cuba). This was a cross-sectional, population-based household survey. In Bridgetown and Havana, respectively, 1,508 and 1,905 subjects were examined who had been selected by probabilistic sampling. PPTs included handgrip strength, standing balance, timed repeated "chair stand" and "pick up a pen." The results from Bridgetown and Havana showed that values (mean ± standard deviations and percentiles) for men were greater than women in handgrip strength and "chair stand" tests (p≤0.01). Increasing age led to both genders having reduced (p≤0.001) prevalence of people having better results for each test (based on chi-square). Men had proportionately better scores than women in the four tests. The data suggested that younger people and men had better physical performance. Men and women in both countries had differences regarding the prevalence of people unable to perform the tests and better test results, according to the test and age-group. The data provided information about the range of performance that can be expected from people in different ages and helped understand usual rates of change in age-groups.

Effect of elastic band-based high-speed power training on cognitive function, physical performance and muscle strength in older women with mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Yoon, Dong Hyun; Kang, Dongheon; Kim, Hee-Jae; Kim, Jin-Soo; Song, Han Sol; Song, Wook

2017-05-01

The effectiveness of resistance training in improving cognitive function in older adults is well demonstrated. In particular, unconventional high-speed resistance training can improve muscle power development. In the present study, the effectiveness of 12 weeks of elastic band-based high-speed power training (HSPT) was examined. Participants were randomly assigned into a HSPT group (n = 14, age 75.0 ± 0.9 years), a low-speed strength training (LSST) group (n = 9, age 76.0 ± 1.3 years) and a control group (CON; n = 7, age 78.0 ± 1.0 years). A 1-h exercise program was provided twice a week for 12 weeks for the HSPT and LSST groups, and balance and tone exercises were carried out by the CON group. Significant increases in levels of cognitive function, physical function, and muscle strength were observed in both the HSPT and LSST groups. In cognitive function, significant improvements in the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment were seen in both the HSPT and LSST groups compared with the CON group. In physical functions, Short Physical Performance Battery scores were increased significantly in the HSPT and LSST groups compared with the CON group. In the 12 weeks of elastic band-based training, the HSPT group showed greater improvements in older women with mild cognitive impairment than the LSST group, although both regimens were effective in improving cognitive function, physical function and muscle strength. We conclude that elastic band-based HSPT, as compared with LSST, is more efficient in helping older women with mild cognitive impairment to improve cognitive function, physical performance and muscle strength. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 765-772. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

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

The use of customised versus population-based birthweight standards in predicting perinatal mortality.

PubMed

Zhang, X; Platt, R W; Cnattingius, S; Joseph, K S; Kramer, M S

2007-04-01

The objective of this study was to critically examine potential artifacts and biases underlying the use of 'customised' standards of birthweight for gestational age (GA). Population-based cohort study. Sweden. A total of 782,303 singletons > or =28 weeks of gestation born in 1992-2001 to Nordic mothers with complete data on birthweight; GA; and maternal age, parity, height, and pre-pregnancy weight. We compared perinatal mortality in four groups of infants based on the following classification of small for gestational age (SGA): non-SGA based on either population-based or customised standards (the reference group), SGA based on the population-based standard only, SGA based on the customised standard only, and SGA according to both standards. We used graphical methods to compare GA-specific birthweight cutoffs for SGA using the two standards and also used logistic regression to control for differences in GA and maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in the four groups. Perinatal mortality, including stillbirth and neonatal death. Customisation led to a large artifactual increase in the proportion of SGA infants born preterm. Adjustment for differences in GA and maternal BMI markedly reduced the excess risk among infants classified as SGA by customised standards only. The large increase in perinatal mortality risk among infants classified as SGA based on customised standards is largely an artifact due to inclusion of more preterm births.

Older drivers, the age factor in traffic safety

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-02-01

The report presents an overview of the traffic safety problem in relation to the age of the driver. Emphasis is placed on the older drivers. Crash involvement rates are developed for each age group of drivers based on their estimated annual travel. T...

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.

What a difference a year makes: comparing relationships between stressful life events, mood and life satisfaction among older adults, and their working-age counterparts.

PubMed

Hannaford, Elizabeth; Moore, Fhionna; Macleod, Fiona J

2017-10-11

Stressful life events (SLEs) have been linked to depression, anxiety, and reduced life satisfaction. The inoculation hypothesis of aging suggests older adults may be less vulnerable to poor psychological outcomes following SLEs than working-age adults. The current study compared relationships between SLEs, mood and life satisfaction among older adults (65+), and adults aged 50-64, and investigated whether group identification and loneliness moderate these relationships. A community-based sample of 121 Scottish participants responded to measures of SLEs (modified Social Readjustment Rating Scale), symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Index A), group identification (Group Identification Scale), and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale). In the 50-64 age group, the number of SLEs was significantly associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety, and reduced life satisfaction. Group identification and loneliness did not moderate these relationships. There were no significant relationships in the older adult group. The finding of relationships in working-age, but not older adults, supports the inoculation hypothesis of aging. Further research to better understand changes across the lifespan, and inter-relationships with related variables, would be valuable from both theoretical and clinical perspectives.

Psychological aspects of political tolerance among adolescents.

PubMed

Sotelo, M J; Sangrador, J L

1997-12-01

This study concerns 273 Spanish adolescents, aged between 14 and 17, 125 boys and 148 girls. The measured variables were political tolerance, liking for several groups, political experience, cognitive moral reasoning, support for democratic norms, support for violent groups, identification with a group of friends, identification with a religious group, and identification with a soccer team. The objectives of this work were (a) to establish groups of adolescents based on the relationship between their willingness to extend rights to several groups and their liking of these groups, (b) to know the personality characteristics of tolerant and intolerant adolescents, and (c) to set up correlations between age and total tolerance, total liking, and the variables correlated with tolerance. The main findings are that older and younger adolescents belong to different groups, with respect to tolerance, and something similar can be said about boys and girls. Intolerant adolescents perceive themselves as anxious, insecure, solitary, and obstinate. Significant positive correlations between age and political experience, rated support for democratic norms and ratings for identification with a group of friends were found. On the contrary, there were significant negative correlations between age and rated support for violent groups, identification with a religious group, and identification with a soccer team.

Poor Long-Term Outcomes of Adult Liver Transplantation Involving Elderly Living Donors.

PubMed

Tokodai, K; Kawagishi, N; Miyagi, S; Nakanishi, C; Hara, Y; Fujio, A; Kashiwadate, T; Maida, K; Goto, H; Kamei, T; Ohuchi, N

2016-05-01

Donor hepatectomy requires particular care to ensure the safety of the donor and the success of the liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of donor age on the postoperative outcomes of liver transplant donors and the long-term graft survival rates. We retrospectively reviewed 56 consecutive adult patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation at our institution between April 2001 and August 2010. Donors and recipients were divided into 2 groups, based on the age of the donor: the elderly donor group (donor age ≥50 years) and the younger donor group (donor age <50 years). Perioperative variables, postoperative complication rates, and long-term graft survival rates were compared between the 2 groups. The average ages in the elderly donor group and younger donor group were 58 years and 32 years, respectively. Baseline data excluding the age of the donor did not differ between the groups, nor did the overall complication rates of the donors. Hospital stays were longer in the elderly donor group than in the younger donor group (25 vs 18 days, P < .05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year graft survival rates were 80%, 60%, and 50% in the elderly donor group, and 89%, 87%, and 82% in the younger donor group, respectively (P = .0002). Donor hepatectomy can be performed safely in elderly patients. However, compared with younger donors, their hospital stays were longer and the graft survival rates were shorter. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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…

The Differentiated Effectiveness of a Printed versus a Web-Based Tailored Physical Activity Intervention among Adults Aged over 50

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peels, D. A.; van Stralen, M. M.; Bolman, C.; Golsteijn, R. H. J.; de Vries, H.; Mudde, A. N.; Lechner, L.

2014-01-01

This study provides insight in the effectiveness of a print-delivered and a Web-based physical activity (PA) intervention (with or without additional environmental information on local PA possibilities) among people aged over 50. Intervention groups (print-delivered basic [PB; n = 439], print-delivered environmental [PE; n = 435], Web-based basic…

Suicide Mortality Across Broad Occupational Groups in Greece: A Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Alexopoulos, Evangelos C; Kavalidou, Katerina; Messolora, Fani

2016-03-01

Several studies have investigated the relationship between specific occupations and suicide mortality, as suicide rates differ by profession. The aim of this study was to investigate suicide mortality ratios across broad occupational groups in Greece for both sexes in the period 2000-2009. Data of suicide deaths were retrieved from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and comparative mortality ratios were calculated. Occupational classification was based on the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) and the coding for Intentional self-harm (X60-X84) was based on the international classification of diseases (ICD-10). Male dominant occupations, mainly armed forces, skilled farmers and elementary workers, and female high-skilled occupations were seen as high risk groups for suicide in a period of 10 years. The age-productive group of 30-39 years in Greek male elementary workers and the 50-59 age-productive group of Greek professional women proved to have the most elevated number of suicide deaths. Further research is needed into the work-related stressors of occupations with high suicide mortality risk and focused suicide prevention strategies should be applied within vulnerable working age populations.

Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors in maintenance hemodialysis patients based on phase angle of bioimpedance analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzasti, R. A.; Lubis, H. R.

2018-03-01

Mortality and morbidity rate, especially from cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients in Indonesia is still quite high. One of indicator to assess the predictive value of mortality is the phase angle (PhA) of bioimpedance analysis (BIA) scan examination. Determining the comparison of BMI and laboratory data as cardiovascular risk factors in hemodialysis patients based on PhA.A cross-sectional analytical study was done on 155 outpatientsin RasyidaRenal Hospital, Medan in 2016. Patients were two groups, namely PhA<4 group and ≥ 4 group. The comparison of BMI and laboratory data based on PhA were by analyzingthe independent T-test. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Most of thepatients are male (56.7%), obese (39.4%), with age 40-59 years (56.1%). Based on PhA, 56.7% patients have PhA ≥4. There are differences in the profile of age (p: 0.01), BMI (p: 0.028) and hemoglobin (p: 0.00) between two groups, but not in the profile of albumin (p: 0.071), total cholesterol (p: 0.65), HDL (p: 0.06), LDL (p: 0.07), triglyceride (p: 0.87), calcium (p: 0.59) and phosphorus (p: 0.17).Based onPhA, the cardiovascular risk factors of hemodialysis patients were determined by age, BMI, and hemoglobin.

Home-based anthropometric, blood pressure and pulse measurements in young children by trained data collectors in the National Children's Study.

PubMed

Zimowski, Michele; Moye, Jack; Dugoni, Bernard; Heim Viox, Melissa; Cohen, Hildie; Winfrey, Krishna

2017-02-01

The current study assessed whether home-based data collection by trained data collectors can produce high-quality physical measurement data in young children. The study assessed the quality of intra-examiner measurements of blood pressure, pulse rate and anthropometric dimensions using intra-examiner reliability and intra-examiner technical error of measurement (TEM). Non-clinical, primarily private homes of National Children's Study participants in twenty-two study locations across the USA. Children in four age groups: 5-7 months (n 91), 11-16 months (n 393), 23-28 months (n 1410) and 35-40 months (n 800). Absolute TEM ranged in value from 0·09 to 16·21, varying widely by age group and measure, as expected. Relative TEM spanned from 0·27 to 13·71 across age groups and physical measures. Reliabilities for anthropometric measurements by age group and measure ranged from 0·46 to >0·99 with most exceeding 0·90, suggesting that the large majority of anthropometric measures can be collected in a home-based setting on young children by trained data collectors. Reliabilities for blood pressure and pulse rate measurements by age group ranged from 0·21 to 0·74, implying these are less reliably measured with young children when taken in the data collection context described here. Reliability estimates >0·95 for weight, length, height, and thigh, waist and head circumference, and >0·90 for triceps and subscapular skinfolds, indicate that these measures can be collected in the field by trained data collectors without compromising data quality. These estimates can be used for interim evaluations of data collector training and measurement protocols.

Post-term growth and cognitive development at 5 years of age in preterm children: Evidence from a prospective population-based cohort.

PubMed

Simon, Laure; Nusinovici, Simon; Flamant, Cyril; Cariou, Bertrand; Rouger, Valérie; Gascoin, Géraldine; Darmaun, Dominique; Rozé, Jean-Christophe; Hanf, Matthieu

2017-01-01

While the effects of growth from birth to expected term on the subsequent development of preterm children has attracted plentiful attention, less is known about the effects of post-term growth. We aimed to delineate distinct patterns of post-term growth and to determine their association with the cognitive development of preterm children. Data from a prospective population-based cohort of 3,850 surviving infants born at less than 35 weeks of gestational age were used. Growth was assessed as the Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-scores at 3, 9, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months. Cognitive development at five years of age was evaluated by the Global School Adaptation score (GSA). Latent class analysis was implemented to identify distinct growth patterns and logistic regressions based on propensity matching were used to evaluate the relationship between identified growth trajectories and cognitive development. Four patterns of post-term growth were identified: a normal group with a Z-score consistently around zero during childhood (n = 2,469; 64%); a group with an early rapid rise in the BMI Z-score, but only up to 2 years of age (n = 195; 5%); a group with a slow yet steady rise in the BMI Z-score during childhood (n = 510; 13%); and a group with a negative Z-score growth until 3 years of age (n = 676; 18%). The group with a slow yet steady rise in the BMI Z-score was significantly associated with low GSA scores. Our findings indicate heterogeneous post-term growth of preterm children, with potential for association with their cognitive development.

Prospective memory and frontal lobe function.

PubMed

Neulinger, Kerryn; Oram, Joanne; Tinson, Helen; O'Gorman, John; Shum, David H K

2016-01-01

The study sought to examine the role of frontal lobe functioning in focal prospective memory (PM) performance and its relation to PM deficit in older adults. PM and working memory (WM) differences were studied in younger aged (n = 21), older aged (n = 20), and frontal injury (n = 14) groups. An event-based focal PM task was employed and three measures of WM were administered. The younger aged group differed from the other two groups in showing significantly higher scores on PM and on one of the WM measures, but there were no differences at a statistically significant level between the older aged group and the frontal injury groups on any of the memory measures. There were, however, some differences in correlations with a WM measure between groups. It is concluded that there are similarities and differences in the deficits in PM between older adults and patients with frontal lobe injury on focal as well as nonfocal PM tasks.

Age-specific Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia-associated myocardial damage in children.

PubMed

Li, Cheng-Mei; Gu, Li; Yin, Shao-Jun; Yang, Rong; Xie, Yuan; Guo, Xiao-Zhi; Fu, Yu-Xuan; Cheng, Dan

2013-10-01

To measure Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP)-associated myocardial damage in different age groups of children with pneumonia. Children aged 0-14 years with pneumonia and myocardial damage (serum creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB [CK-MB] concentration >25 U/l) were enrolled in the study. The children were classified as Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M positive (M. pneumoniae IgM+) or negative (M. pneumoniae IgM-) based on a serological test. Children were stratified into four age groups in order to analyse age-specific MPP-associated myocardial damage. The incidence of fever was significantly higher in children who were M. pneumoniae IgM+ compared with M. pneumoniae IgM- children. The median serum CK-MB concentration was significantly higher in children who were M. pneumoniae IgM+ compared with those who were M. pneumoniae IgM-. Children who were M. pneumoniae IgM+ in the 13-36 months and 72 months-14 years age groups had significantly higher median serum CK-MB concentrations than those who were M. pneumoniae IgM- in the same age group. M. pneumoniae infection was associated with greater myocardial damage in children aged 13-36 months and 72 months-14 years. This suggests age-specific immune responses to M. pneumoniae.

The association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and speech and language impairment: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Ching-Shu; Chen, Vincent Chin-Hung; Yang, Yao-Hsu; Hung, Tai-Hsin; Lu, Mong-Liang; Huang, Kuo-You; Gossop, Michael

2017-01-01

Manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can range from self-limiting upper respiratory symptoms to various neurological complications, including speech and language impairment. But an association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and speech and language impairment has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and subsequent speech and language impairment in a nationwide population-based sample using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified 5,406 children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (International Classification of Disease, Revision 9, Clinical Modification code 4830) and compared to 21,624 age-, sex-, urban- and income-matched controls on subsequent speech and language impairment. The mean follow-up interval for all subjects was 6.44 years (standard deviation = 2.42 years); the mean latency period between the initial Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and presence of speech and language impairment was 1.96 years (standard deviation = 1.64 years). The results showed that Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was significantly associated with greater incidence of speech and language impairment [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.23-1.80]. In addition, significantly increased hazard ratio of subsequent speech and language impairment in the groups younger than 6 years old and no significant difference in the groups over the age of 6 years were found (HR = 1.43, 95% CI:1.09-1.88 for age 0-3 years group; HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.25-2.23 for age 4-5 years group; HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.54-2.39 for age 6-7 years group; and HR = 0.83, 95% CI:0.23-2.92 for age 8-18 years group). In conclusion, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is temporally associated with incident speech and language impairment.

Exploring Career Development in Emerging Adult Collegians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosemond, Marie Michelle; Owens, Delila

2018-01-01

Emerging adulthood is defined as age-based (18-29 years of age). This age range is central to traditional age collegians who are a very diverse group (i.e., relative to race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, relationship status, and educational attainment). In an effort to explore the career development process of college students this…

Social Skills Intervention for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders Aged Six through 12 Years: A Combination of a Literature-Based Curriculum and Telecommunications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Kaili; Bullock, Lyndal M.

2004-01-01

The purposes of the study reported here were to investigate the social competence of students aged from six to 12, diagnosed with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) in a public self-contained school setting, and to increase the students' social competence by using a literature-based method that employs multi-age grouping, impersonation, and…

Life-crossroads on stage: integrating life review and drama therapy for older adults.

PubMed

Keisari, Shoshi; Palgi, Yuval

2017-10-01

This paper examines the contribution of a new group of therapeutic interventions for older adults, based on a rudimentary life-review intervention. The intervention includes narrative elements together with drama therapy. The current study examines the influence of this therapeutic intervention on key indicators of mental health and psychological well-being among older adults. Fifty-five people (n = 55), ranging in age from 62 to 93, participated in a before-after study design. The following indices - meaning in life, self-acceptance, relationships with others, depressive symptoms, and experience of successful aging - were compared between an intervention group (n = 27) and a care-as-usual control group (n = 28). Repeated measures analyses of variance showed a significant improvement over time in the experimental group. In addition, results also showed time-group interaction regarding the treatment's effectiveness for self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, sense of successful aging, and depressive symptoms. Our findings confirm that the new therapeutic intervention, which integrates life-review with drama therapy, increases self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, and sense of successful aging; in turn, it also decreases depressive symptoms among older adults. The contribution of this research is based on the development of a therapeutic intervention that combines narrative together with drama therapy tools, which can be used in focused and short-term group treatments with the elderly.

Effectiveness of the Heart Age tool for improving modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in a Southern European population: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Lopez-Gonzalez, Angel A; Aguilo, Antoni; Frontera, Margalida; Bennasar-Veny, Miquel; Campos, Irene; Vicente-Herrero, Teofila; Tomas-Salva, Matias; De Pedro-Gomez, Joan; Tauler, Pedro

2015-03-01

To test whether communicating cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk using a novel risk assessment tool (Heart Age) will be able to motivate a population to adopt healthier lifestyles and improve CVD risk profile over the use of a traditional percentage-based tool. A single-blind randomized intervention study was carried out in a Caucasian population. A total of 3153 subjects were randomly allocated to one of three study groups: control (conventional medical advice was given to the subjects), Framingham REGICOR (10-year percentage risk score, calibrated to Spanish population was given to the subjects), or Heart Age group (Heart Age tool was administered to the subjects). Anthropometrical and metabolic parameters were measured and lifestyle habits were recorded at recruitment and 12-months post intervention. Both the Framingham REGICOR and the Heart Age intervention groups demonstrated significant decreases in their risk scores at post intervention compared to the control group, with the improvement being of a greater magnitude in the Heart Age group. No differences per gender were observed in the Heart Age group. Informing patients about their CVD risk expressed as the new Heart Age tool results in a reduction in their CVD risk higher than the one observed when the Framingham REGICOR risk score was used. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Treatment of Graves' disease in children: The Portuguese experience.

PubMed

Marques, Olinda; Antunes, Ana; Oliveira, Maria João

2018-03-01

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroid disease, common in adults but rare in children. The best therapeutic approach remains controversial. To ascertain the current treatment of pediatric GD in Portugal and to assess the clinical and biochemical factors that determine definitive/long-term remission after treatment with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). A retrospective analysis of data about pediatric GD treatment collected from a nationwide survey conducted by the Portuguese Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology from May to August 2013. Population was categorized based on sex, age, use of ATDs, dosage, treatment duration, adverse reactions, thyrotropin receptor-stimulating antibody (TRAB) titer, remission and remission/relapse rates, and definitive treatment, and divided into group A (with ongoing treatment) and group B (with treatment stopped). Group B was subdivided into 'Remission', 'Remission+relapse' and 'No remission' subgroups based on the course of disease. The same parameters were compared between both groups. Survey response rate was 77%; 152 subjects, 116 female, mean age at diagnosis 11.23±3.46 years. They all started treatment with ATDs, 70.4% with thiamazole, with a mean treatment duration of 32.38±28.29 months, and 5.9% had adverse effects. Remission rate was 32.6%. Lower age at diagnosis correlated with higher remission rates. Treatment duration was longer when propylthiouracil was used. Initial TRAB titer was significantly higher in the 'No remission' group. Surgery and radioiodine were used as second-line treatments. Our study results were similar to those reported in the literature. Age and TRAB titer were identified as potential clinical and laboratory determinants of remission. Based on risk/benefit analysis, it was concluded that treatment should be individualized based on age, accessibility to treatments, and physician's experience. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density: a community-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lenora, Janaka; Lekamwasam, Sarath; Karlsson, Magnus K

2009-07-01

Studies conducted in Western countries have shown that bone loss associated with pregnancy and breast-feeding is recovered after weaning. However, it is not clear whether recovery takes place after repeated pregnancies followed by prolonged periods of breast-feeding; especially in developing countries where nutritional intake is comparatively low.This study was designed to examine the effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density (BMD) in a community-based sample of 210 Sri Lankan women, aged between 46 and 98 years. BMD of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reproductive history was recorded by using a questionnaire. Women were, first, divided into groups according to parity (nulliparous, 1-2, 3-4, and 5 or more children), and BMDs in different groups were compared, initially unadjusted and then adjusted for age. Same subjects were subdivided, again, according to the total duration of breast-feeding (0, 1-48, 49-96, and 97 months or more) and similar analysis was carried out. Women who had 5 or more children and women who had breast-fed for 97 months or more were older than the other women (p < 0.01) but no differences in height, weight or BMI were observed among the groups. Age adjusted BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck BMDs of women grouped according to parity were not significantly different. Neither was there any difference between lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD in groups based on duration of breast-feeding. From this population-based study conducted in a developing country, we infer that history of multiparity or prolonged breast-feeding has no detrimental effects on maternal BMD in post-menopausal age.

Food group adherence scores assess food patterns compared to US Department of Agriculture Food Guide.

PubMed

Knol, Linda L; Haughton, Betsy; Fitzhugh, Eugene C

2006-08-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) develop and test the potential usefulness of a new measure of dietary adherence to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide and (b) use this measure to assess the diets of children in the United States. Using 2 days of food intake data from the 1994-1996, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, food group adherence scores for individual food groups were calculated based on intake and recommendations from the USDA Food Guide. Two samples of children, age 2 to 3 years (n=2,815) and 4 to 8 years (n=3,769), were selected from the 1994-1996, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Descriptive statistics were computed by age and sex. Linear regression analysis was used to detect significant differences in adherence scores and number of servings consumed between age groups after adjusting for factors that impact intake. Comparing the two age groups, differences in the food group adherence scores for some food groups did not mimic the differences seen in mean number of servings from the same food group. For these two age groups of children, although the number of servings from the food groups significantly increased with increasing age, the adherence scores significantly decreased, reflecting decreased adherence to the recommended food patterns by age. Results suggest adherence to the USDA Food Guide decreases with increasing age in young children in the United States. Adherence scores may be a useful tool to describe adherence to the new USDA Food Guide. These scores could be used in program evaluation, surveillance, and epidemiological studies of diet and health.

Decision Tree Analysis of Traditional Risk Factors of Carotid Atherosclerosis and a Cutpoint-Based Prevention Strategy

PubMed Central

Lv, Lihong; Xiao, Yufei; Tu, Jiangfeng; Tao, Lisha; Wu, Jiaqi; Tang, Xiaoxiao; Pan, Wensheng

2014-01-01

Background Reducing the exposure to risk factors for the prevention of cardio-cerebral vascular disease is a crucial issue. Few reports have described practical interventions for preventing cardiovascular disease in different genders and age groups, particularly detailed and specific cutpoint-based prevention strategies. Methods We collected the health examination data of 5822 subjects between 20 and 80 years of age. The administration of medical questionnaires and physical examinations and the measurement of blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and blood lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C)] were performed by physicians. Carotid ultrasound was performed to examine the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), which was defined as carotid atherosclerosis when CIMT ≥0.9 mm. Decision tree analysis was used to screen for the most important risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis and to identify the relevant cutpoints. Results In the study population, the incidence of carotid atherosclerosis was 12.20% (men: 14.10%, women: 9.20%). The statistical analysis showed significant differences in carotid atherosclerosis incidence between different genders (P<0.0001) and age groups (P<0.001). The decision tree analysis showed that in men, the most important traditional risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis were TC (cutpoint [CP]: 6.31 mmol/L) between the ages of 20–40 and FPG (CP: 5.79 mmol/L) between the ages of 41–59. By comparison, LDL-C (CP: 4.27 mmol/L) became the major risk factor when FPG ≤5.79 mmol/L. FPG (CP: 5.52 mmol/L) and TG (CP: 1.51 mmol/L) were the most important traditional risk factors for women between 20–40 and 41–59 years of age, respectively. Conclusion Traditional risk factors and relevant cutpoints were not identical in different genders and age groups. A specific gender and age group-based cutpoint strategy might contribute to preventing cardiovascular disease. PMID:25398126

Impact of drinking and smoking habits on cerebrovascular disease risk among male employees.

PubMed

Hatanaka, Yoko; Shimokata, Keiko; Osugi, Shigeki; Kaneko, Noriyo

2016-10-07

We aimed to analyze the impact of drinking and smoking behavior on the risk of developing cerebrovascular diseases among male employees aged 20-46 years. Twenty years of follow-up data of male employees enrolled in the DENSO Health Insurance Program were used for analyses. Of 29,048 male employees aged 20-46 years who were enrolled in the insurance program in 1994, 25,084 (86.4%) employees underwent annual health check-ups until 2003 without missing an appointment. Of these 25,084 employees, the data of 11,784 (40.6%) employees who self-reported drinking and smoking habits were used for analyses. The hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for developing cerebrovascular disease in 2004-2013 were calculated in four risk groups categorized as per drinking and smoking behavior in the young group who were in their 20s and the middle-aged group who were in their 30s-40s in 1994. Based on their drinking behavior, participants were categorized into two groups: "not drinking or drinking sometimes" and "drinking every day." Based on their smoking behavior, participants were also categorized into two groups: "not smoking for 10 years" and "smoking for 10 years." A Cox's proportional hazard model revealed that after controlling for body mass index, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, and age, the hazard ratios for "smoking and drinking every day" were 3.82 (95% CI: 1.40-10.41) in the young group and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.27-4.17) in the middle-aged group. Male employees who had been drinking and smoking for 10 years had a higher risk of developing cerebrovascular diseases. To prevent cerebrovascular diseases among male employees, it may be effective to offer behavior change interventions for both drinking and smoking habits, regardless of the age group.

Predictors of Persistent Milk Allergy in Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Koike, Yumi; Sato, Sakura; Yanagida, Noriyuki; Asaumi, Tomoyuki; Ogura, Kiyotake; Ohtani, Kiyotaka; Imai, Takanori; Ebisawa, Motohiro

2018-01-01

Cow's milk (CM) allergy is the second most common food allergy developed during infancy in Japan. To identify predictors of persistent CM allergy, we investigated the tolerance acquisition rate based on an oral food challenge in children under 6 years of age, diagnosed with immediate-type CM allergy. This retrospective cohort study included 131 children born in 2005 with a history of immediate allergic reaction to CM, of whom 39 were excluded because of ongoing oral immunotherapy (n = 18) or a lack of follow-up data (n = 21). The 92 remaining participants were followed for 6 years. Tolerance was defined as no adverse reaction to 200 mL of CM and regular intake of milk at home. Subjects were divided into 3 groups based on age at tolerance acquisition: group I (<3 years; n = 31), group II (3-6 years; n = 42), and group III (persistent allergic group; n = 19). Tolerance acquisition rates by 3, 5, and 6 years of age were 32.6% (30/92), 64.1% (59/92), and 84.8% (70/92), respectively. Age at first hospital visit was significantly higher in groups II and III than in group I (p < 0.001). The incidence of anaphylaxis to other foods was also higher in group III than in group I (p = 0.04), as was CM-induced anaphylaxis (p = 0.03). Furthermore, milk and casein-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were significantly higher in group III than in group II after birth and remained high thereafter (p < 0.05). The history of anaphylaxis and high milk-specific IgE levels were associated with persistent CM allergy. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

DNA methylation-based measures of biological age: meta-analysis predicting time to death.

PubMed

Chen, Brian H; Marioni, Riccardo E; Colicino, Elena; Peters, Marjolein J; Ward-Caviness, Cavin K; Tsai, Pei-Chien; Roetker, Nicholas S; Just, Allan C; Demerath, Ellen W; Guan, Weihua; Bressler, Jan; Fornage, Myriam; Studenski, Stephanie; Vandiver, Amy R; Moore, Ann Zenobia; Tanaka, Toshiko; Kiel, Douglas P; Liang, Liming; Vokonas, Pantel; Schwartz, Joel; Lunetta, Kathryn L; Murabito, Joanne M; Bandinelli, Stefania; Hernandez, Dena G; Melzer, David; Nalls, Michael; Pilling, Luke C; Price, Timothy R; Singleton, Andrew B; Gieger, Christian; Holle, Rolf; Kretschmer, Anja; Kronenberg, Florian; Kunze, Sonja; Linseisen, Jakob; Meisinger, Christine; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Waldenberger, Melanie; Visscher, Peter M; Shah, Sonia; Wray, Naomi R; McRae, Allan F; Franco, Oscar H; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, André G; Absher, Devin; Assimes, Themistocles; Levine, Morgan E; Lu, Ake T; Tsao, Philip S; Hou, Lifang; Manson, JoAnn E; Carty, Cara L; LaCroix, Andrea Z; Reiner, Alexander P; Spector, Tim D; Feinberg, Andrew P; Levy, Daniel; Baccarelli, Andrea; van Meurs, Joyce; Bell, Jordana T; Peters, Annette; Deary, Ian J; Pankow, James S; Ferrucci, Luigi; Horvath, Steve

2016-09-28

Estimates of biological age based on DNA methylation patterns, often referred to as "epigenetic age", "DNAm age", have been shown to be robust biomarkers of age in humans. We previously demonstrated that independent of chronological age, epigenetic age assessed in blood predicted all-cause mortality in four human cohorts. Here, we expanded our original observation to 13 different cohorts for a total sample size of 13,089 individuals, including three racial/ethnic groups. In addition, we examined whether incorporating information on blood cell composition into the epigenetic age metrics improves their predictive power for mortality. All considered measures of epigenetic age acceleration were predictive of mortality (p≤8.2x10 -9 ) , independent of chronological age, even after adjusting for additional risk factors (p<5.4x10 -4 ) , and within the racial/ethnic groups that we examined (non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, African Americans). Epigenetic age estimates that incorporated information on blood cell composition led to the smallest p-values for time to death (p=7.5x10 -43 ). Overall, this study a) strengthens the evidence that epigenetic age predicts all-cause mortality above and beyond chronological age and traditional risk factors, and b) demonstrates that epigenetic age estimates that incorporate information on blood cell counts lead to highly significant associations with all-cause mortality.

Age modifies the risk factor profiles for acute kidney injury among recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients: a population-based study.

PubMed

Chao, Chia-Ter; Wang, Jui; Wu, Hon-Yen; Huang, Jenq-Wen; Chien, Kuo-Liong

2018-04-01

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) rises with age and is associated with multiple risk factors. Here, we compared the risk factors for AKI between younger and older incident diabetic patients to examine the trends in risk alteration for individual factors across different age groups. Between 2007 and 2013, we selected all incident type 2 diabetic adults from the Taiwan National Health Insurance registry, stratified based on age: young (< 65 years), old (≥ 65 but < 75 years), and older-old (≥ 75 years). All factors with potential renal influence (e.g., comorbidities, medications, and diagnostics/procedures) were recorded during the study period, with a nested case-controlled approach utilized to identify independent risk factors for AKI in each age group. Totally, 930,709 type 2 diabetic patients were categorized as young (68.7%), old (17.7%), or older-old (13.6%). Older-old patients showed a significantly higher incidence of AKI than the old and the young groups. Cardiovascular morbidities (hypertension, atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, and cerebrovascular disease) were shown to increase the risk of AKI, although the risk declined with increasing age. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and receiving cardiac catheterization elevated the risk of AKI preferentially in the older-old/old and older-old group, respectively, while the administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme/α-blocker and angiotensin receptor blocker/calcium channel blocker reduced the risk of AKI preferentially in the older-old and older-old/old group, respectively. In conclusion, our findings highlight the importance of devising age-specific risk factor panels for AKI in patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

34 CFR 373.23 - What additional requirements must be met?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., gender, age, or disabilities. (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age...

34 CFR 373.23 - What additional requirements must be met?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., gender, age, or disabilities. (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age...

34 CFR 373.23 - What additional requirements must be met?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., gender, age, or disabilities. (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age...

34 CFR 373.23 - What additional requirements must be met?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., gender, age, or disabilities. (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age...

34 CFR 373.23 - What additional requirements must be met?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., gender, age, or disabilities. (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age...

Effectiveness of a School-Based Early Intervention CBT Group Programme for Children with Anxiety Aged 5-7 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruocco, Sylvia; Gordon, Jocelynne; McLean, Louise A.

2016-01-01

Early manifestations of anxiety in childhood confer significant distress and life interference. This study reports on the first controlled trial of the "Get Lost Mr. Scary" programme, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group intervention for children with anxiety aged 5-7 years. Participants were 134 children (65 males and 69 females) drawn…

Effects of Training Method and Gender on Learning 2D/3D Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khairulanuar, Samsudin; Nazre, Abd Rashid; Jamilah, H.; Sairabanu, Omar Khan; Norasikin, Fabil

2010-01-01

This article reports the findings of an experimental study involving 36 primary school students (16 girls, 20 boys, Mean age = 9.5 years, age range: 8-10 years) in geometrical understanding of 2D and 3D objects. Students were assigned into two experimental groups and one control group based on a stratified random sampling procedure. The first…

Mortality in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal Community-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillberg, Christopher; Billstedt, Eva; Sundh, Valter; Gillberg, I. Carina

2010-01-01

The purposes of the present study were to establish the mortality rate in a representative group of individuals (n = 120) born in the years 1962-1984, diagnosed with autism/atypical autism in childhood and followed up at young adult age (greater than or equal to 18 years of age), and examine the risk factors and causes of death. The study group,…

Achieving high seroprevalence against polioviruses in Sri Lanka--results from a serological survey, 2014.

PubMed

Gamage, Deepa; Palihawadana, Paba; Mach, Ondrej; Weldon, William C; Oberste, Steven M; Sutter, Roland W

2015-12-01

The immunization program in Sri Lanka consistently reaches >90% coverage with oral poliovirus vaccines (OPV), and no polio supplementary vaccination campaigns have been conducted since 2003. We evaluated serological protection against polioviruses in children. A cross-sectional community-based survey was performed in three districts of Sri Lanka (Colombo, Badulla, and Killinochi). Randomly selected children in four age groups (9-11 months, 3-4 years, 7-9 years, and 15 years) were tested for poliovirus neutralizing antibodies. All 400 enrolled children completed the study. The proportion of seropositive children for poliovirus Type 1 and Type 2 was >95% for all age groups; for poliovirus Type 3 it was 95%, 90%, 77%, and 75% in the respective age groups. The vaccination coverage in our sample based on vaccination cards or parental recall was >90% in all age groups. Most Sri Lankan children are serologically protected against polioviruses through routine immunization only. This seroprevalence survey provided baseline data prior to the anticipated addition of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) into the Sri Lankan immunization program and the switch from trivalent OPV (tOPV) to bivalent OPV (bOPV). Copyright © 2015 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilizing tenets of inoculation theory to develop and evaluate a preventive alcohol education intervention.

PubMed

Duryea, E J

1983-04-01

With the advent of the Surgeon General's Report, Healthy People, a renewed interest in and concern for the health-risky practices of the school aged has emerged. Moreover, because the mortality rates for the 15 to 24 year age group continues to increase while the mortality rates for every other age group continues to decline, a school health education imperative has become prevention-based interventions. The experimental, prevention-based alcohol education program reported here describes one such intervention directed at 9th grade students. The program was grounded on the principles of Inoculation Theory and evaluated using a Solomon Four-Group Design. Results indicate that the formulation of preventive alcohol education programs utilizing Inoculation Theory in a school setting is both feasible and productive in achieving designated objectives. Longitudinal assessment of the subjects with regard to their alcohol-related behavior is continuing throughout their high school careers.

A Cross-Sectional Voxel-Based Morphometric Study of Age- and Sex-Related Changes in Gray Matter Volume in the Normal Aging Brain.

PubMed

Peng, Fei; Wang, Lixin; Geng, Zuojun; Zhu, Qingfeng; Song, Zhenhu

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to carry out a cross-sectional study of 124 cognitively normal Chinese adults using the voxel-based morphometry approach to delineate age-related changes in the gray matter volume of regions of interest (ROI) in the brain and further analyze their correlation with age. One hundred twenty-four cognitively normal adults were divided into the young age group, the middle age group, and the old age group. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging was performed with the Achieva 3.0 T system. Structural images were processed using VBM8 and SPM8. Regions of interest were obtained by WFU PickAtlas and all realigned images were spatially normalized. Females showed significantly greater total gray matter volume than males (t = 4.81, P = 0.0000, false discovery rate corrected). Compared with young subjects, old-aged subjects showed extensive reduction in gray matter volumes in all ROIs examined except the occipital lobe. In young- and middle-aged subjects, female and male subjects showed significant difference in the right middle temporal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, left angular gyrus, right middle occipital lobe, left middle cingulate gyrus, and the pars triangularis of the right inferior frontal gyrus, suggesting an interaction between age and sex (P < 0.001, uncorrected). Logistic regression analysis revealed linear negative correlation between the total gray matter volume and age (R = 0.529, P < 0.001). Significant age-related differences are present in gray matter volume across multiple brain regions during aging. The VPM approach may provide an emerging paradigm in the normal aging brain that may help differentiate underlying normal neurobiological aging changes of specific brain regions from neurodegenerative impairments.

The Impact of Age on Quality Measure Adherence in Colon Cancer

PubMed Central

Steele, Scott R.; Chen, Steven L.; Stojadinovic, Alexander; Nissan, Aviram; Zhu, Kangmin; Peoples, George E.; Bilchik, Anton

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND Recently lymph node yield (LNY) has been endorsed as a quality measure of CC resection adequacy. It is unclear whether this measure is relevant to all ages. We hypothesized that total lymph node yield (LNY) is negatively correlated with increasing age and overall survival (OS). STUDY DESIGN The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was queried for all non-metastatic CC patients diagnosed from 1992–2004 (n=101,767), grouped by age (<40, 41–45, 46–50, and in 5-year increments until 86+ years). Proportions of patients meeting the 12 LNY minimum criterion were determined in each age group, and analyzed with multivariate linear regression adjusting for demographics and AJCC 6th Edition stage. Overall survival (OS) comparisons in each age category were based on the guideline of 12 LNY. RESULTS Mean LNY decreased with increasing age (18.7 vs. 11.4 nodes/patient, youngest vs. oldest group, P<0.001). The proportion of patients meeting the 12 LNY criterion also declined with each incremental age group (61.9% vs. 35.2% compliance, youngest vs. oldest, P<0.001). Multivariate regression demonstrated a negative effect of each additional year in age and log (LNY) with coefficient of −0.003 (95% CI −0.003 to −0.002). When stratified by age and nodal yield using the 12 LNY criterion, OS was lower for all age groups in Stage II CC with <12LNY, and each age group over 60 years with <12LNY for Stage III CC (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Every attempt to adhere to proper oncological principles should be made at time of CC resection regardless of age. The prognostic significance of the 12 LN minimum criterion should be applied even to elderly CC patients. PMID:21601492

Age-related trends in utilization of the internet and electronic communication devices for coordination of cancer care in elderly patients.

PubMed

Saied, Abdul; Sherry, Steven J; Castricone, Donna J; Perry, Kathleen M; Katz, Steven C; Somasundar, Ponnandai

2014-04-01

In this rapidly changing electronic era, we implemented a study to define age dependent variations in access and use of internet and electronic devices in the exchange of healthcare related information (HRI) and coordination of clinical care (CCC) among elderly patients with cancer. Data was collected through independently completed surveys after obtaining IRB approval in a single institution cancer center over a 4-month period. Questions regarding internet access and use of electronic media to obtain health information and coordinate care were distributed. The sample was divided in two groups based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of geriatric patients: <65 y/o (group A) and ≥65 y/o (group B). One hundred and twenty-six surveys were analyzed with 70 patients in group A and 56 patients in group B. Access to the internet and use of email was higher in the group A (77% and 71%) vs. group B (36% and 33%, p < 0.001). The younger group felt more comfortable using the internet when compared to the older group (70% vs. 40%, p = 0.01). Patients in group B demonstrated a strong preference for paper copy based HRI and phone calls to CCC than text messages or emails (73% and 95%, p < 0.001). A transition zone between the ages of 65 and 70 years was defined to identify patients with increased reluctance to use internet and electronic devices to exchange HRI and CCC. The data supports that there is an age-defined underutilization of internet and electronic devices to exchange HRI and CCC. Characterization of this age-dependent transition zone will enable clinicians to identify patients who may not interface well with electronic communication strategies, and to improve delivery of HRI and CCC for the elderly. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survival of European patients diagnosed with lymphoid neoplasms in 2000–2002: results of the HAEMACARE project

PubMed Central

Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Allemani, Claudia; Tereanu, Carmen; De Angelis, Roberta; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Maynadie, Marc; Luminari, Stefano; Ferretti, Stefano; Johannesen, Tom Børge; Sankila, Risto; Karjalainen-Lindsberg, Marja-Liisa; Simonetti, Arianna; Martos, Maria Carmen; Raphaël, Martine; Giraldo, Pilar; Sant, Milena

2011-01-01

Background The European Cancer Registry-based project on hematologic malignancies (HAEMACARE), set up to improve the availability and standardization of data on hematologic malignancies in Europe, used the European Cancer Registry-based project on survival and care of cancer patients (EUROCARE-4) database to produce a new grouping of hematologic neoplasms (defined by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition and the 2001/2008 World Health Organization classifications) for epidemiological and public health purposes. We analyzed survival for lymphoid neoplasms in Europe by disease group, comparing survival between different European regions by age and sex. Design and Methods Incident neoplasms recorded between 1995 to 2002 in 48 population-based cancer registries in 20 countries participating in EUROCARE-4 were analyzed. The period approach was used to estimate 5-year relative survival rates for patients diagnosed in 2000–2002, who did not have 5 years of follow up. Results The 5-year relative survival rate was 57% overall but varied markedly between the defined groups. Variation in survival within the groups was relatively limited across European regions and less than in previous years. Survival differences between men and women were small. The relative survival for patients with all lymphoid neoplasms decreased substantially after the age of 50. The proportion of ‘not otherwise specified’ diagnoses increased with advancing age. Conclusions This is the first study to analyze survival of patients with lymphoid neoplasms, divided into groups characterized by similar epidemiological and clinical characteristics, providing a benchmark for more detailed analyses. This Europe-wide study suggests that previously noted differences in survival between regions have tended to decrease. The survival of patients with all neoplasms decreased markedly with age, while the proportion of ‘not otherwise specified’ diagnoses increased with advancing age. Thus the quality of diagnostic work-up and care decreased with age, suggesting that older patients may not be receiving optimal treatment. PMID:21330324

Lipid-based nutrient supplement increases the birth size of infants of primiparous women in Ghana.

PubMed

Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Lartey, Anna; Okronipa, Harriet; Ashorn, Per; Zeilani, Mamane; Peerson, Janet M; Arimond, Mary; Vosti, Stephen; Dewey, Kathryn G

2015-04-01

The International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Project developed a small-quantity (20 g/d) lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) for pregnant and lactating women. We evaluated the effects of prenatal LNS supplementation on fetal growth. In a community-based, partially double-blind, individually randomized controlled trial, 1320 women ≤20 wk pregnant received 60 mg Fe/400 μg folic acid (IFA), or 1-2 Recommended Dietary Allowances of 18 micronutrients, including 20 mg Fe (MMN), or LNS with the same micronutrients as the MMN group, plus 4 minerals and macronutrients contributing 118 kcal (LNS) daily until delivery. Fetal growth was compared across groups by using intention-to-treat analysis. The primary outcome was birth length. This analysis included 1057 women (IFA = 349, MMN = 354, LNS = 354). Groups did not differ significantly in mean birth length, length-for-age z score (LAZ), head circumference, or percentage low birth length but differed in mean birth weight (P = 0.044), weight-for-age z score (WAZ; P = 0.046), and BMI-for-age z score (BMIZ; P = 0.040), with a trend toward differences in low birth weight (P = 0.069). In pairwise comparisons, the LNS group had greater mean birth weight (+85 g; P = 0.040), WAZ (+0.19; P = 0.045), and BMIZ (+0.21; P = 0.035) and a lower risk of low birth weight (RR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.96; P = 0.032) than did the IFA group. The other group differences were not significant. The effect of intervention was modified by mother's parity, age, height, baseline hemoglobin, household food insecurity, and child sex, with parity being the most consistent modifier. Among primiparous women (IFA = 131; MMN = 110; LNS = 128), the LNS group had greater mean birth length (+0.91 cm; P = 0.001), LAZ (+0.47; P = 0.001), weight (+237 g; P < 0.001), WAZ (+0.56; P < 0.001), BMIZ (+0.52; P < 0.001), head circumference (0.50 cm; P = 0.017), and head circumference-for-age z score (+0.40; P = 0.022) than did the IFA group; similar differences were found when comparing the LNS and MMN groups among primiparous women, and no group differences were found among multiparous women. Prenatal LNS supplementation can improve fetal growth among vulnerable women in Ghana, particularly primiparous women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Yield of Echocardiogram and Predictors of Positive Yield in Pediatric Patients: A Study in an Urban, Community-Based Outpatient Pediatric Cardiology Clinic.

PubMed

Billa, Ramya Deepthi; Szpunar, Susan; Zeinali, Lida; Anne, Premchand

2018-01-01

The yield of outpatient echocardiograms varies based on the indication for the echocardiogram and the age of the patient. The purpose of this study was to determine the cumulative yield of outpatient echocardiograms by age group and reason for the test. A secondary aim was to determine the predictors of a positive echocardiogram in an outpatient cardiology clinic at a large community teaching hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 891 patients who had a first-time echocardiogram between 2011 and 2015. Positive yield was defined as echocardiographic findings that explained the reason for the echocardiogram. The overall positive yield was 8.2%. Children between birth and 3 months of age had the highest yield (34.2%), and children between 12 and 18 years of age had the lowest yield (1%). Patients with murmurs (18.1%) had the highest yield compared with patients with other signs or symptoms. By age group and reason, the highest yields were as follows: 0 to 3 months of age, murmur (39.2%); 4 to 11 months of age, >1 symptom (50%); and 1 to 5 years of age, shortness of breath (66.7%). Based on our study, the overall yield of echocardiograms in the outpatient pediatric setting is low. Age and symptoms should be considered before ordering an echocardiogram.

Self-concept differentiation and self-concept clarity across adulthood: associations with age and psychological well-being.

PubMed

Diehl, Manfred; Hay, Elizabeth L

2011-01-01

This study focused on the identification of conceptually meaningful groups of individuals based on their joint self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC) scores. Notably, we examined whether membership in different SCD-SCC groups differed by age and also was associated with differences in psychological well-being (PWB). Cluster analysis revealed five distinct SCD-SCC groups: a self-assured, unencumbered, fragmented-only, confused-only, and fragmented and confused group. Individuals in the self-assured group had the highest mean scores for positive PWB and the lowest mean scores for negative PWB, whereas individuals in the fragmented and confused group showed the inverse pattern. Findings showed that it was psychologically advantageous to belong to the self-assured group at all ages. As hypothesized, older adults were more likely than young adults to be in the self-assured cluster, whereas young adults were more likely to be in the fragmented and confused cluster. Thus, consistent with extant theorizing, age was positively associated with psychologically adaptive self-concept profiles.

Does self-efficacy mediate functional change in older adults participating in an exercise program after hip fracture? A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Chang, Feng-Hang; Latham, Nancy K; Ni, Pengsheng; Jette, Alan M

2015-06-01

To examine whether self-efficacy mediated the effect of the Home-based Post-Hip Fracture Rehabilitation program on activity limitations in older adults after hip fracture and whether the mediating effect was different between sex and age groups. Randomized controlled trial. Community. Participants with hip fracture (N=232; mean age ± SD, 79±9.4y) were randomly assigned to intervention (n=120, 51.7%) and attention control (n=112, 48.3%) groups. The 6-month intervention, the Home-based Post-Hip Fracture Rehabilitation, is a functionally oriented, home-based exercise program. Data were collected at baseline, postintervention (6mo), and follow-up (9mo). Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care. The mediating effect of the Home-based Post-Hip Fracture Rehabilitation program on Basic Mobility function through self-efficacy for exercise was significant at 9 months (βindirect=.21). Similarly, the mediating effect of the intervention on Daily Activity function through self-efficacy for exercise was significant at 9 months (βindirect=.49). In subgroup analyses, the mediating effect was significant at 9 months in the younger group (age, ≤79y) in comparison to the older group and was significant in women in comparison to men. Self-efficacy may play a partial mediating role in the effect on some longer-term functional outcomes in the Home-based Post-Hip Fracture Rehabilitation intervention. The results suggest that program components that target self-efficacy should be incorporated in future hip fracture rehabilitation interventions. Age and sex of the targeted participants may also need to be considered when developing interventions. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new age-based formula for estimating weight of Korean children.

PubMed

Park, Jungho; Kwak, Young Ho; Kim, Do Kyun; Jung, Jae Yun; Lee, Jin Hee; Jang, Hye Young; Kim, Hahn Bom; Hong, Ki Jeong

2012-09-01

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a new age-based formula for estimating body weights of Korean children. We obtained body weight and age data from a survey conducted in 2005 by the Korean Pediatric Society that was performed to establish normative values for Korean children. Children aged 0-14 were enrolled, and they were divided into three groups according to age: infants (<12 months), preschool-aged (1-4 years) and school-aged children (5-14 years). Seventy-five percent of all subjects were randomly selected to make a derivation set. Regression analysis was performed in order to produce equations that predict the weight from the age for each group. The linear equations derived from this analysis were simplified to create a weight estimating formula for Korean children. This formula was then validated using the remaining 25% of the study subjects with mean percentage error and absolute error. To determine whether a new formula accurately predicts actual weights of Korean children, we also compared this new formula to other weight estimation methods (APLS, Shann formula, Leffler formula, Nelson formula and Broselow tape). A total of 124,095 children's data were enrolled, and 19,854 (16.0%), 40,612 (32.7%) and 63,629 (51.3%) were classified as infants, preschool-aged and school-aged groups, respectively. Three equations, (age in months+9)/2, 2×(age in years)+9 and 4×(age in years)-1 were derived for infants, pre-school and school-aged groups, respectively. When these equations were applied to the validation set, the actual average weight of those children was 0.4kg heavier than our estimated weight (95% CI=0.37-0.43, p<0.001). The mean percentage error of our model (+0.9%) was lower than APLS (-11.5%), Shann formula (-8.6%), Leffler formula (-1.7%), Nelson formula (-10.0%), Best Guess formula (+5.0%) and Broselow tape (-4.8%) for all age groups. We developed and validated a simple formula to estimate body weight from the age of Korean children and found that this new formula was more accurate than other weight estimating methods. However, care should be taken when applying this formula to older children because of a large standard deviation of estimated weight. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes of Fat-Augmented Latissimus Dorsi (FALD) Flap Versus Implant-Based Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Delayed Post-radiation Breast Reconstruction.

PubMed

Demiri, Efterpi C; Dionyssiou, Dimitrios D; Tsimponis, Antonios; Goula, Christina-Olga; Pavlidis, Leonidas C; Spyropoulou, Georgia-Alexandra

2018-06-01

Although free abdominal flaps constitute the gold standard in post-radiation delayed breast reconstruction, latissimus dorsi-based methods offer alternative reconstructive options. This retrospective study aims to compare outcomes of delayed breast reconstruction using the fat-augmented latissimus dorsi (FALD) autologous reconstruction and the latissimus dorsi-plus-implant reconstruction in irradiated women. We reviewed the files of 47 post-mastectomy irradiated patients (aged 29-73 years), who underwent delayed latissimus dorsi-based breast reconstruction between 2010 and 2016. Twenty-three patients (Group A) had an extended FALD flap and twenty-four patients (Group B) an implant-based latissimus dorsi reconstruction. Patients' age, BMI, pregnancies, volume of injected fat, implant size, postoperative complications, and secondary surgical procedures were recorded and analyzed. Age, BMI, pregnancies, and donor-site complications were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). Mean fat volume injected initially was 254 cc (ranged 130-380 cc/session); mean implant volume was 323 cc (ranged 225-420 cc). Breast complications were significantly fewer in Group A (one wound dehiscence, two oily cysts) compared to Group B (three cases with wound dehiscence, two extrusions, thirteen severe capsular contractions). Non-statistically significant difference was documented for secondary procedures between groups; although the mean number of additional surgeries/patient was higher in Group A, they referred to secondary lipofilling, whereas in Group B they were revision surgeries for complications. The FALD flap constitutes an alternative method for delayed autologous reconstruction after post-mastectomy irradiation, avoiding implant-related complications. Although additional fat graft sessions might be required, it provides an ideal autogenous reconstructive option for thin nulliparous women, with a small opposite breast and adequate fat donor sites. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Abacavir Pharmacokinetics During Chronic Therapy in HIV-1-Infected Adolescents and Young Adults

PubMed Central

Sleasman, JW; Robbins, BL; Cross, SJ; Lindsey, JC; Kraimer, JM; Heckman, BE; Sprenger, HL; Tustin, NB; Rose, CH; Poston, PA; Neal, EF; Pakes, GE; Nikanjam, M; Capparelli, EV

2009-01-01

The pharmacokinetics of abacavir and its metabolites were investigated in 30 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adolescents and young adults 13-25 years of age, equally divided into two groups: <18 years of age and ≥18 years of age. All the subjects received the recommended adult dose of 300 mg twice daily. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and half-life of abacavir did not differ significantly between the age groups or by gender or race, and there were only modest associations of age with apparent abacavir clearance and with volume of distribution. There were no significant correlations of carboxylate or glucuronide metabolite levels with age or gender, although glucuronide AUC was higher in Hispanic subjects than in African-American subjects. Zidovudine and lamivudine concentration profiles were also similar in the two age groups. A novel aspect of the study included an assessment of intracellular carbovir, zidovudine, and lamivudine triphosphate levels, and these were found to be similar in the two age-based groups. Overall, these findings suggest that current recommendations relating to adult dosages are appropriate for adolescents and young adults. PMID:19118380

Caloric Intake, Aging, and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Geda, Yonas E.; Ragossnig, Marion; Roberts, Lewis A.; Roberts, Rosebud O.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Christianson, Teresa J.H.; Mielke, Michelle M.; Levine, James A.; Boeve, Bradley F.; Sochor, Ondřej; Tangalos, Eric G.; Knopman, David S.; Petersen, Ronald C.

2012-01-01

In a population-based case-control study, we examined whether moderate and high caloric intakes are differentially associated with the odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The sample was derived from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Non-demented study participants aged 70–92 years (1,072 cognitively normal persons and 161 subjects with MCI) reported their caloric consumption within 1 year of the date of interview by completing a Food Frequency Questionnaire. An expert consensus panel classified each subject as either cognitively normal or having MCI based on published criteria. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) after adjusting for age, sex, education, depression, medical comorbidity, and body mass index. We also conducted stratified analyses by apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype status. Analyses were conducted in tertiles of caloric intake: 600 to <1,526 kcals per day (reference group); 1,526 to 2,143 kcals per day (moderate caloric intake group); and >2,143 kcals per day (high caloric intake group). In the primary analysis, there was no significant difference between the moderate caloric intake group and the reference group (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.53–1.42, p = 0.57). However, high caloric intake was associated with a nearly two-fold increased odds of having MCI (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.26–3.06, p = 0.003) as compared to the reference group. Therefore, high caloric intake was associated with MCI but not moderate caloric intake. This association is not necessarily a cause-effect relationship. PMID:23234878

Ochratoxin A Dietary Exposure of Ten Population Groups in the Czech Republic: Comparison with Data over the World.

PubMed

Ostry, Vladimir; Malir, Frantisek; Dofkova, Marcela; Skarkova, Jarmila; Pfohl-Leszkowicz, Annie; Ruprich, Jiri

2015-09-10

Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic and renal carcinogenic mycotoxin and is a common contaminant of various food commodities. Eighty six kinds of foodstuffs (1032 food samples) were collected in 2011-2013. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for ochratoxin A determination. Limit of quantification of the method varied between 0.01-0.2 μg/kg depending on the food matrices. The most exposed population is children aged 4-6 years old. Globally for this group, the maximum ochratoxin A dietary exposure for "average consumer" was estimated at 3.3 ng/kg bw/day (lower bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 0) and 3.9 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 1/2 limit of quantification). Important sources of exposure for this latter group include grain-based products, confectionery, meat products and fruit juice. The dietary intake for "high consumers" in the group 4-6 years old was estimated from grains and grain-based products at 19.8 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound), from tea at 12.0 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound) and from confectionery at 6.5 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound). For men aged 18-59 years old beer was the main contributor with an intake of 2.60 ng/kg bw/day ("high consumers", middle bound). Tea and grain-based products were identified to be the main contributors for dietary exposure in women aged 18-59 years old. Coffee and wine were identified as a higher contributor of the OTA intake in the population group of women aged 18-59 years old compared to the other population groups.

Impact of aging on host immune response and survival in melanoma: an analysis of 3 patient cohorts.

PubMed

Weiss, Sarah A; Han, Joseph; Darvishian, Farbod; Tchack, Jeremy; Han, Sung Won; Malecek, Karolina; Krogsgaard, Michelle; Osman, Iman; Zhong, Judy

2016-10-19

Age has been reported as an independent prognostic factor for melanoma-specific survival (MSS). We tested the hypothesis that age impacts the host anti-tumor immune response, accounting for age-specific survival outcomes in three unique melanoma patient cohorts. We queried the U.S. population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), the prospective tertiary care hospital-based Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG) biorepository, and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) biospecimen database to test the association of patient age at time of melanoma diagnosis with clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes. Age groups were defined as ≤45 (young), 46-65 (intermediate), and >65 (older). Each age group in the IMCG and TCGA cohorts was stratified by tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) measurements and tested for association with MSS. Differential expression of 594 immunoregulatory genes was assessed in a subset of primary melanomas in the IMCG and TCGA cohorts using an integrative pathway analysis. We analyzed 304, 476 (SEER), 1241 (IMCG), and 292 (TCGA) patients. Increasing age at melanoma diagnosis in both the SEER and IMCG cohorts demonstrated a positive correlation with tumor thickness, ulceration, stage, and mortality, however age in the TCGA cohort did not correlate with mortality. Older age was associated with shorter MSS in all three cohorts. When the young age group in both the IMCG and TCGA cohorts was stratified by TIL status, there were no differences in MSS. However, older IMCG patients with brisk TILs and intermediate aged TCGA patients with high lymphocyte scores (3-6) had improved MSS. Gene expression analysis revealed top pathways (T cell trafficking, communication, and differentiation) and top upstream regulators (CD3, CD28, IFNG, and STAT3) that significantly changed with age in 84 IMCG and 43 TCGA primary melanomas. Older age at time of melanoma diagnosis is associated with shorter MSS, however age's association with clinicopathologic features is dependent upon specific characteristics of the study population. TIL as a read-out of the host immune response may have greater prognostic impact in patients older than age 45. Recognition of age-related factors negatively impacting host immune responses may provide new insights into therapeutic strategies for the elderly.

Are obese adolescents more depressed?

PubMed

Roohafza, Hamidreza; Kelishadi, Roya; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Hashemipour, Mahin; Pourmoghaddas, Ali; Khani, Azam

2014-01-01

Obesity is a growing problem in all countries which leads to various physical, psychological, and social problems. The present study aimed to assess depression in children and adolescents aged 10-18-year old compared with the control group. In a case-control study, from among the 10- to 18-year-old students of the five education districts of Isfahan, 100 people (50 girls and 50 boys) were selected as obese children with the Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 95(th) percentile for their age and gender and 100 others (50 girls and 50 boys) as the control group with the BMI of 5(th) to 85(th) percentile. The case and control groups were matched for age, gender, and socio-economic status. After calculating BMI based on weight (kg)/height(2) (meter), subjects were interviewed based on DSM IV criteria to diagnose clinical depression. The severity of children's depression was measured using standardized questionnaire. The mean age of the case group was 12.2 ± 1.86-years old and that of the control group 13.06 ± 2.25. They were, respectively, diagnosed with depression of 7% and 6%. The mean depression score of the case group was 11.7 ± 5.3 and that of the control group was 10.6 ± 6.03 with no statistical significance. Given our findings, the Jolly fat hypothesis applies to the case group. It seems that health policy-makers need to make intervention plans to change behavior; attitude, skill, and knowledge (BASK) of the public toward obesity and its long-term side-effects.

Are obese adolescents more depressed?

PubMed Central

Roohafza, Hamidreza; Kelishadi, Roya; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Hashemipour, Mahin; Pourmoghaddas, Ali; Khani, Azam

2014-01-01

Introduction: Obesity is a growing problem in all countries which leads to various physical, psychological, and social problems. The present study aimed to assess depression in children and adolescents aged 10-18-year old compared with the control group. Materials and Methods: In a case-control study, from among the 10- to 18-year-old students of the five education districts of Isfahan, 100 people (50 girls and 50 boys) were selected as obese children with the Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 95th percentile for their age and gender and 100 others (50 girls and 50 boys) as the control group with the BMI of 5th to 85th percentile. The case and control groups were matched for age, gender, and socio-economic status. After calculating BMI based on weight (kg)/height2 (meter), subjects were interviewed based on DSM IV criteria to diagnose clinical depression. The severity of children's depression was measured using standardized questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the case group was 12.2 ± 1.86-years old and that of the control group 13.06 ± 2.25. They were, respectively, diagnosed with depression of 7% and 6%. The mean depression score of the case group was 11.7 ± 5.3 and that of the control group was 10.6 ± 6.03 with no statistical significance. Discussion: Given our findings, the Jolly fat hypothesis applies to the case group. It seems that health policy-makers need to make intervention plans to change behavior; attitude, skill, and knowledge (BASK) of the public toward obesity and its long-term side-effects. PMID:25077167

The natural course of eczema from birth to age 7 years and the association with asthma and allergic rhinitis: a population-based birth cohort study.

PubMed

Shen, Chian-Yin; Lin, Ming-Chih; Lin, Heng-Kuei; Lin, Ching-Heng; Fu, Lin-Shien; Fu, Yun-Chin

2013-01-01

Although "atopic march" is a popular concept, the relationship between eczema and subsequent asthma is far from clear. However, some cohort studies have shown the possibility of two different allergic phenotypes in those who present with early eczema in terms of their persistency. We checked the cohort data from 308,849 children born in 2000 in Taiwan, to evaluate the different courses of eczema and their relationships to subsequent asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) at age 7 years. We examined the age prevalence of eczema, asthma, and AR up to 7 years of age. We grouped all cases according to their course of eczema, as well as wheezing, and determined the rates of asthma and AR at age 7 years. We checked the adjusted risk factors by multiple logistic regression model. We also examined the distributions of wheezing types in different eczema groups. We found the "atopic march" pattern of allergic diseases based on their age prevalence. Early eczema was associated with asthma and AR at the age of 7 years. Those with eczema symptoms persisting after 36 months of age had a higher risk than those with transient eczema. Early wheeze also contributed to asthma and AR later in childhood. In addition, late-onset eczema had a completely different wheeze distribution compared with other groups and also had a higher risk for asthma and AR than transient eczema. In conclusion, different eczema phenotypes could be found in this population-based cohort. This article emphasizes the special attention to the persistency and late-onset eczema in clinical practice.

Sun protection training based on a theater play for preschoolers: an effective method for imparting knowledge on sun protection?

PubMed

Seidel, Nadja; Stoelzel, Friederike; Garzarolli, Marlene; Herrmann, Sandra; Breitbart, Eckhard Wilhelm; Berth, Hendrik; Baumann, Michael; Ehninger, Gerhard

2013-09-01

Sun protection in childhood is important to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. The "Periods-of-Life-Program" for primary prevention of skin cancer introduces a combination of individual and environmental interventions for the preschool period. Within this pilot study, an intervention group received cognitive-behavioral and environmental interventions. A control group had solely received the environmental intervention, and a wait-control group received no intervention. Nursery school children (n = 80, 3 to 6 years of age) of four nursery schools were randomly assigned to these groups on school level. The ability of the cognitive-behavioral intervention (a theater play) to enhance sun protection knowledge was examined. The theater play improved knowledge over all age groups (p < .05 η(2) = .06). Age-specific analyses showed better results for children aged 5 to 6 (p < .05 η(2) = .20) compared to children aged 3 to 4 years (p = .17 η(2) = .04). In combining cognitive-behavioral and environmental interventions, the "Periods-of-Life-Program" is a promising strategy for primary prevention of skin cancer.

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

Young Men’s Views Toward the Barriers and Facilitators of Internet-Based Chlamydia Trachomatis Screening: Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

McDaid, Lisa

2013-01-01

Background There is a growing number of Internet-based approaches that offer young people screening for sexually transmitted infections. Objective This paper explores young men’s views towards the barriers and facilitators of implementing an Internet-based screening approach. The study sought to consider ways in which the proposed intervention would reach and engage men across ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods This qualitative study included 15 focus groups with 60 heterosexual young men (aged 16-24 years) across central Scotland, drawn across age and socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus groups began by obtaining postcode data to allocate participants to a high/low deprivation category. Focus group discussions involved exploration of men’s knowledge of chlamydia, use of technology, and views toward Internet-based screening. Men were shown sample screening invitation letters, test kits, and existing screening websites to facilitate discussions. Transcripts from audio recordings were analyzed with "Framework Analysis". Results Men’s Internet and technology use was heterogeneous in terms of individual practices, with greater use among older men (aged 20-24 years) than teenagers and some deprivation-related differences in use. We detail three themes related to barriers to successful implementation: acceptability, confidentiality and privacy concerns, and language, style, and content. These themes identify ways Internet-based screening approaches may fail to engage some men, such as by raising anxiety and failing to convey confidentiality. Men wanted screening websites to frame screening as a serious issue, rather than using humorous images and text. Participants were encouraged to reach a consensus within their groups on their broad design and style preferences for a screening website; this led to a set of common preferences that they believed were likely to engage men across age and deprivation groups and lead to greater screening uptake. Conclusions The Internet provides opportunities for re-evaluating how we deliver sexual health promotion and engage young men in screening. Interventions using such technology should focus on uptake by age and socioeconomic background. Young people should be engaged as coproducers of intervention materials and websites to ensure messages and content are framed appropriately within a fast-changing environment. Doing so may go some way to addressing the overall lower levels of testing and screening among men compared with women. PMID:24300158

Young men's views toward the barriers and facilitators of Internet-based Chlamydia trachomatis screening: qualitative study.

PubMed

Lorimer, Karen; McDaid, Lisa

2013-12-03

There is a growing number of Internet-based approaches that offer young people screening for sexually transmitted infections. This paper explores young men's views towards the barriers and facilitators of implementing an Internet-based screening approach. The study sought to consider ways in which the proposed intervention would reach and engage men across ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. This qualitative study included 15 focus groups with 60 heterosexual young men (aged 16-24 years) across central Scotland, drawn across age and socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus groups began by obtaining postcode data to allocate participants to a high/low deprivation category. Focus group discussions involved exploration of men's knowledge of chlamydia, use of technology, and views toward Internet-based screening. Men were shown sample screening invitation letters, test kits, and existing screening websites to facilitate discussions. Transcripts from audio recordings were analyzed with "Framework Analysis". Men's Internet and technology use was heterogeneous in terms of individual practices, with greater use among older men (aged 20-24 years) than teenagers and some deprivation-related differences in use. We detail three themes related to barriers to successful implementation: acceptability, confidentiality and privacy concerns, and language, style, and content. These themes identify ways Internet-based screening approaches may fail to engage some men, such as by raising anxiety and failing to convey confidentiality. Men wanted screening websites to frame screening as a serious issue, rather than using humorous images and text. Participants were encouraged to reach a consensus within their groups on their broad design and style preferences for a screening website; this led to a set of common preferences that they believed were likely to engage men across age and deprivation groups and lead to greater screening uptake. The Internet provides opportunities for re-evaluating how we deliver sexual health promotion and engage young men in screening. Interventions using such technology should focus on uptake by age and socioeconomic background. Young people should be engaged as coproducers of intervention materials and websites to ensure messages and content are framed appropriately within a fast-changing environment. Doing so may go some way to addressing the overall lower levels of testing and screening among men compared with women.

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.

Leukocyte telomere length and depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders in primary health care patients.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao; Sundquist, Kristina; Hedelius, Anna; Palmér, Karolina; Memon, Ashfaque A; Sundquist, Jan

2017-04-24

The primary aim was to examine possible differences in telomere length between primary health care patients, with depression, anxiety or stress and adjustment disorders, and healthy controls. The second aim was to examine the association between telomere length and baseline characteristics in the patients. The third aim was to examine the potential effects of the 8-week treatments (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual, i.e. mostly cognitive-based therapy) on telomere length, and to examine whether there was a difference in the potential effect on telomere length between the two groups. A total of 501 individuals including 181 patients (aged 20-64 years), with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders, and 320 healthy controls (aged 19-70 years) were recruited in the study. Patient data were collected from a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based group therapy with treatment as usual. We isolated genomic DNA from blood samples, collected at baseline and after the 8-week follow-up. Telomere length was measured by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. Telomere length was significantly shorter in the patients (mean = 0.77 ± 0.12,), compared to the controls (mean = 0.81 ± 0.14) (p = 0.006). The difference in telomere length remained significant after controlling for age and sex. Old age, male sex and being overweight were associated with shorter telomere length. There was no significant difference in telomere length between baseline and at the 8-week follow-up in any of the treatment groups and no difference between the two groups. Our findings confirm that telomere length, as compared with healthy controls, is shortened in patients with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders. In both groups (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual), the telomere length remained unchanged after the 8-week treatment/follow-up and there was no difference between the two groups. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01476371 ) Registered November 11, 2011.

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. Development of a regional trauma surveillance system may provide further opportunities for studying injuries and evaluating preventive actions. PMID:29019874

Injury patterns among various age and gender groups of trauma patients in southern Iran: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Bolandparvaz, Shahram; Yadollahi, Mahnaz; Abbasi, Hamid Reza; Anvar, Mehrdad

2017-10-01

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. Development of a regional trauma surveillance system may provide further opportunities for studying injuries and evaluating preventive actions.

Characteristics of invasive breast cancer and overall survival of patients eligible for mass breast cancer screening in Guadeloupe compared to those of the preceding age group.

PubMed

Kadhel, Philippe; Borja De Mozota, Daphné; Gaumond, Stéphanie; Deloumeaux, Jacqueline

2017-10-01

Mass breast cancer screening is offered to French women between the ages of 50 and 74. In the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, where the population is of mostly African ancestry, a low age at diagnosis of breast cancer has been reported, as for African-Americans. This raises the question of whether breast cancer is more aggressive in the age group preceding that eligible for mass screening (40-49) in Guadeloupe. We compared the tumor-related prognostic factors, first line therapy and overall survival rates of breast cancer cases diagnosed between the 40-49 and 50-74 age groups, based on reports of the cancer registry of Guadeloupe for the period 2008-2013. The characteristics studied, risk of death after breast cancer (HR 0.84 [95% CI: 0.58-1.22] and overall survival, did not differ significantly between the two groups, except for higher tumor size (28.8 vs 24.0; p=0.004) in the younger group. These results do not show a pattern of more aggressive breast cancer in the age group preceding that eligible for mass screening in Guadeloupe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing random forest classification for identifying lava flows and mapping age groups on a single Landsat 8 image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Long; Solana, Carmen; Canters, Frank; Kervyn, Matthieu

2017-10-01

Mapping lava flows using satellite images is an important application of remote sensing in volcanology. Several volcanoes have been mapped through remote sensing using a wide range of data, from optical to thermal infrared and radar images, using techniques such as manual mapping, supervised/unsupervised classification, and elevation subtraction. So far, spectral-based mapping applications mainly focus on the use of traditional pixel-based classifiers, without much investigation into the added value of object-based approaches and into advantages of using machine learning algorithms. In this study, Nyamuragira, characterized by a series of > 20 overlapping lava flows erupted over the last century, was used as a case study. The random forest classifier was tested to map lava flows based on pixels and objects. Image classification was conducted for the 20 individual flows and for 8 groups of flows of similar age using a Landsat 8 image and a DEM of the volcano, both at 30-meter spatial resolution. Results show that object-based classification produces maps with continuous and homogeneous lava surfaces, in agreement with the physical characteristics of lava flows, while lava flows mapped through the pixel-based classification are heterogeneous and fragmented including much "salt and pepper noise". In terms of accuracy, both pixel-based and object-based classification performs well but the former results in higher accuracies than the latter except for mapping lava flow age groups without using topographic features. It is concluded that despite spectral similarity, lava flows of contrasting age can be well discriminated and mapped by means of image classification. The classification approach demonstrated in this study only requires easily accessible image data and can be applied to other volcanoes as well if there is sufficient information to calibrate the mapping.

Incidence of short stature at 3 years of age in late preterm infants: a population-based study.

PubMed

Nagasaka, Miwako; Morioka, Ichiro; Yokota, Tomoyuki; Fujita, Kaori; Kurokawa, Daisuke; Koda, Tsubasa; Shibata, Akio; Yamada, Hideto; Ito, Yoshiya; Uchino, Eiko; Shirai, Chika; Iijima, Kazumoto

2015-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the incidence of short stature at 3 years of age in a Japanese cohort of late preterm infants who were born at 34-36 weeks' gestational age (GA). We compared these late preterm infants with term infants (37-41 weeks' GA), and evaluated the effect of birth weight on the incidence of short stature. A longitudinal population-based study of 26 970 neonates who were born between 34 weeks' and 41 weeks' GA in 2006-2008 was conducted in Kobe, Japan. Of these neonates, 1414 were late preterm and 25 556 were term infants. The late preterm infants were then divided into three subgroups based on birth weight as determined by Japanese neonatal anthropometric charts for GA at birth: large-for-GA (n=140), appropriate-for-GA (AGA, n=1083), and small-for-GA (SGA, n=191). The incidence of short stature at 3 years of age was calculated in the late preterm group and compared with that in the term group, and between the AGA and SGA groups with late preterm birth. The incidence of short stature in the late preterm group was 2.9%, which was significantly higher than that in the term group (1.4%). Late preterm SGA infants developed short stature with a significantly higher (9.4%) incidence than that of late preterm AGA infants (2.1%). The incidence of short stature in 3-year-old children who were late preterm infants has a 2-fold higher risk than that in term infants. The risk of developing short stature is increased 4.5-fold if they are SGA. 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.

A 12-year anthropometric evaluation of the nose in bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate patients following nasoalveolar molding and cutting bilateral cleft lip and nose reconstruction.

PubMed

Garfinkle, Judah S; King, Timothy W; Grayson, Barry H; Brecht, Lawrence E; Cutting, Court B

2011-04-01

Patients with bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate have nasal deformities including reduced nasal tip projection, widened ala base, and a deficient or absent columella. The authors compare the nasal morphology of patients treated with presurgical nasoalveolar molding followed by primary lip/nasal reconstruction with age-matched noncleft controls. A longitudinal, retrospective review of 77 nonsyndromic patients with bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate was performed. Nasal tip protrusion, alar base width, alar width, columella length, and columella width were measured at five time points spanning 12.5 years. A one-sample t test was used for statistical comparison to an age-matched noncleft population published by Farkas. All five measurements demonstrated parallel, proportional growth in the treatment group relative to the noncleft group. The nasal tip protrusion, alar base width, alar width, columella length, and columella width were not statistically different from those of the noncleft, age-matched control group at age 12.5 years. The nasal tip protrusion also showed no difference in length at 7 and 12.5 years. The alar width and alar base width were significantly wider at the first four time points. This is the first study to describe nasal morphology following nasoalveolar molding and primary surgical repair in patients with bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate through the age of 12.5 years. In this investigation, the authors have shown that patients with bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate treated at their institution with nasoalveolar molding and primary nasal reconstruction, performed at the time of their lip repair, attained nearly normal nasal morphology through 12.5 years of age.

An Intervention for HPV Risk Reduction Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior: An Exploratory Study with College-Aged Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Jocelyn Brineman; McAnulty, Richard D.; Reeve, Charlie; Cann, Arnie

2015-01-01

The goal of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a group intervention in reducing risks of contracting human papillomavirus (HPV) among college-aged women. Using a randomized design, the study examined the effectiveness of an HPV educational group intervention guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior. The intervention was provided in a…

28 CFR 42.713 - Exception; reasonable factors other than age.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exception; reasonable factors other than age. 42.713 Section 42.713 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL..., otherwise prohibited by § 42.710(a), that affects age groups differently, if such differentiation is based...

Estimation model of life insurance claims risk for cancer patients by using Bayesian method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukono; Suyudi, M.; Islamiyati, F.; Supian, S.

2017-01-01

This paper discussed the estimation model of the risk of life insurance claims for cancer patients using Bayesian method. To estimate the risk of the claim, the insurance participant data is grouped into two: the number of policies issued and the number of claims incurred. Model estimation is done using a Bayesian approach method. Further, the estimator model was used to estimate the risk value of life insurance claims each age group for each sex. The estimation results indicate that a large risk premium for insured males aged less than 30 years is 0.85; for ages 30 to 40 years is 3:58; for ages 41 to 50 years is 1.71; for ages 51 to 60 years is 2.96; and for those aged over 60 years is 7.82. Meanwhile, for insured women aged less than 30 years was 0:56; for ages 30 to 40 years is 3:21; for ages 41 to 50 years is 0.65; for ages 51 to 60 years is 3:12; and for those aged over 60 years is 9.99. This study is useful in determining the risk premium in homogeneous groups based on gender and age.

National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Newcastle Quadrangle, Wyoming and South Dakota

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

Santos, E S; Robinson, K; Geer, K A

1982-09-01

Uranium resources of the Newcastle 1/sup 0/x2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, Wyoming and South Dakota were evaluated to a depth of 1500 m (5000 ft) using available surface and subsurface geologic information. Many of the uranium occurrences reported in the literature and in reports of the US Atomic Energy Commission were located, sampled and described. Areas of anomalous radioactivity, interpreted from an aerial radiometric survey, were outlined. Areas favorable for uranium deposits in the subsurface were evaluated using gamma-ray logs. Based on surface and subsurface data, two areas have been delineated which are underlain by rocks deemed favorable as hosts for uraniummore » deposits. One of these is underlain by rocks that contain fluvial arkosic facies in the Wasatch and Fort Union Formations of Tertiary age; the other is underlain by rocks containing fluvial quartzose sandstone facies of the Inyan Kara Group of Early Cretaceous age. Unfavorable environments characterize all rock units of Tertiary age above the Wasatch Formation, all rock units of Cretaceous age above the Inyan Kara Group, and most rock units of Mesozoic and Paleozoic age below the Inyan Kara Group. Unfavorable environments characterize all rock units of Cretaceous age above the Inyan Kara Group, and all rock units of Mesozoic and Paleozoic age below the Inyan Kara Group.« less

Age and skeletal type-related changes of some cephalometric parameters in Finnish girls.

PubMed

Haavikko, K; Rahkamo, A

1989-08-01

The aim of the present study was to define some cephalometric standards in a group of 217 Finnish girls from 7.0 to 18.0 years of age and furthermore to estimate the influence of the skeletal classes on these standards. Age-related changes were seen between the standards of the youngest (7.0-9.5 years) and the oldest (14.5-18.0 years) group where 9 out of 15 of the inspected angles increased with age, three of them ANPr***, SNPg** and SNB* significantly, and 6 decreased, four of them significantly: ANPg***, ANB**, NL/ML* and RL/ML*. The cranial base angles did not show any significant age-related or skeletal type-related variations. Between the skeletal groups I and II significant differences were seen in 11 variables. Between skeletal I and III groups, 7 angles were significantly different. The results demonstrate that when cephalometric standards are used, they should be derived from that population, they should be age related, and the skeletal pattern should be taken into account.

Differences in prescription rates and odds ratios of antidepressant drugs in relation to individual hormonal contraceptives: a nationwide population-based study with age-specific analyses.

PubMed

Lindberg, Malou; Foldemo, Anniqa; Josefsson, Ann; Wiréhn, Ann-Britt

2012-04-01

To examine, among young women, the association of individual hormonal contraceptives, within two broad groupings, with antidepressant therapy. In a nationwide register-based study, we examined the prescription rates of antidepressant drugs in relation to individual combined hormonal and progestin-only contraceptives among Swedish women aged 16-31 years (N = 917,993). Drug data were obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register for the period 1 July 2005-30 June 2008. Data on the total population of women aged 16-31 in 2008 were obtained from the Total Population Register of Statistics Sweden. The proportion of women using both hormonal contraception and antidepressants, and odds ratios (ORs) for antidepressant use for hormonal contraceptive users versus non-users, were calculated, the latter by logistic regression, for each formulation. The highest antidepressant OR in all age groups, particularly in the 16-19 years age group, related to medroxyprogesterone-only, followed by etonogestrel-only, levonorgestrel-only and ethinylestradiol/norelgestromin formulations. Oral contraceptives containing ethinylestradiol combined with lynestrenol or drospirenone had considerably higher ORs than other pills. ORs significantly lower than 1 were observed when ethinylestradiol was combined with norethisterone, levonorgestrel or desogestrel. The association between use of hormonal contraceptives and antidepressant drugs varies considerably within both the combined hormonal contraceptive and the progestin-only groups.

Muscle function in aged women in response to a water-based exercises program and progressive resistance training.

PubMed

Bento, Paulo Cesar Barauce; Rodacki, André Luiz Felix

2015-11-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a water-based exercise program on muscle function compared with regular high-intensity resistance training. Older women (n = 87) were recruited from the local community. The inclusion criteria were, to be aged 60 years or older, able to walk and able to carry out daily living activities independently. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: water-based exercises (WBG), resistance training (RTG) or control (CG). The experimental groups carried out 12 weeks of an excise program performed on water or on land. The dynamic strength, the isometric peak, and rate of torque development for the lower limbs were assessed before and after interventions. The water-based program provided a similar improvement in dynamic strength in comparison with resistance training. The isometric peak torque increased around the hip and ankle joints in the water-based group, and around the knee joint in the resistance-training group (P < 0.05). The rate of torque development increased only in the water-based group around the hip extensors muscles (P < 0.05). Water-based programs constitute an attractive alternative to promote relevant strength gains using moderate loads and fast speed movements, which were also effective to improve the capacity to generate fast torques. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Mesoproterozoic evolution of the Río de la Plata Craton in Uruguay: at the heart of Rodinia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaucher, Claudio; Frei, Robert; Chemale, Farid; Frei, Dirk; Bossi, Jorge; Martínez, Gabriela; Chiglino, Leticia; Cernuschi, Federico

2011-04-01

Mesoproterozoic volcanosedimentary units and tectonic events occurring in the Río de la Plata Craton (RPC) are reviewed. A belt consisting of volcanosedimentary successions exhibiting greenschist-facies metamorphism is exposed in the eastern RPC (Nico Pérez Terrane) in Uruguay. The Parque UTE Group consists of basic volcanics and gabbros at the base (1,492 ± 4 Ma, U-Pb on zircon), carbonates in its middle part and interbedded carbonates, shales and acid volcanics (1,429 ± 21 Ma, U-Pb on zircon) at the top. The Mina Verdún Group is made up of rhyolites and acid pyroclastics at its base and top, and Conophyton-bearing limestones and massive dolostones in the middle. A U-Pb LA-ICP MS zircon age of 1,433 ± 6 Ma is reported here for lapilli-tuffs at the base of the Mina Verdún Group (Cerro de las Víboras Formation). This age shows that the Mina Verdún Group immediately postdates the Parque UTE Group, a fact supported by carbon isotope chemostratigraphy. Both units were deformed and metamorphosed between 1.25 and 1.20 Ga, as shown by K-Ar and Ar-Ar ages. This tectonic event affected most of the RPC and led to the accretion of the Nico Pérez Terrane to the remainder of the RPC along the Sarandí del Yí megashear. We report a U-Pb LA-ICP MS zircon age (upper intercept) of 3,096 ± 45 Ma for metatonalites of the La China Complex (Nico Pérez Terrane), which yield a lower intercept age of 1,252 Ma. A proto-Andean, Mesoproterozoic belt is envisaged to account for abundant Mesoproterozoic detrital zircon ages occurring in Ediacaran sandstones of the RPC. If the RPC is fringed at both sides by Mesoproterozoic, Grenville-aged belts it is likely that it occupied a rather central position in Rodinia. A possible location between Laurentia and the Kalahari Craton, and to the south of Amazonia, is suggested.

'Physical activity at home (PAAH)', evaluation of a group versus home based physical activity program in community dwelling middle aged adults: rationale and study design.

PubMed

Freene, Nicole; Waddington, Gordon; Chesworth, Wendy; Davey, Rachel; Goss, John

2011-11-24

It is well recognised that the adoption and longer term adherence to physical activity by adults to reduce the risk of chronic disease is a challenge. Interventions, such as group and home based physical activity programs, have been widely reported upon. However few studies have directly compared these interventions over the longer term to determine their adherence and effectiveness. Participant preference for home based or group interventions is important. Some evidence suggests that home based physical activity programs are preferred by middle aged adults and provide better long term physical activity adherence. Physiotherapists may also be useful in increasing physical activity adherence, with limited research on their impact. 'Physical Activity at Home' is a 2 year pragmatic randomised control trial, with a non-randomised comparison to group exercise. Middle-aged adults not interested in, or unable to attend, a group exercise program will be targeted. Sedentary community dwelling 50-65 year olds with no serious medical conditions or functional impairments will be recruited via two mail outs using the Australian federal electoral roll. The first mail out will invite participants to a 6 month community group exercise program. The second mail out will be sent to those not interested in the group exercise program inviting them to take part in a home based intervention. Eligible home based participants will be randomised into a 6 month physiotherapy-led home based physical activity program or usual care. Outcome measures will be taken at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is physical activity adherence via exercise diaries. Secondary outcomes include the Active Australia Survey, accelerometry, aerobic capacity (step test), quality of life (SF-12v2), blood pressure, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index. Costs will be recorded prospectively and qualitative data will be collected. The planned 18 month follow-up post intervention will provide an indication of the effectiveness of the group and home based interventions in terms of adherence to physical activity, health benefits and cost. If the physiotherapy-led home based physical activity program is successful it could provide an alternative option for physical activity program delivery across a number of settings. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000890932.

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

Extended-interval Dosing of Gentamicin in Premature Neonates Born at <32 Weeks' Gestation and >7 Days of age.

PubMed

Sundaram, Arun; Alshaikh, Belal; Dersch-Mills, Deonne; Dobry, Jenna; Akierman, Albert R; Yusuf, Kamran

2017-06-01

Extended-interval dosing (EID) regimens of gentamicin have been validated for treating confirmed or suspected early- and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants in the first week of life. Despite the marked changes in volume of distribution and renal clearance in preterm infants after the first few days of life, few studies have validated EID regimens of gentamicin in this population. The objective of the study was to evaluate an EID regimen of gentamicin in infants born at <32 weeks' gestational age and aged >7 days. This observational study of an EID regimen was conducted in 39 infants. Dosing interval was based on the serum drug concentration at 22 hours after the administration of the first dose of 5 mg/kg. Gentamicin peak (5-12 µg/mL) and trough (<2 µg/mL) levels were compared to those in a historical control group of 39 infants who received traditional-interval dosing (TID) of 2.5 mg/kg of gentamicin with dosing intervals of 8, 12, or 24 hours. There were no differences in birthweight, gestational age at birth, postmenstrual age, weight at the start of gentamicin administration, postnatal age, small for gestational age status, antenatal corticosteroid use, or postnatal indomethacin exposure between the 2 groups. In the EID group, dosing intervals were 24 hours in 30 infants, 36 hours in 6 infants, and 48 hours in 3 infants. Compared with the TID group (n = 39), the EID group had a significantly higher peak level (median, 9.0 vs 4.7 µg/mL) and a significantly lower trough level (median, 0.7 vs 1.1 µg/mL) (both, P < 0.001). On regression analysis, the postmenstrual age was correlated significantly with trough levels in the EID group. There was no adverse effect on renal function in either group. On follow-up, 1 infant in the EID group and 2 infants in the TID group had evidence of sensorineural hearing loss. In infants born at <32 weeks' gestation and >7 days of age, an EID gentamicin regimen, with a dosing interval based on a single concentration measurement at 22 hours after the administration of the first dose, achieved therapeutic peak and trough levels and performed significantly better than did a TID regimen in reaching target peak and trough levels. Larger-scale trials are needed for assessing the clinical efficacy (treatment failure/success) of these regimens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Age and gender differences in the association between social participation and instrumental activities of daily living among community-dwelling elderly.

PubMed

Tomioka, Kimiko; Kurumatani, Norio; Hosoi, Hiroshi

2017-04-28

Although many studies have suggested social participation (SP) has beneficial effects on elderly people's health, most of them failed to deal with paid work. Additionally, few studies have focused on the age effect between SP and older people's health. To investigate whether the association between SP, including paid work, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), exhibits not only in gender, but also in age among community-dwelling older adults. In 2014, we distributed self-administered questionnaires to all community-dwelling elderly aged ≥65 in two medium-sized cities in Nara Prefecture, Japan (n = 32,825). 22,845 residents submitted the questionnaire (response rate, 69.6%). Analyzed subjects were limited to 17,680 persons who had neither dependency in basic ADL nor missing data for required items. SP was assessed based on participation frequency in seven types of social activities: volunteer groups, sports groups, hobby groups, cultural groups, senior citizens' clubs, neighborhood community associations, and paid work. Using Poisson regression models, prevalence ratio for poor IADL was calculated. To examine age and gender differences in the association between SP and IADL, we performed stratified analyses by age and gender group; male young-old (aged 65-74), male old-old (aged ≥75), female young-old, and female old-old. Prevalence of those with poor IADL was 17.1% in males and 4.5% in females, showing a significant gender difference. After adjustment for relevant covariates, volunteer groups were inversely associated with poor IADL only in males and the relationship was stronger in the old-old group than in the young-old group. Conversely, only females had a significant inverse association between paid work and poor IADL, and the association was not reliant on their ages but only those who participated infrequently had a favorable effect. Influence of age in the beneficial association between SP and IADL was generally larger in the old-old group than in the young-old group, but hobby groups were inversely associated with poor IADL, regardless of age, gender, and frequency. Our results suggest that SP in older age is positively associated with IADL, however, the association seems to differ depending on the type of activities participated in, the participants' gender, and their age.

Age Related Differences in the Surface EMG Signals on Adolescent's Muscle during Contraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uddin Ahamed, Nizam; Taha, Zahari; Alqahtani, Mahdi; Altwijri, Omar; Rahman, Matiur; Deboucha, Abdelhakim

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the amplitude of the EMG signal among five different age groups of adolescent's muscle. Fifteen healthy adolescents participated in this study and they were divided into five age groups (13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years). Subjects were performed dynamic contraction during lifting a standard weight (3-kg dumbbell) and EMG signals were recorded from their Biceps Brachii (BB) muscle. Two common EMG analysis techniques namely root mean square (RMS) and mean absolute values (MAV) were used to find the differences. The statistical analysis was included: linear regression to examine the relationships between EMG amplitude and age, repeated measures ANOVA to assess differences among the variables, and finally Coefficient of Variation (CoV) for signal steadiness among the groups of subjects during contraction. The result from RMS and MAV analysis shows that the 17-years age groups exhibited higher activity (0.28 and 0.19 mV respectively) compare to other groups (13-Years: 0.26 and 0.17 mV, 14-years: 0.25 and 0.23 mV, 15-Years: 0.23 and 0.16 mV, 16-years: 0.23 and 0.16 mV respectively). Also, this study shows modest correlation between age and signal activities among all age group's muscle. The experiential results can play a pivotal role for developing EMG prosthetic hand controller, neuromuscular system, EMG based rehabilitation aid and movement biomechanics, which may help to separate age groups among the adolescents.

Preservation of an Archaean whole rock Re-Os isochron for the Venetia lithospheric mantle: Evidence for rapid crustal recycling and lithosphere stabilisation at 3.3 Ga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Meer, Quinten H. A.; Klaver, Martijn; Reisberg, Laurie; Riches, Amy J. V.; Davies, Gareth R.

2017-11-01

Re-Os and platinum group element analyses are reported for peridotite xenoliths from the 533 Ma Venetia kimberlite cluster situated in the Limpopo Mobile Belt, the Neoarchaean collision zone between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons. The Venetian xenoliths provide a rare opportunity to examine the state of the cratonic lithosphere prior to major regional metasomatic disturbance of Re-Os systematics throughout the Phanerozoic. The 32 studied xenoliths record Si-enrichment that is characteristic of the Kaapvaal lithospheric mantle and can be subdivided into five groups based on Re-Os analyses. The most pristine group I samples (n = 13) display an approximately isochronous relationship and fall on a 3.28 ± 0.17 Ga (95 % conf. int.) reference line that is based on their mean TMA age. This age overlaps with the formation age of the Limpopo crust at 3.35-3.28 Ga. The group I samples derive from ∼50 to ∼170 km depth, suggesting coeval melt depletion of the majority of the Venetia lithospheric mantle column. Group II and III samples have elevated Re/Os due to Re addition during kimberlite magmatism. Group II has otherwise undergone a similar evolution as the group I samples with overlapping 187Os/188Os at eruption age: 187Os/188OsEA, while group III samples have low Os concentrations, unradiogenic 187Os/188OsEA and were effectively Re-free prior to kimberlite magmatism. The other sample groups (IV and V) have disturbed Re-Os systematics and provide no reliable age information. A strong positive correlation is recorded between Os and Re concentrations for group I samples, which is extended to groups II and III after correction for kimberlite addition. This positive correlation precludes a single stage melt depletion history and indicates coupled remobilisation of Re and Os. The combination of Re-Os mobility, preservation of the isochronous relationship, correlation of 187Os/188Os with degree of melt depletion and lack of radiogenic Os addition puts tight constraints on the formation and subsequent evolution of Venetia lithosphere. First, melt depletion and remobilisation of Re and Os must have occurred within error of the 3.28 Ga mean TMA age. Second, the refractory peridotites contain significant Re despite recording >40 % melt extraction. Third, assuming that Si-enrichment and Re-Os mobility in the Venetia lithospheric mantle were linked, this process must have occurred within ∼100 Myr of initial melt depletion in order to preserve the isochronous relationship. Based on the regional geological evolution, we propose a rapid recycling model with initial melt depletion at ∼3.35 Ga to form a tholeiitic mafic crust that is recycled at ∼3.28 Ga, resulting in the intrusion of a TTG suite and Si-enrichment of the lithospheric mantle. The non-zero primary Re contents of the Venetia xenoliths imply that TRD model ages significantly underestimate the true depletion age even for highly depleted peridotites. The overlap of the ∼2.6 Ga TRD ages with the time of the Kaapvaal-Limpopo collision is purely fortuitous and has no geological significance. Hence, this study underlines the importance of scrutiny if age information is to be derived from whole rock Re-Os analyses.

Age and sex based reference values for incidental coronary artery and thoracic aorta calcifications on routine clinical chest CT: a powerful tool to appreciate available imaging findings.

PubMed

Jairam, Pushpa M; de Jong, Pim A; Mali, Willem P Th M; Gondrie, Martijn J A; Jacobs, Peter C A; van der Graaf, Yolanda

2014-08-01

To establish age and gender specific reference values for incidental coronary artery and thoracic aorta calcification scores on routine diagnostic CT scans. These reference values can aid in structured reporting and interpretation of readily available imaging data by chest CT readers in routine practice. A random sample of 1572 (57% male, median age 61 years) was taken from a study population of 12,063 subjects who underwent diagnostic chest CT for non-cardiovascular indications between January 2002 and December 2005. Coronary artery and thoracic aorta calcifications were graded using a validated ordinal score. The 25th, 50th and 75th percentile cut points were calculated for the coronary artery and thoracic aorta calcification scores within each age/gender stratum. The 75th percentile cut points for coronary artery calcification scores were higher for men than for women across all age groups, with the exception of the lowest age group. The 75th percentile cut points for thoracic aorta calcifications scores were comparable for both genders across all age groups. Based on the obtained age and gender reference values a calculation tool is provided, that allows one to enter an individual's age, gender and calcification scores to obtain the corresponding estimated percentiles. The calculation tool as provided in this study can be used in daily practice by CT readers to examine whether a subject has high calcifications scores relative to others with the same age and gender. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult Age Differences in Learning from Positive and Negative Probabilistic Feedback

PubMed Central

Simon, Jessica R.; Howard, James H.; Howard, Darlene V.

2010-01-01

Objective Past research has investigated age differences in frontal-based decision making, but few studies have focused on the behavioral effects of striatal-based changes in healthy aging. Feedback learning has been found to vary with dopamine levels; increases in dopamine facilitate learning from positive feedback, whereas decreases facilitate learning from negative feedback. Given previous evidence of striatal dopamine depletion in healthy aging, we investigated behavioral differences between college-aged and healthy old adults using a feedback learning task that is sensitive to both frontal and striatal processes. Method Seventeen college-aged (M = 18.9 years) and 24 healthy, older adults (M = 70.3 years) completed the Probabilistic selection task, in which participants are trained on probabilistic stimulus-outcome information and then tested to determine whether they learned more from positive or negative feedback. Results As a group, the old adults learned equally well from positive and negative feedback, whereas the college-aged group learned more from positive than negative feedback, F(1, 39) = 4.10, p < .05, reffect = .3. However, these group differences were not due to the older individuals being more balanced learners. Most individuals of both ages were balanced learners, but while all of the remaining young learners had a positive bias, the remaining older learners were split between those with positive and negative learning biases (χ2(2) = 6.12, p<.047). Conclusions These behavioral results are consistent with the dopamine theory of striatal aging, and suggest there might be adult age differences in the kinds of information people use when faced with a current choice. PMID:20604627

Epidemiology of kidney stones in Iceland: a population-based study.

PubMed

Indridason, Olafur S; Birgisson, Sigurjon; Edvardsson, Vidar O; Sigvaldason, Helgi; Sigfusson, Nikulas; Palsson, Runolfur

2006-01-01

The prevalence of kidney stones varies greatly between ethnic groups and geographic locations, ranging from 8% to 19% in males and from 3% to 5% in females in Western countries. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of kidney stones in Iceland. Data were derived from the Reykjavik Study, a population-based cohort study carried out between 1967 and 1991. All subjects answered a thorough questionnaire concerning their medical history at each visit. The lifetime prevalence of kidney stones was calculated based on the answer to the question "Have you ever been diagnosed with a kidney stone?" at each person's first visit. Incidence was calculated based on answers from subjects who had made two or more visits. Prevalence and incidence were age-standardized to the truncated world population. Family history of kidney stones was also evaluated. A total of 9039 men aged 33-80 years and 9619 women aged 33-81 years participated. Of these, 423 males and 307 females had a history of kidney stones (p=0.001). Prevalence increased significantly with age for both genders. Men aged 30-34 years had a prevalence of 2.9%, compared to 8.8% for those aged 65-69 years, whereas corresponding values for women were 2.5% and 5.0%. The age-standardized prevalence for the 30-79 years age group was 4.3% for men and 3.0% for women. No significant increase in prevalence was observed over time. The incidence was 562 per 100 000 per year among men and increased significantly with age. The incidence among women was 197 per 100 000 per year and did not differ between age groups. A family history of nephrolithiasis was present in 25% of subjects with a history of kidney stones, and in 4% of those without. The incidence and prevalence of kidney stones in Icelandic women are similar to those that have been reported in other Western countries. The prevalence among men is lower that in neighboring countries but the incidence is similar. A strong family history of kidney stones suggests a genetic predisposition.

Knowledge-Guided Robust MRI Brain Extraction for Diverse Large-Scale Neuroimaging Studies on Humans and Non-Human Primates

PubMed Central

Wang, Yaping; Nie, Jingxin; Yap, Pew-Thian; Li, Gang; Shi, Feng; Geng, Xiujuan; Guo, Lei; Shen, Dinggang

2014-01-01

Accurate and robust brain extraction is a critical step in most neuroimaging analysis pipelines. In particular, for the large-scale multi-site neuroimaging studies involving a significant number of subjects with diverse age and diagnostic groups, accurate and robust extraction of the brain automatically and consistently is highly desirable. In this paper, we introduce population-specific probability maps to guide the brain extraction of diverse subject groups, including both healthy and diseased adult human populations, both developing and aging human populations, as well as non-human primates. Specifically, the proposed method combines an atlas-based approach, for coarse skull-stripping, with a deformable-surface-based approach that is guided by local intensity information and population-specific prior information learned from a set of real brain images for more localized refinement. Comprehensive quantitative evaluations were performed on the diverse large-scale populations of ADNI dataset with over 800 subjects (55∼90 years of age, multi-site, various diagnosis groups), OASIS dataset with over 400 subjects (18∼96 years of age, wide age range, various diagnosis groups), and NIH pediatrics dataset with 150 subjects (5∼18 years of age, multi-site, wide age range as a complementary age group to the adult dataset). The results demonstrate that our method consistently yields the best overall results across almost the entire human life span, with only a single set of parameters. To demonstrate its capability to work on non-human primates, the proposed method is further evaluated using a rhesus macaque dataset with 20 subjects. Quantitative comparisons with popularly used state-of-the-art methods, including BET, Two-pass BET, BET-B, BSE, HWA, ROBEX and AFNI, demonstrate that the proposed method performs favorably with superior performance on all testing datasets, indicating its robustness and effectiveness. PMID:24489639

Group precipitation and age hardening of nanostructured Fe-based alloys with ultra-high strengths

DOE PAGES

Jiao, Z. B.; Luan, J. H.; Miller, M. K.; ...

2016-02-19

The precipitation of nanoparticles plays a key role in determining the properties of many structural materials, and the understanding of their formation and stabilization mechanisms has been a long standing interest in the material field. However, the critical issues involving the group precipitation of various nanoparticles and their cooperative hardening mechanism remain elusive in the newly discovered Fe-based alloys with nanostructures. Here we quantitatively elucidate the nucleation mechanism, evolution kinetics and hardening effects of the group-precipitated nanoparticles in the Fe-Cu-Ni-Al-based alloys by atom probe tomography together with both first-principles and thermodynamic calculations. Our results provide the compelling evidence for twomore » interesting but complex group precipitation pathways of nanoparticles, i.e., the Cu-rich and NiAl-based precipitations. Lastly, the co-existence of the two precipitation pathways plays a key role in age hardening kinetics and ultimately enhances the hardening response, as compared to the single particle type of strengthening, therefore providing an effective new approach for strengthening materials for structural applications.« less

Group precipitation and age hardening of nanostructured Fe-based alloys with ultra-high strengths

PubMed Central

Jiao, Z. B.; Luan, J. H.; Miller, M. K.; Yu, C. Y.; Liu, C. T.

2016-01-01

The precipitation of nanoparticles plays a key role in determining the properties of many structural materials, and the understanding of their formation and stabilization mechanisms has been a long standing interest in the material field. However, the critical issues involving the group precipitation of various nanoparticles and their cooperative hardening mechanism remain elusive in the newly discovered Fe-based alloys with nanostructures. Here we quantitatively elucidate the nucleation mechanism, evolution kinetics and hardening effects of the group-precipitated nanoparticles in the Fe-Cu-Ni-Al-based alloys by atom probe tomography together with both first-principles and thermodynamic calculations. Our results provide the compelling evidence for two interesting but complex group precipitation pathways of nanoparticles, i.e., the Cu-rich and NiAl-based precipitations. The co-existence of the two precipitation pathways plays a key role in age hardening kinetics and ultimately enhances the hardening response, as compared to the single particle type of strengthening, therefore providing an effective new approach for strengthening materials for structural applications. PMID:26892834

Group mindfulness-based therapy significantly improves sexual desire in women.

PubMed

Brotto, Lori A; Basson, Rosemary

2014-06-01

At least a third of women across reproductive ages experience low sexual desire and impaired arousal. There is increasing evidence that mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental present moment awareness, may improve women's sexual functioning. The goal of this study was to test the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy, either immediately or after a 3-month waiting period, in women seeking treatment for low sexual desire and arousal. Women participated in four 90-min group sessions that included mindfulness meditation, cognitive therapy, and education. A total of 117 women were assigned to either the immediate treatment (n = 68, mean age 40.8 yrs) or delayed treatment (n = 49, mean age 42.2 yrs) group, in which women had two pre-treatment baseline assessments followed by treatment. A total of 95 women completed assessments through to the 6-month follow-up period. Compared to the delayed treatment control group, treatment significantly improved sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, sexual satisfaction, and overall sexual functioning. Sex-related distress significantly decreased in both conditions, regardless of treatment, as did orgasmic difficulties and depressive symptoms. Increases in mindfulness and a reduction in depressive symptoms predicted improvements in sexual desire. Mindfulness-based group therapy significantly improved sexual desire and other indices of sexual response, and should be considered in the treatment of women's sexual dysfunction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccine choice vary across the U.S.? An agent-based modeling study.

PubMed

DePasse, Jay V; Nowalk, Mary Patricia; Smith, Kenneth J; Raviotta, Jonathan M; Shim, Eunha; Zimmerman, Richard K; Brown, Shawn T

2017-07-13

In a prior agent-based modeling study, offering a choice of influenza vaccine type was shown to be cost-effective when the simulated population represented the large, Washington DC metropolitan area. This study calculated the public health impact and cost-effectiveness of the same four strategies: No Choice, Pediatric Choice, Adult Choice, or Choice for Both Age Groups in five United States (U.S.) counties selected to represent extremes in population age distribution. The choice offered was either inactivated influenza vaccine delivered intramuscularly with a needle (IIV-IM) or an age-appropriate needle-sparing vaccine, specifically, the nasal spray (LAIV) or intradermal (IIV-ID) delivery system. Using agent-based modeling, individuals were simulated as they interacted with others, and influenza was tracked as it spread through each population. Influenza vaccination coverage derived from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, was increased by 6.5% (range 3.25%-11.25%) to reflect the effects of vaccine choice. Assuming moderate influenza infectivity, the number of averted cases was highest for the Choice for Both Age Groups in all five counties despite differing demographic profiles. In a cost-effectiveness analysis, Choice for Both Age Groups was the dominant strategy. Sensitivity analyses varying influenza infectivity, costs, and degrees of vaccine coverage increase due to choice, supported the base case findings. Offering a choice to receive a needle-sparing influenza vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce influenza disease burden and to be cost saving. Consistent findings across diverse populations confirmed these findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Study on the difference of corresponding age at cervical vertebral maturation stages among different skeletal malocclusions].

PubMed

Zuo, Changyan; Cong, Chao; Wang, Shihui; Gu, Yan

2015-10-01

To compare the difference of corresponding age at cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages among different skeletal malocclusions and provide clinic guideline on optimal treatment timing for skeletal malocclusion. Based on ANB angle, 2 575 cephalograms collected from Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from May, 2006 to November, 2014 were classified into skeletal Class I (ANB 0°~5°, 1 317 subjects), Class II (ANB > 5°, 685 subjects) and Class III (ANB < 0°, 573 subjects) groups. CVM stages were evaluated with the modified version of CVM method. Independent sample t test was performed to analyze the difference of age at different CVM stages among various skeletal groups. Significant gender difference of age was found at CS3 to CS6 for skeletal Class I group (P < 0.05), at CS5 and CS6 for skeletal Class II group (P < 0.05), and at CS3 and CS5 for skeletal Class III group (P < 0.05). At CS3 stage, the average age of male in skeletal Class II and skeletal Class III groups was (11.6 ± 1.5) years old and (10.3 ± 1.9) years old, respectively; the average age of females in those two groups was (11.7 ± 1.3) years old and (9.3 ± 1.5) years old, respectively, and significant difference was found in both comparisons (P < 0.05). Compared average age at CS5 and CS6 between skeletal Class II and skeletal Class III groups [the ages of male was (15.1 ± 1.7) and (16.8 ± 1.6) years old, the ages of male was (14.6 ± 1.2) and (15.7 ± 2.5) years old], significant difference was also found (P < 0.05). Significant gender differences were found when evaluated CVM stage and age in skeletal Class I, II and III groups. Significant differences of age at different CVM stage was noted when skeletal Class II was compared with skeletal Class III groups.

Perception of smile esthetics by laypeople of different ages.

PubMed

Sriphadungporn, Chompunuch; Chamnannidiadha, Niramol

2017-12-01

Age is a factor affecting smile esthetics. Three variables of smile esthetics associated with the maxillary anterior teeth and age-related changes have recently received considerable attention: (i) the incisal edge position of the maxillary central incisors, (ii) the maxillary gingival display, and (iii) the presence of a black triangle between the maxillary central incisors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of age on smile esthetic perception based on these three variables in a group of Thai laypeople. The smiles were constructed from a photograph of a female smile. Smile photographs were altered in various increments using three variables: the incisal edge position of the maxillary incisors, gingival display, and a black triangle between the maxillary central incisors. The photographs were shown to a group of 240 Thai laypeople. The subjects were divided into two groups: a younger group, 15-29 years old (n = 120) and an older group, 36-52 years old (n = 120). Each subject was asked to score the attractiveness of each smile separately using a visual analog scale. Smile attractiveness scores concerning the incisal edge positions of the maxillary central incisors were similar between the two groups. However, upper lip coverage was rated as unattractive by the younger group. A gingival display of 0 and 2 mm was rated as most attractive by the younger group. Upper lip coverage and gingival display of 0 and 2 mm were considered attractive by the older group. Excessive gingival display (6 mm) was scored as unattractive by both groups. A black triangle ranging from 1 to 2.5 mm between the maxillary central incisors was scored differently between the two groups. The older group was more tolerant of the black triangle size. Age impacts smile perception based on maxillary gingival display and the presence of a black triangle between the maxillary central incisors, but not of the incisal edge position of the maxillary central incisors. Due to the variation in esthetic perception of each individual, participation between orthodontists and patients for decision-making and treatment planning is a crucial process to provide successful results.

Suicide Mortality Across Broad Occupational Groups in Greece: A Descriptive Study

PubMed Central

Alexopoulos, Evangelos C.; Kavalidou, Katerina; Messolora, Fani

2015-01-01

Background Several studies have investigated the relationship between specific occupations and suicide mortality, as suicide rates differ by profession. The aim of this study was to investigate suicide mortality ratios across broad occupational groups in Greece for both sexes in the period 2000–2009. Methods Data of suicide deaths were retrieved from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and comparative mortality ratios were calculated. Occupational classification was based on the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) and the coding for Intentional self-harm (X60–X84) was based on the international classification of diseases (ICD-10). Results Male dominant occupations, mainly armed forces, skilled farmers and elementary workers, and female high-skilled occupations were seen as high risk groups for suicide in a period of 10 years. The age-productive group of 30–39 years in Greek male elementary workers and the 50–59 age-productive group of Greek professional women proved to have the most elevated number of suicide deaths. Conclusion Further research is needed into the work-related stressors of occupations with high suicide mortality risk and focused suicide prevention strategies should be applied within vulnerable working age populations. PMID:27014484

Risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury increases with maternal age irrespective of parity: a population-based register study.

PubMed

Waldenström, Ulla; Ekéus, Cecilia

2017-09-15

Obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) is a rare but serious outcome of vaginal birth. Based on concerns about the increasing number of women who commence childbearing later than previous generation, this study aimed at investigating age-related risk of OASI in women of different parity. A population-based register study including 959,559 live singleton vaginal births recorded in the Swedish Medical Birth Register 1999 to 2011. In each parity group risks of OASI at age 25-29 years, 30-34 years, and ≥35 years compared with age < 25 years were investigated by logistic regression analyses, adjusted for year of birth, education, region of birth, smoking, Body Mass Index, infant birthweight and fetal presentation; and in parous women, history of OASI and cesarean section. Additional analyses also adjusted for mediating factors, such as epidural analgesia, episiotomy, and instrumental delivery, and maternal age-related morbidity. Rates of OASI were 6.6%, 2.3% and 0.9% in first, second and third births respectively. Age-related risk increased from 25-29 years in first births (Adjusted OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.59-1.72) and second births (Adjusted OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.58-2.01), and from 30-34 years in third births (Adjusted OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.00-2.56). In all parity groups the risk was doubled at age ≥ 35 years, compared with the respective reference group of women under 25 years. Adding mediating factors and maternal age-related morbidity only marginally reduced these risk estimates. Maternal age is an independent risk factor for OASI in first, second and third births. Although age-related risks by parity are relatively similar, more nulliparous than parous women will be exposed to OASI due to the higher baseline rate.

Frequent self-weighing with electronic graphic feedback to prevent age-related weight gain in young adults

PubMed Central

Bertz, Fredrik; Pacanowski, Carly R.; Levitsky, David A.

2016-01-01

Background Young adults display substantial weight gain. Preventing this age-related weight gain would reduce overweight and obesity. Objective We evaluated an internet based intervention using Internet-connected scales and graphic email feedback; the Caloric Titration Method (CTM), to reduce age-related weight gain over the course of 1 y among first-year college students. Design First-year college students (n=167) were randomized to (CTM) or control (C) group. Both groups were provided Internet-connected scales. CTM group was instructed to weigh daily, view a weight graph emailed to them after weighing, and try to maintain their weight as indicated in the graph. The C group could weigh at any time, but did not receive feedback. At six months and 1 year the C group were notified to provide weights. Intention to treat analysis, using a mixed model adjusted for baseline weight, BMI and gender was used to analyze the effect of the intervention. Results Baseline Body Mass Index was 22.9 ± 3.0 kg/m2. Frequency of self-weighing (median) was 5 times/week in the CTM group, compared to 1 time/week in C (p<0.001). Ninety-five percent of the CTM participants weighed ≥3 times/week, compared to 15% in C group (p<0.001). After 1 year the C group had gained 1.1 ± 4.4 kg whereas the CTM group lost 0.5 ± 3.7 kg, yielding a significant overall time*group interaction (F=3.39, p=0.035). The difference in weight change between the two groups at 1 year was significant (p=0.004). Weight change of the CTM group was not different from zero whereas weight gain in C group was significant. Retention was 81%. Conclusions The internet based frequent self-weighing CTM system was effective in preventing age-related weight gain in young adults over one year and thus offers promise to reduce overweight and obesity. PMID:26414563

Effect of age on variability in the production of text-based global inferences.

PubMed

Williams, Lynne J; Dunlop, Joseph P; Abdi, Hervé

2012-01-01

As we age, our differences in cognitive skills become more visible, an effect especially true for memory and problem solving skills (i.e., fluid intelligence). However, by contrast with fluid intelligence, few studies have examined variability in measures that rely on one's world knowledge (i.e., crystallized intelligence). The current study investigated whether age increased the variability in text based global inference generation--a measure of crystallized intelligence. Global inference generation requires the integration of textual information and world knowledge and can be expressed as a gist or lesson. Variability in generating two global inferences for a single text was examined in young-old (62 to 69 years), middle-old (70 to 76 years) and old-old (77 to 94 years) adults. The older two groups showed greater variability, with the middle elderly group being most variable. These findings suggest that variability may be a characteristic of both fluid and crystallized intelligence in aging.

Adults with Dyslexia Demonstrate Space-Based and Object-Based Covert Attention Deficits: Shifting Attention to the Periphery and Shifting Attention between Objects in the Left Visual Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchholz, J.; Davies, A.A.

2005-01-01

Performance on a covert visual attention task is compared between a group of adults with developmental dyslexia (specifically phonological difficulties) and a group of age and IQ matched controls. The group with dyslexia were generally slower to detect validly-cued targets. Costs of shifting attention toward the periphery when the target was…

Impact of Age on the Prognosis of Operable Gastric Cancer Patients: An Analysis Based on SEER Database.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Chen, Jinggui; Xu, Yu; Long, Ziwen; Zhou, Ye; Zhu, Huiyan; Wang, Yanong; Shi, Yingqiang

2016-06-01

To investigate the impact of age on the clinicopathological features and survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC), and hope to better define age-specific patterns of GC and possible associated risk factors.Using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database to search the patients who diagnosed GC between 2007 and 2011 with a known age. The overall and 5-year gastric cancer specific survival (CSS) data were obtained using Kaplan-Meier plots. Multivariable Cox regression models were built for the analysis of long-term survival outcomes and risk factors.A total of 7762 GC patients treated with surgery during the 4-year study period were included in the final study cohort. We divided into five subgroups according to the different age ranges. The overall 5-year cause-specific survival (CSS) was 60.3% in Group 1 (below 45 years), 60.3% in the Group 2 (45-55 years), 61.2% in Group 3 (56-65 years), 59.2% in Group 4 (66-75 years), and 59.2% in Group 5 (older than 76 years). Kaplan-Meier plots showed that patients older than 76 years had the worst 5-year CSS of 56.0% rate in all the subgroups. Age, tumor size, primary site, histological type, and Tumor Node Metastasis stage were identified as significant risk factors for poor survival on univariate analysis (all P < 0.001, log-rank test). Additionally, as the age increased, the risk of death for GC demonstrated a significant increase.In conclusion, our analysis of the SEER database revealed that the prognosis of GC varies with age. Patients at age 56 to 65 group have more favorable clinicopathologic characteristics and better CSS than other groups.

Practice of aerobic sports is associated with better spatial memory in adults and older men.

PubMed

Sánchez-Horcajo, Rubén; Llamas-Alonso, Juan; Cimadevilla, José Manuel

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Cognitive abilities experience diverse age-related changes. Memory complaints are common in aging. The practice of sports is known to benefit brain functioning, improving memory among other abilities. Introduction of virtual reality tasks makes it possible to easily assess cognitive functions such as spatial memory, a hippocampus-dependent cognitive ability. In this study, the authors applied a virtual reality-based task to study spatial reference memory in two groups of men, sportsmen (n=28) and sedentary (n=28), across three different age groups: 50-59, 60-69, and 70-77 years. The data showed that sportsmen outperformed sedentary participants. In addition, there was also a significant effect of the factor age. Hence, older men (70-77 years old) displayed a poorer performance in comparison with the other age groups. These results support the beneficial effect of habitual physical activity in spatial memory.

Advanced Age: Is It an Indication or Contraindication for Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair?

PubMed Central

Elgamal, Mohamed H.; Mancl, Tara B.; Norman, Earl; Boros, Michael J.

2008-01-01

Introduction: Ventral hernias are common surgical problems in the geriatric population. Although ventral hernias are electively repaired in younger patients, the safety and efficacy of elective laparoscopic hernia repair in the geriatric age group is not well documented in the literature. Methods: A review of 155 patients undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair was undertaken. The patients were classified according to their age into 2 groups, Group A (n=126) for those who are ≤65 years old and Group B (n=29) for those who are >65 years old. The patient demographics, comorbidities, hernia characteristics, and operative and postoperative data were compared. Results: Younger patients were found to have a significantly increased BMI, while the older group had an increased number of comorbidities. No difference was found in the complication or recurrence rates between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Elective laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in senior citizens is safe and feasible in our experience. We believe that the decision to perform an elective hernia repair in this patient population should be based on the general condition of the patient rather than the patient's chronological age. PMID:18402738

Substance involvement among juvenile murderers: comparisons with older offenders based on interviews with prison inmates.

PubMed

Fendrich, M; Mackesy-Amiti, M E; Goldstein, P; Spunt, B; Brownstein, H

1995-09-01

We evaluated substance involvement among incarcerated juvenile offenders convicted of murder of manslaughter. Patterns of substance involvement among juvenile offenders were compared with patterns found in older offenders. Irrespective of age group, close to one-third of all homicide perpetrators reported that they were affected by alcohol prior to the offense. In every age group, alcohol was the substance showing the highest rate of "regular" lifetime use and the highest rate of ingestion in the week preceding the homicide. In many respects, the reported substance use patterns in the 16-17-year-old age group were closer to the patterns demonstrated by the oldest (36+) age group than they were to the adjacent 18-20-year-old group. Juvenile offenders were generally less substance involved than all but the oldest group of offenders. Almost all of the juveniles who were substance involved prior to the homicide attributed the homicide to the effects of those substances. Narrative accounts suggest that substances (almost always alcohol) escalated impulsive, spontaneous violent outbursts. Implications for the interpretation of self-reports about substance use provided by murderers are also discussed.

Development of and Adherence to a Computer-Based Gamified Environment Designed to Promote Health and Wellbeing in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Scase, Mark; Marandure, Blessing; Hancox, Jennie; Kreiner, Karl; Hanke, Sten; Kropf, Johannes

2017-01-01

The older population of Europe is increasing and there has been a corresponding increase in long term care costs. This project sought to promote active ageing by delivering tasks via a tablet computer to participants aged 65-80 with mild cognitive impairment. An age-appropriate gamified environment was developed and adherence to this solution was assessed through an intervention. The gamified environment was developed through focus groups. Mixed methods were used in the intervention with the time spent engaging with applications recorded supplemented by participant interviews to gauge adherence. There were two groups of participants: one living in a retirement village and the other living separately across a city. The retirement village participants engaged in more than three times the number of game sessions compared to the other group possibly because of different social arrangements between the groups. A gamified environment can help older people engage in computer-based applications. However, social community factors influence adherence in a longer term intervention.

Hypermnesia: a further examination of age differences between young and older adults.

PubMed

Otani, Hajime; Kato, Koichi; Von Glahn, Nicholas R; Nelson, Meghann E; Widner, Robert L; Goernert, Phillip N

2008-05-01

Previous studies that examined age differences in hypermnesia reported inconsistent results. The present experiment investigated whether the different study materials in these studies were responsible for the inconsistency. In particular, the present experiment examined whether the use of a video, as opposed to words and pictures, would eliminate previously reported age differences in hypermnesia. Fifteen college students and 15 older adults viewed a 3-minute video clip followed by two free-recall tests. The results indicated that older adults, as a whole, did not show hypermnesia. However, when older adults were divided into low and high memory groups based on test 1 performance, the high memory group showed hypermnesia whereas the low memory group did not show hypermnesia. The older adults in the low memory group were significantly older than the older adults in the high memory group - indicating that hypermnesia is inversely related to age in older adults. Reminiscence did not show an age-related difference in either the low or high memory group whereas inter-test forgetting did show an age difference in the low memory group. As expected, older adults showed greater inter-test forgetting than young adults in the low memory group. Findings from the present experiment suggest that video produces a pattern of results that is similar to the patterns obtained when words and pictures are used as study material. Thus, it appears that the nature of study material is not the source of inconsistency across the previous studies.

Music Taste Groups and Problem Behavior.

PubMed

Mulder, Juul; Bogt, Tom Ter; Raaijmakers, Quinten; Vollebergh, Wilma

2007-04-01

Internalizing and externalizing problems differ by musical tastes. A high school-based sample of 4159 adolescents, representative of Dutch youth aged 12 to 16, reported on their personal and social characteristics, music preferences and social-psychological functioning, measured with the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Cluster analysis on their music preferences revealed six taste groups: Middle-of-the-road (MOR) listeners, Urban fans, Exclusive Rock fans, Rock-Pop fans, Elitists, and Omnivores. A seventh group of musically Low-Involved youth was added. Multivariate analyses revealed that when gender, age, parenting, school, and peer variables were controlled, Omnivores and fans within the Exclusive Rock groups showed relatively high scores on internalizing YSR measures, and social, thought and attention problems. Omnivores, Exclusive Rock, Rock-Pop and Urban fans reported more externalizing problem behavior. Belonging to the MOR group that highly appreciates the most popular, chart-based pop music appears to buffer problem behavior. Music taste group membership uniquely explains variance in both internalizing and externalizing problem behavior.

Trajectories of Marijuana Use During the Transition to Adulthood: The Big Picture Based on National Panel Data

PubMed Central

Schulenberg, John E.; Merline, Alicia C.; Johnston, Lloyd D.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Laetz, Virginia B.

2005-01-01

The purposes of this study were to: a) identify trajectory groups of frequent marijuana use during emerging adulthood, b) distinguish among trajectory groups according to demographic and lifestyle characteristics, and c) examine how the trajectory groups relate to behavioral, attitudinal, and social-emotional correlates over time. National panel data from the Monitoring the Future study were used: 18 cohorts of high school seniors (classes of 1977-94) were followed biennially through age 24. Frequent marijuana use was defined as 3+ occasions of use in past month and/or 20 to 40+ occasions in past year. Based on four waves of complete longitudinal data (N=19,952), six frequent marijuana use trajectory groups were identified: chronic, decreased, increased, fling, rare, and abstain. Categorical analyses revealed trajectory group differences in demographic and lifestyle characteristics at senior year and age 24. The trajectory groups varied significantly in longitudinal patterns of other substance use, problem behaviors, and well-being. PMID:16534532

Cross-cultural differences in memory: the role of culture-based stereotypes about aging.

PubMed

Yoon, C; Hasher, L; Feinberg, F; Rahhal, T A; Winocur, G

2000-12-01

The extent to which cultural stereotypes about aging contribute to age differences in memory performance is investigated by comparing younger and older Anglophone Canadians to demographically matched Chinese Canadians, who tend to hold more positive views of aging. Four memory tests were administered. In contrast to B. Levy and E. Langer's (1994) findings, younger adults in both cultural groups outperformed their older comparison group on all memory tests. For 2 tests, which made use of visual stimuli resembling ideographic characters in written Chinese, the older Chinese Canadians approached, but did not reach, the performance achieved by their younger counterparts, as well as outperformed the older Anglophone Canadians. However, on the other two tests, which assess memory for complex figures and abstract designs, no differences were observed between the older Chinese and Anglophone Canadians. Path analysis results suggest that this pattern of findings is not easily attributed to a wholly culturally based account of age differences in memory performance.

Implementation process and challenges for the community-based integrated care system in Japan

PubMed Central

Tsutsui, Takako

2014-01-01

Background Since 10 years ago, Japan has been creating a long-term vision to face its peak in the number of older people that will be reached in 2025 when baby boomers will turn 75 years of age. In 2003, the government set up a study group called “Caring for older people in 2015” which led to a first reform of the Long-Term Care Insurance System in 2006. This study group was the first to suggest the creation of a community-based integrated care system. Reforms Three measures were taken in 2006: ‘Building an active ageing society: implementation of preventive care services’, ‘Improve sustainability: revision of the remuneration of facilities providing care’ and ‘Integration: establishment of a new service system’. These reforms are at the core of the community-based integrated care system. Discussion The socialization of long-term care that came along with the ageing of the population, and the second shift in Japan towards an increased reliance on the community can provide useful information for other ageing societies. As a super ageing society, the attempts from Japan to develop a rather unique system based on the widely spread concept of integrated care should also become an increasing focus of attention. PMID:24478614

The Relative Effects and Equity of Inquiry-Based and Commonplace Science Teaching on Students' Knowledge, Reasoning, and Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Christopher D.; Taylor, Joseph A.; Kowalski, Susan M.; Carlson, Janet

2010-01-01

We conducted a laboratory-based randomized control study to examine the effectiveness of inquiry-based instruction. We also disaggregated the data by student demographic variables to examine if inquiry can provide equitable opportunities to learn. Fifty-eight students aged 14-16 years old were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups of…

An Age and Body Mass Handicap for the Marathon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderburgh, Paul M.

2015-01-01

An age and body mass handicap has been previously developed and validated for the 5-kilometer (5K) run. The purpose of this study was to develop a similar handicap for the marathon but with a different age adjustment based on deviations from age group world best marathon times within each sex. The resulting handicap allowed finish time comparisons…

Age and sex-related differences in 431 pediatric facial fractures at a level 1 trauma center.

PubMed

Hoppe, Ian C; Kordahi, Anthony M; Paik, Angie M; Lee, Edward S; Granick, Mark S

2014-10-01

Age and sex-related changes in the pattern of fractures and concomitant injuries observed in this patient population is helpful in understanding craniofacial development and the treatment of these unique injuries. The goal of this study was to examine all facial fractures occurring in a child and adolescent population (age 18 or less) at a trauma center to determine any age or sex-related variability amongst fracture patterns and concomitant injuries. All facial fractures occurring at a trauma center were collected over a 12-year period based on International Classification of Disease, rev. 9 codes. This was delimited to include only those patients 18 years of age or younger. Age, sex, mechanism, and fracture types were collected and analyzed. During this time period, there were 3147 patients with facial fractures treated at our institution, 353 of which were in children and adolescent patients. Upon further review 68 patients were excluded due to insufficient data for analysis, leaving 285 patients for review, with a total of 431 fractures. The most common etiology of injury was assault for males and motor vehicle accidents (MVA) for females. The most common fracture was of the mandible in males and of the orbit in females. The most common etiology in younger age groups includes falls and pedestrian struck. Older age groups exhibit a higher incidence of assault-related injuries. Younger age groups showed a propensity for orbital fractures as opposed to older age groups where mandibular fractures predominated. Intracranial hemorrhage was the most common concomitant injury across most age groups. The differences noted in etiology of injury, fracture patterns, and concomitant injuries between sexes and different age groups likely reflects the differing activities that each group engages in predominantly. In addition the growing facial skeleton offers varying degrees of protection to the cranial contents as force-absorbing mechanisms develop. Copyright © 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the effects of forefoot joint-preserving arthroplasty and resection-replacement arthroplasty on walking plantar pressure distribution and patient-based outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Ebina, Kosuke; Hirao, Makoto; Takagi, Keishi; Ueno, Sachi; Morimoto, Tokimitsu; Matsuoka, Hozo; Kitaguchi, Kazuma; Iwahashi, Toru; Hashimoto, Jun; Yoshikawa, Hideki

2017-01-01

The purpose of this retrospective study is to clarify the difference in plantar pressure distribution during walking and related patient-based outcomes between forefoot joint-preserving arthroplasty and resection-replacement arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Four groups of patients were recruited. Group1 included 22 feet of 11 healthy controls (age 48.6 years), Group2 included 36 feet of 28 RA patients with deformed non-operated feet (age 64.8 years, Disease activity score assessing 28 joints with CRP [DAS28-CRP] 2.3), Group3 included 27 feet of 20 RA patients with metatarsal head resection-replacement arthroplasty (age 60.7 years, post-operative duration 5.6 years, DAS28-CRP 2.4), and Group4 included 34 feet of 29 RA patients with metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint-preserving arthroplasty (age 64.6 years, post-operative duration 3.2 years, DAS28-CRP 2.3). Patients were cross-sectionally examined by F-SCAN II to evaluate walking plantar pressure, and the self-administered foot evaluation questionnaire (SAFE-Q). Twenty joint-preserving arthroplasty feet were longitudinally examined at both pre- and post-operation. In the 1st MTP joint, Group4 showed higher pressure distribution (13.7%) than Group2 (8.0%) and Group3 (6.7%) (P<0.001). In the 2nd-3rd MTP joint, Group4 showed lower pressure distribution (9.0%) than Group2 (14.5%) (P<0.001) and Group3 (11.5%) (P<0.05). On longitudinal analysis, Group4 showed increased 1st MTP joint pressure (8.5% vs. 14.7%; P<0.001) and decreased 2nd-3rd MTP joint pressure (15.2% vs. 10.7%; P<0.01) distribution. In the SAFE-Q subscale scores, Group4 showed higher scores than Group3 in pain and pain-related scores (84.1 vs. 71.7; P<0.01) and in shoe-related scores (62.5 vs. 43.1; P<0.01). Joint-preserving arthroplasty resulted in higher 1st MTP joint and lower 2nd-3rd MTP joint pressures than resection-replacement arthroplasty, which were associated with better patient-based outcomes.

An Examination of Age-Based Stereotype Threat About Cognitive Decline.

PubMed

Barber, Sarah J

2017-01-01

"Stereotype threat" is often thought of as a singular construct, with moderators and mechanisms that are stable across groups and domains. However, this is not always true. To illustrate this, the current review focuses on the stereotype threat that older adults face about their cognitive abilities. Drawing upon the multithreat framework, I first provide evidence that this is a self-concept threat and not a group-reputation threat. Because this differs from the forms of stereotype threat experienced by other groups (e.g., the threat that minority students face about their intellectual abilities), the moderators of stereotype threat observed in other groups (i.e., group identification) do not always generalize to age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Looking beyond the forms of stereotype threat elicited, this review also provides evidence that the mechanisms underlying stereotype-threat effects may vary across the adult life span. Because of age-related improvements in emotion-regulation abilities, stereotype threat does not seem to reduce older adults' executive-control resources. Overall, this review highlights the need to approach the concept of stereotype threat with more granularity, allowing researchers to design more effective stereotype-threat interventions. It will also shed light on why certain stereotype threat effects "fail to replicate" across domains or groups.

An examination of age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline: Implications for stereotype threat research and theory development

PubMed Central

Barber, Sarah J.

2017-01-01

“Stereotype threat” is often thought of as a singular construct, with moderators and mechanisms that are stable across groups and domains. However, this is not always true. To illustrate this, the current review focuses on the stereotype threat that older adults face about their cognitive abilities. Using Shapiro and Neuberg's (2007) Multi-Threat Framework, I first provide evidence that this is a self-concept threat, and not a group-reputation threat. Because this differs from the form(s) of threat experienced by other groups (e.g., the threat that minority students face about their intellectual abilities), the moderators of threat observed in other groups (i.e., group identification) do not always generalize to age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Looking beyond the form(s) of threat elicited, this review also provides evidence that the mechanisms underlying stereotype threat effects may vary across the lifespan. Due to age-related improvements in emotion regulation abilities, stereotype threat does not seem to reduce older adults' executive control resources. Overall, this review highlights the need to approach the concept of stereotype threat with more granularity. This will allow us to design more effective stereotype threat interventions. It will also shed light on why certain effects “fail to replicate” across domains or groups. PMID:28073332

Figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review

PubMed Central

Kalandadze, Tamar; Norbury, Courtenay; Nærland, Terje; Næss, Kari-Anne B

2016-01-01

We present a meta-analysis of studies that compare figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing controls who were matched based on chronological age or/and language ability. A total of 41 studies and 45 independent effect sizes were included based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Group matching strategy, age, types of figurative language, and cross-linguistic differences were examined as predictors that might explain heterogeneity in effect sizes. Overall, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed poorer comprehension of figurative language than their typically developing peers (Hedges’ g = –0.57). A meta-regression analysis showed that group matching strategy and types of figurative language were significantly related to differences in effect sizes, whereas chronological age and cross-linguistic differences were not. Differences between the autism spectrum disorder and typically developing groups were small and nonsignificant when the groups were matched based on the language ability. Metaphors were more difficult to comprehend for individuals with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing controls than were irony and sarcasm. Our findings highlight the critical role of core language skills in figurative language comprehension. Interventions and educational programmes designed to improve social communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder may beneficially target core language skills in addition to social skills. PMID:27899711

Prediction of body mass index status from voice signals based on machine learning for automated medical applications.

PubMed

Lee, Bum Ju; Kim, Keun Ho; Ku, Boncho; Jang, Jun-Su; Kim, Jong Yeol

2013-05-01

The body mass index (BMI) provides essential medical information related to body weight for the treatment and prognosis prediction of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. We propose a method for the prediction of normal, overweight, and obese classes based only on the combination of voice features that are associated with BMI status, independently of weight and height measurements. A total of 1568 subjects were divided into 4 groups according to age and gender differences. We performed statistical analyses by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe test to find significant features in each group. We predicted BMI status (normal, overweight, and obese) by a logistic regression algorithm and two ensemble classification algorithms (bagging and random forests) based on statistically significant features. In the Female-2030 group (females aged 20-40 years), classification experiments using an imbalanced (original) data set gave area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.569-0.731 by logistic regression, whereas experiments using a balanced data set gave AUC values of 0.893-0.994 by random forests. AUC values in Female-4050 (females aged 41-60 years), Male-2030 (males aged 20-40 years), and Male-4050 (males aged 41-60 years) groups by logistic regression in imbalanced data were 0.585-0.654, 0.581-0.614, and 0.557-0.653, respectively. AUC values in Female-4050, Male-2030, and Male-4050 groups in balanced data were 0.629-0.893 by bagging, 0.707-0.916 by random forests, and 0.695-0.854 by bagging, respectively. In each group, we found discriminatory features showing statistical differences among normal, overweight, and obese classes. The results showed that the classification models built by logistic regression in imbalanced data were better than those built by the other two algorithms, and significant features differed according to age and gender groups. Our results could support the development of BMI diagnosis tools for real-time monitoring; such tools are considered helpful in improving automated BMI status diagnosis in remote healthcare or telemedicine and are expected to have applications in forensic and medical science. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human dental age estimation combining third molar(s) development and tooth morphological age predictors.

PubMed

Thevissen, P W; Galiti, D; Willems, G

2012-11-01

In the subadult age group, third molar development, as well as age-related morphological tooth information can be observed on panoramic radiographs. The aim of present study was to combine, in subadults, panoramic radiographic data based on developmental stages of third molar(s) and morphological measurements from permanent teeth, in order to evaluate its added age-predicting performances. In the age range between 15 and 23 years, 25 gender-specific radiographs were collected within each age category of 1 year. Third molar development was classified and registered according the 10-point staging and scoring technique proposed by Gleiser and Hunt (1955), modified by Köhler (1994). The Kvaal (1995) measuring technique was applied on the indicated teeth from the individuals' left side. Linear regression models with age as response and third molar-scored stages as explanatory variables were developed, and morphological measurements from permanent teeth were added. From the models, determination coefficients (R (2)) and root-mean-square errors (RMSE) were calculated. Maximal-added age information was reported as a 6 % R² increase and a 0.10-year decrease of RMSE. Forensic dental age estimations on panoramic radiographic data in the subadult group (15-23 year) should only be based on third molar development.

Effects of Aging on the Proliferation and Differentiation Capacity of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells.

PubMed

Du, Tingting; Liu, Na; Gu, Bin; Li, Ying; Yuan, Yifang; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Tong

2017-06-10

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) derived from different aged donors, and to evaluate the effects of aging on the biological characteristics of PDLSC.Methods Periodontal ligament tissues were obtained from 24 surgically extracted human premolars during orthodontics therapy. The specimens were divided into three groups according to the donor's age. Group A: 18-20 years, group B: 30-35 years, group C: 45-50 years. PDLSC were isolated and cultured using a tissue-block-based enzymolytic method by limiting dilution assay. The colony forming efficiency of PDLSC for three experimental groups was determined. Senescence-Associated β-Galactosidase (SA-β-G) expression in the three groups was examined using β-galactosidase staining working solution. Cell cycle and apoptosis of the PDLSC were examined by the flow cytometry. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was evaluated by ALP staining. The expression of osteoplastic differentiation related genes Runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx-2), Collagen Type 1 (col-1), and ALP of PDLSC were examined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.Results The colony forming efficiency of PDLSC in Group A, B and C was 36.67%, 22.67% and 9.33%, respectively, which decreased with donors' age (P<0.05). SA-β-G expression of the senescent PDLSC in group A, B and C were 4.14%, 16.39%, 50.38%, respectively (P<0.05). Cells in G2/S phase was 38.73%, 29.88%, 18.25% (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate was 1.57%, 4.56%, 5.84% (P<0.05), in group A, B and C respectively. The ALP staining in the three groups decreased with the increase of donors' ages, and the expression of Runx-2, col-1 and ALP decreased gradually from group A to group C (all P<0.05), which indicated the osteogenic differentiation capacity of PDLSC decreased while donor aging.Conclusion Human PDLSC could be successfully isolated from periodontal ligament tissues of different aged donors. However, the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity of PDLSC decreased while donor aging.

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 groups for some morphemes indicated that very low scores are indicative of SLI whereas high scores are uninformative. Age effects were evident in that the morphemes varied in the age at which they separate the groups most accurately. The findings of this study show that Icelandic children with SLI are somewhat more prone to making morphological errors than their TD counterparts. However, great overlap exists between the groups. The findings call into question the view that grammatical morphology is a central area of deficit in SLI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Start of PTB (Phthisis) mortality statistics in Japan (1)].

PubMed

Shimao, Tadao

2008-12-01

First "Statistics Annual", which included the population and vital statistics was published in Japan in 1882, and the numbers of death classified by major causes of death were tabulated by sex and age groups and by prefecture. Koch R reported the discovery of tubercle bacilli as the pathogen for TB in 1882, and since the latter half of 1883, the numbers of death due to PTB (Phthisis) were tabulated by prefecture, and by sex and age groups since 1884 annually except for 1885. Based on the population statistics and the numbers of PTB death, PTB (Phthisis) mortality was calculated by sex and age groups, and the results were shown in Table 1. PTB mortality per 100,000 increased from 78.2 in 1884 to 171.9 in 1899. Sex- and age-specific PTB mortality in 1884 showed a pattern increasing with age, and the PTB mortality of male was higher than that of female in adult as shown in Fig. 2. In 1889, low peak of mortality was seen in the age groups 15-19 and 20-29, and in these age groups, the PTB mortality was higher in female than in male. Such trend was seen more markedly in 1894 and 1899, while the rate was higher in male than in female in the age groups over 40. Trend of PTB mortality by sex and age groups was shown in Fig. 3. Rapid increase of PTB mortality in the age groups 10-14 and 20-29 could be explained by the rapid increase of young women workers in fast growing silk and spinning industries, but how rapid increase of PTB mortality in infants be explained? In "Statistics Annual", PTB (Phthisis) mortality rate by prefecture was printed, and the summarized table was shown in Table 2. The rates in 1883 and 1884 were calculated from the numbers of PTB death and the B-type population shown in the "Statistics Annual", which will be described in the next issue of this paper.

Ground Reaction Force Differences in the Countermovement Jump in Girls with Different Levels of Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floría, Pablo; Harrison, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to ascertain the biomechanical differences between better and poorer performers of the vertical jump in a homogeneous group of children. Method: Twenty-four girls were divided into low-scoring (LOW; M [subscript age] = 6.3 ± 0.8 years) and high-scoring (HIGH; M [subscript age] = 6.6 ± 0.8 years) groups based on…

Outcome-Based Evaluation of a Social Skills Program Using Art Therapy and Group Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epp, Kathleen Marie

2008-01-01

There is a paucity of literature on social skills therapy for students on the autism spectrum, revealing an urgent need for additional research. Past research has focused on the use of small groups or single-case study designs. The present study examines the effectiveness of a social skills therapy program for school-age children ages 11 through…

Multiple Trajectories of Successful Aging of Older and Younger Cohorts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Jones, Bobby L.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to apply group-based trajectory analysis to identify multiple successful aging trajectories by multiple indicators and to examine the factors related to successful aging among the elderly population in Taiwan. Design and Methods: Nation-representative longitudinal data collected from 1993 to 2007 and…

Relation between Fluid Intelligence and Frontal Lobe Functioning in Older Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isingrini, Michel; Vazou, Florence

1997-01-01

Examines relationships among normal aging, intelligence, and frontal lobe functioning. Results, based on intelligence tasks and frontal lobe functioning tasks administered to 107 adults from two age groups, indicate significant age differences in favor of the young on the intelligence tests, with a fluid component on measures of frontal lobe…

Emergency medical transport of the elderly: a population-based study.

PubMed

Wofford, J L; Moran, W P; Heuser, M D; Schwartz, E; Velez, R; Mittelmark, M B

1995-05-01

Patterns of utilization of emergency medical services transport (EMS) by the elderly are poorly understood. We determined population-based rates of EMS utilization by the elderly and characterized utilization patterns by age, gender, race, and reason for transport. This observational, population-based study was conducted in Forsyth County, NC, a semi-urban county served by one convalescent ambulance service and one EMS service. Using data on all 1990 EMS transports and the 1990 U.S. census data, age-, gender-, and race-specific transport rates for persons aged 60 or older were calculated. Reasons for transport and frequency of repeat users were established. After exclusion of transports because of an address outside the county, a nonhospital destination, a scheduled transport, or missing data, 4,688 transports (78% of total) remained for analysis. The overall rate of transport was 104/1,000 county residents. Transport rates increased for successively older five-year age groups, demonstrating a 5.7-fold stepwise increase from ages 60-65 to 85+ (51/1,000 to 291/1,000). There was no difference in mean age between patients who were frequent EMS users (more than three transports during the year) (n = 66) and other elderly transportees. Reasons for transport differed little between those 60 to 84 years of age and those 85 years of age and older with the exception of chest pain, cardiac arrest, and seizures, all of which were significantly more prevalent in the younger age group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age-dependent changes in vesicular glutamate transporter 1 and 2 expression in the gerbil hippocampus

PubMed Central

Jung, Hyo Young; Yoo, Dae Young; Park, Joon Ha; Kim, Jong Whi; Chung, Jin Young; Kim, Dae Won; Won, Moo-Ho; Yoon, Yeo Sung; Hwang, In Koo

2018-01-01

Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter that is stored in vesicles located in the presynaptic terminal. Glutamate is transported into vesicles via the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). In the present study, the age-associated changes of the major VGLUTs, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, in the hippocampus were investigated, based on immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis at postnatal month 1 (PM1; adolescent), PM6, PM12 (adult group), PM18 and PM24 (the aged groups). VGLUT1 immunoreactivity was primarily detected in the mossy fibers, Schaffer collaterals and stratum lacunosum-moleculare. By contrast, VGLUT2 immunoreactivity was observed in the granule cell layer and the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, stratum pyramidale, Schaffer collaterals and stratum lacunosum-moleculare in the hippocampal CA1-3 regions. VGLUT1 immunoreactivity and protein levels remained constant across all age groups. However, VGLUT2 immunoreactivity and protein levels decreased in the PM3 group when compared with the PM1 group. VGLUT2 immunoreactivity and protein levels were not altered in the PM12 group; however, they increased in the PM18 group. In addition, in the PM18 group, highly immunoreactive VGLUT2 cells were also identified in the stratum radiatum and oriens of the hippocampal CA1 region. In the PM24 group, VGLUT2 immunoreactivity and protein levels were significantly decreased and were the lowest levels observed amongst the different groups. These results suggested that VGLUT1 may be less susceptible to the aging process; however, the increase of VGLUT2 in the non-pyramidal cells in the PM18 group, and the consequent decrease in VGLUT2, may be closely linked to age-associated memory impairment in the hippocampus. PMID:29532891

Optimal BMI Cut-off Points for Prediction of Incident Diabetes in Chinese population.

PubMed

Ma, Hao; Wu, Xiaoyan; Guo, Xiaoyu; Yang, Jianjun; Ma, Xiaohui; Lv, Mengfan; Li, Ying

2018-05-26

The current BMI classifications have been established based on risk of obesity-related conditions, but not specifically on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to identify the optimal BMI cutoffs for assessing incident T2DM risk in Chinese population. The longitudinal study cohort consisted of 8,735 non-diabetic participants aged 20-74 years at baseline, with a mean follow-up period of 6.0 years. Body mass index (BMI), 2-h glucose of 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, and glycosylated hemoglobin were measured at baseline and follow-up survey. During the follow-up period, 825 participants were diagnosed with T2DM. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, adjusting for covariates, a strong positive association between BMI and incident T2DM was found among whole population, when stratified by age groups (20-39 years, 40-59 years, 60-74 years), the risk associations between BMI and incident T2DM decreased with increasing age-specific groups, and extinguished in the 60-74 age group (P-value of interaction<0.001). The optimal BMI cut-offs (kg/m 2 ) for predicting T2DM risk for men and women were 25.5 and 24.4 in the 20-39 age group, and 23.5 and 23.0 in the 40-59 age group, respectively. But no predictive performance was observed in the 60-74 age group in both sexes. Our results suggested that the performance of BMI in predicting T2DM risk was the best in younger age and decreased with age. Age- and sex-specific BMI cut-offs should be considered for T2DM risk stratification in Chinese population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sex-specific incidence of EGFR mutation and its association with age and obesity in lung adenocarcinomas: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Hye-Ryoun; Kim, Seo Yun; Kim, Cheol Hyeon; Yang, Sung Hyun; Lee, Jae Cheol; Choi, Chang-Min; Na, Im Il

2017-11-01

Age and obesity are well-known risk factors for various cancers, but the potential roles of age and obesity in lung cancer, especially in those with activating EGFR mutations, have not been thoroughly evaluated. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the associations between the sex-specific incidence of EGFR mutations and age and obesity. We conducted a retrospective study based on the data from 1378 lung adenocarcinoma cases. The degree of obesity was categorized by body mass index (BMI). The associations between EGFR mutational status and clinical factors, including stage, smoking history, age group (≤45 years, 46-55, 56-65 and >65), and BMI group (<18.5 kg/m 2 , 18.5-22.9, 23.0-24.9 and ≥25.0) were analyzed using logistic regression models for each sex. In men, the incidence of EGFR mutation was inversely associated with age (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for age group = 0.76, p-trend = 0.003) and positively associated with obesity (adjusted OR for BMI group = 1.23, p-trend = 0.04). In contrast, in women, the incidence of EGFR mutation was positively associated with age (adjusted OR for age group = 1.19, p-trend = 0.02). However, the incidence of EGFR mutation was not statistically associated with obesity (adjusted OR for BMI group = 1.03, p-trend = 0.76). Our data suggests that age and obesity may contribute to the sex-specific incidence of EGFR mutation in lung adenocarcinoma in different manners.

Age Differences in Consumer Decision Making under Option Framing: From the Motivation Perspective

PubMed Central

Peng, Huamao; Xia, Shiyong; Ruan, Fanglin; Pu, Bingyan

2016-01-01

Option framing effect is the phenomena that participants often accept more options when they are asked to delete undesired options from a full model (subtractive framing) than they do when they are instructed to add desired options to a base model (additive framing). Whether the same effect exists in different age groups is less well known. To explore the roles of age and purchase motivations on the option framing effect for automobiles purchases, this study adopted a 3 (age group: younger, middle-aged, vs. older) × 2 (option framing: additive vs. subtractive) × 2 (focus condition: information vs. emotion) mixed design. To manipulate purchase motivations, participants in the three age groups were instructed to focus on the ratio of utility and price of options (information-focus) or the extent of pleasure induced by the options (emotion-focus) when they made purchase decisions in two framing conditions. The results revealed similar option framing effect across all age groups in the information-focus condition regarding the total price paid for accepted options. In contrast, the framing effect was not found in the emotion-focus condition. In addition, older adults accepted more options and an overall higher price than younger and middle-aged adults in both focus conditions. This difference was more obvious in the emotion-focus condition than in the information-focus condition. Moreover, both the number of accepted options and the total accepted price of the younger group in the information-focus condition were higher than those in the emotion-focus condition, whereas the older and middle-aged groups accepted same number of options and price between two focus conditions. These results imply that purchase motivation is a moderator of the option framing effect and age characteristics linked with motivations must be considered in sales. PMID:27872603

Age Differences in Consumer Decision Making under Option Framing: From the Motivation Perspective.

PubMed

Peng, Huamao; Xia, Shiyong; Ruan, Fanglin; Pu, Bingyan

2016-01-01

Option framing effect is the phenomena that participants often accept more options when they are asked to delete undesired options from a full model (subtractive framing) than they do when they are instructed to add desired options to a base model (additive framing). Whether the same effect exists in different age groups is less well known. To explore the roles of age and purchase motivations on the option framing effect for automobiles purchases, this study adopted a 3 (age group: younger, middle-aged, vs. older) × 2 (option framing: additive vs. subtractive) × 2 (focus condition: information vs. emotion) mixed design. To manipulate purchase motivations, participants in the three age groups were instructed to focus on the ratio of utility and price of options (information-focus) or the extent of pleasure induced by the options (emotion-focus) when they made purchase decisions in two framing conditions. The results revealed similar option framing effect across all age groups in the information-focus condition regarding the total price paid for accepted options. In contrast, the framing effect was not found in the emotion-focus condition. In addition, older adults accepted more options and an overall higher price than younger and middle-aged adults in both focus conditions. This difference was more obvious in the emotion-focus condition than in the information-focus condition. Moreover, both the number of accepted options and the total accepted price of the younger group in the information-focus condition were higher than those in the emotion-focus condition, whereas the older and middle-aged groups accepted same number of options and price between two focus conditions. These results imply that purchase motivation is a moderator of the option framing effect and age characteristics linked with motivations must be considered in sales.

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.

Evidence for age-related changes to temporal attention and memory from the choice time production task

PubMed Central

Gooch, Cynthia M.; Stern, Yaakov; Rakitin, Brian C.

2009-01-01

The effect of aging on interval timing was examined using a choice time production task, which required participants to choose a key response based on the location of the stimulus, but to delay responding until after a learned time interval. Experiment 1 varied attentional demands of the response choice portion of the task by varying difficulty of stimulus-response mapping. Choice difficulty affected temporal accuracy equally in both age groups, but older participants’ response latencies were more variable under more difficult response choice conditions. Experiment 2 tested the contribution of long-term memory to differences in choice time production between age groups over 3 days of testing. Direction of errors in time production between the two age groups diverged over the 3 sessions, but variability did not differ. Results from each experiment separately show age-related changes to attention and memory in temporal processing using different measures and manipulations in the same task. PMID:19132578

Trends in educational differentials in suicide mortality between 1993-2006 in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Weon Young; Khang, Young-Ho; Noh, Manegseok; Ryu, Jae-In; Son, Mia; Hong, Yeon-Pyo

2009-08-31

This study aims to examine how inequalities in suicide by education changed during and after macroeconomic restructuring following the economic crisis of 1997 in South Korea. Using Korea's 1995, 2000, and 2005 census data aggregately linked to mortality data (1993-2006), relative and absolute differentials in suicide mortality by education were calculated by gender and age among Korean population aged 35 and over. Average annual suicide mortality rates have steadily increased from 1993-1997 to 2003-2006 in almost all sociodemographic groups stratified by gender, age, and education. Based on the relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII), educational differentials in suicide mortality generally increased over time in men and women aged 45 years+. Although RII did not increase with year among men and women aged 35 - 44 years, SII showed a significantly increasing trend in this age group. These worsening absolute inequalities in suicide mortality indicate that the governmental suicide prevention policy should be directed toward socially disadvantaged groups of the Korean population.

Multi-Morbidity in Hospitalised Older Patients: Who Are the Complex Elderly?

PubMed Central

Ruiz, Milagros; Bottle, Alex; Long, Susannah; Aylin, Paul

2015-01-01

Background No formal definition for the “complex elderly” exists; moreover, these older patients with high levels of multi-morbidity are not readily identified as such at point of hospitalisation, thus missing a valuable opportunity to manage the older patient appropriately within the hospital setting. Objectives To empirically identify the complex elderly patient based on degree of multi-morbidity. Design Retrospective observational study using administrative data. Setting English hospitals during the financial year 2012–13. Subjects All admitted patients aged 65 years and over. Methods By using exploratory analysis (correspondence analysis) we identify multi-morbidity groups based on 20 target conditions whose hospital prevalence was ≥ 1%. Results We examined a total of 2788900 hospital admissions. Multi-morbidity was highly prevalent, 62.8% had 2 or more of the targeted conditions while 4.7% had six or more. Multi-morbidity increased with age from 56% (65-69yr age-groups) up to 67% (80-84yr age-group). The average multi-morbidity was 3.2±1.2 (SD). Correspondence analysis revealed 3 distinct groups of older patients. Group 1 (multi-morbidity ≤2), associated with cancer and/or metastasis; Group 2 (multi-morbidity of 3, 4 or 5), associated with chronic pulmonary disease, lung disease, rheumatism and osteoporosis; finally Group 3 with the highest level of multi-morbidity (≥6) and associated with heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, diabetes, hypertension and myocardial infarction. Conclusions By using widely available hospital administrative data, we propose patients in Groups 2 and 3 to be identified as the complex elderly. Identification of multi-morbidity patterns can help to predict the needs of the older patient and improve resource provision. PMID:26716440

Dietary intakes vary with age among Eskimo adults of Northwest Alaska in the GOCADAN study, 2000-2003.

PubMed

Nobmann, Elizabeth D; Ponce, Rafael; Mattil, Claudia; Devereux, Richard; Dyke, Bennett; Ebbesson, Sven O E; Laston, Sandra; MacCluer, Jean; Robbins, David; Romenesko, Terry; Ruotolo, Giacomo; Wenger, Charlotte R; Howard, Barbara V

2005-04-01

Dietary factors influence the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The diet of Alaskan Eskimos differs from that of other populations. We surveyed Eskimo adults in Northwest Alaska to document their usual dietary intakes, differences based on gender and age, and sources of selected nutrients, and to generate appropriate dietary advice to reduce CVD. Interviewers surveyed 850 men and women 17-92 y old, using a quantitative food-frequency instrument. We observed many significant (chi(2) analysis P < 0.05) differences in nutrient intakes among 3 age-groups. Energy intake from carbohydrate was negatively related to participant age-group (P < or = 0.01). Energy intake from all fats (P < 0.001) and polyunsaturated fat (P < or = 0.01) was positively related to age-group among both men and women in contrast to other studies in which age differences were either not observed or decreased with age. Native foods were major sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including 56% of (n-3) fatty acids primarily from seal oil and salmon. However, Native foods contributed significantly less to the diets of young adults than to those of elders, especially among women. Store-bought foods were the main sources of energy, carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, and fiber for all adults. Based on their nutrient density and potential to inhibit CVD, continued consumption of traditional foods is recommended. Variations in intake by age may portend changing eating patterns that will influence CVD as participants age. These data will contribute to understanding dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease in this population.

Vocational-Technical Education Reforms in Germany, Netherlands, France and U.K. and Their Implications to Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lung-Sheng

Three major models of vocational education and training provision for the 16- to 19-year-old age group have been identified: schooling model, which emphasizes full-time schooling until age 18; dual model, which involves mainly work-based apprenticeship training with some school-based general education; and mixed model. Germany is an exemplar of…

Does marital status predict the odds of suicidal death in taiwan? A seven-year population-based study.

PubMed

Yeh, Jui-Yuan; Xirasagar, Sudha; Liu, Tsai-Ching; Li, Chong-Yi; Lin, Herng-Ching

2008-06-01

Using nationwide, 7-year population-based data for 1997-2003, we examined marital status to see if it predicted suicide among the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan. Using cause of death data, with a case-control design, two groups-total adult suicide deaths, n = 17,850, the study group, and adult deaths other than suicide, n = 71,400 (randomly selected from age, sex, and geographic region matched controls, four per suicide)-were studied. Using multiple logistic regression analysis including age-marital status interaction, adjusted estimates show divorced status to be the most detrimental for suicide propensity, with males showing stronger effect size. Females never married, aged below 35 and 65-plus, and widowed 65-plus had lower suicide odds.

Different visuomotor processes maturation rates in children support dual visuomotor learning systems.

PubMed

Gómez-Moya, Rosinna; Díaz, Rosalinda; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

2016-04-01

Different processes are involved during visuomotor learning, including an error-based procedural and a strategy based cognitive mechanism. Our objective was to analyze if the changes in the adaptation or the aftereffect components of visuomotor learning measured across development, reflected different maturation rates of the aforementioned mechanisms. Ninety-five healthy children aged 4-12years and a group of young adults participated in a wedge prism and a dove prism throwing task, which laterally displace or horizontally reverse the visual field respectively. The results show that despite the age-related differences in motor control, all children groups adapted in the error-based wedge prisms condition. However, when removing the prism, small children showed a slower aftereffects extinction rate. On the strategy-based visual reversing task only the older children group reached adult-like levels. These results are consistent with the idea of different mechanisms with asynchronous maturation rates participating during visuomotor learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanical properties of silorane-based and methacrylate-based composite resins after artificial aging.

PubMed

de Castro, Denise Tornavoi; Lepri, César Penazzo; Valente, Mariana Lima da Costa; dos Reis, Andréa Cândido

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the compressive strength of a silorane-based composite resin (Filtek P90) to that of conventional composite resins (Charisma, Filtek Z250, Fill Magic, and NT Premium) before and after accelerated artificial aging (AAA). For each composite resin, 16 cylindrical specimens were prepared and divided into 2 groups. One group underwent analysis of compressive strength in a universal testing machine 24 hours after preparation, and the other was subjected first to 192 hours of AAA and then the compressive strength test. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey HSD post hoc test (α = 0.05). Some statistically significant differences in compressive strength were found among the commercial brands (P < 0.001). The conventional composite resin Fill Magic presented the best performance before (P < 0.05) and after AAA (P < 0.05). Values for compressive strength of the silorane-based composite were among the lowest obtained, both before and after aging. Comparison of each material before and after AAA revealed that the aging process did not influence the compressive strength of the tested resins (P = 0.785).

Prostate health index (PHI) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) predictive models for prostate cancer in the Chinese population and the role of digital rectal examination-estimated prostate volume.

PubMed

Chiu, Peter K F; Roobol, Monique J; Teoh, Jeremy Y; Lee, Wai-Man; Yip, Siu-Ying; Hou, See-Ming; Bangma, Chris H; Ng, Chi-Fai

2016-10-01

To investigate PSA- and PHI (prostate health index)-based models for prediction of prostate cancer (PCa) and the feasibility of using DRE-estimated prostate volume (DRE-PV) in the models. This study included 569 Chinese men with PSA 4-10 ng/mL and non-suspicious DRE with transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) 10-core prostate biopsies performed between April 2008 and July 2015. DRE-PV was estimated using 3 pre-defined classes: 25, 40, or 60 ml. The performance of PSA-based and PHI-based predictive models including age, DRE-PV, and TRUS prostate volume (TRUS-PV) was analyzed using logistic regression and area under the receiver operating curves (AUC), in both the whole cohort and the screening age group of 55-75. PCa and high-grade PCa (HGPCa) was diagnosed in 10.9 % (62/569) and 2.8 % (16/569) men, respectively. The performance of DRE-PV-based models was similar to TRUS-PV-based models. In the age group 55-75, the AUCs for PCa of PSA alone, PSA with DRE-PV and age, PHI alone, PHI with DRE-PV and age, and PHI with TRUS-PV and age were 0.54, 0.71, 0.76, 0.78, and 0.78, respectively. The corresponding AUCs for HGPCa were higher (0.60, 0.70, 0.85, 0.83, and 0.83). At 10 and 20 % risk threshold for PCa, 38.4 and 55.4 % biopsies could be avoided in the PHI-based model, respectively. PHI had better performance over PSA-based models and could reduce unnecessary biopsies. A DRE-assessed PV can replace TRUS-assessed PV in multivariate prediction models to facilitate clinical use.

Mental Health in School-Aged Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Other Substances

PubMed Central

Sandtorv, Lisbeth Beate; Hysing, Mari; Rognlid, Malin; Nilsen, Sondre Aasen; Elgen, Irene Bircow

2017-01-01

Prenatal exposure to substances can possibly influence a child’s neurodevelopment and may impact on subsequent mental health. We investigated the mental health status of school-aged children referred to a pediatric hospital with a history of prenatal exposure to alcohol or other substances. Mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and compared with a reference group. A total of 105 of 128 (82%) eligible children prenatally exposed to substances participated in the study, with 48 children exposed to alcohol and 57 to other substances. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscale mean scores, total difficulties scores, and total impact scores were statistically significantly higher in the group of exposed children, compared with the reference group. In this hospital-based population of school-aged children prenatally exposed to alcohol or other substances, the exposed group had an increased risk of mental health problems, compared with the reference group. PMID:29581703

Effects of insulin resistance on white matter microstructure in middle-aged and older adults

PubMed Central

Coutu, Jean-Philippe; Rosas, H. Diana; Salat, David H.

2014-01-01

Objective: To investigate the potential relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and white matter (WM) microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging in cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults. Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging was acquired from 127 individuals (age range 41–86 years). IR was evaluated by the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR). Participants were divided into 2 groups based on HOMA-IR values: “high HOMA-IR” (≥2.5, n = 27) and “low HOMA-IR” (<2.5, n = 100). Cross-sectional voxel-based comparisons were performed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics and anatomically defined regions of interest analysis. Results: The high HOMA-IR group demonstrated decreased axial diffusivity broadly throughout the cerebral WM in areas such as the corpus callosum, corona radiata, cerebral peduncle, posterior thalamic radiation, and right superior longitudinal fasciculus, and WM underlying the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, as well as decreased fractional anisotropy in the body and genu of corpus callosum and parts of the superior and anterior corona radiata, compared with the low HOMA-IR group, independent of age, WM signal abnormality volume, and antihypertensive medication status. These regions additionally demonstrated linear associations between diffusion measures and HOMA-IR across all subjects, with higher HOMA-IR values being correlated with lower axial diffusivity. Conclusions: In generally healthy adults, greater IR is associated with alterations in WM tissue integrity. These cross-sectional findings suggest that IR contributes to WM microstructural alterations in middle-aged and older adults. PMID:24771537

Correlates of comorbid anxiety and externalizing disorders in childhood obsessive compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Langley, Audra K; Lewin, Adam B; Bergman, R Lindsey; Lee, Joyce C; Piacentini, John

2010-08-01

The present study examines the influence of diagnostic comorbidity on the demographic, psychiatric, and functional status of youth with a primary diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Two hundred and fifteen children (ages 5-17) referred to a university-based OCD specialty clinic were compared based on DSM-IV diagnostic profile: OCD without comorbid anxiety or externalizing disorder, OCD plus anxiety disorder, and OCD plus externalizing disorder. No age or gender differences were found across groups. Higher OCD severity was found for the OCD + ANX group, while the OCD + EXT group reported greater functional impairment than the other two groups. Lower family cohesion was reported by the OCD + EXT group compared to the OCD group and the OCD + ANX group reported higher family conflict compared to the OCD + EXT group. The OCD + ANX group had significantly lower rates of tic disorders while rates of depressive disorders did not differ among the three groups. The presence of comorbid anxiety and externalizing psychopathology are associated with greater symptom severity and functional and family impairment and underscores the importance of a better understanding of the relationship of OCD characteristics and associated disorders. Results and clinical implications are further discussed.

DNA methylation-based measures of biological age: meta-analysis predicting time to death

PubMed Central

Chen, Brian H.; Marioni, Riccardo E.; Colicino, Elena; Peters, Marjolein J.; Ward-Caviness, Cavin K.; Tsai, Pei-Chien; Roetker, Nicholas S.; Just, Allan C.; Demerath, Ellen W.; Guan, Weihua; Bressler, Jan; Fornage, Myriam; Studenski, Stephanie; Vandiver, Amy R.; Moore, Ann Zenobia; Tanaka, Toshiko; Kiel, Douglas P.; Liang, Liming; Vokonas, Pantel; Schwartz, Joel; Lunetta, Kathryn L.; Murabito, Joanne M.; Bandinelli, Stefania; Hernandez, Dena G.; Melzer, David; Nalls, Michael; Pilling, Luke C.; Price, Timothy R.; Singleton, Andrew B.; Gieger, Christian; Holle, Rolf; Kretschmer, Anja; Kronenberg, Florian; Kunze, Sonja; Linseisen, Jakob; Meisinger, Christine; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Waldenberger, Melanie; Visscher, Peter M.; Shah, Sonia; Wray, Naomi R.; McRae, Allan F.; Franco, Oscar H.; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, André G.; Absher, Devin; Assimes, Themistocles; Levine, Morgan E.; Lu, Ake T.; Tsao, Philip S.; Hou, Lifang; Manson, JoAnn E.; Carty, Cara L.; LaCroix, Andrea Z.; Reiner, Alexander P.; Spector, Tim D.; Feinberg, Andrew P.; Levy, Daniel; Baccarelli, Andrea; van Meurs, Joyce; Bell, Jordana T.; Peters, Annette; Deary, Ian J.; Pankow, James S.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Horvath, Steve

2016-01-01

Estimates of biological age based on DNA methylation patterns, often referred to as “epigenetic age”, “DNAm age”, have been shown to be robust biomarkers of age in humans. We previously demonstrated that independent of chronological age, epigenetic age assessed in blood predicted all-cause mortality in four human cohorts. Here, we expanded our original observation to 13 different cohorts for a total sample size of 13,089 individuals, including three racial/ethnic groups. In addition, we examined whether incorporating information on blood cell composition into the epigenetic age metrics improves their predictive power for mortality. All considered measures of epigenetic age acceleration were predictive of mortality (p≤8.2×10−9), independent of chronological age, even after adjusting for additional risk factors (p<5.4×10−4), and within the racial/ethnic groups that we examined (non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, African Americans). Epigenetic age estimates that incorporated information on blood cell composition led to the smallest p-values for time to death (p=7.5×10−43). Overall, this study a) strengthens the evidence that epigenetic age predicts all-cause mortality above and beyond chronological age and traditional risk factors, and b) demonstrates that epigenetic age estimates that incorporate information on blood cell counts lead to highly significant associations with all-cause mortality. PMID:27690265

Relative Leukocyte Telomere Length, Hematological Parameters and Anemia - Data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II).

PubMed

Meyer, Antje; Salewsky, Bastian; Buchmann, Nikolaus; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Demuth, Ilja

2016-01-01

The length of the chromosome ends, telomeres, is widely accepted as a biomarker of aging. However, the dynamic of the relationship between telomere length and hematopoietic parameters in the normal aging process, which is of particular interest with respect to age-related anemia, is not well understood. We have analyzed the relationship between relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) and several hematological parameters in the older group of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) participants. This paper also compares rLTL between both BASE-II age groups (22-37 and 60-83 years). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes of BASE-II participants and used to determine rLTL by a quantitative PCR protocol. Standard methods were used to determine blood parameters, and the WHO criteria were used to identify anemic participants. Telomere length data were available for 444 younger participants (28.4 ± 3.1 years old; 52% women) and 1,460 older participants (68.2 ± 3.7 years old; 49.4% women). rLTL was significantly shorter in BASE-II participants of the older group (p = 3.7 × 10-12) and in women (p = 4.2 × 10-31). rLTL of older men exhibited a statistically significant, positive partial correlation with mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH; p = 0.012) and MCH concentration (p = 0.002). While these correlations were only observed in men, the rLTL of older women was negatively correlated with the number of thrombocytes (p = 0.015) in the same type of analysis. Among all older participants, 6% met the criteria to be categorized as 'anemic'; however, there was no association between anemia and rLTL. In the present study, we have detected isolated correlations between rLTL and hematological parameters; however, in all cases, rLTL explained only a small part of the variation of the analyzed parameters. In disagreement with some other studies showing similar data, we interpret the association between rLTL and some of the hematological parameters studied here to be at most marginal. This applies also to the role of rLTL in anemia, at least in the age group investigated here. Since BASE-II is yet another large cohort in which women have on average shorter telomeres than men, this finding will be addressed in the discussion with respect to the ongoing debate on gender differences in telomere length. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Use of Choice-Based Distraction to Decrease the Distress of Children at the Dentist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filcheck, Holly A.; Allen, Keith D.; Ogren, Hilary; Darby, James Brandt; Holstein, Brian; Hupp, Steve

2005-01-01

This research was conducted to examine whether choice-based distraction provides an effective means of reducing the distress of children undergoing routine dental treatment. Sixty children between the ages of 5-12 who required restorative dental treatment were assigned randomly to either a Control group or a Distraction group in which the…

Game-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (GB-CBT) Group Program for Children Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse: A Preliminary Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misurell, Justin R.; Springer, Craig; Tryon, Warren W.

2011-01-01

This preliminary investigation examined the efficacy of a game-based cognitive-behavioral therapy group program for elementary school-aged children who have experienced sexual abuse. Treatment aimed to improve: (a) internalizing symptoms, (b) externalizing behaviors, (c) sexually inappropriate behaviors, (d) social skills deficits, (e) self-esteem…

Trends in stage-specific incidence of prostate cancer in Norway, 1980-2010: a population-based study.

PubMed

Møller, Mette H; Kristiansen, Ivar S; Beisland, Christian; Rørvik, Jarle; Støvring, Henrik

2016-10-01

To estimate changes in the stage distribution of prostate cancer during the time period where opportunistic prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing was introduced. Cancer stage, age, and year of diagnosis were obtained for all men aged >50 years diagnosed with prostate cancer in Norway during the period 1980-2010. Three calendar-time periods (1980-1989, 1990-2000, and 2001-2010) and three age groups (50-65, 66-74, and ≥75 years) were defined. Birth cohorts were categorised into four intervals: ≤1915, 1916-1925, 1926-1940 and ≥1941. We used Poisson regressions to conduct both a time period and cohort-based analysis of trends in the incidence of localised, regional, and distant cancer for each combination of age groups and calendar-time periods or birth cohorts, respectively. Additionally, we explored the effect of cohorts on the stage-specific incidence graphically with a Poisson regression using 5-year age groups, and by estimating cumulative incidence rates for each birth cohort. The annual incidence of localised cancers among men aged 50-65 and 66-74 years rose from 41.4 and 255.2 per 100 000, respectively, before the introduction of PSA testing to 137.9 and 418.7 in 2001-2010 afterwards, corresponding to 3.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1-3.5] and 1.6 (95% CI 1.6-1.7) fold increases. The incidence of regional cancers increased by a factor seven among men aged <75 years. The incidence of distant cancers in men aged ≥75 years decreased by 29% (95% CI 25-33%). These findings were confirmed in the cohort-based approach. Opportunistic PSA testing substantially increased the incidence of localised and regional prostate cancers among men aged 50-74 years, which was not fully compensated by the 30% decrease in incidence of distant prostate cancers in older men. © 2015 The Authors BJU International © 2015 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Response to Name in Infants Developing Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Study

PubMed Central

Miller, Meghan; Iosif, Ana-Maria; Hill, Monique; Young, Gregory S.; Schwichtenberg, A. J.; Ozonoff, Sally

2017-01-01

Objective To examine longitudinal patterns of response to name from 6–24 months of age in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Study design A response to name task was tested at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 24 months of age in 156 infant siblings of children with ASD (high-risk) or typical development (low-risk). At 36 months of age, participants were classified into 1 of 3 outcome groups: group with ASD (n = 20), high-risk group without ASD (n = 76), or low-risk group without ASD (n = 60). Differences in longitudinal performance were assessed using generalized estimating equations, and sensitivity and specificity for identifying ASD were calculated. Differences in age 36-month functioning were examined between infants who developed ASD and repeatedly vs infrequently failed to respond to name. Results At 9 months of age, infants developing ASD were more likely to fail to orient to their names, persisting through 24 months. Sensitivity/specificity for identifying ASD based on at least 1 failure between 12 and 24 months were estimated at .70 in this sample. One-half of the infants who developed ASD had repeated failures in this timeframe, and demonstrated lower age 36-month receptive language, and earlier diagnosis of ASD than infants with ASD who had infrequent failures. Conclusions In addition to recommended routine broad-based and ASD-specific screening, response to name should be regularly monitored in infants at risk for ASD. Infants who consistently fail to respond to their names in the second year of life may be at risk not only for ASD but also for greater impairment by age 3 years. PMID:28162768

Office-Based Point of Care Testing (IgA/IgG-Deamidated Gliadin Peptide) for Celiac Disease.

PubMed

Lau, Michelle S; Mooney, Peter D; White, William L; Rees, Michael A; Wong, Simon H; Hadjivassiliou, Marios; Green, Peter H R; Lebwohl, Benjamin; Sanders, David S

2018-06-19

Celiac disease (CD) is common yet under-detected. A point of care test (POCT) may improve CD detection. We aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of an IgA/IgG-deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP)-based POCT for CD detection, patient acceptability, and inter-observer variability of the POCT results. From 2013-2017, we prospectively recruited patients referred to secondary care with gastrointestinal symptoms, anemia and/or weight loss (group 1); and patients with self-reported gluten sensitivity with unknown CD status (group 2). All patients had concurrent POCT, IgA-tissue transglutaminase (IgA-TTG), IgA-endomysial antibodies (IgA-EMA), total IgA levels, and duodenal biopsies. Five hundred patients completed acceptability questionnaires, and inter-observer variability of the POCT results was compared among five clinical staff for 400 cases. Group 1: 1000 patients, 58.5% female, age 16-91, median age 57. Forty-one patients (4.1%) were diagnosed with CD. The sensitivities of the POCT, IgA-TTG, and IgA-EMA were 82.9, 78.1, and 70.7%; the specificities were 85.4, 96.3, and 99.8%. Group 2: 61 patients, 83% female; age 17-73, median age 35. The POCT had 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value in detecting CD in group 2. Most patients preferred the POCT to venepuncture (90.4% vs. 2.8%). There was good inter-observer agreement on the POCT results with a Fleiss Kappa coefficient of 0.895. The POCT had comparable sensitivities to serology, and correctly identified all CD cases in a gluten sensitive cohort. However, its low specificity may increase unnecessary investigations. Despite its advantage of convenience and rapid results, it may not add significant value to case finding in an office-based setting.

The Hercules-Lyra association revisited. New age estimation and multiplicity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenbeiss, T.; Ammler-von Eiff, M.; Roell, T.; Mugrauer, M.; Adam, Ch.; Neuhäuser, R.; Schmidt, T. O. B.; Bedalov, A.

2013-08-01

Context. The Hercules-Lyra association, a purported nearby young moving group, contains a few tens of zero age main sequence stars of spectral types F to M. The existence and the properties of the Her-Lyr association are controversial and have been discussed in the literature. Aims: The present work reassesses the properties and the member list of the Her-Lyr association based on kinematics and age indicators. Many objects form multiple systems or have low-mass companions and so we need to properly account for multiplicity. Methods: We use our own new imaging observations and archival data to identify multiple systems. The colors and magnitudes of kinematic candidates are compared to isochrones. We derive further information on the age based on Li depletion, rotation, and coronal and chromospheric activity. A set of canonical members is identified to infer mean properties. Membership criteria are derived from the mean properties and used to discard non-members. Results: The candidates selected from the literature belong to 35 stellar systems, 42.9% of which are multiple. Four multiple systems (V538 Aur, DX Leo, V382 Ser, and HH Leo) are confirmed in this work by common proper motion. An orbital solution is presented for the binary system which forms a hierarchical triple with HH Leo. Indeed, a group of candidates displays signatures of youth. Seven canonical members are identified The distribution of Li equivalent widths of canonical Her-Lyr members is spread widely and is similar to that of the Pleiades and the UMa group. Gyrochronology gives an age of 257 ± 46 Myr which is roughly in between the ages of the Pleiades and the Ursa Major group. The measures of chromospheric and coronal activity support the young age. Four membership criteria are presented based on kinematics, lithium equivalent width, chromospheric activity, and gyrochronological age. In total, eleven stars are identified as certain members including co-moving objects plus additional 23 possible members while 14 candidates are doubtful or can be rejected. A comparison to the mass function, however, indicates the presence of a large number of additional low-mass members, which remain unidentified. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programs ID: 380.C-0248(A) (Service Mode, VLT-Yepun) and ID: 074.C-0084(B) (on 2005 Jan. 06, VLT-Yepun).Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

Diabetes and work: 12-year national follow-up study of the association of diabetes incidence with socioeconomic group, age, gender and country of origin.

PubMed

Poulsen, Kjeld; Cleal, Bryan; Willaing, Ingrid

2014-12-01

To investigate the extent and socioeconomic distribution of incident diabetes among the Danish working-age population. The Danish National Diabetes Register was linked with socioeconomic and population-based registers covering the entire population. We analysed the 12-year diabetes incidence using multivariate Poisson regression for 2,086,682 people, adjusting for gender, 10-year age groups, main population groups defined by country of origin, and seven socioeconomic groups: professionals, managers, technicians, workers skilled at basic level, unskilled workers, unemployed and pensioners. The crude 12-year incidence of diabetes was 5.8%. The saturated multivariate model, adjusted for gender, age, country of origin and socioeconomic status; showed a relative risk (RR) for diabetes incidence of 1.44 for male (reference: female), 3.95 for the age range of 50-59 years (reference: 30-39 years), 2.07 for unskilled workers (reference: professionals) and 2.15 for people from countries of 'non-Western origin' (reference: Danish origin). Diabetes incidence increases with age, male gender and low socioeconomic status; and also among people from countries of 'non-Western origin'. The results indicate that getting a more senior workforce will substantially increase the proportion of workers with diabetes, especially among already vulnerable groups. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Association between the nutritional status and the severity of sarcopenia among community-dwelling elderly Japanese people.

PubMed

Komai, Satsuki; Watanabe, Yutaka; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Kim, Hunkyung; Edahiro, Ayako; Kawai, Hisashi; Yoshida, Hideyo; Obuchi, Shuichi; Tanaka, Yayoi; Hirano, Hirohiko

2016-01-01

To investigate the association between nutritional evaluation indices (body mass index, albumin, and weight loss) and sarcopenia severity among community-dwelling elderly people in Japan. The subjects consisted of 758 community-dwelling elderly people ≥65 years of age, categorized into two groups by based on Operation of long life medical care system (medical care system for elderly in the latter stage of life), the cut-off value for age used was 75. The outcome measures were basic characteristics, anthropometric measures, physical function, and blood biochemistry (five assessments). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass was calculated via a bioelectrical impedance analysis. The subjects were categorized into three groups by the body mass index (BMI) [BMI 3 group]. The cut-off value for albumin used was 3.8 g/dL [A1b 2 group]. Weight loss was assessed using item 11 on the Kihon check list: "Have you experienced more than 2-3 kg weight loss over the past 6 months? Yes=1, No=0." [weight loss 2 group]. Sarcopenia was defined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People definition, using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia cut-off values. All subjects were then categorized into four groups based on their sarcopenia status: non-sarcopenic (non-), pre-sarcopenic (pre-), sarcopenic (sarco-), or severely sarcopenic (severe-) [sarco4 group]. The prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia in men was 5.6% (n=18) and 1.2% (n=4), respectively, and in women was 7.8% (n=34) and 1.6% (n=7), respectively. The analysis showed that, among the people (>75 years of age) with normal BMI (18.5-25.0), 10.4%-15.6% were in the Sarco group. Further, among women over 75 years of age with BMI >25.0, 5.7% (n=2) were in the Sarco group. There was a significant association between weight loss and sarcopenia severity in older men. No significant association between albumin levels and sarcopenia severity was observed. 80.0% of weight-loss was presented in above BMI 18.5 kg/m2 and Alb 3.8 g/dL. Sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were prevalent among those with normal BMI, and particularly among obese women over 75 years of age. Weight-loss was presented in above BMI 18.5 kg/m2 and Alb 3.8 g/dL. Our findings indicate that the nutritional evaluation indices, including BMI, albumin, and weight loss, were insufficient in screening for malnutrition and sarcopenia among the elderly.

Effect of age on the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly population: The Shanghai Changfeng Study.

PubMed

Wu, Li; Lin, Huandong; Gao, Jian; Li, Xiaoming; Xia, Mingfeng; Wang, Dan; Aleteng, Qiqige; Ma, Hui; Pan, Baishen; Gao, Xin

2017-01-01

Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5% (or 48mmol/mol) has been recommended as a new diagnostic criterion for diabetes; however, limited literature is available regarding the effect of age on the HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes and the causes for this age effect remain unknown. In this study, we investigated whether and why age affects the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes in a community-based Chinese population. In total, 4325 participants without previously known diabetes were enrolled in this study. Participants were stratified by age. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted for each age group and the area under the curve (AUC) represented the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes defined by the plasma glucose criteria. The area under the ROC curve in each one-year age group was defined as AUCage. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors inducing the association between age and AUCage based on the changes in the β and P values of age. The current threshold of HbA1c (≥6.5% or 48mmol/mol) showed low sensitivity (35.6%) and high specificity (98.9%) in diagnosing diabetes. ROC curve analyses showed that the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c in the ≥75 years age group was significantly lower than that in the 45-54 years age group (AUC: 0.755 vs. 0.878; P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the AUCage of HbA1c was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.557, P = 0.001). When adjusting the red blood cell (RBC) count in the multiple regression model, the negative association between age and AUCage disappeared, with the regression coefficient of age reversed to 0.001 and the P value increased to 0.856. The diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes decreased with aging, and this age effect was induced by the decreasing RBC count with age. HbA1c is unsuitable for diagnosing diabetes in elderly individuals because of their physiologically decreased RBC count.

Effect of age on the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly population: The Shanghai Changfeng Study

PubMed Central

Gao, Jian; Li, Xiaoming; Xia, Mingfeng; Wang, Dan; Aleteng, Qiqige; Ma, Hui; Pan, Baishen

2017-01-01

Background and aims Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5% (or 48mmol/mol) has been recommended as a new diagnostic criterion for diabetes; however, limited literature is available regarding the effect of age on the HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes and the causes for this age effect remain unknown. In this study, we investigated whether and why age affects the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes in a community-based Chinese population. Methods In total, 4325 participants without previously known diabetes were enrolled in this study. Participants were stratified by age. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted for each age group and the area under the curve (AUC) represented the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes defined by the plasma glucose criteria. The area under the ROC curve in each one-year age group was defined as AUCage. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors inducing the association between age and AUCage based on the changes in the β and P values of age. Results The current threshold of HbA1c (≥6.5% or 48mmol/mol) showed low sensitivity (35.6%) and high specificity (98.9%) in diagnosing diabetes. ROC curve analyses showed that the diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c in the ≥75 years age group was significantly lower than that in the 45–54 years age group (AUC: 0.755 vs. 0.878; P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the AUCage of HbA1c was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.557, P = 0.001). When adjusting the red blood cell (RBC) count in the multiple regression model, the negative association between age and AUCage disappeared, with the regression coefficient of age reversed to 0.001 and the P value increased to 0.856. Conclusions The diagnostic efficiency of HbA1c for diabetes decreased with aging, and this age effect was induced by the decreasing RBC count with age. HbA1c is unsuitable for diagnosing diabetes in elderly individuals because of their physiologically decreased RBC count. PMID:28886160

The cutoffs and performance of glycated hemoglobin for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes in a young and middle-aged population and in an elderly population.

PubMed

Yan, Shuang-Tong; Xiao, Hai-Ying; Tian, Hui; Li, Chun-Lin; Fang, Fu-Sheng; Li, Xiao-Ying; Cheng, Xiao-Ling; Li, Nan; Miao, Xin-Yu; Yang, Yan; Wang, Liang-Chen; Zou, Xiao-Man; Ma, Fang-Ling; He, Yao; Sai, Xiao-Yong

2015-08-01

The aims were to compare the appropriate cutoffs of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in a population of varying ages and to evaluate the performance of HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes. A total of 1064 participants in the young and middle-aged group and 1671 in the elderly group were included and underwent HbA1c testing and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the optimal HbA1c cutoffs. Kappa coefficients were used to test for agreement between HbA1c categorization and OGTT-based diagnoses. The optimal HbA1c cutoffs for diagnosing diabetes were 5.7% (39 mmol/mol) in the young and middle-aged group with a sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 86.7%, and AUC of 0.821 (95% CI: 0.686, 0.955) and 5.9% (41 mmol/mol) in the elderly group with a sensitivity of 80.4%, specificity of 73.3%, and AUC of 0.831 (0.801, 0.861). The optimal cutoffs for diagnosing prediabetes were 5.6% (38 mmol/mol) and 5.7% (39 mmol/mol) in the young and middle-aged group and in the elderly group, respectively. Agreement between the OGTT-based diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes and the optimal HbA1c cutoff was low (all kappa coefficients <0.4). The combination of HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose increased diagnostic sensitivities or specificities. In conclusion, age-specific HbA1c cutoffs for diagnosing diabetes or prediabetes were appropriate. Furthermore, the performance of HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes was poor. HbA1c should be used in combination with traditional glucose criteria when detecting and diagnosing diabetes or prediabetes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult age differences in perceptually based, but not conceptually based implicit tests of memory.

PubMed

Small, B J; Hultsch, D F; Masson, M E

1995-05-01

Implicit tests of memory assess the influence of recent experience without requiring awareness of remembering. Evidence concerning age differences on implicit tests of memory suggests small age differences in favor of younger adults. However, the majority of research examining this issue has relied upon perceptually based implicit tests. Recently, a second type of implicit test, one that relies upon conceptually based processes, has been identified. The pattern of age differences on this second type of implicit test is less clear. In the present study, we examined the pattern of age differences on one conceptually based (fact completion) and one perceptually based (stem completion) implicit test of memory, as well as two explicit tests of memory (fact and word recall). Tasks were administered to 403 adults from three age groups (19-34 years, 58-73 years, 74-89 years). Significant age differences in favor of the young were found on stem completion but not fact completion. Age differences were present for both word and fast recall. Correlational analyses examining the relationship of memory performance to other cognitive variables indicated that the implicit tests were supported by different components than the explicit tests, as well as being different from each other.

A CHC Theory-Based Analysis of Age Differences on Cognitive Abilities and Academic Skills at Ages 22 to 90 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Alan S.; Johnson, Cheryl K.; Liu, Xin

2008-01-01

Age differences for nine age groups between 22 and 25 years and 81 and 90 years were evaluated, covarying educational attainment, on five Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) abilities: fluid reasoning (Gf), crystallized ability (Gc), quantitative knowledge (Gq), reading (Grw-Reading), and writing (Grw-Writing). Data were from the adult portions of the…

Age-dependent change in urine proteome of healthy individuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrokhotov, Igor; Liudmila Pastushkova, MRS.; Larina, Irina; Kononikhin, Alexey

It was analyzed the protein composition of urine samples obtained from twenty Russian cosmonauts and thirty-eight healthy volunteers, that have been selected for the experiments simulating the physiological effects of microgravity. The special sample preparation was performed, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of the minor proteins was performed on a nano-HPLC Agilent 1100 system (Agilent Technologies Inc., USA) in combination with a LTQ-FT Ultra mass spectrometer (Thermo Electron, Germany). List of masses derived peptides and they fragments have used for search and identification of proteins by database IPI-human (international index of protein) using the program Mascot (MS version 2.0.04 , UK) according to the following criteria: 1 - enzyme-trypsin; 2 - peptide tol. ± 5 ppm; 3 - MS / MS tol. 0.5Da. From list of proteins obtained as a result Mascot-search it was selected only those proteins that were identified based on 2 or more peptides with the rating more than 24. Analysis of the list of proteins was performed using software developed in the laboratory of VA Ivanisenko (ICG SB RAS) Age of healthy individuals was ranged from 18 to 54 years. Depending on the age, the data were divided into three groups: those relating to the group of persons under 25 years (youth and mature age 1), 25-40 years (mature age 2) and 40-54 years (mature age 3) It was detected reliable changes in the number of proteins among groups depending of the age. It was found that the minimum number of different proteins were detected in the urine of the group of young patients (under 25 years old) , and the maximum - was observed in the group of middle-aged persons (25 to 40 years). When the proteins were compared according to their molecular mass it was revealed that in the older group (40-54 years ) there is noticeably smaller percentage of high molecular weight proteins than in groups of young and middle aged persons. Thus, proteomic studies of urine samples can detect reliable age differences between groups of subjects, reflecting both age-specific features of processes of protein reabsorption by the kidneys, and the aging process in general.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Population Incidence and Mortality Rates, and 28-day Case-fatality in Older Adults. The REGICOR Study.

PubMed

Vázquez-Oliva, Gabriel; Zamora, Alberto; Ramos, Rafel; Marti, Ruth; Subirana, Isaac; Grau, María; Dégano, Irene R; Marrugat, Jaume; Elosua, Roberto

2017-11-22

Our aims were to determine acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence and mortality rates, and population and in-hospital case-fatality in the population older than 74 years; variability in clinical characteristics and AMI management of hospitalized patients, and changes in the incidence and mortality rates, case-fatality, and management by age groups from 1996 to 1997 and 2007 to 2008. A population-based AMI registry in Girona (Catalonia, Spain) including individuals with suspected AMI older than 34 years. The incidence rate increased with age from 169 and 28 cases/100 000 per year in the group aged 35 to 64 years to 2306 and 1384 cases/100 000 per year in the group aged 85 to 94 years, in men and women, respectively. Population case-fatality also increased with age, from 19% in the group aged 35 to 64 years to 84% in the group aged 85 to 94 years. A lower population case-fatality was observed in the second period, mainly explained by a lower in-hospital case-fatality. The use of invasive procedures and effective drugs decreased with age but increased in the second period in all ages up to 84 years. Acute myocardial infarction incidence, mortality, and case-fatality increased exponentially with age. There is still a gap in the use of invasive procedures and effective drugs between younger and older patients. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Sports engagement and age at first myocardial infarction in men under 55 years of age.

PubMed

Janggen, Christoph; Gräni, Christoph; Brunner, Jonas; Trachsel, Lukas D; Windecker, Stephan; Eser, Prisca; Räber, Lorenz; Wilhelm, Matthias

2017-01-01

Low levels of physical activity in childhood are associated with clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) as predisposition for atherosclerosis. We assessed the association between sports engagement and age at first myocardial infarction (MI) in a cohort of men under 55 years of age. The Bern percutaneous coronary intervention Registry (NCT 02241291) was analyzed from March 2009 until January 2012. Male patients with first MI, age 18 to 54 years and body mass index ≤25kg/m2 were included. Patients were stratified into two groups based on their starting age with organized sports ≥1 h/week outside school (EARLY: <18, CONTROL: ≥18 years or never). We assessed age at time of first MI, CVRF, and volume of sports training. Of 4,394 consecutive patients, 123 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (EARLY n = 81, CONTROL n = 42). Age at the time of first MI was 3 years younger in the EARLY compared to the CONTROL group (46.8±6.0 vs. 49.8±4.6 years, p = 0.006). Total lifetime training hours, and average yearly training hours, both, before and after age 18, were significantly greater in the EARLY group. Years of training <18 years were weakly inversely correlated with age at first MI (r2 = 0.075, p = 0.002). The proportion of sports-related MI was not different between EARLY and CONTROL (13.6% vs. 11.9%). Patients in the EARLY group had fewer CVRF (2 vs. 3; p = 0.001). Prevalence of smoking was equally high in both groups (63.0% and 64.3%). In our patients aged 54 and younger, the first MI occurred 3 years earlier in those who started regular sports activity before age 18, despite a more active lifestyle and favorable CVRF profile.

Comparison of Oral and Axillary Temperatures in Intubated Pediatric Patients.

PubMed

Wood, Danielle; Heitschmidt, Mary; Fogg, Louis

2018-05-10

Accurate body temperature measurement is essential in providing timely care to critically ill patients. Current practice within the Pediatric ICU (PICU) at a Midwestern academic medical center is to obtain axillary temperatures in endotracheally intubated patients. According to research, axillary temperatures have greater variance than other forms of temperature measurement. Research in adult patients show that oral temperature measurement in endotracheally intubated patients is acceptable as the heated gases from the ventilator has no significant effect on measured temperatures. This study sought to determine if the same is true in pediatrics. Oral and axillary temperatures of endotracheally intubated pediatric patients were obtained during unit prescribed vital assessment intervals. Patients were divided into neonate, infant, and children age groups with 25 sets of temperatures obtained for each group. Descriptive statistics and Bland-Altman plot interpretation were performed to determine confidence intervals for each age group. Bland-Altman plot analysis of oral and axillary routes of temperature measurement showed a high positive correlation within all age groups studied. The infant age group showed lower correlation in comparison to neonates and children. The infant age group also had an outlier of data sets with lower oral temperatures as compared to the axilla. Oral temperature measurement is a viable alternative to axillary temperature measurement in endotracheally intubated pediatric patients. Correction factors for age groups were calculated for prediction of axillary temperature based on measured oral temperature. This study serves as evidence for practice change within the studied unit. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Work characteristics predict the development of multi-site musculoskeletal pain.

PubMed

Oakman, Jodi; de Wind, Astrid; van den Heuvel, Swenne G; van der Beek, Allard J

2017-10-01

Musculoskeletal pain in more than one body region is common and a barrier to sustaining employment. We aimed to examine whether work characteristics predict the development of multi-site pain (MSP), and to determine differences in work-related predictors between age groups. This study is based on 5136 employees from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM) who reported no MSP at baseline. Measures included physical, emotional, mental, and psychological job demands, social support and autonomy. Predictors of MSP were studied by logistic regression analyses. Univariate and multivariate analyses with age stratification (45-49, 50-54, 55-59, and 60-64 years) were done to explore differences between age groups. All work characteristics with the exception of autonomy were predictive of the development of MSP, with odds ratios varying from 1.21 (95% CI 1.04-1.40) for mental job demands to 1.63 (95% CI 1.43-1.86) for physical job demands. No clear pattern of age-related differences in the predictors of MSP emerged, with the exception of social support, which was predictive of MSP developing in all age groups except for the age group 60-64 years. Adverse physical and psychosocial work characteristics are associated with MSP. Organisations need to comprehensively assess work environments to ensure that all relevant workplace hazards, physical and psychosocial, are identified and then controlled for across all age groups.

Modifications of the acidic soluble salivary proteome in human children from birth to the age of 48months investigated by a top-down HPLC-ESI-MS platform.

PubMed

Manconi, B; Cabras, T; Pisano, E; Sanna, M T; Olianas, A; Fanos, V; Faa, G; Nemolato, S; Iavarone, F; Castagnola, M; Messana, I

2013-10-08

During the first year of life the infant oral environment undergoes dramatic changes. To investigate how the salivary proteome of human children evolves during infant development we have analyzed whole saliva of 88 children aged between 0 and 48months by a top-down platform based on RP-HPLC-ESI-MS. Children were divided according to their age into five groups (A, 0-6months, N=17; B, 7-12months, N=14; C, 13-24months, N=32; D, 25-36months, N=16; E, 37-48months, N=9). The proteins and peptides analyzed were histatins (histatin-1, histatin-3 1/24), acidic proline-rich proteins, statherin, P-B peptide, and salivary cystatins. Protein and peptide quantification based on the area of the RP-HPLC-ESI-MS extracted ion current peak evidenced that: (i) concentrations of the major salivary proteins/peptides showed a minimum in the 0-6-month-old group and increased with age; (ii) the level of histatin-1 reached a maximum in the 7-12-month-old group, a minimum in the 13-24-month-aged babies and it increased again in the 25-36-month-old group; (iii) S-type cystatins were almost undetectable in the 0-6-month-old group; (iv) P-B peptide concentration greatly increased with age; (v) histatin-3 1/24 and statherin concentrations did not show any age-related variation. The top-down proteomic approach undertaken in this work reveals that the salivary proteome of human children from birth to 48months of age shows important quantitative modifications. The concentrations of the major salivary proteins, with the exception of statherin and histatin-3 1/24, showed a minimum in the 0-6-month-old group when the expression in salivary glands is probably not fully activated. Concentrations of the salivary proteins slowly increased with age, with different trends. Only histatin-1 showed the highest concentration in the 7-12-month-old group, followed by a decrease in the 13-24-month-aged children. This particular trend could be related to the phenomenon of eruption of primary dentition. This study gives a contribution to the knowledge on the physiological variability occurring in human saliva during the early childhood. It could represent a strong and reliable basis for further investigation of saliva to develop diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. © 2013.

A population based study of drowning in Canada.

PubMed

Clemens, Tessa; Tamim, Hala; Rotondi, Michael; Macpherson, Alison K

2016-07-13

Although water-related fatality rates have changed over time, the epidemiology of drowning in Canada has not recently been examined. In spite of the evidence supporting varying drowning death rates by age, information on how characteristics of drowning incidents differ by age group remains limited. The primary objective of this study was to examine the epidemiology of drowning in Canada. A secondary objective was to describe the characteristics of these drowning incidents as they vary by age group. A retrospective descriptive analysis was conducted using data that were collected for incidents occurring in Canada between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012. The main outcome variable was a water-related fatality, in the majority of cases (94 %) the primary cause of death was drowning. Age specific frequencies, proportions and rates per 100,000 population were calculated and compared among six age groups. There were 2392 unintentional water-related fatalities identified in Canada between 2008 and 2012. Death rates (per 100,000) varied by age group 0-4 (1.05), 5-14 (0.57), 15-19 (1.27), 20-34 (1.70), 35-64 (1.44), 65+ (1.74). The male to female ratio was 5:1. Differences in the characteristics of drowning by age group were identified across: sex, body of water, urban versus rural location, time of year, activity type, purpose of activity, alcohol involvement, personal flotation device use, accompaniment, and whether a rescue was attempted. The study results suggest that there may be a need for drowning prevention strategies that are tailored to specific age groups. Rural areas in Canada may also benefit from targeted drowning prevention.

Míranos! Look at us, we are healthy! An environmental approach to early childhood obesity prevention.

PubMed

Yin, Zenong; Parra-Medina, Deborah; Cordova, Alberto; He, Meizi; Trummer, Virginia; Sosa, Erica; Gallion, Kipling J; Sintes-Yallen, Amanda; Huang, Yaling; Wu, Xuelian; Acosta, Desiree; Kibbe, Debra; Ramirez, Amelie

2012-10-01

Obesity prevention research is sparse in young children at risk for obesity. This study tested the effectiveness of a culturally tailored, multicomponent prevention intervention to promote healthy weight gain and gross motor development in low-income preschool age children. Study participants were predominantly Mexican-American children (n = 423; mean age = 4.1; 62% in normal weight range) enrolled in Head Start. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design with two treatment groups and a comparison group. A center-based intervention included an age-appropriate gross motor program with structured outdoor play, supplemental classroom activities, and staff development. A combined center- and home-based intervention added peer-led parent education to create a broad supportive environment in the center and at home. Primary outcomes were weight-based z-scores and raw scores of gross motor skills of the Learning Achievement Profile Version 3. Favorable changes occurred in z-scores for weight (one-tailed p < 0.04) for age and gender among children in the combined center- and home-based intervention compared to comparison children at posttest. Higher gains of gross motor skills were found in children in the combined center- and home-based (p < 0.001) and the center-based intervention (p < 0.01). Children in both intervention groups showed increases in outdoor physical activity and consumption of healthy food. Process evaluation data showed high levels of protocol implementation fidelity and program participation of children, Head Start staff, and parents. The study demonstrated great promise in creating a health-conducive environment that positively impacts weight and gross motor skill development in children at risk for obesity. Program efficacy should be tested in a randomized trial.

Effects of Nintendo Wii-Fit® video games on balance in children with mild cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Tarakci, Devrim; Ersoz Huseyinsinoglu, Burcu; Tarakci, Ela; Razak Ozdincler, Arzu

2016-10-01

This study compared the effects of Nintendo Wii-Fit ® balance-based video games and conventional balance training in children with mild cerebral palsy (CP). This randomized controlled trial involved 30 ambulatory pediatric patients (aged 5-18 years) with CP. Participants were randomized to either conventional balance training (control group) or to Wii-Fit balance-based video games training (Wii group). Both group received neuro-developmental treatment (NDT) during 24 sessions. In addition, while the control group received conventional balance training in each session, the Wii group played Nintendo Wii Fit games such as ski slalom, tightrope walk and soccer heading on balance board. Primary outcomes were Functional Reach Test (forward and sideways), Sit-to-Stand Test and Timed Get up and Go Test. Nintendo Wii Fit balance, age and game scores, 10 m walk test, 10-step climbing test and Wee-Functional Independence Measure (Wee FIM) were secondary outcomes. After the treatment, changes in balance scores and independence level in activities of daily living were significant (P < 0.05) in both groups. Statistically significant improvements were found in the Wii-based game group compared with the control group in all balance tests and total Wee FIM score (P < 0.05). Wii-fit balance-based video games are better at improving both static and performance-related balance parameters when combined with NDT treatment in children with mild CP. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

Adult Lifespan Cognitive Variability in the Cross-Sectional Cam-CAN Cohort

PubMed Central

Green, Emma; Shafto, Meredith A.; Matthews, Fiona E.; White, Simon R.

2015-01-01

This study examines variability across the age span in cognitive performance in a cross-sectional, population-based, adult lifespan cohort from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) study (n = 2680). A key question we highlight is whether using measures that are designed to detect age-related cognitive pathology may not be sensitive to, or reflective of, individual variability among younger adults. We present three issues that contribute to the debate for and against age-related increases in variability. Firstly, the need to formally define measures of central tendency and measures of variability. Secondly, in addition to the commonly addressed location-confounding (adjusting for covariates) there may exist changes in measures of variability due to confounder sub-groups. Finally, that increases in spread may be a result of floor or ceiling effects; where the measure is not sensitive enough at all ages. From the Cam-CAN study, a large population-based dataset, we demonstrate the existence of variability-confounding for the immediate episodic memory task; and show that increasing variance with age in our general cognitive measures is driven by a ceiling effect in younger age groups. PMID:26690191

Adult Lifespan Cognitive Variability in the Cross-Sectional Cam-CAN Cohort.

PubMed

Green, Emma; Shafto, Meredith A; Matthews, Fiona E; White, Simon R

2015-12-07

This study examines variability across the age span in cognitive performance in a cross-sectional, population-based, adult lifespan cohort from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) study (n = 2680). A key question we highlight is whether using measures that are designed to detect age-related cognitive pathology may not be sensitive to, or reflective of, individual variability among younger adults. We present three issues that contribute to the debate for and against age-related increases in variability. Firstly, the need to formally define measures of central tendency and measures of variability. Secondly, in addition to the commonly addressed location-confounding (adjusting for covariates) there may exist changes in measures of variability due to confounder sub-groups. Finally, that increases in spread may be a result of floor or ceiling effects; where the measure is not sensitive enough at all ages. From the Cam-CAN study, a large population-based dataset, we demonstrate the existence of variability-confounding for the immediate episodic memory task; and show that increasing variance with age in our general cognitive measures is driven by a ceiling effect in younger age groups.

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.

Impact of adolescent age on maternal and neonatal outcomes in the Born in Bradford cohort

PubMed Central

Marvin-Dowle, Katie; Kilner, Karen; Burley, Victoria Jane; Soltani, Hora

2018-01-01

Objectives Explore associations between maternal and neonatal outcomes and maternal age, with particular reference to adolescent women. Design Population-based cohort study. Setting Maternity department of a large hospital in Northern England. Participants Primiparous women delivering a singleton at Bradford Royal Infirmary between March 2007 and December 2010 aged ≤19 years (n=640) or 20–34 years (n=3951). Subgroup analysis was performed using women aged ≤16 years (n=68). Women aged 20–34 years were used as the reference group. Primary outcome measures Maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results The odds of extremely low birth weight (<1000 g) were significantly higher in the adolescent group (≤19 years) compared with the reference group (adjusted OR (aOR) 4.13, 95% CI 1.41 to 12.11). The odds of very (<32 weeks) and extremely (<28 weeks) preterm delivery were also higher in the adolescent group (aOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.25 and aOR 5.06, 95% CI 1.23 to 20.78, respectively). Women in the adolescent group had lower odds of gestational diabetes (aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.62), caesarean delivery (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.67 and instrumental delivery (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.67). Conclusions This study identifies important differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes between women by age group. These findings could help in identifying at-risk groups for additional support and tailored interventions to minimise the risk of adverse outcomes for these vulnerable groups. Further work is needed to identify the causal mechanisms linking age with outcomes in adolescent women where significant gaps in the literature exist. PMID:29549196

Effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density: a community-based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Lenora, Janaka; Lekamwasam, Sarath; Karlsson, Magnus K

2009-01-01

Background Studies conducted in Western countries have shown that bone loss associated with pregnancy and breast-feeding is recovered after weaning. However, it is not clear whether recovery takes place after repeated pregnancies followed by prolonged periods of breast-feeding; especially in developing countries where nutritional intake is comparatively low. This study was designed to examine the effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density (BMD) in a community-based sample of 210 Sri Lankan women, aged between 46 and 98 years. Methods BMD of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reproductive history was recorded by using a questionnaire. Women were, first, divided into groups according to parity (nulliparous, 1–2, 3–4, and 5 or more children), and BMDs in different groups were compared, initially unadjusted and then adjusted for age. Same subjects were subdivided, again, according to the total duration of breast-feeding (0, 1–48, 49–96, and 97 months or more) and similar analysis was carried out. Results Women who had 5 or more children and women who had breast-fed for 97 months or more were older than the other women (p < 0.01) but no differences in height, weight or BMI were observed among the groups. Age adjusted BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck BMDs of women grouped according to parity were not significantly different. Neither was there any difference between lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD in groups based on duration of breast-feeding. Conclusion From this population-based study conducted in a developing country, we infer that history of multiparity or prolonged breast-feeding has no detrimental effects on maternal BMD in post-menopausal age. PMID:19570205

Effect of swimming on bone metabolism in adolescents.

PubMed

Derman, Orhan; Cinemre, Alphan; Kanbur, Nuray; Doğan, Muhsin; Kiliç, Mustafa; Karaduman, Erdem

2008-01-01

Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on bone metabolism among adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of swimming on bone metabolism during adolescence. Swimming, as a non-weight-bearing sport, has been considered to be insignificant in the maintenance of bone mass. We studied whether swimming is associated with a higher peak bone mass. Forty swimmers (males aged 10-17 years and females aged 9-16 years) were studied. The control group consisted of the same number of adolescents aged between 10-16 years who did not swim; distribution of male and female gender was similar in the non-swimming control group compared to the swimming group. Adolescents were matched for age, gender and pubertal stages based on Tanner staging. All subjects underwent combined measurement of bone mineral metabolism by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of total body calcium content, and specific biochemical markers of turnover including osteocalcin, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. Bone age (determined by Greulich and Pyle's Radiographic Atlas of Skeletal Development of the Hand and Wrist), weight, height, ideal body weight, ideal body weight ratio, body mass index, Tanner classification (rated by examiner), diet, history of tobacco and alcohol exposure, exercise, socioeconomic status and history of chronic illness and medications were recorded to evaluate potential mediators that would affect bone metabolism. Tanner staging was used to assess puberty, and diet was evaluated based on reported consumption of milk, yogurt and cheese and cola/caffeine beverage consumption daily. There was significant difference in bone mineral content between adolescent male swimmers and the control group males. Consumption of cola beverages were significantly higher among the control group compared with the swimmer group. Ideal body weight ratio was significantly high among the female control group compared with female swimmers. Milk consumption was significantly higher for both male and female swimmer groups, whereas yogurt consumption was only significantly higher in the male swimmer group compared with control group. These results indicate that a highly active nonimpact sport such as swimming may lead to increased bone mineral content only for male swimmers. However, dietary behaviors may be more important than swimming on bone metabolism among adolescents.

The influence of advanced age on venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation outcomes.

PubMed

Salna, Michael; Takeda, Koji; Kurlansky, Paul; Ikegami, Hirohisa; Fan, Liqiong; Han, Jiho; Stein, Samantha; Topkara, Veli; Yuzefpolskaya, Melana; Colombo, Paolo C; Karmpaliotis, Dimitrios; Naka, Yoshifumi; Kirtane, Ajay J; Garan, Arthur R; Takayama, Hiroo

2018-01-22

Ethical and health care economic concerns surround the use of venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in elderly patients. Patients requiring VA-ECMO are often in critical condition and the decision to cannulate is time-sensitive. We investigated the relationship between age and VA-ECMO outcomes to better inform this decision. This is a retrospective study of 355 patients placed on VA-ECMO between March 2007 and August 2016 at our institution. Using piecewise modelling, age became associated with in-hospital mortality after 63 years. Based on further analysis with the χ2 statistic maximization, patients were divided into 2 age groups: ≤72 years old [Group Y (Young), n = 310] and >72 years old [Group O (Old), n = 45]. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify preoperative predictors of in-hospital mortality. Patients over the age of 72 had a significantly higher prevalence of comorbidities, including coronary disease, previous strokes and chronic kidney disease. Weaning from ECMO was achieved in 76% of Group Y and 47% of Group O (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 52% among Group Y and 69% among Group O (P = 0.037). Multivariable logistic regression using preoperative risk factors identified coronary artery disease, acute decompensated heart failure and an age >72 years as independent predictors of mortality (age >72 years: odds ratio 2.71, 95% confidence interval 1.22-6.00; P = 0.01). VA-ECMO in-hospital mortality is considerable across all age groups. However, age only becomes associated with mortality after 63 years and rises dramatically after 72 years. This study provides useful insight into these time-sensitive decisions for the development of possible practice guidelines. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Dental anomalies and dental age assessment in treated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PubMed

Khojastepour, L; Zareifar, S; Ebrahimi, M

2014-01-01

This cross sectional study was performed to evaluate dental ages and incidence of dental anomalies in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A total of 25 ALL patient who passed at least 2 years of chemotherapy and 25 healthy sex and age matched children were evaluated. Dental age as well as dental anomalies in shape, size, number, and structure was recorded based on their panoramic radiographies which were taken for dental purposes. The number of dental anomalies significantly increased in ALL treated children. Seven ALL cases (28%) in compression to only one (4%) in control group had at least one dental anomaly. However, there was neither statistically significant differences between the mean of dental (p=0.32) and chronologic age (p=0.12) in both groups, nor between dental age of cases and control group (p=0.62).The age at the onset of treatment as well as treatment durations has not affected dental age and the incidence of dental anomalies significantly (p<0.05). Chemotherapy in children results in emergence of dental anomaly. Dental age, maturity, and development process however seems to be independent from chemotherapy.

Transplantation With Livers From Deceased Donors Older Than 75 Years.

PubMed

Thorsen, Trygve; Aandahl, Einar Martin; Bennet, William; Olausson, Michael; Ericzon, Bo-Göran; Nowak, Greg; Duraj, Frans; Isoniemi, Helena; Rasmussen, Allan; Karlsen, Tom H; Foss, Aksel

2015-12-01

The availability of donor organs limits the number of patients in need who are offered liver transplantation. Measures to expand the donor pool are crucial to prevent on-list mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of livers from deceased donors who were older than 75 years. Fifty-four patients who received a first liver transplant (D75 group) from 2001 to 2011 were included. Donor and recipient data were collected from the Nordic Liver Transplant Registry and medical records. The outcome was compared with a control group of 54 patients who received a liver graft from donors aged 20 to 49 years (D20-49 group). Median donor age was 77 years (range, 75-86 years) in the D75 group and 41 years (range, 20-49 years) in the D20-49 group. Median recipient age was 59 years (range, 31-73 years) in the D75 group and 58 years (range, 31-74 years) in the D20-49 group. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year patient/graft survival values were 87/87%, 81/81%, and 71/67% for the D75 group and 88/87%, 75/73%, and 75/73% for the D20-49 group, respectively. Patient (P = 0.89) and graft (P = 0.79) survival did not differ between groups. The frequency of biliary complications was higher in the D75 group (29.6/13%, P = 0.03). Selected livers from donors over age 75 years should not be excluded based on age, which does not compromise patient or graft survival despite a higher frequency of biliary complications.

The Analysis of Certain Differences in Motor Skills of Sedentary Male Children in the 9-14 Age Group Based on the Biological Maturity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayraktar, Isik; Yaman, Nigar; Zorba, Erdal; Yaman, Metin; Günay, Mehmet

2016-01-01

The aim of this study consists of the analysis of certain differences in motor skills of male children who are sedentary and in the age group of 9-14, in relation to the biological maturity. 522 sedentary male children from various parts of Turkey participated in this study. Body height and body weight measurements were taken from the participants…

[Percentage of births and fertility rates in adolescents in Mexico (2008-2012): stratification and priorization of municipalities with high risk].

PubMed

Reyes-Pablo, Adelmo Eloy; Navarrete-Hernández, Eduardo; Canún-Serrano, Sonia; Valdés-Hernández, Javier

2015-12-01

Mexico in 2008 was designed as the first place of adolescent pregnancy at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with specific fertility rate (SFR) for 15-1 9years of age of 64.2/1,000 woman at the same age. Estimate of percentage births and SFR in adolescent population at national, state and municipal level in Mexico in 2008-2012 at the total group of adolescents 10 to 1 9 years old and by subgroups of 10-14 and 15 tol 9 years old, identifying the priority municipalities with adolescence pregnancies. Data bases of certificates of live birth and fetal death with gestational age of 22-45 weeks were joined in 2008-2012. A data base of 1 0'585,032 births in 2008-2012 was obtained, 98.9% were live births and 1.1% was stillbirths. The SFR nationwide for the period 2008-2012 were of the order of 3.l for the group of 10-1 4years, 75.3 for 15-19, 39.6 for the total group of 10-19 years and 66.1 for 20 to 49 years per 1000 women for the same age. In the last decade it has increased teen pregnancy as well as the percentage of births and the fertility rate in this age group, worrying situation for the high risk of biological, psychological and social damage that pregnancy early.

Health coaching and pedometers to enhance physical activity and prevent falls in community-dwelling people aged 60 years and over: study protocol for the Coaching for Healthy AGEing (CHAnGE) cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Tiedemann, Anne; Rissel, Chris; Howard, Kirsten; Tong, Allison; Merom, Dafna; Smith, Stuart; Wickham, James; Bauman, Adrian; Lord, Stephen R; Vogler, Constance; Lindley, Richard I; Simpson, Judy M; Allman-Farinelli, Margaret; Sherrington, Catherine

2016-05-10

Prevention of falls and promotion of physical activity are essential for maximising well-being in older age. However, there is evidence that promoting physical activity among older people without providing fall prevention advice may increase fall rates. This trial aims to establish the impact of a physical activity and fall prevention programme compared with a healthy eating programme on physical activity and falls among people aged 60+ years. This cluster randomised controlled trial will involve 60 groups of community-dwelling people aged 60+ years. Participating groups will be randomised to: (1) a physical activity and fall prevention intervention (30 groups), involving written information, fall risk assessment and prevention advice, a pedometer-based physical activity tracker and telephone-based health coaching; or (2) a healthy eating intervention (30 groups) involving written information and telephone-based dietary coaching. Primary outcomes will be objectively measured physical activity at 12 months post-randomisation and self-reported falls throughout the 12-month trial period. Secondary outcomes include: the proportion of fallers, the proportion of people meeting the Australian physical activity guidelines, body mass index, eating habits, mobility goal attainment, mobility-related confidence, quality of life, fear of falling, risk-taking behaviour, mood, well-being, self-reported physical activity, disability, and health and community service use. The between-group difference in the number of falls per person-year will be analysed using negative binomial regression models. For the continuously scored primary and secondary outcome measures, linear regression adjusted for corresponding baseline scores will assess the effect of group allocation. Analyses will be preplanned, conducted while masked to group allocation, will take into account cluster randomisation, and will use an intention-to-treat approach. Protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of Sydney, Australia (number 2015/517). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles, international conference presentations and participants' newsletters. ACTRN12615001190594. 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/

Effects of the weight management program based self-efficacy for body composition, blood lipid profile, weight self-efficacy lifestyles, depression in middle-aged obese women.

PubMed

Park, Nam Hee; An, Hye Gyung

2006-12-01

This study was done to determine the effects of weight management program using self-efficacy in middle-aged obese women. The study also attempted to measure the effects of the program on the weight efficacy lifestyle, body composition, and depression. The research design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The experimental group consisted of 21 middle-aged obese women and another 21 middle-aged obese women in the control group. The women in the experimental group participated in the weight management program for 12 weeks using self-efficacy. The weight management program using self-efficacy included education on effects of exercise for weight control, aerobic exercise program, muscle training and counseling through the telephone. After 12 weeks of participation in the program, BMI (p<.0001), body fat % (p<.0001), abdominal fat (p<.0001), in the experimental group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Weight self-efficacy lifestyle (p<.0001) and depression (p=.006) in the experimental group were significantly improved after the program compared to the control group. According to these findings, weight management program self-efficacy for middle-aged obese women could increase weight efficacy lifestyle, and decrease depression, BMI, body fat, and abdominal fat. The result also suggested that the increasing weight efficacy and lifestyle help the obese women to perform and continue exercise. This program could be used in the community such as public health center for weight care and mental health promotion of middle-aged obese women.

The elderly and direct antiviral agents: Constraint or challenge?

PubMed

Fabrizio, Claudia; Saracino, Annalisa; Scudeller, Luigia; Milano, Eugenio; Dell'Acqua, Raffaele; Bruno, Giuseppe; Lo Caputo, Sergio; Monno, Laura; Milella, Michele; Angarano, Gioacchino

2017-09-01

Direct antiviral agents (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis C showed great effectiveness and good safety profile. So far, few data are available about their use in elderly subjects. To assess management, safety and outcome of DAAs treatments in the elderly. This retrospective, single-centre study enrolled all patients aged ≥65 years, compared by age (group A: 65-74 years, group B: ≥75 years), who completed DAAs between February 2015-November 2016. Variables potentially associated to adverse events (AEs) were analyzed. Sustained virological response (SVR) was evaluated at 12-weeks follow-up. DAAs were administered to 221 patients aged ≥65 years (males: 112; group A: 130, group B: 91). Prescribed regimens were: sofosbuvir-based: 44 patients (19.9%), simeprevir-based: 25 (15%), ledipasvir-based: 49 (22.2%), daclatasvir-based: 12 (5.4%), paritaprevir/ritonavir+ombitasvir±dasabuvir: 91 (41.2%). Ribavirin was used in 121 patients. In 58 subjects co-medications were adjusted due to drug interactions. At least one AE occurred in 130 patients, including 13 SAEs, mainly in older subjects (p=0.04). Female sex (p=0.04), liver stiffness (p=0.023), use of simeprevir (p=0.03) and ribavirin (p=0.009) were associated with AEs. SVR-12 was achieved in 96,9% of subjects. A careful baseline evaluation and a strict monitoring allow to optimise management and outcome of DAAs in elderly. Copyright © 2017 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age discrimination in healthcare institutions perceived by seniors and students.

PubMed

Dobrowolska, Beata; Jędrzejkiewicz, Bernadeta; Pilewska-Kozak, Anna; Zarzycka, Danuta; Ślusarska, Barbara; Deluga, Alina; Kościołek, Aneta; Palese, Alvisa

2017-01-01

Old age-based discrimination is observed as the most tolerated prejudice in society and has also been witnessed in healthcare institutions. The aim of this study is to explore age-based discrimination in healthcare institutions as perceived by seniors and students of Medicine and Nursing. A multi-method study design, by involving a triangulation design. Participants and research context: A purposeful sample of individuals aged 65+ (n = 80) and medical and nursing students (n = 100) in the eastern region of Poland. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval of the research protocol was received from the Ethics Committee at the Medical University of Lublin. 'Old age' was perceived by groups of participants based on three themes: (a) positive, (b) negative and (c) neutral connotations. The negative connotations predominated. The beginning of old age was defined by the metric of age and described by showing the complexity of the ageing process involving subjective, objective and societal aspects. Experience of age discrimination in healthcare institutions was reported by 24 (30%) seniors and witnessed by 47 (47%) students surveyed and for both groups occurred mainly at the hospital level and by physicians. Only 48 students (48%) declared a willingness to work with the older people in the future, and barriers were reported at the personal and professional levels, and also in some visions of older people. The conceptualization of old age as reported by seniors and students mainly carried negative connotations, reflecting the profoundly based stereotypes within society regarding the older people. Seniors have reported being exposed to ageism and have witnessed ageism episodes in HCIs; also, students have faced ageism episodes during their clinical education. There is a need for ethical education within medical and nursing courses to shape positive attitudes towards the older people. A positive vision of ageing should be promoted not only among young people but also among adults and older people to avoid self-stereotyping of older people and seeing old age from negative perspective.

Urban crash-related child pedestrian injury incidence and characteristics associated with injury severity.

PubMed

Koopmans, Joy M; Friedman, Lee; Kwon, Soyang; Sheehan, Karen

2015-04-01

Describe age-based urban pedestrian versus auto crash characteristics and identify crash characteristics associated with injury severity. Secondary analysis of the 2004-2010 National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration database for Illinois. All persons in Chicago crashes with age data who were listed as pedestrians (n=7175 child age ≤19 yo, n=16,398 adult age ≥20 yo) were included. Incidence and crash characteristics were analyzed by age groups and year. Main outcome measures were incidence, crash setting, and injury severity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate injury severity by crash characteristics. Overall incidence was higher for child (146.6 per 100,000) versus adult (117.3 per 100,000) pedestrians but case fatality rate was lower (0.7% for children, 1.7% for adults). Child but not adult pedestrian injury incidence declined over time (trend test p<0.0001 for <5 yo, 5-9 yo, and 10-14 yo; p<0.05 for 15-19 yo, p=0.96 for ≥20 yo). Most crashes for both children and adults took place during optimal driving conditions. Injuries were more frequent during warmer months for younger age groups compared to older (χ(2)p<0.001). Midblock crashes increased as age decreased (p<0.0001 for trend). Most crashes occurred at sites with sub-optimal traffic controls but varied by age (p<0.0001 for trend). Crashes were more likely to be during daylight on dry roads in clear weather conditions for younger age groups compared to older (χ(2)p<0.001). Daylight was associated with less severe injury (child OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.98; adult OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87-0.93). The incidence of urban pedestrian crashes declined over time for child subgroups but not for adults. The setting of pedestrian crashes in Chicago today varies by age but is similar to that seen in other urban locales previously. Injuries for all age groups tend to be less severe during daylight conditions. Age-based prevention efforts may prove beneficial. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ontology of Vaccine Adverse Events (OVAE) and its usage in representing and analyzing adverse events associated with US-licensed human vaccines.

PubMed

Marcos, Erica; Zhao, Bin; He, Yongqun

2013-11-26

Licensed human vaccines can induce various adverse events (AE) in vaccinated patients. Due to the involvement of the whole immune system and complex immunological reactions after vaccination, it is difficult to identify the relations among vaccines, adverse events, and human populations in different age groups. Many known vaccine adverse events (VAEs) have been recorded in the package inserts of US-licensed commercial vaccine products. To better represent and analyze VAEs, we developed the Ontology of Vaccine Adverse Events (OVAE) as an extension of the Ontology of Adverse Events (OAE) and the Vaccine Ontology (VO). Like OAE and VO, OVAE is aligned with the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO). The commercial vaccines and adverse events in OVAE are imported from VO and OAE, respectively. A new population term 'human vaccinee population' is generated and used to define VAE occurrence. An OVAE design pattern is developed to link vaccine, adverse event, vaccinee population, age range, and VAE occurrence. OVAE has been used to represent and classify the adverse events recorded in package insert documents of commercial vaccines licensed by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA). OVAE currently includes over 1,300 terms, including 87 distinct types of VAEs associated with 63 human vaccines licensed in the USA. For each vaccine, occurrence rates for every VAE in different age groups have been logically represented in OVAE. SPARQL scripts were developed to query and analyze the OVAE knowledge base data. To demonstrate the usage of OVAE, the top 10 vaccines accompanying with the highest numbers of VAEs and the top 10 VAEs most frequently observed among vaccines were identified and analyzed. Asserted and inferred ontology hierarchies classify VAEs in different levels of AE groups. Different VAE occurrences in different age groups were also analyzed. The ontology-based data representation and integration using the FDA-approved information from the vaccine package insert documents enables the identification of adverse events from vaccination in relation to predefined parts of the population (age groups) and certain groups of vaccines. The resulting ontology-based VAE knowledge base classifies vaccine-specific VAEs and supports better VAE understanding and future rational AE prevention and treatment.

Estimation of the age-specific per-contact probability of Ebola virus transmission in Liberia using agent-based simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siettos, Constantinos I.; Anastassopoulou, Cleo; Russo, Lucia; Grigoras, Christos; Mylonakis, Eleftherios

2016-06-01

Based on multiscale agent-based computations we estimated the per-contact probability of transmission by age of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) that swept through Liberia from May 2014 to March 2015. For the approximation of the epidemic dynamics we have developed a detailed agent-based model with small-world interactions between individuals categorized by age. For the estimation of the structure of the evolving contact network as well as the per-contact transmission probabilities by age group we exploited the so called Equation-Free framework. Model parameters were fitted to official case counts reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as to recently published data of key epidemiological variables, such as the mean time to death, recovery and the case fatality rate.

Children Rectify Inequalities for Disadvantaged Groups

PubMed Central

Elenbaas, Laura; Killen, Melanie

2016-01-01

Children’s decisions regarding the allocation of societal resources in the context of preexisting inequalities were investigated. African-American and European-American children ages 5–6 years (n = 91) and 10–11 years (n = 94) judged the acceptability of a medical resource inequality on the basis of race, allocated medical supplies, evaluated different resource allocation strategies, and completed a measure of status awareness based on race. With age, children were increasingly aware of wealth status disparities between African-Americans and European-Americans, and judged a medical resource inequality between groups more negatively. Further, with age, children rectified the resource inequality over perpetuating it, but only when African-American children were disadvantaged. With age, children also referenced rights when reasoning about their judgments concerning the disadvantaged African-American group. When European-American children were disadvantaged, children did not systematically allocate more resources to one group over another. The results are discussed in terms of social inequalities, disadvantaged status, moral judgments, and intergroup attitudes. PMID:27455190

Relationship Reciprocation Modulates Resource Allocation in Adolescent Social Networks: Developmental Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnett Heyes, Stephanie; Jih, Yeou-Rong; Block, Per; Hiu, Chii-Fen; Holmes, Emily A.; Lau, Jennifer Y. F.

2015-01-01

Adolescence is characterized as a period of social reorientation toward peer relationships, entailing the emergence of sophisticated social abilities. Two studies (Study 1: N = 42, ages 13-17; Study 2: N = 81, ages 13-16) investigated age group differences in the impact of relationship reciprocation within school-based social networks on an…

Older members perform better in an internet-based behavioral weight loss program compared to younger members.

PubMed

van der Mark, Marianne; Jonasson, Josefine; Svensson, Madeleine; Linné, Yvonne; Rossner, Stephan; Lagerros, Ylva Trolle

2009-01-01

New technology offers increased opportunities for weight control. However, it is not clear whether older people with less computer training can make use of this tool. Our objective was to examine how members above the age of 65 years performed in an internet-based behavioral weight loss program, compared to younger members. Data from members (n = 23,233) of an internet-based behavioral weight loss program were analyzed. We restricted our study to active participants accessing the weight club, during a 6-month period (n = 4,440). The number of logins, food intake, and weight records were examined. Participants were divided into age tertiles separately for men and women. The oldest tertile was further subdivided into two groups: above and below the age of 65 years. Participants aged 65 or older were more likely to remain active in the weight club for at least 6 months compared to younger age groups. They had the highest frequency of recordings of food intake and current weight. Among women, those older than 65 years had on average the highest percentage of weight loss (5.6 kg, 6.8%). Men above 65 years of age had the highest number of logins, on average 161 times during the 6-month period. Older participants are performing equally well or even better in an internet-based behavioral weight loss program than younger participants. Internet-based programs could be a promising and attractive option for older adults requiring assistance in losing weight. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Calcium intake and osteoporosis: the influence of calcium intake from dairy products on hip bone mineral density and fracture incidence - a population-based study in women over 55 years of age.

PubMed

Włodarek, Dariusz; Głąbska, Dominika; Kołota, Aleksandra; Adamczyk, Piotr; Czekajło, Aleksandra; Grzeszczak, Władysław; Drozdzowska, Bogna; Pluskiewicz, Wojciech

2014-02-01

The incidence of osteoporosis increases with age and is most frequently observed in postmenopausal women. The objective of the present population-based cohort study was to assess the influence of Ca intake from dairy sources on hip bone mineral density and hip fracture incidence in a group of Polish women over 55 years of age. The main outcome measures included: bone mineral density, the number of previous fractures and the reported Ca intake from dairy sources, assessed by a diet questionnaire. The RAC-OST-POL Study was conducted in the District of Raciborz in the south of Poland. The study was carried out in a group of 625 women, randomly recruited from the general population of women aged >55 years. Median Ca intake from dairy products was lower in the group of women with femoral neck T-score ≤-2·5 than in the group with T-score >-2·5 (275 v. 383 mg/d; P = 0·0019). For total hip score, the difference was close to borderline significance (P = 0·0698). Median Ca intake from dairy products was lower in the group of women with previous fractures than in those without fracture history (336 v. 395 mg/d; P = 0·0254). The main dairy source of Ca in the analysed group included milk drinks, rennet cheese and milk. Higher dairy Ca intake is recommended, since a number of the women analysed were unable to satisfy their Ca requirement exclusively from their diet.

[The Effect of K-MBSR Program on Stress, Stress Coping Style, Depression, Anger and Sleep of Middle Aged Women].

PubMed

Park, Jeong Min; Choi, In Ryoung

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine a Korean Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (K-MBSR) program for middle aged women and to verify the program's effectiveness on stress, stress coping style, depression, anger and sleep. Fifty-two women aged from 40 to 59 (26 in the experimental group and 26 in the control group) from G city participated in the study. Data were collected from February 13 to April 3, 2013. The experimental group received 8 sessions, scheduled once a week, with each session lasting two and a half hours. Outcome variables included stress, stress coping style, depression, anger, sleep and a physiological measure (EEG). There were significant decreases for stress (t=-2.14, p=.037), depression (t=-2.64, p=.011), state trait anger (t=-3.79, p<.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. The findings in this study indicate that the K-MBSR program is an effective program to decrease stress, depression, and state trait anger in middle aged women.

Mechanisms of Heshouwuyin in regulating apoptosis of testicular cells in aging rats through mitochondrial pathway.

PubMed

Chen, Jingbo; Wang, Yujuan; Hui, Chenhong; Xi, Yao; Liu, Xiang; Qi, Feng; Liu, Haokun; Wang, Zhenshan; Niu, Siyun

2016-09-01

Polygonum multiflorum has important effects on anti-aging and immunity enhancement. Many traditional Chinese medicine preparations based on Polygonum multiflorum are widely used for the clinical prevention and treatment of aging. However the mechanisms of these herb mixtures are often unknown. This study investigates the effect of Heshouwuyin, a Chinese herbal compound for invigorating the kidney, on the regulation of testicular cells apoptosis in aging rats. In this study, 18-month-old Wistar rats served as a model of natural aging and 12-month-old rats served as a young control group. Heshouwuyin group 1 and group 2 were comprised 18-month-old rats given Heshouwuyin intragastrically for 60 days and 30 days respectively. Then testes of the young control group were isolated in the age of 12 months, the other three groups were in the age of 18 months. TUNEL assay showed that the rate of testicular cell apoptosis was obviously higher and Flow cytometry analysis showed that the rate of cell proliferation was significantly lower in the natural aging group than in the young control group and that intervention with Heshouwuyin could reverse this phenomenon. Therefore, we further applied microarray analysis to screen out differentially expressed genes regulated by Heshouwuyin and related to cell apoptosis. The expression of these genes was observed by quantitative fluorescence PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and western blot. The results showed that the expression of 14-3-3σ was significantly lower and that the expression of DR6, BAX, caspase-3 and Cytc were significantly higher in the natural aging group than in the young control group, but intervention with Heshouwuyin significantly reversed this phenomenon. Moreover, the curative efficacy of Heshouwuyin after 60 days was better than that of Heshouwuyin after 30 days. Our study suggests that Heshouwuyin has anti-aging effects on the testis by means of inhibiting the occurrence of apoptosis in spermatogenic cells, thus improving the spermatogenic function of the testis. This is mainly achieved by regulating the expression of key genes in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Suicide attempt history, self-esteem, and suicide risk in a sample of 116 depressed voluntary inpatients.

PubMed

Palmer, Charles James

2004-12-01

116 consecutively admitted depressed inpatients were divided into three groups based on self-reported history of suicidal ideation and history of suicide attempt. Participants in Group 1 (M age 34.0, SD= 14.0), 13 men and 24 women, reported no history of suicidal ideation or history of suicide attempt. Group 2 (M age 34.0, SD= 8.6), 14 men and 25 women, reported having a history of suicidal ideation but no history of suicide attempt. Group 3 (M age 34.0 yr., SD=6.3), 14 men and 26 women, reported a history of suicidal ideation and at least one suicide attempt. Each participant completed the Suicide Risk Scale and the Self-esteem Scale. Analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc comparisons yielded a significant difference between Groups 1 and 2, between Groups 1 and 3, and between Groups 2 and 3 on the Suicide Risk Scale. There was a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 and between Group 1 and Group 3 on the Self-esteem Scale. These data indicated that suicide ideation and suicide attempt history significantly elevated suicide risk. Self-esteem was significantly decreased by suicide ideation and suicide attempt history.

Sleeping well, aging well: a descriptive and cross-sectional study of sleep in "successful agers" 75 and older.

PubMed

Driscoll, Henry C; Serody, Linda; Patrick, Susan; Maurer, Jennifer; Bensasi, Salem; Houck, Patricia R; Mazumdar, Sati; Nofzinger, Eric A; Bell, Bethany; Nebes, Robert D; Miller, Mark D; Reynolds, Charles F

2008-01-01

To examine diary-based, laboratory-based, and actigraphic measures of sleep in a group of healthy older women and men (> or =75 years of age) without sleep/wake complaints and to describe sleep characteristics which may be correlates of health-related quality of life in old age. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. University-based sleep and chronobiology program. None. Sixty-four older adults (30 women, 34 men; mean age 79). We used diary-, actigraphic-, and laboratory-based measures of sleep, health-related quality of life, mental health, social support, and coping strategies. We used two-group t-tests to compare baseline demographic and clinical measures between men and women, followed by ANOVA on selected EEG measures to examine first-night effects as evidence of physiological adaptability. Finally, we examined correlations between measure of sleep and health-related quality of life. We observed that healthy men and women aged 75 and older can experience satisfactory nocturnal sleep quality and daytime alertness, especially as reflected in self-report and diary-based measures. Polysomnography (psg) suggested the presence of a first-night effect, especially in men, consistent with continued normal adaptability in this cohort of healthy older adults. Continuity and depth of sleep in older women were superior to that of men. Diary-based measures of sleep quality (but not psg measures) correlated positively (small to moderate effect sizes) with physical and mental health-related quality of life. Sleep quality and daytime alertness in late life may be more important aspects of successful aging than previously appreciated. Good sleep may be a marker of good functioning across a variety of domains in old age. Our observations suggest the need to study interventions which protect sleep quality in older adults to determine if doing so fosters continued successful aging.

The effectiveness of massage based on the tensegrity principle compared with classical abdominal massage performed on patients with constipation.

PubMed

Kassolik, Krzysztof; Andrzejewski, Waldemar; Wilk, Iwona; Brzozowski, Marcin; Voyce, Kamila; Jaworska-Krawiecka, Ewa; Nowak, Barbara; Kurpas, Donata

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of massage based on the tensegrity principle and classical abdominal massage performed on patients with constipation. The study group consisted of 29 subjects with a pre-existing diagnosis of constipation based on the Rome III criteria. The patients were divided into two groups: the first group was made up of 15 patients who underwent tensegrity massage (average age: 59.8 years), and the second was made up of 14 patients who were given classical abdominal massage (average age: 55.7 years). The study consisted of six massage sessions in both groups, with two sessions per week performed over 21 days. The assessment was based on a patient questionnaire, the Rome III questionnaire and a diary of bowel movements. The results were analyzed before therapy, after one week of therapy and after the third (final) week of therapy. Changes in the number of defecations were compared between the two groups; the biggest changes occurred in the first and third week of therapy (P<0.01, calculated by the Mann-Whitey test). As a result of the therapy, tension during defecation dropped from 60% to 20% in Group I, and from 42.8% to 35.7% in Group II. The influence of the applied therapy was evaluated positively by 80% of the tensegrity massage group and 29% of the classical abdominal massage group. Massage based on the tensegrity principle may have a greater positive influence on the quality and quantity of bowel movements than classical abdominal massage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Effects of a Mobile Web-based Pregnancy Health Care Educational Program for Mothers at an Advanced Maternal Age].

PubMed

Wang, Hee Jung; Kim, Il Ok

2015-06-01

This study was conducted to develop a mobile web-based pregnancy health care educational program for mothers who were at an advanced maternal age (AMA) and to verify the effects of the program on pregnancy health care. This program was developed using a web-based teaching-learning system design model and composed of 10 subject areas. This research was a quasi-experimental study using a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest time serial design and data were collected from April 2 to May 3, 2014. To verify the effects of the program, it was used for 2 weeks with 30 AMA mothers (experimental group). For the control group, a classroom education booklet for pregnant women used with 31 AMA mothers. The experimental group having participated in program had statistically significantly higher scores for knowledge (t=3.76, p<.001), self-efficacy (t=8.54, p<.001), and practice behavior (t=4.88, p<.001) of pregnancy health care, compared to the control group. The results of the program indicate that a Mobile web-based pregnancy health care educational program is effective in meeting the needs of AMA mothers and can be used as the prenatal educational program for AMA mothers and is appropriate as an educational media for theses mothers.

The association between season of birth, age at onset, and clozapine use in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Kim, J S; Park, C M; Choi, J A; Park, E; Tchoe, H J; Choi, M; Suh, J K; Kim, Y H; Won, S H; Chung, Y C; Bae, K Y; Lee, S K; Park, S C; Lee, S H

2017-11-01

This study aimed to determine whether the rate of clozapine use, an indicator of refractoriness in schizophrenia, is associated with the season of birth and age at onset in patients with schizophrenia based on nationwide data. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 114 749) who received prescriptions for antipsychotic medication between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively identified from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The study population was divided into three groups based on their age at the onset of schizophrenia (early, middle, and late onset). We assessed differences in the month of birth between patients and the general population. In addition, the cumulative clozapine use was calculated. Compared to the late-onset schizophrenia group, the early- and middle-onset groups showed a higher probability of birth during the winter season. In addition, the early-onset group showed the highest cumulative clozapine use rate. In the middle-onset group, the initiation of clozapine use was significantly earlier for patients born in winter compared to those born in summer. Our results indicate that the age at onset is an important factor in predicting the prognosis of schizophrenia patients. The season of birth also affects the prognosis, but with less robustness. Specifically, it appears that early disease onset and winter birth might be associated with poor outcomes in Korean patients with schizophrenia. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adolescents with current major depressive disorder show dissimilar patterns of age-related differences in ACC and thalamus

PubMed Central

Hagan, Cindy C.; Graham, Julia M.E.; Tait, Roger; Widmer, Barry; van Nieuwenhuizen, Adrienne O.; Ooi, Cinly; Whitaker, Kirstie J.; Simas, Tiago; Bullmore, Edward T.; Lennox, Belinda R.; Sahakian, Barbara J.; Goodyer, Ian M.; Suckling, John

2015-01-01

Objective There is little understanding of the neural system abnormalities subserving adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). In a cross-sectional study we compare currently unipolar depressed with healthy adolescents to determine if group differences in grey matter volume (GMV) were influenced by age and illness severity. Method Structural neuroimaging was performed on 109 adolescents with current MDD and 36 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and handedness. GMV differences were examined within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and across the whole-brain. The effects of age and self-reported depressive symptoms were also examined in regions showing significant main or interaction effects. Results Whole-brain voxel based morphometry revealed no significant group differences. At the whole-brain level, both groups showed a main effect of age on GMV, although this effect was more pronounced in controls. Significant group-by-age interactions were noted: A significant regional group-by-age interaction was observed in the ACC. GMV in the ACC showed patterns of age-related differences that were dissimilar between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls. GMV in the thalamus showed an opposite pattern of age-related differences in adolescent patients compared to healthy controls. In patients, GMV in the thalamus, but not the ACC, was inversely related with self-reported depressive symptoms. Conclusions The depressed adolescent brain shows dissimilar age-related and symptom-sensitive patterns of GMV differences compared with controls. The thalamus and ACC may comprise neural markers for detecting these effects in youth. Further investigations therefore need to take both age and level of current symptoms into account when disaggregating antecedent neural vulnerabilities for MDD from the effects of MDD on the developing brain. PMID:25685707

Adolescents with current major depressive disorder show dissimilar patterns of age-related differences in ACC and thalamus.

PubMed

Hagan, Cindy C; Graham, Julia M E; Tait, Roger; Widmer, Barry; van Nieuwenhuizen, Adrienne O; Ooi, Cinly; Whitaker, Kirstie J; Simas, Tiago; Bullmore, Edward T; Lennox, Belinda R; Sahakian, Barbara J; Goodyer, Ian M; Suckling, John

2015-01-01

There is little understanding of the neural system abnormalities subserving adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). In a cross-sectional study we compare currently unipolar depressed with healthy adolescents to determine if group differences in grey matter volume (GMV) were influenced by age and illness severity. Structural neuroimaging was performed on 109 adolescents with current MDD and 36 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and handedness. GMV differences were examined within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and across the whole-brain. The effects of age and self-reported depressive symptoms were also examined in regions showing significant main or interaction effects. Whole-brain voxel based morphometry revealed no significant group differences. At the whole-brain level, both groups showed a main effect of age on GMV, although this effect was more pronounced in controls. Significant group-by-age interactions were noted: A significant regional group-by-age interaction was observed in the ACC. GMV in the ACC showed patterns of age-related differences that were dissimilar between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls. GMV in the thalamus showed an opposite pattern of age-related differences in adolescent patients compared to healthy controls. In patients, GMV in the thalamus, but not the ACC, was inversely related with self-reported depressive symptoms. The depressed adolescent brain shows dissimilar age-related and symptom-sensitive patterns of GMV differences compared with controls. The thalamus and ACC may comprise neural markers for detecting these effects in youth. Further investigations therefore need to take both age and level of current symptoms into account when disaggregating antecedent neural vulnerabilities for MDD from the effects of MDD on the developing brain.

Completion of the Circle of Willis Varies by Gender, Age, and Indication for Computed Tomography Angiography.

PubMed

Zaninovich, Orel A; Ramey, Wyatt L; Walter, Christina M; Dumont, Travis M

2017-10-01

The circle of Willis (CoW) is the foremost anastomosis and blood distribution center of the brain. Its effectiveness depends on its completion and the size and patency of its vessels. Gender-related and age-related anatomic variations in the CoW may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, we analyzed computed tomography angiograms (CTAs) to assess for differences in CoW completion related to gender, age, and indication for CTA. A total of 834 CTAs were retrospectively analyzed for all CoW vessels to compare the incidence of complete CoW and variation frequency based on gender, age, and indication. The incidence of complete CoW was 37.1% overall. CoW completion showed a statistically significant decrease with increasing age for all age groups in both men (47.0%, 29.4%, 18.8%) and women (59.1%, 44.2%, 30.9%). Completion was greater in women (43.8%) than in men (31.2%) overall and for all age groups. These gender differences were all statistically significant except for the 18-39 years age group. The most frequent of the 28 CoW variations were absent posterior communicating artery (PCOM) bilaterally (17.1%), right PCOM (15.3%), and left PCOM (10.9%). Ischemic stroke and the 18-39 years age group of hemorrhagic stroke showed a statistically significant reduction in completion relative to trauma. The incidence of complete CoW is likely greater in women for all age groups and likely decreases with age in both genders. The most frequently absent vessel is likely the PCOM, either unilaterally or bilaterally. Completion may play a role in ischemic stroke and a subset of patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and microecological characteristics of aerobic vaginitis in outpatients based on preformed enzymes.

PubMed

Wang, Zhi-Liang; Fu, Lan-Yong; Xiong, Zheng-Ai; Qin, Qin; Yu, Teng-Hua; Wu, Yu-Tong; Hua, Yuan-Yuan; Zhang, Yong-Hong

2016-02-01

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a recently proposed term for genital tract infection in women. The diagnosis of AV is mainly based on descriptive diagnostic criteria proposed by Donders and co-workers. The objective of this study is to report AV prevalence in southwest China using an objective assay kit based on preformed enzymes and also to determine its characteristics. A total of 1948 outpatients were enrolled and tested by a commercial diagnostic kit to investigate the AV prevalence and characteristics in southwestern China. The study mainly examined the vaginal ecosystem, age distribution, Lactobacillus amount, and changes in pH. Differences within groups were analyzed by Wilcoxon two-sample test. The AV detection rate is 15.40%. The AV patients were usually seen in the sexually active age group of 20-30 years, followed by those in the age group of 30-40 years. The vaginal ecosystems of all the patients studied were absolutely abnormal, and diagnosed to have a combined infection [aerobic vaginitis (AV) + bacterial vaginitis (BV) 61.33%; 184/300]. Aerobic bacteria, especially Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, were predominantly found in the vaginal samples of these women. AV is a common type of genital infection in southwestern China and is characterized by sexually active age and combined infection predominated by the AV and BV type. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Liver grafts from selected older donors do not have significantly more ischaemia reperfusion injury

PubMed Central

Martins, Paulo N; Chang, Sue; Mahadevapa, Basant; Martins, Ann-Britt; Sheiner, Patricia

2011-01-01

Background There is a general concern that aged organs are more susceptible to ischaemia. In the light of recent proposals to change the liver allocation system by expanding regional sharing, it is feared that increased cold ischaemia time of grafts from older donors may reduce graft survival. The aim of this study was to correlate donor age and the patterns of ischaemia reperfusion injury and synthetic function early after liver transplantation. Methods We performed a retrospective study of first transplants using a single-centre electronic database. Patterns of liver injury (based on transaminases and post-reperfusion biopsy), synthetic function (international normalized ratio [INR]), and graft and patient survival in recipients receiving liver grafts from donors aged ≥65 years (group 1, n= 50) were compared with equivalent patterns in a matched cohort of recipients transplanted with grafts from donors aged <65 years (group 2, n= 50). Results There was no significant difference in transaminase levels from day 0 to day 6 after transplantation. When groups 1 and 2 were subdivided into two subgroups based on the duration of graft cold ischaemia time (<8 h and ≥8 h), there was no statistical difference in transaminase levels during the first 7 days. There were two cases (4%) of primary non-function in group 1 and one (2%) in group 2. Initial poor function did not differ significantly between the groups (26% vs. 24%; P= 0.81). In addition, there was no difference in histological changes in post-reperfusion biopsies (21% vs. 34%; P= 0.078) and rate of acute rejection episodes in the first year (30% vs. 32%; P= 0.99). There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in 1-year patient and graft survivals (78% vs. 90% [P= 0.17]; 88% vs. 94% [P= 0.48], respectively). Conclusions Judiciously selected livers from aged donors are not associated with major increased susceptibility to ischaemia reperfusion injury. PMID:21309940

Community-based screening intervention for depression affects suicide rates among middle-aged Japanese adults.

PubMed

Oyama, H; Sakashita, T

2017-06-01

It has been suggested that screening interventions may be effective for suicide prevention. Few studies, however, have reported their effects on outcome measures, including death by suicide among middle-aged adults. We used a quasi-experimental parallel cluster design with matched community-based intervention and control municipalities (total eligible population: 90 000) in Japan. At-risk residents within the intervention area were invited for universal depression screening and subsequent care/support. We compared changes in suicide incidence of adults aged 40-64 years for the 4-year pre- and post-implementation periods in the intervention group with the control group and the whole country. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of the outcomes were adjusted for age group, gender and interaction terms, using mixed-effects negative binomial regression models. Suicide rates among intervention and control subgroups were compared. The screening procedure was offered to 52% of the intervention group, and 61% of those contacted responded over the implementation period. Suicide rates decreased more in the intervention group [IRR 0.57, 95% (CI) 0.41-0.78; F 1,36 = 12.52, p = 0.001] than the control group (IRR proportion 1.63, 95% CI 1.06-2.48; F 1,82 = 5.20, p = 0.025) or the whole country (IRR proportion 1.64, 95% CI 1.16-2.34; F 1,42 = 8.21, p = 0.006). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the results from the primary analysis. There were lower suicide rates among both respondents and non-respondents to the screening than in the control group during the implementation period. Prevention efforts involved in the depression screening intervention were probably successful in reducing suicide rates.

A Novel Home-Based Intervention for Child and Adolescent Obesity: The Results of the Whānau Pakari Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Anderson, Yvonne C; Wynter, Lisa E; Grant, Cameron C; Cave, Tami L; Derraik, José G B; Cutfield, Wayne S; Hofman, Paul L

2017-11-01

To report 12-month outcomes from a multidisciplinary child obesity intervention program, targeting high-risk groups. In this unblinded randomized controlled trial, participants (recruited January 2012-August 2014) were aged 5 to 16 years, resided in Taranaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and had BMI ≥ 98th percentile or BMI > 91st percentile with weight-related comorbidities. Randomization was by minimization (age and ethnicity), with participants assigned to an intense intervention group (home-based assessments at 6-month intervals and a 12-month multidisciplinary program with weekly group sessions) or to a minimal-intensity control group with home-based assessments and advice at each 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome was the change in BMI standard deviation score (SDS) at 12 months from baseline. A mixed model analysis was undertaken, incorporating all 6- and 12-month data. Two hundred and three children were randomly assigned (47% Māori, 43% New Zealand European, 53% female, 28% from the most deprived quintile, mean age 10.7 years, mean BMI SDS 3.12). Both groups displayed a change in BMI SDS at 12 months from baseline (-0.12 control, -0.10 intervention), improvements in cardiovascular fitness (P < 0.0001), and improvements in quality of life (P < 0.001). Achieving ≥ 70% attendance in the intense intervention group resulted in a change in BMI SDS of -0.22. This program achieved a high recruitment of target groups and a high rate of BMI SDS reduction, irrespective of intervention intensity. If retention is optimized, the intensive program doubles its effect. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

Impact of cyclophosphamide dose of conditioning on the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for aplastic anemia from human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling.

PubMed

Mori, Takehiko; Koh, Hideo; Onishi, Yasushi; Kako, Shinichi; Onizuka, Makoto; Kanamori, Heiwa; Ozawa, Yukiyasu; Kato, Chiaki; Iida, Hiroatsu; Suzuki, Ritsuro; Ichinohe, Tatsuo; Kanda, Yoshinobu; Maeda, Tetsuo; Nakao, Shinji; Yamazaki, Hirohito

2016-04-01

The standard conditioning regimen in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for aplastic anemia from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling has been high-dose cyclophosphamide (CY 200 mg/kg). In the present study, results for 203 patients with aplastic anemia aged 16 years or older who underwent allogeneic HSCT from HLA-identical siblings were retrospectively analyzed using the registry database of Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Conditioning regimens were defined as a (1) high-dose CY (200 mg/kg or greater)-based (n = 117); (2) reduced-dose CY (100 mg/kg or greater, but less than 200 mg/kg)-based (n = 38); and (3) low-dose CY (less than 100 mg/kg)-based (n = 48) regimen. Patient age and the proportion of patients receiving fludarabine were significantly higher in the reduced- and low-dose CY groups than the high-dose CY group. Engraftment was comparable among the groups. Five-year overall survival (OS) tended to be higher in the low-dose CY group [93.0 % (95 % CI 85.1-100.0 %)] than the high-dose CY [84.2 % (95 % CI 77.1-91.3 %)] or reduced-dose CY groups [83.8 % (95 % CI 71.8-95.8 %); P = 0.214]. Age-adjusted OS was higher in the low-dose CY group than the high- and reduced-dose CY groups with borderline significance (P = 0.067). These results suggest that CY dose can safely be reduced without increasing graft rejection by adding fludarabine in allogeneic HSCT for aplastic anemia from an HLA-identical sibling.

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 double-bundle ACL reconstruction. Postoperative anterior laxity was significantly less in older patients than in younger patients, however, older patients had significantly less quadriceps muscle strength than younger patients. Surgeons should be aware of residual muscle weakness and tunnel enlargement when performing double-bundle ACL reconstruction in older patients.

Foetal haemoglobin concentration at postmenstrual age is unaffected by gestational age at birth.

PubMed

Watanabe, Yuki; Osawa, Kayo; Sato, Itsuko; Iwatani, Sota; Kono, Ruri; Hayakawa, Ikuyo; Hayashi, Nobuhide; Iijima, Kazumoto; Saegusa, Jun; Morioka, Ichiro

2018-05-01

Background Our aim was to determine whether the postnatal age or postmenstrual age is a more appropriate criterion for evaluating foetal haemoglobin concentrations. Methods Blood samples ( n = 1095) were obtained from 394 infants and were divided into two groups based on gestational age at birth: <37 weeks ( n = 491) and ≥37 weeks ( n = 604). (1) Foetal haemoglobin concentrations divided by one month at age after birth were compared between the groups. (2) Foetal haemoglobin concentrations divided into ≤9 months from last menstruation and one month thereafter were compared between the groups. Results In samples from infants ≥37 weeks' gestational age at birth, the median foetal haemoglobin concentrations were 69.5%, 21.4% and 3.6% at 0-1 month, 2-3 months and ≥5 months after birth, respectively. The median foetal haemoglobin concentrations in infants <37 weeks' gestational age at birth were 75.5%, 62.7% and 5.1% at 0-1 month, 2-3 months and ≥5 months after birth, respectively. The median foetal haemoglobin concentrations in infants <37 weeks' gestational age at birth were significantly higher than that in infants ≥37 weeks' gestational age at birth at all postnatal age points. (2) There was no significant difference between the groups at all age points after nine months of postmenstrual age: 72.5 and 75.3% at 9-10 months, 25.1 and 26.6% at 11-12 months and 5.5 and 4.6% at >13 months after last menstruation in infants ≥37 and <37 weeks' gestational age at birth, respectively. Conclusions Evaluation of foetal haemoglobin concentrations at postmenstrual age is unaffected by gestational age at birth.

Increasing Cervical Cancer Screening Coverage: A Randomised, Community-Based Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Acera, Amelia; Manresa, Josep Maria; Rodriguez, Diego; Rodriguez, Ana; Bonet, Josep Maria; Trapero-Bertran, Marta; Hidalgo, Pablo; Sànchez, Norman; de Sanjosé, Silvia

2017-01-01

Opportunistic cervical cancer screening can lead to suboptimal screening coverage. Coverage could be increased after a personalised invitation to the target population. We present a community randomized intervention study with three strategies aiming to increase screening coverage. The CRICERVA study is a community-based clinical trial to improve coverage of population-based screening in the Cerdanyola SAP area in Barcelona.A total of 32,858 women residing in the study area, aged 30 to 70 years were evaluated. A total of 15,965 women were identified as having no registration of a cervical cytology in the last 3.5 years within the Public Health data base system. Eligible women were assigned to one of four community randomized intervention groups (IGs): (1) (IG1 N = 4197) personalised invitation letter, (2) (IG2 N = 3601) personalised invitation letter + informative leaflet, (3) (IG3 N = 6088) personalised invitation letter + informative leaflet + personalised phone call and (4) (Control N = 2079) based on spontaneous demand of cervical cancer screening as officially recommended. To evaluate screening coverage, we used heterogeneity tests to compare impact of the interventions and mixed logistic regression models to assess the age effect. We refer a "rescue" visit as the screening visit resulting from the study invitation. Among the 13,886 women in the IGs, 2,862 were evaluated as having an adequate screening history after the initial contact; 4,263 were lost to follow-up and 5,341 were identified as having insufficient screening and thus being eligible for a rescue visit. All intervention strategies significantly increased participation to screening compared to the control group. Coverage after the intervention reached 84.1% while the control group reached 64.8%. The final impact of our study was an increase of 20% in the three IGs and of 9% in the control group (p<0.001). Within the intervention arms, age was an important determinant of rescue visits showing a statistical interaction with the coverage attained in the IGs. Within the intervention groups, final screening coverage was significantly higher in IG3 (84.4%) (p<0.001). However, the differences were more substantial in the age groups 50-59 and those 60+. The highest impact of the IG3 intervention was observed among women 60+ y.o with 32.0% of them being rescued for screening. The lowest impact of the interventions was in younger women. The study confirms that using individual contact methods and assigning a fixed screening date notably increases participation in screening. The response to the invitation is strongly dependent on age. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01373723.

Elderly road collision injury outcomes associated with seat positions and seatbelt use in a rapidly aging society-A case study in South Korea.

PubMed

Noh, Yuna; Yoon, Yoonjin

2017-01-01

Aging has long been regarded as one of the most critical factors affecting crash injury outcomes. In South Korea, where the elderly population is projected to reach 35.9% by 2050, the implications of an increasing number of elderly vehicle users on road safety are evident. In this research, the confounding effect of occupant age in a vehicle in terms of seat position and seatbelt use was investigated. In addition, elderly occupants were divided into a younger-old group aged between 65 and 74 years and an older-old group aged 75 years and older in an effort to assess whether the conventional elderly age standard of 65 years should be reconsidered. A multinomial logit framework was adopted to predict two-level injury severity using collision data between 2008 and 2015. Predictor variables included gender, age group, seat position, seatbelt, road type, road slope, road surface, road line, and type of vehicle. Five models, a base model with no interactions and four interaction models which were combinations of age group, seatbelt use and seat position, were devised and evaluated. With no interacting term, age was the most prominent predictor. Elderly occupants were most likely to suffer from severe injury without a seatbelt in all seat positions, and the use of a seatbelt reduced this likelihood the most in the elderly group as well. Front passenger seats had the highest risk to elderly occupants, while the driver seat was statistically insignificant. When the elderly group was divided into the younger-old group and the older-old group, the older-olds were found to be much more vulnerable compared to the younger-olds. In particular, older drivers were five times more likely to suffer a severe injury without a seatbelt. The degree of injury severity of elderly occupants was reduced the most with the use of a seatbelt, demonstrating the importance of using seat restraints. The sharp increase in the risk of injury of the older-old group suggests that the age standard of 65 years as the elderly group with regard to traffic safety may require reconsideration due to the growing number of elderly vehicle users on the road. Our results provide practical evidence with which to formulate new safety policies, including mandatory seatbelt use, driving age limits and insurance pricing.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic insomnia in adults older than 75 years: a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial.

PubMed

Zhang, Jia-Xu; Liu, Xiao-Hui; Xie, Xin-Hui; Zhao, Dan; Shan, Mo-Shui; Zhang, Xi-Liang; Kong, Xiao-Ming; Cui, Hong

2015-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for chronic insomnia and combined depressive or anxiety symptoms of older adults aged 75 years and over. A randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial. Participants included 60 adults aged 75 years and over with chronic insomnia. Participants were randomly assigned to the eight-week MBSR group or the wait-list control group. Assessments using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-rating Anxiety Sale (SAS), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were taken at baseline and post-treatment. For each outcome measure, a repeated measures analysis of variance was used to detect changes across assessments. There was a significant time × group interaction for the PSQI global score (P = .006); the MBSR group had a decrease in the PSQI global score (Cohen׳s d = 1.12), while the control group did not (Cohen׳s d = -0.06). Among the PSQI components, there was a significant time × group interaction for daytime dysfunction (P = .048); Cohen׳s d of the MBSR group was 0.76, while Cohen׳s d of control group was -0.04. There was no significant time × group interaction for the SAS score (P = .116), while for the GDS there was a significant time × group interaction (P = .039); the Cohen׳s d value for the MBSR group was 1.20, and it was 0.12 for the control group. This study demonstrated that the MBSR program could be a beneficial treatment for chronic insomnia in adults aged 75 years and older. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Leisure Activities on Inflammation and Cognitive Function in an Aging Sample

PubMed Central

Friedman, Elliot; Quinn, Jill; Chen, Ding-Geng (Din); Mapstone, Mark

2012-01-01

Cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) increase the risk of dementia. The purpose of this study was to examine whether leisure activities (mental, physical, and social activities) modified the effect of CVDRFs on inflammatory markers and cognitive function in middle and old age. A secondary-data analysis study was conducted using data from 405 middle-age participants (40 –59 years) and 342 old-age participants (60 – 84 years) who participated in the Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. CVDRFs were obtained from a combination of self-report medical history and blood-based biomarkers. Three CVDRF groups (≤1, 2, and ≥3 CVDRFs) were identified. More CVDRFs were significantly associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers in both age groups, and associated with lower levels of executive function in the old age group. CVDRFs were not related to the frequency of leisure activities in either age group. After controlling for covariates, higher levels of physical activities were significantly associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers, and higher levels of mental activities were associated with higher levels of cognitive function. In the old age group, physical activities also moderated the effect of CVDRFs on episodic memory, and mental activities moderated the effect of CVDRFs on interleukin-6. Multiple CVDRFs may be associated with poorer cognitive function and higher inflammatory markers, but middle-age and older adults with CVDRFs may not engage in frequent physical and cognitive activities that may be protective. It is important to develop strategies to facilitate engagement in these activities from midlife. PMID:22377120

Differential Therapeutic Outcomes of Community-Based Group Interventions for Women and Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhirter, Paula T.

2011-01-01

Two community-based group therapies, emotion focused versus goal oriented, are compared among women exposed to intimate partner violence (n = 46) and their children (n = 48) aged between 6 and 12 years. A series of repeated measures analyses are employed to evaluate the effects of time from baseline to postintervention following random assignment.…

Can a Targeted, Group-Based CBT Intervention Reduce Depression and Anxiety and Improve Self-Concept in Primary-Age Children?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Callaghan, Paul; Cunningham, Enda

2015-01-01

This pilot study examined the impact of a 10 session, group-based, early-intervention cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme (Cool Connections) on anxiety, depression and self-concept in nine 8-11 year old pupils in Northern Ireland. The intervention was facilitated by a teacher, education welfare officer and two classroom assistants, with…

Coronary risk assessment by point-based vs. equation-based Framingham models: significant implications for clinical care.

PubMed

Gordon, William J; Polansky, Jesse M; Boscardin, W John; Fung, Kathy Z; Steinman, Michael A

2010-11-01

US cholesterol guidelines use original and simplified versions of the Framingham model to estimate future coronary risk and thereby classify patients into risk groups with different treatment strategies. We sought to compare risk estimates and risk group classification generated by the original, complex Framingham model and the simplified, point-based version. We assessed 2,543 subjects age 20-79 from the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) for whom Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) guidelines recommend formal risk stratification. For each subject, we calculated the 10-year risk of major coronary events using the original and point-based Framingham models, and then compared differences in these risk estimates and whether these differences would place subjects into different ATP-III risk groups (<10% risk, 10-20% risk, or >20% risk). Using standard procedures, all analyses were adjusted for survey weights, clustering, and stratification to make our results nationally representative. Among 39 million eligible adults, the original Framingham model categorized 71% of subjects as having "moderate" risk (<10% risk of a major coronary event in the next 10 years), 22% as having "moderately high" (10-20%) risk, and 7% as having "high" (>20%) risk. Estimates of coronary risk by the original and point-based models often differed substantially. The point-based system classified 15% of adults (5.7 million) into different risk groups than the original model, with 10% (3.9 million) misclassified into higher risk groups and 5% (1.8 million) into lower risk groups, for a net impact of classifying 2.1 million adults into higher risk groups. These risk group misclassifications would impact guideline-recommended drug treatment strategies for 25-46% of affected subjects. Patterns of misclassifications varied significantly by gender, age, and underlying CHD risk. Compared to the original Framingham model, the point-based version misclassifies millions of Americans into risk groups for which guidelines recommend different treatment strategies.

Sex ratio of equine offspring is affected by the ages of the mare and stallion.

PubMed

Santos, Marianna Machado; Maia, Leonardo Lara; Nobre, Daniel Magalhães; Oliveira Neto, José Ferraz; Garcia, Tiago Rezende; Lage, Maria Coeli Gomes Reis; de Melo, Maria Isabel Vaz; Viana, Walmir Santos; Palhares, Maristela Silveira; da Silva Filho, José Monteiro; Santos, Renato Lima; Valle, Guilherme Ribeiro

2015-10-15

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of parental age on the sex ratio of offspring in horses. Two trials were performed. In the first trial, the data from a randomly obtained population with a 1:1 sex ratio of 59,950 Mangalarga Marchador horses born in Brazil from 1990 to 2011 were analyzed. The sex ratios of the offspring were compared among groups according to the mare and the stallion ages (from 3 to 25 years). In the first step of the analysis, the mares and stallions were grouped according to age in 5-year intervals. In the second step, the groups were based on the parental age gap at conception. In the third step, the group of the mares and stallions with similar ages from the second step was subdivided, and the different parental age subgroups that were divided into 5-year intervals were compared. In the fourth step, the sex ratio of the offspring was determined according to the ages of the mares and the stallions at conception. The second trial was based on the data from 253 horses of several breeds that were born after natural gestation into a herd from 1989 to 2010, and the offspring of groups that were younger or older than 15 years were compared. The data from both trials were analyzed using a chi-square test (P ≤ 0.01 for the first trial; and P ≤ 0.05 for the second trial) for the comparisons of the sex ratios. In the first trial, the Spearman test (P ≤ 0.01) was used to verify the correlations between the parental age and the offspring sex ratio. In the first trial, the offspring sex ratio decreased as the mare or stallion age increased, and the decrease was more marked for the mares than for the stallions. In the second trial, the mares older than 15 years had more fillies than the younger mares, but the stallion age had no effect on the sex of the offspring. The first trial, with a large number of horses, revealed the pattern of the distribution of the sex ratios of offspring according to the parental age in horses, whereas the second trial, with a more restricted number of horses, confirmed the influence of the age of the mare on the offspring sex ratio. We concluded that the parental age affected the offspring sex ratio in horses and that this effect was stronger for the mares than for the stallions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Explaining gender differences in ill-health in South Korea: the roles of socio-structural, psychosocial, and behavioral factors.

PubMed

Chun, Heeran; Khang, Young-Ho; Kim, Il-Ho; Cho, Sung-Il

2008-09-01

This study examines and explains the gender disparity in health despite rapid modernization in South Korea where the social structure is still based on traditional gender relations. A nationally representative sample of 2897 men and 3286 women aged 25-64 from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. Health indicators included self rated health and chronic disease. Age-adjusted prevalence was computed according to a gender and odds ratios (OR) derived from logistic regression. Percentage changes in OR by inclusion of determinant variables (socio-structural, psychosocial, and behavioral) into the base logistic regression model were used to estimate the contributions to the gender gap in two morbidity measures. Results showed a substantial female excess in ill-health in both measures, revealing an increasing disparity in the older age group. Group-specific age-adjusted prevalence of ill-health showed an inverse relationship to socioeconomic position. When adjusting for each determinant, employment status, education, and depression contributed the greatest to the gender gap. After adjusting for all suggested determinants, 78% for self rated health and 86% for chronic disease in excess OR could be explained. After stratifying for age, the full model provided a complete explanation for the female excess in chronic illness, but for self rated health a female excess was still evident for the younger age group. Socio-structural factors played a crucial role in accounting for female excess in ill-health. This result calls for greater attention to gender-based health inequality stemming from socio-structural determinants in South Korea. Cross-cultural validation studies are suggested for further discussion of the link between changing gender relations and the gender health gap in morbidity in diverse settings.

Sleep concerns in children and young people with cerebral palsy in their home setting.

PubMed

McCabe, Susan M; Blackmore, A Marie; Abbiss, Chris R; Langdon, Katherine; Elliott, Catherine

2015-12-01

The aims were to identify in-home concerns about sleep in children and young people with cerebral palsy (CP) across age and Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) levels. This was a retrospective review of clinical notes of 154 children and young people with CP, aged 1-18 years (M = 7.8; standard deviation = 5.4) who received a home-based sleep service. Reported concerns were synthesised, for analysis according to age groups (1-5, 6-13, 14-18) and GMFCS levels. Sixteen factors of concern were derived from the home-based assessment reports. Most children and young people had multiple factors of concern. These varied across age groups and GMFCS levels. Body position was of concern across all age groups, for over 90% at GMFCS levels IV and V, and for 10% at GMFCS level I. Settling routines were of concern for more than 90% at GMFCS levels I and II, but for less than 50% at GMFCS levels IV and V. Settling routines were of concern to over 65% of those under 6 years but less than 25% of those over 14 years. Conversely, pain and pressure care concerned less than 10% of children under 6, and more than 35% of those over 14 years. Concerns about sleep vary across ages and GMFCS levels of children and young people with CP. Concerns relate to impairment of body structure and function, activity, environment, and personal supports. Multi-disciplinary, home-based assessment and interventions are recommended to address these concerns. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2015 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A Study on the Validity of a Computer-Based Game to Assess Cognitive Processes, Reward Mechanisms, and Time Perception in Children Aged 4-8 Years

PubMed Central

Hurks, Petra PM; Aldenkamp, Albert P; van der Spek, Erik D; Rauterberg, GWM; Vles, Johan SH; Hendriksen, Jos GM

2016-01-01

Background A computer-based game, named Timo’s Adventure, was developed to assess specific cognitive functions (eg, attention, planning, and working memory), time perception, and reward mechanisms in young school-aged children. The game consists of 6 mini-games embedded in a story line and includes fantasy elements to enhance motivation. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of Timo’s Adventure in normally developing children and in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods A total of 96 normally developing children aged 4-8 years and 40 children with ADHD were assessed using the game. Clinical validity was investigated by examining the effects of age on performances within the normally developing children, as well as performance differences between the healthy controls and the ADHD group. Results Our analyses in the normally developing children showed developmental effects; that is, older children made fewer inhibition mistakes (r=−.33, P=.001), had faster (and therefore better) reaction times (r=−.49, P<.001), and were able to produce time intervals more accurately than younger children (ρ=.35, P<.001). Discriminant analysis showed that Timo’s Adventure was accurate in most classifications whether a child belonged to the ADHD group or the normally developing group: 78% (76/97) of the children were correctly classified as having ADHD or as being in the normally developing group. The classification results showed that 72% (41/57) children in the control group were correctly classified, and 88% (35/40) of the children in the ADHD group were correctly classified as having ADHD. Sensitivity (0.89) and specificity (0.69) of Timo’s Adventure were satisfying. Conclusions Computer-based games seem to be a valid tool to assess specific strengths and weaknesses in young children with ADHD. PMID:27658428

Ochratoxin A Dietary Exposure of Ten Population Groups in the Czech Republic: Comparison with Data over the World

PubMed Central

Ostry, Vladimir; Malir, Frantisek; Dofkova, Marcela; Skarkova, Jarmila; Pfohl-Leszkowicz, Annie; Ruprich, Jiri

2015-01-01

Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic and renal carcinogenic mycotoxin and is a common contaminant of various food commodities. Eighty six kinds of foodstuffs (1032 food samples) were collected in 2011–2013. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for ochratoxin A determination. Limit of quantification of the method varied between 0.01–0.2 μg/kg depending on the food matrices. The most exposed population is children aged 4–6 years old. Globally for this group, the maximum ochratoxin A dietary exposure for “average consumer” was estimated at 3.3 ng/kg bw/day (lower bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 0) and 3.9 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 1/2 limit of quantification). Important sources of exposure for this latter group include grain-based products, confectionery, meat products and fruit juice. The dietary intake for “high consumers” in the group 4–6 years old was estimated from grains and grain-based products at 19.8 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound), from tea at 12.0 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound) and from confectionery at 6.5 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound). For men aged 18–59 years old beer was the main contributor with an intake of 2.60 ng/kg bw/day (“high consumers”, middle bound). Tea and grain-based products were identified to be the main contributors for dietary exposure in women aged 18–59 years old. Coffee and wine were identified as a higher contributor of the OTA intake in the population group of women aged 18–59 years old compared to the other population groups. PMID:26378578

Effectiveness of a home-based strengthening program for elderly males in Italy. A preliminary study.

PubMed

Capodaglio, P; Facioli, M; Burroni, E; Giordano, A; Ferri, A; Scaglioni, G

2002-02-01

The practice of regular physical exercise has been shown to be effective in slowing the age-related progressive functional deterioration. Most exercise trials have been conducted with supervised training programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-month home-based strength training on strength, function and personal satisfaction. Ten elderly men (mean age 68.5 years) were enrolled for home-based training one month after completing a 4-month supervised program; 12 age-matched men served as the control group. Subjects were asked to perform 3 sessions a week consisting of six resistance exercises with elastic bands involving the major muscle groups of the upper and lower limbs. We had calculated the correlation between the elongation and resistance of the elastic bands. The subjects were instructed to keep a diary reporting the execution of the session. We measured dynamic concentric strength of the muscle groups involved in the resistance exercises and maximal isometric strength of the knee extensors and elbow flexors before and after the 4-month home training. The Satisfaction Profile (SAT-P) questionnaire was administered before and one month after the completion of the training program for assessing personal satisfaction. The final to baseline comparison showed a non-significant decrease in mean isometric maximal strength values for knee extensors and elbow flexors in the control group, while the exercise group significantly (p=0.001) improved the average baseline values. Maximal dynamic concentric strength values decreased significantly in the control group, while significant improvements were observed in the exercising subjects. The SAT-P questionnaire did not show any difference in either group from baseline. The adherence-to-protocol rate based on self-report was 78%. Home training with elastic bands appears to be an effective low-cost modality of maintaining strength and function in an elderly population.

Exploring patterns of response across the lifespan: the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) study.

PubMed

Green, Emma; Bennett, Holly; Brayne, Carol; Matthews, Fiona E

2018-06-19

With declining rates of participation in epidemiological studies there is an important need to attempt to understand what factors might affect response. This study examines the pattern of response at different adult ages within a contemporary cross-sectional population-based cohort, the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN). Using logistic regression, we investigated associations between age, gender and Townsend deprivation level for both participants and non-participants. Weighted estimates of the odds ratios with confidence intervals for each demographic characteristic were calculated. Reasons given for refusal were grouped into three broad categories: 'active', 'passive' and illness preventing interview. An association of age and participation was found, with individuals in middle age groups more likely to participate (age group 48-57 OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.2 and age group 58-67 OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.7-2.4). Overall, there was no difference in participation between men and women. An association with deprivation was found, with those living in the most deprived areas being the least willing to participate (fifth quintile OR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.7). An interaction between age and gender was found whereby younger women and older men were more likely to agree to participate (p = 0.01). Our findings highlight some of the factors affecting recruitment into epidemiological studies in the UK and suggest that targeted age-specific recruitment strategies might be needed to increase participation rates in future cohort investigations.

Age-Related Changes in the External Noses of the Anatolian Men.

PubMed

Özkoçak, Vahdet; Özdemir, Fikri

2018-06-11

Knowledge of age-related nasal region measurements in Anatolian men; growth changes between adult and old age. The nose plays a critical role in determining the external appearance of an individual. Craniofacial anthropometry has been commonly used in forensic anthropology and medicine. A total of 300 men (100 between 20-40 years; 100 between 40-60 years and 100 60-up years) were measured using a photographic technic from the Image J program. From the landmarks, 13 linear distances and 3 angles were calculated and averaged for age groups. The means of nasal bridge lengths of three age groups were 60.30, 63.43 and 64.63 mm, respectively. The average nasal tip protrusions of three groups were 24.31, 26.69 and 27.53 mm, respectively. Nasolabial angle, nasal bridge length and tip protrusion, anatomic and morphologic nose width and root width were statistically different between the three age groups (p < 0.05). Results collected in this study could serve as a data bank for nasal anthropometry during aging and development. The assessment of teratogenic-induced traumas, craniofacial alteration, facial reconstruction, aging of dead person and personal identification may be assisted by age data from Anatolian men from age data banks. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Evaluation of central auditory processing in children with Specific Language Impairment.

PubMed

Włodarczyk, Elżbieta; Szkiełkowska, Agata; Piłka, Adam; Skarżyński, Henryk

2015-01-01

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) affects about 7-15 % of children of school age and according to the currently accepted diagnostic criteria, it is presumed that these children do not suffer from hearing impairment. The goal of this work was to assess anomalies of central auditory processes in a group of children diagnosed with specific language impairment. Material consisted of 200 children aged 7-10 years (100 children in the study group and 100 hundred in the control group). Selected psychoacoustic tests (Frequency Pattern Test - FPT, Duration Pattern Test - DPT, Dichotic Digit Test - DDT, Time Compressed Sentence Test - CST, Gap Detection Test - GDT) were performed in all children. Results were subject to statistical analysis. It was observed that mean results obtained in individual age groups in the study group are significantly lower than in the control group. Based on the conducted studies we may conclude that children with SLI suffer from disorders of some higher auditory functions, which substantiates the diagnosis of hearing disorders according to the AHSA (American Hearing and Speech Association) guidelines. Use of sound-based, not verbal tests, eliminates the probability that observed problems with perception involve only perception of speech, therefore do not signify central hearing disorders, but problems with understanding of speech. Lack of literature data on the significance of FPT, DPT, DDT, CST and GDT tests in children with specific language impairment precludes comparison of acquired results and makes them unique.

When did anoles diverge? An analysis of multiple dating strategies.

PubMed

Román-Palacios, Cristian; Tavera, Jose; Del Rosario Castañeda, María

2018-06-12

Whereas most of the studies that discuss the evolutionary divergence of Anolis lizards have dated the clade's crown group in between 31-64 Ma, a single study has recovered a significantly older age for the same node (87 Ma). These differences also entail notable consequences on the preferred biogeographical hypothesis for the whole clade. Here we analyze a total of seven dating strategies by combining three calibration sources in independent BEAST runs to infer the most probable divergence timing for anole lizards (a mitochondrial rate for ND2 gene, the Anolis dominicanus fossil, and a group of fossils assigned to the Priscagamines, Iguanines, and Idontosaurus clades). Based on the estimated timing, we also addressed whether chronograms differ the most in deeper or shallower nodes by exploring the trend in the standard deviation of mean ages between chronograms across time. Next, we focus on the pattern for a single shallow node by hypothesizing the biogeography of the island-endemic Malpelo anole (Anolis agassizi), and evaluating the temporal congruence between the species' divergence and the island geology. The estimated set of ages suggests that anoles most likely diverged 72 Ma (71-73 Ma), with the crown group established around 58 Ma (51-65 Ma). Dispersal is therefore supported as the major driver in the biogeography of the group (and in Caribbean lineages in particular). Our analyses also indicated that (1) rate-based analyses pulled dates toward younger ages, (2) the differences in node ages between chronograms decrease towards the tips regardless of the position of the constrained node, and that (3) the estimated age for deep nodes (e.g. Anolis stem) is highly influenced when deep nodes are also constrained. The latter two results imply that the estimated age for shallower nodes is largely unaffected by the used temporal constraint. The congruence of all chronograms for the Malpelo anole also support this finding. Anolis agassizi was found to have diverged before the emergence of Malpelo island in each analysis (anole: 19-31 Ma vs. Malpelo island: 16-17 Ma). We recommend when performing absolute dating analyses to first test for sequence saturation in the analyzed dataset (especially when calibrations are based on molecular rates). Our study also points out the importance of using of multiple node constraints, especially when placed deeply in the tree, for fossil-based divergence dating analyses. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of ezetimibe on the prevalence of cholelithiasis.

PubMed

Stein, Assaf; Hermoni, Doron; Elis, Avishay; Konikoff, Fred M

2012-10-28

To investigate the prevalence of cholelithiasis among patients treated with ezetimibe. A retrospective, case-control study based on computerized medical records from patients of the Clalit Health Services, Sharon-Shomron region, from 2000 to 2009. Patients 20-85 years of age, who had been treated with ezetimibe and statins or statins only for at least 6 mo, and who had an abdominal ultrasound were included in the study. Collected data included age, gender, ezetimibe treatment duration, presence of hypothyroidism or diabetes, and existence of cholelithiasis as determined by ultrasound. Excluded were subjects after gallbladder resection, with hemolysis, myeloproliferative or inflammatory bowel diseases, and those treated with ursodeoxycholic acid and fibrates. Patients treated with statins and ezetimibe (study group) were compared to patients treated with statins only (control group). The study group included 25 patients and the control group 168. All patients in the study were treated with statins. The study group included 13 males (52%) and 12 females (48%), the control group 76 males (45%) and 92 (55%) females (P = 0.544). The groups did not differ in age (mean age: 68 ± 8 years, range 53-85 years vs mean age: 71 ± 8 years, range 51-85 years; P = 0.153) or in the rate of diabetic and hypothyroid patients [11 (44%) vs 57 (33%), P = 0.347 in the study group and 5 (20%) vs 23 (14%), P = 0.449 in the control group, respectively]. Patients in the study group were treated with ezetimibe for an average of 798 ± 379 d. Cholelithiasis was found in 4 (16%) patients in the study group and in 33 (20%) patients in the control group (P = 0.666). Ezetimibe does not appear to influence the prevalence of gallstones.

Effect of gender, age and deprivation on key performance indicators in a FOBT-based colorectal screening programme.

PubMed

Steele, R J C; Kostourou, I; McClements, P; Watling, C; Libby, G; Weller, D; Brewster, D H; Black, R; Carey, F A; Fraser, C

2010-01-01

To assess the effect of gender, age and deprivation on key performance indicators in a colorectal cancer screening programme. Between March 2000 and May 2006 a demonstration pilot of biennial guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) colorectal screening was carried out in North-East Scotland for all individuals aged 50-69 years. The relevant populations were subdivided, by gender, into four age groups and into five deprivation categories according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), and key performance indicators analysed within these groups. In all rounds, uptake of the gFOBT increased with age (P < 0.001), decreased with increasing deprivation in both genders (P < 0.001), and was consistently higher in women than in men in all age and all SIMD groups. In addition, increasing deprivation was negatively associated with uptake of colonoscopy in men with a positive gFOBT (P < 0.001) although this effect was not observed in women. Positivity rates increased with age (P < 0.001) and increasing deprivation (P < 0.001) in both genders in all rounds, although they were higher in men than in women for all age and SIMD categories. Cancer detection rates increased with age (P < 0.001), were higher in men than in women in all age and SIMD categories, but were not consistently related to deprivation. In both genders, the positive predictive value (PPV) for cancer increased with age (P < 0.001) and decreased with increasing deprivation (P < 0.001) in all rounds and was consistently higher in men than in women in all age and SIMD categories. In this population-based colorectal screening programme gender, age, and deprivation had marked effects on key performance indicators, and this has implications both for the evaluation of screening programmes and for strategies designed to reduce inequalities.

New concept of aging care architecture landscape design based on sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ying

2017-05-01

As the aging problem becoming serious in China, Aging care is now one of the top issuer in front of all of us. Lots of private and public aging care architecture and facilities have been built. At present, we only pay attention to the architecture design and interior design scientific, ecological and sustainable design on aged care architecture landscape. Based on the social economy, population resources, mutual coordination and development of the environment, taking the elderly as the special group, this paper follows the principles of the sustainable development, conducts the comprehensive design planning of aged care landscape architecture and makes a deeper understanding and exploration through changing the form of architectural space, ecological landscape planting, new materials and technology, ecological energy utilization.

The mortality risk score and the ADG score: two points-based scoring systems for the Johns Hopkins aggregated diagnosis groups to predict mortality in a general adult population cohort in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Austin, Peter C; Walraven, Carl van

2011-10-01

Logistic regression models that incorporated age, sex, and indicator variables for the Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups (ADGs) categories have been shown to accurately predict all-cause mortality in adults. To develop 2 different point-scoring systems using the ADGs. The Mortality Risk Score (MRS) collapses age, sex, and the ADGs to a single summary score that predicts the annual risk of all-cause death in adults. The ADG Score derives weights for the individual ADG diagnosis groups. : Retrospective cohort constructed using population-based administrative data. All 10,498,413 residents of Ontario, Canada, between the age of 20 and 100 years who were alive on their birthday in 2007, participated in this study. Participants were randomly divided into derivation and validation samples. : Death within 1 year. In the derivation cohort, the MRS ranged from -21 to 139 (median value 29, IQR 17 to 44). In the validation group, a logistic regression model with the MRS as the sole predictor significantly predicted the risk of 1-year mortality with a c-statistic of 0.917. A regression model with age, sex, and the ADG Score has similar performance. Both methods accurately predicted the risk of 1-year mortality across the 20 vigintiles of risk. The MRS combined values for a person's age, sex, and the John Hopkins ADGs to accurately predict 1-year mortality in adults. The ADG Score is a weighted score representing the presence or absence of the 32 ADG diagnosis groups. These scores will facilitate health services researchers conducting risk adjustment using administrative health care databases.

Goal perspectives and sport participation motivation of Special Olympians and typically developing athletes.

PubMed

Hutzler, Yeshayahu; Oz, Mali; Barak, Sharon

2013-07-01

Based on social-learning and self-determination motivational theories, the purpose of this study was to determine the sources of motivation in youth and young adults with intellectual disability (ID) who participate in Special Olympics (SO) competitions and those of typically developed (TD) age- and activity-matched athletes. A convenience sample of 63 SO (25 females and 38 males) and 59 TD (16 females and 43 males) athletes was retrieved through communication with local club coaches. Three sub-groups of SO athletes were identified based on disability, including non specified intellectual disability (NSID=39), Down syndrome (DS=17), and Autism (Aut=7). Mean SO and TD athlete ages were 20.35 (SD=7) and 18.8 (SD=8), respectively. For analysis purposes four age groups were created (<15, 15-17, 18-20, >20 years). Participants completed the 13-item, two-factor Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ) and a 16-item four-factor abridged version of the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). SO and TD athletes were active in swimming (54 and 48, respectively) and basketball (9 and 11, respectively). Groups with and without ID were compared by means of t-tests in the dichotomized variables gender and activity, as well as by 1-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc comparisons across disability and age groups. Gender distribution was the same in both groups. Participants with DS and NSID scored significantly higher than TD athletes in most motivational scales. Participants with ID increased their external motivation with increasing age, while a reversed pattern was observed in TD. In summary, significant differences between motivational patterns of SO athletes with ID and TD athletes can be observed. These differences should be considered when developing training and competition programs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of age on clinical outcomes of three-dimensional transfer of the tibial tuberosity for patellar instability with patella alta.

PubMed

Otsuki, Shuhei; Nakajima, Mikio; Fujiwara, Kenta; Okamoto, Yoshinori; Iida, Go; Murakami, Tomohiko; Neo, Masashi

2017-08-01

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of three-dimensional (3D) transfer of the tibial tuberosity for patellar instability with patella alta, with a focus on the influence of age at initial surgery. Three-dimensional surgery was performed on 28 knees with a mean follow-up of 46 months. Patients were separated into three groups based on the age at initial surgery: group A, 10 knees and an average age of 16.3 ± 1.8 (14-19) years; group B, 10 knees and an average age of 22.1 ± 2.5 (20-28) years; and group C, eight knees and an average age of 44.0 ± 2.2 (40-46) years. Patellofemoral geometry improvement focused on patella alta by determining the Insall-Salvati ratio and Caton-Deschamps index, rotational malalignment by measuring the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, and lateral patellar subluxation by measuring the patellar tilt. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Lysholm and Kujala scores, which were compared before and after surgery. Cartilage degeneration was evaluated by the International Cartilage Repair Society grading system at initial arthroscopy. The patellar height, TT-TG, and patellar tilt significantly improved in all groups postoperatively (p < 0.05). The Lysholm and Kujala scores also significantly improved postoperatively; however, both scores were lower in group C than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Particularly, pain scores were more severe in group C than in the other groups, and the severity of cartilage degeneration correlated with the pain scores (p < 0.05). Cartilage damage differed significantly between the groups at initial arthroscopy; particularly, group C included grades III and IV cartilage degeneration (p < 0.05). Age at initial surgery may be the predicting factor for poor clinical outcomes of 3D transfer surgery. The clinical outcome may depend on the age at surgery, which correlated with cartilage damage; thus, surgeons should be given this information when patients are considered undergoing patella surgery. Therapeutic case series, Level IV.

Tongue base suspension in children with cerebral palsy and obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Hartzell, Larry David; Guillory, Ryan M; Munson, Patrick David; Dunham, Andrew K; Bower, Charles Michael; Richter, Gresham Thomas

2013-04-01

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are commonly affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study examines the efficacy of combined surgical techniques for OSA including tongue base suspension (TBS), using perioperative polysomnograms (PSG) in pediatric patients with CP. Case series with outcome analysis. University based tertiary care children's hospital. A 7-year retrospective chart review of children with CP who underwent surgical management for OSA. Surgical procedures, postoperative complications, and perioperative PSG data were examined. Only patients with both preoperative and postoperative PSG results were included in the study. Based upon procedures performed patients fell into 2 equal groups for analysis. Fourteen children were identified. Seven patients (mean age = 6.0 years) underwent combined adenotonsillectomy (T&A), uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), and tongue base suspension (TBS). Another 7 patients (mean age = 6.3 years) underwent T&A and UPPP alone. Those who received TBS had a mean preoperative AHI of 27.2 compared to 6.8 in the group that did not have TBS. The AHI decreased by a mean of 16.5 in the TBS group and 5.0 in the non-TBS group. The mean oxygen saturation nadir improved in both the TBS (74.0-84.0) and non-TBS (64.8-84.6) groups. The arousal index also improved in the TBS (33.1-20.7) and non-TBS (11.0-5.8) groups. No surgical complications occurred. This study suggests that concomitant surgical approaches for OSA in children with CP are effective. Moderate to severe OSA in this population may safely benefit from the added technique of tongue base suspension. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

[Relationship between patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke in a retrospective hospital-based study].

PubMed

Böjti, Péter; Bartha, Noémi Eszter; May, Zsolt; Bereczki, Dániel; Fülöp, Szilvia; Szakács, Zoltán; Szilágyi, Géza

2018-05-30

After routine workup, 23-25% of ischemic strokes etiology remains unknown, i.e. cryptogenic. However, according to international results pathogenic patent foramen ovale (PFO) reveals in 25% of these cases. Aim of our retrospective study to prove the substantial etiological role of PFO-related stroke (PFO-RS) in cryptogenic strokes (CS), and to identify age related differences in stroke etiology. All new ischemic strokes of 2014-2015 were classified by ASCOD (Atherosclerosis, Small-vessel disease, Cardiac pathology, Other, Dissection) phenotyping. CS was defined when the etiology was unknown. With the help of special ultrasound techniques and RoPE (Risk of Paradoxical Embolism) score the portion of PFO-RS were determined in the examined CS population. Moreover, etiological distribution and differences between age groups (<40, 40-60, >60 years) were described. During the examined period, 8.12% of 985 new ischemic strokes were categorized as CS. 41.38% of examined CS were found to be PFO-related. PFO-RS were considerably more frequent in the younger age groups than in the older age groups. The probability of appearance of PFO-RS were significantly higher in younger age than in case of age independency. Our results verify the substantial etiological role of PFO-RS in CS, and confirm the essential role of contrast enhanced functional transcranial Doppler in the routine diagnostic workup. Age related differences in stroke etiology were found to be statistically significant (p=0.000, df=14), in which small-vessel disease, cardiac pathology, dissection, other pathologies, CS and PFO-RS were contributed significantly. Based on our results, till in young age rare etiologies are typical, while in older age classical etiologies are mainly characteristic.

Development of new demi-span equations from a nationally representative sample of adults to estimate maximal adult height.

PubMed

Hirani, Vasant; Tabassum, Faiza; Aresu, Maria; Mindell, Jennifer

2010-08-01

Various measures have been used to estimate height when assessing nutritional status. Current equations to obtain demi-span equivalent height (DEH(Bassey)) are based on a small sample from a single study. The objectives of this study were to develop more robust DEH equations from a large number of men (n = 591) and women (n = 830) aged 25-45 y from a nationally representative cross-sectional sample (Health Survey for England 2007). Sex-specific regression equations were produced from young adults' (aged 25-45 y) measured height and demi-span to estimate new DEH equations (DEH(new)). DEH in people aged >or= 65 y was calculated using DEH(new). DEH(new) estimated current height in people aged 25-45 y with a mean difference of 0.04 in men (P = 0.80) and -0.29 in women (P = 0.05). Height, demi-span, DEH(new), and DEH(Bassey) declined by age group in both sexes aged >or=65 y (P < 0.05); DEH were larger than the measured height for all age groups (mean difference between DEH(new) and current height was -2.64 in men and -3.16 in women; both P < 0.001). Comparisons of DEH estimates showed good agreement, but DEH(new) was significantly higher than DEH(Bassey) in each age and sex group in older people. The new equations that are based on a large, randomly selected, nationally representative sample of young adults are more robust for predicting current height in young adults when height measurements are unavailable and can be used in the future to predict maximal adult height more accurately in currently young adults as they age.

Smile esthetics: age related changes, and objective differences between social and spontaneous smiles.

PubMed

Dindaroğlu, Furkan; Doğan, Servet; Erdinç, Ashhan M Ertan

2011-01-01

To evaluate the importance of age in orthodontic treatment by studying the dependence of smile and resting parameters on age and to expose differences between social and spontaneous smiles. Subjects consisted of 67 individuals aged between 17 and 55. The video recordings were transferred to a computer 200 still frames were captured for each individual 50 were captured in resting position, 50 during speech, 50for social, and 50for spontaneous smiles. One picture was selectedfrom each group based on how pictures reflected the desired point ANOVA and Scheffe Post-hoc tests were performed on smile measurements. In all the resting parameters, statistically significant differences were observed among age groups. Also, the response of these parameters to age differs between men and women. Statistically significant diferences were found in some smile parameters among diferent age groups, for both smile types. We find significant differences between social and spontaneous smiles. Age related alterations should be taken into consideration during treatment planning, especially in women. Due to its high consistency, there are advantages with using a spontaneous smile in soft-hard tissue evaluations. We also emphasize the necessity to take dynamic registrations for a true functional evaluation.

What drives technology-based distractions? A structural equation model on social-psychological factors of technology-based driver distraction engagement.

PubMed

Chen, Huei-Yen Winnie; Donmez, Birsen

2016-06-01

With the proliferation of new mobile and in-vehicle technologies, understanding the motivations behind a driver's voluntary engagement with such technologies is crucial from a safety perspective, yet is complex. Previous literature either surveyed a large number of distractions that may be diverse, or too focuses on one particular activity, such as cell phone use. Further, earlier studies about social-psychological factors underlying driver distraction tend to focus on one or two factors in-depth, and those that examine a more comprehensive set of factors are often limited in their analyses methods. The present work considers a wide array of social-psychological factors within a structural equation model to predict their influence on a focused set of technology-based distractions. A better understanding of these facilitators can enhance the design of distraction mitigation strategies. We analysed survey responses about three technology-based driver distractions: holding phone conversations, manually interacting with cell phones, and adjusting the settings of in-vehicle technology, as well as responses on five social-psychological factors: attitude, descriptive norm, injunctive norm, technology inclination, and a risk/sensation seeking personality. Using data collected from 525 drivers (ages: 18-80), a structural equation model was built to analyse these social-psychological factors as latent variables influencing self-reported engagement in these three technology-based distractions. Self-reported engagement in technology-based distractions was found to be largely influenced by attitudes about the distractions. Personality and social norms also played a significant role, but technology inclination did not. A closer look at two age groups (18-30 and 30+) showed that the effect of social norms, especially of injunctive norm (i.e., perceived approvals), was less prominent in the 30+ age group, while personality remained a significant predictor for the 30+ age group but marginally significant for the younger group. Findings from this work provide insights into the social-psychological factors behind intentional engagement in technology-based distractions and in particular suggesting that these factors may be sensitive to demographic differences. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Joining up with "Not Us" Staff to Run Adolescent Groups in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayder, Suzan

2008-01-01

The author describes the development of a model for working with staff members from non-psychoanalytic backgrounds to run therapeutic and therapy-like pupil groups in schools. She draws on her experience of co-facilitating groups at a London-based secondary school and uses examples from recent group work with Year 10 pupils (aged 14-15). Child…

Effectiveness of population-based service screening with mammography for women ages 40 to 49 years with a high or low risk of breast cancer: socioeconomic status, parity, and age at birth of first child.

PubMed

Hellquist, Barbro Numan; Czene, Kamila; Hjälm, Anna; Nyström, Lennarth; Jonsson, Håkan

2015-01-15

Invitation to mammography screening of women aged 40 to 49 years is a matter of debate in many countries and a cost-effective alternative in countries without screening among women aged 40 to 49 years could be inviting those at higher risk. The relative effectiveness of mammography screening was estimated for subgroups based on the breast cancer risk factors parity, age at time of birth of first child, and socioeconomic status (SES). The SCReening of Young Women (SCRY) database consists of all women aged 40 to 49 years in Sweden between 1986 and 2005 and was split into a study and control group. The study group consisted of women residing in areas in which women aged 40 to 49 years were invited to screening and the control group of women in areas in which women aged 40 to 49 years were not invited to screening. Rate ratio (RR) estimates were calculated for 2 exposures: invitation and attendance. There were striking similarities noted in the RR pattern for women invited to and attending screening and no statistically significant difference or trend in the RR was noted by risk group. The RR estimates increased by increasing parity for parity of 0 to 2 and ranged from 0.55 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.38-0.79) to 0.79 (95% CI, 0.65-0.95) for attending women. The RR for women with high SES was lower than that for women with low SES (RR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.60-0.86] and RR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.63-0.99], respectively). For women aged 20 to 24 years at the time of the birth of their first child, the RR was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.58-0.91) and estimates for other ages were similar. There was no statistically significant difference noted in the relative effectiveness of mammography screening by parity, age at the time of birth of the first child, or SES. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Growth of healthy term infants fed partially hydrolyzed whey-based infant formula: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial.

PubMed

Borschel, Marlene W; Choe, Yong S; Kajzer, Janice A

2014-12-01

Partially hydrolyzed formulas (pHF) represent a significant percentage of the infant formula market. A new whey-based, palm olein oil (PO)-free pHF was developed and a masked, randomized, parallel growth study was conducted in infants fed this formula or a commercially available whey-based pHF with PO. Infants between 0 and 8 days were to be enrolled and studied to 119 days of age. Growth and tolerance of infants were evaluated. Mean weight gain from 14 to 119 days of age was similar between groups. There were no significant differences between groups in weight, length, head circumference (HC), or length or HC gains. Infants fed the new PO-free pHF had significantly softer stools than those fed the PO-containing formula except at 119 days of age. This study demonstrates that whereas growth of infants fed different formulas during the first 4 months of life may be similar, infants may tolerate individual formulas differently. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of outbreak response immunization in the control of pertussis using agent-based modeling.

PubMed

Doroshenko, Alexander; Qian, Weicheng; Osgood, Nathaniel D

2016-01-01

Pertussis control remains a challenge due to recently observed effects of waning immunity to acellular vaccine and suboptimal vaccine coverage. Multiple outbreaks have been reported in different ages worldwide. For certain outbreaks, public health authorities can launch an outbreak response immunization (ORI) campaign to control pertussis spread. We investigated effects of an outbreak response immunization targeting young adolescents in averting pertussis cases. We developed an agent-based model for pertussis transmission representing disease mechanism, waning immunity, vaccination schedule and pathogen transmission in a spatially-explicit 500,000-person contact network representing a typical Canadian Public Health district. Parameters were derived from literature and calibration. We used published cumulative incidence and dose-specific vaccine coverage to calibrate the model's epidemiological curves. We endogenized outbreak response by defining thresholds to trigger simulated immunization campaigns in the 10-14 age group offering 80% coverage. We ran paired simulations with and without outbreak response immunization and included those resulting in a single ORI within a 10-year span. We calculated the number of cases averted attributable to outbreak immunization campaign in all ages, in the 10-14 age group and in infants. The count of cases averted were tested using Mann-Whitney U test to determine statistical significance. Numbers needed to vaccinate during immunization campaign to prevent a single case in respective age groups were derived from the model. We varied adult vaccine coverage, waning immunity parameters, immunization campaign eligibility and tested stronger vaccination boosting effect in sensitivity analyses. 189 qualified paired-runs were analyzed. On average, ORI was triggered every 26 years. On a per-run basis, there were an average of 124, 243 and 429 pertussis cases averted across all age groups within 1, 3 and 10 years of a campaign, respectively. During the same time periods, 53, 96, and 163 cases were averted in the 10-14 age group, and 6, 11, 20 in infants under 1 (p < 0.001, all groups). Numbers needed to vaccinate ranged from 49 to 221, from 130 to 519 and from 1,031 to 4,903 for all ages, the 10-14 age group and for infants, respectively. Most sensitivity analyses resulted in minimal impact on a number of cases averted. Our model generated 30 years of longitudinal data to evaluate effects of outbreak response immunization in a controlled study. Immunization campaign implemented as an outbreak response measure among adolescents may confer benefits across all ages accruing over a 10-year period. Our inference is dependent on having an outbreak of significant magnitude affecting predominantly the selected age and achieving a comprehensive vaccine coverage during the campaign. Economic evaluations and comparisons with other control measures can add to conclusions generated by our work.

Parent-Child Parallel-Group Intervention for Childhood Aggression in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fung, Annis L. C.; Tsang, Sandra H. K. M.

2006-01-01

This article reports the original evidence-based outcome study on parent-child parallel group-designed Anger Coping Training (ACT) program for children aged 8-10 with reactive aggression and their parents in Hong Kong. This research program involved experimental and control groups with pre- and post-comparison. Quantitative data collection…

77 FR 14385 - Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Domestic Violence Shelters/Grants to Native...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-09

... Provision of individual and group counseling, peer support groups, and referral to community-based services... violence, or dating violence, including age- appropriate counseling, supportive services, and services for..., or was, lawfully residing. Indian Tribe: Any Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or...

[Mental health status of young children (clinico-epidemiological study)].

PubMed

Kozlovskaia, G V; Skoblo, G V

1989-01-01

The work is based upon a combined prospective investigation into an urban children population aged 0 to 4 years by a group of psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and an expert in neurophysiology. The age group under investigation showed a high incidence of mental disorders (10% on average). The authors have singled out some major lines of clinical research into the mental disorders and micropsychiatry including a number of practical issues of improving special therapeutic-preventive assistance to children population.

Gender and geographical inequalities in fatal drug overdose in Iran: A province-level study in 2006 and 2011.

PubMed

Rostami, Mehran; Karamouzian, Mohammad; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Rezaeian, Shahab

2018-06-01

We aimed to compare the fatal drug overdose rates in Iran in 2006 and 2011. This analysis was performed based on data on fatal drug overdose cases from the Iranian death registration system. The crude and adjusted rates per 100,000 populations for geographical regions stratified by gender and age groups were calculated using the 2006 and 2011 census of Iranian population. Annual percentage change was calculated to examine annual changes of fatal drug overdose rates across different regions. The overall age-adjusted rate of fatal drug overdose decreased from 3.62 in 2006 to 2.77 in 2011. A substantial difference in the distribution of fatal drug overdoses was found across geographical regions by gender and age groups. Rates of fatal drug overdose were higher among Iranian men and in both younger and older age groups which call for scaling up harm reduction and increasing access to gender- and age-specific substance use treatment services. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term persistence of human papillomavirus in the skin of the glans penis of elderly men above 80 years of age.

PubMed

Kitamura, Tadaichi; Suzuki, Motofumi; Koyama, Yasuhiro; Shigehara, Kazuyoshi

2018-05-01

Investigations of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the glans penis are scarce, especially with regard to its natural history. To elucidate HPV prevalence among Japanese men attending urological clinics, 798 adult participants were recruited consecutively and stratified into groups by age based on 10-year intervals. The overall HPV prevalence among the participants was 24.8%, with 15.5% positive for high-risk HPV and 9.3% infected with other HPVs. The HPV positivity rate was sustained in those over 80 years of age at nearly the same level as those in the younger age groups. We also determined the age at last sexual intercourse of 15 HPV-positive participants in the 80+ years age group. In addition, six participants positive for HPV were re-examined for HPV and all showed nearly the same HPV types as those identified in their first examinations. The difference between the age at the first test and the age of last intercourse was 8.3 ± 6.2 years. Except for the elderly group who reported sexual intercourse within the previous year, the duration was 10.0 ± 5.1 years. Our data suggest an HPV persistence of at least eight years. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the long-term persistence of HPV infection in the glans penis.

Neuroprotective effect of Annona glabra extract against ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in neonatal rats.

PubMed

Ma, Hongru; Han, Jianfeng; Dong, Qinchuan

2018-04-01

The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of Annona glabra extract (AGE) against ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in neonatal rats. AGE is known to contain various pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Phytochemical analysis of AGE was performed to understand the presence of vital therapeutic components. Neonatal rats were assigned to the following groups: group I (normal control rats receiving normal saline), group II (control rats receiving ethanol), and group III (treated rats receiving ethanol-AGE). The lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) levels were determined. Behavioral parameters, histological features, neuronal cell viability, and apoptosis were also investigated. The presence of flavonoids, terpenoid, glycosides, steroids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, and acidic compounds was noted in the AGE. Ethanol supplementation drastically increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content to 52.17 nmol/g in the control rats (group II). However, the MDA content was reduced to 27.34 nmol/g in ethanol-AGE-treated neonatal rats (group III) compared with control rats. The GSH content was substantially reduced, to 33.68 mg/g, in control rats compared with in normal control rats. However, the GSH content was significantly increased, to 59.32 mg/g, following ethanol-AGE supplementation. Gpx, SOD, catalase, and AChE enzyme activities were increased in treated neonatal rats compared with their respective controls. Locomotor activities, such as crossing, grooming, rearing, and sniffing, were increased in ethanol-AGE-treated neonatal rats compared with controls. Reduced levels of intact pyramidal cells and cells with degenerative alterations appeared in the control rats. However, ethanol-AGE supplementation reduced degenerative alterations and hippocampal damage. Reduced cultured hippocampal neuron cell viability and increased apoptosis were noted in the control rats, whereas these impacts were significantly recovered following ethanol-AGE supplementation. Based on all these data, we concluded that the supplementation of AGE was very effective against ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in neonatal rats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age-specific birth rates in women with epilepsy: a population-based study.

PubMed

Farmen, Anette Huuse; Grundt, Jacob Holter; Tomson, Torbjörn; Nakken, Karl O; Nakling, Jakob; Mowinchel, Petter; Øie, Merete; Lossius, Morten I

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate birth rates and use of hormonal contraception in different age groups among women with epilepsy (WWE) in comparison to women without epilepsy. Demographic data and medical information on more than 25,000 pregnant women (40,000 births), representing 95% of all pregnancies in Oppland County, Norway, were registered in the Oppland Perinatal Database in the period 1989-2011. Data were analyzed with respect to epilepsy diagnoses, and 176 women with a validated epilepsy diagnosis (303 pregnancies) were identified. Age-specific birth rates in these women were estimated and compared with age-specific birth rates in women without epilepsy in the same county. In WWE over 25 years of age, birth rates were significantly lower than in those of the same age group without epilepsy. In women below 20 years of age, birth rates were similar in those with and without epilepsy. The use of hormonal contraceptives prior to pregnancy was lower among WWE under 25 years than in the corresponding age group without epilepsy. Health professionals who counsel WWE who are of fertile age should be aware of the strongly reduced birth rates in WWE over 25 years of age, and the lower rates of use of contraceptives among young WWE.

The Prevalence of Amblyopia and Its Determinants in a Population-based Study.

PubMed

Faghihi, Mohammad; Hashemi, Hassan; Nabovati, Payam; Saatchi, Mohammad; Yekta, Abbasali; Rafati, Shokoofeh; Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi; Khabazkhoob, Mehdi

2017-12-01

To determine the prevalence of amblyopia and its determinants in a population-based study in Mashhad County, Iran. This cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted on the population of Mashhad County aged >1 year using randomized stratified cluster sampling. Examinations were performed after selection of the participants and their free transportation to the sampling site. The examinations included the measurement of uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic refraction, cover testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and ophthalmoscopy. In this study, amblyopia was defined as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/30 or less or 2-line interocular optotype acuity differences with no pathology. After considering the exclusion criteria, the data of 2739 individuals, 65.6% of whom were women, were analyzed. The mean age of the participants was 29.5±17.5 years. The prevalence of amblyopia was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.77%-5.43%) in the total population. The lowest prevalence was 2.24% in the age group 5-15 years (95% CI: 0.99%-3.48%) and the highest prevalence was 7.14% in the age group 55-65 years (95% CI: 2.64%-11.56%). Anisometropic amblyopia was observed in 45.24% of the amblyopic participants. Isometropic, mixed (strabismic/anisometropic), and strabismic amblyopia were other common causes of amblyopia, with a prevalence of 24.6%, 16.67%, and 13.49% in amblyopic patients, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) of having amblyopia for each 1-year increase in age was 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Amblyopia was less common in people with better socioeconomic status. This study showed the prevalence of amblyopia in all age groups in a population-based study for the first time. The findings of this study regarding the relatively high prevalence of amblyopia in the older population and its lower prevalence in young people indicate attention to amblyopia in recent years.

International incidence of childhood cancer, 2001-10: a population-based registry study.

PubMed

Steliarova-Foucher, Eva; Colombet, Murielle; Ries, Lynn A G; Moreno, Florencia; Dolya, Anastasia; Bray, Freddie; Hesseling, Peter; Shin, Hee Young; Stiller, Charles A

2017-06-01

Cancer is a major cause of death in children worldwide, and the recorded incidence tends to increase with time. Internationally comparable data on childhood cancer incidence in the past two decades are scarce. This study aimed to provide internationally comparable local data on the incidence of childhood cancer to promote research of causes and implementation of childhood cancer control. This population-based registry study, devised by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in collaboration with the International Association of Cancer Registries, collected data on all malignancies and non-malignant neoplasms of the CNS diagnosed before age 20 years in populations covered by high-quality cancer registries with complete data for 2001-10. Incidence rates per million person-years for the 0-14 years and 0-19 years age groups were age-adjusted using the world standard population to provide age-standardised incidence rates (WSRs), using the age-specific incidence rates (ASR) for individual age groups (0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years). All rates were reported for 19 geographical areas or ethnicities by sex, age group, and cancer type. The regional WSRs for children aged 0-14 years were compared with comparable data obtained in the 1980s. Of 532 invited cancer registries, 153 registries from 62 countries, departments, and territories met quality standards, and contributed data for the entire decade of 2001-10. 385 509 incident cases in children aged 0-19 years occurring in 2·64 billion person-years were included. The overall WSR was 140·6 per million person-years in children aged 0-14 years (based on 284 649 cases), and the most common cancers were leukaemia (WSR 46·4), followed by CNS tumours (WSR 28·2), and lymphomas (WSR 15·2). In children aged 15-19 years (based on 100 860 cases), the ASR was 185·3 per million person-years, the most common being lymphomas (ASR 41·8) and the group of epithelial tumours and melanoma (ASR 39·5). Incidence varied considerably between and within the described regions, and by cancer type, sex, age, and racial and ethnic group. Since the 1980s, the global WSR of registered cancers in children aged 0-14 years has increased from 124·0 (95% CI 123·3-124·7) to 140·6 (140·1-141·1) per million person-years. This unique global source of childhood cancer incidence will be used for aetiological research and to inform public health policy, potentially contributing towards attaining several targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The observed geographical, racial and ethnic, age, sex, and temporal variations require constant monitoring and research. International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Union for International Cancer Control. Copyright © 2017 World Health Organization; licensee Elsevier. This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO license which permits users to download and share the article for non-commercial purposes, so long as the article is reproduced in the whole without changes, and provided the original source is properly cited. This article shall not be used or reproduced in association with the promotion of commercial products, services or any entity. There should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products, or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.

Evidence-based design recommendations for prevalence studies on multimorbidity: improving comparability of estimates.

PubMed

Holzer, Barbara M; Siebenhuener, Klarissa; Bopp, Matthias; Minder, Christoph E

2017-03-07

In aging populations, multimorbidity causes a disease burden of growing importance and cost. However, estimates of the prevalence of multimorbidity (prevMM) vary widely across studies, impeding valid comparisons and interpretation of differences. With this study we pursued two research objectives: (1) to identify a set of study design and demographic factors related to prevMM, and (2) based on (1), to formulate design recommendations for future studies with improved comparability of prevalence estimates. Study data were obtained through systematic review of the literature. UsingPubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, BIOSIS, and Google Scholar, we looked for articles with the terms "multimorbidity," "comorbidity," "polymorbidity," and variations of these published in English or German in the years 1990 to 2011. We selected quantitative studies of the prevalence of multimorbidity (two or more chronic medical conditions) with a minimum sample size of 50 and a study population with a majority of Caucasians. Our database consisted of prevalence estimates in 108 age groups taken from 45 studies. To assess the effects of study design variables, we used meta regression models. In 58% of the studies, there was only one age group, i.e., no stratification by age. The number of persons per age group ranged from 136 to 5.6 million. Our analyses identified the following variables as highly significant: "mean age," "number of age groups", and "data reporting quality" (all p < 0.0001). "Setting," "disease classification," and "number of diseases in the classification" were significant (0.01 < p ≤ 0.03), and "data collection period" and "data source" were non-significant. A separate analysis showed that prevMM was significantly higher in women than men (sign test, p = 0.0015). Comparable prevalence estimates are urgently needed for realistic description of the magnitude of the problem of multimorbidity. Based on the results of our analyses of variables affecting prevMM, we make some design recommendations. Our suggestions were guided by a pragmatic approach and aimed at facilitating the implementation of a uniform methodology. This should aid progress towards a more uniform operationalization of multimorbidity.

Effect of Age on Variability in the Production of Text-Based Global Inferences

PubMed Central

Williams, Lynne J.; Dunlop, Joseph P.; Abdi, Hervé

2012-01-01

As we age, our differences in cognitive skills become more visible, an effect especially true for memory and problem solving skills (i.e., fluid intelligence). However, by contrast with fluid intelligence, few studies have examined variability in measures that rely on one’s world knowledge (i.e., crystallized intelligence). The current study investigated whether age increased the variability in text based global inference generation–a measure of crystallized intelligence. Global inference generation requires the integration of textual information and world knowledge and can be expressed as a gist or lesson. Variability in generating two global inferences for a single text was examined in young-old (62 to 69 years), middle-old (70 to 76 years) and old-old (77 to 94 years) adults. The older two groups showed greater variability, with the middle elderly group being most variable. These findings suggest that variability may be a characteristic of both fluid and crystallized intelligence in aging. PMID:22590523

A comparative study of the aerobic fitness of 421 healthy adult males in Singapore.

PubMed

Ong, T C

1993-02-01

The maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) of 421 healthy adult males from three ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay and Indian), aged 25-54 years, was assessed from direct analyses of their expired respiratory gases during all-out runs on a treadmill as a measure of aerobic fitness. The subjects were divided into three age groups: group 1, 25-34 years; group 2, 35-44 years; group 3, 45-54 years. Each group was further subdivided into non-exercisers (NE), non-regular exercisers (NRE) and regular exercisers (RE). Consistently within each age group, regular exercisers produced significantly higher VO2 max values compared to non-regular exercisers and non-exercisers. They also met the VO2 max requirements for heavy physical work and compared favourably with the standards of the National Physical Fitness Award of Singapore and Cooper's aerobic fitness classification standards based on North American males. Non-regular exercisers and non-exercisers only met the VO2 max requirements for moderate physical work and compared poorly in both of the aerobic fitness standards.

The direct health care costs of eating disorders among hospitalized patients: A population-based study.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Claire; Colton, Patricia; Cheng, Joyce; Olmsted, Marion; Kurdyak, Paul

2017-12-01

To estimate the direct health care costs of eating disorders in Ontario, Canada, in 2012, using a prevalence-based cost-of-illness approach. We selected a population-based sample of all patients eligible for public health care insurance over the age of 4 with a hospitalization for an eating disorder at any point since 1988. We estimated total and mean direct net costs per patient in 2012, from the third public payer perspective, by sex, age group, and health service type. In 2012, there were 6,326 patients ever hospitalized for an eating disorder. They had a mean age of 31 at hospitalization, were mostly female (93%), and generally from high-income, urban neighborhoods. Direct total costs were just under $63 million CAD; direct net costs were roughly $48 million CAD. Mean net costs per patient were higher for females than males ($7,743.40 and $6,340.50, respectively), and higher for patients under 20 and patients 65+ ($17,961.50 and $14,953.90, respectively). The main cost drivers were psychiatric hospitalizations and physician visits, although this varied by age group. For younger patients, net costs were mainly because of psychiatric hospitalizations, while for older patients net costs were mainly because of psychiatric and nonpsychiatric hospitalizations, and other care. The cost of eating disorders is substantial and varies by sex and age group. Our findings suggest that, from a health care utilization/cost perspective, the effect of eating disorders is likely to persist over the lifespan. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The descriptive epidemiology of house dust mite-specific and total immunoglobin E in England using a nationally representative sample.

PubMed

Court, C S; Cook, D G; Strachan, D P

2002-07-01

Previous studies have shown that IgE levels vary according to factors such as age, gender and smoking but most studies have been small and none have been based on a nationally representative sample. To investigate the influence of epidemiological factors on serum total IgE and house dust mite-specific IgE levels. An interviewer-led questionnaire was carried out and blood samples taken from 24 952 people aged 11 and over as part of the 1995 and 1996 Health Surveys for England. Serum total IgE and house dust mite-specific IgE were measured. Both total and house dust mite-specific IgE were more frequently raised in men and in younger age groups. After adjusting for age and sex, raised total IgE was more common in current smokers and non-white ethnic groups and was not related to social class. The higher levels in non-white ethnic groups was not explained by smoking, urban living or being born outside the UK. Whilst total IgE levels declined in older age groups in non-smokers, among smokers they increased across successive age groups from 50 years onwards. In contrast, following adjustment for age and sex, raised house dust mite IgE was more common in non-manual workers and in some non-white ethnic groups but was not related to smoking. This large nationwide study provides further confirmation of differing epidemiological patterns for total serum IgE and allergen-specific sensitization. Indicative ranges for 'usual' values for a wide range of ages among men and women in England are given.

Effect of Recovery From Obesity on Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Japanese Schoolchildren: The Iwata Population-Based Follow-Up Study

PubMed Central

Kouda, Katsuyasu; Fujita, Yuki; Nakamura, Harunobu; Takeuchi, Hiroichi; Iki, Masayuki

2011-01-01

Background The effect of recovery from obesity on cardiovascular risk factors is not well understood in Japanese children. Methods We analyzed follow-up data from the Iwata city population-based study of schoolchildren in Japan. The Iwata Board of Education conducted health screenings of children aged 10 and 14 years. A total of 914 children aged 10 years (451 boys and 463 girls, 87.1% of all children in the city in 1997) were followed until 14 years of age and classified by pattern of obesity as Normal, Recovered, Worsened, or Persistent. Results Of the 914 children, 111 (12%) were obese at 10 years of age. Of those children, 44 (40%) were no longer obese at 14 years (ie, Recovered). At follow-up, Recovered boys had the greatest decrease in non-HDL cholesterol (mean ± SE, −21.3 ± 3.6 mg/dL) among the 4 groups, and Recovered girls had a significantly lower level of non-HDL cholesterol (Recovered, 107.1 ± 5.4 mg/dL vs. Persistent, 126.1 ± 4.5 mg/dL). The Recovered boys also had a significantly higher level of HDL cholesterol at age 14 (Recovered, 67.2 ± 2.7 mg/dL vs. Persistent, 53.3 ± 2.1 mg/dL). In the Recovered group, 68% of children who were dyslipidemic at baseline had normal cholesterol levels at age 14. The recovery rate from dyslipidemia was significantly higher in the Recovered group (cumulative incidence rate ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–4.7) as compared with the Persistent group. Conclusions Dyslipidemia was reversed in children who recovered from obesity. Our findings suggest that reducing obesity is beneficial to the health of Japanese schoolchildren. PMID:21727757

Effect of recovery from obesity on cardiovascular risk factors among Japanese schoolchildren: the Iwata population-based follow-up study.

PubMed

Kouda, Katsuyasu; Fujita, Yuki; Nakamura, Harunobu; Takeuchi, Hiroichi; Iki, Masayuki

2011-01-01

The effect of recovery from obesity on cardiovascular risk factors is not well understood in Japanese children. We analyzed follow-up data from the Iwata city population-based study of schoolchildren in Japan. The Iwata Board of Education conducted health screenings of children aged 10 and 14 years. A total of 914 children aged 10 years (451 boys and 463 girls, 87.1% of all children in the city in 1997) were followed until 14 years of age and classified by pattern of obesity as Normal, Recovered, Worsened, or Persistent. Of the 914 children, 111 (12%) were obese at 10 years of age. Of those children, 44 (40%) were no longer obese at 14 years (ie, Recovered). At follow-up, Recovered boys had the greatest decrease in non-HDL cholesterol (mean ± SE, -21.3 ± 3.6 mg/dL) among the 4 groups, and Recovered girls had a significantly lower level of non-HDL cholesterol (Recovered, 107.1 ± 5.4 mg/dL vs. Persistent, 126.1 ± 4.5 mg/dL). The Recovered boys also had a significantly higher level of HDL cholesterol at age 14 (Recovered, 67.2 ± 2.7 mg/dL vs. Persistent, 53.3 ± 2.1 mg/dL). In the Recovered group, 68% of children who were dyslipidemic at baseline had normal cholesterol levels at age 14. The recovery rate from dyslipidemia was significantly higher in the Recovered group (cumulative incidence rate ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-4.7) as compared with the Persistent group. Dyslipidemia was reversed in children who recovered from obesity. Our findings suggest that reducing obesity is beneficial to the health of Japanese schoolchildren.

Age-Related Differences on Cognitive Overload in an Audio-Visual Memory Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Jennifer; Thomson, Mary E.

2011-01-01

The present study aimed to provide evidence outlining whether the type of stimuli used in teaching would provoke differing levels of recall across three different academic age groups. One hundred and twenty-one participants, aged 11-25 years, were given a language-based memory task in the form of a wordlist consisting of 15 concrete and 15…

Paths to Success in Young Adulthood from Mental Health and Life Transitions in Emerging Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Andrea L.; Galambos, Nancy L.; Krahn, Harvey J.

2010-01-01

This study followed a school-based sample (N = 920) to explore how trajectories of depressive symptoms and expressed anger from age 18 to 25, along with important life transitions, predicted life and career satisfaction at age 32. A two-group (women and men) bivariate growth model revealed that higher depressive symptoms at age 18 predicted lower…

Attitudes towards gambling, gambling participation, and gambling-related harm: cross-sectional Finnish population studies in 2011 and 2015.

PubMed

Salonen, Anne H; Alho, Hannu; Castrén, Sari

2017-01-26

Information about public gambling attitudes and gambling participation is crucial for the effective prevention of gambling-related harm. This study investigates female and male attitudes towards gambling, gambling participation, and gambling-related harm in the Finnish population aged 15-74. Cross-sectional random sample data were collected in 2011 (n = 4484) and 2015 (n = 4515). The data were weighted based on gender, age and region of residence. Attitudes were measured using the Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8). Gambling-related harms were studied using the Problem Gambling Severity Index and the South Oaks Gambling Screen. Attitudes towards gambling became more positive from 2011 to 2015. Female attitudes were generally negative, but nonetheless moved in a positive direction except in age groups under 25. Occasional gambling increased among women aged 18-24. Women aged 18-24 and 45-54 experienced more harms in 2015 than in 2011. Both land and online gambling increased among women aged 65-74. Male attitudes towards gambling were generally positive, and became more positive from 2011 to 2015 in all age groups except 15-17. Weekly gambling decreased among males aged 15-17. Gambling overall increased among males aged 18-24. Gambling several times a week decreased among men aged 35-44 and 45-54, and gambling 1-3 times a month increased in the latter age group. Online gambling increased only among men aged 55-64. Attitudes towards gambling became more positive in all except the youngest age groups. Under-age male gambling continued to decrease. We need to make decision-makers better aware of the continuing growth of online gambling among older people and women's increasing experiences of gambling-related harm. This is vital to ensure more effective prevention.

Long-term efficacy of a rural community-based integrated intervention for prevention and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cluster randomized controlled trial in China's rural areas.

PubMed

Yuan, X; Tao, Y; Zhao, J P; Liu, X S; Xiong, W N; Xie, J G; Ni, W; Xu, Y J; Liu, H G

2015-11-01

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a rural community-based integrated intervention for early prevention and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China. This 18-year cluster-randomized controlled trial encompassing 15 villages included 1008 patients (454 men and 40 women in the intervention group [mean age, 54 ± 10 years]; 482 men and 32 women in the control group [mean age, 53 ± 10 years]) with confirmed COPD or at risk for COPD. Villages were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group, and study participants residing within the villages received treatment accordingly. Intervention group patients took part in a program that included systematic health education, smoking cessation counseling, and education on management of COPD. Control group patients received usual care. The groups were compared after 18 years regarding the incidence of COPD, decline in lung function, and mortality of COPD. COPD incidence was lower in the intervention group than in the control group (10% vs 16%, <0.05). A decline in lung function was also significantly delayed in the intervention group compared to the control group of COPD and high-risk patients. The intervention group showed significant improvement in smoking cessation compared with the control group, and smokers in the intervention group had lower smoking indices than in the control group (350 vs 450, <0.05). The intervention group also had a significantly lower cumulative COPD-related death rate than the control group (37% vs 47%, <0.05). A rural community-based integrated intervention is effective in reducing the incidence of COPD among those at risk, delaying a decline in lung function in COPD patients and those at risk, and reducing mortality of COPD.

Influence of core thickness and artificial aging on the biaxial flexural strength of different all-ceramic materials: An in-vitro study.

PubMed

Dikicier, Sibel; Ayyildiz, Simel; Ozen, Julide; Sipahi, Cumhur

2017-05-31

The purpose of this study was to investigate the flexural strength of all-ceramics with varying core thicknesses submitted to aging. In-Ceram Alumina (IC), IPS e.max Press (EM) and Katana (K) (n=40), were selected. Each group contained two core groups based on the core thickness as follows: IC/0.5, IC/0.8, EM/0.5, EM/0.8, K/0.5 and K/0.8 mm in thickness (n=20 each). Ten specimens from each group were subjected to aging and all specimens were tested for strength in a testing machine either with or without being subjected aging. The mean strength of the K were higher (873.05 MPa) than that of the IC (548.28 MPa) and EM (374.32 MPa) regardless of core thickness. Strength values increased with increasing core thickness for all IC, EM and K regardless of aging. Results of this study concluded that strength was not significantly affected by aging. Different core thicknesses affected strength of the all-ceramic materials tested (p<0.05).

Trends in Educational Differentials in Suicide Mortality between 1993 - 2006 in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Weon Young; Khang, Young-Ho; Noh, Manegseok; Ryu, Jae-In; Son, Mia

2009-01-01

Purpose This study aims to examine how inequalities in suicide by education changed during and after macroeconomic restructuring following the economic crisis of 1997 in South Korea. Materials and Methods Using Korea's 1995, 2000, and 2005 census data aggregately linked to mortality data (1993 - 2006), relative and absolute differentials in suicide mortality by education were calculated by gender and age among Korean population aged 35 and over. Results Average annual suicide mortality rates have steadily increased from 1993 - 1997 to 2003 - 2006 in almost all sociodemographic groups stratified by gender, age, and education. Based on the relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII), educational differentials in suicide mortality generally increased over time in men and women aged 45 years +. Although RII did not increase with year among men and women aged 35 - 44 years, SII showed a significantly increasing trend in this age group. Conclusion These worsening absolute inequalities in suicide mortality indicate that the governmental suicide prevention policy should be directed toward socially disadvantaged groups of the Korean population. PMID:19718395

Bicarbonate Concentration, Acid-Base Status, and Mortality in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study.

PubMed

Raphael, Kalani L; Murphy, Rachel A; Shlipak, Michael G; Satterfield, Suzanne; Huston, Hunter K; Sebastian, Anthony; Sellmeyer, Deborah E; Patel, Kushang V; Newman, Anne B; Sarnak, Mark J; Ix, Joachim H; Fried, Linda F

2016-02-05

Low serum bicarbonate associates with mortality in CKD. This study investigated the associations of bicarbonate and acid-base status with mortality in healthy older individuals. We analyzed data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, a prospective study of well functioning black and white adults ages 70-79 years old from 1997. Participants with arterialized venous blood gas measurements (n=2287) were grouped into <23.0 mEq/L (low), 23.0-27.9 mEq/L (reference group), and ≥28.0 mEq/L (high) bicarbonate categories and according to acid-base status. Survival data were collected through February of 2014. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs; 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]) in the low and high bicarbonate groups compared with the reference group were determined using Cox models adjusted for demographics, eGFR, albuminuria, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking, and systemic pH. Similarly adjusted Cox models were performed according to acid-base status. The mean age was 76 years, 51% were women, and 38% were black. Mean pH was 7.41, mean bicarbonate was 25.1 mEq/L, 11% had low bicarbonate, and 10% had high bicarbonate. Mean eGFR was 82.1 ml/min per 1.73 m(2), and 12% had CKD. Over a mean follow-up of 10.3 years, 1326 (58%) participants died. Compared with the reference group, the mortality HRs were 1.24 (95% CI, 1.02 to 1.49) in the low bicarbonate and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.26) in the high bicarbonate categories. Compared with the normal acid-base group, the mortality HRs were 1.17 (95% CI, 0.94 to 1.47) for metabolic acidosis, 1.21 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.46) for respiratory alkalosis, and 1.35 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.69) for metabolic alkalosis categories. Respiratory acidosis did not associate with mortality. In generally healthy older individuals, low serum bicarbonate associated with higher mortality independent of systemic pH and potential confounders. This association seemed to be present regardless of whether the cause of low bicarbonate was metabolic acidosis or respiratory alkalosis. Metabolic alkalosis also associated with higher mortality. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Bicarbonate Concentration, Acid-Base Status, and Mortality in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study

PubMed Central

Murphy, Rachel A.; Shlipak, Michael G.; Satterfield, Suzanne; Huston, Hunter K.; Sebastian, Anthony; Sellmeyer, Deborah E.; Patel, Kushang V.; Newman, Anne B.; Sarnak, Mark J.; Ix, Joachim H.; Fried, Linda F.

2016-01-01

Background and objectives Low serum bicarbonate associates with mortality in CKD. This study investigated the associations of bicarbonate and acid-base status with mortality in healthy older individuals. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We analyzed data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, a prospective study of well functioning black and white adults ages 70–79 years old from 1997. Participants with arterialized venous blood gas measurements (n=2287) were grouped into <23.0 mEq/L (low), 23.0–27.9 mEq/L (reference group), and ≥28.0 mEq/L (high) bicarbonate categories and according to acid-base status. Survival data were collected through February of 2014. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs; 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]) in the low and high bicarbonate groups compared with the reference group were determined using Cox models adjusted for demographics, eGFR, albuminuria, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking, and systemic pH. Similarly adjusted Cox models were performed according to acid-base status. Results The mean age was 76 years, 51% were women, and 38% were black. Mean pH was 7.41, mean bicarbonate was 25.1 mEq/L, 11% had low bicarbonate, and 10% had high bicarbonate. Mean eGFR was 82.1 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and 12% had CKD. Over a mean follow-up of 10.3 years, 1326 (58%) participants died. Compared with the reference group, the mortality HRs were 1.24 (95% CI, 1.02 to 1.49) in the low bicarbonate and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.26) in the high bicarbonate categories. Compared with the normal acid-base group, the mortality HRs were 1.17 (95% CI, 0.94 to 1.47) for metabolic acidosis, 1.21 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.46) for respiratory alkalosis, and 1.35 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.69) for metabolic alkalosis categories. Respiratory acidosis did not associate with mortality. Conclusions In generally healthy older individuals, low serum bicarbonate associated with higher mortality independent of systemic pH and potential confounders. This association seemed to be present regardless of whether the cause of low bicarbonate was metabolic acidosis or respiratory alkalosis. Metabolic alkalosis also associated with higher mortality. PMID:26769766

Occupational fall injuries presenting to the emergency department.

PubMed

Son, Hyung Min; Kim, Sun Hyu; Shin, Sang Do; Ryoo, Hyun Wook; Ryu, Hyun Ho; Lee, Ji Ho

2014-04-01

This study was performed to evaluate occupational and fall injuries presenting to the ED, the risk factors associated with falls among all occupational injuries, and factors affecting prognosis. Data from ED-based Occupational Injury Surveillance System were analysed to investigate the occupational injuries. The 2147 occupational injury subjects were divided into two groups: fall (n = 213, 9.9%) and non-fall (n = 1934, 90.1%). Data including baseline and clinical characteristics were compared between the groups. The mean age was older in the fall group (46 vs 42 years old). The rate of construction site-related injury was 32% in the fall group and only 8% in the non-fall group. Injury occurrence during regular working hours (09.00 hours to 18.00 hours) was 70% in the fall group and 57% in the non-fall group. Injury severity using the Excess Mortality Ratio-adjusted Injury Severity Score (EMR-ISS) was more severe in the fall group than in the non-fall group, and days away from work were longer in the fall group than the non-fall group. Older age, compared with an age <29 years old and presence in a construction area during regular working hours were factors associated with fall injuries. Factors affecting prolonged absence for work were older age, higher EMR-ISS, fall injury and poor workplace environmental conditions. Risk factors associated with fall-related occupational injuries include older age and being at a construction area during regular working hours. Falls among occupational injuries are more severe than other injuries and result in longer work loss. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Social and economic burden of suicides in Hong Kong SAR: a year of life lost perspective.

PubMed

Yip, P S F; Liu, Ka Y; Law, C K; Law, Y W

2005-01-01

The paper proposes to use the years-of-life-lost method (YLL) in assessing the social and economic burden of suicides in Hong Kong SAR. The YLL from suicide by age group in 1981-2002 is calculated based on the standard set by World Health Organization (WHO). It shows that the middle age group (25-39) contributed most to the burden of disease in Hong Kong. The proportion of older adults' suicides is about 25% of the total number of suicides but its disease burden is less than 6% in terms of the YLL. Though the group aged 25-39 contributed disproportionately to the total YLL from suicide, the prevention effort for this particular group has been very much neglected and needs to be strengthened. It illustrates that use of YLL could provide a new viewpoint for setting up public health policies.

Differences in nativity, age and gender may impact health behavior and perspectives among Asian Indians.

PubMed

Dhar, Sohini; Gor, Beverly; Banerjee, Deborah; Krishnan, Sunil; Dorai, V K; Jones, Lovell; Kabad, Kanchan; Naik, Lakshmi Rai; Legha, Sewa S; Pande, Mala

2017-07-03

Identify health perspectives among Asian Indians in greater Houston area, to guide a tailored community wide survey. Four focus groups of different ages, gender, and nativity were conducted at which participants were asked for their opinions about specific health topics. Key informant interviews were conducted with ten community leaders to validate focus group responses. Recordings from focus groups and key informant interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Diabetes, cancer, and hypertension were primary health concerns. Common themes were sedentary lifestyle and poor health literacy. Older participants were more accepting of having familial hypertension and high cholesterol. Women were more concerned about health of family members and dietary habits. Perspectives differed on eating habits, physical activity, use of Western medicine, and smoking based on nativity. Responses from key informant interviews validated focus group findings. Perspectives on health may differ among Asian Indians depending on gender, age, and nativity.

Defining functional groups based on running kinematics using Self-Organizing Maps and Support Vector Machines.

PubMed

Hoerzer, Stefan; von Tscharner, Vinzenz; Jacob, Christian; Nigg, Benno M

2015-07-16

A functional group is a collection of individuals who react in a similar way to a specific intervention/product such as a sport shoe. Matching footwear features to a functional group can possibly enhance footwear-related comfort, improve running performance, and decrease the risk of movement-related injuries. To match footwear features to a functional group, one has to first define the different groups using their distinctive movement patterns. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to propose and apply a methodological approach to define functional groups with different movement patterns using Self-Organizing Maps and Support Vector Machines. Further study objectives were to identify differences in age, gender and footwear-related comfort preferences between the functional groups. Kinematic data and subjective comfort preferences of 88 subjects (16-76 years; 45 m/43 f) were analysed. Eight functional groups with distinctive movement patterns were defined. The findings revealed that most of the groups differed in age or gender. Certain functional groups differed in their comfort preferences and, therefore, had group-specific footwear requirements to enhance footwear-related comfort. Some of the groups, which had group-specific footwear requirements, did not show any differences in age or gender. This is important because when defining functional groups simply using common grouping criteria like age or gender, certain functional groups with group-specific movement patterns and footwear requirements might not be detected. This emphasises the power of the proposed pattern recognition approach to automatically define groups by their distinctive movement patterns in order to be able to address their group-specific product requirements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of College Student Spirituality on Alcohol Use and Sexual Behaviors: A Comparison of Faith-Based and Non Faith-Based Institutional NCHA Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kristen S.

2014-01-01

College-aged individuals have a significant impact on national health. People in this age group have the highest rates of engagement in many risky health behaviors, such as binge drinking, substance use, and engaging in unprotected sexual activity. The American College Health Association (ACHA) has been actively involved in the study of college…

Nutrition Recommendations in Elderly and Aging.

PubMed

Barkoukis, Hope

2016-11-01

Maintaining optimal health and well-being in the older adult requires understanding of how physiologic changes influence nutritional status, familiarity with the available validated tools to assess status, identification of factors predisposing older adults to malnutrition, and evidence-based practice regarding the nutritional needs of this age group. Evidence-based guidance on these core practice components is provided to the clinician in this article. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Web-Based Education Prior to Outpatient Orthopaedic Surgery Enhances Early Patient Satisfaction Scores: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

van Eck, Carola F; Toor, Aneet; Banffy, Michael B; Gambardella, Ralph A

2018-01-01

A good patient-surgeon relationship relies on adequate preoperative education and counseling. Several multimedia resources, such as web-based education tools, have become available to enhance aspects of perioperative care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an interactive web-based education tool on perioperative patient satisfaction scores after outpatient orthopaedic surgery. It was hypothesized that web-based education prior to outpatient orthopaedic surgery enhances patient satisfaction scores. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. All patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy, chondroplasty, or anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or shoulder arthroscopy with rotator cuff repair were eligible for inclusion and were randomized to the study or control group. The control group received routine education by the surgeon, whereas the study group received additional web-based education. At the first postoperative visit, all patients completed the OAS CAHPS (Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey. Differences in patient satisfaction scores between the study and control groups were determined with an independent t test. A total of 177 patients were included (104 [59%] males; mean age, 42 ± 14 years); 87 (49%) patients were randomized to receive additional web-based education. Total patient satisfaction score was significantly higher in the study group (97 ± 5) as compared with the control group (94 ± 8; P = .019), specifically for the OAS CAHPS core measure "recovery" (92 ± 13 vs 82 ± 23; P = .001). Age, sex, race, workers' compensation status, education level, overall health, emotional health, procedure type and complexity, and addition of a video did not influence patient satisfaction scores. Supplemental web-based patient education prior to outpatient orthopaedic surgery enhances patient satisfaction scores.

The burden of childhood injuries and evidence based strategies developed using the injury surveillance system in Pasto, Colombia.

PubMed

Espitia-Hardeman, Victoria; Borse, Nagesh N; Dellinger, Ann M; Betancourt, Carmen Elena; Villareal, Alba Nelly; Caicedo, Luz Diana; Portillo, Carlos

2011-02-01

This article characterises the burden of childhood injuries and provides examples of evidence-based injury prevention strategies developed using a citywide injury surveillance system in Pasto, Colombia. Fatal (2003-2007) and non-fatal (2006-2007) childhood injury data were analysed by age, sex, cause, intent, place of occurrence, and disposition. Boys accounted for 71.5% of fatal and 64.9% of non-fatal injuries. The overall fatality rate for all injuries was 170.8 per 100,000 and the non-fatal injury rate was 4,053 per 100,000. Unintentional injuries were the leading causes of fatal injuries for all age groups, except for those 15-19 years whose top four leading causes were violence-related. Among non-fatal injuries, falls was the leading mechanism in the group 0-14 years. Interpersonal violence with a sharp object was the most important cause for boys aged 15-19 years. Home was the most frequent place of occurrence for both fatal and non-fatal injuries for young children 0-4 years old. Home, school and public places became an important place for injuries for boys in the age group 5-15 years. The highest case-fatality rate was for self-inflicted injuries (8.9%). Although some interventions have been implemented in Pasto to reduce injuries, it is necessary to further explore risk factors to better focus prevention strategies and their evaluation. We discuss three evidence-based strategies developed to prevent firework-related injuries during festival, self-inflicted injuries, and road traffic-related injuries, designed and implemented based on the injury surveillance data.

Group-based exercise combined with dual-task training improves gait but not vascular health in active older adults without dementia.

PubMed

Gregory, Michael A; Gill, Dawn P; Zou, Guangyong; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Shigematsu, Ryosuke; Fitzgerald, Clara; Hachinski, Vladimir; Shoemaker, Kevin; Petrella, Robert J

2016-01-01

Gait abnormalities and vascular disease risk factors are associated with cognitive impairment in aging. To determine the impact of group-based exercise and dual-task training on gait and vascular health, in active community-dwelling older adults without dementia. Participants [n=44, mean (SD) age: 73.5 (7.2) years, 68% female] were randomized to either intervention (exercise+dual-task; EDT) or control (exercise only; EO). Each week, for 26 weeks, both groups accumulated 50 or 75 min of aerobic exercise from group-based classes and 45 min of beginner-level square stepping exercise (SSE). Participants accumulating only 50 min of aerobic exercise were instructed to participate in an additional 25 min each week outside of class. The EDT group also answered cognitively challenging questions while performing SSE (i.e., dual-task training). The effect of the interventions on gait and vascular health was compared between groups using linear mixed effects models. At 26 weeks, the EDT group demonstrated increased dual-task (DT) gait velocity [difference between groups in mean change from baseline (95% CI): 0.29 m/s (0.16-0.43), p<0.001], DT step length [5.72 cm (2.19-9.24), p =0.002], and carotid intima-media thickness [0.10mm (0.003-0.20), p=0.04], as well as reduced DT stride time variability [8.31 coefficient of variation percentage points (-12.92 to -3.70), p<0.001], when compared to the EO group. Group-based exercise combined with dual-task training can improve DT gait characteristics in active older adults without dementia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing responses to horticultural-based and traditional activities in dementia care programs.

PubMed

Jarrott, Shannon E; Gigliotti, Christina M

2010-12-01

Engaging persons with dementia in meaningful activities supports well-being; however, care staff are challenged to implement age- and ability-appropriate activities in a group setting. We compared a randomly assigned treatment group, who received horticultural therapy-based (HT-based) programming to a comparison group, who engaged in traditional activities (TA) programming, on engagement and affect. Horticultural therapy-based programming was implemented twice weekly at 4 treatment sites for 6 weeks, while regular TA were observed at comparison sites. Results revealed no differences between groups on affective domains. Levels of adaptive behavior differed between the groups, with the treatment group demonstrating higher levels of active, passive, and other engagement and the comparison group demonstrating higher levels of self-engagement. Our results highlight the value of HT-based programs and the importance of simultaneously capturing participants' affective and behavioral responses. Theoretical and practical considerations about the facilitation of and context in which the programming occurs are discussed.

Quantitative evaluation of changes in eyeball shape in emmetropization and myopic changes based on elliptic fourier descriptors.

PubMed

Ishii, Kotaro; Iwata, Hiroyoshi; Oshika, Tetsuro

2011-11-04

To evaluate changes in eyeball shape in emmetropization and myopic changes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and elliptic Fourier descriptors (EFDs). The subjects were 105 patients (age range, 1 month-19 years) who underwent head MRI. The refractive error was determined in 30 patients, and eyeball shape was expressed numerically by principal components analysis of standardized EFDs. In the first principal component (PC1; the oblate-to-prolate change), the proportion of variance/total variance in the development of the eyeball shape was 76%. In all subjects, PC1 showed a significant correlation with age (Pearson r = -0.314; P = 0.001), axial length (AL, r = -0.378; P < 0.001), width (r = -0.200, P = 0.0401), oblateness (r = 0.657, P < 0.001), and spherical equivalent refraction (SER, r = 0.438; P = 0.0146; n = 30). In the group containing patients aged 1 month to 6 years (n = 49), PC1 showed a significant correlation with age (r = -0.366; P = 0.0093). In the group containing patients aged 7 to 19 years (n = 56), PC1 showed a significant correlation with SER (r = 0.640; P = 0.0063). The main deformation pattern in the development of the eyeball shape from oblate to prolate was clarified by quantitative analysis based on EFDs. The results showed clear differences between age groups with regard to changes in the shape of the eyeball, the correlation between these changes, and refractive status changes.

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 (among our UMa nonmembers) with distinctive kinematics that lie along a 2 Gyr isochrone and appear to be late-type counterparts to disk F stars defining intermediate-age star streams in previous studies, identify a small number of potentially very young but isolated field stars, note that active stars (whether UMa members or not) in our sample lie very close to the solar composition zero-age main sequence, unlike Hipparcos-based positions in the H-R diagram of Pleiades dwarfs, and argue that some extant transformations of activity indices are not adequate for cool dwarfs, for which Ca II infrared triplet emission seems to be a better proxy than Hα-based values for Ca II H and K indices.

Unique sex- and age-dependent effects in protective pathways in acute kidney injury.

PubMed

Boddu, Ravindra; Fan, Chunlan; Rangarajan, Sunil; Sunil, Bhuvana; Bolisetty, Subhashini; Curtis, Lisa M

2017-09-01

Sex and age influence susceptibility to acute kidney injury (AKI), with young females exhibiting lowest incidence. In these studies, we investigated mechanisms which may underlie the sex/age-based dissimilarities. Cisplatin (Cp)-induced AKI resulted in morphological evidence of injury in all groups. A minimal rise in plasma creatinine (PCr) was seen in Young Females, whereas in Aged Females, PCr rose precipitously. Relative to Young Males, Aged Males showed significantly, but temporally, comparably elevated PCr. Notably, Aged Females showed significantly greater mortality, whereas Young Females exhibited none. Tissue KIM-1 and plasma NGAL were significantly lower in Young Females than all others. IGFBP7 levels were modestly increased in both Young groups. IGFBP7 levels in Aged Females were significantly elevated at baseline relative to Aged Males, and increased linearly through day 3 , when these levels were comparable in both Aged groups. Plasma cytokine levels similarly showed a pattern of protective effects preferentially in Young Females. Expression of the drug transporter MATE2 did not explain the sex/age distinctions. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels (~28-kDa species) showed elevation at day 1 in all groups with highest levels seen in Young Males. Exclusively in Young Females, these levels returned to baseline on day 3 , suggestive of a more efficient recovery. In aggregate, we demonstrate, for the first time, a distinctive pattern of response to AKI in Young Females relative to males which appears to be significantly altered in aging. These distinctions may offer novel targets to exploit therapeutically in both females and males in the treatment of AKI.

Relationship between measurement invariance and age-related differences in the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Hobbs, Megan J; Anderson, Tracy M; Slade, Tim; Andrews, Gavin

2014-01-01

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) peaks in prevalence in middle age and declines in prevalence into old age. Some commentators have suggested that this is not a meaningful epidemiological trend rather a methodological artifact. This study tested this hypothesis by matching respondents of different ages based on their severity and examining whether age influences the probability of endorsing GAD criteria and the prevalence of GAD. Self-reported worriers from a nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized adults were selected for investigation (n=1738). All respondents were interviewed using the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Age-related differences in the prevalence and invariance of the GAD criteria were examined between 16 and 29 years, 30 and 44 years, 45 and 59 years and 60 years+ age groups. Effect sizes were used to assess the impact of statistically significant criterion level non-invariance on the prevalence of GAD. Respondents aged 60 years or more were less likely than younger adults to endorse most of the GAD criteria. Significant non-invariance was identified in each of the age group analyses. Nonetheless these differences had no impact on the prevalence of GAD in three group comparisons. In the other three group comparisons, the impact was minimal (d ≤ 0.3). Our results support age-related differences in the prevalence of GAD but we are limited to the extent to which we can say why these differences occur. Age-related prevalence differences in GAD are meaningful epidemiological trends. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

The French-Canadian data set of Demirjian for dental age estimation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Jayaraman, Jayakumar; Wong, Hai Ming; King, Nigel M; Roberts, Graham J

2013-07-01

Estimation of age of an individual can be performed by evaluating the pattern of dental development. A dataset for age estimation based on the dental maturity of a French-Canadian population was published over 35 years ago and has become the most widely accepted dataset. The applicability of this dataset has been tested on different population groups. To estimate the observed differences between Chronological age (CA) and Dental age (DA) when the French Canadian dataset was used to estimate the age of different population groups. A systematic search of literature for papers utilizing the French Canadian dataset for age estimation was performed. All language articles from PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were electronically searched for terms 'Demirjian' and 'Dental age' published between January 1973 and December 2011. A hand search of articles was also conducted. A total of 274 studies were identified from which 34 studies were included for qualitative analysis and 12 studies were included for quantitative assessment and meta-analysis. When synthesizing the estimation results from different population groups, on average, the Demirjian dataset overestimated the age of females by 0.65 years (-0.10 years to +2.82 years) and males by 0.60 years (-0.23 years to +3.04 years). The French Canadian dataset overestimates the age of the subjects by more than six months and hence this dataset should be used only with considerable caution when estimating age of group of subjects of any global population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

The effect of low and moderate intensity aerobic exercises on sleep quality in men older adults.

PubMed

Akbari Kamrani, Ahmad Ali; Shams, Amir; Shamsipour Dehkordi, Parvaneh; Mohajeri, Robabeh

2014-03-01

Sleep is an active and complex rhythmic state that may be affected by the aging process. The purpose of present research was to investigate the effect of low and moderate intensity aerobic exercises on sleep quality in older adults. The research method is quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design. The statistical sample included 45 volunteer elderly men with age range of 60-70 years-old that divided randomly in two experimental groups (aerobic exercise with low and moderate intensity) and one control group. In each group selected 15 older adults based on inclusion and exclusion criteria (such as, without sleep apnea, not smoking, and no taking hypnotic drugs). First, all subjects were evaluated by a doctor to confirm their physical and mental health. Also, the maximum heart rate (MaxHR) of subjects was obtained by subtracting one's age from 220. Furthermore, based on aerobic exercise type (40-50% MaxHR for low intensity group and 60-70% MaxHR for moderate intensity group) the target MaxHR was calculated for each subject. The exercise protocol consisted of 8 weeks aerobic exercises (2 sessions in per-week) based on Rockport one-mile walking/running test and the control group continued their daily activities. All subjects in per-test and post-test stages completed the Petersburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In pre-test stage, results showed that there were no significant differences between control and experimental groups in sleep quality and its components (P>0.05). On the other hand, results in post-test stage showed that there were significant differences between control and experimental groups in these variables (P<0.05). Also, the Tukey Post Hoc showed that the moderate intensity group scores in total sleep quality and its components were better than other groups (P<0.05). Finally, the low intensity group scores in total sleep quality and its components were better than control group (P<0.05). Generally, the present research showed that the aerobic exercises with moderate intensity (60-70% MaxHR) have a positive and significant effect on sleep quality and its components. Thus, based on these findings, the aerobic exercises with moderate intensity is a useful to improve the sleep quality and its components among community older adults were recommended.

Education Level Is a Strong Prognosticator in the Subgroup Aged More Than 50 Years Regardless of the Molecular Subtype of Breast Cancer: A Study Based on the Nationwide Korean Breast Cancer Registry Database.

PubMed

Hwang, Ki-Tae; Noh, Woochul; Cho, Se-Heon; Yu, Jonghan; Park, Min Ho; Jeong, Joon; Lee, Hyouk Jin; Kim, Jongjin; Oh, Sohee; Kim, Young A

2017-10-01

This study investigated the role of the education level (EL) as a prognostic factor for breast cancer and analyzed the relationship between the EL and various confounding factors. The data for 64,129 primary breast cancer patients from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry were analyzed. The EL was classified into two groups according to the education period; the high EL group (≥ 12 years) and low EL group (< 12 years). Survival analyses were performed with respect to the overall survival between the two groups. A high EL conferred a superior prognosis compared to a low EL in the subgroup aged > 50 years (hazard ratio, 0.626; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.577 to 0.678) but not in the subgroup aged ≤ 50 years (hazard ratio, 0.941; 95% CI, 0.865 to 1.024). The EL was a significant independent factor in the subgroup aged > 50 years according to multivariate analyses. The high EL group showed more favorable clinicopathologic features and a higher proportion of patients in this group received lumpectomy, radiation therapy, and endocrine therapy. In the high EL group, a higher proportion of patients received chemotherapy in the subgroups with unfavorable clinicopathologic features. The EL was a significant prognosticator across all molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The EL is a strong independent prognostic factor for breast cancer in the subgroup aged > 50 years regardless of the molecular subtype, but not in the subgroup aged ≤ 50 years. Favorable clinicopathologic features and active treatments can explain the main causality of the superior prognosis in the high EL group.

Education Level Is a Strong Prognosticator in the Subgroup Aged More Than 50 Years Regardless of the Molecular Subtype of Breast Cancer: A Study Based on the Nationwide Korean Breast Cancer Registry Database

PubMed Central

Hwang, Ki-Tae; Noh, Woochul; Cho, Se-Heon; Yu, Jonghan; Park, Min Ho; Jeong, Joon; Lee, Hyouk Jin; Kim, Jongjin; Oh, Sohee; Kim, Young A

2017-01-01

Purpose This study investigated the role of the education level (EL) as a prognostic factor for breast cancer and analyzed the relationship between the EL and various confounding factors. Materials and Methods The data for 64,129 primary breast cancer patients from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry were analyzed. The EL was classified into two groups according to the education period; the high EL group (≥ 12 years) and low EL group (< 12 years). Survival analyses were performed with respect to the overall survival between the two groups. Results A high EL conferred a superior prognosis compared to a low EL in the subgroup aged > 50 years (hazard ratio, 0.626; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.577 to 0.678) but not in the subgroup aged ≤ 50 years (hazard ratio, 0.941; 95% CI, 0.865 to 1.024). The EL was a significant independent factor in the subgroup aged > 50 years according to multivariate analyses. The high EL group showed more favorable clinicopathologic features and a higher proportion of patients in this group received lumpectomy, radiation therapy, and endocrine therapy. In the high EL group, a higher proportion of patients received chemotherapy in the subgroups with unfavorable clinicopathologic features. The EL was a significant prognosticator across all molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Conclusion The EL is a strong independent prognostic factor for breast cancer in the subgroup aged > 50 years regardless of the molecular subtype, but not in the subgroup aged ≤ 50 years. Favorable clinicopathologic features and active treatments can explain the main causality of the superior prognosis in the high EL group. PMID:28161933

Landing Kinematics in Elite Male Youth Soccer Players of Different Chronologic Ages and Stages of Maturation.

PubMed

Read, Paul J; Oliver, Jon L; De Ste Croix, Mark B A; Myer, Gregory D; Lloyd, Rhodri S

2018-04-01

  Despite the high frequency of knee injuries in athletes, few researchers have studied the effects of chronologic age and stage of maturation on knee-joint kinematics in male youth soccer players.   To use a coach-friendly screening tool to examine knee-valgus scores for players of different ages and at different stages of maturation.   Cross-sectional study.   Academy soccer clubs.   A total of 400 elite male youth soccer players aged 10 to 18 years categorized by chronologic age and stage of maturation based on their years from peak height velocity (PHV).   Knee valgus was evaluated during the tuck-jump assessment via 2-dimensional analysis. Frontal-plane projection angles were subjectively classified as minor (<10°), moderate (10°-20°), or severe (>20°), and using these classifications, we scored knee valgus in the tuck jump as 0 ( no valgus), 1 ( minor), 2 ( moderate), or 3 ( severe).   A trend toward higher valgus scores was observed in the younger age groups and the pre-PHV group. The lowest frequency of no valgus occurred in the U18 and post-PHV groups. The highest percentages of severe scores were in the U13 and pre-PHV groups for the right limb. Knee-valgus scores were lower for both lower extremities in the U18 group than in all other age groups ( P < .001) except the U16 group. Scores were lower for the post-PHV than the pre-PHV group for the right limb ( P < .001) and both pre-PHV and circa-PHV groups for the left limb ( P < .001). Noteworthy interlimb asymmetries were evident in the U14, U15, and circa-PHV groups.   Reductions in knee valgus with incremental age and during the later stages of maturation indicated that this risk factor was more prevalent in younger players. Interlimb asymmetry may also emerge around the time of the peak growth spurt and early adolescence, potentially increasing the risk of traumatic injury.

Increasing Prevalence Rate of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Rationale: Many nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are clinically significant pathogens that cause disease in a variety of different human organs and tissues. Objectives: A population-based study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of patients with a positive specimen for NTM within five states of the United States. Methods: We determined the case and age distribution of patients with at least one specimen positive for NTM, using data submitted to the disease surveillance systems of five states (Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) between 2008 and 2013. Crude, age-specific, and age-adjusted prevalence rates per 100,000 persons were calculated for each state. Measurements and Main Results: From 2008 to 2013, a total of 24,226 NTM cases were reported to the disease surveillance systems of the five states. The overall average annual age-adjusted prevalence rate rose from 8.7 to 13.9 per 100,000 persons between the beginning and end of the surveillance period. The number of cases and case rate in the 50–80+-year age group was higher than in the 0–49-year age group. Prevalence by age category differed among the five states. The highest number of NTM cases was observed in Mississippi for the 80+-year age group, whereas Wisconsin observed the highest number of NTM cases in the 60- to 69-year age group. Conclusions: From 2008 to 2013, the number of patients with positive specimens for NTM rose. This trend is likely to continue in the co

Game-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (GB-CBT) Group Program for Children Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse: A Three-Month Follow-Up Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Springer, Craig; Misurell, Justin R.; Hiller, Atara

2012-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a game-based cognitive-behavioral group therapy program for addressing problems typically found among elementary school-aged victims of child sexual abuse immediately after treatment and at three months following treatment. It was hypothesized that positive gains would be observed among the following domains:…

Levels of Conceptual Development in Melodic Permutation Concepts Based on Piaget's Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larn, Ronald L.

1973-01-01

Article considered different ways in which subjects at different age levels solved a musical task involving melodic permutation. The differences in responses to the musical task between age groups were judged to be compatible with Piaget's theory of cognitive development. (Author/RK)

The association between chronological age, age at injury and employment: Is there a mediating effect of secondary health conditions?

PubMed

Marti, A; Boes, S; Lay, V; Escorpizo, R; Reuben Escorpizo, P T; Trezzini, B

2016-03-01

Cross-sectional observational study with data from the 2012 community-based survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study. To examine the relationships between chronological age, age at injury, secondary health conditions (SHCs) and paid employment. Community setting in Switzerland. A total of 1159 individuals of working age (16-63 years for women and 64 years for men) with traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) were included in the study. Direct and indirect (via SHCs) effects of chronological age and age at injury on paid employment were tested using a decomposition method for logistic regression models. Both chronological age groups (age 35-49 and 50-63/64 years) and the group with age at injury beyond 40 years showed negative direct effects on employment status. A partial indirect effect (mediation) via chronic pain was found in the group with the highest chronological age (>50 years). Furthermore, pressure ulcer, pain and urinary tract infection were negatively related with employment in both models, that is, chronological age and employment and age at injury and employment. Being older and having a higher age at injury directly affects whether an individual is employed. Pain is mediating the relation between chronological age and employment. Furthermore, pressure ulcer, chronic pain and urinary tract infection directly reduce the likelihood to be employed and, therefore, represent important intervention targets in efforts to maintain or engage in employment of individuals with SCI.

Isolated low initial differential renal function in patients with primary non-refluxing megaureter should not be considered an indication for early surgery: A multicentric study.

PubMed

Drlík, Marcel; Flogelová, Hana; Martin, Kubát; Jan, Tomášek; Pavel, Zerhau; Oldřich, Šmakal; Ivo, Novák; Martin, Komarc; Radim, Kočvara

2016-08-01

Low initial differential renal function (DRF) in patients with primary non-refluxing megaureter (PNRM) is considered an indication for surgery as are an increase of dilatation and symptoms. We hypothesized that low DRF is not necessarily a result of obstruction, but may be due to impaired development of the upper urinary tract. Thus, in the absence of symptoms, there is a low risk for further loss of renal function. This study aimed to assess whether initially low DRF is a reliable indicator of obstruction. We reviewed data from four university centers between 1995 and 2010. Patients under 12 months of age with unilateral primary non-refluxing megaureter (PNMR) and a DRF between 10% and 40%, and followed minimally 24 months, were included. Patients were placed in two groups based on management: group A, surgical; group B, conservative. The dynamics of DRF in relation to age and type of treatment was studied. In each patient we recorded the earliest (initial) DRF, the last known (final) DRF, the age when MAG-3 scans were performed and the type of treatment. From 25 patients, 16 were treated surgically (group A) and 9 followed conservatively (group B). The initial mean DRF in group A was 33.1% and in group B 34.5%, at a mean age 3.0 and 3.6 months, respectively. The final mean DRF in group A was 40.1% and in group B 43%, at a mean age 59.9 and 46.3 months, respectively. Using two-way repeated ANOVA (age [initial DRF, final DRF] vs. group [group A, group B]), we found non-significant difference between the groups in the DRF, F (1, 21) = 0.96, p = 0.338, while we observed statistically significant and similar increase from the initial to final DRF in both groups, F (1, 21) = 16.66, p = 0.001 (Figure). This is the first study focusing on the evolution of renal function in patients with PNRM and low initial DRF. Results suggest that the diagnosis of obstruction is inaccurate in most infants with unilateral PNRM if it is based on low initial DRF only. Renal deterioration rarely occurs in asymptomatic patients, and even profoundly impaired kidneys have potential for improvement. Limitations of our study include retrospective design and lack of standardization of treatment among the four centers. Low DRF in asymptomatic and anatomically stable patients with PNMR should not be considered an indication for early surgery. These findings challenge current practice and should be confirmed by a prospective study. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Office-based intervention to reduce bottle use among toddlers: TARGet Kids! Pragmatic, randomized trial.

PubMed

Maguire, Jonathon L; Birken, Catherine S; Jacobson, Sheila; Peer, Michael; Taylor, Carolyn; Khambalia, Amina; Mekky, Magda; Thorpe, Kevin E; Parkin, Patricia

2010-08-01

The goal was to determine whether an office-based, educational intervention for parents of 9-month-old children could reduce bottle use and iron depletion at 2 years of age. Between January 2006 and 2007, 251 healthy, 9-month-old infants attending a routine health maintenance visit were assigned randomly to intervention or control groups. Parents in the intervention group were introduced to a 1-week protocol to wean their children from the bottle. Iron depletion (ferritin levels of <10 microg/L) and bottle use at 2 years were assessed. A total of 201 children were monitored to 2 years of age (follow-up rate: 81%). Rates of iron depletion (10 [10%] of 102 children vs 13 [13%] of 99 children; P = .42) and milk consumption of >16 oz (16 [16%] of 102 children vs 17 [17%] of 99 children; P = .7) were not significantly different between the 2 groups at 2 years of age. However, children in the intervention group started using a cup 3 months earlier (9 vs 12 months; P = .001), were weaned from the bottle 4 months earlier (12 vs 16 months; P = .004), and were more than one-half as likely to be using a bottle at 2 years of age (15 [15%] of 102 children vs 39 [40%] of 99 children; P = .0004). This simple intervention administered during a health maintenance visit did not result in a decrease in iron depletion at 2 years of age but did result in a 60% reduction in prolonged bottle use.

Total fats, saturated Fatty acids, processed foods and acute coronary syndrome in transitional Albania.

PubMed

Mone, Iris; Bulo, Anyla

2012-01-01

We aimed was to assess the association of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with selected food groups pertinent to non-Mediterranean prototype in Albania, a transitional post-communist country in Southeast Europe. We conducted a case-control study in Tirana in 2003-2006 including 467 non-fatal consecutive ACS patients (370 men aged 59.1±8.7 years, 97 women aged 63.3±7.1 years; 88% response) and a population-based control group (469 men aged 53.1±10.4 years, 268 women aged 54.0±10.9 years; 69% response). A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire including 105 food items was administered to all participants based on which the daily calorie intake for selected food groups (meat products, overall oils and fats, sweets, and junk food) was calculated. General linear model was used to assess the association of food groups with ACS. Mean age-adjusted values of meat products, overall oils and fats, sweets and junk food were all considerably higher in cases than controls in both sexes. Cases had significantly higher mean "non-Mediterranean" diet scores (consisting of junk food, sweets, oils and fats except olive oil) than controls (10.3% vs. 5.9% in men and 15.2% vs. 8.3% in women, P<0.01 for both). In this Albanian population, intake of total fats, in particular saturated fatty acids was associated with a higher risk of ACS in both sexes. Furthermore, the consumption of processed foods was associated with considerable excess coronary risk which points to serious health implications for the Albanian adult population.

Health-related Quality of Life and Mental Health in the Process of Active and Passive Ageing.

PubMed

Dajak, Lidija; Mastilica, Miroslav; Orešković, Stjepan; Vuletić, Gorka

2016-12-01

To analyse the differences in the self-estimate of life quality depending on the ageing type - passive, active. Life-quality linked to health was measured with an SF-36 survey, which gives multi-dimensional criteria of health and life-quality. SF-36 survey represents a theoretically based and empirically proven operationalization of two overal health concepts, which are body and mental health, and its two general manifestations, functioning, and welfare. 200 examinees in total, aged from 55 to 92, were included in the research. Divided by sex, in the research participated 148 women and 52 men. Depending on the ageing way, the examinees were divided into 2 categories: passive ageing (n=100), active ageing (n=100), and for these groups a detailed result analysis was done. Statistical analysis includes descriptive statistics, Hi-square test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Mann-Whitney U test. In all dimensions of health, examinees from the category Active ageing achieve higher scores, which indicates better health and better functioning. Between the groups, a statistically significant difference was determined, on the following dimensions: Overall health, Pains, Energy and vitality, Social operations, and Limits due to emotional difficulties. With the Hi-square test, it was determined that there are differences between the groups. The biggest difference can be seen in the reply categories related to health deterioration (χ 2 =10.391; df=4; p=0.034). Examinees from the Active ageing group mention significantly less that their health has gotten worse compared to the previous year (26% of the active ones state that their health is somewhat worse, and only 2% that their health is significantly worse, compared to the passive ones where 36% state that their health is worse, and 9% that it's much worse compared to the year before). Tested was the difference between arithmetic middles on the issue of mental health based on the ageing type (p>0.05), and the results show that it's not statistically significant. On all dimensions, examinees from the category Active ageing achieve higher scores, which indicates a better health and better functioning.

Age-based disparities in end-of-life decisions in Belgium: a population-based death certificate survey

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background A growing body of scientific research is suggesting that end-of-life care and decision making may differ between age groups and that elderly patients may be the most vulnerable to exclusion of due care at the end of life. This study investigates age-related disparities in the rate of end-of-life decisions with a possible or certain life shortening effect (ELDs) and in the preceding decision making process in Flanders, Belgium in 2007, where euthanasia was legalised in 2002. Comparing with data from an identical survey in 1998 we also study the plausibility of the ‘slippery slope’ hypothesis which predicts a rise in the rate of administration of life ending drugs without patient request, especially among elderly patients, in countries where euthanasia is legal. Method We performed a post-mortem survey among physicians certifying a large representative sample (n = 6927) of death certificates in 2007, identical to a 1998 survey. Response rate was 58.4%. Results While the rates of non-treatment decisions (NTD) and administration of life ending drugs without explicit request (LAWER) did not differ between age groups, the use of intensified alleviation of pain and symptoms (APS) and euthanasia/assisted suicide (EAS), as well as the proportion of euthanasia requests granted, was bivariately and negatively associated with patient age. Multivariate analysis showed no significant effects of age on ELD rates. Older patients were less often included in decision making for APS and more often deemed lacking in capacity than were younger patients. Comparison with 1998 showed a decrease in the rate of LAWER in all age groups except in the 80+ age group where the rate was stagnant. Conclusion Age is not a determining factor in the rate of end-of-life decisions, but is in decision making as patient inclusion rates decrease with old age. Our results suggest there is a need to focus advance care planning initiatives on elderly patients. The slippery slope hypothesis cannot be confirmed either in general or among older people, as since the euthanasia law fewer LAWER cases were found. PMID:22708727

Age-based disparities in end-of-life decisions in Belgium: a population-based death certificate survey.

PubMed

Chambaere, Kenneth; Rietjens, Judith A C; Smets, Tinne; Bilsen, Johan; Deschepper, Reginald; Pasman, H Roeline W; Deliens, Luc

2012-06-18

A growing body of scientific research is suggesting that end-of-life care and decision making may differ between age groups and that elderly patients may be the most vulnerable to exclusion of due care at the end of life. This study investigates age-related disparities in the rate of end-of-life decisions with a possible or certain life shortening effect (ELDs) and in the preceding decision making process in Flanders, Belgium in 2007, where euthanasia was legalised in 2002. Comparing with data from an identical survey in 1998 we also study the plausibility of the 'slippery slope' hypothesis which predicts a rise in the rate of administration of life ending drugs without patient request, especially among elderly patients, in countries where euthanasia is legal. We performed a post-mortem survey among physicians certifying a large representative sample (n = 6927) of death certificates in 2007, identical to a 1998 survey. Response rate was 58.4%. While the rates of non-treatment decisions (NTD) and administration of life ending drugs without explicit request (LAWER) did not differ between age groups, the use of intensified alleviation of pain and symptoms (APS) and euthanasia/assisted suicide (EAS), as well as the proportion of euthanasia requests granted, was bivariately and negatively associated with patient age. Multivariate analysis showed no significant effects of age on ELD rates. Older patients were less often included in decision making for APS and more often deemed lacking in capacity than were younger patients. Comparison with 1998 showed a decrease in the rate of LAWER in all age groups except in the 80+ age group where the rate was stagnant. Age is not a determining factor in the rate of end-of-life decisions, but is in decision making as patient inclusion rates decrease with old age. Our results suggest there is a need to focus advance care planning initiatives on elderly patients. The slippery slope hypothesis cannot be confirmed either in general or among older people, as since the euthanasia law fewer LAWER cases were found.

Is the effect of non-invasive ventilation on survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis age-dependent?

PubMed

Siirala, Waltteri; Aantaa, Riku; Olkkola, Klaus T; Saaresranta, Tarja; Vuori, Arno

2013-01-01

Hypoventilation due to respiratory muscle atrophy is the most common cause of death as a result of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Patients aged over 65 years and presenting bulbar symptoms are likely to have a poorer prognosis. The aim of the study was to assess the possible impact of age and treatment with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) on survival in ALS. Based on evidence from earlier studies, it was hypothesized that NIV increases rates of survival regardless of age. Eighty-four patients diagnosed with ALS were followed up on from January 2001 to June 2012. These patients were retrospectively divided into two groups according to their age at the time of diagnosis: Group 1 comprised patients aged ≤ 65 years while Group 2 comprised those aged > 65 years. Each group included 42 patients. NIV was tolerated by 23 patients in Group 1 and 18 patients in Group 2. Survival was measured in months from the date of diagnosis. The median age in Group 1 was 59 years (range 49 - 65) and 76 years in Group 2 (range 66 - 85). Among patients in Group 1 there was no difference in probability of survival between the NIV users and non-users (Hazard Ratio = 0.88, 95% CI 0.44 - 1.77, p = 0.7). NIV users in Group 2 survived longer than those following conventional treatment (Hazard Ratio = 0.25, CI 95% 0.11 - 0.55, p <0.001). ALS patients in Group 2 who did not use NIV had a 4-fold higher risk for death compared with NIV users. This retrospective study found that NIV use was associated with improved survival outcomes in ALS patients older than 65 years. Further studies in larger patient populations are warranted to determine which factors modify survival outcomes in ALS.

The study to investigate the potential benefits of probiotics in yogurt, a patient-oriented, double-blind, cluster-randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

PubMed

Merenstein, D J; Smith, K H; Scriven, M; Roberts, R F; Sanders, M E; Petterson, S

2010-07-01

Probiotic functional foods are widely advertised to consumers primarily based on probiotic supplements. Determine if consumption of yogurt containing a high dose of probiotics improves health in children ages 1-3 years attending daycare/school centers. Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial. Outpatient participants in the Washington, DC area. 182 healthy children between the age of 1 and 3 years attending daycare/school at least 3 days a week. Active was a strawberry yogurt-based drink supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12. The placebo was indistinguishable from the active drink, differing only in absence of the probiotic BB-12. Primary objective was to determine if consumption of a probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink decreases absences due to illnesses from daycare for children ages 1-3 years. Secondary was to determine if probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink improves overall parental satisfaction due to decreased absences from work and an overall healthier child. There were no significant differences in the days of missed school per group, with 51.9% in the active group and 47.1% in the placebo group missing at least 1 day of school throughout the study. Additionally, there were no differences in any secondary outcomes among the groups. Consumption of a yogurt-based drink delivering 10(10) CFU of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12 per day did not decrease the number of days missed of school due to an illness. Additional independent research on the potential of BB-12 to reduce illness in children needs to be conducted.

Age estimation by using dental radiographs

PubMed Central

Limdiwala, Piyush G.; Shah, J. S.

2013-01-01

Background: Estimation of age is important in forensic sciences as a way to establish the identity of human remains. Of the various parts of the body used in age estimation, teeth are the least affected by the taphonomic process. Their durability means that they are sometimes the only body part available for study. Several methods of age estimation have been studied using bone and teeth, and among them, tooth wear and apposition of secondary dentine are the currently available non-destructive methods. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine the age of adults by using Kvaal's method as well as to establish the relationship of chronological age and dental age with its reliability and limitations on digital panoramic radiographs. Materials and Methods: The present study was based on panoramic radiographs that consisted of two groups. One hundred orthopantomographs with Kvaal's criteria (Group A) and 50 orthopantomographs without Kvaal's criteria (Group B) were included. Various parameters were measured and the result was analyzed by means of SPSS-12.0 program statistical data. Result and Conclusion: On the basis of Kvaal's criteria, the difference between chronological age and real age was 8.3 years. This suggests that the accuracy of this method depends on the precision of measurements and quality and number of the orthopantomographs. PMID:24255560

The relationship between oral health risk and disease status and age, and the significance for general dental practice funding by capitation.

PubMed

Busby, M; Martin, J A; Matthews, R; Burke, F J T; Chapple, I

2014-11-01

The aim of this paper was to review the oral health and future disease risk scores compiled in the Denplan Excel/Previser Patient Assessment (DEPPA) data base by patient age group, and to consider the significance of these outcomes to general practice funding by capitation payments. Between September 2013 and January 2014 7,787 patient assessments were conducted by about 200 dentists from across the UK using DEPPA. A population study was conducted on this data at all life stages. The composite Denplan Excel Oral Health Score (OHS) element of DEPPA reduced in a linear fashion with increasing age from a mean value of 85.0 in the 17-24 age group to a mean of 72.6 in patients aged over 75 years. Both periodontal health and tooth health aspects declined with age in an almost linear pattern. DEPPA capitation fee code recommendations followed this trend by advising higher fee codes as patients aged. As is the case with general health, these contemporary data suggest that the cost of providing oral health care tends to rise significantly with age. Where capitation is used as a method for funding, these costs either need to be passed onto those patients, or a conscious decision made to subsidise older age groups.

Randomized controlled resistance training based physical activity trial for central European nursing home residing older adults.

PubMed

Barthalos, Istvan; Dorgo, Sandor; Kopkáné Plachy, Judit; Szakály, Zsolt; Ihász, Ferenc; Ráczné Németh, Teodóra; Bognár, József

2016-10-01

Nursing home residing older adults often experience fear of sickness or death, functional impairment and pain. It is difficult for these older adults to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to keep a positive outlook on life. This study evaluated the changes in quality of life, attitude to aging, assertiveness, physical fitness and body composition of nursing home residing elderly through a 15-week organized resistance training based physical activity program. Inactive older adults living in a state financed nursing home (N.=45) were randomly divided into two intervention groups and a control group. Both intervention groups were assigned to two physical activity sessions a week, but one of these groups also had weekly discussions on health and quality of life (Mental group). Data on anthropometric measures, fitness performance, as well as quality of life and attitudes to aging survey data were collected. Due to low attendance rate 12 subjects were excluded from the analyses. Statistical analysis included Paired Samples t-tests and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance. Both intervention groups significantly improved their social participation, and their upper- and lower-body strength scores. Also, subjects in the Mental group showed improvement in agility fitness test and certain survey scales. No positive changes were detected in attitude towards aging and body composition measures in any groups. The post-hoc results suggest that Mental group improved significantly more than the Control group. Regular physical activity with discussions on health and quality of life made a more meaningful difference for the older adults living in nursing home than physical activity alone. Due to the fact that all participants were influenced by the program, it is suggested to further explore this area for better understanding of enhanced quality of life.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding conception and fertility: a population-based survey among reproductive-age United States women.

PubMed

Lundsberg, Lisbet S; Pal, Lubna; Gariepy, Aileen M; Xu, Xiao; Chu, Micheline C; Illuzzi, Jessica L

2014-03-01

To assess overall knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to conception and fertility among reproductive-age women in the United States. Online survey of a cross-sectional sample of 1,000 women. United States, March 2013. Women aged 18-40 years. None. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding selected topics in reproductive health. Forty percent of women across all age groups expressed concerns about their ability to conceive. Yet one-third of women were unaware of adverse implications of sexually transmitted infections, obesity, or irregular menses for procreative success, and one-fifth were unaware of the effects of aging. Approximately 40% were unfamiliar with the ovulatory cycle. Overall, younger women (18-24 years) demonstrated less knowledge regarding conception, fertility, and ovulation, whereas older women tended to believe in common myths and misconceptions. Respondents in all age groups identified women's health care providers (75%) and Web sites (40%) as top sources of reproductive health-related information; however, engagement with providers on specific factors affecting fertility is sparse. Knowledge regarding ovulation, fertility, and conception is limited among this sample of reproductive-age US women. Future initiatives should prioritize improved provider engagement and accurate information dissemination in Web-based venues. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of dietary calcium deficiency on the cardiac function of broiler chickens based on electro- and echocardiography.

PubMed

Zamani Moghaddam, Abdol Karim; Hassanpour, Hossein; Soroori, Sarang; Yadegari, Mehrdad; Tajeri, Ghodsieh

2010-06-01

To determine the effects of dietary calcium deficiency on the heart function of broiler chickens based on electro- and echocardiography, chicks were reared for 42 days and fed rations with different amounts of calcium. At 28 and 42 days of age, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters were assessed. There were significant reductions of R wave amplitude (leads II and aVR) in the Ca-deficient group II at 42 day of age as compared to the control. S wave amplitudes were decreased in most leads but the decrease was significant (P < 0.05) only at 28 days (lead aVL, Ca-deficient group I) and 42 days (leads III, aVR, aVF, Ca-deficient groups I and II). T wave amplitudes were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased at 42 days (leads II, aVR and aVF) in the Ca-deficient group II compared to the control group. Variations in QT, ST and RR intervals were insignificant in the Ca-deficient groups compared with the control. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in left ventricular diameter at end-systole and a reduction of left ventricular fractional shortening in the Ca-deficient group II at 28 and 42 days as compared to the controls. Right ventricular fractional shortening was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased only in the Ca-deficient group II at 42 days of age. These results suggest that dose-dependent dietary calcium deficiency alters variations in electro- and echocardiographic parameters which could reflect decreased cardiac function in growing broiler chickens.

Phenotyping asthma, rhinitis and eczema in MeDALL population-based birth cohorts: an allergic comorbidity cluster.

PubMed

Garcia-Aymerich, J; Benet, M; Saeys, Y; Pinart, M; Basagaña, X; Smit, H A; Siroux, V; Just, J; Momas, I; Rancière, F; Keil, T; Hohmann, C; Lau, S; Wahn, U; Heinrich, J; Tischer, C G; Fantini, M P; Lenzi, J; Porta, D; Koppelman, G H; Postma, D S; Berdel, D; Koletzko, S; Kerkhof, M; Gehring, U; Wickman, M; Melén, E; Hallberg, J; Bindslev-Jensen, C; Eller, E; Kull, I; Lødrup Carlsen, K C; Carlsen, K-H; Lambrecht, B N; Kogevinas, M; Sunyer, J; Kauffmann, F; Bousquet, J; Antó, J M

2015-08-01

Asthma, rhinitis and eczema often co-occur in children, but their interrelationships at the population level have been poorly addressed. We assessed co-occurrence of childhood asthma, rhinitis and eczema using unsupervised statistical techniques. We included 17 209 children at 4 years and 14 585 at 8 years from seven European population-based birth cohorts (MeDALL project). At each age period, children were grouped, using partitioning cluster analysis, according to the distribution of 23 variables covering symptoms 'ever' and 'in the last 12 months', doctor diagnosis, age of onset and treatments of asthma, rhinitis and eczema; immunoglobulin E sensitization; weight; and height. We tested the sensitivity of our estimates to subject and variable selections, and to different statistical approaches, including latent class analysis and self-organizing maps. Two groups were identified as the optimal way to cluster the data at both age periods and in all sensitivity analyses. The first (reference) group at 4 and 8 years (including 70% and 79% of children, respectively) was characterized by a low prevalence of symptoms and sensitization, whereas the second (symptomatic) group exhibited more frequent symptoms and sensitization. Ninety-nine percentage of children with comorbidities (co-occurrence of asthma, rhinitis and/or eczema) were included in the symptomatic group at both ages. The children's characteristics in both groups were consistent in all sensitivity analyses. At 4 and 8 years, at the population level, asthma, rhinitis and eczema can be classified together as an allergic comorbidity cluster. Future research including time-repeated assessments and biological data will help understanding the interrelationships between these diseases. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program Users Group Conference (HPCMP UGC 2011) Held in Portland, Oregon on June 20-23, 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

4. Conclusion The Web -based AGeS system described in this paper is a computationally-efficient and scalable system for high- throughput genome...method for protecting web services involves making them more resilient to attack using autonomic computing techniques. This paper presents our initial...20–23, 2011 2011 DoD High Performance Computing Modernzation Program Users Group Conference HPCMP UGC 2011 The papers in this book comprise the

Promoting physical activity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis through an internet-based program: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lelieveld, Otto T H M; Armbrust, Wineke; Geertzen, Jan H B; de Graaf, Inez; van Leeuwen, Miek A; Sauer, Pieter J J; van Weert, Ellen; Bouma, Jelte

2010-05-01

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are less physically active than healthy peers. Therefore, we developed an Internet-based intervention to improve physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the program in improving PA. PA was determined by activity-related energy expenditure, PA level, time spent on moderate to vigorous PA, and the number of days with > or =1 hour of moderate to vigorous activity, and was assessed with a 7-day activity diary. Aerobic exercise capacity was assessed by means of a Bruce treadmill test and was recorded as maximum endurance time. Disease activity was assessed by using the JIA core set. Adherence was electronically monitored. Of 59 patients, 33 eligible patients were included and randomized in an intervention (n = 17, mean +/- SD age 10.6 +/- 1.5 years) or control waiting-list group (n = 16, mean +/- SD age 10.8 +/- 1.4 years). All patients completed baseline and T1 testing. PA significantly improved in both groups. Maximum endurance time significantly improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. In a subgroup analysis for patients with low PA (intervention: n = 7, control: n = 5), PA improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. The intervention was safe, feasible, and showed a good adherence. An Internet-based program for children with JIA ages 8-12 years directed at promoting PA in daily life effectively improves PA in those patients with low PA levels. It is also able to improve endurance and it is safe, feasible, and has good adherence.

Can scrotal circumference-based selection discard bulls with good productive and reproductive potential?

PubMed Central

Villadiego, Faider Alberto Castaño; Camilo, Breno Soares; León, Victor Gomez; Peixoto, Thiago; Díaz, Edgar; Okano, Denise; Maitan, Paula; Lima, Daniel; Guimarães, Simone Facioni; Siqueira, Jeanne Broch; Pinho, Rogério

2018-01-01

Nonlinear mixed models were used to describe longitudinal scrotal circumference (SC) measurements of Nellore bulls. Models comparisons were based on Akaike’s information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, error sum of squares, adjusted R2 and percentage of convergence. Sequentially, the best model was used to compare the SC growth curve in bulls divergently classified according to SC at 18–21 months of age. For this, bulls were classified into five groups: SC < 28cm; 28cm ≤ SC < 30cm, 30cm ≤ SC < 32cm, 32cm ≤ SC < 34cm and SC ≥ 34cm. Michaelis-Menten model showed the best fit according to the mentioned criteria. In this model, β1 is the asymptotic SC value and β2 represents the time to half-final growth and may be related to sexual precocity. Parameters of the individual estimated growth curves were used to create a new dataset to evaluate the effect of the classification, farms, and year of birth on β1 and β2 parameters. Bulls of the largest SC group presented a larger predicted SC along all analyzed periods; nevertheless, smaller SC group showed predicted SC similar to intermediate SC groups (28cm ≤ SC < 32cm), around 1200 days of age. In this context, bulls classified as improper for reproduction at 18–21 months old can reach a similar condition to those considered as good condition. In terms of classification at 18–21 months, asymptotic SC was similar among groups, farms and years; however, β2 differed among groups indicating that differences in growth curves are related to sexual precocity. In summary, it seems that selection based on SC at too early ages may lead to discard bulls with suitable reproductive potential. PMID:29494597

Relative solidarity: Conceptualising communal participation in genomic research among potential research participants in a developing Sub-Saharan African setting.

PubMed

Ogunrin, Olubunmi; Woolfall, Kerry; Gabbay, Mark; Frith, Lucy

2018-01-01

As genomic research gathers momentum in sub-Saharan Africa, it has become increasingly important to understand the reasons why individuals wish to participate in this kind of medical research. Against the background of communitarianism conceived as typical of African communities, it is often suggested that individuals consent to participate on the grounds of solidarity and to further the common good. In this paper, we seek to explore this contention by presenting data from focus groups with potential research participants about what would influence their decisions to participate in genomic research. These focus groups were conducted as part of a larger qualitative study with a purposively selected group of participants from a community situated in south west Nigeria. We conducted fifteen focus group sessions comprising 50 participants organized by age and sex, namely: 1) adult (>30 years) males, 2) adult females, 3) youth (18-30 years) males, and 4) youth females. A mixed age-group was conducted to probe different views between the age groups. There was discordance and clear division between the adults and youths regarding the decision to participate in genomic research based on commitment to communal values. Adults based their decision to participate on altruism and furthering the common good while youths based their decisions on personal benefits and preferences and also took into account the views and welfare of family members and neighbours. This discordance suggests a 'generational shift' and we advance a model of 'relative solidarity' among the youths, which is different from the communal solidarity model typical of African communitarianism. Our findings suggest the need for a closer look at strategies for implementation of community engagement and informed consent in genomic research in this region, and we recommend further studies to explore this emerging trend.

LU-HF Age of Martian Meteorite Larkman Nunatek 06319

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafer, J. T.; Brandon, A. D.; Lapen, T. J.; Righter, M.; Beard, B.; Peslier, A. H.

2009-01-01

Lu-Hf isotopic data were collected on mineral separates and bulk rock powders of LAR 06319, yielding an age of 197+/- 29 Ma. Sm-Nd isotopic data and in-situ LA-ICP-MS data from a thin section of LAR 06319 are currently being collected and will be presented at the 2009 LPSC. These new data for LAR 06319 extend the existing data set for the enriched shergottite group. Martian meteorites represent the only opportunity for ground truth investigation of the geochemistry of Mars [1]. At present, approximately 80 meteorites have been classified as Martian based on young ages and distinctive isotopic signatures [2]. LAR 06319 is a newly discovered (as part of the 2006 ANSMET field season) martian meteorite that represents an important opportunity to further our understanding of the geochemical and petrological constraints on the origin of Martian magmas. Martian meteorites are traditionally categorized into the shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite groups. The shergottites are further classified into three distinct isotopic groups designated depleted, intermediate, and enriched [3,4] based on the isotope systematics and compositions of their source(s).

Beyond the usual suspects: target group- and behavior-specific factors add to a theory-based sun protection intervention for teenagers.

PubMed

Schüz, Natalie; Eid, Michael

2013-10-01

Sun protection standards among teenagers are low while sun exposure peaks in this age group. Study 1 explores predictors of adolescent protection intentions and exposure behavior. Study 2 tests the effectiveness of an intervention based on these predictors. Study 1(cross-sectional, N = 207, ages 15-18) and Study 2 (RCT, N = 253, ages 13-19) were conducted in schools. Path models were used to analyze data. Self-efficacy (β = .26, p < .001) and time perspective (β = .17, p = .014) were the strongest predictors of intentions; appearance motivation (β = .54, p < .001) and intention (β = -.18, p = .015) predicted behavior. The intervention effected changes in all predictors except self-efficacy. Changes in outcome expectancies (β = .19, p < .001) and time perspective (β = .09, p = .039) predicted changes in intention, while changes in intention (β = -.17, p = .002) and appearance motivation (β = .29, p < .001) predicted behavior changes. Target group- and behavior-specific intervention components are as important for changes in intentions and behavior as components derived from common health behavior theories.

Arm span as a proxy measure for height and estimation of nutritional status: a study among Dhimals of Darjeeling in West Bengal India.

PubMed

Datta Banik, Sudip

2011-11-01

This study aimed to understand the interrelationship between height and arm span and also to estimate nutritional status from arm span. In an anthropometric survey conducted among the Dhimals (227 males and 223 females, total = 450) of Naxalbari in West Bengal, India, measurements were recorded in age groups ranging between 10-59 years. Males were taller and had longer arm spans than females. The height-arm span ratio was 0.98-0.99, indicating height to be slightly less than arm span in both sexes. High correlation between these two dimensions was also observed. Regression equations provided a good model for estimating height from arm span (predictor). In all age groups of both sexes, values of standardized coefficient beta exhibited high significance (p ( 0.001). Residuals showed no pattern and were random. No significant difference between height-based body mass index or BMI (body weight/height(2)) and estimated arm span-based BMI (body weight/arm span(2)) was observed in any age group. Arm span was found to be an effective surrogate measure for BMI.

Prevalence of DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Among School-Based Children Aged 3-12 Years in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Jin, Zhijuan; Yang, You; Liu, Shijian; Huang, Hong; Jin, Xingming

2018-02-16

We estimated the prevalence of ASD in a population-based sample comprising children aged 3-12 years (N = 74,252) in Shanghai. This included a high-risk group sampled from special education schools and a low-risk group randomly sampled from general schools. First, we asked parents and then teachers to complete the Social Communication Questionnaire for participating children. Children who screened positive based on both parental and teachers' reports were comprehensively assessed. ASD was identified based on DSM-5 criteria. We identified 711 children as being at-risk for ASD, of which 203 were identified as ASD cases. The prevalence of ASD was 8.3 per 10,000, which is likely an underestimate, given that 81.6% of the children diagnosed with ASD had IQs below 40. This is the first report on the prevalence of ASD according to DSM-5 in China.

Serological survey of measles immunity in the Czech Republic, 2013.

PubMed

Tomášková, Hana; Zelená, Hana; Kloudová, Alena; Tomášek, Ivan

2018-03-01

The aim of the serological survey of measles was to obtain information on the prevalence of antibodies against measles and to verify the effectiveness of vaccination in the Czech population in order to protect public health. The serological survey was carried out in the Czech Republic in 2013. Antibodies against measles were tested in 3,111 serum samples of participants aged 1-64 years. Serum samples were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The vaccination status assessment was based on the medical documentation. Seroprevalence differences were evaluated by sex and age using the Pearson's χ 2 test at 5% significance level. The overall seroprevalence reached 93.0% (2,893/3,111) (95% CI 92.0-93.9). No statistically significant difference was found between men and women (p=0.724). A lower seroprevalence was identified in the first age group (1-year old children) 62% (62/100), as the vaccination has not yet been completed in this age group. The second lowest seroprevalence 80.4% (160/199) was identified in the age group of 35-44 years. The highest seroprevalence 97.7% (387/396) (95% CI 95.7-99.0) was in the population with naturally-induced immunity (age above 45 years). In the individuals with two doses seroprevalence reached 94.1% (2,081/2,212) (95% CI 93.0-95.0). The level of IgG antibodies decreased in persons above 7 years of age. Based on the results of the serological survey carried out in 2013 in the Czech Republic, it has been decided to postpone the second MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) dose to the age of 5-6 years. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2018.

Physical Activity as Protective Factor against Dementia: A Prospective Population-Based Study (NEDICES).

PubMed

Llamas-Velasco, Sara; Contador, Israel; Villarejo-Galende, Alberto; Lora-Pablos, David; Bermejo-Pareja, Félix

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to analyze whether physical activity (PA) is a protective factor for the incidence of dementia after 3 years of follow-up. The Neurological Disorders in Central Spain (NEDICES) is a prospective population-based survey of older adults (age 65 years and older) that comprised 5278 census-based participants at baseline (1994-1995). A broad questionnaire was used to assess participants' sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and lifestyle. Subsequently, a modified version of Rosow-Breslau questionnaire was applied to classify individuals' baseline PA into groups (i.e., sedentary, light, moderate, and high). Cox regression models adjusted for several covariates (age, sex, education, previous stroke, alcohol consumption, hypertension, health related variables) were carried out to estimate the association between the PA groups and risk of dementia at the 3-year follow-up (1997-1998). A total of 134 incident dementia cases were identified among 3105 individuals (56.6% female; mean age=73.15 ± 6.26) after 3 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) of the light, moderate, and high PA groups (vs. sedentary group) were 0.40 (95% confidence interval {CI} [0.26, 0.62]; p<.001), 0.32 (95% CI [0.20, 0.54]; p<.001) and 0.23 (95% CI [0.13, 0.40]; p<.001), respectively. Even after controlling for covariates and the exclusion of doubtful dementia cases, HRs remained significant. However, a supplementary analysis showed that the dose-effect hypothesis did not reach statistical significance. PA is a protective factor of incident dementia in this population-based cohort.

Age-related differences in the neural correlates of empathy for pleasant and unpleasant touch in a female sample.

PubMed

Riva, Federica; Tschernegg, Melanie; Chiesa, Patrizia A; Wagner, Isabella C; Kronbichler, Martin; Lamm, Claus; Silani, Giorgia

2018-05-01

Empathy is essential for successful social interactions and relationships. The neural underpinnings of empathy have predominantly been studied in the young adult population, thus little is known about how they evolve across the life span. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate age-related differences in brain activity associated to empathy for positive and negative emotions. Female participants of 3 age groups-adolescents, young, and older adults-underwent an experimental paradigm inducing both first-hand and empathic experience of pleasant and unpleasant touch. Group comparisons and regression analyses revealed that older adults showed lower activation within the anterior insula with respect to young adults, during both empathy conditions. Further analyses provided evidence that years of education, theory of mind ability, gray matter volume, and first-hand affect processing did not account for these effects. These findings indicate that the neural bases of empathy change across different age groups, from adolescence to old age. Different ages and in particular older age seem to significantly influence the way in which we represent and share others' positive and negative emotions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-related aspects of addiction

PubMed Central

Koechl, Birgit; Unger, Annemarie; Fischer, Gabriele

2013-01-01

Research has shown that substance use, abuse and addiction are not limited to a specific age group. Problems related to substance addiction are an important cause of morbidity in the population aged 65 and above, especially the abuse of prescription drugs and legal substances. A lack of evidence-based studies and tailored treatment options for the aging population is evident. Appropriate and effective health-care is an important goal to improve health-related quality of life of elderly people. Research in the increasingly aging population needs to include an age- and gender-sensitive approach. PMID:22722821

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.

Preservation of memory-based automaticity in reading for older adults.

PubMed

Rawson, Katherine A; Touron, Dayna R

2015-12-01

Concerning age-related effects on cognitive skill acquisition, the modal finding is that older adults do not benefit from practice to the same extent as younger adults in tasks that afford a shift from slower algorithmic processing to faster memory-based processing. In contrast, Rawson and Touron (2009) demonstrated a relatively rapid shift to memory-based processing in the context of a reading task. The current research extended beyond this initial study to provide more definitive evidence for relative preservation of memory-based automaticity in reading tasks for older adults. Younger and older adults read short stories containing unfamiliar noun phrases (e.g., skunk mud) followed by disambiguating information indicating the combination's meaning (either the normatively dominant meaning or an alternative subordinate meaning). Stories were repeated across practice blocks, and then the noun phrases were presented in novel sentence frames in a transfer task. Both age groups shifted from computation to retrieval after relatively few practice trials (as evidenced by convergence of reading times for dominant and subordinate items). Most important, both age groups showed strong evidence for memory-based processing of the noun phrases in the transfer task. In contrast, older adults showed minimal shifting to retrieval in an alphabet arithmetic task, indicating that the preservation of memory-based automaticity in reading was task-specific. Discussion focuses on important implications for theories of memory-based automaticity in general and for specific theoretical accounts of age effects on memory-based automaticity, as well as fruitful directions for future research. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Development of the Social Concept Group among Mentally Retarded Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Lloyd A.

Mentally retarded children were studied for their conceptual development and movement from the ability to perceive persons as separate entities but not in significant interaction (aprasia) to group activity. A quasi-projection technique was used to test six groups of 20 boys each, including institutionalized and family-based normals (aged 6 and…

Added Sugars Intake of Americans: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2014

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This Data Brief compares the intakes of selected Food Patterns food groups by different demographic groups of Americans, ages 2 years and over, grouped based on their added sugars intake status on day 1 of the What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2014 dietary data. There were 8,066 persons in the st...

A Wilderness Adventure Program as an Alternative for Juvenile Probationers: An Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winterdyk, John Albert

A true experimental design with 60 male probationers, ages 13-16, was used to evaluate the viability of an Ontario-based 21-day wilderness adventure program as an alternative for adjudicated juveniles placed on probation. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group was subdivided into 3…

Successful aging in centenarians: myths and reality.

PubMed

Motta, M; Bennati, E; Ferlito, L; Malaguarnera, M; Motta, L

2005-01-01

The term "successful aging" appeared in the first issue of "The Gerontologist" in 1961. During the successive years, this expression has changed its meaning. Nowadays, successful aging means "absence of diseases and disabilities, maintenance of high levels of physical and cognitive abilities, preservation of the social and productive activities". It has become a common opinion that the centenarians may represent the prototypes of the successful aging. This motivated our work to study the clinical, psychical, and functional aspects in a centenarian group, verifying the real autonomy, instrumental capacities, and working abilities. Our study pool consisted of 602 centenarians, who were also subjects of then epidemiological studies of the Italian Multicenter Studies on Centenarians (IMUSCE). All subjects underwent a clinical-anamnestic evaluation, cognitive-functional tests by means of the mini mental state examination (MMSE), the independence index in activities of daily living (ADL), the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale. The centenarians were classified in three groups, according to the criteria elaborated previously by us, based on their psychophysical status and autonomy, as follows. Group A: centenarians in good health status; Group B: centenarians in an intermediate health status. Group C: centenarians in bad health status. Group A represented 20.0% of the total pool, Group B amounted to 33.4%, and the Group C was 46.6%. The centenarians of Group A presented normal ADL values, and 47.9% of them were autosufficient in all functions; 5.7% of them were independent in all IADL items. These data confirm that the centenarians of Group A are free of invalidating chronic diseases, are autonomous, maintain good physical and cognitive capacities, however, have not maintained any social or productive activities. Therefore, they cannot be considered as prototypes of successful aging.

Game-based biofeedback for paediatric anxiety and depression

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Twenty-four children and adolescents aged 9–17 who were referred for treatment for anxiety were assigned to either a game-based biofeedback group or a waiting list comparison group. The eight-session biofeedback intervention included psychoeducation, identification of triggers and signs of anxiety, and in vivo practice. The intervention used computer-based gaming technology to teach and practise relaxation. Analyses using ANCOVA revealed significant differences in post-test scores of anxiety and depression measures between the two groups. The intervention group reduced anxiety and depression scores on standardised tests. Findings suggest that biofeedback-assisted relaxation training can be useful in decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms in anxious youths. PMID:22942901

Trajectories of Annual Number of Sexual Partners from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Individual and Family Predictors.

PubMed

Rossi, Erika; Poulin, François; Boislard, Marie-Aude

2017-05-01

Adolescent sexual development is not the same across the board, and can be seen as both normative as well as risky behavior, depending on factors such as age of onset and number of partners. This longitudinal study identified developmental trajectories of annual number of sexual partners from adolescence to emerging adulthood and their antecedents. From the ages of 16-22, 332 participants (60.8 % females) annually reported their number of sexual partners. Measures of adolescent and family characteristics taken at ages 13-15 were used as predictors. Group-based modeling identified four trajectory groups: the abstainers group (9.1 %), low-increasing group (30.6 %), medium-increasing group (53.0 %), and multiple-partners group (7.3 %). Multinomial logistical regressions indicated that better social competence increased chances of belonging to the multiple-partners group as compared to the abstainers and low-increasing groups, and more substance use predicted membership in the multiple-partners group as compared to the abstainers group. Moreover, females were overrepresented in the low-increasing and medium-increasing groups. These results imply a greater diversity in sexual development than proposed in the literature and highlight the importance of identifying the strengths and competencies associated with healthy sexual development along with the early risk factors.

Social representations and normative beliefs of aging.

PubMed

Torres, Tatiana de Lucena; Camargo, Brigido Vizeu; Boulsfield, Andréa Barbará; Silva, Antônia Oliveira

2015-12-01

This study adopted the theory of social representations as a theoretical framework in order to characterize similarities and differences in social representations and normative beliefs of aging for different age groups. The 638 participants responded to self-administered questionnaire and were equally distributed by sex and age. The results show that aging is characterized by positive stereotypes (knowledge and experience); however, retirement is linked to aging, but in a negative way, particularly for men, involving illness, loneliness and disability. When age was considered, it was verified that the connections with the representational elements became more complex for older groups, showing social representation functionality, largely for the elderly. Adulthood seems to be preferred and old age is disliked. There were divergences related to the perception of the beginning of life phases, especially that of old age. Work was characterized as the opposite of aging, and it revealed the need for actions intended for the elderly and retired workers, with post-retirement projects. In addition, it suggests investment in public policies that encourage intergenerational contact, with efforts to reduce intolerance and discrimination based on age of people.

Prevalence of the geriatric syndromes and frailty in older men living in the community: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project.

PubMed

Noguchi, Naomi; Blyth, Fiona M; Waite, Louise M; Naganathan, Vasi; Cumming, Robert G; Handelsman, David J; Seibel, Markus J; Le Couteur, David G

2016-12-01

To describe the age at which the geriatric syndromes and frailty become common in community-dwelling men. The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project involves a population-based sample of 1705 community-dwelling men aged 70 and over from a defined geographic region in Sydney. Data were obtained by physical performance tests, clinical examinations, and questionnaire to determine the prevalence of the following conditions by five-year age group. Poor mobility, recurrent falls, urinary incontinence, dementia and frailty phenotype were all uncommon (less than 10%) in men in their 70s, but the prevalence of each of these conditions exceeded 10% in men aged 85-89. The prevalence of Frailty Index-defined frailty, multimorbidity, polypharmacy and instrumental activities of daily living dependence was constantly high in all age groups. The different health-care needs of the 'old old' aged 85 years and older should be accounted for in health service planning. © 2016 AJA Inc.

Using Latent Class Analysis to Model Temperament Types.

PubMed

Loken, Eric

2004-10-01

Mixture models are appropriate for data that arise from a set of qualitatively different subpopulations. In this study, latent class analysis was applied to observational data from a laboratory assessment of infant temperament at four months of age. The EM algorithm was used to fit the models, and the Bayesian method of posterior predictive checks was used for model selection. Results show at least three types of infant temperament, with patterns consistent with those identified by previous researchers who classified the infants using a theoretically based system. Multiple imputation of group memberships is proposed as an alternative to assigning subjects to the latent class with maximum posterior probability in order to reflect variance due to uncertainty in the parameter estimation. Latent class membership at four months of age predicted longitudinal outcomes at four years of age. The example illustrates issues relevant to all mixture models, including estimation, multi-modality, model selection, and comparisons based on the latent group indicators.

Identification of alkylated phosphates by gas chromatography-mass spectrometric investigations with different ionization principles of a thermally aged commercial lithium ion battery electrolyte.

PubMed

Weber, Waldemar; Kraft, Vadim; Grützke, Martin; Wagner, Ralf; Winter, Martin; Nowak, Sascha

2015-05-15

The thermal aging process of a commercial LiPF6 based lithium ion battery electrolyte has been investigated in view of the formation of volatile phosphorus-containing degradation products. Aging products were analyzed by GC-MS. Structure determination of the products was performed by support of chemical ionization MS in positive and negative modes. A fraction of the discovered compounds belongs to the group of fluorophosphates (phosphorofluoridates) which are in suspect of potential toxicity. This is well known for relative derivatives, e.g. diisopropyl fluorophosphate. Another fraction of the identified compounds belongs to the group of trialkyl phosphates. These compounds may provide a positive impact on the thermal and electrochemical performance of Li-based batteries as repeatedly described in the literature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The concept of "silencing the self" in low-income, aging, HIV-infected African American women: a 10-year community-based participatory program of research with results.

PubMed

DeMarco, Rosanna F; Lanier, Latrona R

2014-01-01

Despite a resilient spirit, the challenges that face low-income, aging Black women living with HIV infection are immense. This article describes a 10-year iterative history of using the Theory of Silencing the Self (TSTS) as an explanatory model that was found to be gender sensitive, culturally relevant, and helpful in guiding a community-based participatory research group of low-income, HIV-infected Black women living in Boston, Massachusetts. The group, called Sistah Powah, used the TSTS to design and implement a structured writing intervention in a women's drop-in center targeting low-income, aging Black women living with HIV infection as a way to give them and others a voice. Copyright © 2014 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global form and motion processing in healthy ageing.

PubMed

Agnew, Hannah C; Phillips, Louise H; Pilz, Karin S

2016-05-01

The ability to perceive biological motion has been shown to deteriorate with age, and it is assumed that older adults rely more on the global form than local motion information when processing point-light walkers. Further, it has been suggested that biological motion processing in ageing is related to a form-based global processing bias. Here, we investigated the relationship between older adults' preference for form information when processing point-light actions and an age-related form-based global processing bias. In a first task, we asked older (>60years) and younger adults (19-23years) to sequentially match three different point-light actions; normal actions that contained local motion and global form information, scrambled actions that contained primarily local motion information, and random-position actions that contained primarily global form information. Both age groups overall performed above chance in all three conditions, and were more accurate for actions that contained global form information. For random-position actions, older adults were less accurate than younger adults but there was no age-difference for normal or scrambled actions. These results indicate that both age groups rely more on global form than local motion to match point-light actions, but can use local motion on its own to match point-light actions. In a second task, we investigated form-based global processing biases using the Navon task. In general, participants were better at discriminating the local letters but faster at discriminating global letters. Correlations showed that there was no significant linear relationship between performance in the Navon task and biological motion processing, which suggests that processing biases in form- and motion-based tasks are unrelated. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Patient casemix classification for medicare psychiatric prospective payment.

PubMed

Drozd, Edward M; Cromwell, Jerry; Gage, Barbara; Maier, Jan; Greenwald, Leslie M; Goldman, Howard H

2006-04-01

For a proposed Medicare prospective payment system for inpatient psychiatric facility treatment, the authors developed a casemix classification to capture differences in patients' real daily resource use. Primary data on patient characteristics and daily time spent in various activities were collected in a survey of 696 patients from 40 inpatient psychiatric facilities. Survey data were combined with Medicare claims data to estimate intensity-adjusted daily cost. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) analysis of average daily routine and ancillary costs yielded several hierarchical classification groupings. Regression analysis was used to control for facility and day-of-stay effects in order to compare hierarchical models with models based on the recently proposed payment system of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CART analysis identified a small set of patient characteristics strongly associated with higher daily costs, including age, psychiatric diagnosis, deficits in daily living activities, and detox or ECT use. A parsimonious, 16-group, fully interactive model that used five major DSM-IV categories and stratified by age, illness severity, deficits in daily living activities, dangerousness, and use of ECT explained 40% (out of a possible 76%) of daily cost variation not attributable to idiosyncratic daily changes within patients. A noninteractive model based on diagnosis-related groups, age, and medical comorbidity had explanatory power of only 32%. A regression model with 16 casemix groups restricted to using "appropriate" payment variables (i.e., those with clinical face validity and low administrative burden that are easily validated and provide proper care incentives) produced more efficient and equitable payments than did a noninteractive system based on diagnosis-related groups.

Does Choice of Influenza Vaccine Type Change Disease Burden and Cost-Effectiveness in the United States? An Agent-Based Modeling Study.

PubMed

DePasse, Jay V; Smith, Kenneth J; Raviotta, Jonathan M; Shim, Eunha; Nowalk, Mary Patricia; Zimmerman, Richard K; Brown, Shawn T

2017-05-01

Offering a choice of influenza vaccine type may increase vaccine coverage and reduce disease burden, but it is more costly. This study calculated the public health impact and cost-effectiveness of 4 strategies: no choice, pediatric choice, adult choice, or choice for both age groups. Using agent-based modeling, individuals were simulated as they interacted with others, and influenza was tracked as it spread through a population in Washington, DC. Influenza vaccination coverage derived from data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was increased by 6.5% (range, 3.25%-11.25%), reflecting changes due to vaccine choice. With moderate influenza infectivity, the number of cases averaged 1,117,285 for no choice, 1,083,126 for pediatric choice, 1,009,026 for adult choice, and 975,818 for choice for both age groups. Averted cases increased with increased coverage and were highest for the choice-for-both-age-groups strategy; adult choice also reduced cases in children. In cost-effectiveness analysis, choice for both age groups was dominant when choice increased vaccine coverage by ≥3.25%. Offering a choice of influenza vaccines, with reasonable resultant increases in coverage, decreased influenza cases by >100,000 with a favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Clinical trials testing the predictions made based on these simulation results and deliberation of policies and procedures to facilitate choice should be considered. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Epidemiological profile of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF) over a period of 10 years in Tianjin, China.

PubMed

Li, Bo; Sun, Chao; Zhao, Chenxi; Yao, Xue; Zhang, Yan; Duan, Huiquan; Hao, Jian; Guo, Xing; Fan, Baoyou; Ning, Guangzhi; Feng, Shiqing

2018-03-29

The objective of the research was to illustrate the epidemiology profile of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF) in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, China, from 2006-2015. Hospital-based retrospective study. Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. Medical records of inpatient patients with TLF from 1 January 2006 to December 2015 were collected. Detailed information on epidemiological characters were analyzed based on the medical records suffering from TLF from T11-L2 level, including incidence, age and sex, marital, occupation, etiology and fracture type, types of injuries. Totally 132 cases were identified. The incidence rate was 2.4 patient per million population at 2015. Male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1, with a mean age of 49.1 ± 17.7 years. The cases number in 46-60 group, totally 35 and accounting for 26.5%, was the largest. There is a significant differences of cases number between 2011-2015 group and 2006-2010 group. Retiree, taken up 48.5%, was the largest group among TLF patients. The most common injury level was T12 (34) accounting for 25.7%. Falls (57, 43.2%) (low falls and high falls) were the leading causes, followed by motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (23, 17.4%).Compression is the only type of osteoporosis and took up 55.3%. The incidence ratio is increased annually in TMUGH. Male was more vulnerable than female based on different social character. The average age was older in 2011-2015, retiree accounted for the main proportion and compression took up the largest percentage, the mean age increased and osteoporosis takes more in recent years.

Gender differentiations of cognitive-motor functioning in prepubertal and pubertal children.

PubMed

Katić, Ratko; Bala, Gustav; Barović, Zdenka

2012-06-01

The aim of this study was to determine cognitive and motor status factors in female and male children aged 10-14, as well as developmental and/or integration functions according to gender. The study included 162 girls and 134 boys aged 10-14, divided into four groups: 84 girls aged 10-12 (mean age 11.26, SD 0.68), 84 boys aged 10-12 (mean age 11.41, SD 0.50), 78 girls aged 13-14 (mean age 13.52, SD 0.63) and 50 boys aged 13-14 (mean age 13.21, SD 0.53). The significance of quantitative differences between boys and girls in the overall system of variables was defined based on the results of canonic discriminant analysis of variance, and within each variable based on the results on univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). In the younger age group (10-12 years), girls were superior to boys in a test assessing flexibility (Seated straddle stretch), whereas, compared to girls, boys had greater strength of the trunk (Crossed-arm sit-ups), greater explosive strength ofjump and sprint type (Standing broad jump and 20 m dash), and coordination (Obstacle course backwards and Steps laterally). In the older age group (13-14 years) differences in flexibility were even more prominent in favor of girls, whereas the differences in explosive strength increased in favor of boys, especially of the throwing type with better agility (Steps laterally), balance (Board balance) and greater static strength of arms and shoulders (Bent-arm hang). In order to determine qualitative differences between pubertal and prepubertal girls and boys, the matrix of variable inter-correlations was factorized by the procedure of principal components procedure, that were then transformed to promax solution. The results showed that cognitive functioning had a significant role in the motor efficacy of girls and boys aged 10 to 14. In the age group of 10-12 years, in females, cognitive functioning is related to the motor system which integrates the regulation of muscle tone with agility/coordination, whereas in males there is a relation between cognitive abilities and the regulator of speed of upper extremities movement frequency. In the age group of 13-14 years, in females, cognitive functioning is involved in forming the factors for regulation of coordination and the intensity of energy mobilization in lower extremities, and to some degree, in the factor for regulation of intensity of energy mobilization in upper extremities and strength of the trunk, whereas in males the integration of synergetic regulation of movement in terms of balance and agility in terms of speed of direction change is carried out with significant involvement of cognitive abilities.

Who Will Experience the Most Alcohol Problems in College? The Roles of Middle and High School Drinking Tendencies.

PubMed

Scaglione, Nichole M; Mallett, Kimberly A; Turrisi, Rob; Reavy, Racheal; Cleveland, Michael J; Ackerman, Sarah

2015-10-01

Previous work examining college drinking tendencies has identified a disproportionately small (20%), but uniquely high-risk group of students who experience nearly 50% of the reported alcohol-related consequences (i.e., the multiple repeated consequences, or MRC, group). With the goal of reducing drinking-related consequences later in college, this study sought to identify potential MRC group members in their first semester by examining: (i) early-risk subgroups based on analysis of early-risk screening constructs (e.g., age of drinking onset, middle school alcohol exposure, high school drinking, and consequences); and (ii) their association with MRC criteria early in the first semester of college. A random sample of 2,021 first-year college student drinkers (56% female) completed a web-based drinking survey in their first semester on campus. Latent class analysis revealed 4 early-risk subgroups: (i) an early-onset risk group who endorsed early age of drinking onset and engaged in heavy middle and high school drinking (10%); (ii) a late-onset risk group who engaged in weekend drinking and drunkenness and experienced 6 or more unique consequences as seniors in high school (32%); (iii) an early-onset limited risk group who only endorsed early age of onset and middle school drinking (3%); and (iv) a minimal risk group who did not engage in any early-risk behaviors (55%). Members of both the early- and late-onset risk groups had significantly higher odds of MRC membership in their first semester of college (9.85 and 6.79 greater, respectively). Results suggest age of onset, middle and high school drinking and drunkenness, and frequency of unique consequences could be particularly useful in brief screening tools. Further, findings support early screening and prevention efforts for MRC membership prior to college matriculation. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

The new "intermediate risk" group: a comparative analysis of the new 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guidelines versus prior guidelines in men.

PubMed

Blaha, Michael J; Dardari, Zeina A; Blumenthal, Roger S; Martin, Seth S; Nasir, Khurram; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H

2014-11-01

The 2013 ACC/AHA Report on the Assessment of Cardiovascular (CVD) Risk redefined "intermediate risk". We sought to critically compare the intermediate risk groups identified by prior guidelines and the new ACC/AHA guidelines. We analyzed data from 30,005 adult men free of known CVD from a large, multi-ethnic study of middle-aged adults. The Framingham Risk Score was calculated using published equations, and CVD risk was calculated using the new ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations Risk Estimator. We first compared the size and characteristics of the intermediate risk group identified by the old (ATP III, 10-20% 10-year CHD risk) and new guidelines (5-7.4% 10-year CVD risk). We then defined time-to-high-risk as the length of time an individual patient resides in the intermediate risk group before progressing to high risk status based on advancing age alone. The mean age of the study population was 53 ± 13 years, and 24% were African-American. Patients identified as intermediate risk by the new ACC/AHA Guidelines were younger and more likely to be African-American and have lower risk factor burden (all p < 0.05). The new intermediate risk group was just 37% the size of the traditional ATP III intermediate risk group, while the new high risk group was 103% larger. Under the new guidelines, men remain intermediate risk for an average of just 3 years, compared to 8 years under the prior guidelines (63% shorter time-to-high-risk, p < 0.05), before progressing to high risk based on advancing age alone. The new 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guidelines produce a markedly smaller, lower absolute risk, and more temporary "intermediate risk" group. These findings reshape the modern understanding of "intermediate risk", and have distinct implications for risk assessment, clinical decision making, and pharmacotherapy in primary prevention. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speech and language development in 2-year-old children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Hustad, Katherine C; Allison, Kristen; McFadd, Emily; Riehle, Katherine

2014-06-01

We examined early speech and language development in children who had cerebral palsy. Questions addressed whether children could be classified into early profile groups on the basis of speech and language skills and whether there were differences on selected speech and language measures among groups. Speech and language assessments were completed on 27 children with CP who were between the ages of 24 and 30 months (mean age 27.1 months; SD 1.8). We examined several measures of expressive and receptive language, along with speech intelligibility. Two-step cluster analysis was used to identify homogeneous groups of children based on their performance on the seven dependent variables characterizing speech and language performance. Three groups of children identified were those not yet talking (44% of the sample); those whose talking abilities appeared to be emerging (41% of the sample); and those who were established talkers (15% of the sample). Group differences were evident on all variables except receptive language skills. 85% of 2-year-old children with CP in this study had clinical speech and/or language delays relative to age expectations. Findings suggest that children with CP should receive speech and language assessment and treatment at or before 2 years of age.