16 CFR 1700.20 - Testing procedure for special packaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... between the number of boys and the number of girls in each age range shall not exceed 10% of the number of... package. 16. If more adults in a sex or age group are tested than are necessary to determine SAUE, the...

16 CFR 1700.20 - Testing procedure for special packaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... between the number of boys and the number of girls in each age range shall not exceed 10% of the number of... package. 16. If more adults in a sex or age group are tested than are necessary to determine SAUE, the...

16 CFR 1700.20 - Testing procedure for special packaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... between the number of boys and the number of girls in each age range shall not exceed 10% of the number of... package. 16. If more adults in a sex or age group are tested than are necessary to determine SAUE, the...

16 CFR § 1700.20 - Testing procedure for special packaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... between the number of boys and the number of girls in each age range shall not exceed 10% of the number of... package. 16. If more adults in a sex or age group are tested than are necessary to determine SAUE, the...

Age dependency for coagulation parameters in paediatric populations. Results of a multicentre study aimed at defining the age-specific reference ranges.

PubMed

Toulon, Pierre; Berruyer, Micheline; Brionne-François, Marie; Grand, François; Lasne, Dominique; Telion, Caroline; Arcizet, Julien; Giacomello, Roberta; De Pooter, Neila

2016-07-04

Understanding of developmental haemostasis is critical to ensure optimal prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of haemorrhagic and thrombotic diseases in children. As coagulation test results are known to be dependent on the reagents/analysers used, it is recommended for each laboratory to define the age-dependent reference ranges by using its own technical condition. That study was carried out in seven centers to establish age-specific reference ranges using the same reagents and analyser. Plasma samples were obtained from 1437 paediatric patients from the following age groups: 15 days-4 weeks (n=36), 1-5 months (n=320), 6-12 months (n=176), 1-5 years (n=507), 6-10 years (n=132) and 11-17 years (n=262). Indication of coagulation testing was pre-operative screening for non-acute diseases in most cases. PT values were similar in the different age groups to those in adults, whereas longer aPTTs were demonstrated in the younger children. Plasma levels of all clotting factors, except for FV, were significantly decreased (p<0.0001) in the youngest children, adult values being usually reached before the end of the first year. The same applied to antithrombin, protein C/S, and plasminogen. In contrast, FVIII and VWF levels were elevated in the youngest children and returned to adult values within six months. The same applied to D-dimer levels, which were found elevated, particularly until six months of life, until puberty. These data suggest that most coagulation test results are highly dependent on age, mainly during the first year of life, and that age-specific reference ranges must be used to ensure proper evaluation of coagulation in children.

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.

Aging and functional brain networks

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

Tomasi D.; Tomasi, D.; Volkow, N.D.

2011-07-11

Aging is associated with changes in human brain anatomy and function and cognitive decline. Recent studies suggest the aging decline of major functional connectivity hubs in the 'default-mode' network (DMN). Aging effects on other networks, however, are largely unknown. We hypothesized that aging would be associated with a decline of short- and long-range functional connectivity density (FCD) hubs in the DMN. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated resting-state data sets corresponding to 913 healthy subjects from a public magnetic resonance imaging database using functional connectivity density mapping (FCDM), a voxelwise and data-driven approach, together with parallel computing. Aging was associatedmore » with pronounced long-range FCD decreases in DMN and dorsal attention network (DAN) and with increases in somatosensory and subcortical networks. Aging effects in these networks were stronger for long-range than for short-range FCD and were also detected at the level of the main functional hubs. Females had higher short- and long-range FCD in DMN and lower FCD in the somatosensory network than males, but the gender by age interaction effects were not significant for any of the networks or hubs. These findings suggest that long-range connections may be more vulnerable to aging effects than short-range connections and that, in addition to the DMN, the DAN is also sensitive to aging effects, which could underlie the deterioration of attention processes that occurs with aging.« less

Skeletal Maturation, Body Size, and Motor Coordination in Youth 11-14 Years.

PubMed

Freitas, Duarte Luís; Lausen, Berthold; Maia, José Antonio Ribeiro; Gouveia, Élvio Rúbio; Thomis, Martine; Lefevre, Johan; Silva, Ricardo Dinis; Malina, Robert M

2016-06-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the relative contribution of biological maturation to variance in the motor coordination (MC) among youth and to explore gender differences in the associations. Skeletal maturation (Tanner-Whitehouse 3), stature, body mass, and MC (Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder) were assessed in 613 youths, 284 boys and 329 girls 11-14 yr of age. Standardized residuals of skeletal age on chronological age were used as the estimate of skeletal maturity status independent of chronological age. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to analyse associations between skeletal maturity status and MC. Skeletal maturity status by itself, i.e., standardized residuals of skeletal age on chronological age (step 3) explained a maximum of 8.1% of the variance in MC in boys (ΔR3 in the range of 0.0%-8.1%) and 2.8% of the variance in girls (ΔR3 in the range of 0.0%-2.8%), after controlling for stature, body mass and interactions of the standardized residuals of skeletal age on chronological age with stature and body mass. Corresponding percentages for the interactions of the standardized residuals of skeletal age and stature and body mass, after adjusting for stature and body mass (step 2) were 8.7% in boys (ΔR2 in the range of 0.3%-8.7%) and 7.1% in girls (ΔR2 in the range of 0.1%-7.1%). Chow tests suggested structural changes in β-coefficients in the four MC tests among boys and girls, 12-13 yr. The percentage of variance in the four MC tests explained by skeletal maturation was relatively small, but the relationships differed between boys and girls. By inference, other factors, e.g., neuromuscular maturation, specific instruction and practice, sport participation, and others may influence MC at these ages.

The Flynn effect and memory function.

PubMed

Baxendale, Sallie

2010-08-01

The Flynn effect refers to the steady increase in IQ that appears to date back at least to the inception of modern-day IQ tests. This study examined the possible Flynn effects on clinical memory tests involving the learning and recall of verbal and nonverbal material. Comparisons of the age-related norms on the list learning and design learning tasks from the Adult Memory and Information Processing Battery (AMIPB), published in 1985, and its successor, the BIRT (Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust) Memory and Information Processing Battery (BMIPB) published in 2007, indicate that there is a significant Flynn effect on tests of memory function. This effect appears to be material specific with statistically significant improvements in all scores on tests involving the learning and recall of visual material in every age range evident over a 22-year period. Verbal memory abilities appear to be relatively stable with no significant differences between the scores in the majority of age ranges. The ramifications for the clinical interpretation of these tests are discussed.

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.

Aging and memory: corrections for age, sex and education for three widely used memory tests.

PubMed

Zappalà, G; Measso, G; Cavarzeran, F; Grigoletto, F; Lebowitz, B; Pirozzolo, F; Amaducci, L; Massari, D; Crook, T

1995-04-01

The associate learning subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale; Benton's Visual Retention test and a Controlled Word Association Task (FAS) were administered to a random sample of normal, healthy individuals whose age ranged from 20 to 79 years, recruited within the Italian peninsula. The neuropsychological examination took place on a mobile unit and the tests were given by the same team of neuropsychologists to reduce variability among examiners. The Research Project was known as Progetto Memoria. Corrections to the scores of these tests were calculated for age, sex, and education. These corrected values will allow clinicians to screen for memory impairment with greater precision among normally aging individuals, thus improving differential diagnosis between physiologic and pathologic deterioration of cognitive functions.

Box and block test in Beninese adults.

PubMed

Natta, Ditouah Didier Niama; Alagnidé, Etienne; Kpadonou, Toussaint Godonou; Detrembleur, Christine; Lejeune, Thierry M; Stoquart, Gaëtan G

2015-11-01

To determine the Box and Block Test norm in a sub-Saharan population and to compare these data with published norms for North American adults. A total of 692 healthy Beninese people, age range 20-85 years, were recruited. These subjects were asked to perform the Box and Block Test with both hands. Box and Block Test scores (mean and standard deviation (SD)) for women and men were, respectively, 81.3 (15.4) and 79 (16.6) for the dominant hand and 73.2 (13.7) and 72 (14.8) for the non-dominant hand. Mean Box and Block Test scores ranged from 89.1 (12.7) for people under the age of 25 years to 55.23 (10.5) for people over the age of 74 years. Manual dexterity was better for women than men, for dominant hand than non-dominant hand, and for younger subjects. In comparison with published results for US subjects, Beninese subjects had better dexterity below the age of 50 years in both sexes for the right hand and worse dexterity over 64 years of age in both sexes for the right hand. Developing and validating outcome scales in Africa will help to improve functional assessment of African populations in clinical practice and research.

Mandibular movement range in children.

PubMed

Machado, Barbara Cristina Zanandréa; Medeiros, Ana Paula Magalhães; Felício, Cláudia Maria de

2009-01-01

identification of the mandibular movement range is an important procedure in the evaluation of the stomatognathic system. However, there are few studies in children that focus on normal parameters or abnormalities. to determine the average range of mandibular movements in Brazilian children aged 6 to 12 years; to verify the difference between genders, in each age group, and between the different age groups: 6-8 years; 8.1-10 years; and 10.1-12 years. participants of the study were 240 healthy children selected among regular students from local schools of São Paulo State. The maximum mandibular opening, lateral excursion and protrusive movements, and deviation of the medium line, if present, were measured using a digital caliper. Student T test, Analysis of variance and Tukey test were considered significant for p < 0.05. the mean values observed in the studied sample were: 44.51mm for maximum mandibular opening; 7.71mm for lateral excursion to the right; 7.92mm for lateral excursion to the left; 7.45mm for protrusive movements. No statistical difference was observed between genders. There was a gradual increase in the range of mandibular movements, with significant differences mainly between the ages of 6-8 years and 10.1-12 years. during childhood the range of mandibular movements increases. Age should be considered in this analysis for a greater precision in the diagnosis.

SIXTH INTERIM STATUS REPORT: MODEL 9975 PCV O-RING FIXTURE LONG-TERM LEAK PERFORMANCE

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

Daugherty, W.

2011-08-31

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton{reg_sign} GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing for seven years at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Seventy tests using mock-ups of 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 F. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determine if they meet the criterion of leak-tightness defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 F. High temperature aging continues formore » 33 GLT O-ring fixtures at 200-300 F. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 F and higher temperatures, and in 7 fixtures aging at 300 F. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 F for 41-60 months, which is still bounding to O-ring temperatures during storage in K-Area Complex (KAC). Based on expectations that the fixtures aging at 200 F will remain leak-tight for a significant period yet to come, 2 additional fixtures began aging within the past year at an intermediate temperature of 270 F, with hopes that they may leak before the 200 F fixtures. High temperature aging continues for 6 GLT-S O-ring fixtures at 200-300 F. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all 8 of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 350 and 400 F. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200-300 F for up to 26 months. For O-ring fixtures that have failed the room temperature leak test and been disassembled, the Orings displayed a compression set ranging from 51-96%. This is greater than seen to date for packages inspected during KAC field surveillance (24% average). For GLT O-rings, separate service life estimates have been made based on the O-ring fixture leak test data and based on compression stress relaxation (CSR) data. These two predictive models show reasonable agreement at higher temperatures (350-400 F). However, at 300 F, the room temperature leak test failures to date experienced longer aging times than predicted by the CSR-based model. This suggests that extrapolations of the CSR model predictions to temperatures below 300 F will provide a conservative prediction of service life relative to the leak rate criterion. Leak test failure data at lower temperatures are needed to verify this apparent trend. Insufficient failure data exist currently to perform a similar comparison for GLT-S O-rings. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining fixtures.« less

EIGHTH INTERIM STATUS REPORT: MODEL 9975 PCV O-RING FIXTURE LONG-TERM LEAK PERFORMANCE

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

Daugherty, W. L.

2013-09-03

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Seventy tests using mock-ups of 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determine if they meet the criterion of leak-tightness defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF. High temperature aging continues for 23more » GLT O-ring fixtures at 200 – 270 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 ºF and higher temperatures, and in 8 fixtures aging at 300 ºF. The remaining GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF have been retired from testing following more than 5 years at temperature without failure. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 ºF for 61 - 85 months, which is still bounding to O-ring temperatures during storage in KArea Complex (KAC). Based on expectations that the fixtures aging at 200 ºF will remain leaktight for a significant period yet to come, 2 additional fixtures began aging in 2011 at an intermediate temperature of 270 ºF, with hopes that they may reach a failure condition before the 200 ºF fixtures. High temperature aging continues for 6 GLT-S O-ring fixtures at 200 – 300 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all 8 of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 350 and 400 ºF. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200 - 300 ºF for 41 - 45 months. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining PCV fixtures.« less

A COMPARISON OF THE EMPIRICAL VALIDITY OF SIX TESTS OF ABILITY WITH EDUCABLE MENTAL RETARDATES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MUELLER, MAX W.

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VALIDITY OF INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER TESTS USED IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF RETARDED CHILDREN WAS PERFORMED. EXPERIMENTAL SAMPLES CONSISTED OF 101 CHILDREN SELECTED FROM SPECIAL CLASSES FOR EDUCABLE MENTALLY RETARDED (EMR) WHOSE AGES RANGED FROM 6.9 TO 10 YEARS AND WHOSE IQ SCORES RANGED FROM 50 TO 80. THE TESTS EVALUATED WERE (1)…

SEVENTH INTERIM STATUS REPORT: MODEL 9975 PCV O-RING FIXTURE LONG-TERM LEAK PERFORMANCE

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

Daugherty, W.

2012-08-30

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Seventy tests using mock-ups of 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determine if they meet the criterion of leak-tightness defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF. High temperature aging continues for 23more » GLT O-ring fixtures at 200 – 270 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 ºF and higher temperatures, and in 8 fixtures aging at 300 ºF. The remaining GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF have been retired from testing following more than 5 years at temperature without failure. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 ºF for 54-72 months, which is still bounding to O-ring temperatures during storage in K-Area Complex (KAC). Based on expectations that the fixtures aging at 200 ºF will remain leak-tight for a significant period yet to come, 2 additional fixtures began aging in 2011 at an intermediate temperature of 270 ºF, with hopes that they may reach a failure condition before the 200 ºF fixtures. High temperature aging continues for 6 GLT-S O-ring fixtures at 200 – 300 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all 8 of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 350 and 400 ºF. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200 - 300 ºF for 30 - 36 months. For O-ring fixtures that have failed the room temperature leak test and been disassembled, the O-rings displayed a compression set ranging from 51 – 96%. This is greater than seen to date for any packages inspected during KAC field surveillance (24% average). For GLT O-rings, separate service life estimates have been made based on the O-ring fixture leak test data and based on compression stress relaxation (CSR) data. These two predictive models show reasonable agreement at higher temperatures (350 – 400 ºF). However, at 300 ºF, the room temperature leak test failures to date experienced longer aging times than predicted by the CSRbased model. This suggests that extrapolations of the CSR model predictions to temperatures below 300 ºF will provide a conservative prediction of service life relative to the leak rate criterion. Leak test failure data at lower temperatures are needed to verify this apparent trend. Insufficient failure data exist currently to perform a similar comparison for GLT-S O-rings. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining PCV O-ring fixtures.« less

Is sweat chloride predictive of severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease assessed by chest computed tomography?

PubMed

Caudri, Daan; Zitter, David; Bronsveld, Inez; Tiddens, Harm

2017-09-01

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by a marked heterogeneity. Sweat chloride-level is a functional marker of the CF Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) protein and could be an important predictor of later disease severity. In this retrospective analysis children from the Rotterdam CF clinic with available sweat chloride level at diagnosis and at least one routine spirometry-controlled volumetric chest CT scan in follow-up were included. CT scans were scored using the CF-CT scoring system (% of maximum). Associations between sweat chloride-levels and CF-CT scores were calculated using linear regression models, adjusting for age at sweat test and age at follow-up. Because structural lung damage develops over the course of many years, effect modification by the age at follow-up CT-scan was tested for by age-stratification. In 59 children (30 male) sweat chloride was measured at diagnosis (median age 0.5 years, range 0-13) and later chest CT performed (median age 14 years, range 6-18). Sweat chloride was associated with significantly higher CT-CT total score, bronchiectasis score, and mucus plugging score. Stratification for age at follow-up in tertiles showed this association remained only in the oldest age group (range 15-18 years). In that subgroup associations were found with all but one of the CF-CT subscores, as well as with all tested lung functions parameters. Sweat chloride-level is a significant predictor of CF lung disease severity as determined by chest CT and lung function. This association could only be demonstrated in children with follow-up to age 15 years and above. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuropsychological assessment of executive functions in women: effects of age and education.

PubMed

Plumet, Jocelyne; Gil, Roger; Gaonac'h, Daniel

2005-09-01

The cognitive processes underlying age-related alterations in tests assumed to reflect frontal lobe functions were investigated with a card sorting test and an alternate semantic fluency task. The tests were administered to 133 healthy women belonging to 3 age groups (range=50-92 years) classed according to 2 education levels. The results revealed a negative association between total word fluency and perseveration in the sorting test. Aging similarly affected performance in both education groups in some components of the tasks (atypical word fluency and sensitivity to distraction). However, aging did not affect performance to the same extent in each education group in other components (particularly those reflecting switching abilities and strategies). This quasi-experimental approach provides useful tools to identify specific processing mechanisms underlying executive functions in normal aging. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Dynamic strain aging in the high-temperature low-cycle fatigue of SA508 Cl. 3 forging steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Byung Ho; Kim, In Sup

1995-10-01

The effect of dynamic strain aging on cyclic stress response and fatigue resistance of ASME SA508 Cl.3 forging steel for nuclear reactor pressure vessels has been evaluated in the temperature range of room temperature to 500°C. Total strain ranges and strain rates were varied from 0.7 to 2.0% and from 4 × 10 -4 to 1 × 10 -2 s -1, respectively. The cyclic stress response depended on the testing temperature, strain rate, and range. Generally, the initial cyclic hardening was immediately followed by cyclic softening at all strain rates. However, at 300°C, the operating temperature of nuclear reactor pressure vessels, the variation of cyclic stress amplitude showed the primary and secondary hardening stages dependent on the strain rate and strain range. Dynamic strain aging was manifested by enhanced cyclic hardening, distinguished secondary hardening, and negative strain rate sensitivity. A modified cell shutting model was described for the onset of the secondary hardening due to the dynamic strain aging and it was in good agreement with the experimental results. Fatigue life increased in strain rate at all testing temperatures. Specifically the fatigue life was longer at the dynamic strain aging temperature. Further, the dynamic strain aging was easy to initiate the crack, while crack propagation was retarded by crack branching and suppression of plastic zone, hence the dynamic strain aging caused the improvement of fatigue resistance.

Theory of Mind and Language in Children with Cochlear Implants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remmel, Ethan; Peters, Kimberly

2009-01-01

Thirty children with cochlear implants (CI children), age range 3-12 years, and 30 children with normal hearing (NH children), age range 4-6 years, were tested on theory of mind and language measures. The CI children showed little to no delay on either theory of mind, relative to the NH children, or spoken language, relative to hearing norms. The…

Reference values and equations reference of balance for children of 8 to 12 years.

PubMed

Libardoni, Thiele de Cássia; Silveira, Carolina Buzzi da; Sinhorim, Larissa Milani Brognoli; Oliveira, Anamaria Siriani de; Santos, Márcio José Dos; Santos, Gilmar Moraes

2018-02-01

There are still no normative data in balance sway for school-age children in Brazil. We aimed to establish the reference ranges for balance scores and to develop prediction equations for estimation of balance scores in children aged 8 to 12 years old. The study included 165 healthy children (83 boys and 82 girls; age, 8-12 years) recruited from a public school in the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. We used the Sensory Organization Test to assess the balance scores and both a digital scale and a stadiometer to measure the anthropometric variables. We tested a stepwise multiple-regression model with sex, height, weight, and mid-thigh circumference of the dominant leg as predictors of the balance score. For all experimental conditions, girls' age accounted for over 85% of the variability in balance scores; while, boys' age accounted only 55% of the variability in balance scores. Therefore, balance scores increase with age for boys and girls. This study described the ranges of age- and sex-specific normative values for balance scores in children during 6 different testing conditions established by the sensory organization test. We confirmed that age was the predictor that best explained the variability in balance scores in children between 8 and 12 years old. This study stimulates a new and more comprehensive study to estimate balance scores from prediction equations for overall Brazilian pediatric population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WIDE RANGE ACHIEVEMENT TEST IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: TEST-RETEST STABILITY.

PubMed

Jantz, Paul B; Bigler, Erin D; Froehlich, Alyson L; Prigge, Molly B D; Cariello, Annahir N; Travers, Brittany G; Anderson, Jeffrey; Zielinski, Brandon A; Alexander, Andrew L; Lange, Nicholas; Lainhart, Janet E

2015-06-01

The principal goal of this descriptive study was to establish the test-retest stability of the Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtest scores of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3) across two administrations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Participants (N = 31) were males ages 6-22 years (M = 15.2, SD = 4.0) who were part of a larger ongoing longitudinal study of brain development in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (N = 185). Test-retest stability for all three subtests remained consistent across administration periods (M = 31.8 mo., SD = 4.1). Age at time of administration, time between administrations, and test form did not significantly influence test-retest stability. Results indicated that for research involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder with a full scale intelligence quotient above 75, the WRAT-3 Spelling and Arithmetic subtests have acceptable test-retest stability over time and the Reading subtest has moderate test-retest stability over time.

FIFTH STATUS REPORT: TESTING OF AGED SOFTWOOD FIBERBOARD MATERIAL FOR THE 9975 SHIPPING PACKAGE

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

Daugherty, W.; Skidmore, E.; Dunn, K.

Samples have been prepared from a 9975 lower fiberboard subassembly fabricated from softwood fiberboard. Physical, mechanical and thermal properties have been measured following varying periods of conditioning in each of several environments. These tests have been conducted in the same manner as previous testing on cane fiberboard samples. Overall, similar aging trends are observed for softwood and cane fiberboard samples, with a few differences. Some softwood fiberboard properties tend to degrade faster in elevated humidity environments, while some cane fiberboard properties degrade faster in the hotter dry environments. As a result, it is premature to assume both materials will agemore » at the same rates, and the preliminary aging models developed for cane fiberboard might not apply to softwood fiberboard. However, it is expected that both cane and softwood fiberboard assemblies will perform satisfactorily in conforming packages stored in a typical KAC storage environment for up to 15 years. Aging and testing of softwood fiberboard will continue and additional data will be collected. Additional samples will be added to each aging environment, to support development of an aging model specific to softwood fiberboard. Post-conditioning data have been measured on samples from a single softwood fiberboard assembly, and baseline data are also available from a limited number of vendor-provided samples. This provides minimal information on the possible sample-to-sample variation exhibited by softwood fiberboard. Data to date are generally consistent with the range seen in cane fiberboard, but some portions of the data trends are skewed toward the lower end of that range. Two additional softwood fiberboard source packages have been obtained and will begin to provide data on the range of variability of this material.« less

Forensic individual age estimation with DNA: From initial approaches to methylation tests.

PubMed

Freire-Aradas, A; Phillips, C; Lareu, M V

2017-07-01

Individual age estimation is a key factor in forensic science analysis that can provide very useful information applicable to criminal, legal, and anthropological investigations. Forensic age inference was initially based on morphological inspection or radiography and only later began to adopt molecular approaches. However, a lack of accuracy or technical problems hampered the introduction of these DNA-based methodologies in casework analysis. A turning point occurred when the epigenetic signature of DNA methylation was observed to gradually change during an individual´s lifespan. In the last four years, the number of publications reporting DNA methylation age-correlated changes has gradually risen and the forensic community now has a range of age methylation tests applicable to forensic casework. Most forensic age predictor models have been developed based on blood DNA samples, but additional tissues are now also being explored. This review assesses the most widely adopted genes harboring methylation sites, detection technologies, statistical age-predictive analyses, and potential causes of variation in age estimates. Despite the need for further work to improve predictive accuracy and establishing a broader range of tissues for which tests can analyze the most appropriate methylation sites, several forensic age predictors have now been reported that provide consistency in their prediction accuracies (predictive error of ±4 years); this makes them compelling tools with the potential to contribute key information to help guide criminal investigations. Copyright © 2017 Central Police University.

Development of the Assisting Hand Assessment for adolescents (Ad-AHA) and validation of the AHA from 18 months to 18 years.

PubMed

Louwers, Annoek; Beelen, Anita; Holmefur, Marie; Krumlinde-Sundholm, Lena

2016-12-01

To develop and evaluate a test activity from which bimanual performance in adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) can be observed and scored with the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), and to evaluate the construct validity of the AHA test items for the extended age range 18 months to 18 years. A new test activity was developed and evaluated for its ability to elicit bimanual actions in adolescents with (n=20) and without (n=10) unilateral CP. The AHA scores of 126 adolescents (mean age 14y 3mo, SD 2y 6mo; 71 males, 55 females) and 157 children with unilateral CP (mean age 6y 1mo, SD 2y 10mo; 102 males, 55 females) were analysed using the Rasch measurement model. The test activity elicited bimanual actions in 100% of typically developing adolescents and in 96.8% and 57.9% of adolescents with unilateral CP (moderately and severely limited hand function respectively). The scale demonstrated good construct validity; thus the same scoring criteria can be used for the age range studied. The new Assisting Hand Assessment for adolescents (Ad-AHA) activity is valid for use with 13- to 18-year-olds to elicit bimanual performance in adolescents with unilateral CP. The same AHA scoring criteria can be used both for children and for adolescents within the age range 18 months to 18 years. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Mac Keith Press.

Spanish Multicenter Normative Studies (NEURONORMA Project): norms for Boston naming test and token test.

PubMed

Peña-Casanova, Jordi; Quiñones-Ubeda, Sonia; Gramunt-Fombuena, Nina; Aguilar, Miquel; Casas, Laura; Molinuevo, José Luis; Robles, Alfredo; Rodríguez, Dolores; Barquero, María Sagrario; Antúnez, Carmen; Martínez-Parra, Carlos; Frank-García, Anna; Fernández, Manuel; Molano, Ana; Alfonso, Verónica; Sol, Josep M; Blesa, Rafael

2009-06-01

As part of the Spanish Multicenter Normative Studies (NEURONORMA project), we provide age- and education-adjusted norms for the Boston naming test and Token test. The sample consists of 340 and 348 participants, respectively, who are cognitively normal, community-dwelling, and ranging in age from 50 to 94 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education-adjusted scaled scores by applying regression-based adjustments. Age and education affected the score of the both tests, but sex was found to be unrelated to naming and verbal comprehension efficiency. Our norms should provide clinically useful data for evaluating elderly Spaniards. The normative data presented here were obtained from the same study sample as all the other NEURONORMA norms and the same statistical procedures for data analyses were applied. These co-normed data allow clinicians to compare scores from one test with all tests.

Excellent amino acid racemization results from Holocene sand dollars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosnik, M.; Kaufman, D. S.; Kowalewski, M.; Whitacre, K.

2015-12-01

Amino acid racemization (AAR) is widely used as a cost-effective method to date molluscs in time-averaging and taphonomic studies, but it has not been attempted for echinoderms despite their paleobiological importance. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of AAR geochronology in Holocene aged Peronella peronii (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) collected from Sydney Harbour (Australia). Using standard HPLC methods we determined the extent of AAR in 74 Peronella tests and performed replicate analyses on 18 tests. We sampled multiple areas of two individuals and identified the outer edge as a good sampling location. Multiple replicate analyses from the outer edge of 18 tests spanning the observed range of D/Ls yielded median coefficients of variation < 4% for Asp, Phe, Ala, and Glu D/L values, which overlaps with the analytical precision. Correlations between D/L values across 155 HPLC injections sampled from 74 individuals are also very high (pearson r2 > 0.95) for these four amino acids. The ages of 11 individuals spanning the observed range of D/L values were determined using 14C analyses, and Bayesian model averaging was used to determine the best AAR age model. The averaged age model was mainly composed of time-dependent reaction kinetics models (TDK, 71%) based on phenylalanine (Phe, 94%). Modelled ages ranged from 14 to 5539 yrs, and the median 95% confidence interval for the 74 analysed individuals is ±28% of the modelled age. In comparison, the median 95% confidence interval for the 11 calibrated 14C ages was ±9% of the median age estimate. Overall Peronella yields exceptionally high-quality AAR D/L values and appears to be an excellent substrate for AAR geochronology. This work opens the way for time-averaging and taphonomic studies of echinoderms similar to those in molluscs.

Assessment of unconstrained cerebrovascular reactivity marker for large age-range FMRI studies.

PubMed

Kannurpatti, Sridhar S; Motes, Michael A; Biswal, Bharat B; Rypma, Bart

2014-01-01

Breath hold (BH), a commonly used task to measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in fMRI studies varies in outcome among individuals due to subject-physiology and/or BH-inspiration/expiration differences (i.e., performance). In prior age-related fMRI studies, smaller task-related BOLD response variability is observed among younger than older individuals. Also, a linear CVR versus task relationship exists in younger individuals which maybe useful to test the accuracy of CVR responses in older groups. Hence we hypothesized that subject-related physiological and/or BH differences, if present, may compromise CVR versus task linearity in older individuals. To test the hypothesis, empirical BH versus task relationships from motor and cognitive areas were obtained in younger (mean age = 26 years) and older (mean age = 58 years) human subjects. BH versus task linearity was observed only in the younger group, confirming our hypothesis. Further analysis indicated BH responses and its variability to be similar in both younger and older groups, suggesting that BH may not accurately represent CVR in a large age range. Using the resting state fluctuation of amplitude (RSFA) as an unconstrained alternative to BH, subject-wise correspondence between BH and RSFA was tested. Correlation between BH versus RSFA was significant within the motor but was not significant in the cognitive areas in the younger and was completely disrupted in both areas in the older subjects indicating that BH responses are constrained by subject-related physiology and/or performance-related differences. Contrasting BH to task, RSFA-task relationships were independent of age accompanied by age-related increases in CVR variability as measured by RSFA, not observed with BH. Together the results obtained indicate that RSFA accurately represents CVR in any age range avoiding multiple and yet unknown physiologic and task-related pitfalls of BH.

The Effect of Aging on the Microstructure of Selective Laser Melted Cu-Ni-Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ventura, Anthony P.; Marvel, Christopher J.; Pawlikowski, Gregory; Bayes, Martin; Watanabe, Masashi; Vinci, Richard P.; Misiolek, Wojciech Z.

2017-12-01

Precipitation hardening copper alloy C70250 was selectively laser melted to successfully produce components around 98 pct dense with high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. Aging heat treatments were carried out at 723 K (450 °C) directly on as-printed samples up to 128 hours. Mechanical testing found that peak yield strength of around 590 MPa could be attained with an electrical conductivity of 34.2 pct IACS after 8 hours of aging. Conductivity continues to increase with further aging while the peak strength appears to be less sensitive to aging time exhibiting a broad range of time where near-peak properties exist. After aging for 128 hours, there is a drop in yield strength to 546 MPa with an increase in conductivity to 43.2 pct IACS. Electron microscopy analysis revealed nanometer-scale silicon-rich oxide particles throughout the material that persist during aging. Deformation twinning is observed in the peak-age condition after tensile testing and several strengthening mechanisms appear to be active to varying degrees throughout aging which account for the broad range of aging time where nearly the peak mechanical properties exist.

Water table in rocks of Cenozoic and Paleozoic age, 1980, Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doty, G.C.; Thordarson, William

1983-01-01

The water table at Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, occurs in rocks of Paleozoic age and in tuffs and alluvium of Cenozoic age and ranges in altitude from about 2,425 feet to about 3,500 feet. The configuration of the water table is depicted by contours with intervals of 25 to 500 feet. Control for the map consists of water-level information from 61 drill holes, whose locations and age of geologic units penetrated are shown by symbols on the map. (USGS)

Drosophila geotaxis as a tool for the study of aging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnebel, Edgar M.; Hoffmann, R. Nicholas; Grossfield, Joe

1988-01-01

Age dependent changes in geotaxis profiles were examined in 27 wild-type populations of Drosophila, representing a diversity of species, semispecies and strains. In addition, four strains of D. melanogaster were tested. Tests were carried out at a minimum of three test ages, and involve the use of a calibrated, adjustable inclined plane that can be set at any angle between 0 and 85 deg. Among selected lines, decline in geotactic response occurs later in the long lived flies than in the controls. Longer lived flies continue to show an increase in negative geotactic response through age 14 days. These results suggest that common processes may be influencing the rate of decline in geotactic response and longevity. Further analysis of the mechanisms underlying age dependent changes in geotaxis may reveal factors which influence the aging process itself. The use of geotaxis aging markers in a broad range of Drosophila species reflecting varying degrees of genetic relatedness is proposed to test the universality vs. specificity of aging processes.

Psychometric Validation and Normative Data of a Second Chinese Version of the Hooper Visual Organization Test in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yueh-Hsien; Su, Chwen-Yng; Guo, Wei-Yuan; Wuang, Yee-Pay

2012-01-01

The Hooper Visual Organization Test (HVOT) is a measure of visuosynthetic ability. Previously, the psychometric properties of the HVOT have been evaluated for Chinese-speaking children aged 5-11 years. This study reports development and further evidence of reliability and validity for a second version involving an extended age range of healthy…

The Influence of Maternal Acculturation, Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Parenting on Chinese American Adolescents' Conduct Problems: Testing the Segmented Assimilation Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Lisa L.; Lau, Anna S.; Chen, Angela Chia-Chen; Dinh, Khanh T.; Kim, Su Yeong

2009-01-01

Associations among neighborhood disadvantage, maternal acculturation, parenting and conduct problems were investigated in a sample of 444 Chinese American adolescents. Adolescents (54% female, 46% male) ranged from 12 to 15 years of age (mean age = 13.0 years). Multilevel modeling was employed to test the hypothesis that the association between…

The relationship between chronological age and aptitude test measures of advanced-level air traffic control trainees.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-07-01

The study examined the interrelationships of age, aptitude measures, and training performance scores for 710 men. They ranged in age from 21 to 52 years, but less than 12 per cent were over 40. Most of the subjects were former military controllers wh...

Age Dedifferentiation Hypothesis: Evidence form the WAIS III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juan-Espinosa, Manuel; Garcia, Luis F.; Escorial, Sergio; Rebollo, Irene; Colom, Roberto; Abad, Francisco J.

2002-01-01

Used the Spanish standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS III) (n=1,369) to test the age dedifferentiation hypothesis. Results show no changes in the percentage of variance accounted for by "g" and four group factors when restriction of range is controlled. Discusses an age indifferentation hypothesis. (SLD)

Life Span Changes in Visual Enumeration: The Number Discrimination Task.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trick, Lana M.; And Others

1996-01-01

Ninety-eight participants from 5 age groups with mean ages of 6, 8, 10, 22, and 72 years were tested in a series of speeded number discriminations. Found that response time slope as a function of number size decreased with age for numbers in the 1-4 range. (MDM)

[Evaluation of mental development of children with congenital hypothyroidism detected in screening test--personal observations].

PubMed

Kik, Eugenia; Noczyńska, Anna

2010-01-01

Thyroid hormones are crucial for a proper development of the central nervous system (CNS), skeleton and tooth buds. They are important from the early stages of fetal development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the mental development of children with congenital hypothyroidism detected in screening and to determine the effect of TSH, level of thyroid hormones during observation, perinatal factors as well as parental and environmental factors on the children's IQ. 44 children (28 girls and 16 boys) aged 3.5-18 years (mean age 7.3+/- 3.5) were enrolled in the study. The subjects' mental development was analyzed. General intelligence quotient was measured on verbal and non-verbal scale and chosen parameters of mental development were measured. The evaluation of mental development was performed in two age groups: group A - 20 patients in the age range 3.5-5.9 years (mean age 5.3+/-0.8) tested using the Columbus method, and group B - 24 patients in the age range 6-18 years (mean age 10.3+/-2.2) tested on the Wechsler Scale. The intelligence quotient (IQ) in both groups was within the average IQ range on Wechsler scale. Mean IQ values on verbal and non-verbal scale were comparable and within the average IQ range on Wechsler scale. The level of intelligence in group A correlated, on the brink of statistical significance (IS), with the education level of the parents (r=0.32; p=0.0934), while in the group B - IS correlated with birth weight (r=0.62; p=0.00247), it correlated on the brink of statistical significance with the education level of parents (r=0.4; p=0.0532) and mother's age (r=0.41; p=0.0514). The level of intelligence on verbal scale in group B, statistically significant, positively correlated with the body mass at birth (r=0.62; p=0.00147) and negatively with the mean value of TSH in 2-year follow-up period (r=-0.47; p=0.0381). The level of general intelligence and on verbal and non-verbal scale did not correlate with the time of commencement of therapy with LT4, place of residence or TSH value in the screening test. 1. Mental development of the studied children with CH was within normal range. 2. Out of all measured parameters determining mental development, tasks in mathematics, analysis and synthesis, visual concentration and concentration on the hearing level had worst results. 3. The level of TSH in the screening test had no effect on the mental development of children with CH. 4. Out of all environmental factors, parental education influenced the mental development of the studied children.

Executive function and functional and structural brain differences in middle-age adults with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Braden, B Blair; Smith, Christopher J; Thompson, Amiee; Glaspy, Tyler K; Wood, Emily; Vatsa, Divya; Abbott, Angela E; McGee, Samuel C; Baxter, Leslie C

2017-12-01

There is a rapidly growing group of aging adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who may have unique needs, yet cognitive and brain function in older adults with ASD is understudied. We combined functional and structural neuroimaging and neuropsychological tests to examine differences between middle-aged men with ASD and matched neurotypical (NT) men. Participants (ASD, n = 16; NT, n = 17) aged 40-64 years were well-matched according to age, IQ (range: 83-131), and education (range: 9-20 years). Middle-age adults with ASD made more errors on an executive function task (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) but performed similarly to NT adults on tests of delayed verbal memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) and local visual search (Embedded Figures Task). Independent component analysis of a functional MRI working memory task (n-back) completed by most participants (ASD = 14, NT = 17) showed decreased engagement of a cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical neural network in older adults with ASD. Structurally, older adults with ASD had reduced bilateral hippocampal volumes, as measured by FreeSurfer. Findings expand our understanding of ASD as a lifelong condition with persistent cognitive and functional and structural brain differences evident at middle-age. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1945-1959. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. We compared cognitive abilities and brain measures between 16 middle-age men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 17 typical middle-age men to better understand how aging affects an older group of adults with ASD. Men with ASD made more errors on a test involving flexible thinking, had less activity in a flexible thinking brain network, and had smaller volume of a brain structure related to memory than typical men. We will follow these older adults over time to determine if aging changes are greater for individuals with ASD. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of Range Training: Comparison of Road Test Scores for Driver Education Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council, Forrest M.; And Others

The study compared the driver licensing test performance of two groups of driver education students: those involved in North Carolina's multi-vehicle range program and students in the "30 and 6" program (30 hours of class instruction and six hours of "behind the whell" instruction). It evaluated the performance of 3,049 applicants (all aged 16 and…

The Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) of Semicircular Canal Function - Age-Dependent Normative Values of VOR Gain in Healthy Subjects.

PubMed

McGarvie, Leigh A; MacDougall, Hamish G; Halmagyi, G Michael; Burgess, Ann M; Weber, Konrad P; Curthoys, Ian S

2015-01-01

The video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) is now widely used to test the function of each of the six semicircular canals individually by measuring the eye rotation response to an abrupt head rotation in the plane of the canal. The main measure of canal adequacy is the ratio of the eye movement response to the head movement stimulus, i.e., the gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). However, there is a need for normative data about how VOR gain is affected by age and also by head velocity, to allow the response of any particular patient to be compared to the responses of healthy subjects in their age range. In this study, we determined for all six semicircular canals, normative values of VOR gain, for each canal across a range of head velocities, for healthy subjects in each decade of life. The VOR gain was measured for all canals across a range of head velocities for at least 10 healthy subjects in decade age bands: 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89. The compensatory eye movement response to a small, unpredictable, abrupt head rotation (head impulse) was measured by the ICS impulse prototype system. The same operator delivered every impulse to every subject. Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain decreased at high head velocities, but was largely unaffected by age into the 80- to 89-year age group. There were some small but systematic differences between the two directions of head rotation, which appear to be largely due to the fact that in this study only the right eye was measured. The results are considered in relation to recent evidence about the effect of age on VOR performance. These normative values allow the results of any particular patient to be compared to the values of healthy people in their age range and so allow, for example, detection of whether a patient has a bilateral vestibular loss. VOR gain, as measured directly by the eye movement response to head rotation, seems largely unaffected by aging.

Accelerated Testing Of Photothermal Degradation Of Polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Soon Sam; Liang, Ranty Hing; Tsay, Fun-Dow

1989-01-01

Electron-spin-resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and Arrhenius plots used to determine maximum safe temperature for accelerated testing of photothermal degradation of polymers. Aging accelerated by increasing illumination, temperature, or both. Results of aging tests at temperatures higher than those encountered in normal use valid as long as mechanism of degradation same throughout range of temperatures. Transition between different mechanisms at some temperature identified via transition between activation energies, manifesting itself as change in slope of Arrhenius plot at that temperature.

Internationally adopted children in the early school years: relative strengths and weaknesses in language abilities.

PubMed

Glennen, Sharon

2015-01-01

This study aimed to determine the relative strengths and weaknesses in language and verbal short-term memory abilities of school-age children who were adopted from Eastern Europe. Children adopted between 1;0 and 4;11 (years;months) of age were assessed with the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool, Second Edition (CELF-P2) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fourth Edition (CELF-4) at age 5 and ages 6-7. Language composites and subtests were compared across time. All CELF-P2 and CELF-4 mean scores fell in the average range. Receptive composites were 102.74 and 103.86, and expressive composites were 100.58 and 98.42, at age 5 and ages 6-7, respectively. Age of adoption did not correlate to test scores. At ages 6-7, receptive language, sentence formulation, and vocabulary were areas of strength, with subtest scores significantly better than test norms. Verbal short-term memory and expressive grammar subtest scores were within the average range but significantly worse than test norms. A high percentage of children scored 1 standard deviation below the mean on these 2 subtests (27.3%-34.1%). Eastern European adoptees had average scores on a variety of language tests. Vocabulary was a relative strength; enriching the environment substantially improved this language area. Verbal short-term memory and expressive grammar were relative weaknesses. Children learning a language later in life may have difficulty with verbal short-term memory, which leads to weaknesses in expressive syntax and grammar.

Results of screening for intracranial aneurysms in patients with coarctation of the aorta.

PubMed

Curtis, S L; Bradley, M; Wilde, P; Aw, J; Chakrabarti, S; Hamilton, M; Martin, R; Turner, M; Stuart, A G

2012-06-01

IAs are found in 2.3% of adults; the mean age at detection is 52 years. Prevalence is <0.5% in young adults. Early studies suggest that 10%-50% of patients with aortic coarctation have IAs. Screening recommendations are variable. We sought to examine the prevalence of IAs through screening with MRA. Consecutive patients older than 16 years of age with coarctation undergoing brain MRA between May 1999 and October 2007 were included. MRA was performed by using a 1.5T scanner with a 3D time-of-flight protocol; simultaneous MR imaging was performed of the heart and aorta. Cerebral MRAs were double-reported by a neuroradiologist. Statistics are described as mean ± SD and median ± range. Continuous variables were compared by using Student t tests and Mann-Whitney U tests (categoric variables, by using the Fisher exact test). One hundred seventeen MRAs were double-reported. The median age was 29 ± 11 years (range, 16-59 years). IAs were found in 12 patients (10.3%). The mean diameter of IAs was 3.9 mm (range, 2.0-8.0 mm). Patients with aneurysms were older (median, 37 years; range, 16-50 years) than those without (median, 23 years; range, 16-59 years; Z = -2.01, P = .04). Hypertension was more common in those with IAs (IA 83% versus no IA 43%, P = .01). There was no association between ascending aortopathy, bicuspid aortic valves, and IAs. Patients with coarctation have a higher prevalence of IAs, occurring at an earlier age than in population studies. Whether routine screening is appropriate for this group of patients is unclear. Hypertension is likely to be an important pathophysiologic factor.

Electroencephalography as a clinical tool for diagnosing and monitoring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Helgadóttir, Halla; Gudmundsson, Ólafur Ó; Baldursson, Gísli; Magnússon, Páll; Blin, Nicolas; Brynjólfsdóttir, Berglind; Emilsdóttir, Ásdís; Gudmundsdóttir, Gudrún B; Lorange, Málfrídur; Newman, Paula K; Jóhannesson, Gísli H; Johnsen, Kristinn

2015-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to develop and test, for the first time, a multivariate diagnostic classifier of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on EEG coherence measures and chronological age. Setting The participants were recruited in two specialised centres and three schools in Reykjavik. Participants The data are from a large cross-sectional cohort of 310 patients with ADHD and 351 controls, covering an age range from 5.8 to 14 years. ADHD was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria using the K-SADS-PL semistructured interview. Participants in the control group were reported to be free of any mental or developmental disorders by their parents and had a score of less than 1.5 SDs above the age-appropriate norm on the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Other than moderate or severe intellectual disability, no additional exclusion criteria were applied in order that the cohort reflected the typical cross section of patients with ADHD. Results Diagnostic classifiers were developed using statistical pattern recognition for the entire age range and for specific age ranges and were tested using cross-validation and by application to a separate cohort of recordings not used in the development process. The age-specific classification approach was more accurate (76% accuracy in the independent test cohort; 81% cross-validation accuracy) than the age-independent version (76%; 73%). Chronological age was found to be an important classification feature. Conclusions The novel application of EEG-based classification methods presented here can offer significant benefit to the clinician by improving both the accuracy of initial diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of children and adolescents with ADHD. The most accurate possible diagnosis at a single point in time can be obtained by the age-specific classifiers, but the age-independent classifiers are also useful as they enable longitudinal monitoring of brain function. PMID:25596195

An evaluation of three growth and yield simulators for even-aged hardwood forests of the mid-Appalachian region

Treesearch

John R. Brooks; Gary W. Miller

2011-01-01

Data from even-aged hardwood stands in four ecoregions across the mid-Appalachian region were used to test projection accuracy for three available growth and yield software systems: SILVAH, the Forest Vegetation Simulator, and the Stand Damage Model. Average root mean squared error (RMSE) ranged from 20 to 140 percent of actual trees per acre while RMSE ranged from 2...

Age and Its Effect on Language Arts Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of California Standards Tests (CST) for 2nd through 6th Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBerry, Karen E.

2011-01-01

Entrance age in kindergarten has been a controversial issue as the range from the youngest to the oldest student spans up to 24 months. This range leaves a heterogeneous gap for teachers who are already differentiating for their English Language Learners, struggling students, and high achieving students. This is compounded by the fact that the…

Assessment of School Readiness in Chronic Cholestatic Liver Disease: A Pilot Study Examining Children with and without Liver Transplantation.

PubMed

Gold, Anna; Rogers, Alaine; Cruchley, Elizabeth; Rankin, Stephanie; Parmar, Arpita; Kamath, Binita M; Avitzur, Yaron; Ng, Vicky Lee

2017-01-01

Background. Assessment of school readiness evaluates physical, social-emotional, and neuropsychological domains essential for educational success. Cognitive testing of preschool aged children with chronic liver disease may guide more timely interventions and focused efforts by health care providers. Patients and Methods. Children with chronic cholestatic liver disease diagnosed as an infant and still with their native liver (NL) and children who received a liver transplant (LT) before age of 2 years underwent testing with a battery of well-validated pediatric psychometric measures. Results. Eighteen (13 LT, 5 NL) patients (median age of 4.45 and 4.05 years, resp.) were tested. Median Full-Scale IQ was 98 (range 102-116) for LT and 116 [(range 90-106), p = 0.35, NS] for NL subjects. LT recipients had significantly greater visual based difficulties, poorer caregiver rated daily living skills ( p = 0.04), and higher levels of executive function based difficulties (e.g., inattention, inhibition). Conclusion. This pilot study highlights the risk of neuropsychological difficulties in early school age children who were under 2 years of age at time of LT. Comprehensive early school age assessment should integrate psychometric measures to identify children at greatest risk, thus allowing for proactive educational intervention.

Maxillofacial fracture epidemiology and treatment plans in the Northeast of Iran: A retrospective study

PubMed Central

Samieirad, Sahand; Aboutorabzade, Mohammad-Reza; Tohidi, Elahe; Shaban, Baratollah; Khalife, Hussein; Salami, Hamid-Reza

2017-01-01

Background The epidemiology of facial injuries varies based on lifestyle, cultural background and socioeconomic status in different countries and geographic zones. This study evaluated the epidemiology of maxillofacial fractures and treatment plans in hospitalized patients in Northeast of Iran (2015-2016). Material and Methods In this retrospective study, the medical records of 502 hospitalized patients were evaluated in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Kamyab Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The type and cause of fractures and treatment plans were recorded in a checklist. Data were analyzed with Mann–Whitney test, chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test, using SPSS 21. Results The majority of patients were male (80.3%). Most subjects were in 20-30-year age range (43.2%). The fractures were mostly caused by accidents, particularly motorcycle accidents (MCAs), and the most common site of involvement was the body of the mandible. There was a significant association between the type of treatment and age. In fact, the age range of 16-59 years underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) more than other age ranges (P=0.001). Also, there was a significant association between gender and fractures (P=0.002). Conclusions It was concluded that patient age and gender and trauma significantly affected the prevalence of maxillofacial traumas, fracture types and treatment plans. This information would be useful for making better health policy strategies. Key words:Epidemiology, treatment, facial injuries, maxillofacial fractures, trauma. PMID:28809369

Combining facial dynamics with appearance for age estimation.

PubMed

Dibeklioglu, Hamdi; Alnajar, Fares; Ali Salah, Albert; Gevers, Theo

2015-06-01

Estimating the age of a human from the captured images of his/her face is a challenging problem. In general, the existing approaches to this problem use appearance features only. In this paper, we show that in addition to appearance information, facial dynamics can be leveraged in age estimation. We propose a method to extract and use dynamic features for age estimation, using a person's smile. Our approach is tested on a large, gender-balanced database with 400 subjects, with an age range between 8 and 76. In addition, we introduce a new database on posed disgust expressions with 324 subjects in the same age range, and evaluate the reliability of the proposed approach when used with another expression. State-of-the-art appearance-based age estimation methods from the literature are implemented as baseline. We demonstrate that for each of these methods, the addition of the proposed dynamic features results in statistically significant improvement. We further propose a novel hierarchical age estimation architecture based on adaptive age grouping. We test our approach extensively, including an exploration of spontaneous versus posed smile dynamics, and gender-specific age estimation. We show that using spontaneity information reduces the mean absolute error by up to 21%, advancing the state of the art for facial age estimation.

Quantitative multi-modal MRI of the Hippocampus and cognitive ability in community-dwelling older subjects.

PubMed

Aribisala, Benjamin S; Royle, Natalie A; Maniega, Susana Muñoz; Valdés Hernández, Maria C; Murray, Catherine; Penke, Lars; Gow, Alan; Starr, John M; Bastin, Mark E; Deary, Ian J; Wardlaw, Joanna M

2014-04-01

Hippocampal structural integrity is commonly quantified using volumetric measurements derived from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Previously reported associations with cognitive decline have not been consistent. We investigate hippocampal integrity using quantitative MRI techniques and its association with cognitive abilities in older age. Participants from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 underwent brain MRI at mean age 73 years. Longitudinal relaxation time (T1), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were measured in the hippocampus. General factors of fluid-type intelligence (g), cognitive processing speed (speed) and memory were obtained at age 73 years, as well as childhood IQ test results at age 11 years. Amongst 565 older adults, multivariate linear regression showed that, after correcting for ICV, gender and age 11 IQ, larger left hippocampal volume was significantly associated with better memory ability (β = .11, p = .003), but not with speed or g. Using quantitative MRI and after correcting for multiple testing, higher T1 and MD were significantly associated with lower scores of g (β range = -.11 to -.14, p < .001), speed (β range = -.15 to -.20, p < .001) and memory (β range = -.10 to -.12, p < .001). Higher MTR and FA in the hippocampus were also significantly associated with higher scores of g (β range = .17 to .18, p < .0001) and speed (β range = .10 to .15, p < .0001), but not memory. Quantitative multi-modal MRI assessments were more sensitive at detecting cognition-hippocampal integrity associations than volumetric measurements, resulting in stronger associations between MRI biomarkers and age-related cognition changes. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Low-Temperature Thermochronology of Laramide Ranges in Montana and Wyoming Provides Information on Exhumation and Tectonics Associated with Flat-Slab Subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armenta, M.; Carrapa, B.; DeCelles, P. G.

2014-12-01

Timing of exhumation of Laramide basement uplifts can be used as a proxy for tectonic processes associated with thick-skinned deformation resulting from flat-slab subduction. Despite its significance, the timing and pattern of Laramide deformation remains poorly constrained in Montana. Thermochronological data from Wyoming indicate exhumation of Laramide ranges during the late Cretaceous and Paleogene. Whereas a few data exist for the Bearthooth Range in Montana; the exhumation history of most of the Montana ranges remains unexplored preventing testing of current tectonic models. We report apatite fission track thermochronologic (AFT) data from modern river sands derived from Laramide ranges, bedrock basement samples, and synorogenic conglomerate clasts to determine the regional exhumation history of the Beartooth, Gravelly, Tobacco Root, Ruby, the Highland Mountains, and the Wind River Range. AFT permits reconstruction of thermal histories and rates of erosion of the upper few kilometers of the crust. In particular detrital AFT of river sands provides information on regional exhumation of the drainage area. AFT detrital ages derived from the southern end of the Beartooth Range are dominated by a 60-80 Ma signal, consistent with ages reported for bedrock basement samples in the Beartooth Range. A Cenozoic synorogenic conglomerate clast was obtained from the Highland Mountains, AFT results show a 69.56 +/- 5.45 Ma cooling age. In the Wind River Range, Wyoming AFT data from a Cenozoic synorogenic conglomerate clast from the Wind River Formation indicates a 59.32 +/- 4.83 Ma cooling age. This age is consistent with AFT ages from Gannett Peak indicating rapid cooling at ~60 Ma and ~50 Ma (Fan and Carrapa, 2014). Overall, samples from the easternmost ranges, the Beartooth and Bighorn, clearly preserve a Cretaceous signal; samples from Wind River Range and the rest of southwest Montana mainly record a Cenozoic signal. This suggests deeper and younger exhumation to the west than to the east. These results combined with thermal modeling provide additional constraints on the tectono-thermal history of Laramide ranges. In addition, these results allow for a temporal-spatial comparison between cooling and exhumation in the Montana and Wyoming Laramide regions and help test current models of the Laramide Orogeny.

How reliable is apparent age at death on cadavers?

PubMed

Amadasi, Alberto; Merusi, Nicolò; Cattaneo, Cristina

2015-07-01

The assessment of age at death for identification purposes is a frequent and tough challenge for forensic pathologists and anthropologists. Too frequently, visual assessment of age is performed on well-preserved corpses, a method considered subjective and full of pitfalls, but whose level of inadequacy no one has yet tested or proven. This study consisted in the visual estimation of the age of 100 cadavers performed by a total of 37 observers among those usually attending the dissection room. Cadavers were of Caucasian ethnicity, well preserved, belonging to individuals who died of natural death. All the evaluations were performed prior to autopsy. Observers assessed the age with ranges of 5 and 10 years, indicating also the body part they mainly observed for each case. Globally, the 5-year range had an accuracy of 35%, increasing to 69% with the 10-year range. The highest accuracy was in the 31-60 age category (74.7% with the 10-year range), and the skin seemed to be the most reliable age parameter (71.5% of accuracy when observed), while the face was considered most frequently, in 92.4% of cases. A simple formula with the general "mean of averages" in the range given by the observers and related standard deviations was then developed; the average values with standard deviations of 4.62 lead to age estimation with ranges of some 20 years that seem to be fairly reliable and suitable, sometimes in alignment with classic anthropological methods, in the age estimation of well-preserved corpses.

Verbal and memory skills in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

PubMed Central

Hinton, V J; BA, R J Fee; Goldstein, E M; De Vivo, D C

2007-01-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive pediatric disorder that affects both muscle and brain. Children with DMD have mean IQ scores that are about one standard deviation lower than population means, with lower Verbal IQ than Performance IQ scores. For the present study, verbal skills and verbal memory skills were examined in males with DMD with the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 3rd edition, and the California Verbal Learning Test for Children. Performance of 50 males with DMD (age range 6–14y, mean 9y 4mo [SD 2y 1mo]) was compared to normative values. Two subsets of the probands were also compared with two comparison groups: unaffected siblings (n=24; DMD group age range 6–12y, mean 9y 1mo [SD 1y 8mo]; sibling age range 6–15y, mean 9y 11mo [SD 2y 4mo]) and males with cerebral palsy (CP); (n=23; DMD group age range 6–9y, mean 7y 8mo [SD 1y 2mo]; CP age range 6–8y, mean 6y 8mo [SD 0y 8mo]). Results demonstrated that although males with DMD performed slightly more poorly than normative values, they performed comparably to the controls on most measures. Consistent deficits were observed only on tests requiring immediate repetition for verbal material (Recalling Sentences, and Concepts and Directions). On other language tasks, including tests of understanding and use of grammar, and understanding of semantic relationships, the males with DMD performed well. Moreover, the males with DMD performed well on multiple indices of verbal recall, and there was no evidence of declarative memory deficits. DMD is a single-gene disorder that is selectively associated with decreased verbal span capacity, but not impaired recall. PMID:17254000

Test-retest reliability of the Capute scales for neurodevelopmental screening of a high risk sample: Impact of test-retest interval and degree of neonatal risk.

PubMed

McCurdy, M; Bellows, A; Deng, D; Leppert, M; Mahone, E; Pritchard, A

2015-01-01

Reliable and valid screening and assessment tools are necessary to identify children at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities who may require additional services. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the Capute Scales in a high-risk sample, hypothesizing adequate reliability across 6- and 12-month intervals. Capute Scales scores (N = 66) were collected via retrospective chart review from a NICU follow-up clinic within a large urban medical center spanning three age-ranges: 12-18, 19-24, and 25-36 months. On average, participants were classified as very low birth weight and premature. Reliability of the Capute Scales was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients across length of test-retest interval, age at testing, and degree of neonatal complications. The Capute Scales demonstrated high reliability, regardless of length of test-retest interval (ranging from 6 to 14 months) or age of participant, for all index scores, including overall Developmental Quotient (DQ), language-based skill index (CLAMS) and nonverbal reasoning index (CAT). Linear regressions revealed that greater neonatal risk was related to poorer test-retest reliability; however, reliability coefficients remained strong. The Capute Scales afford clinicians a reliable and valid means of screening and assessing for neurodevelopmental delay within high-risk infant populations.

Health-related physical fitness measures: reference values and reference equations for use in clinical practice.

PubMed

Tveter, Anne Therese; Dagfinrud, Hanne; Moseng, Tuva; Holm, Inger

2014-07-01

To provide reference values and reference equations for frequently used clinical field tests of health-related physical fitness for use in clinical practice. Cross-sectional design. General community. Convenience sample of volunteers (N=370) between 18 and 90 years of age were recruited from a wide range of settings (ie, work sites, schools, community centers for older adults) and different geographic locations (ie, urban, suburban, rural) in southeastern Norway. Not applicable. The participants conducted 5 clinical field tests (6-minute walk test, stair test, 30-second sit-to-stand test, handgrip test, fingertip-to-floor test). The results of the field tests showed that performance remained unchanged until approximately 50 years of age; after that, performance deteriorated with increasing age. Grip strength (79%), meters walked in 6 minutes (60%), and seconds used on the stair test (59%) could be well predicted by age, sex, height, and weight in participants ≥50 years of age, whereas the performance on all tests was less well predicted in participants <50 years of age. The reference values and reference equations provided in this study may increase the applicability and interpretability of the 6-minute walk test, stair test, 30-second sit-to-stand test, handgrip test, and fingertip-to-floor test in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Item Response Theory Analyses of the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)

PubMed Central

Cho, Sun-Joo; Wilmer, Jeremy; Herzmann, Grit; McGugin, Rankin; Fiset, Daniel; Van Gulick, Ana E.; Ryan, Katie; Gauthier, Isabel

2014-01-01

We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Cambridge face memory test (CFMT; Duchaine & Nakayama, 2006). First, we assessed the dimensionality of the test with a bi-factor exploratory factor analysis (EFA). This EFA analysis revealed a general factor and three specific factors clustered by targets of CFMT. However, the three specific factors appeared to be minor factors that can be ignored. Second, we fit a unidimensional item response model. This item response model showed that the CFMT items could discriminate individuals at different ability levels and covered a wide range of the ability continuum. We found the CFMT to be particularly precise for a wide range of ability levels. Third, we implemented item response theory (IRT) differential item functioning (DIF) analyses for each gender group and two age groups (Age ≤ 20 versus Age > 21). This DIF analysis suggested little evidence of consequential differential functioning on the CFMT for these groups, supporting the use of the test to compare older to younger, or male to female, individuals. Fourth, we tested for a gender difference on the latent facial recognition ability with an explanatory item response model. We found a significant but small gender difference on the latent ability for face recognition, which was higher for women than men by 0.184, at age mean 23.2, controlling for linear and quadratic age effects. Finally, we discuss the practical considerations of the use of total scores versus IRT scale scores in applications of the CFMT. PMID:25642930

Metal-rich, Metal-poor: Updated Stellar Population Models for Old Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conroy, Charlie; Villaume, Alexa; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Lind, Karin

2018-02-01

We present updated stellar population models appropriate for old ages (>1 Gyr) and covering a wide range in metallicities (‑1.5 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ 0.3). These models predict the full spectral variation associated with individual element abundance variation as a function of metallicity and age. The models span the optical–NIR wavelength range (0.37–2.4 μm), include a range of initial mass functions, and contain the flexibility to vary 18 individual elements including C, N, O, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, and Fe. To test the fidelity of the models, we fit them to integrated light optical spectra of 41 Galactic globular clusters (GCs). The value of testing models against GCs is that their ages, metallicities, and detailed abundance patterns have been derived from the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram in combination with high-resolution spectroscopy of individual stars. We determine stellar population parameters from fits to all wavelengths simultaneously (“full spectrum fitting”), and demonstrate explicitly with mock tests that this approach produces smaller uncertainties at fixed signal-to-noise ratio than fitting a standard set of 14 line indices. Comparison of our integrated-light results to literature values reveals good agreement in metallicity, [Fe/H]. When restricting to GCs without prominent blue horizontal branch populations, we also find good agreement with literature values for ages, [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], and [Ti/Fe].

Correlation of exercise response in repaired coarctation of the aorta to left ventricular mass and geometry.

PubMed

Krieger, Eric V; Clair, Mathieu; Opotowsky, Alexander R; Landzberg, Michael J; Rhodes, Jonathan; Powell, Andrew J; Colan, Steven D; Valente, Anne Marie

2013-02-01

The role of exercise testing to risk stratify patients with repaired coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is controversial. Concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, defined as an increase in the LV mass-to-volume ratio (MVR), is associated with a greater incidence of adverse cardiovascular events. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is associated with increased LVMVR in patients with repaired CoA. Adults with repaired CoA who had a symptom-limited exercise test and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging examination within 2 years were identified. A hypertensive response to exercise was defined as a peak systolic blood pressure >220 mm Hg during a symptom-limited exercise test. The LV mass and volume were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance by an investigator who was unaware of patient status. We included 47 patients (median age 27.3 years, interquartile range 19.8 to 37.3), who had undergone CoA repair at a median age of 4.6 years (interquartile range 0.4 to 15.7). Those with (n = 11) and without (n = 36) HRE did not differ in age, age at repair, body surface area, arm-to-leg systolic blood pressure gradient, gender, or peak oxygen uptake with exercise. Those with a HRE had a greater mean systolic blood pressure at rest (146 ± 18 vs 137 ± 18 mm Hg, p = 0.04) and greater median LVMVR (0.85, interquartile range 0.7 to 1, vs 0.66, interquartile range 0.6 to 0.7; p = 0.04) than those without HRE. Adjusting for systolic blood pressure at rest, age, age at repair, and gender, the relation between HRE and LVMVR remained significant (p = 0.001). In conclusion, HRE was associated with increased LVMVR, even after adjusting for multiple covariates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Planning abilities of children aged 4 years and 9 months to 8 ½ years: Effects of age, fluid intelligence and school type on performance in the Tower of London test

PubMed Central

Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes; Cardoso-Martins, Cláudia; Nassif, Elaine Pacheco; Levy, Angela Maria; Leite, Wellington Borges; Fuentes, Daniel

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the relationship between age and one type of environmental factor, namely, type of school (i.e., private vs. public), and the development of mental planning ability, as measured by the Tower of London (TOL) test. Methods Participants comprised 197 public and 174 private school students, ranging in age from 4 years and 9 months to 8 years and 6 months. Besides the TOL test, students were administered Raven's Colored Matrices. Results Results confirmed the findings of previous studies that both age and school type are important predictors of mental planning. Furthermore, results also suggest that the relationship between type of school and mental planning ability cannot be accounted for by differences in students' fluid intelligence. Conclusion In the present study, the TOL test continued to differentiate public from private school students, even after we controlled for the effect of differences on the Raven test. PMID:29213536

Filling in the gaps: estimating numbers of chlamydia tests and diagnoses by age group and sex before and during the implementation of the English National Screening Programme, 2000 to 2012.

PubMed

Chandra, Nastassya L; Soldan, Kate; Dangerfield, Ciara; Sile, Bersabeh; Duffell, Stephen; Talebi, Alireza; Choi, Yoon H; Hughes, Gwenda; Woodhall, Sarah C

2017-02-02

To inform mathematical modelling of the impact of chlamydia screening in England since 2000, a complete picture of chlamydia testing is needed. Monitoring and surveillance systems evolved between 2000 and 2012. Since 2012, data on publicly funded chlamydia tests and diagnoses have been collected nationally. However, gaps exist for earlier years. We collated available data on chlamydia testing and diagnosis rates among 15-44-year-olds by sex and age group for 2000-2012. Where data were unavailable, we applied data- and evidence-based assumptions to construct plausible minimum and maximum estimates and set bounds on uncertainty. There was a large range between estimates in years when datasets were less comprehensive (2000-2008); smaller ranges were seen hereafter. In 15-19-year-old women in 2000, the estimated diagnosis rate ranged between 891 and 2,489 diagnoses per 100,000 persons. Testing and diagnosis rates increased between 2000 and 2012 in women and men across all age groups using minimum or maximum estimates, with greatest increases seen among 15-24-year-olds. Our dataset can be used to parameterise and validate mathematical models and serve as a reference dataset to which trends in chlamydia-related complications can be compared. Our analysis highlights the complexities of combining monitoring and surveillance datasets. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2017.

The rationale, development, and standardization of a basic word vocabulary test.

PubMed

Dupuy, H J

1974-04-01

The results of the studies to date indicate that the Basic Word Vocabulary Test provides a range of items in terms of item difficulty levels useful in printed form from about the third grade to the highest educational levels. Since pictorial and orally given vocabulary tests are used from about ages 2 to 8 years, further work should be done to extend the scale downward so that a single comprehensive vocabulary scale ranging from age 2 years to the highest level of verbal development is available for general use. Validation studies should also be conducted with other well-known intelligence tests so that scores can be compared. Alternate forms need to be developed to allow for longitudinal studies of growth and development. The use of a single standard of measurement of vocabulary development, suitable over a wide range of age and ability levels, by different investigators should materially aid in comparing results across studies and samples and lead to more consistent findings, advances in knowledge, and wider application of findings in practical circumstances, The findings presented in this report indicate that the Basic Word Vocabulary Test adequately measures basic word knowledge acquisition and development. The BWVT is suitable for evaluation of individuals and for use in making group comparisons in levels of basic word knowledge attainment, growth, and development. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

Analysis of the intraseasonal stability of field test performances in young academy soccer players.

PubMed

Francioni, Fabio Massimo; Figueiredo, António José; Terribili, Marco; Tessitore, Antonio

2016-01-01

This study aimed to observe the intraseasonal stability of anthropometric, technical and functional test results in academy soccer players of different age categories. In total, 103 participants (age range: 7.7-13.4 years) by 5 age categories of the same academy were recruited for this study. Players were submitted to a field-test battery comprising 3 anthropometric measurements (body mass, stature and body mass index), 6 soccer technical tests (to assess the ability of ball control, ball control with the head, pass accuracy, shooting accuracy, dribbling and dribbling with pass) and 3 functional tests (countermovement jump with the hands on the hip, countermovement jump with free hands and 15-m linear sprint) that was administered in 4 test sessions during the same season. Though anthropometric results showed a clear increment in each age category across the season, the fluctuation of technical test results depended on age category and test session. Moreover, a significant increase in the results of functional tests was observed in most of the age categories, in particular, for the assessment of lower power limb. In conclusion, collecting repeated intraseason measurements permits the identification of players' fluctuations of performance across the season and allows coaches to make frequent adjustments of their programmes.

Flavor enhancement as a tool for increasing pleasantness and intake of a snack product among the elderly.

PubMed

Koskinen, S; Kälviäinen, N; Tuorila, H

2003-08-01

A yogurt-like fermented oat bran product, flavored with regular and heightened concentrations of red currant aroma, was tested in two tasting sessions (side-by-side) and, between these, in a six-day home-use (monadic testing daily, 3+3 packages of the snack) by the elderly (n=50, mean age 73.7, range 63-85 years) and the young (n=58, mean age 23.1, range 18-34 years). The subjects rated the odor and flavor intensity and pleasantness and also conducted an odor detection and identification test. In home-use, the subjects reported the quantity consumed, willingness to eat, buy or recommend the snack. The young outperformed the elderly in the olfactory test. The heightened aroma samples were initially rated as less pleasant by both age groups, but among the elderly, the ratings given to the two samples merged during exposure. For the young, the large difference in perceived odor and flavor intensities reflected marked differences in pleasantness, while the elderly were less responsive to intensity differences in their pleasantness ratings. Overall, both age groups ate less of the heightened aroma sample. Despite the impaired olfactory capabilities of the elderly, no clear indication of benefit of the enhanced flavor was found for either pleasantness or intake.

Neurocognitive abilities in young adults with very low birth weight.

PubMed

Pyhälä, R; Lahti, J; Heinonen, K; Pesonen, A-K; Strang-Karlsson, S; Hovi, P; Järvenpää, A-L; Eriksson, J G; Andersson, S; Kajantie, E; Räikkönen, K

2011-12-06

Although severely preterm birth has been associated with impaired neurocognitive abilities in children, follow-up studies in adulthood are scarce. We set out to study whether adults born with very low birth weight (VLBW) (<1,500 g), either small for gestational age (SGA) (birth weight ≤-2 SD) or appropriate for gestational age (AGA), differ in a range of neurocognitive abilities and academic performance from adults born at term and not SGA. As part of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults, 103 VLBW (37 SGA) and 105 term-born control adults (mean age 25.0, range 21.4-29.7 years) without major neurosensory impairments participated in the follow-up study in 2007-2008. The test battery included measures of general cognitive ability as well as executive functioning and related abilities. Academic performance was self-reported. With adjustment for sex and age, the VLBW group scored lower or performed slower than the control group in some indices of all tests (these mean differences ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 SD units, p ≤ 0.03) and they had received remedial education at school more frequently; however, no differences existed in self-reported academic performance. The differences were evident in both VLBW-SGA and VLBW-AGA groups. Further covariate adjustments for parental education, current head circumference, and head circumference at birth and, in tests of executive functioning and related abilities, adjustment for IQ estimate had minor effects on the results. In comparison with control adults, VLBW adults scored lower on several neurocognitive tests. Poorer neurocognitive performance is associated with VLBW irrespective of the intrauterine growth pattern.

Physical performance characteristics of high-level female soccer players 12-21 years of age.

PubMed

Vescovi, J D; Rupf, R; Brown, T D; Marques, M C

2011-10-01

Performance assessment has become an invaluable component of monitoring player development and within talent identification programs in soccer, yet limited performance data are available for female soccer players across a wide age range. The aim of this study was to describe the physical performance characteristics of female soccer players ranging in age from 12 to 21 years. High-level female soccer players (n=414) were evaluated on linear sprinting (36.6 m with 9.1 m splits), countermovement jump (CMJ), and two agility tests. Separate one-way ANOVAs were used to compare performance characteristics between (1) each year of chronological age and (2) three age groups: 12-13 years, n=78, 14-17 years, n=223, and 18-21 years, n=113. Mean linear sprint speed over 9.1 m was similar across all chronological ages, however sprint speed over the final 9.1 m, CMJ height and agility scores improved until approximately 15-16 years. Outcomes from the group data indicated better performance on all tests for the 14-17-year-old group compared with the 12-13-year-old group. Additionally, sprint speed on the second and fourth 9.1 m splits and 36.6 m sprint speed as well as performance on the Illinois agility test was better in the 18-21-year-old group compared with the 14-17-year-old group. The findings from this study indicate that marked improvements of high intensity short duration work occur up until 15-16 years. Smaller gains in performance were observed beyond 16 years of age as evidenced by better performance on 36.6 m sprint speed, several sprint splits and the Illinois agility test in the college aged players (i.e., 18-21-year-old group). © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Environment-Assisted Cracking in Custom 465 Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, E. U.; Goswami, R.; Jones, M.; Vasudevan, A. K.

2011-02-01

The influence of cold work and aging on the environment-assisted cracking (EAC) behavior and mechanical properties of Custom 465 stainless steel (SS) was studied. Four sets of specimens were made and tested. All specimens were initially solution annealed, rapidly cooled, and refrigerated (SAR condition). The first specimen set was steel in the SAR condition. The second specimen set was aged to the H1000 condition. The third specimen set was 60 pct cold worked, and the fourth specimen set was 60 pct cold worked and aged at temperatures ranging from 755 K to 825 K (482 °C to 552 °C) for 4 hours in air. The specimens were subsequently subjected to EAC and mechanical testing. The EAC testing was conducted, using the rising step load (RSL) technique, in aqueous solutions of NaCl of pH 7.3 with concentrations ranging from 0.0035 to 3.5 pct at room temperature. The microstructure, dislocation substructure, and crack paths, resulting from the cold work, aging, or subsequent EAC testing, were examined by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The aging of the cold-worked specimens induced carbide precipitation within the martensite lath, but not at the lath or packet boundaries. In the aged specimens, as aging temperature rose, the threshold stress intensity for EAC (KIEAC), elongation, and fracture toughness increased, but the strength and hardness decreased. The KIEAC also decreased with increasing yield strength and NaCl concentration. In the SAR and H1000 specimens, the EAC propagated along the prior austenite grain boundary, while in the cold-worked and cold-worked and aged specimens, the EAC propagated along the martensite lath, and its packet and prior austenite grain boundaries. The controlling mechanism for the observed EAC was identified to be hydrogen embrittlement.

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.

Age-Related and Intelligence-Related Differences in Implicit Memory: Effects of Generation on a Word-Fragment Completion Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Komatsu, Shin-Ichi; And Others

1996-01-01

Investigated developmental differences in implicit memory performance. Subjects ranged in age from second grade to college level. Results suggested that there are two different components in implicit memory, one that shows no developmental difference and relies heavily on perceptual processing and one that shows an age-related or…

Long-term language levels and reading skills in mandarin-speaking prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Wu, Che-Ming; Chen, Yen-An; Chan, Kai-Chieh; Lee, Li-Ang; Hsu, Kuang-Hung; Lin, Bao-Guey; Liu, Tien-Chen

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to document receptive and expressive language levels and reading skills achieved by Mandarin-speaking children who had received cochlear implants (CIs) and used them for 4.75-7.42 years. The effects of possible associated factors were also analyzed. Standardized Mandarin language and reading tests were administered to 39 prelingually deaf children with Nucleus 24 devices. The Mandarin Chinese version of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was used to assess their receptive vocabulary knowledge and the Revised Primary School Language Assessment Test for their receptive and expressive language skills. The Graded Chinese Character Recognition Test was used to test their written word recognition ability and the Reading Comprehension Test for their reading comprehension ability. Raw scores from both language and reading measurements were compared to normative data of nor- mal-hearing children to obtain standard scores. The results showed that the mean standard score for receptive vocabulary measurement and the mean T scores for the receptive language, expressive language and total language measurement were all in the low-average range in comparison to the normative sample. In contrast, the mean T scores for word and text reading comprehension were almost the same as for their age-matched hearing counterparts. Among all children with CIs, 75.7% scored within or above the normal range of their age-matched hearing peers on receptive vocabulary measurement. For total language, Chinese word recognition and reading scores, 71.8, 77 and 82% of children with CIs were age appropriate, respectively. A strong correlation was found between language and reading skills. Age at implantation and sentence perception scores account for 37% of variance for total language outcome. Sentence perception scores and preimplantation residual hearing were revealed to be associated with the outcome of reading comprehension. We concluded that by using standard tests, the language development and reading skill of Mandarin-speaking children who use CIs from a young age appear to fall within the normal range of their hearing age mates, at least after 4.8-7.4 years of experience. However, to fully evaluate the fine linguistic skills of these subjects, a more detailed study and longer follow-up period are needed. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Factors influencing the latency of simple reaction time

PubMed Central

Woods, David L.; Wyma, John M.; Yund, E. William; Herron, Timothy J.; Reed, Bruce

2015-01-01

Simple reaction time (SRT), the minimal time needed to respond to a stimulus, is a basic measure of processing speed. SRTs were first measured by Francis Galton in the 19th century, who reported visual SRT latencies below 190 ms in young subjects. However, recent large-scale studies have reported substantially increased SRT latencies that differ markedly in different laboratories, in part due to timing delays introduced by the computer hardware and software used for SRT measurement. We developed a calibrated and temporally precise SRT test to analyze the factors that influence SRT latencies in a paradigm where visual stimuli were presented to the left or right hemifield at varying stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). Experiment 1 examined a community sample of 1469 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 65. Mean SRT latencies were short (231, 213 ms when corrected for hardware delays) and increased significantly with age (0.55 ms/year), but were unaffected by sex or education. As in previous studies, SRTs were prolonged at shorter SOAs and were slightly faster for stimuli presented in the visual field contralateral to the responding hand. Stimulus detection time (SDT) was estimated by subtracting movement initiation time, measured in a speeded finger tapping test, from SRTs. SDT latencies averaged 131 ms and were unaffected by age. Experiment 2 tested 189 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 82 years in a different laboratory using a larger range of SOAs. Both SRTs and SDTs were slightly prolonged (by 7 ms). SRT latencies increased with age while SDT latencies remained stable. Precise computer-based measurements of SRT latencies show that processing speed is as fast in contemporary populations as in the Victorian era, and that age-related increases in SRT latencies are due primarily to slowed motor output. PMID:25859198

Eleventh interim status report: Model 9975 O-Ring fixture long-term leak performance

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

Daugherty, W.

2016-08-01

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. One approach has been to periodically evaluate the leak performance of O-rings being aged in mock-up 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) at elevated temperature. Other methods such as compression-stress relaxation (CSR) tests and field surveillance are also on-going to evaluate O-ring behavior. Seventy tests using PCV mock-ups were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determinemore » if they continue to meet the leak-tightness criterion defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Due to material substitution, fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF.« less

Tenth interim status report: Model 9975 O-ring fixture long-term leak performance

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

Daugherty, W. L.

2015-08-26

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton ® GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. One approach has been to periodically evaluate the leak performance of O-rings being aged in mock-up 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) at elevated temperatures. Other methods such as compression-stress relaxation (CSR) tests and field surveillance are also on-going to evaluate O-ring behavior. Seventy tests using PCV mock-ups were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 °F. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically tomore » determine if they continue to meet the leak-tightness criterion defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Due to material substitution, fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 °F.« less

Normative data for a battery of free recall, cued recall and recognition tests in the elderly Italian population.

PubMed

Coluccia, Emanuele; Gamboz, Nadia; Brandimonte, Maria A

2011-12-01

The present study aimed to provide normative data on a large sample of the elderly Italian population (N = 464; range of age = 49-94; range of education = 3-25) on both the word and the picture versions of a battery of free recall, cued recall, and recognition tests of memory. Results from multiple regression analyses showed that both age and education were significant predictors of performance. Therefore, norms were calculated taking into account these demographic variables. The availability of normative data based on a large sample will allow a more reliable use of the battery for clinical assessment in Italian-speaking dementia population.

[Automated Assessment for Bone Age of Left Wrist Joint in Uyghur Teenagers by Deep Learning].

PubMed

Hu, T H; Huo, Z; Liu, T A; Wang, F; Wan, L; Wang, M W; Chen, T; Wang, Y H

2018-02-01

To realize the automated bone age assessment by applying deep learning to digital radiography （DR） image recognition of left wrist joint in Uyghur teenagers, and explore its practical application value in forensic medicine bone age assessment. The X-ray films of left wrist joint after pretreatment, which were taken from 245 male and 227 female Uyghur nationality teenagers in Uygur Autonomous Region aged from 13.0 to 19.0 years old, were chosen as subjects. And AlexNet was as a regression model of image recognition. From the total samples above, 60％ of male and female DR images of left wrist joint were selected as net train set, and 10％ of samples were selected as validation set. As test set, the rest 30％ were used to obtain the image recognition accuracy with an error range in ±1.0 and ±0.7 age respectively, compared to the real age. The modelling results of deep learning algorithm showed that when the error range was in ±1.0 and ±0.7 age respectively, the accuracy of the net train set was 81.4% and 75.6% in male, and 80.5% and 74.8% in female, respectively. When the error range was in ±1.0 and ±0.7 age respectively, the accuracy of the test set was 79.5% and 71.2% in male, and 79.4% and 66.2% in female, respectively. The combination of bone age research on teenagers' left wrist joint and deep learning, which has high accuracy and good feasibility, can be the research basis of bone age automatic assessment system for the rest joints of body. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

Reliability and validity of the assessment of neurological soft-signs in children with and without attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Peik; Svedin, Carl Göran; Ericsson, Ingegerd; Lindén, Christian; Karlsson, Magnus K; Thernlund, Gunilla

2010-04-01

To study the value and reliability of an examination of neurological soft-signs, often used in Sweden, in the assessment of children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by examining children with and without ADHD, as diagnosed by an experienced clinician using the DSM-III-R. We have examined interrater reliability (26 males, nine females; age range 5y 6mo-11y), internal consistency (94 males, 43 females; age range 5y 6mo-11y), test-retest reliability (12 males, eight females; age range 6-9y), and validity (79 males, 33 females; age range 5y 6mo-9y). The sum of the scores for the items on the examination had good interrater reliability (intraclass correlation [ICC] 0.95) and acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.76). The test-retest study also showed good reliability (ICC 0.91). There were modest associations between the examination and the assessment of motor function made by the physical education teacher (ICC 0.37) as well as from the parents' description (ICC 0.39). The examination of neurological soft-signs had a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.76 in predicting motor problems as evaluated by the physical education teacher. The reliability and validity of this examination seem to be good and can be recommended for clinical practice and research.

Reliability of the detailed assessment of speed of handwriting on Flemish children.

PubMed

Simons, Johan; Probst, Michel

2014-01-01

This study evaluates the reliability of the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) in a Dutch-speaking sample of children. The sample included 650 boys and 513 girls (age range = 9-16 years). Handwriting speed measurements were obtained using the DASH. Interrater agreement, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency were calculated; gender and age effects were analyzed. Interrater agreement shows excellent reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients of at least 0.94. Test-retest correlations ranged from r = 0.65 to r = 0.81. The internal consistency measures, calculated with Cronbach's alpha, were between 0.88 and 0.94. Both gender and age have a significant effect on handwriting speed, with F (7.1144) = 17.43 (P < .001) for gender and F (7.1144) = 21.8 (P < .001) for age. The DASH is a reliable assessment tool to evaluate handwriting speed of Dutch-speaking children. There is a tendency of girls to write faster than boys.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing: normative threshold response curves and effects of age.

PubMed

Janky, Kristen L; Shepard, Neil

2009-09-01

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing has gained increased interest in the diagnosis of a variety of vestibular etiologies. P13/N23 latency, amplitude and threshold response curves have been used to compare pathologic groups to normal controls. Appropriate characterization of these etiologies requires normative data across the frequency spectrum and age range. The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that significant changes in VEMP responses occur as a function of increased age across all test stimuli as well as characterize the VEMP threshold response curve across age. This project incorporated a prospective study design using a sample of convenience. Openly recruited subjects were assigned to groups according to age. Forty-six normal controls ranging between 20 and 76 years of age participated in the study. Participants were separated by decade into five age categories from 20 to 60 plus years. Normal participants were characterized by having normal hearing sensitivity, no history of neurologic or balance/dizziness involvement, and negative results on a direct office vestibular examination. VEMP responses were measured at threshold to click and 250, 500, 750, and 1000 Hz tone burst stimuli and at a suprathreshold level to 500 Hz toneburst stimuli at123 dB SPL. A mixed group factorial ANOVA (analysis of variance) and linear regression were performed to examine the effects of VEMP characteristics on age. There were no significant differences between ears for any of the test parameters. There were no significant differences between age groups for n23 latency or amplitude in response to any of the stimuli. Significant mean differences did exist between age groups for p13 latency (250, 750, and 1000 Hz) and threshold (500 and 750 Hz). Age was significantly correlated with VEMP parameters. VEMP threshold was positively correlated (250, 500, 750, 1000 Hz); and amplitude was negatively correlated (500 Hz maximum). The threshold response curves revealed best frequency tuning at 500 Hz with the highest thresholds in response to click stimuli. However, this best frequency tuning dissipated with increased age. VEMP response rates also decreased with increased age. We have demonstrated that minor differences in VEMP responses occur with age. Given the reduced response rates and flattened frequency tuning curve for individuals over the age of 60, frequency tuning curves may not be a good diagnostic indicator for this age group.

FY2017 status report: Model 9975 O-ring fixture long-term leak performance

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

Daugherty, W. L.

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT and GLT-S O-rings used in the Model 9975 shipping package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. One approach has been to periodically evaluate the leak performance of O-rings being aged in mock-up 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) at elevated temperature. Other methods such as compression-stress relaxation (CSR) tests and field surveillance are also on-going to evaluate O-ring behavior. Seventy tests using PCV mock-ups with GLT O-rings were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially andmore » have been tested periodically to determine if they continue to meet the leak-tightness criterion defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Due to material substitution, a smaller test matrix with fourteen additional tests was initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF. Leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 ºF and higher temperatures, and in 8 fixtures aging at 300 ºF. The 300 °F GLT O-ring fixtures failed after 2.8 to 5.7 years at temperature. The remaining GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF were retired from testing following more than 5 years at temperature without failure. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 ºF for 9 to 10.5 years, or in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 270 ºF for 5.7 years. These aging temperatures bound O-ring temperatures anticipated during normal storage in K-Area Complex (KAC). Leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF and above. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200 and 250 ºF for 6.9 to 7.5 years. Data from the O-ring fixtures are generally consistent with results from compression stress relaxation testing, and provide confidence in the predictive models based on those results. However, uncertainty still exists in extrapolating these elevated temperature results to the lower temperatures of interest for normal storage in KAC. Measurement of compression set in O-rings removed from failed fixtures, compared to that from KAC surveillance O-rings, indicates margin remains for O-rings still in service. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining PCV fixtures.« less

[Aging of cognitive functions. Results of a longitudinal study].

PubMed

Poitrenaud, J; Barrère, H; Darcet, P; Driss, F

1983-12-29

This study had the two following purposes: to assess the age-related changes in the fluid and crystallized components of intelligence in subjects over age sixty five; to examine whether these age-related changes were linked to any biological, psychological and social factors. The sample was composed of 50 male subjects who were examined three times: in 1968, 1973 and 1977. At the beginning of the study, their age ranged from 60 to 79 years and they were all in good health. In the whole, their socio-economic level was high. At each wave of the study, these subjects were given the same battery of three mental tests: a vocabulary test, selected to assess crystallized intelligence; a perceptual test and a speeded digit coding test, both selected to assess fluid intelligence. Results show that the two components of intelligence have different aging trajectories over age sixty. On the vocabulary test, performances hold until an advanced age (about 75-80), then significantly decline. On the perceptual and digit coding tests, performances sharply and significantly decline with age, this decline looking approximately linear. Whatever the test used, individual differences in age-related changes in performance are found to be great. On vocabulary test, this variability is linked to two factors, independently of age: among subjects who have suffered from a cardio-arterial disease between wave 1 and wave 3, as well as in those who have not maintained an occupational activity, decline in performance is greater than in other subjects. On the two other tests, no factor was found to be significantly linked with change in performance between wave 1 and wave 3.

Woody vegetation following even-aged, uneven-aged, and no-harvest treatments on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project Sites

Treesearch

John M. Kabrick; Randy G. Jensen; Stephen R. Shifley; David R. Larsen

2002-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) experimentally tests forest ecosystem response to (a) even-aged management with clearcutting, (b) uneven-aged management with single-tree and group selection, and (c) no-harvesting. The nine MOFEP experimental sites in the southeast Missouri Ozarks are small landscapes ranging from 772 ac (312 ha) to 1,271 ac (514 ha...

On the Li and Be tests for brown dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, L. A.; Rappaport, S.; Chiang, E.

1993-01-01

We present the results of stellar evolution calculations which show quantitatively how the measured abundances of Li and Be in low-mass stellar objects can be used to discriminate between brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars. The evolution of B, although less useful, is also studied. We define a transition mass range, below which at least 50 percent of the light element remains at the end of nuclear burning, and above which no more than 10 percent remains. We find that the transition mass range for Li burning is 0.059-0.062 solar mass, while for Be the range is 0.075-0.077 solar mass. Using these results, we then examine the factors (e.g., age and luminosity) that affect our ability to identify low-luminosity objects as brown dwarfs. In particular, we show that the Li test would be well suited for brown dwarf candidates located in nearby open clusters with ages in the range of 2 x 10 exp 8 to 5 x 10 exp 8 yr.

Percutaneous Breast Biopsy: Effect on Short-term Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Humphrey, Kathryn L.; Donelan, Karen; Kong, Chung Y.; Williams, Olubunmi; Itauma, Omosalewa; Halpern, Elkan F.; Gerade, Beverly J.; Rafferty, Elizabeth A.; Swan, J. Shannon

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine the effects of percutaneous breast biopsy on short-term quality of life. Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant prospective study. From December 1, 2007, through February 28, 2010, women undergoing percutaneous breast biopsy in an academic medical center were recruited to participate in a mixed-mode survey 2–4 days after biopsy. Patients described their biopsy experience by using the Testing Morbidities Index (TMI), a validated instrument for assessing short-term quality of life related to diagnostic testing. The scale ranged from 0 (worst possible experience) to 100 (no adverse effects). Seven attributes were assessed: pain or discomfort before and during testing, fear or anxiety before and during testing, embarrassment during testing, and physical and mental function after testing. Demographic and clinical information were also collected. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors of TMI score. Results In 188 women (mean age, 51.4 years; range, 22–80 years), the mean TMI score (±standard deviation) was 82 ± 12. Univariate analysis revealed age and race as significant predictors of the TMI score (P < .05). In the multivariate model, only patient age remained a significant independent predictor (P = .001). TMI scores decreased by approximately three points for every decade decrease in patient age, which suggests that younger women were more adversely affected by the biopsy experience. Conclusion Younger patient age is a significant predictor of decreased short-term quality of life related to percutaneous breast biopsy procedures. Tailored prebiopsy counseling may better prepare women for percutaneous biopsy procedures and improve their experience. © RSNA, 2013 PMID:24471385

Evaluating the utility of detrital thermochronometric studies: detrital laser ablation (U-Th)/He dating and conventional bedrock zircon (U-Th)/He analyses from the eastern Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, A.; Hodges, K. V.; Van Soest, M. C.

2016-12-01

Recent applications of the newly developed `laser ablation double dating' (LADD) technique, an integrated laser microprobe U/Pb and (U-Th)/He dating method, have showcased the potential utility of LADD for detrital thermochronologic studies. However, detrital thermochronologic techniques rely on confidence that detrital data adequately represent the full range of bedrock cooling ages within a catchment. To test this primary assumption, we compare (U-Th)/He zircon ages from age-elevation transects to LADD (U-Th)/He zircon ages from modern fluvial detritus collected at the range front in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California. Terminated by a normal fault escarpment, the small, steep catchments along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada batholith are apropos locations for comparing the ability of detrital data to deduce the exhumation history of a source terrain with standard age-elevation transects. Additionally, the exhumation of the Sierra Nevada batholith is also intriguing, as past evaluations of the post-emplacement exhumation history of the range have yielded discrepant results. Thus far, analyses from the southern extent of the eastern Sierra Nevada show narrow ranges of cooling ages consistent with simple, relatively rapid exhumation. Ongoing analyses will expand the dataset such that we can fully compare bedrock and detrital age ranges as well as characterize the exhumation history of the range with a thermochronometer that has not been used to date the batholith.

Cumulative exposure to medical sources of ionizing radiation in the first year after pediatric heart transplantation.

PubMed

McDonnell, Alicia; Downing, Tacy E; Zhu, Xiaowei; Ryan, Rachel; Rossano, Joseph W; Glatz, Andrew C

2014-11-01

Pediatric heart transplant recipients undergo a variety of radiologic tests with the attendant risk of exposure to ionizing radiation. We sought to quantify and describe the cumulative exposure to all forms of medical radiation during the first year after pediatric heart transplantation and identify factors associated with higher exposure. Pediatric patients who received a heart transplant between January 2009 and May 2012 with follow-up at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included if they survived through 1 year and the first coronary angiography. All medical testing using ionizing radiation performed during follow-up was compiled, and exposures were converted to effective dose (mSv). Included were 31 patients who underwent heart transplantation at a median age of 13.6 years (range, 0.3-18.3 years). The median number of radiologic tests performed was 38 (range, 18-154), including 8 catheterizations (range, 2-12), and 28 X-ray images (range, 11-135). Median cumulative effective dose was 53.5 mSv (range, 10.6-153.5 mSv), of which 91% (range, 34%-98%) derived from catheterizations, 31% (range, 8%-89%) of the exposure occurred during the transplant admission, 59% (range, 11%-88%) during planned follow-up, and 3% (0%-56%) during unplanned follow-up. Older age at transplant was a risk factor for increased exposure (p = 0.006). When adjusted for age, a trend toward increased exposure was shown for congenital heart disease as the indication for transplant (p = 0.08), pre-sensitization (p = 0.12), and positive crossmatch (p = 0.09). Pediatric heart transplant patients are exposed to significant amounts of ionizing radiation during the first post-transplant year, most during scheduled catheterization. As survival improves, considering the long-term risks associated with these levels of exposure is important. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive, sensory, and psychosocial characteristics in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

PubMed

Brinckman, Danielle D; Keppler-Noreuil, Kim M; Blumhorst, Catherine; Biesecker, Leslie G; Sapp, Julie C; Johnston, Jennifer J; Wiggs, Edythe A

2013-12-01

Forty-two patients with a clinical diagnosis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome ages 2-61 years were given a neuropsychological test battery to evaluate cognitive, sensory, and behavioral functioning. These tests included the Wechsler scales of intelligence, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Boston Naming Test, D-KEFS Verbal Fluency Test, D-KEFS Color-Word Interference Test, D-KEFS Sorting Test, Wide Range Achievement Test: Math and Reading Subtests, Purdue Pegboard, The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, Social Communication Questionnaire, Social Responsiveness Scale, and Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, Parent Rating Scale. On the age appropriate Wechsler scale, the mean Verbal Comprehension was 81 (n = 36), Working Memory was 81 (n = 36), Perceptual Reasoning was 78 (n = 24) and Full Scale IQ was 75 (n = 26). Memory for a word list (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) was in the average range with a mean of 89 (n = 19). Fine motor speed was slow on the Purdue with mean scores 3-4 standard deviations below norms. All subjects were microsmic on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test. Of these 42 patients, only 6 were able to complete all auditory and visual tests; 52% were unable to complete the visual tests due to impaired vision. A wide range of behavioral issues were endorsed on questionnaires given to parents. Most had social skill deficits but no pattern of either externalizing or internalizing problems. We identify a characteristic neuro-behavioral profile in our cohort comprised of reduced IQ, impaired fine-motor function, and decreased olfaction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maximal exercise testing variables and 10-year survival: fitness risk score derivation from the FIT Project.

PubMed

Ahmed, Haitham M; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H; McEvoy, John W; Nasir, Khurram; Blumenthal, Roger S; Jones, Steven R; Brawner, Clinton A; Keteyian, Steven J; Blaha, Michael J

2015-03-01

To determine which routinely collected exercise test variables most strongly correlate with survival and to derive a fitness risk score that can be used to predict 10-year survival. This was a retrospective cohort study of 58,020 adults aged 18 to 96 years who were free of established heart disease and were referred for an exercise stress test from January 1, 1991, through May 31, 2009. Demographic, clinical, exercise, and mortality data were collected on all patients as part of the Henry Ford ExercIse Testing (FIT) Project. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify exercise test variables most predictive of survival. A "FIT Treadmill Score" was then derived from the β coefficients of the model with the highest survival discrimination. The median age of the 58,020 participants was 53 years (interquartile range, 45-62 years), and 28,201 (49%) were female. Over a median of 10 years (interquartile range, 8-14 years), 6456 patients (11%) died. After age and sex, peak metabolic equivalents of task and percentage of maximum predicted heart rate achieved were most highly predictive of survival (P<.001). Subsequent addition of baseline blood pressure and heart rate, change in vital signs, double product, and risk factor data did not further improve survival discrimination. The FIT Treadmill Score, calculated as [percentage of maximum predicted heart rate + 12(metabolic equivalents of task) - 4(age) + 43 if female], ranged from -200 to 200 across the cohort, was near normally distributed, and was found to be highly predictive of 10-year survival (Harrell C statistic, 0.811). The FIT Treadmill Score is easily attainable from any standard exercise test and translates basic treadmill performance measures into a fitness-related mortality risk score. The FIT Treadmill Score should be validated in external populations. Copyright © 2015 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the glutamatergic system in adolescent males with high-functioning autistic disorder: a pilot study at 4T.

PubMed

Joshi, Gagan; Biederman, Joseph; Wozniak, Janet; Goldin, Rachel L; Crowley, Dave; Furtak, Stephannie; Lukas, Scott E; Gönenç, Atilla

2013-08-01

The pilot study aimed at examining the neural glutamatergic activity in autism. Seven adolescent males (mean age: 14 ± 1.8; age range: 12-17 years) with intact intellectual capacity (mean IQ: 108 ± 14.26; IQ range: 85-127) suffering from autistic disorder and an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a two-dimensional magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan at 4T. Results indicated significantly high glutamate (Glu) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex of autistic disorder versus control subjects (paired t test p = 0.01) and a trend for lower Glu in the right medial temporal lobe, which was not statistically different between the groups (paired t test p = 0.06). These preliminary findings support the glutamatergic dysregulation hypothesis in autism and need to be replicated in a larger sample.

The Two- and Three-Dimensional Models of the HK-WISC: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, David W.; Lin, Wen-Ying

1996-01-01

Confirmatory analyses on the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (HK-WISC) provided support for composite score interpretation based on the two- and three-dimensional models across age levels. Test sample was comprised of 1,100 children, ranging in age from 5 to 15 years at all 11 age levels specified by the HK-WISC. (KW)

Configuration color vision tests: the interaction between aging and the complexity of figure-ground segregation.

PubMed

Stanford, T; Pollack, R H

1984-09-01

A cross-sectional study comparing response time and the percentage of items correctly identified in three color vision tests (Pflügertrident, HRR-AO pseudoisochromatic plates, and AO pseudoisochromatic plates) was carried out on 72 women (12 in each decade) ranging from ages 20 to 79 years. Overall, time scores increased across the age groups. Analysis of the correctness scores indicated that the AO pseudoisochromatic plates requiring the identification of numbers was more difficult than the other tests which consisted of geometric forms or the letter E. This differential difficulty increased as a function of age. There was no indication of color defect per se which led to the conclusion that figure complexity may be the key variable determining performance. The results were similar to those obtained by Lee and Pollack (1978) in their study of the Embedded Figures Test.

Baseline MNREAD Measures for Normally Sighted Subjects From Childhood to Old Age

PubMed Central

Calabrèse, Aurélie; Cheong, Allen M. Y.; Cheung, Sing-Hang; He, Yingchen; Kwon, MiYoung; Mansfield, J. Stephen; Subramanian, Ahalya; Yu, Deyue; Legge, Gordon E.

2016-01-01

Purpose The continuous-text reading-acuity test MNREAD is designed to measure the reading performance of people with normal and low vision. This test is used to estimate maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS), reading acuity (RA), and the reading accessibility index (ACC). Here we report the age dependence of these measures for normally sighted individuals, providing baseline data for MNREAD testing. Methods We analyzed MNREAD data from 645 normally sighted participants ranging in age from 8 to 81 years. The data were collected in several studies conducted by different testers and at different sites in our research program, enabling evaluation of robustness of the test. Results Maximum reading speed and reading accessibility index showed a trilinear dependence on age: first increasing from 8 to 16 years (MRS: 140–200 words per minute [wpm]; ACC: 0.7–1.0); then stabilizing in the range of 16 to 40 years (MRS: 200 ± 25 wpm; ACC: 1.0 ± 0.14); and decreasing to 175 wpm and 0.88 by 81 years. Critical print size was constant from 8 to 23 years (0.08 logMAR), increased slowly until 68 years (0.21 logMAR), and then more rapidly until 81 years (0.34 logMAR). logMAR reading acuity improved from −0.1 at 8 years to −0.18 at 16 years, then gradually worsened to −0.05 at 81 years. Conclusions We found a weak dependence of the MNREAD parameters on age in normal vision. In broad terms, MNREAD performance exhibits differences between three age groups: children 8 to 16 years, young adults 16 to 40 years, and middle-aged to older adults >40 years. PMID:27442222

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Evaluation of Localized Cable Test Methods for Nuclear Power Plant Cable Aging Management Programs

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

Glass, Samuel W.; Fifield, Leonard S.; Hartman, Trenton S.

This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) milestone report describes progress to date on the investigation of nondestructive test (NDE) methods focusing particularly on local measurements that provide key indicators of cable aging and damage. The work includes a review of relevant literature as well as hands-on experimental verification of inspection capabilities. As NPPs consider applying for second, or subsequent, license renewal (SLR) to extend their operating period from 60 years to 80 years, it important to understand how the materials installed in plant systems and components will age during that time and develop aging management programs (AMPs) to assure continuedmore » safe operation under normal and design basis events (DBE). Normal component and system tests typically confirm the cables can perform their normal operational function. The focus of the cable test program is directed toward the more demanding challenge of assuring the cable function under accident or DBE. Most utilities already have a program associated with their first life extension from 40 to 60 years. Regrettably, there is neither a clear guideline nor a single NDE that can assure cable function and integrity for all cables. Thankfully, however, practical implementation of a broad range of tests allows utilities to develop a practical program that assures cable function to a high degree. The industry has adopted 50% elongation at break (EAB) relative to the un-aged cable condition as the acceptability standard. All tests are benchmarked against the cable EAB test. EAB is a destructive test so the test programs must apply an array of other NDE tests to assure or infer the overall set of cable’s system integrity. These cable NDE programs vary in rigor and methodology. As the industry gains experience with the efficacy of these programs, it is expected that implementation practice will converge to a more common approach. This report addresses the range of local NDE cable tests that are or could be practically implemented in a field test situation. These tests include: visual, infrared thermography, interdigital capacitance, indenter, relaxation time indenter, dynamic mechanical analyzer, infrared/near-infrared spectrometry, ultrasound, and distributed fiber optic temperature measurement.« less

Development of reference equations for spirometry in Japanese children aged 6-18 years.

PubMed

Takase, Masato; Sakata, Hiroshi; Shikada, Masahiro; Tatara, Katsuyoshi; Fukushima, Takayoshi; Miyakawa, Tomoo

2013-01-01

Spirometry is the most widely used pulmonary function test and the measured values of spirometric parameters need to be evaluated using reference values predicted for the corresponding race, sex, age, and height. However, none of the existing reference equations for Japanese children covers the entire age range of 6-18 years. The Japanese Society of Pediatric Pulmonology had organized a working group in 2006, in order to develop a new set of national standard reference equations for commonly used spirometric parameters that are applicable through the age range of 6-18 years. Quality assured spirometric data were collected through 2006-2008, from 14 institutions in Japan. We applied multiple regression analysis, using age in years (A), square of age (A(2)), height in meters (H), square of height (H(2)), and the product of age and height (AH) as explanatory variables to predict forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)), peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of the FVC (FEF(25-75%)), instantaneous forced expiratory flow when 50% (FEF(50%)) or 75% (FEF(75%)) of the FVC have been expired. Finally, 1,296 tests (674 boys, 622 girls) formed the reference data set. Distributions of the percent predicted values did not differ by ages, confirming excellent fit of the prediction equations throughout the entire age range from 6 to 18 years. Cut-off values (around 5 percentile points) for the parameters were also determined. We recommend the use of this new set of prediction equations together with suggested cut-off values, for assessment of spirometry in Japanese children and adolescents. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Content range and precision of a computer adaptive test of upper extremity function for children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Montpetit, Kathleen; Haley, Stephen; Bilodeau, Nathalie; Ni, Pengsheng; Tian, Feng; Gorton, George; Mulcahey, M J

2011-02-01

This article reports on the content range and measurement precision of an upper extremity (UE) computer adaptive testing (CAT) platform of physical function in children with cerebral palsy. Upper extremity items representing skills of all abilities were administered to 305 parents. These responses were compared with two traditional standardized measures: Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument and Functional Independence Measure for Children. The UE CAT correlated strongly with the upper extremity component of these measures and had greater precision when describing individual functional ability. The UE item bank has wider range with items populating the lower end of the ability spectrum. This new UE item bank and CAT have the capability to quickly assess children of all ages and abilities with good precision and, most importantly, with items that are meaningful and appropriate for their age and level of physical function.

Ages and stages questionnaires: adaptation to an Arabic speaking population and cultural sensitivity.

PubMed

Charafeddine, Lama; Sinno, Durriyah; Ammous, Farah; Yassin, Walid; Al-Shaar, Laila; Mikati, Mohamad A

2013-09-01

Early detection of developmental delay is essential to initiate early intervention. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) correlate well with physician's assessment and have high predictive value. No such tool exists in Arabic. Translate and test the applicability and reliability of Arabic translated Ages and Stages Questionnaires (A-ASQ) in an Arabic speaking population. 733 healthy children were assessed. ASQ-II for 10 age groups (4-60 months) were translated to Arabic, back translations and cultural adaptation were performed. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using Pearson Correlation Coefficient (CC) and Cronbach's alpha (Cα). Mean scores per domain were compared to US normative scores using t-test. A-ASQ, after culturally relevant adaptations, was easily administered for 4-36 months age groups but not for 4-5 year old due to numerous cultural differences in the later. For the 4-36 month age groups Pearson CC ranged from 0.345 to 0.833. The internal consistency coefficients Cα scores ranged from 0.111 to 0.816. Significant differences were found in the mean domain scores of all age groups between Lebanese and US normative sample (p-value <0.001) with some exceptions in gross motor, fine motor and personal social domains. A-ASQ was easily translated and administered with acceptable internal consistency and reliability in the younger age groups. It proved to be culturally sensitive, which should be taken into consideration when adapting such tool to non-western populations. Copyright © 2013 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intellectual development in preschool children with early treated congenital hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Seo, Min Kyoung; Yoon, Jong Seo; So, Chul Hwan; Lee, Hae Sang; Hwang, Jin Soon

2017-06-01

Delayed treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a common cause of mental retardation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate intellectual outcomes in preschool children with treated CH. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 43 children (age range: 13 to 60 days of life; 22 girls and 21 boys) diagnosed with CH. Children aged 5 to 7 years were examined using the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or the Korean Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. The patients started treatment between 13 and 60 days of age. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of patients tested at age 5 to 7 years was 103.14±11.68 (IQ range: 76-126). None had intellectual disability (defined as an IQ <70). Twenty-one subjects were treated with a low dose (6.0-9.9 µg/kg/day) and 22 with a high dose of levothyroxine (10.0-16.0 µg/kg/day). There was no significant difference in the mean full-scale IQ (FSIQ), verbal IQ (VIQ), and performance IQ (PIQ) scores between the 2 groups. FSIQ, PIQ, and VIQ scores were not significantly correlated with initial dose of L-T4, initial fT4, age at treatment in multivariate analysis. IQ scores of subjects with early treated CH diagnosed through a neonatal screening test were within normal range, regardless of etiology, thyroid function, initial dose of levothyroxine, and age at start of treatment.

[Comparison of Preferential Hyperacuity Perimeter (PHP) test and Amsler grid test in the diagnosis of different stages of age-related macular degeneration].

PubMed

Kampmeier, J; Zorn, M M; Lang, G K; Botros, Y T; Lang, G E

2006-09-01

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65 years of age. A rapid loss of vision occurs especially in cases with choroidal neovascularisation. Early detection of ARMD and timely treatment are mandatory. We have prospectively studied the results of two diagnostic self tests for the early detection of metamorphopsia and scotoma, the PHP test and the Amsler grid test, in different stages of ARMD. Patients with ARMD and best corrected visual acuity of 6/30 or better (Snellen charts) were examined with a standardised protocol, including supervised Amsler grid examination and PHP, a new device for metamorphopsia or scotoma measurement, based on the hyperacuity phenomenon in the central 14 degrees of the visual field. The stages of ARMD were independently graded in a masked fashion by stereoscopic ophthalmoscopy, stereoscopic fundus colour photographs, fluorescein angiography, and OCT. The patients were subdivided into 3 non-neovascular groups [early, late (RPE atrophy > 175 microm) and geographic atrophy], a neovascular group (classic and occult CNV) and an age-matched control group (healthy volunteers). 140 patients, with ages ranging from 50 to 90 years (median 68 years), were included in the study. Best corrected visual acuity ranged from 6/30 to 6/6 with a median of 6/12. 95 patients were diagnosed as non-neovascular ARMD. Thirty eyes had early ARMD (9 were tested positive by the PHP test and 9 by the Amsler grid test), and 50 late ARMD (positive: PHP test 23, Amsler grid test 26). The group with geographic atrophy consisted of 15 eyes (positive: PHP test 13, Amsler grid test 10). Forty-five patients presented with neovascular ARMD (positive: PHP test 38, Amsler grid test 36), 34 volunteers served as control group (positive: PHP test 1, Amsler grid test 5). The PHP and Amsler grid tests revealed comparable results detecting metamorphopsia and scotoma in early ARMD (30 vs. 30 %) and late ARMD (46 vs. 52 %). However, the PHP test more often revealed disease-related functional changes in the groups of geographic atrophy (87 vs. 67 %) and neovascular ARMD (84 vs. 80 %). This implies that the PHP and Amsler grid self tests are useful tools for detection of ARMD and that the PHP test has a greater sensitivity in the groups of geographic atrophy and neovascular AMD.

Intertester and intratester reliability of a movement control test battery for patients with knee osteoarthritis and controls

PubMed Central

Kaukinen, P.T.; Arokoski, J.P.; Huber, E.O.; Luomajoki, H.A.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To develop a test battery of movement control (MC) tests and assess its intertester and intratester reliability. Methods: 29 subjects with knee OA with mean age of 64.7 (SD 8.7) years and 12 controls without either knee pain or previous diagnosis of OA (mean age 36.6 (SD 16.2) years) were included. Two experienced physiotherapists rated the filmed test performance of six MC tests blinded to the patients and to each other on 3-point scale as correct, incorrect or failed. Weighted kappa coefficient (wK) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and the percentage of agreement were calculated for each test. Results: One-leg stance, one-leg squat 30 degrees and step down tests showed moderate to excellent inter- and intratester reliability with wK ranging between 0.43-0.85 for intertester and 0.51-0.80 for intratester reliability. The reliability of the 90 degrees squat test, small squat and step up tests was poor (wK ranging between 0.09-0.50). Conclusions: One-leg stance test, one-leg squat 30 degrees and step down test are reliable in the subjects with knee OA and controls. Further studies are needed to evaluate the discriminative validity of the reliable tests. PMID:28860422

The Stroop color-word test: influence of age, sex, and education; and normative data for a large sample across the adult age range.

PubMed

Van der Elst, Wim; Van Boxtel, Martin P J; Van Breukelen, Gerard J P; Jolles, Jelle

2006-03-01

The Stroop Color-Word Test was administered to 1,856 cognitively screened, healthy Dutch speaking participants aged 24 to 81 years. The effects of age, gender, and education on Stroop test performance were investigated to adequately stratify the normative data. The results showed that especially the speed-dependent Stroop scores (time to complete a subtest), rather than the accuracy measures (the errors made per Stroop sub-task), were profoundly affected by the demographic variables. In addition to the main effects of the demographic variables, an Age Low Level of Education interaction was found for the Error III and the Stroop Interference scores. This suggests that executive function, as measured by the Stroop test, declines with age and that the decline is more pronounced in people with a low level of education. This is consistent with the reserve hypothesis of brain aging (i.e., that education generates reserve capacity against the damaging effects of aging on brain functions). Normative Stroop data were established using both a regression-based and traditional approach, and the appropriateness of both methods for generating normative data is discussed.

Population based haematology reference ranges for old people in rural South-West Uganda.

PubMed

Mugisha, Joseph O; Seeley, Janet; Kuper, Hannah

2016-09-07

Haematology reference values are needed to interpret haematology results and make clinical decisions, but these have not been established for old people in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to establish haematology reference values for people aged 50 years and above in Uganda, to compare the haematology reference values for those aged 65 years and over with those less than 65 years and to compare these haematology reference values with established haematology reference values for old people from high income countries. A total of 1449 people aged 50 years and above were recruited from the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute general population cohort between January 2012 and January 2013 (response rate 72.3 %). From the blood samples collected, we did haematology, HIV testing and malaria tests. We also obtained stool samples and tested them for hookworm infection. Questionnaire data were obtained through interviews. In the analysis, we excluded those with HIV infection, malaria infection, hookworm infection and those not feeling well at the time of recruitment. Medians and reference ranges for 12 haematology parameters were determined, based on the Clinical Laboratory and Standards institute's guidelines. In total, 903 people aged 50 years and above were included in the analysis with the majority 545 (60.3 %) being female. Men had significant difference in median haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocytes counts and white blood cells counts, which were higher than those of women. Women had significant difference in mean platelet counts and neutrophil percentages which were higher than those of men. Comparing those aged 65+ and those aged less than 65 years, the following parameters were significantly lower in those aged above 65 years: haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocytes counts, platelets and mean corpuscular volume. Compared to the reference intervals from old people in high income countries, all the haematology parameters from our study population were low. The differences between haematology reference ranges in old people compared to adults and the very old (65+) compared to those between 50 and 65 call for more population based studies using nationwide surveys to be carried out among old people in other study settings in Uganda and the rest of Africa to explore the differences in haematology reference ranges between these different age groups with a view of establishing whether there is need to have separate reference range for these different categories of old people.

Cultural adaptation of the Test of Narrative Language (TNL) into Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Rossi, Natalia Freitas; Lindau, Tâmara de Andrade; Gillam, Ronald Bradley; Giacheti, Célia Maria

To accomplish the translation and cultural adaptation of the Test of Narrative Language (TNL) into Brazilian Portuguese. The TNL is a formal instrument which assesses narrative comprehension and oral narration of children between the ages of 5-0 and 11-11 (years-months). The TNL translation and adaptation process had the following steps: (1) translation into the target language; (2) summary of the translated versions; (3) back-translation; (4) checking of the conceptual, semantics and cultural equivalence process and (5) pilot study (56 children within the test age range and from both genders). The adapted version maintained the same structure as the original version: number of tasks (both, three comprehension and oral narration), narrative formats (no picture, sequenced pictures and single picture) and scoring system. There were no adjustments to the pictures. The "McDonald's Story" was replaced by the "Snack Bar History" to meet the semantic and experiential equivalence of the target population. The other stories had semantic and grammatical adjustments. Statistically significant difference was found when comparing the raw score (comprehension, narration and total) of age groups from the adapted version. Adjustments were required to meet the equivalence between the original and the translated versions. The adapted version showed it has the potential to identify differences in oral narratives of children in the age range provided by the test. Measurement equivalence for validation and test standardization are in progress and will be able to supplement the study outcomes.

Text Recall in Adulthood: The Role of Intellectual Abilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hultsch, David F.; And Others

1984-01-01

Examines age-related predictive relationships among an array of psychometric intellectual ability markers and text recall performance. Women from three age groups (ranging from 21 to 78 years) read and recalled four narratives at three delay intervals and completed a battery of intellectual ability tests. (Author/CB)

Developmental Differences in Motor Task Integration: A Test of Pascual-Leone's Theory of Constructive Operators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todor, John I.

1979-01-01

Assesses the ability of Pascual-Leone's Theory of Constructive Operators to predict the minimum age or maturational level at which integration of a motor task could be achieved. Subjects were 114 elementary school children ranging in age from 5 to 12. (Author/MP)

Does whole blood coagulation analysis reflect developmental haemostasis?

PubMed

Ravn, Hanne Berg; Andreasen, Jo Bønding; Hvas, Anne-Mette

2017-04-01

: Developmental haemostasis has been well documented over the last 3 decades and age-dependent reference ranges have been reported for a number of plasmatic coagulation parameters. With the increasing use of whole blood point-of-care tests like rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and platelet function tests, an evaluation of age-dependent changes is warranted for these tests as well. We obtained blood samples from 149 children, aged 1 day to 5.9 years, and analysed conventional plasmatic coagulation tests, including activated partial prothrombin time, prothrombin time, and fibrinogen (functional). Whole blood samples were analysed using ROTEM to assess overall coagulation capacity and Multiplate analyzer to evaluate platelet aggregation. Age-dependent changes were analysed for all variables. We found age-dependent differences in all conventional coagulation tests (all P values < 0.05), but there was no sign of developmental changes in whole blood coagulation assessment when applying ROTEM, apart from clotting time in the EXTEM assay (P < 0.03). Despite marked differences in mean platelet aggregation between age groups, data did not reach statistical significance. Citrate-anticoagulated blood showed significantly reduced platelet aggregation compared with blood anticoagulated with heparin or hirudin (all P values < 0.003). We confirmed previous developmental changes in conventional plasmatic coagulation test. However, these age-dependent changes were not displayed in whole blood monitoring using ROTEM or Multiplate analyzer. Type of anticoagulant had a significant influence on platelet aggregation across all age groups.

Work-related measures of physical and behavioral health function: Test-retest reliability.

PubMed

Marino, Molly Elizabeth; Meterko, Mark; Marfeo, Elizabeth E; McDonough, Christine M; Jette, Alan M; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Rasch, Elizabeth K; Brandt, Diane E; Chan, Leighton

2015-10-01

The Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB), developed for potential use by the US Social Security Administration to assess work-related function, currently consists of five multi-item scales assessing physical function and four multi-item scales assessing behavioral health function; the WD-FAB scales are administered as Computerized Adaptive Tests (CATs). The goal of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the WD-FAB Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs. We administered the WD-FAB scales twice, 7-10 days apart, to a sample of 376 working age adults and 316 adults with work-disability. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to measure the consistency of the scores between the two administrations. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC90) were also calculated to measure the scales precision and sensitivity. For the Physical Function CAT scales, the ICCs ranged from 0.76 to 0.89 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77-0.86 in the sample of adults with work-disability. ICCs for the Behavioral Health CAT scales ranged from 0.66 to 0.70 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77-0.80 in the adults with work-disability. The SEM ranged from 3.25 to 4.55 for the Physical Function scales and 5.27-6.97 for the Behavioral Health function scales. For all scales in both samples, the MDC90 ranged from 7.58 to 16.27. Both the Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs of the WD-FAB demonstrated good test-retest reliability in adults with work-disability and general adult samples, a critical requirement for assessing work related functioning in disability applicants and in other contexts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-related measures of Physical and Behavioral Health Function: Test-Retest Reliability

PubMed Central

Marino, Molly Elizabeth; Meterko, Mark; Marfeo, Elizabeth E.; McDonough, Christine M.; Jette, Alan M.; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Rasch, Elizabeth K.; Brandt, Diane E.; Chan, Leighton

2015-01-01

Background The Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB), developed for potential use by the US Social Security Administration to assess work-related function, currently consists of five multi-item scales assessing physical function and four multi-item scales assessing behavioral health function; the WD-FAB scales are administered as Computerized Adaptive Tests (CATs). Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the WD-FAB Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs. Methods We administered the WD-FAB scales twice, 7–10 days apart, to a sample of 376 working age adults and 316 adults with work-disability. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to measure the consistency of the scores between the two administrations. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC90) were also calculated to measure the scales precision and sensitivity. Results For the Physical Function CAT scales, the ICCs ranged from 0.76–0.89 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77–0.86 in the sample of adults with work-disability. ICCs for the Behavioral Health CAT scales ranged from 0.66–0.70 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77–0.80 in the adults with work-disability. The SEM ranged from 3.25–4.55 for the Physical Function scales and 5.27–6.97 for the Behavioral Health function scales. For all scales in both samples, the MDC90 ranged from 7.58–16.27. Conclusion Both the Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs of the WD-FAB demonstrated good test-retest reliability in adults with work-disability and general adult samples, a critical requirement for assessing work related functioning in disability applicants and in other contexts. PMID:25991419

The new Mobile Universal Lexicon Evaluation System (MULES): A test of rapid picture naming for concussion sized for the sidelines.

PubMed

Akhand, Omar; Galetta, Matthew S; Cobbs, Lucy; Hasanaj, Lisena; Webb, Nikki; Drattell, Julia; Amorapanth, Prin; Rizzo, John-Ross; Nolan, Rachel; Serrano, Liliana; Rucker, Janet C; Cardone, Dennis; Jordan, Barry D; Silverio, Arlene; Galetta, Steven L; Balcer, Laura J

2018-04-15

Measures of rapid automatized naming (RAN) have been used for over 50 years to capture vision-based aspects of cognition. The Mobile Universal Lexicon Evaluation System (MULES) is a test of rapid picture naming under investigation for detection of concussion and other neurological disorders. MULES was designed as a series of 54 grouped color photographs (fruits, random objects, animals) that integrates saccades, color perception and contextual object identification. Recent changes to the MULES test have been made to improve ease of use on the athletic sidelines. Originally an 11 × 17-inch single-sided paper, the test has been reduced to a laminated 8.5 × 11-inch double-sided version. We identified performance changes associated with transition to the new, MULES, now sized for the sidelines, and examined MULES on the sideline for sports-related concussion. We administered the new laminated MULES to a group of adult office volunteers as well as youth and collegiate athletes during pre-season baseline testing. Athletes with concussion underwent sideline testing after injury. Time scores for the new laminated MULES were compared to those for the larger version (big MULES). Among 501 athletes and office volunteers (age 16 ± 7 years, range 6-59, 29% female), average test times at baseline were 44.4 ± 14.4 s for the new laminated MULES (n = 196) and 46.5 ± 16.3 s for big MULES (n = 248). Both versions were completed by 57 participants, with excellent agreement (p < 0.001, linear regression, accounting for age). Age was a predictor of test times for both MULES versions, with longer times noted for younger participants (p < 0.001). Among 6 athletes with concussion thus far during the fall sports season (median age 15 years, range 11-21) all showed worsening of MULES scores from pre-season baseline (median 4.0 s, range 2.1-16.4). The MULES test has been converted to an 11 × 8.5-inch laminated version, with excellent agreement between versions across age groups. Feasibly administered at pre-season and in an office setting, the MULES test shows preliminary evidence of capacity to identify athletes with sports-related concussion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Normative Data for the Cognitively Intact Oldest-Old: The Framingham Heart Study.

PubMed

Miller, Ivy N; Himali, Jayandra J; Beiser, Alexa S; Murabito, Joanne M; Seshadri, Sudha; Wolf, Philip A; Au, Rhoda

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: The number of individuals who reach extreme age is quickly increasing. Much of the current literature focuses on impaired cognition in extreme age, and debate continues regarding what constitutes "normal" cognition in extreme age. This study aimed to provide oldest-old normative data and to compare cognitive performances of cognitively intact elderly individuals from the Framingham Heart Study. A total of 1302 individuals aged 65+ years from the Framingham Heart Study were separated into 5-year age bands and compared on cognitive tests. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for gender, the Wide Range Achievement Test-Third Edition (WRAT-III) Reading score, and cohort. Analyses also included comparisons between 418 individuals aged 80+ and 884 individuals aged 65-79, and comparisons within oldest-old age bands. Normative data for all participants are presented. Significant differences were found on most tests between age groups in the overall analysis between young-old and oldest-old, and analysis of oldest-old age bands also revealed select significant differences (all ps <.05). As aging increases, significant cognitive differences and increased variability in performances are evident. These results support the use of age-appropriate normative data for oldest-old individuals.

Contextual Cueing Effects Across the Lifespan

PubMed Central

MERRILL, EDWARD C.; CONNERS, FRANCES A.; ROSKOS, BEVERLY; KLINGER, MARK R.; KLINGER, LAURA GROFER

2018-01-01

The authors evaluated age-related variations in contextual cueing, which reflects the extent to which visuospatial regularities can facilitate search for a target. Previous research produced inconsistent results regarding contextual cueing effects in young children and in older adults, and no study has investigated the phenomenon across the life span. Three groups (6, 20, and 70 years old) were compared. Participants located a designated target stimulus embedded in a context of distractor stimuli. During exposure, the location of the target could be predicted from the location of the distracters in each display. During test, these predictable displays were intermixed with new displays that did not predict the target location. Response times to locating predictable relative to unpredictable targets were compared. All groups exhibited facilitation effects greater than 0 (95% CIs [.02, .11], d = .4; [.01, .12], d = .4; and [.01, .10], d = .4, for the children, young adults, and older adults, respectively) indicating that contextual cueing is robust across a wide age range. The relative magnitude of contextual cueing effects was essentially identical across the age range tested, F(2, 103) = 1.71,ηρ2 = .02. The authors argue that a mechanism that uses environmental covariation is available to all age ranges, but the expression of the contextual cueing may depend on the way it is measured. PMID:23991612

Insights into the effects of tensile and compressive loadings on human femur bone.

PubMed

Havaldar, Raviraj; Pilli, S C; Putti, B B

2014-01-01

Fragile fractures are most likely manifestations of fatigue damage that develop under repetitive loading conditions. Numerous microcracks disperse throughout the bone with the tensile and compressive loads. In this study, tensile and compressive load tests are performed on specimens of both the genders within 19 to 83 years of age and the failure strength is estimated. Fifty five human femur cortical samples are tested. They are divided into various age groups ranging from 19-83 years. Mechanical tests are performed on an Instron 3366 universal testing machine, according to American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) standards. The results show that stress induced in the bone tissue depends on age and gender. It is observed that both tensile and compression strengths reduces as age advances. Compressive strength is more than tensile strength in both the genders. The compression and tensile strength of human femur cortical bone is estimated for both male and female subjecting in the age group of 19-83 years. The fracture toughness increases till 35 years in male and 30 years in female and reduces there after. Mechanical properties of bone are age and gender dependent.

What Happens Next? Follow-Up from the Children's Toddler School Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akshoomoff, Natacha; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Corsello, Christina; Mahrer, Nicole E.

2010-01-01

This study was a follow-up of a group of 29 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders at age 2 who attended an inclusive toddler program until age 3. Children ranged in age from 4 to 12 years at the time of the parent survey and follow-up testing. The majority of children were placed in a special education (noninclusive) preschool class,…

Purchase or Pirate: Is Ethical Ideology or Age More Effective at Predicting Acquisition Choice for Online Music?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Steven W.

2013-01-01

A study using 454 respondents recruited through SurveyMonkey were used to quantitatively test whether age or ethical position is better able to predict purchasing rates for digital music acquisition. The respondents had an age range from 18 to 80 and lived in the United States. The sample had a diverse and representative geographic and economic…

Neurocognitive functioning in children diagnosed with diabetes before age 10 years.

PubMed

Kaufman, F R; Epport, K; Engilman, R; Halvorson, M

1999-01-01

Our objective was to determine scores on tests of neurocognitive functioning in children diagnosed with diabetes before age 10 years and to determine the association of age of diagnosis, duration of diabetes, subtle hypoglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, and history of hypoglycemic seizures with these neurocognitive test scores. Fifty-five of 62 eligible patients with a mean age of 7.9 +/- 1.6 years followed in our center were given the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Finger Tapping, Grooved Pegboard, and Verbal Selective Reminding tests to evaluate the following domains: memory/attention, visual-perceptual, broad cognitive function, academic achievement, and fine motor speed/coordination. Fifteen age-matched siblings served as controls. Twenty-seven subjects were less than 5 years of age when diagnosed with diabetes, the mean age at diagnosis was 4.5 +/- 2.1 years of age, and mean diabetes duration was 2.6 +/- 2.0 years. Eighteen patients had a history of severe hypoglycemia, eight of whom had hypoglycemic seizures. The mean HbA1c was 7.8 +/- 1.1% for the year prior to testing. Our results showed that the overall mean scores for the extensive neurocognitive battery were within the normal range and were comparable to the scores of the age-matched sibling controls. Age of diagnosis and duration of diabetes did not relate to neurocognitive test results. Mean HbA1c had a negative association with some tests of memory/attention (p < 0.03-0.04) and academic achievement (p < 0.005-0.03), while number of blood glucose levels less than mg/dL had a positive association with memory/attention (p < 0.004-0.04), verbal comprehension (p < 0.03) and academic achievement (p < 0.018-0.05). There was no association of neurocognitive test scores with severe hypoglycemia, but subjects with history of hypoglycemic seizures had a decrease in scores on tests assessing memory skills (p < 0.03) including short term memory and memory for words. These data suggest that overall neurocognitive test scores were within the normal range and comparable to controls. However, specific aspects of neurocognitive functioning may be adversely affected by having had a hypoglycemic seizure, but not by episodes of severe hypoglycemia without seizure. Lower HbA1c and an increase in the number of blood glucose levels less than 70 mg/ dL (subtle hypoglycemia) which were associated with higher scores in some domains of academic achievement and memory suggests that stable glycemia may influence cognitive abilities and/or that successful diabetes management requires cognitive skills. Strategies to diminish the risk of seizures with hypoglycemia should be investigated.

Rotatory and collic vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children.

PubMed

Maes, Leen; De Kegel, Alexandra; Van Waelvelde, Hilde; Dhooge, Ingeborg

2014-01-01

Vertigo and imbalance are often underestimated in the pediatric population, due to limited communication abilities, atypical symptoms, and relatively quick adaptation and compensation in children. Moreover, examination and interpretation of vestibular tests are very challenging, because of difficulties with cooperation and maintenance of alertness, and because of the sometimes nauseatic reactions. Therefore, it is of great importance for each vestibular laboratory to implement a child-friendly test protocol with age-appropriate normative data. Because of the often masked appearance of vestibular problems in young children, the vestibular organ should be routinely examined in high-risk pediatric groups, such as children with a hearing impairment. Purposes of the present study were (1) to determine age-appropriate normative data for two child-friendly vestibular laboratory techniques (rotatory and collic vestibular evoked myogenic potential [cVEMP] test) in a group of children without auditory or vestibular complaints, and (2) to examine vestibular function in a group of children presenting with bilateral hearing impairment. Forty-eight typically developing children (mean age 8 years 0 months; range: 4 years 1 month to 12 years 11 months) without any auditory or vestibular complaints as well as 39 children (mean age 7 years 8 months; range: 3 years 8 months to 12 years 10 months) with a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were included in this study. All children underwent three sinusoidal rotations (0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 Hz at 50 degrees/s) and bilateral cVEMP testing. No significant age differences were found for the rotatory test, whereas a significant increase of N1 latency and a significant threshold decrease was noticeable for the cVEMP, resulting in age-appropriate normative data. Hearing-impaired children demonstrated significantly lower gain values at the 0.01 Hz rotation and a larger percentage of absent cVEMP responses compared with normal-hearing children. Seventy-four percent of hearing-impaired children showed some type of vestibular abnormality when examined with a combination of rotatory and cVEMP testing, in contrast to an abnormality rate of 60% with cVEMP and a rate of 49% with rotatory testing alone. The observed pediatric age correlations underscore the necessity of age-appropriate normative data to guarantee accurate interpretation of test results. The high percentages of abnormal vestibular test results in hearing-impaired children emphasize the importance of vestibular assessment in these children because the integrity of the vestibular system is a critical factor for motor and psychological development.

Normative data for the Clock Drawing Test for French-Quebec mid- and older aged healthy adults.

PubMed

Turcotte, Valérie; Gagnon, Marie-Eve; Joubert, Sven; Rouleau, Isabelle; Gagnon, Jean-François; Escudier, Frédérique; Koski, Lisa; Potvin, Olivier; Macoir, Joël; Hudon, Carol

2018-05-09

The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is frequently used to screen for cognitive impairment, however, normative data for Rouleau et al.'s scoring system are scarce. The present study aims to provide norms for Rouleau et al.'s scoring system that are tailored to Quebec French-speaking mid- and older aged healthy adults. Six researchers from various research centers across the Province of Quebec (Canada) sent anonymous data for 593 (391 women) healthy community-dwelling volunteers (age range: 43-93 years; education range: 5-23 years) who completed the CDT 'drawing on command' version. This command version (setting the clock hands to 11:10, without a pre-drawn circle) was administrated as part of a more extensive neuropsychological assessment, or along with cognitive screening instruments. Each drawn clock was scored according to the quantitative criteria set by Rouleau et al.'s scoring system. CDT scores were significantly correlated with age (r(592) = -.132, p = .001) and years of education (r(592) = .116, p = .005), but not with sex (r(592) = .065, p = .112). Since data were skewed towards higher test scores, the percentiles method was used for analysis. Percentile ranks stratified by age and education are presented. These normative data for Rouleau et al.'s scoring system will contribute towards adequately screening for cognitive decline in Quebec French-speaking healthy adults, by also taking into account individual characteristics such as age and education.

Age estimation of the Deccan Traps from the North American apparent polar wander path

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoddard, Paul R.; Jurdy, Donna M.

1988-01-01

It has recently been proposed that flood basalt events, such as the eruption of the Deccan Traps, have been responsible for mass extinctions. To test this hypothesis, accurate estimations of the ages and duration of these events are needed. In the case of the Deccan Traps, however, neither age nor duration of emplacement is well constrianed; measured ages range from 40 to more than 80 Myr, and estimates of duration range from less than 1 to 67 Myr. To make an independent age determination, paleomagnetic and sea-floor-spreading data are used, and the associated errors are estimated. The Deccan paleomagnetic pole is compared with the reference apparent polar wander path of North America by rotating the positions of the paleomagnetic pole for the Deccan Traps to the reference path for a range of assumed ages. Uncertainties in the apparent polar wander path, Deccan paleopole position, and errors resulting from the plate reconstruction are estimated. It is suggested that 83-70 Myr is the most likely time of extrusion of these volcanic rocks.

Testing fault growth models with low-temperature thermochronology in the northwest Basin and Range, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curry, Magdalena A. E.; Barnes, Jason B.; Colgan, Joseph P.

2016-01-01

Common fault growth models diverge in predicting how faults accumulate displacement and lengthen through time. A paucity of field-based data documenting the lateral component of fault growth hinders our ability to test these models and fully understand how natural fault systems evolve. Here we outline a framework for using apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology (AHe) to quantify the along-strike growth of faults. To test our framework, we first use a transect in the normal fault-bounded Jackson Mountains in the Nevada Basin and Range Province, then apply the new framework to the adjacent Pine Forest Range. We combine new and existing cross sections with 18 new and 16 existing AHe cooling ages to determine the spatiotemporal variability in footwall exhumation and evaluate models for fault growth. Three age-elevation transects in the Pine Forest Range show that rapid exhumation began along the range-front fault between approximately 15 and 11 Ma at rates of 0.2–0.4 km/Myr, ultimately exhuming approximately 1.5–5 km. The ages of rapid exhumation identified at each transect lie within data uncertainty, indicating concomitant onset of faulting along strike. We show that even in the case of growth by fault-segment linkage, the fault would achieve its modern length within 3–4 Myr of onset. Comparison with the Jackson Mountains highlights the inadequacies of spatially limited sampling. A constant fault-length growth model is the best explanation for our thermochronology results. We advocate that low-temperature thermochronology can be further utilized to better understand and quantify fault growth with broader implications for seismic hazard assessments and the coevolution of faulting and topography.

Age-related changes in human vestibulo-ocular reflexes: Sinusoidal rotation and caloric tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, R. J.; Black, F. O.; Schoenhoff, M. B.

1989-01-01

The dynamic response properties of horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) were characterized in 216 human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. The object of this cross-sectional study was to determine the effects of aging on VOR dynamics, and to identify the distributions of parameters which describe VOR responses to caloric and to sinusoidal rotational stimuli in a putatively normal population. Caloric test parameters showed no consistent trend with age. Rotation test parameters showed declining response amplitude and slightly less compensatory response phase with increasing age. The magnitudes of these changes were not large relative to the variability within the population. The age-related trends in VOR were not consistent with the anatomic changes in the periphery reported by others which showed an increasing rate of peripheral hair cell and nerve fiber loss in subjects over 55 years. The poor correlation between physiological and anatomical data suggest that adaptive mechanisms in the central nervous system are important in maintaining the VOR.

Validating the Electric Maze Task as a Measure of Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Kelly W.; Cheatham, Carol L.

2017-01-01

The Electric Maze Task (EMT) is a novel planning task designed to allow flexible testing of planning abilities across a broad age range and to incorporate manipulations to test underlying planning abilities, such as working-memory and inhibitory control skills. The EMT was tested in a group of 63 typically developing 7- to 12-year-olds.…

Effects of First Occasion Test Experience on Longitudinal Cognitive Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salthouse, Timothy A.

2013-01-01

Effects of additional test experience on longitudinal change in 5 cognitive abilities was examined in a sample of healthy adults ranging from 18 to 80 years of age. Participants receiving experience with parallel versions of the cognitive tests on the first occasion had more positive cognitive change an average of 2.5 years later than participants…

[Evaluation of physical development of children with congenital hypothyroidism detected in the screening test--personal observations].

PubMed

Kik, Eugenia; Noczyńska, Anna

2011-01-01

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most prevalent endocrinopathy resulting from thyroid hormones deficiency or lack of thyroid hormones (TH). Aim of the study is to evaluate the physical development of children with congenital hypothyroidism detected in screening tests, determine the effect of TSH level, thyroid hormones and perinatal, parental and environmental factors on the physical development of children. the study involved 79 children (47 girls, 32 boys) aged 3-18 years (mean age 7.3±3.5) with CH diagnosed in screening tests. Children's development was analysed in correlation with TSH value in the screening test, time of commencement of therapy with LT4, the initial dose of the LT4, mean TSH level in the first year of life, mean value of TSH and LT4 in the 2-year follow-up period, social origin, place of residence (village, city), parents': anthropometric parameters (BMI, height), age, level of education of the parents, which pregnancy it was, time of pregnancy. In children: body mass and length at birth, score on Apgar scale, additional chronic disease. Too low body mass was usually observed in the 2-4 month of life - 11.1%, while in the following months, the number of children with body mass below the 3 centile became lower. In children diagnosed with too low body mass <18 month of life, in the subsequent months was observed a normalisation. No correlation was between the body mass and TSH in infancy, the place of residence and level of education of the parents in all examined groups. According to Palczewska, BMI >97 centile occurred more often in the group of children with CH in the age range of 11 months - 6.9 years than in the control group, whereas ≥7 years obesity did not occur. The number of children with insufficient body length increased in the age groups: 11-18 months - 7.4%; 1.6-3.9 years - 7.9 % and 4-6.9 years - 9.1%. Children ≥7 years with height <3 centile were not observed. The number of children with height >97 centile in three age groups did not go beyond 4%. The biggest number of children >97 centile was noted in the age group 1.6-3.9 years (7.9%). Mean height SDS in all age groups was within the norm (±1 SDS for healthy population). 1. Physical development of children in infancy was in normal range. 2. Mean SDS of body mass in children was in the range of 1sds for healthy population in each age quarter. 3. Mean SDS for BMI in all age groups was above zero. 4. Mean SDS for body length in all age groups was in the range ±1 SDS for healthy population. 5. Early initiation of therapy HT is a prerequisite for proper physical development of children with congenital hypothyroidism.

Health and economic impact of HPV 16/18 vaccination and cervical cancer screening in Eastern Africa.

PubMed

Campos, Nicole G; Kim, Jane J; Castle, Philip E; Ortendahl, Jesse D; O'Shea, Meredith; Diaz, Mireia; Goldie, Sue J

2012-06-01

Eastern Africa has the world's highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates. We used epidemiologic data from Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe to develop models of HPV-related infection and disease. For each country, we assessed HPV vaccination of girls before age 12 followed by screening with HPV DNA testing once, twice, or three times per lifetime (at ages 35, 40, 45). For women over age 30, we assessed only screening (with HPV DNA testing up to three times per lifetime or VIA at age 35). Assuming no waning immunity, mean reduction in lifetime cancer risk associated with vaccination ranged from 36 to 45%, and vaccination followed by screening once per lifetime at age 35 with HPV DNA testing ranged from 43 to 51%. For both younger and older women, the most effective screening strategy was HPV DNA testing three times per lifetime. Provided the cost per vaccinated girl was less than I$10 (I$2 per dose), vaccination had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [I$ (international dollars)/year of life saved (YLS)] less than the country-specific per capita GDP, a commonly cited heuristic for "very cost-effective" interventions. If the cost per vaccinated girl was between I$10 (I$2 per dose) and I$25 (I$5 per dose), vaccination followed by HPV DNA testing would save the most lives and would be considered good value for public health dollars. These results should be used to catalyze design and evaluation of HPV vaccine delivery and screening programs, and contribute to a dialogue on financing HPV vaccination in poor countries. Copyright © 2011 UICC.

Personality, self-rated health, and subjective age in a life-span sample: the moderating role of chronological age.

PubMed

Stephan, Yannick; Demulier, Virginie; Terracciano, Antonio

2012-12-01

The present study tested whether chronological age moderates the association between subjective age and self-rated health and personality in a community-dwelling life-span sample (N = 1,016; age range: 18-91 years). Self-rated health, extraversion, and openness to experience were associated with a younger subjective age at older ages. Conscientious individuals felt more mature early in life. Conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness were not related to subjective age at older ages. These findings suggest that with aging self-rated health and personality traits are increasingly important for subjective age. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Comparison of the skin-prick test and Phadia ImmunoCAP as tools to diagnose house-dust mite allergy.

PubMed

Jung, Yong Gi; Cho, Hyun-Jin; Park, Ga Young; Min, Jin-Young; Kim, Hyo Yeol; Dhong, Hun-Jong; Chung, Seung Kyu; Kim, Seon Woo

2010-01-01

When the skin-prick test (SPT) and in vitro test such as ImmunoCAP assay are performed simultaneously, results do not always coincide in some patients. Our objectives, therefore, were (1) to assess differences in allergic test results according to age group and (2) to establish appropriate guidelines for diagnosing mite allergy according to age. A total of 692 participants complaining of allergic rhinitis symptoms participated. Patients were divided according to age; the mean age was 32 years (range, 8-76 years). The SPT and ImmunoCAP assays were performed to detect allergies to house-dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae). The association between age and the result of each allergy test were examined, and a cutoff age for proper application of each test was than estimated. Three hundred thirty-six patients (48.6%) were allergic to D. pteronyssinus and 350 patients (50.6%) were allergic to D. farinae. In the case of D. pteronyssinus, SPT was proved to be more useful in detecting allergy for subjects <50 years old (p < 0.0001). However in case of D. farinae, ImmunoCAP was useful for all age groups, but SPT showed decreased ratio of positive result for subjects >30 years old (p < 0.0001). This study was the first to compare results of allergy tests according to age using true allergens. For patients >50 years of age, the ImmunoCAP was found to be the preferred method for detecting allergy to house-dust mites and for patients <30 years old, SPT is the recommended first choice.

Impact of age on the false negative rate of human papillomavirus DNA test in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.

PubMed

Won, Kyu-Hee; Lee, Jae Yeon; Cho, Hye-Yon; Suh, Dong Hoon; No, Jae Hong; Kim, Yong-Beom

2015-03-01

Human papillomavirus (HPV) test was incorporated into the triage of lesser abnormal cervical cytologies: atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of age on the efficacy of HPV testing in patients with lesser abnormal cervical cytologies. A total of 439 patients with ASCUS or LSIL were included. The association between age groups and the diagnostic performances of HPV test for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) was evaluated. Median age was 44 years (range, 17 to 75 years). ASCUS was more frequently observed in older patients while LSIL was more common in younger patients (P=0.002). CIN2+ was found in 11.3% (32/284) of the ASCUS patients and 12.9% (20/155) of patients with LSIL. Older patients with ASCUS showed lower HPV infection rates (P=0.025), but not LSIL (P=0.114). However, the prevalence of CIN2+ was similar between the age groups with ASCUS or LSIL. In patients with ASCUS, the false negative rate of HPV test for CIN2+ was 6.2%. The false negative rate of the HPV test became higher with increasing of the age after the age of 50 (P=0.034). Our findings suggest that false negative rate of the HPV test for CIN2+ in ASCUS patients older than 50 years might become higher with increasing of the age. Negative HPV results in patients of the age >50 years with ASCUS should be carefully interpreted.

21 CFR 58.120 - Protocol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE..., body weight range, sex, source of supply, species, strain, substrain, and age of the test system. (5... kilogram of body weight or other appropriate units, of the test or control article to be administered and...

Factor Structure of Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Measures of Learning-Disabled Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chittooran, Mary Mathai; And Others

1993-01-01

Administered Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Wide Range Achievement Test to 934 learning-disabled students between ages 8 and 16. Principal-components analysis with varimax rotation indicated existence of seven factors: Verbal Reasoning, Academic…

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Testing: Normative Threshold Response Curves and Effects of Age

PubMed Central

Janky, Kristen L.; Shepard, Neil

2009-01-01

Background Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) testing has gained increased interest in the diagnosis of a variety of vestibular etiologies. Comparisons of P13 / N23 latency, amplitude and threshold response curves have been used to compare pathologic groups to normal controls. Appropriate characterization of these etiologies requires normative data across the frequency spectrum and age range. Purpose The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that significant changes in VEMP responses occur as a function of increased age across all test stimuli as well as characterize the VEMP threshold response curve across age. Research Design This project incorporated a prospective study design using a sample of convenience. Openly recruited subjects were assigned to groups according to age. Study Sample Forty-six normal controls ranging between 20 and 76 years of age participated in the study. Participants were separated by decade into 5 age categories from 20 to 60 plus years. Normal participants were characterized by having normal hearing sensitivity, no history of neurologic or balance/dizziness involvement and negative results on a direct office vestibular examination. Intervention VEMP responses were measured at threshold to click and 250, 500, 750, and 1000 Hz tone burst stimuli and at a suprathreshold level to 500 Hz toneburst stimuli at123 dBSPL. Data Collection and Analysis A mixed group factorial ANOVA and linear regression were performed to examine the effects of VEMP characteristics upon age. Results There were no significant differences between ears for any of the test parameters. There were no significant differences between age groups for n23 latency or amplitude in response to any of the stimuli. Significant mean differences did exist between age groups for p13 latency (250, 750, and 1000 Hz) and threshold (500 and 750 Hz). Age was significantly correlated with VEMP parameters. VEMP threshold was positively correlated (250, 500, 750, 1000 Hz); and amplitude was negatively correlated (500 Hz Maximum). The threshold response curves revealed best frequency tuning at 500 Hz with the highest thresholds in response to click stimuli. However, this best frequency tuning dissipated with increased age. VEMP response rates also decreased with increased age. Conclusion We have demonstrated that minor differences in VEMP responses occur with age. Given the reduced response rates and flattened frequency tuning curve for individuals over the age of 60, frequency tuning curves may not be a good diagnostic indicator for this age group. PMID:19764171

Effects of age and cognition on a cross-cultural paediatric adaptation of the Sniffin' Sticks Identification Test.

PubMed

Bastos, Laís Orrico Donnabella; Guerreiro, Marilisa Mantovani; Lees, Andrew John; Warner, Thomas T; Silveira-Moriyama, Laura

2015-01-01

To study the effects of age and cognition on the performance of children aged 3 to 18 years on a culturally adapted version of the 16 item smell identification test from Sniffin' Sticks (SS16). A series of pilots were conducted on 29 children aged 3 to 18 years old and 23 adults to produce an adapted version of the SS16 suitable for Brazilian children (SS16-Child). A final version was applied to 51 children alongside a picture identification test (PIT-SS16-Child) to access cognitive abilities involved in the smell identification task. In addition 20 adults performed the same tasks as a comparison group. The final adapted SS16-Child was applied to 51 children with a mean age of 9.9 years (range 3-18 years, SD=4.25 years), of which 68.3% were girls. There was an independent effect of age (p<0.05) and PIT-SS16-Child (p<0.001) on the performance on the SS16-Child, and older children reached the ceiling for scoring in the cognitive and olfactory test. Pre-school children had difficulties identifying items of the test. A cross-culturally adapted version of the SS16 can be used to test olfaction in children but interpretation of the results must take age and cognitive abilities into consideration.

Modelling the molecular mechanisms of aging

PubMed Central

Mc Auley, Mark T.; Guimera, Alvaro Martinez; Hodgson, David; Mcdonald, Neil; Mooney, Kathleen M.; Morgan, Amy E.

2017-01-01

The aging process is driven at the cellular level by random molecular damage that slowly accumulates with age. Although cells possess mechanisms to repair or remove damage, they are not 100% efficient and their efficiency declines with age. There are many molecular mechanisms involved and exogenous factors such as stress also contribute to the aging process. The complexity of the aging process has stimulated the use of computational modelling in order to increase our understanding of the system, test hypotheses and make testable predictions. As many different mechanisms are involved, a wide range of models have been developed. This paper gives an overview of the types of models that have been developed, the range of tools used, modelling standards and discusses many specific examples of models that have been grouped according to the main mechanisms that they address. We conclude by discussing the opportunities and challenges for future modelling in this field. PMID:28096317

The Effects of Maltreatment and Neuroendocrine Regulation on Memory Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Howe, Mark L.; Toth, Sheree L.

2010-01-01

This investigation examined basic memory processes, cortisol, and dissociation in maltreated children. School-aged children (age range = 6-13), 143 maltreated and 174 nonmaltreated, were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-Children (D. C. Delis, J. H. Kramer, E. Kaplan, & B. A. Ober, 1994) in a week-long camp setting, daily…

Knowledge Restructuring in Biology: Testing a Punctuated Model of Conceptual Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mintzes, Joel; Quinn, Heather J.

2007-01-01

Emerging from a human constructivist view of learning and a punctuated model of conceptual change, these studies explored differences in the structural complexity and content validity of knowledge about prehistoric life depicted in concept maps by learners ranging in age from approximately 10 to 20 years. Study 1 (cross-age) explored the…

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a quantitative immunochemical test for colorectal cancer screening.

PubMed

Wilschut, Janneke A; Hol, Lieke; Dekker, Evelien; Jansen, Jan B; Van Leerdam, Monique E; Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris; Kuipers, Ernst J; Habbema, J Dik F; Van Ballegooijen, Marjolein

2011-11-01

Two European randomized trials (N = 30,000) compared guaiac fecal occult blood testing with quantitative fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) and showed better attendance rates and test characteristics for FIT. We aimed to identify the most cost-effective FIT cutoff level for referral to colonoscopy based on data from these trials and allowing for differences in screening ages. We used the validated MIcrosimulation SCreening ANalysis (MISCAN)-Colon microsimulation model to estimate costs and effects of different screening strategies for FIT cutoff levels of 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 ng/mL hemoglobin. For each cutoff level, screening strategies were assessed with various age ranges and screening intervals. We assumed sufficient colonoscopy capacity for all strategies. At all cost levels, FIT screening was most effective with the 50 ng/mL cutoff level. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of biennial screening between ages 55 and 75 years using FIT at 50 ng/mL, for example, was 3900 euro per life year gained. Annual screening had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 14,900 euro per life year gained, in combination with a wider age range (between ages 45 and 80 years). In the sensitivity analysis, 50 ng/mL remained the preferred cutoff level. FIT screening is more cost-effective at a cutoff level of 50 ng/mL than at higher cutoff levels. This supports the recommendation to use FIT at a cutoff level of 50 ng/mL, which is considerably lower than the values used in current practice. Copyright © 2011 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A scheme based on ICD-10 diagnoses and drug prescriptions to stage chronic kidney disease severity in healthcare administrative records.

PubMed

Friberg, Leif; Gasparini, Alessandro; Carrero, Juan Jesus

2018-04-01

Information about renal function is important for drug safety studies using administrative health databases. However, serum creatinine values are seldom available in these registries. Our aim was to develop and test a simple scheme for stratification of renal function without access to laboratory test results. Our scheme uses registry data about diagnoses, contacts, dialysis and drug use. We validated the scheme in the Stockholm CREAtinine Measurements (SCREAM) project using information on approximately 1.1 million individuals residing in the Stockholm County who underwent calibrated creatinine testing during 2006-11, linked with data about health care contacts and filled drug prescriptions. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated with the CKD-EPI formula and used as the gold standard for validation of the scheme. When the scheme classified patients as having eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , it was correct in 93.5% of cases. The specificity of the scheme was close to 100% in all age groups. The sensitivity was poor, ranging from 68.2% in the youngest age quartile, down to 10.7% in the oldest age quartile. Age-related decline in renal function makes a large proportion of elderly patients fall into the chronic kidney disease (CKD) range without receiving CKD diagnoses, as this often is seen as part of normal ageing. In the absence of renal function tests, our scheme may be of value for identifying patients with moderate and severe CKD on the basis of diagnostic and prescription data for use in studies of large healthcare databases.

Chikungunya Virus Infections among Patients with Dengue-Like Illness at a Tertiary Care Hospital in the Philippines, 2012–2013

PubMed Central

Velasco, John Mark; Valderama, Maria Theresa; Lopez, Maria Nila; Chua, Domingo; Latog, Rene; Roque, Vito; Corpuz, June; Klungthong, Chonticha; Rodpradit, Prinyada; Hussem, Kittinun; Poolpanichupatam, Yongyuth; Macareo, Louis; Fernandez, Stefan; Yoon, In-Kyu

2015-01-01

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) often co-circulates with dengue virus (DENV). A cross-sectional surveillance study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines, to describe the prevalence and characteristics of DENV and CHIKV infections among patients seeking care for dengue-like illness. Acute blood samples from patients ≥ 6 months of age clinically diagnosed with dengue from November 2012 to December 2013 underwent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect DENV and CHIKV RNA. A total of 118 patients with clinically diagnosed dengue (age range = 1–89 years, mean = 22 years; male-to-female ratio = 1.51) were tested by DENV RT-PCR; 40 (34%) were DENV PCR-positive (age range = 1–45 years, mean = 17 years). All DENV serotypes were detected: 11 (28%) DENV-1, 6 (15%) DENV-2, 6 (15%) DENV-3, and 17 (42%) DENV-4. Of 112 patients clinically diagnosed with dengue and tested by CHIKV RT-PCR, 11 (10%) were CHIKV PCR-positive (age range = 2–47 years, mean = 20.3 years). No coinfections were detected. Presenting signs/symptoms did not differ between DENV- and CHIKV-positive cases. Sequencing of envelope 1 gene from two CHIKV PCR-positive samples showed Asian genotype. This study highlights the potential for misdiagnosis of medically attended CHIKV infections as DENV infection and the difficulty in clinically differentiating dengue and chikungunya based on presenting signs/symptoms alone. This underscores the necessity for diagnostic laboratory tests to distinguish CHIKV infections in the background of actively co-circulating DENV. PMID:26416109

Age-related changes in human posture control: Motor coordination tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, R. J.; Black, F. O.

1989-01-01

Postural responses to support surface displacements were measured in 214 normal human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. Motor tests measured leg muscle Electromyography (EMG) latencies, body sway, and the amplitude and timing of changes in center of pressure displacements in response to sudden forward and backward horizontal translations of the support surface upon which the subjects stood. There were small increases in both EMG latencies and the time to reach the peak amplitude of center of pressure responses with increasing age. The amplitude of center of pressure responses showed little change with age if the amplitude measures were normalized by a factor related to subject height. In general, postural responses to sudden translations showed minimal changes with age, and all age related trends which were identified were small relative to the variability within the population.

Maturational trajectories of local and long-range functional connectivity in autism during face processing.

PubMed

Mamashli, Fahimeh; Khan, Sheraz; Bharadwaj, Hari; Losh, Ainsley; Pawlyszyn, Stephanie M; Hämäläinen, Matti S; Kenet, Tal

2018-06-26

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized neurophysiologically by, among other things, functional connectivity abnormalities in the brain. Recent evidence suggests that the nature of these functional connectivity abnormalities might not be uniform throughout maturation. Comparing between adolescents and young adults (ages 14-21) with ASD and age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) individuals, we previously documented, using magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, that local functional connectivity in the fusiform face areas (FFA) and long-range functional connectivity between FFA and three higher order cortical areas were all reduced in ASD. Given the findings on abnormal maturation trajectories in ASD, we tested whether these results extend to preadolescent children (ages 7-13). We found that both local and long-range functional connectivity were in fact normal in this younger age group in ASD. Combining the two age groups, we found that local and long-range functional connectivity measures were positively correlated with age in TD, but negatively correlated with age in ASD. Last, we showed that local functional connectivity was the primary feature in predicting age in ASD group, but not in the TD group. Furthermore, local functional connectivity was only correlated with ASD severity in the older group. These results suggest that the direction of maturation of functional connectivity for processing of faces from childhood to young adulthood is itself abnormal in ASD, and that during the processing of faces, these trajectory abnormalities are more pronounced for local functional connectivity measures than they are for long-range functional connectivity measures. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of Table Tennis Trainings on Certain Physical and Physiological Parameters in Children Aged 10-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Murat; Sinanoglu, Ahmet

2017-01-01

In the research it was aimed to examine the effects of basic table tennis trainings, which were implemented on girls aged 10-12 for 16 weeks, on certain physical and physiological parameters. A total of 40 students, as randomly selected 20 test groups and 20 control groups at an age range of 10-12 participated in the research. These students were…

Neuropsychological Performance in Advanced Age- Influences of Demographic Factors and Apolipoprotein E: Findings from the Cache County Memory Study

PubMed Central

Welsh-Bohmer, Katheen A.; Østbye, Truls; Sanders, Linda; Pieper, Carl F.; Hayden, Kathleen M.; Tschanz, JoAnn T.; Norton, Maria C.

2009-01-01

The Cache County Study of Memory in Aging (CCMS) is an epidemiological study of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive disorders, and aging in a population of exceptionally long-lived individuals (7th to 11th decade). Observation of population members without dementia provides an opportunity for establishing the range of normal neurocognitive performance in a representative sample of the very old. We examined neurocognitive performance of the normal participants undergoing full clinical evaluations (n=507) and we tested the potential modifying effects of APOE genotype, a known genetic risk factor for the later development of AD. The results indicate that advanced age and low education are related to lower test scores across nearly all of the neurocognitive measures. Gender and APOE ε4 both had negligible and inconsistent influences, affecting only isolated measures of memory and expressive speech (in case of gender). The gender and APOE effects disappeared once age and education were controlled. The study of this exceptionally long-lived population provides useful normative information regarding the broad range of “normal” cognition seen in advanced age. Among elderly without dementia or other cognitive impairment, APOE does not appear to exert any major effects on cognition once other demographic influences are controlled. PMID:18609337

Neuropsychological performance in advanced age: influences of demographic factors and Apolipoprotein E: findings from the Cache County Memory Study.

PubMed

Welsh-Bohmer, Katheen A; Ostbye, Truls; Sanders, Linda; Pieper, Carl F; Hayden, Kathleen M; Tschanz, JoAnn T; Norton, Maria C

2009-01-01

The Cache County Study of Memory in Aging (CCMS) is an epidemiological study of Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive disorders, and aging in a population of exceptionally long-lived individuals (7th to 11th decade). Observation of population members without dementia provides an opportunity for establishing the range of normal neurocognitive performance in a representative sample of the very old. We examined neurocognitive performance of the normal participants undergoing full clinical evaluations (n = 507) and we tested the potential modifying effects of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, a known genetic risk factor for the later development of AD. The results indicate that advanced age and low education are related to lower test scores across nearly all of the neurocognitive measures. Gender and APOE epsilon4 both had negligible and inconsistent influences, affecting only isolated measures of memory and expressive speech (in case of gender). The gender and APOE effects disappeared once age and education were controlled. The study of this exceptionally long-lived population provides useful normative information regarding the broad range of "normal" cognition seen in advanced age. Among elderly without dementia or other cognitive impairment, APOE does not appear to exert any major effects on cognition once other demographic influences are controlled.

Initial Cognitive Performance Predicts Longitudinal Aviator Performance

PubMed Central

Jo, Booil; Adamson, Maheen M.; Kennedy, Quinn; Noda, Art; Hernandez, Beatriz; Zeitzer, Jamie M.; Friedman, Leah F.; Fairchild, Kaci; Scanlon, Blake K.; Murphy, Greer M.; Taylor, Joy L.

2011-01-01

Objectives. The goal of the study was to improve prediction of longitudinal flight simulator performance by studying cognitive factors that may moderate the influence of chronological age. Method. We examined age-related change in aviation performance in aircraft pilots in relation to baseline cognitive ability measures and aviation expertise. Participants were aircraft pilots (N = 276) aged 40–77.9. Flight simulator performance and cognition were tested yearly; there were an average of 4.3 (± 2.7; range 1–13) data points per participant. Each participant was classified into one of the three levels of aviation expertise based on Federal Aviation Administration pilot proficiency ratings: least, moderate, or high expertise. Results. Addition of measures of cognitive processing speed and executive function to a model of age-related change in aviation performance significantly improved the model. Processing speed and executive function performance interacted such that the slowest rate of decline in flight simulator performance was found in aviators with the highest scores on tests of these abilities. Expertise was beneficial to pilots across the age range studied; however, expertise did not show evidence of reducing the effect of age. Discussion. These data suggest that longitudinal performance on an important real-world activity can be predicted by initial assessment of relevant cognitive abilities. PMID:21586627

The effect of age-at-testing on verbal memory among children following severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Silberg, Tamar; Ahonniska-Assa, Jaana; Levav, Miriam; Eliyahu, Roni; Peleg-Pilowsky, Tamar; Brezner, Amichai; Vakil, Eli

2016-01-01

Memory deficits are a common sequelae following childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI), which often have serious implications on age-related academic skills. The current study examined verbal memory performance using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) in a pediatric TBI sample. Verbal memory abilities as well as the effect of age at-testing on performance were examined. A sample of 67 children following severe TBI (age average = 12.3 ± 2.74) and 67 matched controls were evaluated using the RAVLT. Age effect at assessment was examined using two age groups: above and below 12 years of age during evaluation. Differences between groups were examined via the 9 RAVLT learning trials and the 7 composite scores conducted out of them. Children following TBI recalled significantly less words than controls on all RAVLT trials and had significantly lower scores on all composite scores. However, all of these scores fell within the low average range. Further analysis revealed significantly lower than average performance among the older children (above 12 years), while scores of the younger children following TBI fell within average limits. To conclude, verbal memory deficits among children following severe TBI demonstrate an age-at-testing effect with more prominent problems occurring above 12 years at the time of evaluation. Yet, age-appropriate performance among children below 12 years of age may not accurately describe memory abilities at younger ages following TBI. It is therefore recommended that clinicians address child's age at testing and avoid using a single test as an indicator of verbal memory functioning post TBI.

Age of first exposure to football and later-life cognitive impairment in former NFL players

PubMed Central

Stamm, Julie M.; Bourlas, Alexandra P.; Baugh, Christine M.; Fritts, Nathan G.; Daneshvar, Daniel H.; Martin, Brett M.; McClean, Michael D.; Tripodis, Yorghos

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine the relationship between exposure to repeated head impacts through tackle football prior to age 12, during a key period of brain development, and later-life executive function, memory, and estimated verbal IQ. Methods: Forty-two former National Football League (NFL) players ages 40–69 from the Diagnosing and Evaluating Traumatic Encephalopathy using Clinical Tests (DETECT) study were matched by age and divided into 2 groups based on their age of first exposure (AFE) to tackle football: AFE <12 and AFE ≥12. Participants completed the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), Neuropsychological Assessment Battery List Learning test (NAB-LL), and Wide Range Achievement Test, 4th edition (WRAT-4) Reading subtest as part of a larger neuropsychological testing battery. Results: Former NFL players in the AFE <12 group performed significantly worse than the AFE ≥12 group on all measures of the WCST, NAB-LL, and WRAT-4 Reading tests after controlling for total number of years of football played and age at the time of evaluation, indicating executive dysfunction, memory impairment, and lower estimated verbal IQ. Conclusions: There is an association between participation in tackle football prior to age 12 and greater later-life cognitive impairment measured using objective neuropsychological tests. These findings suggest that incurring repeated head impacts during a critical neurodevelopmental period may increase the risk of later-life cognitive impairment. If replicated with larger samples and longitudinal designs, these findings may have implications for safety recommendations for youth sports. PMID:25632088

Age of first exposure to football and later-life cognitive impairment in former NFL players.

PubMed

Stamm, Julie M; Bourlas, Alexandra P; Baugh, Christine M; Fritts, Nathan G; Daneshvar, Daniel H; Martin, Brett M; McClean, Michael D; Tripodis, Yorghos; Stern, Robert A

2015-03-17

To determine the relationship between exposure to repeated head impacts through tackle football prior to age 12, during a key period of brain development, and later-life executive function, memory, and estimated verbal IQ. Forty-two former National Football League (NFL) players ages 40-69 from the Diagnosing and Evaluating Traumatic Encephalopathy using Clinical Tests (DETECT) study were matched by age and divided into 2 groups based on their age of first exposure (AFE) to tackle football: AFE <12 and AFE ≥12. Participants completed the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), Neuropsychological Assessment Battery List Learning test (NAB-LL), and Wide Range Achievement Test, 4th edition (WRAT-4) Reading subtest as part of a larger neuropsychological testing battery. Former NFL players in the AFE <12 group performed significantly worse than the AFE ≥12 group on all measures of the WCST, NAB-LL, and WRAT-4 Reading tests after controlling for total number of years of football played and age at the time of evaluation, indicating executive dysfunction, memory impairment, and lower estimated verbal IQ. There is an association between participation in tackle football prior to age 12 and greater later-life cognitive impairment measured using objective neuropsychological tests. These findings suggest that incurring repeated head impacts during a critical neurodevelopmental period may increase the risk of later-life cognitive impairment. If replicated with larger samples and longitudinal designs, these findings may have implications for safety recommendations for youth sports. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

Six years genotype distribution of Human Papillomavirus in Calabria Region, Southern Italy: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Galati, Luisa; Peronace, Cinzia; Fiorillo, Maria Teresa; Masciari, Rosanna; Giraldi, Cristina; Nisticò, Salvatore; Minchella, Pasquale; Maiolo, Vincenzo; Barreca, Giorgio Settimo; Marascio, Nadia; Lamberti, Angelo Giuseppe; Giancotti, Aida; Lepore, Maria Gabriella; Greco, Francesca; Mauro, Maria Vittoria; Borelli, Annelisa; Bocchiaro, Giuseppa Lo; Surace, Giovanni; Liberto, Maria Carla; Focà, Alfredo

2017-01-01

Although analysis of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype spread in a particular area has a crucial impact on public health and prevention programmes, there is a lack of epidemiological data regarding HPV in the Calabria region of Italy. We therefore update information on HPV age/genotype distribution by retrospectively analysing a cohort of women, with and without cervical lesions, living in Calabria, who underwent HPV DNA testing; moreover, we also evaluated HPV age/genotype distribution in a subset of patients with cervical lesions. Cervical scrape specimens obtained from 9590 women (age range 20-75 years) from January 2010 to December 2015 were tested for HPV DNA. Viral types were genotyped by Linear Array HPV Genotyping® test (Roche, USA) at the Clinical Microbiology Operative Unit of six hospitals located in four provinces of the Calabria region. Cervical scrape specimens were also used to perform Pap smears for cytological analysis in a subset of 405 women; cytological classification of the samples was performed according to the Bethesda classification system. A total of 2974 women (31%) (C.I. 95% 30.09-31.94) were found to be HPV DNA positive for at least one (57.3%) or several (42.7%) HPV genotypes. Of single genotype HPV infections, 46.5% and 36.4 % were classed as high-risk (HR, Group 1) and low-risk (LR, Group 3) respectively, while 16.9% were classed as probably/possibly carcinogenic and 0.2% undetermined risk. Stratified by age, total HPV distribution, showed the highest prevalence within the range 30-39 years (37.2%), while single genotype infection distribution displayed a peak in women from the age range 20-29 years (37.5%). The most common high-risk HPV type was HPV 16 (19.1%), followed by HPV 31 (9.1%). We provide epidemiological data on HPV age/genotype distribution in women living in the Calabria region with or without cytological abnormalities, further to the enhancement of HPV screening/prevention programmes for the local population.

Assessment of Unconstrained Cerebrovascular Reactivity Marker for Large Age-Range fMRI Studies

PubMed Central

Kannurpatti, Sridhar S.; Motes, Michael A.; Biswal, Bharat B.; Rypma, Bart

2014-01-01

Breath hold (BH), a commonly used task to measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in fMRI studies varies in outcome among individuals due to subject-physiology and/or BH-inspiration/expiration differences (i.e., performance). In prior age-related fMRI studies, smaller task-related BOLD response variability is observed among younger than older individuals. Also, a linear CVR versus task relationship exists in younger individuals which maybe useful to test the accuracy of CVR responses in older groups. Hence we hypothesized that subject-related physiological and/or BH differences, if present, may compromise CVR versus task linearity in older individuals. To test the hypothesis, empirical BH versus task relationships from motor and cognitive areas were obtained in younger (mean age = 26 years) and older (mean age = 58 years) human subjects. BH versus task linearity was observed only in the younger group, confirming our hypothesis. Further analysis indicated BH responses and its variability to be similar in both younger and older groups, suggesting that BH may not accurately represent CVR in a large age range. Using the resting state fluctuation of amplitude (RSFA) as an unconstrained alternative to BH, subject-wise correspondence between BH and RSFA was tested. Correlation between BH versus RSFA was significant within the motor but was not significant in the cognitive areas in the younger and was completely disrupted in both areas in the older subjects indicating that BH responses are constrained by subject-related physiology and/or performance-related differences. Contrasting BH to task, RSFA-task relationships were independent of age accompanied by age-related increases in CVR variability as measured by RSFA, not observed with BH. Together the results obtained indicate that RSFA accurately represents CVR in any age range avoiding multiple and yet unknown physiologic and task-related pitfalls of BH. PMID:24551151

In vivo measurement of human body composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pace, N.

1974-01-01

The time course of physiological changes that occur during the first 21 days of continuous bed rest was examined. The test involved a total of 14 men in the age range of 25 to 36 years. The subjects were divided into groups and tested on a staggered schedule. Results are presented.

Does Sensory Function Decline Independently or Concomitantly with Age? Data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

PubMed

Gadkaree, Shekhar K; Sun, Daniel Q; Li, Carol; Lin, Frank R; Ferrucci, Luigi; Simonsick, Eleanor M; Agrawal, Yuri

2016-01-01

Objectives . To investigate whether sensory function declines independently or in parallel with age within a single individual. Methods . Cross-sectional analysis of Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) participants who underwent vision (visual acuity threshold), proprioception (ankle joint proprioceptive threshold), vestibular function (cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential), hearing (pure-tone average audiometric threshold), and Health ABC physical performance battery testing. Results . A total of 276 participants (mean age 70 years, range 26-93) underwent all four sensory tests. The function of all four systems declined with age. After age adjustment, there were no significant associations between sensory systems. Among 70-79-year-olds, dual or triple sensory impairment was associated with poorer physical performance. Discussion . Our findings suggest that beyond the common mechanism of aging, other distinct (nonshared) etiologic mechanisms may contribute to decline in each sensory system. Multiple sensory impairments influence physical performance among individuals in middle old-age (age 70-79).

Does Sensory Function Decline Independently or Concomitantly with Age? Data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

PubMed Central

Gadkaree, Shekhar K.; Sun, Daniel Q.; Li, Carol; Lin, Frank R.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Simonsick, Eleanor M.

2016-01-01

Objectives. To investigate whether sensory function declines independently or in parallel with age within a single individual. Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) participants who underwent vision (visual acuity threshold), proprioception (ankle joint proprioceptive threshold), vestibular function (cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential), hearing (pure-tone average audiometric threshold), and Health ABC physical performance battery testing. Results. A total of 276 participants (mean age 70 years, range 26–93) underwent all four sensory tests. The function of all four systems declined with age. After age adjustment, there were no significant associations between sensory systems. Among 70–79-year-olds, dual or triple sensory impairment was associated with poorer physical performance. Discussion. Our findings suggest that beyond the common mechanism of aging, other distinct (nonshared) etiologic mechanisms may contribute to decline in each sensory system. Multiple sensory impairments influence physical performance among individuals in middle old-age (age 70–79). PMID:27774319

Ages of LMC star clusters using ASAD2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asa'd, Randa S.; Vazdekis, Alexandre; Zeinelabdin, Sami

2016-04-01

We use ASAD2, the new version of ASAD (Analyzer of Spectra for Age Determination), to obtain the age and reddening of 27 Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) clusters from full fitting of integrated spectra using different statistical methods [χ2 and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test] and a set of stellar population models including GALAXEV and MILES. We show that our results are in good agreement with the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) ages for both models, and that metallicity does not affect the age determination for the full spectrum fitting method regardless of the model used for ages with log (age/year) < 9. We discuss the results obtained by the two statistical results for both GALAXEV and MILES versus three factors: age, signal-to-noise ratio and resolution (full width at half maximum). The predicted reddening values when using the χ2 minimization method are within the range found in the literature for resolved clusters (I.e. <0.35); however the KS test can predict E(B - V) higher values. The sharp spectrum transition originated at ages around the supergiants contribution, at either side of the AGB peak around log (age/year) 9.0 and log (age/year) 7.8 are limiting our ability to provide values in agreement with the CMD estimates and as a result the reddening determination is not accurate. We provide the detailed results of four clusters spanning a wide range of ages. ASAD2 is a user-friendly program available for download on the Web and can be immediately used at http://randaasad.wordpress.com/asad-package/.

NINTH INTERIM STATUS REPORT: MODEL 9975 PCV O-RING FIXTURE LONG-TERM LEAK PERFORMANCE

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

Daugherty, W.

2014-08-06

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT O-rings used in the Model 9975 package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. One approach has been to periodically evaluate the leak performance of O-rings being aged in mock-up 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) at elevated temperatures. Other methods such as compression-stress relaxation (CSR) tests and field surveillance are also on-going to evaluate O-ring behavior. Seventy tests using PCV mock-ups were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determinemore » if they continue to meet the leak-tightness criterion defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Due to material substitution, fourteen additional tests were initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF. High temperature aging continues for 23 GLT O-ring fixtures at 200 – 270 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 ºF and higher temperatures, and in 8 fixtures aging at 300 ºF. The earliest 300 °F GLT O-ring fixture failure was observed at 34 months. The remaining GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF have been retired from testing following more than 5 years at temperature without failure. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 ºF for 72 - 96 months, which bounds O-ring temperatures anticipated during storage in K-Area Complex (KAC). Based on expectations that the 200 ºF fixtures will remain leak-tight for a significant period yet to come, 2 additional fixtures began aging in 2011 at 270 ºF, with hopes that they may reach a failure condition before the 200 ºF fixtures, thus providing additional time to failure data. High temperature aging continues for 6 GLT-S O-ring fixtures at 200 – 300 ºF. Room temperature leak test failures have been experienced in all 8 of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 350 and 400 ºF. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200 - 300 ºF for 54 - 57 months. No additional O-ring failures have been observed since the last interim report was issued. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining PCV fixtures. Additional irradiation of several fixtures is recommended to maintain a balance between thermal and radiation exposures similar to that experienced in storage, and to show the degree of consistency of radiation response between GLT and GLT-S O-rings.« less

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems--Teacher-Report Version (Step-T): Studies of Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erford, Bradley T.; Butler, Caitlin; Peacock, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems-Teacher Version (STEP-T) was designed to identify students aged 7-17 years with wide-ranging emotional disturbances. Coefficients alpha and test-retest reliability were adequate for all subscales except Anxiety. The hypothesized five-factor model fit the data very well and external aspects of validity were…

Item Parameter Invariance of the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test across Male and Female Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Immekus, Jason C.; Maller, Susan J.

2009-01-01

The Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT[TM]) is an individually administered test of intelligence for individuals ranging in age from 11 to 85+ years. The item response theory-likelihood ratio procedure, based on the two-parameter logistic model, was used to detect differential item functioning (DIF) in the KAIT across males and…

Screening for Specific Language Impairment in Preschool Children: Evaluating a Screening Procedure Including the Token Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willinger, Ulrike; Schmoeger, Michaela; Deckert, Matthias; Eisenwort, Brigitte; Loader, Benjamin; Hofmair, Annemarie; Auff, Eduard

2017-01-01

Specific language impairment (SLI) comprises impairments in receptive and/or expressive language. Aim of this study was to evaluate a screening for SLI. 61 children with SLI (SLI-children, age-range 4-6 years) and 61 matched typically developing controls were tested for receptive language ability (Token Test-TT) and for intelligence (Wechsler…

Test-retest reliability of the scale of participation in organized activities among adolescents in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

PubMed

Bosakova, Lucia; Kolarcik, Peter; Bobakova, Daniela; Sulcova, Martina; Van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Geckova, Andrea Madarasova

2016-04-01

Participation in organized activities is related with a range of positive outcomes, but the way such participation is measured has not been scrutinized. Test-retest reliability as an important indicator of a scale's reliability has been assessed rarely and for "The scale of participation in organized activities" lacks completely. This test-retest study is based on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study and is consistent with its methodology. We obtained data from 353 Czech (51.9 % boys) and 227 Slovak (52.9 % boys) primary school pupils, grades five and nine, who participated in this study in 2013. We used Cohen's kappa statistic and single measures of the intraclass correlation coefficient to estimate the test-retest reliability of all selected items in the sample, stratified by gender, age and country. We mostly observed a large correlation between the test and retest in all of the examined variables (κ ranged from 0.46 to 0.68). Test-retest reliability of the sum score of individual items showed substantial agreement (ICC = 0.64). The scale of participation in organized activities has an acceptable level of agreement, indicating good reliability.

Coagulation parameters in senior athletes practicing endurance sporting activity.

PubMed

Cerneca, E; Simeone, R; Bruno, G; Gombacci, A

2005-12-01

Physical activity is practiced more and more by middle-aged people. We studied the behavior of the coagulation system before and after near-maximum, specific and standardized exercise tests in 2 groups of senior athletes. The subjects of the study were 2 groups of athletes over 40 years of age (ranging 41 to 60 years): 10 rowers and 10 marathon runners. The data were compared with 10 controls (ranging in age from 40 to 71 years) tested on the cycle ergometer. The first group (rowers) was tested on a rowing machine; the second group (marathon runners) performed a maximal exercise on the treadmill. All subjects were tested to a maximal level of cardiovascular and muscular exertion and cardiac and respiratory parameters were monitored. The following coagulation tests were performed before and after maximal exercise: prothrombin time (PT), partial activated thromboplastin time (PTT), fibrinogen (FBG), antithrombin III (ATIII), protein C (PC), protein S (PS), prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), tissue activator of plasminogen (t-PA) and its inhibitor (PAI). All subjects performed a complete maximal specific test. The results showed all individuals produced a significant increase of FBG, PT and PTT activities and a lowering trend for PC and PS inhibitors after maximal exercise testing. ATIII levels increased significantly in trained subjects. After the test, data regarding fibrinolysis showed higher t-PA levels in athletes as compared with controls. PAI levels indicated a more marked decrease in athletes. The F1+2 showed a moderate but significant increase in the control group. Coagulative tests showed an increase in procoagulant and fibrinolysis parameters in all the groups but the increased fibrinolytic activity in trained athletes indicates a protective factor and greater vascular efficiency. The results demonstrate that sporting activity practiced by middle-aged people accelerates fibrinolytic activity in conditioned subjects. In conclusion, physical activity benefits the coagulation system particularly as regards fibrinolysis.

A radiographic study of the mandibular third molar root development in different ethnic groups.

PubMed

Liversidge, H M; Peariasamy, K; Folayan, M O; Adeniyi, A O; Ngom, P I; Mikami, Y; Shimada, Y; Kuroe, K; Tvete, I F; Kvaal, S I

2017-12-01

The nature of differences in the timing of tooth formation between ethnic groups is important when estimating age. To calculate age of transition of the mandibular third (M3) molar tooth stages from archived dental radiographs from sub-Saharan Africa, Malaysia, Japan and two groups from London UK (Whites and Bangladeshi). The number of radiographs was 4555 (2028 males, 2527 females) with an age range 10-25 years. The left M3 was staged into Moorrees stages. A probit model was fitted to calculate mean ages for transitions between stages for males and females and each ethnic group separately. The estimated age distributions given each M3 stage was calculated. To assess differences in timing of M3 between ethnic groups, three models were proposed: a separate model for each ethnic group, a joint model and a third model combining some aspects across groups. The best model fit was tested using Bayesian and Akaikes information criteria (BIC and AIC) and log likelihood ratio test. Differences in mean ages of M3 root stages were found between ethnic groups, however all groups showed large standard deviation values. The AIC and log likelihood ratio test indicated that a separate model for each ethnic group was best. Small differences were also noted between timing of M3 between males and females, with the exception of the Malaysian group. These findings suggests that features of a reference data set (wide age range and uniform age distribution) and a Bayesian statistical approach are more important than population specific convenience samples to estimate age of an individual using M3. Some group differences were evident in M3 timing, however, this has some impact on the confidence interval of estimated age in females and little impact in males because of the large variation in age.

Utility of serum IGF-1 for diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency following traumatic brain injury and sport-related concussion.

PubMed

Lithgow, Kirstie; Chin, Alex; Debert, Chantel T; Kline, Gregory A

2018-04-02

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a potential consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), including sport-related concussion (SRC). GH stimulation testing is required for definitive diagnosis; however, this is resource intensive and can be associated with adverse symptoms or risks. Measurement of serum IGF-1 is more practical and accessible, and pituitary tumour patients with hypopituitarism and low serum IGF-1 have been shown to have a high probability of GHD. We aimed to evaluate IGF-1 measurement for diagnosing GHD in our local TBI population. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients evaluated for GHD at the TBI clinic and referred for GH stimulation testing with insulin tolerance test (ITT) or glucagon stimulation test (GST) since December 2013. We obtained demographics, TBI severity, IGF-1, data pertaining to pituitary function, and GH stimulation results. IGF-1 values were used to calculate z-scores per age and gender specific reference ranges. Receiver operator curve analysis was performed to evaluate diagnostic threshold of IGF-1 z-score for determining GHD by GST or ITT. Sixty four patient charts were reviewed. 48 patients had mild, six had moderate, eight had severe TBI, and two had non-traumatic brain injuries. 47 patients underwent ITT or GST. 27 were confirmed to have GHD (peak hGH < 5 μg/L). IGF-1 level was within the age and gender specific reference range for all patients with confirmed GHD following GH stimulation testing. Only one patient had a baseline IGF-1 level below the age and gender specific reference range; this patient had a normal response to GH stimulation testing. ROC analysis showed IGF-1 z-score AUC f, confirming lack of diagnostic utility. Baseline IGF-1 is not a useful predictor of GHD in our local TBI population, and therefore has no value as a screening tool. TBI patients undergoing pituitary evaluation will require a dynamic test of GH reserve.

Hip strength and range of motion: Normal values from a professional football league.

PubMed

Mosler, Andrea B; Crossley, Kay M; Thorborg, Kristian; Whiteley, Rod J; Weir, Adam; Serner, Andreas; Hölmich, Per

2017-04-01

To determine the normal profiles for hip strength and range of motion (ROM) in a professional football league in Qatar, and examine the effect of leg dominance, age, past history of injury, and ethnicity on these profiles. Cross-sectional cohort study. Participants included 394 asymptomatic, male professional football players, aged 18-40 years. Strength was measured using a hand held dynamometer with an eccentric test in side-lying for hip adduction and abduction, and the squeeze test in supine with 45° hip flexion. Range of motion measures included: hip internal and external rotation in 90° flexion, hip IR in prone, bent knee fall out and hip abduction in side-lying. Demographic information was collected and the effect on the profiles was analysed using linear mixed models with repeated measures. Strength values (mean±SD) were: adduction=3.0±0.6Nm/kg, abduction=2.6±0.4Nm/kg, adduction/abduction ratio=1.2±0.2, Squeeze test=3.6±0.8N/kg. Range of motion values: internal rotation in flexion=32±8°, external rotation=38±8°, internal rotation in prone=38±8°, bent knee fall out=13±4.4cm, abduction in side-lying=50±7.3°. Leg dominance had no clinically relevant effect on these profiles. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age had a minor influence on squeeze strength (-0.03N/kg/year), external rotation (-0.30°/year) and abduction range (-0.19°/year) but past history of injury, and ethnicity did not. Normal values are documented for hip strength and range of motion that can be used as reference profiles in the clinical assessment, screening, and management of professional football players. Leg dominance, recent past injury history and ethnicity do not need to be accounted for when using these profiles for comparison purposes. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical properties of Pyromark 2500 coatings of variable thicknesses on a range of materials for concentrating solar thermal applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coventry, Joe; Burge, Patrick

2017-06-01

In this paper we present the results of solar absorptance measurements of four metallic substrate materials, either coated with Pyromark 2500 at various thicknesses, or uncoated and oxidised. Absorptance is measured prior to aging, and during and after aging at three elevated temperatures. In many cases, thin coatings perform as well, or better than thick coatings and do not appear to have a higher rate of failure. However, a thicker coating did show an advantage after aging at the highest temperature tested (850°C), and it is expected that with longer exposure, similar trends may emerge for the 600°C and 750°C aging cases. Another finding is that the two nickel-based alloys tested, Haynes 230 and Inconel 625, both formed an oxide with very good absorptance, although durability requires further testing.

A reliability generalization meta-analysis of coefficient alpha and test-retest coefficient for the aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale.

PubMed

Lee, Chin-Pang; Chiu, Yu-Wen; Chu, Chun-Lin; Chen, Yu; Jiang, Kun-Hao; Chen, Jiun-Liang; Chen, Ching-Yen

2016-12-01

The aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale is an instrument used to determine the health-related quality of life in adult and elderly men. The purpose of this study was to synthesize internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability for the AMS scale and its three subscales. Of the 123 studies reviewed, 12 provided alpha coefficients which were then used in the meta-analyses of internal consistency. Seven of the 12 included studies provided test-retest coefficients, and these were used in the meta-analyses of test-retest reliability. The AMS scale had excellent internal consistency [α = 0.89 (95% CI 0.88-0.90)]; the mean alpha estimates across the AMS subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.82. The AMS scale also had good test-retest reliability [r = 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.88]; the test-retest reliability coefficients of the AMS subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.83. There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies. The AMS scale and the three subscales had fairly good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Future psychometric studies of the AMS scale should report important characteristics of the participants, details of item scores, and test-retest reliability.

Molecular biomarkers for chronological age in animal ecology.

PubMed

Jarman, Simon N; Polanowski, Andrea M; Faux, Cassandra E; Robbins, Jooke; De Paoli-Iseppi, Ricardo; Bravington, Mark; Deagle, Bruce E

2015-10-01

The chronological age of an individual animal predicts many of its biological characteristics, and these in turn influence population-level ecological processes. Animal age information can therefore be valuable in ecological research, but many species have no external features that allow age to be reliably determined. Molecular age biomarkers provide a potential solution to this problem. Research in this area of molecular ecology has so far focused on a limited range of age biomarkers. The most commonly tested molecular age biomarker is change in average telomere length, which predicts age well in a small number of species and tissues, but performs poorly in many other situations. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression has recently been shown to cause age-related modifications to DNA and to cause changes in abundance of several RNA types throughout animal lifespans. Age biomarkers based on these epigenetic changes, and other new DNA-based assays, have already been applied to model organisms, humans and a limited number of wild animals. There is clear potential to apply these marker types more widely in ecological studies. For many species, these new approaches will produce age estimates where this was previously impractical. They will also enable age information to be gathered in cross-sectional studies and expand the range of demographic characteristics that can be quantified with molecular methods. We describe the range of molecular age biomarkers that have been investigated to date and suggest approaches for developing the newer marker types as age assays in nonmodel animal species. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Goal Orientations and Perceptions of the Motivational Climate in Physical Education Classes among Colombian Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Jairo; Salguero, Alfonso; Marquez, Sara

2008-01-01

This study examined the relationships of achievement goal orientations and perceptions of the motivational climate in physical education classes among Colombian students, and tested gender and age differences in goal orientations and perceived motivational climate. Participants (1378 boys and 1615 girls, ranging in age from 9 to 18 yr) completed…

Evaluation of flexural, diametral tensile, and shear bond strength of composite repairs.

PubMed

Imbery, T A; Gray, T; DeLatour, F; Boxx, C; Best, A M; Moon, P C

2014-01-01

Repairing composite restorations may be a more conservative treatment than replacing the entire restoration. The objective of this in vitro study was to determine the best repair method by measuring flexural, diametral tensile, and shear bond strength of repaired composites in which the surfaces were treated with chemical primers (Add & Bond or Silane Bond Enhancer), a bonding agent (Optibond Solo Plus [OBSP]), or mechanical retention with a bonding agent. Filtek Supreme Ultra shade B1B was placed in special molds to fabricate specimens that served to test the flexural, diametral tensile, or shear strength of the inherent resin substrate. The same molds were modified to make specimens for testing repair strength of the resin. Repairs were made immediately or after aging in deionized water at 37°C for seven days. All repair sites were finished with coarse Sof-Lex discs to simulate finishing new restorations or partially removing aged restorations. Repair surfaces were treated with one of the following: 1) phosphoric-acid etching and OBSP; 2) Add & Bond; 3) phosphoric-acid etching, Silane Bond Enhancer, and OBSP; or 4) quarter round bur, phosphoric-acid etching, and OBSP. Specimens were placed back in the original molds to fabricate specimens for diametral tensile or flexural testing or in an Ultradent jig to make specimens for shear bond testing. Composite resin in shade B5B was polymerized against the treated surfaces to make repairs. Two negative control groups for the three testing methods consisted of specimens in which repairs were made immediately or after aging without any surface treatments. Controls and experimental repairs were aged (water 37°C, 24 hours) before flexural, diametral tensile, or shear testing in an Instron Universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Experimental flexural repair strengths ranged from 26.4% to 88.6% of the inherent substrate strength. Diametral tensile repair strengths ranged from 40% to 80% of the inherent substrate strength, and shear bond strength repairs ranged from 56% to 102%. Geometric means were statistically analyzed with two-way analysis of variance on their log-transformed values. Significant differences were determined using Tukey honestly significant difference (p<0.05). Depending on the mechanical property being tested, surface treatments produced different results. OBSP produced more consistent results than chemical primers.

Short-term phonological memory in preschool children.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Amalia; Befi-Lopes, Debora Maria

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design a short-term memory test, to describe quantitative performance in typically language developing children and to verify the relationship between the non-words repetition and oral phonological measure. The participants included 136 typically language developing children aged from 3 years to 6 years and 11 months old in this study, who were evaluated. The test consisted of 40 non-words of one, two, three, and four syllables. The subjects' repetitions were transcribed and the number of right answers was calculated for each age range. The effect of age was observed in the test, as well as the effect of length, only for disyllabic non-words. The performance in the non-word repetition task showed correlation with the oral phonology measure. The test designed in this research was able to verify the short-term memory in typically language developing children and the results showed correlation between this memory and phonological performance.

Age affects severity of venous gas emboli on decompression from 14.7 to 4.3 psia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conkin, Johnny; Powell, Michael R.; Gernhardt, Michael L.

2003-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Variables that define who we are, such as age, weight and fitness level influence the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) and venous gas emboli (VGE) from diving and aviation decompressions. We focus on age since astronauts that perform space walks are approximately 10 yr older than our test subjects. Our null hypothesis is that age is not statistically associated with the VGE outcomes from decompression to 4.3 psia. METHODS: Our data are from 7 different NASA tests where 188 men and 50 women performed light exercise at 4.3 psia for planned exposures no less than 4 h. Prebreathe (PB) time on 100% oxygen ranged from 150-270 min, including ascent time, with exercise of different intensity and length being performed during the PB in four of the seven tests with 150 min of PB. Subjects were monitored for VGE in the pulmonary artery using a Doppler ultrasound bubble detector for a 4-min period every 12 min. There were six design variables; the presence or absence of lower body adynamia and five PB variables; plus five concomitant variables on physical characteristics: age, weight height, body mass index, and gender that were available for logistic regression (LR). We used LR models for the probability of DCS and VGE, and multinomial logit (ML) models for the probability of Spencer VGE Grades 0-IV at exposure times of 61, 95, 131, 183 min, and for the entire exposure. RESULTS: Age was significantly associated with VGE in both the LR and ML models, so we reject the null hypothesis. Lower body adynamia was significant for all responses. CONCLUSIONS: Our selection of tests produced a wide range of the explanatory variables, but only age, lower body adynamia, height, and total PB time was helpful in various combinations to model the probability of DCS and VGE.

Brain white matter structure and information processing speed in healthy older age.

PubMed

Kuznetsova, Ksenia A; Maniega, Susana Muñoz; Ritchie, Stuart J; Cox, Simon R; Storkey, Amos J; Starr, John M; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Deary, Ian J; Bastin, Mark E

2016-07-01

Cognitive decline, especially the slowing of information processing speed, is associated with normal ageing. This decline may be due to brain cortico-cortical disconnection caused by age-related white matter deterioration. We present results from a large, narrow age range cohort of generally healthy, community-dwelling subjects in their seventies who also had their cognitive ability tested in youth (age 11 years). We investigate associations between older age brain white matter structure, several measures of information processing speed and childhood cognitive ability in 581 subjects. Analysis of diffusion tensor MRI data using Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) showed that all measures of information processing speed, as well as a general speed factor composed from these tests (g speed), were significantly associated with fractional anisotropy (FA) across the white matter skeleton rather than in specific tracts. Cognitive ability measured at age 11 years was not associated with older age white matter FA, except for the g speed-independent components of several individual processing speed tests. These results indicate that quicker and more efficient information processing requires global connectivity in older age, and that associations between white matter FA and information processing speed (both individual test scores and g speed), unlike some other aspects of later life brain structure, are generally not accounted for by cognitive ability measured in youth.

Reaction time norms as measured by ruler drop method in school-going South Asian children: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Aranha, V P; Saxena, S; Moitra, M; Narkeesh, K; Arumugam, N; Samuel, A J

2017-01-01

This study aimed to estimate normative range for reaction time using ruler drop method for school-going South Asian children between 6 and 12 years of age. A cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the reaction time for 204 children. Normal values for each age group were obtained. The results of multiple linear regressions showed a decrease in the reaction time values with age, and a significant change occurring between six and eight years of age. No difference in reaction time was obtained between boys and girls. Ruler drop method is an easy to use test and the results of this study provide a normative data for age groups 6-12 years ranging from 214.2ms to 248.8ms. These values can serve as a reference to screen children with delayed reaction time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms before and after oral IQoro(R) training.

PubMed

Hägg, Mary; Tibbling, Lita; Franzén, Thomas

2015-06-28

To examine whether muscle training with an oral IQoro(R) screen (IQS) improves esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms. A total of 43 adult patients (21 women and 22 men) were consecutively referred to a swallowing center for the treatment and investigation of long-lasting nonstenotic esophageal dysphagia. Hiatal hernia was confirmed by radiologic examination in 21 patients before enrollment in the study (group A; median age 52 years, range: 19-85 years). No hiatal hernia was detected by radiologic examination in the remaining 22 patients (group B; median age 57 years, range: 22-85 years). Before and after training with an oral IQS for 6-8 mo, the patients were evaluated using a symptom questionnaire (esophageal dysphagia and acid chest symptoms; score 0-3), visual analogue scale (ability to swallow food: score 0-100), lip force test (≥ 15 N), velopharyngeal closure test (≥ 10 s), orofacial motor tests, and an oral sensory test. Another twelve patients (median age 53 years, range: 22-68 years) with hiatal hernia were evaluated using oral IQS traction maneuvers with pressure recordings of the upper esophageal sphincter and hiatus canal as assessed by high-resolution manometry. Esophageal dysphagia was present in all 43 patients at entry, and 98% of patients showed improvement after IQS training [mean score (range): 2.5 (1-3) vs 0.9 (0-2), P < 0.001]. Symptoms of reflux were reported before training in 86% of the patients who showed improvement at follow-up [1.7 (0-3) vs 0.5 (0-2), P < 0.001). The visual analogue scale scores were classified as pathologic in all 43 patients, and 100% showed improvement after IQS training [71 (30-100) vs 22 (0-50), P < 0.001]. No significant difference in symptom frequency was found between groups A and B before or after IQS training. The lip force test [31 N (12-80 N) vs 54 N (27-116), P < 0.001] and velopharyngeal closure test values [28 s (5-74 s) vs 34 s (13-80 s), P < 0.001] were significantly higher after IQS training. The oral IQS traction results showed an increase in mean pressure in the diaphragmatic hiatus region from 0 mmHg at rest (range: 0-0 mmHG) to 65 mmHg (range: 20-100 mmHg). Oral IQS training can relieve/improve esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms in adults, likely due to improved hiatal competence.

Esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms before and after oral IQoroR training

PubMed Central

Hägg, Mary; Tibbling, Lita; Franzén, Thomas

2015-01-01

AIM: To examine whether muscle training with an oral IQoroR screen (IQS) improves esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms. METHODS: A total of 43 adult patients (21 women and 22 men) were consecutively referred to a swallowing center for the treatment and investigation of long-lasting nonstenotic esophageal dysphagia. Hiatal hernia was confirmed by radiologic examination in 21 patients before enrollment in the study (group A; median age 52 years, range: 19-85 years). No hiatal hernia was detected by radiologic examination in the remaining 22 patients (group B; median age 57 years, range: 22-85 years). Before and after training with an oral IQS for 6-8 mo, the patients were evaluated using a symptom questionnaire (esophageal dysphagia and acid chest symptoms; score 0-3), visual analogue scale (ability to swallow food: score 0-100), lip force test (≥ 15 N), velopharyngeal closure test (≥ 10 s), orofacial motor tests, and an oral sensory test. Another twelve patients (median age 53 years, range: 22-68 years) with hiatal hernia were evaluated using oral IQS traction maneuvers with pressure recordings of the upper esophageal sphincter and hiatus canal as assessed by high-resolution manometry. RESULTS: Esophageal dysphagia was present in all 43 patients at entry, and 98% of patients showed improvement after IQS training [mean score (range): 2.5 (1-3) vs 0.9 (0-2), P < 0.001]. Symptoms of reflux were reported before training in 86% of the patients who showed improvement at follow-up [1.7 (0-3) vs 0.5 (0-2), P < 0.001). The visual analogue scale scores were classified as pathologic in all 43 patients, and 100% showed improvement after IQS training [71 (30-100) vs 22 (0-50), P < 0.001]. No significant difference in symptom frequency was found between groups A and B before or after IQS training. The lip force test [31 N (12-80 N) vs 54 N (27-116), P < 0.001] and velopharyngeal closure test values [28 s (5-74 s) vs 34 s (13-80 s), P < 0.001] were significantly higher after IQS training. The oral IQS traction results showed an increase in mean pressure in the diaphragmatic hiatus region from 0 mmHg at rest (range: 0-0 mmHG) to 65 mmHg (range: 20-100 mmHg). CONCLUSION: Oral IQS training can relieve/improve esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms in adults, likely due to improved hiatal competence. PMID:26140003

Applying Neurological Learning Research to an Online Undergraduate Science Laboratory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Dana; Byrd, Gene

2013-01-01

Neurological research has demonstrated that pre-test verbal preparation improves performance. The well-tested Tower of London puzzle can assess cognitive skills of a wide age range of participants. Preschoolers who talked to themselves about future puzzle moves had greatly improved Tower of London performance over those without such preparation.…

77 FR 9660 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... target age range with a normal Pap test and a negative HPV DNA test. Primary goals of the study are to... Description The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is the only organized... secondary screening tool for ASCUS (Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance), and as a primary...

Reference values for physical performance measures in the aging working population.

PubMed

Cote, Mark P; Kenny, Anne; Dussetschleger, Jeffrey; Farr, Dana; Chaurasia, Ashok; Cherniack, Martin

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine reference physical performance values in older aging workers. Cross-sectional physical performance measures were collected for 736 manufacturing workers to assess effects of work and nonwork factors on age-related changes in musculoskeletal function and health. Participants underwent surveys and physical testing that included bioelectrical impedance analysis, range-of-motion measures, exercise testing, and dynamic assessment. Physical characteristics, such as blood pressure and body fat percentage, were comparable to published values. Dynamic and range-of-motion measurements differed from published normative results. Women had age-related decreases in cervical extension and lateral rotation. Older men had better spinal flexion than expected. Predicted age-related decline in lower-extremity strength and shoulder strength in women was not seen. Men declined in handgrip, lower-extremity strength, and knee extension strength, but not trunk strength, across age groups. There was no appreciable decline in muscle fatigue at the trunk, shoulder, and knee with aging for either gender, except for the youngest age group of women. Normative values may underestimate physical performance in "healthy" older workers, thereby underappreciating declines in less healthy older workers. Work may be preservative of function for a large group of selected individuals. A "healthy worker effect" may be greater for musculoskeletal disease and function than for heart disease and mortality. Clinicians and researchers studying musculoskeletal function in older workers can use a more specific set of reference values.

A Profile of Glenohumeral Internal and External Rotation Motion in the Uninjured High School Baseball Pitcher, Part I: Motion

PubMed Central

Hurd, Wendy J.; Kaplan, Kevin M.; ElAttrache, Neal S.; Jobe, Frank W.; Morrey, Bernard F.; Kaufman, Kenton R.

2011-01-01

Context: The magnitude of motion that is normal for the throwing shoulder in uninjured baseball pitchers has not been established. Chronologic factors contributing to adaptations in motion present in the thrower's shoulder also have not been established. Objectives: To develop a normative profile of glenohumeral rotation motion in uninjured high school baseball pitchers and to evaluate the effect of chronologic characteristics on the development of adaptations in shoulder rotation motion. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Baseball playing field. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 210 uninjured male high school baseball pitchers (age = 16±1.1 years, height = 1.8 + 0.1 m, mass = 77.5±11.2 kg, pitching experience = 6±2.3 years). Intervention(s): Using standard goniometric techniques, we measured passive rotational glenohumeral range of motion bilaterally with participants in the supine position. Main Outcome Measure(s): Paired t tests were performed to identify differences in motion between limbs for the group. Analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests were conducted to identify differences in motion by age. Linear regressions were performed to determine the influence of chronologic factors on limb motion. Results: Rotation motion characteristics for the population were established. We found no difference between sides for external rotation (ER) at 0° of abduction (t209 = 0.658, P = .51), but we found side-to-side differences in ER (t209 = −13.012, P<.001) and internal rotation (t209 = 15.304, P<.001) at 90° of abduction. Age at the time of testing was a significant negative predictor of ER motion for the dominant shoulder (R2 = 0.019, P = .049) because less ER motion occurred at the dominant shoulder with advancing age. We found no differences in rotation motion in the dominant shoulder across ages (F4,205 range, 0.451–1.730, P>.05). Conclusions: This range-of-motion profile might be used to assist with the interpretation of normal and atypical shoulder rotation motion in this population. Chronologic characteristics of athletes had no influence on range-of-motion adaptations in the thrower's shoulder. PMID:21669098

[The Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test in cognitively healthy and clinical samples. An update of normative data].

PubMed

van Toutert, Meta; Diesfeldt, Han; Hoek, Dirk

2016-10-01

The six tests in the Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test (ADST) examine the cognitive domains of episodic memory (delayed picture recognition, word learning), orientation, category fluency (animals and occupations), constructional ability (figure copying) and executive function (alternating sequences). New normative data were collected in a sample of 102 elderly volunteers (aged 65-94), including subjects with medical or other health conditions, except dementia or frank cognitive impairment (MMSE > 24). Included subjects were independent in complex instrumental activities of daily living.Fluency, not the other tests, needed adjustment for age and education. A deficit score (0-1) was computed for each test. Summation (range 0-6) proved useful in differentiating patients with dementia (N = 741) from normal elderly (N = 102).Positive and negative predictive power across a range of summed deficit scores and base rates are displayed in Bayesian probability tables.In the normal elderly, delayed recall for eight words was tested and adjusted for initial recall. A recognition test mixed the target words with eight distractors. Delayed recognition was adjusted for immediate and delayed recall.The ADST and the normative data in this paper help the clinical neuropsychologist to make decisions concerning the presence or absence of neurocognitive disorder in individual elderly examinees.

A Psychometric Measurement Model for Adult English Language Learners: Pearson Test of English Academic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pae, Hye K.

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to apply Rasch modeling to an examination of the psychometric properties of the "Pearson Test of English Academic" (PTE Academic). Analyzed were 140 test-takers' scores derived from the PTE Academic database. The mean age of the participants was 26.45 (SD = 5.82), ranging from 17 to 46. Conformity of the participants'…

Association of Cognitive Function With Cause-Specific Mortality in Middle and Older Age: Follow-up of Participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

PubMed

Batty, G David; Deary, Ian J; Zaninotto, Paola

2016-02-01

We examined the little-tested associations between general cognitive function in middle and older age and later risk of death from chronic diseases. In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002-2012), 11,391 study participants who were 50-100 years of age at study induction underwent a battery of cognitive tests and provided a range of collateral data. In an analytical sample of 9,204 people (4,982 women), there were 1,488 deaths during follow-up (mean duration, 9.0 years). When we combined scores from 4 cognition tests that represented 3 acknowledged key domains of cognitive functioning (memory, executive function, and processing speed), cognition was inversely associated with deaths from cancer (per each 1-standard-deviation decrease in general cognitive function score, hazard ratio = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.33), cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.55, 1.89), other causes (hazard ratio = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.79, 2.40), and respiratory illness (hazard ratio = 2.48, 95% CI: 2.12, 2.90). Controlling for a range of covariates, such as health behaviors and socioeconomic status, and left-censoring to explore reverse causality had very little impact on the strength of these relationships. These findings indicate that cognitive test scores can provide relatively simple indicators of the risk of death from an array of chronic diseases and that these associations appear to be independent of other commonly assessed risk factors. © The Author 2016. 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.

Latent tuberculosis infection in rural China: baseline results of a population-based, multicentre, prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Gao, Lei; Lu, Wei; Bai, Liqiong; Wang, Xinhua; Xu, Jinsheng; Catanzaro, Antonino; Cárdenas, Vicky; Li, Xiangwei; Yang, Yu; Du, Jiang; Sui, Hongtao; Xia, Yinyin; Li, Mufei; Feng, Boxuan; Li, Zhen; Xin, Henan; Zhao, Rong; Liu, Jianmin; Pan, Shouguo; Shen, Fei; He, Jian; Yang, Shumin; Si, Hongyan; Wang, Yi; Xu, Zuhui; Tan, Yunhong; Chen, Tianzhu; Xu, Weiguo; Peng, Hong; Wang, Zhijian; Zhu, Tao; Zhou, Feng; Liu, Haiying; Zhao, Yanlin; Cheng, Shiming; Jin, Qi

2015-03-01

Prophylactic treatment of individuals with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is an essential component of tuberculosis control in some settings. In China, the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection, and preventive interventions against this disease, have not been systematically studied. We aimed to assess the prevalence of latent tuberculosis and its associated risk factors in rural populations in China. Between July 1, and Sept 30, 2013, we undertook a baseline survey of a population-based, multicentre, prospective cohort study of registered residents (≥5 years old) at four study sites in rural China. Eligible participants were identified by door-to-door survey with a household sampling design. We screened participants for active tuberculosis and history of tuberculosis then used a tuberculin skin test and an interferon-γ release assay (QuantiFERON [QFT]) to test for latent infection. We used odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs to assess variables associated with positivity of QFT and tuberculin skin tests. 21,022 (90%) of 23,483 eligible participants completed a baseline survey. Age-standardised and sex-standardised rates of skin-test positivity (≥10 mm) ranged from 15% to 42%, and QFT positivity rates ranged from 13% to 20%. Rates of positivity for the tuberculin skin test and the QFT test were low in study participants younger than 20 years and gradually increased with age (p for trend <0·0001). Rates of latent tuberculosis infection were higher for men than women (p<0·0001). Overall agreement between the tuberculin skin test and the QFT test was moderate (81·06%; kappa coefficient 0·485), with skin-test-only positive results associated with the presence of BCG scar, male sex, and ages of 60 years and older, and QFT-only positive results associated with male sex and ages of 60 years and older. On the basis of findings showing that the performance of the tuberculin skin test might be affected by various factors including BCG vaccination and age, our results suggest that the prevalence of latent tuberculosis in China might be overestimated by skin tests compared with interferon-γ release assays. The National Science and Technology Major Project of China, the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anxiety (Low Ago Strength) And Intelligence Among Students Of High School Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Habibollah

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety (low ago strength) and intelligence among student's mathematics. All the effects of anxiety were studied within the sample of 112 subjects (boys). 56 of them were regular of students (RS) and 56 were intelligent of students (IS) of high schools. Mean age was (17.1 years), SD (.454) and range age was 16-18 years in 3 classes of regular of high school mathematics was for regular students. For the IS, mean age was (16.75 years), SD (.436) and range age was l6-17 years in 4 classes of students exceptional talent for high school mathematics. The sampling method in this study was the simple randomization method. In this studied, for analysis of method used both descriptive and inference of research, which for description of analysis used Average and analysis of covariance and Variance, also for inference of analysis, used with t-test between two the groups of students. The Cattell of Anxiety Test (1958) (CTAT) has been used in a number of studies for measurement trait anxiety in Iran. In general, the findings were found not statistical significant between the RS and the IS of students in that factorial of low of ago strength (C-). Further research is needed to investigate whether the current findings hold for student populations by others anxiety tests.

21 CFR 58.120 - Protocol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., body weight range, sex, source of supply, species, strain, substrain, and age of the test system. (5... methods to be used. (b) All changes in or revisions of an approved protocol and the reasons therefore...

21 CFR 58.120 - Protocol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., body weight range, sex, source of supply, species, strain, substrain, and age of the test system. (5... methods to be used. (b) All changes in or revisions of an approved protocol and the reasons therefore...

21 CFR 58.120 - Protocol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., body weight range, sex, source of supply, species, strain, substrain, and age of the test system. (5... methods to be used. (b) All changes in or revisions of an approved protocol and the reasons therefore...

North Star Ambulatory Assessment, 6-minute walk test and timed items in ambulant boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Mazzone, Elena; Martinelli, Diego; Berardinelli, Angela; Messina, Sonia; D'Amico, Adele; Vasco, Gessica; Main, Marion; Doglio, Luca; Politano, Luisa; Cavallaro, Filippo; Frosini, Silvia; Bello, Luca; Carlesi, Adelina; Bonetti, Anna Maria; Zucchini, Elisabetta; De Sanctis, Roberto; Scutifero, Marianna; Bianco, Flaviana; Rossi, Francesca; Motta, Maria Chiara; Sacco, Annalisa; Donati, Maria Alice; Mongini, Tiziana; Pini, Antonella; Battini, Roberta; Pegoraro, Elena; Pane, Marika; Pasquini, Elisabetta; Bruno, Claudio; Vita, Giuseppe; de Waure, Chiara; Bertini, Enrico; Mercuri, Eugenio

2010-11-01

The North Star Ambulatory Assessment is a functional scale specifically designed for ambulant boys affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Recently the 6-minute walk test has also been used as an outcome measure in trials in DMD. The aim of our study was to assess a large cohort of ambulant boys affected by DMD using both North Star Assessment and 6-minute walk test. More specifically, we wished to establish the spectrum of findings for each measure and their correlation. This is a prospective multicentric study involving 10 centers. The cohort included 112 ambulant DMD boys of age ranging between 4.10 and 17 years (mean 8.18±2.3 DS). Ninety-one of the 112 were on steroids: 37/91 on intermittent and 54/91 on daily regimen. The scores on the North Star assessment ranged from 6/34 to 34/34. The distance on the 6-minute walk test ranged from 127 to 560.6 m. The time to walk 10 m was between 3 and 15 s. The time to rise from the floor ranged from 1 to 27.5 s. Some patients were unable to rise from the floor. As expected the results changed with age and were overall better in children treated with daily steroids. The North Star assessment had a moderate to good correlation with 6-minute walk test and with timed rising from floor but less with 10 m timed walk/run test. The 6-minute walk test in contrast had better correlation with 10 m timed walk/run test than with timed rising from floor. These findings suggest that a combination of these outcome measures can be effectively used in ambulant DMD boys and will provide information on different aspects of motor function, that may not be captured using a single measure. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Comparison of color discrimination in chronic heavy smokers and healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Thiago Monteiro de Paiva; Almeida, Natalia Leandro; dos Santos, Natanael Antonio

2017-01-01

Background: Cigarette smoke is probably the most significant source of exposure to toxic chemicals for humans, involving health-damaging components, such as nicotine, hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of chronic heavy smoking on color discrimination (CD). Methods: All subjects were free of any neuropsychiatric disorder, identifiable ocular disease and had normal acuity. No abnormalities were detected in the fundoscopic examination and in the optical coherence tomography exam. We assessed color vision for healthy heavy smokers ( n = 15; age range, 20-45 years), deprived smokers ( n = 15, age range 20-45 years) and healthy non-smokers ( n = 15; age range, 20-45 years), using the psychophysical forced-choice method. All groups were matched for gender and education level. In this test, the volunteers had to choose the pseudoisochromatic stimulus containing a test frequency at four directions (e.g., up, down, right and left) in the subtest of Cambridge Colour Test (CCT): Trivector. Results: Performance on CCT differed between groups, and the observed pattern was that smokers had lower discrimination compared to non-smokers. In addition, deprived smokers presented lower discrimination to smokers and non-smokers. Contrary to expectation, the largest differences were observed for medium and long wavelengths. Conclusions: These results suggests that cigarette smoking, chronic exposure to its compounds, and withdrawal from nicotine affect color discrimination. This highlights the importance of understanding the diverse effects of nicotine on attentional bias. PMID:28928940

THE FUNDUS PHENOTYPE ASSOCIATED WITH THE p.Ala243Val BEST1 MUTATION.

PubMed

Khan, Kamron N; Islam, Farrah; Moore, Anthony T; Michaelides, Michel

2018-03-01

To describe a highly recognizable and reproducible retinal phenotype associated with a specific BEST1 mutation-p.Ala243Val. Retrospective review of consecutive cases where genetic testing has identified p.Ala243Val BEST1 as the cause of disease. Electronic patient records were used to extract demographic, as well as functional and anatomical data. These data were compared with those observed with the most common BEST1 genotype, p.Arg218Cys. Eight individuals (six families) were identified with the p.Ala243Val BEST1 mutation and seven patients with the pathologic variant p.Arg218Cys. No patients with mutation of codon 243 knowingly had a family history of retinal disease, whereas all patients with the p.Arg218Cys variant did. The maculopathy was bilateral in all cases. The p.Ala243Val mutation was associated with a pattern dystrophy-type appearance, most visible with near-infrared reflectance and fundus autofluorescence imaging. This phenotype was never observed with any other genotype. This mutation was associated with an older median age of symptom onset (median = 42, interquartile range = 22) compared with those harboring the p.Arg218Cys mutation (median = 18, interquartile range = 12; Mann-Whitney U test; P < 0.05). Despite their older age, the final recorded acuity seemed to be better in the p.Ala243Val group (median = 0.55, interquartile range = 0.6475; median = 0.33, interquartile range = 0.358), although this did not reach statistical significance (Mann-Whitney U test; P > 0.05). The mutation p.Ala243Val is associated with highly recognizable and reproducible pattern dystrophy-like phenotype. Patients develop symptoms at a later age and tend to have better preservation of electrooculogram amplitudes.

Effect of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty on Color Vision in Patients With Fuchs Dystrophy.

PubMed

Price, David A; Price, Marianne O; Lopez, Amanda; Price, Francis W

2016-08-01

To assess changes in color discernment after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in patients with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). In this prospective, single-center study, the study group was composed of 26 patients with FECD, aged 46 to 85 years, who underwent DMEK as a single surgical procedure; 24 (92%) had pseudophakic and 2 (8%) had phakic eyes. The patients completed a computerized Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue color vision test before and 1 month after DMEK. A control group of 14 subjects, aged 57 to 85 years, was tested 1 month after cataract surgery. The median number of errors made by patients who had undergone DMEK on the color vision test improved from 64 (range 24-124) before surgery to 48 (range 10-120) after surgery (P = 0.0053). The post-DMEK scores in the 24 patients with pseudophakic eyes (median = 48, range = 10-120) were comparable to those of an age-matched control group of patients with cataract without corneal abnormalities (median = 53, range = 4-104, P = 0.88). The improvement in color vision was not correlated with the amount of improvement in best corrected visual acuity (r = -0.02, P = 0.91) or with the reduction in central pachymetry (r = -0.08, P = 0.71) after DMEK. Consistent with spontaneous comments from some patients with FECD that colors appear more vivid after DMEK, a comparison of pre- and postoperative color vision scores showed that color discernment usually improved after DMEK (81%). The lack of correlation between color vision improvement and pachymetry reduction leads us to hypothesize that color vision improvement may relate to removal of the guttae associated with FECD.

A New Clinical Pain Knowledge Test for Nurses: Development and Psychometric Evaluation.

PubMed

Bernhofer, Esther I; St Marie, Barbara; Bena, James F

2017-08-01

All nurses care for patients with pain, and pain management knowledge and attitude surveys for nurses have been around since 1987. However, no validated knowledge test exists to measure postlicensure clinicians' knowledge of the core competencies of pain management in current complex patient populations. To develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure pain management knowledge of postlicensure nurses. Psychometric instrument validation. Four large Midwestern U.S. hospitals. Registered nurses employed full time and part time August 2015 to April 2016, aged M = 43.25 years; time as RN, M = 16.13 years. Prospective survey design using e-mail to invite nurses to take an electronic multiple choice pain knowledge test. Content validity of initial 36-item test "very good" (95.1% agreement). Completed tests that met analysis criteria, N = 747. Mean initial test score, 69.4% correct (range 27.8-97.2). After revision/removal of 13 unacceptable questions, mean test score was 50.4% correct (range 8.7-82.6). Initial test item percent difficulty range was 15.2%-98.1%; discrimination values range, 0.03-0.50; final test item percent difficulty range, 17.6%-91.1%, discrimination values range, -0.04 to 1.04. Split-half reliability final test was 0.66. A high decision consistency reliability was identified, with test cut-score of 75%. The final 23-item Clinical Pain Knowledge Test has acceptable discrimination, difficulty, decision consistency, reliability, and validity in the general clinical inpatient nurse population. This instrument will be useful in assessing pain management knowledge of clinical nurses to determine gaps in education, evaluate knowledge after pain management education, and measure research outcomes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calibrating a method for simulated long-term ageing of biochar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohi, Saran; Cross, Andrew

2013-04-01

We recently established a procedure that imposes oxidatiave ageing to biochar and charcoal samples over a short time-frame, that provided carbon mass loss in the range projected for wild-fire charcoal in soil over a period of approximately 100 years. The stability of biochar samples in soil (relative to charcoal) range from 45-98% could be determined repeatably with high precision. Initial tests to understand the kinetics of the accelerated ageing method showed progressive increase in surface O concentration when examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that slowly reached equilibrium. These trends resembled patterns observed in climate-for-time studies elsewhere, on centennial time-frame. We have extended this work to a preliminary direct calibration by matching progressive oxidation achieved in the laboratory to the surface composition of charcoal fragments recovered from the environment after periods of hundred to thousands of years. We have also applied artificial ageing to the same sets of naturally pre-aged charcoal fragments, and to recreated fresh charcoal. In this presentation of the first approach to quantifiably relate a laboratory test for biochar carbon stability to field data covering multiple time scales, we report on both the process and the implications for the stability of carbon stored in biochar under different climates and diverse agro-ecosystems.

Anticipating rotavirus vaccines--a pre-vaccine assessment of incidence and economic burden of rotavirus hospitalizations among children < 5 year of age in Libya, 2012-13.

PubMed

Alkoshi, Salem; Leshem, Eyal; Parashar, Umesh D; Dahlui, Maznah

2015-01-24

Libya introduced rotavirus vaccine in October 2013. We examined pre-vaccine incidence of rotavirus hospitalizations and associated economic burden among children < 5 years in Libya to provide baseline data for future vaccine impact evaluations. Prospective, hospital-based active surveillance for rotavirus was conducted at three public hospitals in two cities during August 2012 - April 2013. Clinical, demographic and estimated cost data were collected from children <5 hospitalized for diarrhea; stool specimens were tested for rotavirus with a commercial enzyme immunoassay. Annual rotavirus hospitalization incidence rate estimates included a conservative estimate based on the number of cases recorded during the nine months and an extrapolation to estimate 12 months incidence rate. National rotavirus disease and economic burden were estimated by extrapolating incidence and cost data to the national population of children aged < 5 years. A total of 410 children < 5 years of age with diarrhea were enrolled, of whom 239 (58%) tested positive rotavirus, yielding an incidence range of 418-557 rotavirus hospitalizations per 100,000 children < 5 years of age. Most (86%) rotavirus cases were below two years of age with a distinct seasonal peak in winter (December-March) months. The total cost of treatment for each rotavirus patient was estimated at US$ 679 (range: 200-5,423). By extrapolation, we estimated 2,948 rotavirus hospitalizations occur each year in Libyan children < 5 years of age, incurring total costs of US$ 2,001,662 (range: 1,931,726-2,094,005). Rotavirus incurs substantial morbidity and economic burden in Libya, highlighting the potential value of vaccination of Libyan children against rotavirus.

Reliability and validity of the revised Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills, a computer-based test battery for assessing cognition across the lifespan.

PubMed

Moore, Amy Lawson; Miller, Terissa M

2018-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the revised Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills, a computer-based battery of tests measuring short-term memory, long-term memory, processing speed, logic and reasoning, visual processing, as well as auditory processing and word attack skills. This study included 2,737 participants aged 5-85 years. A series of studies was conducted to examine the validity and reliability using the test performance of the entire norming group and several subgroups. The evaluation of the technical properties of the test battery included content validation by subject matter experts, item analysis and coefficient alpha, test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, and analysis of concurrent validity with the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Achievement. Results indicated strong sources of evidence of validity and reliability for the test, including internal consistency reliability coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.98, test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.69 to 0.91, split-half reliability coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.91, and concurrent validity coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.93. The Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills-2 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing cognition in the general population across the lifespan.

Developmental patterns of spatial ability: an early sex difference.

PubMed

Johnson, E S; Meade, A C

1987-06-01

Over 1,800 public school students (grades K-12, ages 6-18) took a battery of 7 spatial tests tailored to their respective developmental levels. Analyses of resulting data indicate that it is feasible to measure spatial ability throughout this developmental range with modified versions of adult paper-and-pencil tests, that a male advantage in spatial performance appears reliably by age 10, and that the magnitude of the advantage remains constant through age 18. Analysis of covariance suggests that an early female precocity in language skills may mask a male advantage in spatial ability during the primary school years. There is no indication of a sex difference in kindergarten children.

Differences among Senior and Young, Men and Women in Attitudes and Cognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silver, Rawley

This study examined the cognitive skills and attitudes toward self and others in samples of independent seniors and young men and women. Three proceedings were used to address questions of age or gender differences. Study 1 (N=95) compared the scores of older adults (approximate age range, 64-95 years) on the Silver Drawing Test of Cognition and…

Analytic method for material aging and quality analyzing to forecast long time stability of plastic micro heliostat components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerborn, Markus; Liebenstund, Lena; Raue, Markus; Mang, Thomas; Herrmann, Ulf; Dueing, Andreas

2017-06-01

The Solar-Institute Jülich (SIJ) developed the micro heliostat system - a small sized heliostat - during the last years. One special performance of the micro heliostat is the option to integrate inexpensive plastic elements. The use of plastic as a cost reducer in the heliostat technique is also offering the chance to integrate complex designed components with a higher quality and special system function. The plastic for this application requires a high standing against UV radiation and thermal cycles with a daily extreme temperature variation. The temperature range inside the closed micro heliostat box can annually fluctuate between -20 °C and 80 °C in the worst case. Special aging tests were designed and performed for the first time in cooperation with the Institute for Applied Polymer Science (IAP) in order to identify and qualify a resistance plastic for the micro heliostat. This systematic plastic aging testing for the micro heliostat is introduced here. The tests were carried out under extreme ambient situations, which simulate the temperature and irradiation conditions that the heliostat has to stand for years. A particular climate of arid areas with continuous high solar radiation was defined for these tests. Two accelerating aging methods were adapted to reach adequate aging results in a reduced time. The aging of the investigated kinds of plastics were followed by tensile test, impact test, measuring Shore hardness, dynamic-mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to compare the different types of polymers. Parallel to these tests running real outdoor tests were performed, to control this accelerated aging. To have adequate conditions that the plastic in a micro heliostat has to stand, an identical closed test box with a glass cover was designed. The test samples inside the box were irradiated by the sun. The wanted forecast for the analyzed plastic was defined by the comparison of the real and the accelerated aging results.

Development skills of children born premature with low and very low birth weight.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Camila da Costa; Pachelli, Mariane Regina de Oliveira; Amaral, Natalie Camillo de Oliveira; Lamônica, Dionísia Aparecida Cusin

2017-01-30

To compare the performance of children born premature with low birth weight (LBW) and very low birth-weight (VLBW) with that of children born at term, within the age range of one to three years, regarding child development in the gross motor, fine motor-adaptive, personal-social and language domains. This is a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 150 infants born premature (experimental group) and at term (control group) divided into eight groups with respect to weight (low birth weight: <2500 grams and very low birth weight: <1500 grams) and age range (aged 12 to 24 and 25 to 36 months). The control groups were paired with the experimental groups as for gender, chronological age, and socioeconomic level. Assessment comprised the application of anamnesis protocol, socioeconomic classification, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II). Corrected age was calculated for premature children up to 24 months of age. Descriptive statistical analysis and the Student's t-test were used. No statistically significant difference was found in the comparison between the groups of infants born premature and at term for all domains evaluated. The performance of infants born premature was lower than that of infants born at term regarding the gross motor, fine motor-adaptive, personal-social and language domains. In this study, the preterm groups presented different performances, i.e., normative, average, and below average performances were observed within the same group.

The Memory Failures of Everyday (MFE) test: normative data in adults.

PubMed

Montejo Carrasco, Pedro; Montenegro Peña, Mercedes; Sueiro, Manuel J

2012-11-01

One approach to the study of everyday memory failures is to use multiple-item questionnaires. The Memory Failures of Everyday (MFE) test is one of the most frequently used in Spain. Our objective is to provide normative data from the MFE in a sample of healthy, Spanish, adult participants for use in clinical practice. The sample consists of 647 employees at a large company ranging in age from 19-64 years-old. Everyday memory failures were evaluated by means of the MFE with the following response format: 0-2 (0 = never or rarely; 1 = occasionally, sometimes; 2 = frequently, often). Mean MFE = 15.25 (SD = 7.50), range 0-40. Correlation with age: .133 (p = .001); and with years of education: - .059 (n.s.). A constant increase in MFE was not observed across age groups (F = 4, 59; p = .003, eta2 = .02), but differences were revealed between the 19-29 and 40-49 age groups; no differences were observed between the remaining age groups. Only slight differences between men and women occurred, the women's mean being slightly higher than the men's, but the confidence intervals overlapped (F = 5, 71; p = .017, eta2 = .01). These results indicate that age, years of education, and sex had no significant effects. In light of the above, the sample was viewed as a whole when computing the percentiles reported here.

Establishing the reference value for “timed up-and-go” test in healthy adults of Gujarat, India

PubMed Central

Khant, Nency; Dani, Vyoma Bharat; Patel, Purvi; Rathod, Rachana

2018-01-01

CONTEXT: Timed up-and-go (TUG) test is a valid, reliable, and an objective test for quantifying functional mobility and assessing the fall risk in all age groups. The analysis of patient scores on TUG test is limited by lack of data, having a wide range of performance scores among people without disabilities. AIM: The objective of the study was to provide the reference value for TUG test in healthy individuals of Gujarat, India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional observational study. Five hundred and twenty healthy individuals, aged 40–70 years, were recruited from various regions of Gujarat based on convenient sampling. All the participants were made to perform TUG test in a controlled environment in community. Three readings of the actual test were obtained and averaged. RESULTS: Data were analyzed with mean, standard deviation, confidence intervals (CIs 95%) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) with α = 0.05 by age groups (40–50, 51–60, and 61–70 years) and gender. The mean (CI 95%) TUG time for healthy adults of Gujarat was 8.46 (8.35–8.57) s and demonstrated age-related decline for both male and female participants. TUG time also demonstrated strong correlation with the height of individuals. CONCLUSION: This preliminary data can be used as a reference only for specific population with specific age groups due to variability in test results among the different population due to age, gender, anthropometric measures such as height, weight, and body mass index, geographical variation, nutritional support, and cognitive status.

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

PubMed

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

2016-01-28

Aging is considered to be associated with progressive changes in the brain and its associated sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. A large number of studies comparing young and aged animals have reported differences in various behaviors between age-cohorts, indicating behavioral dysfunctions related to aging. However, relatively little is known about behavioral changes from young adulthood to middle age, and the effect of age on behavior during the early stages of life remains to be understood. In order to investigate age-related changes in the behaviors of mice from young adulthood to middle age, we performed a large-scale analysis of the behavioral data obtained from our behavioral test battery involving 1739 C57BL/6J wild-type mice at 2-12 months of age. Significant behavioral differences between age groups (2-3-, 4-5-, 6-7-, and 8-12-month-old groups) were found in all the behavioral tests, including the light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, rotarod, social interaction, prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, tail suspension, Barnes maze, and fear conditioning tests, except for the hot plate test. Compared with the 2-3-month-old group, the 4-5- and 6-7-month-old groups exhibited decreased locomotor activity to novel environments, motor function, acoustic startle response, social behavior, and depression-related behavior, increased prepulse inhibition, and deficits in spatial and cued fear memory. For most behaviors, the 8-12-month-old group showed similar but more pronounced changes in most of these behaviors compared with the younger age groups. Older groups exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the light/dark transition test whereas those groups showed seemingly decreased anxiety-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze test. The large-scale analysis of behavioral data from our battery of behavioral tests indicated age-related changes in a wide range of behaviors from young adulthood to middle age in C57BL/6J mice, though these results might have been influenced by possible confounding factors such as the time of day at testing and prior test experience. Our results also indicate that relatively narrow age differences can produce significant behavioral differences during adulthood in mice. These findings provide an insight into our understanding of the neurobiological processes underlying brain function and behavior that are subject to age-related changes in early to middle life. The findings also indicate that age is one of the critical factors to be carefully considered when designing behavioral tests and interpreting behavioral differences that might be induced by experimental manipulations.

The Use of Informative Priors in Bayesian Modeling Age-at-death; a Quick Look at Chronological and Biological Age Changes in the Sacroiliac Joint in American Males.

PubMed

Godde, Kanya

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine how well different informative priors model age-at-death in Bayesian statistics, which will shed light on how the skeleton ages, particularly at the sacroiliac joint. Data from four samples were compared for their performance as informative priors for auricular surface age-at-death estimation: (1) American population from US Census data; (2) county data from the US Census data; (3) a local cemetery; and (4) a skeletal collection. The skeletal collection and cemetery are located within the county that was sampled. A Gompertz model was applied to compare survivorship across the four samples. Transition analysis parameters, coupled with the generated Gompertz parameters, were input into Bayes' theorem to generate highest posterior density ranges from posterior density functions. Transition analysis describes the age at which an individual transitions from one age phase to another. The result is age ranges that should describe the chronological age of 90% of the individuals who fall in a particular phase. Cumulative binomial tests indicate the method performed lower than 90% at capturing chronological age as assigned to a biological phase, despite wide age ranges at older ages. The samples performed similarly overall, despite small differences in survivorship. Collectively, these results show that as we age, the senescence pattern becomes more variable. More local samples performed better at describing the aging process than more general samples, which implies practitioners need to consider sample selection when using the literature to diagnose and work with patients with sacroiliac joint pain.

Jaw-opening force test to screen for Dysphagia: preliminary results.

PubMed

Hara, Koji; Tohara, Haruka; Wada, Satoko; Iida, Takatoshi; Ueda, Koichiro; Ansai, Toshihiro

2014-05-01

To assess the jaw-opening force test (JOFT) for dysphagia screening. Criterion standard. University dental hospital. Patients complaining of dysphagia (N=95) and with symptoms of dysphagia with chronic underlying causes (mean age ± SD, 79.3±9.61y; range, 50-94y; men: n=49; mean age ± SD, 77.03±9.81y; range, 50-94y; women: n=46; mean age ± SD, 75.42±9.73y; range, 51-93y) admitted for treatment between May 2011 and December 2012 were included. None. All patients were administered the JOFT and underwent fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). The mean jaw-opening strength was compared with aspiration (ASP) and pharyngeal residue observations of the FEES, which was used as the criterion standard. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Forces of ≤3.2kg for men and ≤4kg for women were appropriate cutoff values for predicting ASP with a sensitivity and specificity of .57 and .79 for men and .93 and .52 for women, respectively. Based on the ROC analyses for predicting pharyngeal residue, forces of ≤5.3kg in men and ≤3.9kg in women were appropriate cutoff values, with a sensitivity and specificity of .80 and .88 for men and .83 and .81 for women, respectively. The JOFT could be a useful screening tool for predicting pharyngeal residue and could provide useful information to aid in the referral of patients for further diagnostic imaging testing. However, given its low sensitivity to ASP the JOFT should be paired with other screening tests that predict ASP. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effective Dynamic Range and Retest Reliability of Dark-Adapted Two-Color Fundus-Controlled Perimetry in Patients With Macular Diseases.

PubMed

Pfau, Maximilian; Lindner, Moritz; Müller, Philipp L; Birtel, Johannes; Finger, Robert P; Harmening, Wolf M; Fleckenstein, Monika; Holz, Frank G; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen

2017-05-01

To determine the effective dynamic range (EDR), retest reliability, and number of discriminable steps (DS) for mesopic and dark-adapted two-color fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP) using the S-MAIA (Scotopic-Macular Integrity Assessment) "micro-perimeter." In this prospective cross-sectional study, each of the 52 eyes of 52 subjects with various macular diseases (mean age 62.0 ± 16.9 years; range, 19.1-90.1 years) underwent duplicate mesopic (achromatic stimuli, 400-800 nm), dark-adapted cyan (505 nm), and dark-adapted red (627 nm) FCP using a grid of 61 stimuli covering 18° of the central retina. The EDR, the number of DS, and the retest reliability for point-wise sensitivity (PWS) were analyzed. The effects of fixation stability, sensitivity, and age on retest reliability were examined using mixed-effects models. The EDR was 10 to 30 dB with five DS for mesopic and 4 to 17 dB with four DS for dark-adapted cyan and red testing. PWS retest reliability was good among all three types of retinal sensitivity assessments (coefficient of repeatability ±5.79, ±4.72, and ±4.77 dB, respectively) and did not depend on fixation stability or age. PWS had no effect on retest variability in dark-adapted cyan and dark-adapted red testing but had a minor effect in mesopic testing. Combined mesopic and dark-adapted two-color FCP allows for reliable topographic testing of cone and rod function in patients with various macular diseases with and without foveal fixation. Retest reliability is homogeneous across eccentricities and various degrees of scotoma depth, including zones at risk for disease progression. These reliability estimates can serve for the design of future clinical trials.

Normal Threshold Size of Stimuli in Children Using a Game-Based Visual Field Test.

PubMed

Wang, Yanfang; Ali, Zaria; Subramani, Siddharth; Biswas, Susmito; Fenerty, Cecilia; Henson, David B; Aslam, Tariq

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate and explore the ability of novel game-based perimetry to establish normal visual field thresholds in children. One hundred and eighteen children (aged 8.0 ± 2.8 years old) with no history of visual field loss or significant medical history were recruited. Each child had one eye tested using a game-based visual field test 'Caspar's Castle' at four retinal locations 12.7° (N = 118) from fixation. Thresholds were established repeatedly using up/down staircase algorithms with stimuli of varying diameter (luminance 20 cd/m 2 , duration 200 ms, background luminance 10 cd/m 2 ). Relationships between threshold and age were determined along with measures of intra- and intersubject variability. The Game-based visual field test was able to establish threshold estimates in the full range of children tested. Threshold size reduced with increasing age in children. Intrasubject variability and intersubject variability were inversely related to age in children. Normal visual field thresholds were established for specific locations in children using a novel game-based visual field test. These could be used as a foundation for developing a game-based perimetry screening test for children.

Genetics at school level: addressing the difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Yu-Chien; Reid, Norman

2012-11-01

Background : A wide range of studies has offered suggestions why genetics is difficult and some of their key findings are summarised. Underpinning all of this is the way the brain works when handling information. The limitations of working memory capacity offer an interpretation of these difficulties Purpose : The aim is to confirm that working memory capacity (and the related concept of field dependency) controls performance in understanding genetics and whether it is possible to improve performance by changing the teaching approach to mininise overload. Programme description : The curriculum in Taiwan in genetics is outlined briefly. A wide range of measurements were made. Using a diagnostic test of understanding of underpinning ideas, the key areas of weakness were detected before the pupils started the course. Sample : Stage 1: 141 students in Taiwan, aged 13, boys and girls, drawn from a cross-section of Taiwanese pupils at this age, following their first course in genetics. Stage 2: 361 students, drawn from a cross-section of Taiwanese pupils at the same age, and divided into two groups (experimental-control) which both encompass the same ability range. Design and methods : Stage 1: test of pre-knowledge using structural communication grids, applied before the course commenced; working memory capacity using the figural intersection test; extent of field dependency using the group embedded figure test; understanding of genetics was measured at end of course; school test data collated. Stage 2: following a completely revised approach, performance in genetics was measured using traditional school tests and a word association test. Student perspectives were measured. Results : The test of pre-knowledge revealed key areas of difficulty. In addition, it was found that working memory capacity and extent of field dependency both correlated extremely highly with all measures of performance. Given that it has been established that working memory capacity controls performance, working memory demand explains why genetics is difficult. It was found that re-structuring the teaching approach to minimise mental overload brought about a very marked improvement in performance. Conclusions : The findings suggest that it is possible to reduce difficulties in understanding genetics by means of teaching re-design to minimise potential working memory overload, with concomitant improvements in learner confidence.

The development and discussion of computerized visual perception assessment tool for Chinese characters structures - Concurrent estimation of the overall ability and the domain ability in item response theory approach.

PubMed

Wu, Huey-Min; Lin, Chin-Kai; Yang, Yu-Mao; Kuo, Bor-Chen

2014-11-12

Visual perception is the fundamental skill required for a child to recognize words, and to read and write. There was no visual perception assessment tool developed for preschool children based on Chinese characters in Taiwan. The purposes were to develop the computerized visual perception assessment tool for Chinese Characters Structures and to explore the psychometrical characteristic of assessment tool. This study adopted purposive sampling. The study evaluated 551 kindergarten-age children (293 boys, 258 girls) ranging from 46 to 81 months of age. The test instrument used in this study consisted of three subtests and 58 items, including tests of basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters. Based on the results of model fit analysis, the higher-order item response theory was used to estimate the performance in visual perception, basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters simultaneously. Analyses of variance were used to detect significant difference in age groups and gender groups. The difficulty of identifying items in a visual perception test ranged from -2 to 1. The visual perception ability of 4- to 6-year-old children ranged from -1.66 to 2.19. Gender did not have significant effects on performance. However, there were significant differences among the different age groups. The performance of 6-year-olds was better than that of 5-year-olds, which was better than that of 4-year-olds. This study obtained detailed diagnostic scores by using a higher-order item response theory model to understand the visual perception of basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters. Further statistical analysis showed that, for basic strokes and compound characters, girls performed better than did boys; there also were differences within each age group. For single-component characters, there was no difference in performance between boys and girls. However, again the performance of 6-year-olds was better than that of 4-year-olds, but there were no statistical differences between the performance of 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds. Results of tests with basic strokes, single-component characters and compound characters tests had good reliability and validity. Therefore, it can be apply to diagnose the problem of visual perception at preschool. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using liver enzymes as screening tests to predict mortality risk.

PubMed

Fulks, Michael; Stout, Robert L; Dolan, Vera F

2008-01-01

Determine the relationship between liver function test results (GGT, alkaline phosphatase, AST, and ALT) and all-cause mortality in life insurance applicants. By use of the Social Security Master Death File, mortality was examined in 1,905,664 insurance applicants for whom blood samples were submitted to the Clinical Reference Laboratory. There were 50,174 deaths observed in this study population. Results were stratified by 3 age/sex groups: females, age <60; males, age <60; and all, age 60+. Liver function test values were grouped using percentiles of their distribution in these 3 age/sex groups, as well as ranges of actual values. Using the risk of the middle 50% of the population by distribution as a reference, relative mortality observed for GGT and alkaline phosphatase was linear with a steep slope from very low to relatively high values. Relative mortality was increased at lower values for both AST and ALT. ALT did not predict mortality for values above the middle 50% of its distribution. GGT and alkaline phosphatase are significant predictors of mortality risk for all values. ALT is still useful for triggering further testing for hepatitis, but AST should be used instead to assess mortality risk linked with transaminases.

A Complex Story: Universal Preference vs. Individual Differences Shaping Aesthetic Response to Fractals Patterns.

PubMed

Street, Nichola; Forsythe, Alexandra M; Reilly, Ronan; Taylor, Richard; Helmy, Mai S

2016-01-01

Fractal patterns offer one way to represent the rough complexity of the natural world. Whilst they dominate many of our visual experiences in nature, little large-scale perceptual research has been done to explore how we respond aesthetically to these patterns. Previous research (Taylor et al., 2011) suggests that the fractal patterns with mid-range fractal dimensions (FDs) have universal aesthetic appeal. Perceptual and aesthetic responses to visual complexity have been more varied with findings suggesting both linear (Forsythe et al., 2011) and curvilinear (Berlyne, 1970) relationships. Individual differences have been found to account for many of the differences we see in aesthetic responses but some, such as culture, have received little attention within the fractal and complexity research fields. This two-study article aims to test preference responses to FD and visual complexity, using a large cohort (N = 443) of participants from around the world to allow universality claims to be tested. It explores the extent to which age, culture and gender can predict our preferences for fractally complex patterns. Following exploratory analysis that found strong correlations between FD and visual complexity, a series of linear mixed-effect models were implemented to explore if each of the individual variables could predict preference. The first tested a linear complexity model (likelihood of selecting the more complex image from the pair of images) and the second a mid-range FD model (likelihood of selecting an image within mid-range). Results show that individual differences can reliably predict preferences for complexity across culture, gender and age. However, in fitting with current findings the mid-range models show greater consistency in preference not mediated by gender, age or culture. This article supports the established theory that the mid-range fractal patterns appear to be a universal construct underlying preference but also highlights the fragility of universal claims by demonstrating individual differences in preference for the interrelated concept of visual complexity. This highlights a current stalemate in the field of empirical aesthetics.

Cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening with primary human papillomavirus testing in Norway.

PubMed

Burger, E A; Ortendahl, J D; Sy, S; Kristiansen, I S; Kim, J J

2012-04-24

New screening technologies and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the necessary cause of cervical cancer, may impact optimal approaches to prevent cervical cancer. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of alternative screening strategies to inform cervical cancer prevention guidelines in Norway. We leveraged the primary epidemiologic and economic data from Norway to contextualise a simulation model of HPV-induced cervical cancer. The current cytology-only screening was compared with strategies involving cytology at younger ages and primary HPV-based screening at older ages (31/34+ years), an option being actively deliberated by the Norwegian government. We varied the switch-age, screening interval, and triage strategies for women with HPV-positive results. Uncertainty was evaluated in sensitivity analysis. Current cytology-only screening was less effective and more costly than strategies that involve switching to primary HPV testing in older ages. For unvaccinated women, switching at age 34 years to primary HPV testing every 4 years was optimal given the Norwegian cost-effectiveness threshold ($83,000 per year of life saved). For vaccinated women, a 6-year screening interval was cost-effective. When we considered a wider range of strategies, we found that an earlier switch to HPV testing (at age 31 years) may be preferred. Strategies involving a switch to HPV testing for primary screening in older women is expected to be cost-effective compared with current recommendations in Norway.

Criterion validity of a Wechsler-III Scale Short Form in a sample of brazilian elderly.

PubMed

Banhato, Eliane Ferreira Carvalho; Leite, Isabel Cristina Gonçalves; Guedes, Danielle Viveiros; Chaoubah, Alfredo

2010-01-01

Although a normative process, changes in cognitive functioning vary among older adults. The differential diagnosis between normal and pathological aging must be made early using psychometrically adequate measures. To assess the evidence of criterion validity of a Short Form (SF) of the Wechsler-III Scale containing eight subtests (SF8) by determining its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and cut-off points for Brazilian elderly from different age groups. 168 individuals, aged 60 years or above, living in the community or in an institution, were assigned to case and control groups, and investigated according to age range. Measures included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Verbal Fluency Test, Clock-Drawing Test and the SF8. More than two thirds of the sample was women (73.8%), mean age was 74.5 years (SD=8.9), mean education was 6.2 years (SD=4.8) and 40.5% were widows/widowers. In the total sample, the best cut-off point for the SF8 was 142 while cut offs among individuals aged 60 to 69 years, 70 to 79 years, and more than 80 years were 160, 129 and 129, respectively. The results demonstrated the importance of different cut-off points for different age ranges. Sensitivity and specificity values of the SF8 were sufficiently high to warrant the use of the SF8 as an instrument to identify cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Criterion validity of a Wechsler-III Scale Short Form in a sample of brazilian elderly

PubMed Central

Banhato, Eliane Ferreira Carvalho; Leite, Isabel Cristina Gonçalves; Guedes, Danielle Viveiros; Chaoubah, Alfredo

2010-01-01

Although a normative process, changes in cognitive functioning vary among older adults. The differential diagnosis between normal and pathological aging must be made early using psychometrically adequate measures. Objectives To assess the evidence of criterion validity of a Short Form (SF) of the Wechsler-III Scale containing eight subtests (SF8) by determining its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and cut-off points for Brazilian elderly from different age groups. Methods 168 individuals, aged 60 years or above, living in the community or in an institution, were assigned to case and control groups, and investigated according to age range. Measures included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Verbal Fluency Test, Clock-Drawing Test and the SF8. Results More than two thirds of the sample was women (73.8%), mean age was 74.5 years (SD=8.9), mean education was 6.2 years (SD=4.8) and 40.5% were widows/widowers. In the total sample, the best cut-off point for the SF8 was 142 while cut offs among individuals aged 60 to 69 years, 70 to 79 years, and more than 80 years were 160, 129 and 129, respectively. Conclusions The results demonstrated the importance of different cut-off points for different age ranges. Sensitivity and specificity values of the SF8 were sufficiently high to warrant the use of the SF8 as an instrument to identify cognitive impairment in the elderly. PMID:29213688

Sensitivity and Specificity of 2 Autism Screeners Among Referred Children Between 16 and 48 Months of Age.

PubMed

Salisbury, Louisa A; Nyce, Jonathan D; Hannum, Charles D; Sheldrick, R Christopher; Perrin, Ellen C

2018-04-01

Autism screening is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at ages 18 and 24 months. Popular screening tests have been validated for the age range of 16 to 30 months. However, only a minority of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are identified by age 3 years, and many are not identified until after they enter school. Thus, we aimed to measure the sensitivity and specificity of 2 available screening tests for ASDs in children older than 30 months. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of 2 ASD screening tools administered to parents of children who were referred to a developmental clinic between the ages of 16 and 48 months: the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the Parent's Observations of Social Interactions (POSI), which is a component of a comprehensive screening instrument called, the Survey of Well-being of Young Children. Both the M-CHAT and the POSI had acceptable sensitivity (≥75%) among children across the age range studied. Their specificity was limited by the fact that the study was conducted in a developmental referral clinic. Two readily available screening tools, the POSI and the M-CHAT, have acceptable sensitivity in evaluating risk for autism in children at least to age 48 months. Further research should investigate their sensitivity and specificity when used in primary care settings.

Performance of the Directigen EZ Flu A+B rapid influenza diagnostic test to detect pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009.

PubMed

Boyanton, Bobby L; Almradi, Amro; Mehta, Tejal; Robinson-Dunn, Barbara

2014-04-01

The Directigen EZ Flu A+B rapid influenza diagnostic test, as compared to real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, demonstrated suboptimal performance to detect pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009. Age- and viral load-stratified test sensitivity ranged from 33.3 to 84.6% and 0 to 100%, respectively. © 2013.

Nonheme-iron absorption in first-degree relatives is highly correlated: a stable-isotope study in mother-child pairs.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Michael B; Harrington, Mary; Villalpando, Salvador; Hurrell, Richard F

2010-03-01

Iron absorption in humans is highly variable even after iron status and dietary components that influence iron absorption are controlled for. Inherited factors may help explain this variance. Our objective was to compare nonheme-iron absorption from a noninhibitory, stable-isotope-labeled test meal in preschool-aged children and their mothers. We provided 72 test meals based on degermed maize flour and milk powder and fortified with [(57)Fe]ferrous fumarate or [(58)Fe]ferrous sulfate to healthy Mexican preschool children [n = 18; mean (+/-SD) age: 3.6 +/- 1.0 y] and their mothers [n = 18; mean (+/-SD) age: 28.0 +/- 5.2 y]. Iron absorption was calculated on the basis of incorporation of isotopes into erythrocytes after 14 d and was adjusted for differences in iron status. There was a wide variation in iron absorption from the test meals: in the mothers and children, the median fractional absorption of ferrous sulfate was 22.55% (range: 1.65-54.83%) and 5.51% (range: 2.23-17.20%), respectively (P < 0.0001). After adjustment for serum ferritin, the significant difference in absorption between mothers and their children disappeared. Despite this broad range of iron absorption, corrected fractional iron absorption from the ferrous fumarate-fortified (r(2) = 0.582) and the ferrous sulfate-fortified test meals (r(2) = 0.557) was strongly correlated in mothers and their children (P < 0.0001). There was a striking positive correlation between the mean corrected fractional iron absorption from both test meals in mothers and their children (r(2) = 0.782, P < 0.0001). In regression analyses that included age, sex, and hemoglobin, the only significant predictor of corrected fractional iron absorption in children was corrected fractional iron absorption in their mothers (standardized beta = 0.884, P < 0.001). Nonheme-iron absorption exhibits a strong familial tendency. After differences in meal matrix and serum ferritin are accounted for, these data suggest that inheritance and/or shared environmental factors explain most of the variance in dietary iron absorption.

The Impact of Use of Manipulatives on the Math Scores of Grade 2 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liggett, Robert Scott

2017-01-01

Today's society places a lot of pressure on schools, teachers, and students to improve test scores. This paper discusses the possibility of using mathematical manipulatives to improve student test scores and students' attitudes towards mathematics. Forty-three Grade 2 students with age ranges between six and eight from a rural town in Saskatchewan…

Learning Models and Real-Time Speech Recognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danforth, Douglas G.; And Others

This report describes the construction and testing of two "psychological" learning models for the purpose of computer recognition of human speech over the telephone. One of the two models was found to be superior in all tests. A regression analysis yielded a 92.3% recognition rate for 14 subjects ranging in age from 6 to 13 years. Tests…

Life Before Tests: A District's Coordinated Health Approach for Addressing Children's Full Range of Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Patrick

2005-01-01

Chronic illnesses, depression, abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Sugary snacks and drinks, vending machines, obesity and bullying. Guns, gang violence, school shootings and test scores. Teen-age birth rates, one-parent households, lack of health or dental care, and, dropouts. All of these issues are interconnected and intertwined with education…

Demographically corrected norms for the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-revised in monolingual Spanish speakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Cherner, M; Suarez, P; Lazzaretto, D; Fortuny, L Artiola I; Mindt, Monica Rivera; Dawes, S; Marcotte, Thomas; Grant, I; Heaton, R

2007-03-01

The large number of primary Spanish speakers both in the United States and the world makes it imperative that appropriate neuropsychological assessment instruments be available to serve the needs of these populations. In this article we describe the norming process for Spanish speakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region on the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-revised. We computed the rates of impairment that would be obtained by applying the original published norms for these tests to raw scores from the normative sample, and found substantial overestimates compared to expected rates. As expected, these overestimates were most salient at the lowest levels of education, given the under-representation of poorly educated subjects in the original normative samples. Results suggest that demographically corrected norms derived from healthy Spanish-speaking adults with a broad range of education, are less likely to result in diagnostic errors. At minimum, demographic corrections for the tests in question should include the influence of literacy or education, in addition to the traditional adjustments for age. Because the age range of our sample was limited, the norms presented should not be applied to elderly populations.

Neuropsychological disorders related to interictal epileptic discharges during sleep in benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal or Rolandic spikes.

PubMed

Baglietto, M G; Battaglia, F M; Nobili, L; Tortorelli, S; De Negri, E; Calevo, M G; Veneselli, E; De Negri, M

2001-06-01

Nine children (five males, four females; age range 6 years 1 month to 11 years 1 month) affected by benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal or Rolandic spikes (BECRS) with EEG evidence of marked activation of interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) during sleep, and nine unaffected control children matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status, were enrolled in a prospective study. At the time of detection of IED activation during sleep, patients showed a mean Full-Scale IQ score within the normal range, but significantly below that of control participants; neuropsychological assessment revealed disorders in visuospatial short-term memory (Corsi's Block Tapping Test), attention, and cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test and Stroop Color-Word Test), picture naming, and fluency (Benton's Naming Test and Word Fluency), visuoperceptual skill (Ghent-Poppelreuter and Street Gestalt Completion Tests) and visuomotor coordination (Bender Test). After detection of IED activation during sleep, children were followed up for 2 years. At the time of IED remission (T1), neuropsychological re-evaluation showed a notable increase in IQ score and a significant improvement (t-test: p<0.007) in visuomotor coordination, non-verbal short-term memory, sustained attention and mental flexibility, picture naming, and visual-perceptual performance. At T1, patients' performance did not differ from the controls (Mann-Whitney U test).

Major-element geochemistry of the Silent Canyon-Black Mountain peralkaline volcanic centers, northwestern Nevada Test Site: applications to an assessment of renewed volcanism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crowe, Bruce M.; Sargent, Kenneth A.

1979-01-01

The Silent Canyon and Black Mountain volcanic centers are located in the northern part of the Nevada Test Site. The Silent Canyon volcanic center is a buried cauldron complex of Miocene age (13-15 m.y.). Black Mountain volcanic center is an elliptical-shaped cauldron complex of late Miocene age. The lavas and tuffs of the two centers comprise a subalkaline-peralkaline association. Rock types range from quartz normative subalkaline trachyte and rhyolite to peralkaline comendite. The Gold Flat Member of the Thirsty Canyon Tuff (Black Mountain) is a pantellerite. The major-element geochemistry of the Black Mountain-Silent Canyon volcanic centers differs in the total range and distribution of Si02, contents, the degree of peralkalinity (molecular Na2O+K2O>Al2O3) and in the values of total iron and alumina through the range of rock types. These differences indicate that the suites were unrelated and evolved from differing magma bodies. The Black Mountain volcanic cycle represents a renewed phase of volcanism following cessation of the Timber Mountain-Silent Canyon volcanic cycles. Consequently, there is a small but numerically incalculable probability of recurrence of Black Mountain-type volcanism within the Nevada Test Site region. This represents a potential risk with respect to deep geologic storage of high-level radioactive waste at the Nevada Test Site.

Thermoluminesence Properties and Ages along the Stony Creek, Hanging Wall of Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishikawa, O.; Theeraporn, C.; Takashima, I.; Shigematsu, N.; Little, T. A.; Boulton, C. J.

2015-12-01

The Alpine Fault, New Zealand is an oblique slip thrust with significantly high slip rate, and its dip-slip component causes the rapid uplift of the Southern Alps and the extremely high geothermal gradient in it. Thermoluminescence (TL) dating is a method using the phenomenon that energy accumulated in the crystal from radiation of surrounding radioactive elements is reemitted in the form of light when heating the minerals. This method covers a wide range of age from 1,000 to 1,000,000 years, and has relatively low reset temperature for the accumulation of radiation dose. Therefore, TL dating is a feasible geochronometry for the reconstruction of the thermal history of the area with very high uplifting rate. In order to determine uplifting rates and their distribution in the Southern Alps adjacent to the Alpine fault, ten rock samples were collected for TL dating in the distance 1 km from main fault plane along the Stony Creek. All the samples commonly include quartz veins which are folded tightly or in isoclinal form parallel to the foliations. TL dating was performed using quartz grains separated from host rock. A widely ranging TL ages are obtained from the hanging wall of the fault. The rocks within 600m from present shear zone yield ages ranging from 55.2 ka to 88.8 ka, showing older ages with distance from shear zone. Within 600 m to 900 m from the fault, relatively younger ages, 54.7 to 34.4 ka are obtained. Assuming the thermal gradient of 10 °C /100 m and exhumation rate of 10 m / kyr, the zeroing depth and temperature of TL signals is estimated from 350 to 900 m and from 45 to 100 °C, respectively. The range of TL ages is very large amounted to 50,000 years in the narrow zone. This may be responsible for the variety of TL zeroing temperatures in the hanging wall rocks rather than disturbance of thermal structure and/or inhomogeneity of uplifting rate in this area. Annealing tests are necessary to clarify the real properties of TL for each sample tested.

Feasibility and normal values of an integrated conductivity (Nanoduct™) sweat test system in healthy newborns.

PubMed

Kuehni, Claudia E; Schindler, Matthias; Mazur, Agnieszka; Malzacher, Andreas; Hornung, René; Barben, Juerg

2017-07-01

Nanoduct™ is a simple and practical sweat analysis system measuring conductivity in situ. It requires only three microlitres of sweat, making it especially applicable to newborns. We measured conductivity in 260 healthy term infants at the age of four days, and again at four weeks to determine the proportion of successful tests, test duration, and normal values for sweat conductivity in newborns. Sufficient sweat was collected in 159/260 of four-day olds (61%), and in 225/239 of four-week olds (94%). Mean (sd) test duration was 27 (5) and 25 (5) min. Mean (sd, range) conductivity was 53mmol/l (16, 8-114) at age four days, and 36 (9, 12-64) at four weeks. Determination of sweat conductivity using Nanoduct™ cannot be recommended for four-day old newborns. However, at the age of four weeks the success rate is high (94%), and conductivity values at that age are comparable to older healthy children. Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Testing a fall risk model for injection drug users.

PubMed

Pieper, Barbara; Templin, Thomas N; Goldberg, Allon

2012-01-01

Fall risk is a critical component of clinical assessment and has not been examined for persons who have injected illicit drugs and are aging. The aim of this study was to test and develop the Fall Risk Model for Injection Drug Users by examining the relationships among injection drug use, chronic venous insufficiency, lower extremity impairments (i.e., decreased ankle range of motion, reduced calf muscle endurance, and leg pain), age and other covariates, and the Tinetti balance and gait total score as a measure of fall risk. A cross-sectional comparative design was used with four crossed factors. Standardized instruments were used to assess the variables. Moderated multiple regression with linear and quadratic trends in age was used to examine the nature of the relationship between the Tinetti balance and gait total and age and the potential moderating role of injection drug use. A prespecified series of models was tested. Participants (n = 713) were men (46.9%) and women with a mean age of 46.26 years and primarily African American (61.7%) in methadone treatment centers. The fall risk of a 48-year-old leg injector was comparable with the fall risk of a 69-year-old who had not injected drugs. Variables were added to the model sequentially, resulting in some lost significance of some when they were explained by subsequent variables. Final significant variables in the model were employment status, number of comorbidities, ankle range of motion, leg pain, and calf muscle endurance. Fall risk was associated with route of drug use. Lower extremity impairments accounted for the effects of injection drug use and chronic venous insufficiency on risk for falls. Further understanding of fall risk in injection users is necessary as they age, attempt to work, and participate in activities.

Skeletal maturation, fundamental motor skills and motor performance in preschool children.

PubMed

Freitas, D L; Lausen, B; Maia, J A; Gouveia, É R; Antunes, A M; Thomis, M; Lefevre, J; Malina, R M

2018-06-01

Relationships among skeletal age (SA), body size and fundamental motor skills (FMS) and motor performance were considered in 155 boys and 159 girls 3-6 years of age. Stature and body mass were measured. SA of the hand-wrist was assessed with the Tanner-Whitehouse II 20 bone method. The Test of Gross Motor Development, 2 nd edition (TGMD-2) and the Preschool Test Battery were used, respectively, to assess FMS and motor performance. Based on hierarchical regression analyses, the standardized residuals of SA on chronological age (SAsr) explained a maximum of 6.1% of the variance in FMS and motor performance in boys (ΔR 2 3 , range 0.0% to 6.1%) and a maximum of 20.4% of the variance in girls (ΔR 2 3 , range 0.0% to 20.4%) over that explained by body size and interactions of SAsr with body size (step 3). The interactions of the SAsr and stature and body mass (step 2) explained a maximum of 28.3% of the variance in boys (ΔR 2 2 , range 0.5% to 28.3%) and 16.7% of the variance in girls (ΔR 2 2 , range 0.7% to 16.7%) over that explained by body size alone. With the exception of balance, relationships among SAsr and FMS or motor performance differed between boys and girls. Overall, SA per se or interacting with body size had a relatively small influence in FMS and motor performance in children 3-6 years of age. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Role of specific IgE and skin-prick testing in predicting food challenge results to baked egg.

PubMed

Cortot, Catherine F; Sheehan, William J; Permaul, Perdita; Friedlander, James L; Baxi, Sachin N; Gaffin, Jonathan M; Dioun, Anahita F; Hoffman, Elaine B; Schneider, Lynda C; Phipatanakul, Wanda

2012-01-01

Previous studies suggest that children with egg allergy may be able to tolerate baked egg. Reliable predictors of a successful baked egg challenge are not well established. We examined egg white-specific IgE levels, skin-prick test (SPT) results, and age as predictors of baked egg oral food challenge (OFC) outcomes. We conducted a retrospective chart review of children, aged 2-18 years, receiving an egg white-specific IgE level, SPT, and OFC to baked egg from 2008 to 2010. Fifty-two oral baked egg challenges were conducted. Of the 52 challenges, 83% (n = 43) passed and 17% (n = 9) failed, including 2 having anaphylaxis. Median SPT wheal size was 12 mm (range, 0-35 mm) for passed challenges and 17 mm (range, 10-30 mm) for failed challenges (p = 0.091). The negative predictive value for passing the OFC was 100% (9 of 9) if SPT wheal size was <10 mm. Median egg white-specific IgE was 2.02 kU/L (range, <0.35-13.00 kU/L) for passed challenges and 1.52 kU/L (range, 0.51-6.10 kU/L) for failed challenges (p = 0.660). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for SPT revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.64. ROC curve analysis for egg white-specific IgE revealed an AUC of 0.63. There was no significant difference in age between patients who failed and those who passed (median = 8.8 years versus 7.0 years; p = 0.721). Based on our sample, SPT, egg white-specific IgE and age are not good predictors of passing a baked egg challenge. However, there was a trend for more predictability with SPT wheal size.

Demographic patterns and harvest vulnerability of chronic wasting disease infected white-tailed deer in Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grear, D.A.; Samuel, M.D.; Langenberg, J.A.; Keane, D.

2006-01-01

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) caused by transmissible protease-resistant prions. Since the discovery of CWD in southern Wisconsin in 2001, more than 20,000 deer have been removed from a >2,500-km2 disease eradication zone surrounding the three initial cases. Nearly all deer removed were tested for CWD infection and sex, age, and harvest location were recorded. Our analysis used data from a 310-km2 core study area where disease prevalence was higher than surrounding areas. We found no difference in harvest rates between CWD infected and noninfected deer. Our results show that the probability of infection increased with age and that adult males were more likely to be infected than adult females. Six fawns tested positive for CWD, five fawns from the core study area, including the youngest (5 months) free-ranging cervid to test positive. The increase in male prevalence with age is nearly twice the increase found in females. We concluded that CWD is not randomly distributed among deer and that differential transmission among sex and age classes is likely driving the observed patterns in disease prevalence. We discuss alternative hypotheses for CWD transmission and spread and, in addition, discuss several possible nonlinear relationships between prevalence and age. Understanding CWD transmission in free-ranging cervid populations will be essential to the development of strategies to manage this disease in areas where CWD is found, as well as for surveillance strategies in areas where CWD threatens to spread.

Chronic wasting disease infection patterns in female white-tailed deer related to demographics, genetic relationships, and spatial proximity of infected deer in southern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grear, Daniel A.

2006-01-01

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) caused by transmissible protease resistant prions. Since the discovery of CWD in southern Wisconsin in 2001, more than 20,000 deer have been removed from a >2,500 km2 disease eradication zone surrounding the three initial cases. Nearly all deer removed were tested for CWD infection and sex, age, and harvest location were recorded. Our analysis used data from a 310 kin2 core study area where disease prevalence was higher than surrounding areas. We found no difference in harvest rates between CWD infected and non-infected deer. Ow results show that the probability of infection increased with age and that adult males were more likely to be infected than adult females. Six fawns tested positive for CWD, five fawns from the core study area, including the youngest (5 months) kee-ranging cervid to test positive. The increase in male prevalence with age is nearly twice the increase found in females. We concluded that CWD is not randomly distributed among deer and that differential transmission among sex and age classes is likely driving the observed patterns in disease prevalence. We discuss alternative hypotheses for CWD transmission and spread and, in addition, discuss several possible non-linear relationships between prevalence and age. Understanding CWD transmission in free-ranging cervid populations will be essential to the development of strategies to manage this disease in areas where CWD is found as well as for surveillance strategies in areas where CWD threatens to spread.

Effect of aging on saccular function

PubMed Central

Maleki, Mehri; Jafari, Zahra; Zarrinkoob, Homa; Akbarzadeh Baghban, Alireza

2014-01-01

Background: Aging can cause loss of balance, which may lead to physical and psychological problems. As the role of the otolith organs in maintaining postural stability has been emphasized in recent years, the present study investigated the effect of aging on saccular function using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP). Methods: The participants were assigned into two groups; group one included 31 young adults with a mean age of 22.15 (range: 19-26 yr) and group two consisted of 31 old adults with a mean age of 69.76 years (range: 61-79 yr). All participants hearing sensitivity was normal with no history of balance problems. VEMP was recorded for all subjects using tone burst 500 Hz stimuli at the threshold level and 95 dB nHL intensity level through air-conduction stimulation via an insert receiver. Results: There was a significant difference in the cVEMP response threshold (p< 0.001), P1 wave latency (p<0.001), P1/N1 amplitude (p< 0.001), and asymmetry ratio of P1/N1 amplitude (p< 0.05) between the two groups. No significant difference was found between the left and right ears or in N1 wave latency between the two groups. Conclusion: VEMP abnormalities observed in healthy older adults showed the sensitivity of this test in identifying early signs of vestibular dysfunction. VEMP is an easy-to-use test that requires a short time to be performed. Therefore, it can be used as a selective objective screening test to detect vestibular disorders PMID:25678996

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing of men in UK general practice: a 10-year longitudinal cohort study

PubMed Central

Young, Grace J; Harrison, Sean; Turner, Emma L; Walsh, Eleanor I; Oliver, Steven E; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Evans, Simon; Lane, J Athene; Neal, David E; Hamdy, Freddie C; Donovan, Jenny L; Martin, Richard M; Metcalfe, Chris

2017-01-01

Objectives Cross-sectional studies suggest that around 6% of men undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing each year in UK general practice (GP). This longitudinal study aims to determine the cumulative testing pattern of men over a 10-year period and whether this testing can be considered equivalent to screening for prostate cancer (PCa). Setting, participants and outcome measures Patient-level data on PSA tests, biopsies and PCa diagnoses were obtained from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) for the years 2002 to 2011. The cumulative risks of PSA testing and of being diagnosed with PCa were estimated for the 10-year study period. Associations of a man’s age, region and index of multiple deprivation with the cumulative risk of PSA testing and PCa diagnosis were investigated. Rates of biopsy and diagnosis, following a high test result, were compared with those from the programme of PSA testing in the Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) study. Results The 10-year risk of exposure to at least one PSA test in men aged 45 to 69 years in UK GP was 39.2% (95% CI 39.0 to 39.4%). The age-specific risks ranged from 25.2% for men aged 45–49 years to 53.0% for men aged 65–69 years (p for trend <0.001). For those with a PSA level ≥3, a test in UK GP was less likely to result in a biopsy (6%) and/or diagnosis of PCa (15%) compared with ProtecT study participants (85% and 34%, respectively). Conclusion A high proportion of men aged 45–69 years undergo PSA tests in UK GP: 39% over a 10-year period. A high proportion of these tests appear to be for the investigation of lower urinary tract symptoms and not screening for PCa. Trial registration number ISRCTN20141297, NCT02044172. PMID:29084797

Relationship between sweat chloride, sodium, and age in clinically obtained samples.

PubMed

Traeger, Nadav; Shi, Qiuhu; Dozor, Allen J

2014-01-01

The relationship between sweat electrolytes and age is uncertain, as is the value of measuring sodium or the chloride:sodium ratio. 13,785 sweat tests performed over 23 years at one center through the Macroduct collection in clinically obtained samples were analyzed. Sweat chloride tended to decrease over the first year of life, slowly increase until the fourth decade, then either level off or slightly decrease. In children, sweat sodium overlapped between those with positive and negative sweat tests, but not in adults. If the sweat test was positive, there was a higher likelihood of having a chloride:sodium ratio >1, but most subjects with a ratio >1 did not have CF. Sweat chloride and sodium vary with age. Measurement of sweat sodium did not add discriminatory value. The proportion of subjects with a chloride:sodium ratio >1, with or without CF, varied greatly between age ranges. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Cystic Fibrosis Society. All rights reserved.

Relationship of ethnicity, age, education, and reading level to speed and executive function among HIV+ and HIV- women: The WIHS Neurocognitive Substudy

PubMed Central

Manly, Jennifer J.; Smith, Clifford; Crystal, Howard A.; Richardson, Jean; Golub, Elizabeth T.; Young, Mary; Greenblatt, Ruth; Robison, Esther

2012-01-01

Use of neuropsychological tests to identify HIV-associated neurocognitive dysfunction must involve normative standards that are well-suited to the population of interest. Norms should be based on a population of HIV-uninfected individuals as closely matched to the HIV-infected group as possible, and must include examination of the potential effects of demographic factors on test performance. This is the first study to determine the normal range of scores on measures of psychomotor speed and executive function among a large group of ethnically and educationally diverse HIV-uninfected, high risk women, as well as their HIV-infected counterparts. Participants (n = 1653) were administered the Trailmaking Test Parts A and B (Trails A and Trails B), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and the Wide Range Achievement Test-3 (WRAT-3). Among HIV-uninfected women, race/ethnicity accounted for almost 5% of the variance in cognitive test performance. The proportion of variance in cognitive test performance accounted for by age (13.8%), years of school (4.1%) and WRAT-3 score (11.5%) were each significant, but did not completely account for the effect of race (3%). HIV-infected women obtained lower scores than HIV-uninfected women on time to complete Trails A and B, SDMT total correct, and SDMT incidental recall score, but after adjustment for age, years of education, racial/ethnic classification, and reading level, only the difference on SDMT total correct remained significant. Results highlight the need to adjust for demographic variables when diagnosing cognitive impairment in HIV-infected women. Advantages of demographically adjusted regression equations developed using data from HIV-uninfected women are discussed. PMID:21950512

Allergy Testing in Children With Low-Risk Penicillin Allergy Symptoms.

PubMed

Vyles, David; Adams, Juan; Chiu, Asriani; Simpson, Pippa; Nimmer, Mark; Brousseau, David C

2017-08-01

Penicillin allergy is commonly reported in the pediatric emergency department (ED). True penicillin allergy is rare, yet the diagnosis results from the denial of first-line antibiotics. We hypothesize that all children presenting to the pediatric ED with symptoms deemed to be low-risk for immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity will return negative results for true penicillin allergy. Parents of children aged 4 to 18 years old presenting to the pediatric ED with a history of parent-reported penicillin allergy completed an allergy questionnaire. A prespecified 100 children categorized as low-risk on the basis of reported symptoms completed penicillin allergy testing by using a standard 3-tier testing process. The percent of children with negative allergy testing results was calculated with a 95% confidence interval. Five hundred ninety-seven parents completed the questionnaire describing their child's reported allergy symptoms. Three hundred two (51%) children had low-risk symptoms and were eligible for testing. Of those, 100 children were tested for penicillin allergy. The median (interquartile range) age at testing was 9 years (5-12). The median (interquartile range) age at allergy diagnosis was 1 year (9 months-3 years). Rash (97 [97%]) and itching (63 [63%]) were the most commonly reported allergy symptoms. Overall, 100 children (100%; 95% confidence interval 96.4%-100%) were found to have negative results for penicillin allergy and had their labeled penicillin allergy removed from their medical record. All children categorized as low-risk by our penicillin allergy questionnaire were found to have negative results for true penicillin allergy. The utilization of this questionnaire in the pediatric ED may facilitate increased use of first-line penicillin antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Age-Specific Normal Reference Range for Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Healthy Chinese Han Women: A nationwide Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Du, Xiaofang; Ding, Ting; Zhang, Hanwang; Zhang, Cuilian; Ma, Wenmin; Zhong, Ying; Qu, Wenyu; Zheng, Jie; Liu, Yi; Li, Zhiying; Huang, Kecheng; Deng, Song; Ma, Lanfang; Yang, Jun; Jiang, Jingjing; Yang, Shuhong; Huang, Jia; Wu, Meng; Fang, Li; Lu, Yunping; Luo, Aiyue; Wang, Shixuan

2016-08-01

The increasing use of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in clinic has raised concerns regarding the reliable reference range for this test. However, the reference range for AMH in normal Chinese female population has not been established. Furthermore, relationship between AMH and other clinical markers such as body mass index (BMI) and antral follicle counts (AFCs) and other sex-related hormones have not been examined in normal population-based women. We aimed to determine the age-specific reference range for serum AMH in healthy Chinese women throughout reproductive age to menopause and to estimate relationship between AMH and other clinical markers in healthy women. In this multicenter and nationwide study, advertisements were used to recruit 2055 women, aged 20 to 55 years, from 6 different regions in China; 1590 (77.37%) women met the inclusion criteria for the reference range population. We measured the baseline serum AMH levels using new Beckman Coulter Gen II assay. Serum concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL), progesterone (PRG), and AFCs were also determined in the follicular phase. The AMH-Age nomogram and AMH levels of different age-groups and the relationship between AMH and other clinical markers. Serum AMH concentrations declined progressively with age. A quadratic model defined as log (AMH) = (-1.970 + 0.296 × Age - 0.006 × Age(2)) fitted best the decline of AMH with age. The median AMH levels were 6.23, 5.65, 4.55, 3.74, 2.78, and 1.09 ng/mL for the 20 ≤ age < 25, 25 ≤ age < 30, 30 ≤ age < 33, 33 ≤ age < 37, 37 ≤ age < 40, and 40 ≤ age < 55 groups, respectively. The 5th to 95th percentiles of the AMH levels, as the reference range, were 2.06 to 12.66, 1.77 to 13.83, 1.48 to 11.45, 0.87 to 9.76, 0.56 to 9.49, and 0.08 to 5.70 ng/mL for each age-group. The AMH levels were positively correlated with AFCs and T, LH, PRL and PRG levels and negatively correlated with BMI and FSH levels and were not significantly correlated with E2 levels. The relationship between AMH and other variables remain unchanged except for PRL, which was not significantly correlated with AMH levels after controlling for both age and BMI. This study determined the normal reference ranges for serum AMH levels in a large population-based sample of healthy Chinese women. © The Author(s) 2016.

Early life factors, childhood cognition and postal questionnaire response rate in middle age: the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study.

PubMed

Nishiwaki, Yuji; Clark, Heather; Morton, Susan M; Leon, David A

2005-05-05

Little is known about the relationship between early life factors and survey response in epidemiological studies of adults. The Children of the 1950s cohort is composed of 12,150 children (boys 51.7%) born in Aberdeen 1950-56 and in primary schools in the city in 1962. Information on birth weight, gestational age, growth, behaviour and socio-economic position at birth and in childhood were obtained from contemporaneous records. Cognitive test scores at ages 7,9 and 11 years were also available from school records. The outcome was response to a postal questionnaire sent (2001-2003) to surviving cohort members in middle age. Of 11,282 potentially mailed subjects, 7,183 (63.7%) returned questionnaires. Response rates were highest among females, and those whose parents were married at birth, were in a non-manual social class at birth or in childhood, had fewer siblings, were taller and heavier in childhood for their age and had lower Rutter B behavioural scores. Childhood cognitive test scores at every age were strongly and positively related to the response rate to a postal questionnaire independently of other early life factors monotonically across the entire range of test scores. Those in the bottom fifth at age 11 had a response rate of 49% while those in the top fifth 75%. The strength and consistency of the association of childhood cognition with questionnaire response rate in middle age is surprisingly large. It suggests that childhood cognition across the entire normal range is a powerful influence on the complex set of later behaviours that comprise questionnaire response. The extent of possible response bias in epidemiological studies of the associations between childhood characteristics (particularly those related to cognition) and later health is probably larger than is generally realised, at least in situations where the survey instrument is a postal questionnaire.

[Alternate form of the test de aprendizaje verbal España-Complutense (TAVEC)].

PubMed

Nieto, Antonieta; Hernández-Rodríguez, Edith; Hernández-Torres, Atteneri; Velasco Rodríguez-Solís, Pedro; Hess-Medler, Stephany; Machado-Fernández, Alejandra; Molina-Rodríguez, Yaiza; Barroso, José

2014-05-01

Parallel forms of neuropsychological tests are scarce. Practice effects associated to repeated testing with the same test confound the interpretation of observed changes in serial assessments. Practice effects are especially likely with memory testing. To develop an alternate form to the test de aprendizaje verbal España-Complutense (TAVEC), one of the most common memory tests used for Spanish speaking population. Participants in the normative study were 110 undergraduates. Participants in the study of the alternate vs original forms were 70 neurologically normal volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 89 years. Forms were administered in counterbalanced order, with a test-retest interval of 15-20 days. Multivariate analyses showed that none of the effects for form, order of administration or session achieved significance. Interactions also failed to reach significance. Aforementioned results were observed in the total sample and the different age groups: young adults (18-29 years), middle-age (30-59 years) and older (60-89 years). Correlational analyses supported the validity and internal consistence of the alternate form. Results indicate the equivalence between the original TAVEC and the form elaborated in this study. This alternate form may be used in serial assessment of learning and memory deterioration.

Higher sweat chloride levels in patients with asthma: a case-control study.

PubMed

Awasthi, Shally; Dixit, Pratibha; Maurya, Nutan

2015-02-01

To screen asthmatic patients by sweat chloride test to identify proportion with Cystic Fibrosis (CF); (Sweat chloride level >60 mmol/L). Also, to compare sweat chloride levels between cases of bronchial asthma and age and sex matched healthy children aged 5 mo-15 y. The present case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in India. Cases of bronchial asthma, diagnosed by GINA guideline 2008, and age matched healthy controls were included. Case to control ratio was 2:1. Sweat Chloride test was done by Pilocarpine Iontophoresis method. From April 2010 through May 2012, 216 asthmatics and 112 controls were recruited. Among asthmatics, there was no case of Cystic Fibrosis. Mean sweat chloride levels in asthmatics was 22.39 ± 8.45 mmol/L (inter-quartile range - 15-28 mmol/L) and in controls 19.55 ± 7.04 mmol/L (inter-quartile range - 15-23.5 mmol/L) (p value = 0.048). No Cystic Fibrosis case was identified among asthmatics. Mean sweat chloride levels were higher in asthmatics as compared to controls.

Measurement of vortex velocities over a wide range of vortex age, downstream distance and free stream velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rorke, J. B.; Moffett, R. C.

1977-01-01

A wind tunnel test was conducted to obtain vortex velocity signatures over a wide parameter range encompassing the data conditions of several previous researchers while maintaining a common instrumentation and test facility. The generating wing panel was configured with both a revolved airfoil tip shape and a square tip shape and had a semispan aspect of 4.05/1.0 with a 121.9 cm span. Free stream velocity was varied from 6.1 m/sec to 76.2 m/sec and the vortex core velocities were measured at locations 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 chordlengths downstream of the wing trailing edge, yielding vortex ages up to 2.0 seconds. Wing pitch angles of 6, 8, 9 and 12 deg were investigated. Detailed surface pressure distributions and wing force measurements were obtained for each wing tip configuration. Correlation with vortex velocity data taken in previous experiments is good. During the rollup process, vortex core parameters appear to be dependent primarily on vortex age. Trending in the plateau and decay regions is more complex and the machanisms appear to be more unstable.

[Trajectories of aging in a sample of elderly people: a longitudinal study].

PubMed

Navarro-González, Elena; Calero, María Dolores; Becerra-Reina, Dolores

2015-01-01

The present study analyzes variables associated with different trajectories of aging, and the level of cognitive functioning in a sample of older adults. Although this work is part of a broader investigation where initially 141 people were assessed, this paper only discusses the cognitive functioning and cognitive development of 64 older people who have been followed up four years after the initial assessment, with a mean age of 83.84 years (age range 65 to 99 years). In the initial assessment all the participants were assessed with a psychological battery that included the MEC, the verbal fluency task FVS, a sustained attention task, a working memory test, a Quality of Life Questionnaire, a scale of dependency, and the AVLT-Learning Potential test. In the follow up assessment, participants have been assessed with the MEC, the verbal fluency task FVS, and the verbal memory test AVLT-PA. the results show relatively stable trajectories of aging and that the variables that better predict cognitive evolution of the elderly are working memory and post-test score in the AVLT-LP. Despite the time lapse between the two assessments and the age of the participants, older adults have remained relatively stable in their cognitive functioning, which in part contradicts the idea that--especially after 80 years--a general decline of cognitive functioning occurs in old age. Copyright © 2014 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

[Developmental course of patients with Asperger's disorder followed objectively from infancy].

PubMed

Yoshioka, Mieko; Isaka, Masako

2012-01-01

This follow-up study evaluated cognitive and language development in Asperger's disorder (AD) patients diagnosed at the age of 5 to 6 years, with initial complaints of delays in motor or language development in infancy. We evaluated 12 patients (10 males and 2 females) using two intelligence tests:Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (K-scale) for those under 6 years, and WISC-III for those over 5-6 years. The cognitive-adaptive area (C-A) of the former test was compared to the performance IQ (PIQ) of the latter test, and the language-social area (L-S) of the former to verbal IQ (VIQ) of the latter. The mean age at the first examination was 3.2 years (range:2.1-4.6 years), and the average age at follow-up was 7.7 years (range:5.3-12.3 years). The average length of follow-up from the initial visit was 5.6 years (range:3.3-8.6 years). During follow-up, the PIQ, VIQ and full scale DQ or IQ (F-DQ/IQ) improved with age. Average scores of the 12 patients at the first examination and last follow-up evaluated by K-scale were:C-A:70.6 (first) and 84.5 (last), L-S:64.8 (first) and 85.8 (last), and F-DQ:68.5 (first) and 84.8 (last). Compared to those with AD, 12 autistic patients with the Kanner type (10 males and 2 females) who visited our clinic during almost the same period, and belonged to almost the same age group, showed average scores at the first examination and last follow-up of:C-A: 61.9 (first) and43.3 (last), L-S:43.0 (first) and43.4 (last), and F-DQ:60.2 (first) and44.5 (last). From these observations, it is apparent that AD patients also showed language delay during infancy, but they improved rapidly between the ages of 4-6 years. This developmental spurt was not seen in autistic patients with the Kanner type.

[Effect of moisture content on vigor of Cyathula officinalis seeds and its anti-aging mechanism analysis].

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Yang, Mei; Pei, Jin; Wang, Li; Wu, Yi-Yun; Lv, Hui

2016-04-01

Effects of nine different moisture contents on vigor of Cyathula officinalis seeds and its anti-aging mechanism were studied by artificial accelerated aging through high temperature and wet. The research results showedthat seed vigor were generally decreased after artificial aging; in general, seed vigor and its anti-aging ability are relatively stronger within the scope of 6.55%-4.78% moisture content, the increase range of seed conductivity, peroxidase activity, malondialdehyde content,and reduce amplitude of activityof dehydrogenase , superoxide dismutaseare alllower as well. And when the moisture content reduced to 5.77%, all of the germination tests index of the non-aged seeds are the highest, and the activity of peroxidase the lowest,conductivity of leaching solution relatively low, activity of dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase the highest,and catalase activityrelatively high.Therefore, in the low temperature germplasm preservation of C. officinalis seeds, the seed moisture content should be controlled close to the range of (5.70±1)% to keep higher vigor and anti-aging ability. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Effect of age on changes in motor units functional connectivity.

PubMed

Arjunan, Sridhar P; Kumar, Dinesh

2015-08-01

With age, there is a change in functional connectivity of motor units in muscle. This leads to reduced muscle strength. This study has investigated the effect of age on the changes in the motor unit recruitment by measuring the mutual information between multiple channels of surface electromyogram (sEMG) of biceps brachii muscle. It is hypothesised that with ageing, there is a reduction in number of motor units, which can lead to an increase in the dependency of remaining motor units. This increase can be observed in the mutual information between the multiple channels of the muscle activity. Two channels of sEMG were recorded during the maximum level of isometric contraction. 28 healthy subjects (Young: age range 20-35years and Old: age range - 60-70years) participated in the experiments. The normalized mutual information (NMI), a measure of dependency factor, was computed for the sEMG recordings. Statistical analysis was performed to test the effect of age on NMI. The results show that the NMI among the older cohort was significantly higher when compared with the young adults.

Mechanical characterization of commercial biodegradable plastic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanstrom, Joseph R.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable plastic that is relatively new compared to other plastics in use throughout industry. The material is produced by the polymerization of lactic acid which is produced by the fermentation of starches derived from renewable feedstocks such as corn. Polylactic acid can be manufactured to fit a wide variety of applications. This study details the mechanical and morphological properties of selected commercially available PLA film products. Testing was conducted at Iowa State University and in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred ProgramRTM. Results acquired by Iowa State were compared to a similar study performed by the Cortec Corporation in 2006. The PLA films tested at Iowa State were acquired in 2009 and 2010. In addition to these two studies at ISU, the films that were acquired in 2009 were aged for a year in a controlled environment and then re-tested to determine effects of time (ageing) on the mechanical properties. All films displayed anisotropic properties which were confirmed by inspection of the films with polarized light. The mechanical testing of the films followed American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Mechanical characteristics included: tensile strength (ASTM D882), elongation of material at failure (ASTM D882), impact resistance (ASTM D1922), and tear resistance (ASTM D4272). The observed values amongst all the films ranged as followed: tensile strength 33.65--8.54 MPa; elongation at failure 1,665.1%--47.2%; tear resistance 3.61--0.46 N; and puncture resistance 2.22--0.28 J. There were significant differences between the observed data for a number of films and the reported data published by the Cortec Corp. In addition, there were significant differences between the newly acquired material from 2009 and 2010, as well as the newly acquired materials in 2009 and the aged 2009 materials, suggesting that ageing and manufacturing date had an effect on the mechanical properties. The morphological properties were tested using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The material properties examined were: glass transition temperature (Tg), degree of crystallinity (Wc), and material composition in terms of inorganic content. Results from DSC testing revealed that the glass transition temperatures ranged from 43.2--52.2 °C, the degree of crystallintiy ranged from 4.1--13.8%, and material composition of the films ranged from 89.9--100% organic materials. The morphological examination of the polymers also indicated that the mechanical properties of the films may have been altered by the manufacturing and processing of the film material or by the addition of filler or plasticizers.

Reference Range of Platelet Delta Granules in the Pediatric Age Group: An Ultrastructural Study of Platelet Whole Mount Preparations from Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Sorokin, Victoria; Alkhoury, Razan; Al-Rawabdeh, Sura; Houston, Ronald H; Thornton, David; Kerlin, Bryce; O'Brien, Sarah; Baker, Peter; Boesel, Carl; Uddin, Minhaj; Yin, Han; Kahwash, Samir

This study sought to determine delta granule normal ranges for children and to validate methodology for the appropriate diagnosis of delta granule deficiency (storage pool disease) by using the whole-mount technique in electron microscopy. Specimens obtained from 40 healthy volunteers (2 months of age through 21 years old, 21 females and 19 males) were tested. Results showed dense granules/platelet (DG/Plt) ranged from 1.78 to 5.25. The 5th percentile was 1.96 DG/Plt with an overall mean ± SEM 3.07 ± 0.12 DG/Plt. In comparison, a previously published lower cutoff value, 3.68 DG/Plt, was significantly higher than the mean from our volunteers (P < 0.0001). We found no variability in dense granules/platelet based on race or sex and no significant variation by age subgroup. Pending wider studies, the value of 2 DG/Plt is a more appropriate lower limit of normal. In the absence of wider studies (in healthy volunteers and patients), laboratories should consider establishing their own reference ranges.

Impact of specific training and competition on myocardial structure and function in different age ranges of male handball players.

PubMed

Agrebi, Brahim; Tkatchuk, Vladimir; Hlila, Nawel; Mouelhi, Emna; Belhani, Ali

2015-01-01

Handball activity involves cardiac changes and demands a mixture of both eccentric and concentric remodeling within the heart. This study seeks to explore heart performance and cardiac remodeling likely to define cardiac parameters which influence specific performance in male handball players across different age ranges. Forty three players, with a regular training and competitive background in handball separated into three groups aged on average 11.78 ± 0.41 for youth players aka "schools", "elite juniors" 15.99 ± 0.81 and "elite adults" 24.46 ± 2.63 years, underwent echocardiography and ECG examinations. Incremental ergocycle and specific field (SFT) tests have also been conducted. With age and regular training and competition, myocardial remodeling in different age ranges exhibit significant differences in dilatation's parameters between "schools" and "juniors" players, such as the end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and the end-systolic diameter of the left ventricle (LVESD), the root of aorta (Ao) and left atrial (LA), while significant increase is observed between "juniors" and "adults" players in the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior wall thicknesses (PWT) and LV mass index. ECG changes are also noted but NS differences were observed in studied parameters. For incremental maximal test, players demonstrate a significant increase in duration and total work between "schools" and "juniors" and, in total work only, between "juniors" and "seniors". The SFT shows improvement in performance which ranged between 26.17 ± 1.83 sec to 31.23 ± 2.34 sec respectively from "seniors" to "schools". The cross-sectional approach used to compare groups with prior hypothesis that there would be differences in exercise performance and cardiac parameters depending on duration of prior handball practice, leads to point out the early cardiac remodeling within the heart as adaptive change. Prevalence of cardiac chamber dilation with less hypertrophy remodeling was found from "schools" to "juniors" while a prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy with less pronounced chamber dilation remodeling was noted later.

Bulk Electrical Cable Non-Destructive Examination Methods for Nuclear Power Plant Cable Aging Management Programs

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

Glass, Samuel W.; Jones, Anthony M.; Fifield, Leonard S.

This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory milestone report describes progress to date on the investigation of nondestructive test methods focusing particularly on bulk electrical test methods that provide key indicators of cable aging and damage. The work includes a review of relevant literature as well as hands-on experimental verification of inspection capabilities. As nuclear power plants consider applying for second, or subsequent, license renewal to extend their operating period from 60 years to 80 years, it is important to understand how the materials installed in plant systems and components will age during that time and develop aging management programs to assuremore » continued safe operation under normal and design basis events (DBE). Normal component and system tests typically confirm the cables can perform their normal operational function. The focus of the cable test program, however, is directed toward the more demanding challenge of assuring the cable function under accident or DBE. The industry has adopted 50% elongation at break (EAB) relative to the un-aged cable condition as the acceptability standard. All tests are benchmarked against the cable EAB test. EAB, however, is a destructive test so the test programs must apply an array of other nondestructive examination (NDE) tests to assure or infer the overall set of cable’s system integrity. Assessment of cable integrity is further complicated in many cases by vendor’s use of dissimilar material for jacket and insulation. Frequently the jacket will degrade more rapidly than the underlying insulation. Although this can serve as an early alert to cable damage, direct test of the cable insulation without violating the protective jacket becomes problematic. This report addresses the range of bulk electrical NDE cable tests that are or could be practically implemented in a field-test situation with a particular focus on frequency domain reflectometry (FDR). The FDR test method offers numerous advantages over many other bulk electrical tests. Two commercial FDR systems plus a laboratory vector network analyzer are used to test an array of aged and un-aged cables under identical conditions. Several conclusions are set forth, and a number of knowledge gaps are identified.« less

Psychometrics and utility of Psycho-Educational Profile-Revised as a developmental quotient measure among children with the dual disability of intellectual disability and autism.

PubMed

Alwinesh, Merlin Thanka Jemi; Joseph, Rachel Beulah Jansirani; Daniel, Anna; Abel, Julie Sandra; Shankar, Satya Raj; Mammen, Priya; Russell, Sushila; Russell, Paul Swamidhas Sudhakar

2012-09-01

There is no agreement about the measure to quantify the intellectual/developmental level in children with the dual disability of intellectual disability and autism. Therefore, we studied the psychometric properties and utility of Psycho-Educational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) as a developmental test in this population. We identified 116 children with dual disability from the day care and inpatient database of a specialised Autism Clinic. Scale and domain level scores of PEP-R were collected and analyzed. We examined the internal consistency, domain-total correlation of PEP-R and concurrent validity of PEP-R against Gesell's Developmental Schedule, inter-rater and test-retest reliability and utility of PEP-R among children with dual disability in different ages, functional level and severity of autism. Besides the adequate face and content validity, PEP-R demonstrates a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α ranging from 0.91 to 0.93) and domain-total correlation (ranging from 0.75 to 0.90). The inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.96) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.87) for PEP-R is good. There is moderate-to-high concurrent validity with GDS (r ranging from 0.61 to 0.82; all Ps = 0.001). The utility of PEP-R as a developmental measure was good with infants, toddlers, pre-school and primary school children. The ability of PEP-R to measure the developmental age was good, irrespective of the severity of autism but was better with high-functioning children. The PEP-R as an intellectual/developmental test has strong psychometric properties in children with dual disability. It could be used in children with different age groups and severity of autism. PEP-R should be used with caution as a developmental test in children with dual disability who are low functioning.

Useful field of view as a reliable screening measure of driving performance in people with Parkinson's disease: results of a pilot study.

PubMed

Classen, S; McCarthy, D P; Shechtman, O; Awadzi, K D; Lanford, D N; Okun, M S; Rodriguez, R L; Romrell, J; Bridges, S; Kluger, B; Fernandez, H H

2009-12-01

To determine the correlations of the Useful Field of View (UFOV), compared to other clinical tests of Parkinson's disease (PD); vision; and cognition with measures of on-road driving assessments and to quantify the UFOV's ability to indicate passing/failing an on-road test in people with PD. Nineteen randomly selected people with idiopathic PD, mean age = 74.8 (6.1), 14 (73.7%) men, 18 (94.7%) Caucasians, were age-matched to 104 controls without PD. The controls had a mean age of 75.4 (6.4), 59 (56.7%) men, 96 (92.3%) Caucasians. Both groups were referred for a driving evaluation after institutional review board approval. Compared to neuropsychological and clinical tests of vision and cognition, the UFOV showed the strongest correlations (r > .75, p < 0.05) with measures of failing a standardized road test and number of driving errors. Among PD patients, the UFOV Risk Index score of 3 (range 1-5) was established as the optimal cutoff value for passing the on-road test, with sensitivity 87 percent and specificity 82 percent, AUC = 92 percent (SE 0.61, p = .002). Similarly, the UFOV 2 (divided attention) optimum cutoff value is 223 ms (range 16-500 ms), sensitivity 87.5 percent, specificity 81.8 percent, AUC = 91 percent (SE 0.73, p = .003). The UFOV 3 (selected attention) optimal cutoff value is 273 ms (range 16-500 ms), sensitivity 75 percent, specificity 72.7 percent, AUC = 87 percent (SE 0.81, p = .007). In this pilot study among PD patients, the UFOV may be a superior screening measure (compared to other measures of disease, cognition, and vision) for predicting on-road driving performance but its rigor must be verified in a larger sample of people with PD.

Thirty-Second Walk Test: Expansion of Normative Data.

PubMed

Lieberstein, Michael; Weingarten, Goldie; Vialu, Carlo; Itzkowitz, Adina; Doyle, Maura; Covino, Frank; Kaplan, Sandra L

2018-01-01

To collect 30-second walk test (30sWT) normative data on a large, diverse sample of school children developing typically, ages 5 to 13 years, and describe the influences of gender, body mass index, and path shape on distance walked. Five physical therapists administered the 30sWT on 1223 children developing typically (boys = 517, girls = 706) from 20 urban schools. Average distances (standard deviation) ranged from 139.1 (20.3) to 163.0 (18.6) ft; children aged 10 years walked the farthest and those aged 5 years the shortest. Distance steadily increased from ages 5 to 10 years, steadily decreased from ages 11 to 13 years; children aged 8, 9, and 10 years had statistical but not functionally meaningful gender differences. Body mass index and path shape had no meaningful effects. Distance and velocities are similar to prior studies. This study updated 30sWT normative values with a large, ethnically diverse, urban sample developing typically. Norms may be useful as part of a comprehensive examination.

Genetic and environmental contributions to the associations between intraindividual variability in reaction time and cognitive function.

PubMed

Finkel, Deborah; Pedersen, Nancy L

2014-01-01

Intraindividual variability (IIV) in reaction time has been related to cognitive decline, but questions remain about the nature of this relationship. Mean and range in movement and decision time for simple reaction time were available from 241 individuals aged 51-86 years at the fifth testing wave of the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Cognitive performance on four factors was also available: verbal, spatial, memory, and speed. Analyses indicated that range in reaction time could be used as an indicator of IIV. Heritability estimates were 35% for mean reaction and 20% for range in reaction. Multivariate analysis indicated that the genetic variance on the memory, speed, and spatial factors is shared with genetic variance for mean or range in reaction time. IIV shares significant genetic variance with fluid ability in late adulthood, over and above and genetic variance shared with mean reaction time.

Psychometric goodness of the Mini Sleep Questionnaire.

PubMed

Natale, Vincenzo; Fabbri, Marco; Tonetti, Lorenzo; Martoni, Monica

2014-07-01

The current study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties and analyze the convergent validity of the Italian version of the Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ). In addition, it was aimed to put forward cut-off values to be used in screening protocols. The MSQ was administered to 1830 participants (age range 18-87 years), of whom 1208 also completed the Sleep Disorder Questionnaire (age range 18-87 years). A subgroup of 187 (age range 18-71 years) participants was randomly chosen to test the test-retest reliability. A complete psychometric evaluation was performed on the MSQ. To study the validity of the tool, the Sleep Disorder Questionnaire was used as an external criterion to validate the MSQ. Using the Youden index, we calculated the cut-off values that performed best. Finally, we created receiver-operator curves to test the accuracy of each cut-off value identified. For the MSQ, Cronbach's alpha score was 0.77 while homogeneity was 0.26. Factorial analyses confirmed the presence of two dimensions: sleep (Cronbach's alpha 0.75; homogeneity 0.37) and wake (Cronbach's alpha 0.75; homogeneity 0.44). For each dimension, a cut-off value was identified (>16 and >14, respectively). Both cut-off values obtained an area under the curve higher than 0.80. Psychometric evaluation of the MSQ was satisfactory. The cut-off values analyzed in the present study showed good performance. On the whole, the results of this study suggest that the MSQ can be a useful screening tool. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Bone age assessment meets SIFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashif, Muhammad; Jonas, Stephan; Haak, Daniel; Deserno, Thomas M.

2015-03-01

Bone age assessment (BAA) is a method of determining the skeletal maturity and finding the growth disorder in the skeleton of a person. BAA is frequently used in pediatric medicine but also a time-consuming and cumbersome task for a radiologist. Conventionally, the Greulich and Pyle and the Tanner and Whitehouse methods are used for bone age assessment, which are based on visual comparison of left hand radiographs with a standard atlas. We present a novel approach for automated bone age assessment, combining scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) features and support vector machine (SVM) classification. In this approach, (i) data is grouped into 30 classes to represent the age range of 0- 18 years, (ii) 14 epiphyseal ROIs are extracted from left hand radiographs, (iii) multi-level image thresholding, using Otsu method, is applied to specify key points on bone and osseous tissues of eROIs, (iv) SIFT features are extracted for specified key points for each eROI of hand radiograph, and (v) classification is performed using a multi-class extension of SVM. A total of 1101 radiographs of University of Southern California are used in training and testing phases using 5- fold cross-validation. Evaluation is performed for two age ranges (0-18 years and 2-17 years) for comparison with previous work and the commercial product BoneXpert, respectively. Results were improved significantly, where the mean errors of 0.67 years and 0.68 years for the age ranges 0-18 years and 2-17 years, respectively, were obtained. Accuracy of 98.09 %, within the range of two years was achieved.

Late Eocene Uplift of the Al Hajar Mountains, Oman, Supported by Stratigraphy and Low-Temperature Thermochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansman, Reuben J.; Ring, Uwe; Thomson, Stuart N.; den Brok, Bas; Stübner, Konstanze

2017-12-01

Uplift of the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman has been related to either Late Cretaceous ophiolite obduction or the Neogene Zagros collision. To test these hypotheses, the cooling of the central Al Hajar Mountains is constrained by 10 apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe), 15 fission track (AFT), and four zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) sample ages. These data show differential cooling between the two major structural culminations of the mountains. In the 3 km high Jabal Akhdar culmination AHe single-grain ages range between 39 ± 2 Ma and 10 ± 1 Ma (2σ errors), AFT ages range from 51 ± 8 Ma to 32 ± 4 Ma, and ZHe single-grain ages range from 62 ± 3 Ma to 39 ± 2 Ma. In the 2 km high Saih Hatat culmination AHe ages range from 26 ± 4 to 12 ± 4 Ma, AFT ages from 73 ± 19 Ma to 57 ± 8 Ma, and ZHe single-grain ages from 81 ± 4 Ma to 58 ± 3 Ma. Thermal modeling demonstrates that cooling associated with uplift and erosion initiated at 40 Ma, indicating that uplift occurred 30 Myr after ophiolite obduction and at least 10 Myr before the Zagros collision. Therefore, this uplift cannot be related to either event. We propose that crustal thickening supporting the topography of the Al Hajar Mountains was caused by a slowdown of Makran subduction and that north Oman took up the residual fraction of N-S convergence between Arabia and Eurasia.

The effects of physical aging at elevated temperatures on the viscoelastic creep on IM7/K3B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gates, Thomas S.; Feldman, Mark

1994-01-01

Physical aging at elevated temperature of the advanced composite IM7/K3B was investigated through the use of creep compliance tests. Testing consisted of short term isothermal, creep/recovery with the creep segments performed at constant load. The matrix dominated transverse tensile and in-plane shear behavior were measured at temperatures ranging from 200 to 230 C. Through the use of time based shifting procedures, the aging shift factors, shift rates and momentary master curve parameters were found at each temperature. These material parameters were used as input to a predictive methodology, which was based upon effective time theory and linear viscoelasticity combined with classical lamination theory. Long term creep compliance test data was compared to predictions to verify the method. The model was then used to predict the long term creep behavior for several general laminates.

Aerobic fitness of Anglo-Saxon and Indian students.

PubMed

Hardy, C P; Eston, R G

1985-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the aerobic fitness of two groups of male college students: 32 Anglo-Saxon males (age range 16-18 years) with 27 Indian males, born in England, (age range 16-23 years), none of whom was highly active in any particular sport. Maximal oxygen uptake was estimated by submaximal test on a cycle ergometer and percent body fat was assessed by skinfold calipers. The Anglo-Saxon group had higher absolute and relative maximal oxygen consumption values and higher body weight. There was no difference in percent fat between the two groups. Strength data were also provided for descriptive purposes.

The Picture Superiority Effect in Recognition Memory: A Developmental Study Using the Response Signal Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defeyter, Margaret Anne; Russo, Riccardo; McPartlin, Pamela Louise

2009-01-01

Items studied as pictures are better remembered than items studied as words even when test items are presented as words. The present study examined the development of this picture superiority effect in recognition memory. Four groups ranging in age from 7 to 20 years participated. They studied words and pictures, with test stimuli always presented…

Fluid Intelligence as a Predictor of Learning: A Longitudinal Multilevel Approach Applied to Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Primi, Ricardo; Ferrao, Maria Eugenia; Almeida, Leandro S.

2010-01-01

The association between fluid intelligence and inter-individual differences was investigated using multilevel growth curve modeling applied to data measuring intra-individual improvement on math achievement tests. A sample of 166 students (88 boys and 78 girls), ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.3, SD = 0.64), was tested. These individuals took…

Developmental Pathways to Conduct Problems: A Further Test of the Childhood and Adolescent-Onset Distinction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dandreaux, Danielle M.; Frick, Paul J.

2009-01-01

This study tested several theoretically important differences between youth with a childhood-onset and youth with an adolescent-onset to their severe conduct problems. Seventy-eight pre-adjudicated adolescent boys (ranging in age from 11 to 18) housed in two short-term detention facilities and one outpatient program for youth at risk for…

Impaired limb position sense after stroke: a quantitative test for clinical use.

PubMed

Carey, L M; Oke, L E; Matyas, T A

1996-12-01

A quantitative measure of wrist position sense was developed to advance clinical measurement of proprioceptive limb sensibility after stroke. Test-retest reliability, normative standards, and ability to discriminate impaired and unimpaired performance were investigated. Retest reliability was assessed over three sessions, and a matched-pairs study compared stroke and unimpaired subjects. Both wrists were tested, in counterbalanced order. Patients were tested in hospital-based rehabilitation units. Reliability was investigated on a consecutive sample of 35 adult stroke patients with a range of proprioceptive discrimination abilities and no evidence of neglect. A consecutive sample of 50 stroke patients and convenience sample of 50 healthy volunteers, matched for age, sex, and hand dominance, were tested in the normative-discriminative study. Age and sex were representative of the adult stroke population. The test required matching of imposed wrist positions using a pointer aligned with the axis of movement and a protractor scale. The test was reliable (r = .88 and .92) and observed changes of 8 degrees can be interpreted, with 95% confidence, as genuine. Scores of healthy volunteers ranged from 3.1 degrees to 10.9 degrees average error. The criterion of impairment was conservatively defined as 11 degrees (+/-4.8 degrees) average error. Impaired and unimpaired performance were well differentiated. Clinicians can confidently and quantitatively sample one aspect of proprioceptive sensibility in stroke patients using the wrist position sense test. Development of tests on other joints using the present approach is supported by our findings.

Long-term cognitive and cardiac outcomes after prenatal exposure to chemotherapy in children aged 18 months or older: an observational study.

PubMed

Amant, Frédéric; Van Calsteren, Kristel; Halaska, Michael J; Gziri, Mina Mhallem; Hui, Wei; Lagae, Lieven; Willemsen, Michèl A; Kapusta, Livia; Van Calster, Ben; Wouters, Heidi; Heyns, Liesbeth; Han, Sileny N; Tomek, Viktor; Mertens, Luc; Ottevanger, Petronella B

2012-03-01

Chemotherapy for the treatment of maternal cancers during pregnancy has become more acceptable in the past decade; however, the effect of prenatal exposure to chemotherapy on cardiac and neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring is still uncertain. We aimed to record the general health, cardiac function, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of children who were prenatally exposed to chemotherapy. We did an interim analysis of a multicentre observational cohort study assessing children who were prenatally exposed to maternal cancer staging and treatment, including chemotherapy. We assessed children at birth, at age 18 months, and at age 5-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15, or 18 years. We did clinical neurological examinations, tests of the general level of cognitive functioning (Bayley or intelligence quotient [IQ] test), electrocardiography and echocardiography, and administered a questionnaire on general health and development. From age 5 years, we also did audiometry, the Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and subtasks of the Children's Memory Scale, and the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, and we also completed the Child Behavior Checklist. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00330447. 236 cycles of chemotherapy were administered in 68 pregnancies. We assessed 70 children, born at a median gestational age of 35·7 weeks (range 28·3-41·0; IQR 3·3; 47 women at <37 weeks), with a median follow-up period of 22·3 months (range 16·8-211·6; IQR 54·9). Although neurocognitive outcomes were within normal ranges, cognitive development scores were lower for children who were born preterm than for those born at full term. When controlling for age, sex, and country, the score for IQ increased by an average 11·6 points (95% CI 6·0-17·1) for each additional month of gestation (p<0·0001). Our measurements of the children's behaviour, general health, hearing, and growth corresponded with those of the general population. Cardiac dimensions and functions were within normal ranges. We identified a severe neurodevelopmental delay in both members of one twin pregnancy. Fetal exposure to chemotherapy was not associated with increased CNS, cardiac or auditory morbidity, or with impairments to general health and growth compared with the general population. However, subtle changes in cardiac and neurocognitive measurements emphasise the need for longer follow-up. Prematurity was common and was associated with impaired cognitive development. Therefore, iatrogenic preterm delivery should be avoided when possible. Research Foundation-Flanders; Research Fund-K U Leuven; Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology; Stichting tegen Kanker; Clinical Research Fund-University Hospitals Leuven; and Belgian Cancer Plan, Ministery of Health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Use of Informative Priors in Bayesian Modeling Age-at-death; a Quick Look at Chronological and Biological Age Changes in the Sacroiliac Joint in American Males

PubMed Central

Godde, Kanya

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine how well different informative priors model age-at-death in Bayesian statistics, which will shed light on how the skeleton ages, particularly at the sacroiliac joint. Data from four samples were compared for their performance as informative priors for auricular surface age-at-death estimation: (1) American population from US Census data; (2) county data from the US Census data; (3) a local cemetery; and (4) a skeletal collection. The skeletal collection and cemetery are located within the county that was sampled. A Gompertz model was applied to compare survivorship across the four samples. Transition analysis parameters, coupled with the generated Gompertz parameters, were input into Bayes' theorem to generate highest posterior density ranges from posterior density functions. Transition analysis describes the age at which an individual transitions from one age phase to another. The result is age ranges that should describe the chronological age of 90% of the individuals who fall in a particular phase. Cumulative binomial tests indicate the method performed lower than 90% at capturing chronological age as assigned to a biological phase, despite wide age ranges at older ages. The samples performed similarly overall, despite small differences in survivorship. Collectively, these results show that as we age, the senescence pattern becomes more variable. More local samples performed better at describing the aging process than more general samples, which implies practitioners need to consider sample selection when using the literature to diagnose and work with patients with sacroiliac joint pain. PMID:29546217

Hydrogeology and results of injection tests at waste-injection test sites in Pinellas County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hickey, John J.

1982-01-01

Potential benefits or hazards to freshwater resources could result from subsurface injection of treated wastewater. Recognizing this, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Pinellas County and the city of St. Petersburg, undertook an evaluation of the hydrogeology and injection of wastewater at proposed test sites on the Pinellas peninsula. The injection sites are underlain by sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Cretaceous to Pleistocene. Lower Eocene carbonate rocks were penetrated to a maximum depth of 3,504 feet and were found to have relatively low water yields. The most permeable part of the investigated section was in rocks of middle Eocene age within the Floridan aquifer. At the injection sites, the Floridan aquifer was subdivided into four permeable zones and three semiconfining beds. The test injection zone is within the Avon Park Limestone, the most productive of the identified permeable zones, with a transmissivity of about 1,000,000 feet squared per day. Two semiconfining beds are above the injection zone in the Suwannee Limestone and Ocala Limestone and have vertical hydraulic conductivities estimated to range from about 0.1 to 1 foot per day where these beds do not contain clay. Limited fresh ground-water supplies exist in the Floridan aquifer within the Pinellas peninsula. At all test sites, chloride concentration in the injection zone ranged from 19,000 to 20,000 milligrams per liter. Injection tests ranging in duration from 3 to 91.1 days were run at three different sites. Pressure buildup occurred in permeable zones above and below the injection zone during these tests. Calculated pressure buildup in observation wells close to and at some distance from the test wells was typically less than 1 pound per square inch. Injection and formation water will probably move slowly through the semiconfining bed overlying the injection zone, and long-term injection tests will be needed to determine the effectiveness of these beds to retard flow. The injected water was well mixed with the native formation water, which, in part, is a direct consequence of the fractures in the injection zone.

Normative data for three tests of visuocognitive function in primary school children: cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Williams, Cathy; Gilchrist, Iain D; Fraser, Sue; McCarthy, H M; Parker, Julie; Warnes, Penny; Young, Jill; Hyvarinen, Lea

2015-06-01

There is an increasing recognition that visuocognitive difficulties occur in children with neurodevelopmental problems. We obtained normative data for the performance of primary school children using three tests of visuocognitive function that are practicable in a clinical setting. We tested 214 children aged between 4 and 11 years without known developmental problems, using tests to assess (1) orientation recognition and adaptive movement (postbox task), (2) object recognition (rectangles task) and (3) spatial integration (contours task). 96% could do the postbox task with ease-only 4% (all aged <9 years) exhibited minor difficulties. Errors in the rectangles task decreased with age: 33% of children aged 4-5 years had major difficulties but >99% of children aged ≥6 years had no, or minor, difficulties. Median scores for the contours task improved with age, and after age 8 years, 99% could see the contour using long-range spatial integration rather than density. These different aspects of children's visuocognitive performance were testable in a field setting. The data provide a benchmark by which to judge performance of children with neurodevelopmental problems and may be useful in assessment with a view to providing effective supportive strategies for children whose visuocognitive skills are lower than the expectation for their age. 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.

Influenza-Associated Disease Burden in Kenya: A Systematic Review of Literature

PubMed Central

Emukule, Gideon O.; Paget, John; van der Velden, Koos; Mott, Joshua A.

2015-01-01

Background In Kenya data on the burden of influenza disease are needed to inform influenza control policies. Methods We conducted a systematic review of published data describing the influenza disease burden in Kenya using surveillance data collected until December 2013. We included studies with laboratory confirmation of influenza, well-defined catchment populations, case definitions used to sample patients for testing and a description of the laboratory methods used for influenza testing. Studies with or without any adjustments on the incidence rates were included. Results Ten studies reporting the incidence of medically-attended and non-medically attended influenza were reviewed. For all age groups, the influenza positive proportion ranged from 5–10% among hospitalized patients, and 5–27% among all medically-attended patients (a combination of in- and outpatients). The adjusted incidence rate of hospitalizations with influenza among children <5 years ranged from 2.7–4.7 per 1,000 [5.7 per 1,000 in children <6 months old], and were 7–10 times higher compared to persons aged ≥5 years. The adjusted incidence of all medically-attended influenza among children aged <5 years ranged from 13.0–58.0 per 1,000 compared to 4.3–26.0 per 1,000 among persons aged ≥5 years. Conclusions Our review shows an expanding set of literature on disease burden associated with influenza in Kenya, with a substantial burden in children under five years of age. Hospitalizations with influenza in these children were 2–3 times higher than reported in the United States. These findings highlight the possible value of an influenza vaccination program in Kenya, with children <5 years and pregnant women being potentially important targets. PMID:26398196

STATUS REPORT FOR AGING STUDIES OF EPDM O-RING MATERIAL FOR THE H1616 SHIPPING PACKAGE

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

Stefek, T.; Daugherty, W.; Skidmore, E.

This is an interim status report for tasks carried out per Task Technical Plan SRNL-STI-2011-00506. A series of tasks/experiments are being performed at the Savannah River National Laboratory to monitor the aging performance of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) Orings used in the H1616 shipping package. The data will support the technical basis to extend the annual maintenance of the EPDM O-rings in the H1616 shipping package and to predict the life of the seals at bounding service conditions. Current expectations are that the O-rings will maintain a seal at bounding normal temperatures in service (152 F) for at leastmore » 12 months. The baseline aging data review suggests that the EPDM O-rings are likely to retain significant mechanical properties and sealing force at bounding service temperatures to provide a service life of at least 2 years. At lower, more realistic temperatures, longer service life is likely. Parallel compression stress relaxation and vessel leak test efforts are in progress to further validate this assessment and quantify a more realistic service life prediction. The H1616 shipping package O-rings were evaluated for baseline property data as part of this test program. This was done to provide a basis for comparison of changes in material properties and performance parameters as a function of aging. This initial characterization was limited to physical and mechanical properties, namely hardness, thickness and tensile strength. These properties appear to be consistent with O-ring specifications. Three H1616-1 Containment Vessels were placed in test conditions and are aging at temperatures ranging from 160 to 300 F. The vessels were Helium leak-tested initially and have been tested at periodic intervals after cooling to room temperature to determine if they meet the criterion of leaktightness defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97 (< 1E-07 std cc air/sec at room temperature). To date, no leak test failures have occurred. The cumulative time at temperature ranges from 174 days for the 300 F vessel to 189 days for the 160 F vessel as of 8/1/2012. The compression stress-relaxation (CSR) behavior of H1616 shipping package O-rings is being evaluated to develop an aging model based on material properties. O-ring segments were initially aged at four temperatures (175 F, 235 F, 300 F and 350 F). These temperatures were selected to bound normal service temperatures and to challenge the seals within a reasonable aging period. Currently, samples aging at 300 F and 350 F have reached the mechanical failure point (end of life) which is defined in this study as 90% loss of initial sealing force. As a result, additional samples more recently began aging at {approx}270 F to provide additional data for the aging model. Aging and periodic leak testing of the full containment vessels, as well as CSR testing of O-ring segments is ongoing. Continued testing per the Task Technical Plan is recommended in order to validate the assumptions outlined in this status report and to quantify and validate the long-term performance of O-ring seals under actual service conditions.« less

The Effect of Age on Improvements in Vestibulo-Ocular Reflexes and Balance Control after Acute Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Loss.

PubMed

Scheltinga, Alja; Honegger, Flurin; Timmermans, Dionne P H; Allum, John H J

2016-01-01

An acute unilateral peripheral vestibular loss (aUVL) initially causes severe gaze and balance control problems. However, vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR) and balance control are nearly normal 3 months later as a result of peripheral recovery and/or central compensation. As pre-existing vestibular sensory loss is assumed to be greater in the healthy elderly, this study investigated whether improvements in VOR and balance function over time after aUVL are different for the elderly than for the young. Thirty aUVL patients divided into three age-groups were studied (8 age range 23-35, 10 with range 43-58, and 12 with range 60-74 years). To measure VOR function eye movements were recorded during caloric irrigation, rotating chair (ROT), and head impulse tests. Balance control during stance and gait was recorded as lower trunk angular velocity in the pitch and roll planes. Measurements were taken at deficit onset, and 3, 6, and 13 weeks later. There was one difference in VOR improvements over time between the age-groups: Low acceleration ROT responses were less at onset in the elderly group. Deficit side VOR responses and asymmetries in each group improved to within ranges of healthy controls at 13 weeks. Trunk sway of the elderly was greater for stance and gait at onset when compared to healthy age-matched controls and the young and greater than that of the young and controls during gait tasks at 13 weeks. The sway of the young was not different from controls at either time point. Balance control for the elderly improved slower than for the young. These results indicate that VOR improvement after an aUVL does not differ with age, except for low accelerations. Recovery rates are different between age-groups for balance control tests. Balance control in the elderly is more abnormal at aUVL onset for stance and gait tasks with the gait abnormalities remaining after 13 weeks. Thus, we conclude that balance control in the elderly is more affected by the UVL than for the young, and the young overcome balance deficits more rapidly. These differences with age should be taken into account when planning rehabilitation.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in young adult and geriatric cats.

PubMed

Strain, George M; McGee, Kain A

2017-03-01

Recordings of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were taken from 15 geriatric cats (mean age ± standard deviation, SD, 13.6 ± 2.7 years; range 10.2-19.4 years) and 12 young adult control cats (mean ± SD 4.6 ± 0.5 years; range 3.4-5 years) to identify frequency-specific age-related changes in cochlear responses. Recordings were performed for primary frequencies from 2 to 12 kHz in 2 kHz increments. Cats were considered to be geriatric > 11.9 ± 1.9 years of age. Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) recordings were also made for subjective comparison with DPOAE responses. No differences in DPOAE response amplitudes were observed at any tested frequency in geriatric cats compared to control cats, reflecting an apparent absence of loss of cochlear outer hair cells along the length of the cochlea. No linear regression relationships were found for DPOAE response amplitude versus age in geriatric cats, despite the progressive nature of age-related hearing loss in other species. The absence of reductions in response at any of the tested frequencies in cats within the age span where cats are considered to be geriatric indicates that age-related hearing loss, if it does develop in cats, begins later in the life span of cats than in dogs or human beings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intra- and interrater reliability of the 'lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test' in competitive swimmers ages 10 through 18 years.

PubMed

Feijen, Stef; Kuppens, Kevin; Tate, Angela; Baert, Isabel; Struyf, Thomas; Struyf, Filip

2018-04-17

Measuring thoracic spine mobility can be of interest to competitive swimmers as it has been associated with shoulder girdle function and scapular position in subjects with and without shoulder pain. At present, no reliability data of thoracic spine mobility measurements are available in the swimming population. This study aims to evaluate the within-session intra- and interrater reliability of the "lumbar-locked rotation test" for thoracic spine rotation in competitive swimmers aged 10 to 18 years. This reliability study is part of a larger prospective cohort study investigating potential risk factors for the development of shoulder pain in competitive swimmers. Within-session, intra- and inter-rater reliability. Competitive swimming clubs in Belgium. 21 competitive swimmers. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from 0.91 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.96) to 0.96 (0.89-0.98) for intra-rater reliability. Results for inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.89 (0.72-0.95) to 0.86 (0.65-0.94) respectively for right and left thoracic rotation. Results suggest good to excellent reliability of the lumbar-locked thoracic rotation test, indicating this test can be used reliably in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of aging on thermal and vibratory thresholds of quantitative sensory testing.

PubMed

Lin, Yea-Huey; Hsieh, Song-Chou; Chao, Chi-Chao; Chang, Yang-Chyuan; Hsieh, Sung-Tsang

2005-09-01

Quantitative sensory testing has become a common approach to evaluate thermal and vibratory thresholds in various types of neuropathies. To understand the effect of aging on sensory perception, we measured warm, cold, and vibratory thresholds by performing quantitative sensory testing on a population of 484 normal subjects (175 males and 309 females), aged 48.61 +/- 14.10 (range 20-86) years. Sensory thresholds of the hand and foot were measured with two algorithms: the method of limits (Limits) and the method of level (Level). Thresholds measured by Limits are reaction-time-dependent, while those measured by Level are independent of reaction time. In addition, we explored (1) the correlations of thresholds between these two algorithms, (2) the effect of age on differences in thresholds between algorithms, and (3) differences in sensory thresholds between the two test sites. Age was consistently and significantly correlated with sensory thresholds of all tested modalities measured by both algorithms on multivariate regression analysis compared with other factors, including gender, body height, body weight, and body mass index. When thresholds were plotted against age, slopes differed between sensory thresholds of the hand and those of the foot: for the foot, slopes were steeper compared with those for the hand for each sensory modality. Sensory thresholds of both test sites measured by Level were highly correlated with those measured by Limits, and thresholds measured by Limits were higher than those measured by Level. Differences in sensory thresholds between the two algorithms were also correlated with age: thresholds of the foot were higher than those of the hand for each sensory modality. This difference in thresholds (measured with both Level and Limits) between the hand and foot was also correlated with age. These findings suggest that age is the most significant factor in determining sensory thresholds compared with the other factors of gender and anthropometric parameters, and this provides a foundation for investigating the neurobiologic significance of aging on the processing of sensory stimuli.

Use of health care guidelines in patients with Down syndrome by family physicians across Canada

PubMed Central

Virji-Babul, Naznin; Eichmann, Anne; Kisly, David; Down, Jonathan; Haslam, Robert HA

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE To describe the occurrence of common medical and psychological conditions in individuals with Down syndrome during their life span, and to measure the use of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group’s health care guidelines by family physicians across Canada, as reported by parents or caregivers. METHODS The Down Syndrome Research Foundation sent a questionnaire to 314 families across Canada who were part of the Canadian Voluntary Registry on Down Syndrome. This questionnaire was designed to collect information from parents about physical examinations, laboratory tests, referrals and discussions with family physicians that are listed in the health care guidelines. RESULTS Two hundred twenty-three families responded to the survey. The highest response rates were in families with children in the five- to 12-year-old age range (41.7%) and the 13- to 18-year-old age range (19.7%). The most common medical conditions reported were visual, hearing and cardiac related. A high percentage of sleep-, gastrointestinal- and thyroid-related conditions were also reported. In the adult group (ie, 30 years of age and older), there was a high proportion of depression and/or anxiety disorders reported. The percentage of those reporting physical examinations and medical referrals by family physicians were highest in the five- to 12-year-old age range and dropped below 50% in those aged 19 years and older. In the one- to four-year-old and five- to 12-year-old age groups, the percentages of those with Down syndrome referred for hearing tests and celiac screens were reported to be below 30%. The percentages of those reporting discussions on behavioural issues were below 50% in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS Physical examinations, as per the recommended guidelines, were followed only in the five- to 12-year-old age group. Many of the recommendations regarding discussion of behavioural problems, transition planning, diet, exercise and issues around puberty or sexual health were followed infrequently in all age groups. Further physician education about the guidelines is necessary. PMID:19030356

Assessment of Driving Safety in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Anstey, Kaarin J; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Chopra, Sidhant; Price, Jasmine; Wood, Joanne M

2017-01-01

With population aging, drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing; however, there is little evidence available regarding their safety. We aimed to evaluate risk of unsafe on-road driving performance among older adults with MCI. The study was a cross-sectional observational study, set in Canberra, Australia. Participants were non-demented, current drivers (n = 302) aged 65 to 96 years (M = 75.7, SD = 6.18, 40% female) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics. Measures included a standardized on-road driving test (ORT), a battery of screening measures designed to evaluate older driver safety (UFOV®, DriveSafe, Multi-D), a neurocognitive test battery, and questionnaires on driving history and behavior. Using Winblad criteria, 57 participants were classified as having MCI and 245 as cognitively normal (CN). While the MCI group had a significantly lower overall safety rating on the ORT (5.61 versus 6.05, p = 0.03), there was a wide range of driving safety scores in the CN and MCI groups. The MCI group performed worse than the CN group on the off-road screening tests. The best fitting model of predictors of ORT performance across the combined sample included age, the Multi-D, and DriveSafe, classifying 90.4% of the sample correctly. Adults with MCI exhibit a similar range of driving ability to CN adults, although on average they scored lower on off-road and on-road assessments. Driving specific tests were more strongly associated with safety ratings than traditional neuropsychological tests.

Assessment of Driving Safety in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Anstey, Kaarin J.; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Chopra, Sidhant; Price, Jasmine; Wood, Joanne M.

2017-01-01

Background: With population aging, drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing; however, there is little evidence available regarding their safety. Objective: We aimed to evaluate risk of unsafe on-road driving performance among older adults with MCI. Method: The study was a cross-sectional observational study, set in Canberra, Australia. Participants were non-demented, current drivers (n = 302) aged 65 to 96 years (M = 75.7, SD = 6.18, 40% female) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics. Measures included a standardized on-road driving test (ORT), a battery of screening measures designed to evaluate older driver safety (UFOV®, DriveSafe, Multi-D), a neurocognitive test battery, and questionnaires on driving history and behavior. Results: Using Winblad criteria, 57 participants were classified as having MCI and 245 as cognitively normal (CN). While the MCI group had a significantly lower overall safety rating on the ORT (5.61 versus 6.05, p = 0.03), there was a wide range of driving safety scores in the CN and MCI groups. The MCI group performed worse than the CN group on the off-road screening tests. The best fitting model of predictors of ORT performance across the combined sample included age, the Multi-D, and DriveSafe, classifying 90.4% of the sample correctly. Conclusion: Adults with MCI exhibit a similar range of driving ability to CN adults, although on average they scored lower on off-road and on-road assessments. Driving specific tests were more strongly associated with safety ratings than traditional neuropsychological tests. PMID:28372333

Determinants of Clostridium difficile Infection Incidence Across Diverse United States Geographic Locations

PubMed Central

Lessa, Fernanda C.; Mu, Yi; Winston, Lisa G.; Dumyati, Ghinwa K.; Farley, Monica M.; Beldavs, Zintars G.; Kast, Kelly; Holzbauer, Stacy M.; Meek, James I.; Cohen, Jessica; McDonald, L. Clifford; Fridkin, Scott K.

2014-01-01

Background  Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is no longer restricted to hospital settings, and population-based incidence measures are needed. Understanding the determinants of CDI incidence will allow for more meaningful comparisons of rates and accurate national estimates. Methods  Data from active population- and laboratory-based CDI surveillance in 7 US states were used to identify CDI cases (ie, residents with positive C difficile stool specimen without a positive test in the prior 8 weeks). Cases were classified as community-associated (CA) if stool was collected as outpatients or ≤3 days of admission and no overnight healthcare facility stay in the past 12 weeks; otherwise, cases were classified as healthcare-associated (HA). Two regression models, one for CA-CDI and another for HA-CDI, were built to evaluate predictors of high CDI incidence. Site-specific incidence was adjusted based on the regression models. Results  Of 10 062 cases identified, 32% were CA. Crude incidence varied by geographic area; CA-CDI ranged from 28.2 to 79.1/100 000 and HA-CDI ranged from 45.7 to 155.9/100 000. Independent predictors of higher CA-CDI incidence were older age, white race, female gender, and nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) use. For HA-CDI, older age and a greater number of inpatient-days were predictors. After adjusting for relevant predictors, the range of incidence narrowed greatly; CA-CDI rates ranged from 30.7 to 41.3/100 000 and HA-CDI rates ranged from 58.5 to 94.8/100 000. Conclusions  Differences in CDI incidence across geographic areas can be partially explained by differences in NAAT use, age, race, sex, and inpatient-days. Variation in antimicrobial use may contribute to the remaining differences in incidence. PMID:25734120

Determinants of Clostridium difficile Infection Incidence Across Diverse United States Geographic Locations.

PubMed

Lessa, Fernanda C; Mu, Yi; Winston, Lisa G; Dumyati, Ghinwa K; Farley, Monica M; Beldavs, Zintars G; Kast, Kelly; Holzbauer, Stacy M; Meek, James I; Cohen, Jessica; McDonald, L Clifford; Fridkin, Scott K

2014-09-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is no longer restricted to hospital settings, and population-based incidence measures are needed. Understanding the determinants of CDI incidence will allow for more meaningful comparisons of rates and accurate national estimates. Data from active population- and laboratory-based CDI surveillance in 7 US states were used to identify CDI cases (ie, residents with positive C difficile stool specimen without a positive test in the prior 8 weeks). Cases were classified as community-associated (CA) if stool was collected as outpatients or ≤3 days of admission and no overnight healthcare facility stay in the past 12 weeks; otherwise, cases were classified as healthcare-associated (HA). Two regression models, one for CA-CDI and another for HA-CDI, were built to evaluate predictors of high CDI incidence. Site-specific incidence was adjusted based on the regression models. Of 10 062 cases identified, 32% were CA. Crude incidence varied by geographic area; CA-CDI ranged from 28.2 to 79.1/100 000 and HA-CDI ranged from 45.7 to 155.9/100 000. Independent predictors of higher CA-CDI incidence were older age, white race, female gender, and nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) use. For HA-CDI, older age and a greater number of inpatient-days were predictors. After adjusting for relevant predictors, the range of incidence narrowed greatly; CA-CDI rates ranged from 30.7 to 41.3/100 000 and HA-CDI rates ranged from 58.5 to 94.8/100 000. Differences in CDI incidence across geographic areas can be partially explained by differences in NAAT use, age, race, sex, and inpatient-days. Variation in antimicrobial use may contribute to the remaining differences in incidence.

Similarity and Difference in the Processing of Same- and Other-Race Faces as Revealed by Eye Tracking in 4- to 9-Month-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Shaoying; Quinn, Paul C.; Wheeler, Andrea; Xiao, Naiqi; Ge, Liezhong; Lee, Kang

2011-01-01

Fixation duration for same-race (i.e., Asian) and other-race (i.e., Caucasian) female faces by Asian infant participants between 4 and 9 months of age was investigated with an eye-tracking procedure. The age range tested corresponded with prior reports of processing differences between same- and other-race faces observed in behavioral looking time…

Cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening with primary human papillomavirus testing in Norway

PubMed Central

Burger, E A; Ortendahl, J D; Sy, S; Kristiansen, I S; Kim, J J

2012-01-01

Background: New screening technologies and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the necessary cause of cervical cancer, may impact optimal approaches to prevent cervical cancer. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of alternative screening strategies to inform cervical cancer prevention guidelines in Norway. Methods: We leveraged the primary epidemiologic and economic data from Norway to contextualise a simulation model of HPV-induced cervical cancer. The current cytology-only screening was compared with strategies involving cytology at younger ages and primary HPV-based screening at older ages (31/34+ years), an option being actively deliberated by the Norwegian government. We varied the switch-age, screening interval, and triage strategies for women with HPV-positive results. Uncertainty was evaluated in sensitivity analysis. Results: Current cytology-only screening was less effective and more costly than strategies that involve switching to primary HPV testing in older ages. For unvaccinated women, switching at age 34 years to primary HPV testing every 4 years was optimal given the Norwegian cost-effectiveness threshold ($83 000 per year of life saved). For vaccinated women, a 6-year screening interval was cost-effective. When we considered a wider range of strategies, we found that an earlier switch to HPV testing (at age 31 years) may be preferred. Conclusions: Strategies involving a switch to HPV testing for primary screening in older women is expected to be cost-effective compared with current recommendations in Norway. PMID:22441643

The macular photostress test in diabetes, glaucoma, and cataract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptista, António M. G.; Sousa, Raul A. R. C.; Rocha, Filomena A. S. Q.; Fernandes, Paula Sepúlveda; Macedo, António F.

2013-11-01

Purpose. The photostress recovery time test (PSRT) has been widely reported as a helpful screening clinical tool. However, the poor standardization of its measurement technique remains to be a limitation among clinicians. The purpose of this study is to apply a recommended clinical technique to measure the PSRT in some of the most commons eye diseases to ascertain whether these diseases affect the PSRT values. Methods. One hundred and one controls and 105 patients, with diagnosed diabetes (without visible signs of diabetic retinopathy), primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or cataracts underwent photostress testing. The test was performed with a direct ophthalmoscope for illuminating the macula for 30 seconds. Participants belonged to three age classes: A, B and C; and were divided into four groups: control, diabetic, POAG and cataract. The age range for A, B and C classes were respectively 43-54, 55-64 and 65-74 years. The groups were also further compared within each age class. In addition, the influence of age on PSRT was evaluated using the control group. Results. Results demonstrate that PSRT changes with age (p<0.02). In class A, diabetic group had a faster PSRT than control group, (mean +/- standard deviation) 20.22+/-7.51 and 26.14+/-8.34 seconds. The difference between these groups was statistical significant (t-test, p=0.012). Cataract and POAG groups did not affect the PSRT significantly. Conclusions. The technique used for the Photostress showed that diabetics, younger than 54 years, may have faster PSRT and that, aging delays PSRT.

Age and gender dependent development of Theory of Mind in 6- to 8-years old children

PubMed Central

Calero, Cecilia I.; Salles, Alejo; Semelman, Mariano; Sigman, Mariano

2013-01-01

The ability to attribute different mental states to distinct individuals, or Theory of Mind (ToM), is widely believed to be developed mostly during preschool years. How different factors such as gender, number of siblings, or coarse personality traits affect this development is not entirely agreed upon. Here, we introduce a computerized version of the scaled ToM suite of tasks introduced by Wellman and Liu (2004), which allows us to meaningfully test ToM development on children 6 to 8-years old. We find that kids this age are still not entirely proficient in all ToM tasks, and continue to show a progression of performance with age. By testing this new age range, too, we are able to observe a significant advantage of girls over boys in ToM performance. Other factors such as number of siblings, birth order, and coarse personality traits show no significant relation with the ToM task results. Finally, we introduce a novel way to quantify the scaling property of the suite involving a sequence of set inclusions on one hand and a comparison between specially tailored sets of logistic models on the other. These measures confirm the validity of the scale in the 6- to 8-years old range. PMID:23785326

Age and gender dependent development of Theory of Mind in 6- to 8-years old children.

PubMed

Calero, Cecilia I; Salles, Alejo; Semelman, Mariano; Sigman, Mariano

2013-01-01

The ability to attribute different mental states to distinct individuals, or Theory of Mind (ToM), is widely believed to be developed mostly during preschool years. How different factors such as gender, number of siblings, or coarse personality traits affect this development is not entirely agreed upon. Here, we introduce a computerized version of the scaled ToM suite of tasks introduced by Wellman and Liu (2004), which allows us to meaningfully test ToM development on children 6 to 8-years old. We find that kids this age are still not entirely proficient in all ToM tasks, and continue to show a progression of performance with age. By testing this new age range, too, we are able to observe a significant advantage of girls over boys in ToM performance. Other factors such as number of siblings, birth order, and coarse personality traits show no significant relation with the ToM task results. Finally, we introduce a novel way to quantify the scaling property of the suite involving a sequence of set inclusions on one hand and a comparison between specially tailored sets of logistic models on the other. These measures confirm the validity of the scale in the 6- to 8-years old range.

Comparative study between the hand-wrist method and cervical vertebral maturation method for evaluation skeletal maturity in cleft patients.

PubMed

Manosudprasit, Montian; Wangsrimongkol, Tasanee; Pisek, Poonsak; Chantaramungkorn, Melissa

2013-09-01

To test the measure of agreement between use of the Skeletal Maturation Index (SMI) method of Fishman using hand-wrist radiographs and the Cervical Vertebral Maturation Index (CVMI) method for assessing skeletal maturity of the cleft patients. Hand-wrist and lateral cephalometric radiographs of 60 cleft subjects (35 females and 25 males, age range: 7-16 years) were used. Skeletal age was assessed using an adjustment to the SMI method of Fishman to compare with the CVMI method of Hassel and Farman. Agreement between skeletal age assessed by both methods and the intra- and inter-examiner reliability of both methods were tested by weighted kappa analysis. There was good agreement between the two methods with a kappa value of 0.80 (95% CI = 0.66-0.88, p-value <0.001). Reliability of intra- and inter-examiner of both methods was very good with kappa value ranging from 0.91 to 0.99. The CVMI method can be used as an alternative to the SMI method in skeletal age assessment in cleft patients with the benefit of no need of an additional radiograph and avoiding extra-radiation exposure. Comparing the two methods, the present study found better agreement from peak of adolescence onwards.

Hematological markers and biochemical profiles in terms of gender and age of captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) in eastern Amazon.

PubMed

Jorge, E M; Silva, C J O; Ritter, R A; Monteiro, M V B; Albuquerque, N I; Kahwage, P R; Monteiro, F O B; Costa, C T C; Rahal, S C; Silva Filho, E

2015-11-25

Complete blood counts and blood biochemical analyses are laboratory tests that allow the monitoring of physiological condition, nutrition, and health in free-living or captive wild animals. When interpreting these tests, it is essential to compare the results with reference ranges that are suitable for the species. Few studies have been conducted on the hematological and biochemical characteristics of Tayassu tajacu, particularly for animals raised in the Amazon biome. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of age and gender on the hematological and biochemical profiles of captive T. tajacu, and to establish reference intervals for these parameters. Complete blood counts and biochemical analyses were performed using manual methods and semi-automatic equipment, respectively. There were significant differences in relation to age in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, and mean cell volumes, in captive T. tajacu. No basophils were observed, and the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio was less than 1. Levels of total protein, urea, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly affected by age (P < 0.05). Gender did not affect any of the results. The hematological and biochemical parameters for this species were determined, and may be used as reference ranges for captive T. tajacu.

Aging and Functional Health Literacy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Wardle, Jane; Wolf, Michael S.; von Wagner, Christian

2016-01-01

Objectives: To review the evidence on the association between age and limited health literacy, overall and by health literacy test, and to investigate the mediating role of cognitive function. Method: The Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were searched. Eligible studies were conducted in any country or language, included participants aged ≥50 years, presented a measure of association between age and health literacy, and were published through September 2013. Results: Seventy analyses in 60 studies were included in the systematic review; 29 of these were included in the meta-analysis. Older age was strongly associated with limited health literacy in analyses that measured health literacy as reading comprehension, reasoning, and numeracy skills (random-effects odds ratio [OR] = 4.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.13–5.64). By contrast, older age was weakly associated with limited health literacy in studies that measured health literacy as medical vocabulary (random-effects OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03–1.37). Evidence on the mediating role of cognitive function was limited. Discussion: Health literacy tests that utilize a range of fluid cognitive abilities and mirror everyday health tasks frequently observe skill limitations among older adults. Vocabulary-based health literacy skills appear more stable with age. Researchers should select measurement tests wisely when assessing health literacy of older adults. PMID:25504637

The influence of aluminum and carbon on the abrasion resistance of high manganese steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckholz, Samuel August

Abrasive wear testing of lightweight, austenitic Fe-Mn-Al-C cast steel has been performed in accordance with ASTM G65 using a dry sand, rubber wheel, abrasion testing apparatus. Testing was conducted on a series of Fe-30Mn-XAl-YC-1Si-0.5Mo chemistries containing aluminum levels from 2.9 to 9.5 wt.% and carbon levels from 0.9 to 1.83 wt.%. Solution treated materials having an austenitic microstructure produced the highest wear resistance. Wear resistance decreased with higher aluminum, lower carbon, and higher hardness after age hardening. In the solution treated condition the wear rate was a strong function of the aluminum to carbon ratio and the wear rate increased with a parabolic dependence on the Al/C ratio, which ranged from 1.8 to 10.2. Examination of the surface wear scar revealed a mechanism of plowing during abrasion testing and this method of material removal is sensitive to work hardening rate. Work hardening behavior was determined from tensile tests and also decreased with increasing Al/C ratio and after aging hardening. The loss of wear resistance is related to short range ordering of Al and C in the solution treated materials and kappa-carbide precipitation in age hardened materials and both contribute to planar slip and lower work hardening rates. A high carbon tool steel (W1) and a bainitic low alloy steel (SAE 8620) were also tested for comparison. A lightweight steel containing 6.5 wt.% Al and 1.2 wt.% C has wear resistance comparable to within 5% of the bainitic SAE 8620 steel forging currently used for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle track shoe and this cast Fe-Mn-Al-C steel, at equivalent tensile properties, would be 10% lighter.

Spatial Cognition and Range Use in Free-Range Laying Hens.

PubMed

Campbell, Dana L M; Talk, Andrew C; Loh, Ziyang A; Dyall, Tim R; Lee, Caroline

2018-02-08

Radio-frequency identification tracking shows individual free-range laying hens vary in range use, with some never going outdoors. The range is typically more environmentally complex, requiring navigation to return to the indoor resources. Outdoor-preferring hens may have improved spatial abilities compared to indoor-preferring hens. Experiment 1 tested 32 adult ISA Brown hens in a T-maze learning task that showed exclusively-indoor birds were slowest to reach the learning success criterion ( p < 0.05). Experiment 2 tested 117 pullets from enriched or non-enriched early rearing treatments (1 pen replicate per treatment) in the same maze at 15-16 or 17-18 weeks. Enriched birds reached learning success criterion faster at 15-16 weeks ( p < 0.05) but not at 17-18 weeks ( p > 0.05), the age that coincided with the onset of lay. Enriched birds that were faster to learn the maze task showed more range visits in the first 4 weeks of range access. Enriched and non-enriched birds showed no differences in telencephalon or hippocampal volume ( p > 0.05). Fear may reduce spatial abilities but further testing with more pen replicates per early rearing treatments would improve our understanding of the relationship between spatial cognitive abilities and range use.

Latest Pleistocene and Holocene Glacier Fluctuations in southernmost Patagonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menounos, B.; Maurer, M.; Clague, J. J.; osborn, G.; Ponce, F.; Davis, P. T.; Rabassa, J.; Coronato, A.; Marr, R.

2011-12-01

Summer insolation has been proposed to explain long-term glacier fluctuations during the Holocene. If correct, the record of glacier fluctuations at high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere should differ from that in the Northern Hemisphere. Testing this insolation hypothesis has been hampered by dating uncertainties of many Holocene glacier chronologies from Patagonia. We report on our ongoing research aimed at developing a regional glacier chronology at the southern end of the Andes north and west of Ushuaia, Argentina. We have found evidence for an advance of cirque glaciers at the end of the Pleistocene; one or locally two closely spaced moraines extend up to 2 km beyond Little Ice Age moraines. Radiocarbon dating of terrestrial macrofossils recovered from basal sediments behind two of these moraines yielded ages of 10,320 ± 25 and 10,330 ± 30 14C yr BP. These moraines may record glacier advances coeval with the Antarctic Cold Reversal; surface exposure dating of these moraines is currently in progress to test this hypothesis. We find no evidence of Holocene moraines older than 6800 14C yr BP, based on the distribution of Hudson tephra of that age. At some sites, there is evidence for an early Neoglacial advance of glaciers slightly beyond (< 0.5 km) Little Ice Age limits. Terrestrial macrofossils at the upper contact of basal till from one site yielded an age of 4505 ± 30 14C yr BP; this age overlaps the most probable age range of early Neoglacial ice expansion in southern Patagonia reported by Porter (2000) and the age of plants killed by expansion of the Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru. We have documented multiple wood mats with stumps in growth position separated by till units in a 100 m section of the northeast lateral moraine at Stoppani Glacier (54.78 S, 68.98 W), 50 km west of Ushuaia. Ten radiocarbon ages on these wood mats range in age from 3510 ± 15 to 135 ± 15 14C yr BP. The mats decrease in age up-section; many overlap with published age ranges for Neoglacial advances in western Canada. Taken together, these data: a) do not support the summer insolation hypothesis for Holocene glacier fluctuations in southernmost Patagonia; b) confirm paleobotanical evidence for a warm, dry early Holocene; and c) suggest that many Neoglacial advances in southernmost Patagonia and western North America were synchronous.

Analysis of near infrared spectra for age-grading of wild populations of Anopheles gambiae.

PubMed

Krajacich, Benjamin J; Meyers, Jacob I; Alout, Haoues; Dabiré, Roch K; Dowell, Floyd E; Foy, Brian D

2017-11-07

Understanding the age-structure of mosquito populations, especially malaria vectors such as Anopheles gambiae, is important for assessing the risk of infectious mosquitoes, and how vector control interventions may impact this risk. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for age-grading has been demonstrated previously on laboratory and semi-field mosquitoes, but to date has not been utilized on wild-caught mosquitoes whose age is externally validated via parity status or parasite infection stage. In this study, we developed regression and classification models using NIRS on datasets of wild An. gambiae (s.l.) reared from larvae collected from the field in Burkina Faso, and two laboratory strains. We compared the accuracy of these models for predicting the ages of wild-caught mosquitoes that had been scored for their parity status as well as for positivity for Plasmodium sporozoites. Regression models utilizing variable selection increased predictive accuracy over the more common full-spectrum partial least squares (PLS) approach for cross-validation of the datasets, validation, and independent test sets. Models produced from datasets that included the greatest range of mosquito samples (i.e. different sampling locations and times) had the highest predictive accuracy on independent testing sets, though overall accuracy on these samples was low. For classification, we found that intramodel accuracy ranged between 73.5-97.0% for grouping of mosquitoes into "early" and "late" age classes, with the highest prediction accuracy found in laboratory colonized mosquitoes. However, this accuracy was decreased on test sets, with the highest classification of an independent set of wild-caught larvae reared to set ages being 69.6%. Variation in NIRS data, likely from dietary, genetic, and other factors limits the accuracy of this technique with wild-caught mosquitoes. Alternative algorithms may help improve prediction accuracy, but care should be taken to either maximize variety in models or minimize confounders.

Exploring the Association between Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children.

PubMed

Berman, Julia; Aran, Adi; Berenstein-Weyel, Tamar; Lebel, Ehud

2016-11-01

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) is an idiopathic hip osteonecrosis prevalent in children < age 15 years. The etiology remains incompletely understood, partly because of multiple potential environmental risk factors and partly because of lack of genetic markers. It has been hypothesized that hyperactivity may induce mechanical stress and/or vascular damage at a fragile joint. To assess children with LCPD for markers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relative to their unaffected comparably aged siblings to exclude the contribution of hyperactive behavior versus environmental and/or genetic factors in LCPD. All children followed in the Pediatric Orthopedic Clinic, and their comparably aged siblings, were recruited. ADHD was assessed using the TOVA computerized test and DSM-IV criteria. Quality of life and sleep disorders as ancillary tests were assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire (Parent Form 50), Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument, and Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale. Sixteen children with LCPD (age 9.1 ± 3.3, 75% males) were compared with their closest-aged siblings (age 9.3 ± 2.6, 30% males). Mean TOVA scores of children with LCPD (-3.79 ± 2.6) and of their non-LCPD siblings (-3.6 ± 4.04) were lower relative to the general population (0 ± 1.8, P < 0.0001). Both group means were in the ADHD range (≤ -1.8) implying that 73% of this LCPD cohort and 53% of their non-LCPD siblings performed in the ADHD range, relative to 3.6% incidence expected in the general population (P < 0.0001). Other test results were similar in both groups. Our findings in a small cohort of children with LCPD and their comparably aged siblings do not support an association between LCPD and ADHD. ADHD markers were equally high in the LCPD children and siblings.

Accelerated aging of adhesive-mediated fiber post-resin composite bonds: A modeling approach.

PubMed

Radovic, Ivana; Monticelli, Francesca; Papacchini, Federica; Magni, Elisa; Cury, Alvaro Hafiz; Vulicevic, Zoran R; Ferrari, Marco

2007-08-01

Although fiber posts luted in root canals are not directly exposed to oral fluids, water storage is considered as in vitro accelerated aging test for bonded interfaces. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of accelerated water aging on fiber post-resin composite adhesion. Forty fiber posts (DT Light Post, RTD) were randomly divided into two main groups, according to the surface treatment performed. Group I: XPBond adhesive (Dentsply Caulk); Group II: sandblasting (Rocatec-Pre, 3M ESPE) and XPBond. Dual-cured resin cement (Calibra, Dentsply Caulk) and flowable composite (X-Flow, Dentsply Caulk) were applied on the posts to produce cylindrical specimens. The bond strength at the interface between post and cement/composite was measured with the microtensile test according to the non-trimming technique. Half of the sticks were tested immediately for bond strength, while in the other half testing was performed after 1 month of water storage at 37 degrees C. Post-cement/composite interfaces were evaluated under SEM prior and after water aging. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA followed by Dunn's multiple range test (p<0.05). Immediate bond strength was higher on sandblasted posts. After water aging the two post surface treatments resulted comparable in bond strength. Resin cement achieved higher bond strength to fiber posts than flowable composite. Water aging significantly reduced bond strength. Sandblasting followed by adhesive coating may improve immediate post-resin bond strength in comparison to adhesive alone. However, fiber post-resin bond strength mediated by hydrophilic adhesive tends to decrease after water aging.

Application of an integrated outbreak management plan for the control of leptospirosis in dairy cattle herds.

PubMed

Mughini-Gras, L; Bonfanti, L; Natale, A; Comin, A; Ferronato, A; La Greca, E; Patregnani, T; Lucchese, L; Marangon, S

2014-06-01

Two outbreaks of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo infection in dairy cattle herds were managed through the application of enhanced biosecurity measures, whole-herd antibiotic treatment and vaccination. Micro-agglutination test antibody titres were determined in paired serum samples at 3 weeks (T1: n = 125, 97% seropositivity, median 800, range 100-12 800) and 24 weeks (T2: n = 110, 88% seropositivity, median 200, range 100-6400) after vaccination and studied in relation to cows' age, herd of origin and sampling time. From T1 to T2, vaccine-elicited antibody titres decreased by 84·7% (95% CI 76·2-90·1). Consistent with increasing immunocompetence in calves (aged <12 months) and immunosenescence in adult cows (aged >36 months) associated with ageing, antibody titres correlated positively with calves' age and negatively with adult cows' age. No cow had cultivable, (histo)pathologically detectable and/or PCR-detectable leptospires in urine or kidney samples after treatment and vaccination. Vaccination together with proper biosecurity measures and chemoprophylaxis are an affordable insurance to control bovine leptospirosis.

Persistent organic contaminants and steroid hormones levels in Morelet's crocodiles from the Southern Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Jauregui, Mauricio; Valdespino, Carolina; Salame-Méndez, Arturo; Aguirre-León, Gustavo; Rendón-Vonosten, Jaime

2012-04-01

Effects of endocrine disruptors on reproductive variables of top predators, such as alligators and crocodiles, have long been cited. Due to their long life span, these predators provide us with historic contaminant annals. In this study we tried to test whether lifestyle (free-ranging vs. farm animals) and reproductive age of Morelet's crocodiles in Campeche, Mexico, affect the bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Subsequently, we tested to see whether their concentration was related to steroid hormones (testosterone and estradiol-17β) levels once normal cyclic hormone variation and reproductive age had been taken into account. From the group of contaminants considered (analyzed as families), only frequency of hexachlorocyclohexanes (∑HCH) and ∑PCB permitted analyses. Whereas there was a greater concentration of ∑HCH bioaccumulated by free-ranging crocodiles, ∑PCB was found in equal quantities in free-ranging and farm animals. No difference was observed in relation to reproductive age for any of the contaminants. However, ∑PCB concentrations were related to testosterone levels among female crocodiles. This androgenic effect of ∑PCB has not been reported previously. Because testosterone promotes aggressive behavior in vertebrates, excessive aggression during the estrous season, or when female crocodiles should be caring for their young, could result in reproductive failure in Morelet's crocodiles and potential long-term decline of the population.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Funding for HIV Testing Associated With Higher State Percentage of Persons Tested.

PubMed

Hayek, Samah; Dietz, Patricia M; Van Handel, Michelle; Zhang, Jun; Shrestha, Ram K; Huang, Ya-Lin A; Wan, Choi; Mermin, Jonathan

2015-01-01

To assess the association between state per capita allocations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding for HIV testing and the percentage of persons tested for HIV. We examined data from 2 sources: 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and 2010-2011 State HIV Budget Allocations Reports. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were used to estimate the percentage of persons aged 18 to 64 years who had reported testing for HIV in the last 2 years in the United States by state. State HIV Budget Allocations Reports were used to calculate the state mean annual per capita allocations for CDC-funded HIV testing reported by state and local health departments in the United States. The association between the state fixed-effect per capita allocations for CDC-funded HIV testing and self-reported HIV testing in the last 2 years among persons aged 18 to 64 years was assessed with a hierarchical logistic regression model adjusting for individual-level characteristics. The percentage of persons tested for HIV in the last 2 years. In 2011, 18.7% (95% confidence interval = 18.4-19.0) of persons reported being tested for HIV in last 2 years (state range, 9.7%-28.2%). During 2010-2011, the state mean annual per capita allocation for CDC-funded HIV testing was $0.34 (state range, $0.04-$1.04). A $0.30 increase in per capita allocation for CDC-funded HIV testing was associated with an increase of 2.4 percentage points (14.0% vs 16.4%) in the percentage of persons tested for HIV per state. Providing HIV testing resources to health departments was associated with an increased percentage of state residents tested for HIV.

The sensitivity and specificity of clinical measures of sport concussion: three tests are better than one.

PubMed

Resch, Jacob E; Brown, Cathleen N; Schmidt, Julianne; Macciocchi, Stephen N; Blueitt, Damond; Cullum, C Munro; Ferrara, Michael S

2016-01-01

A battery of clinical measures of neurocognition, balance and symptoms has been recommended for the management of sport concussion (SC) but is based on variable evidence. To examine the sensitivity and specificity of a battery of tests to assess SC in college athletes. Cross-sectional. Research laboratory. Division 1 athletes diagnosed with a SC (n=40) who were 20.2±1.60 years of age and 180.5±11.12 cm tall and healthy athletes (n=40) who were 19.0±0.93 years of age and 179.1±11.39 cm tall were enrolled. Participants were administered Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and the Revised Head Injury Scale (HIS-r) prior to and up to 24 h following injury between the 2004 and 2014 sport seasons. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using predictive discriminant analyses (PDA) and clinical interpretation guidelines. Outcome measures included baseline and postinjury ImPACT, SOT and HIS-r composite scores. Using PDA, each clinical measure's sensitivity ranged from 55.0% to 77.5% and specificity ranged from 52.5% to 100%. The test battery possessed a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0% and 100%, respectively. Using clinical interpretation guidelines, sensitivity ranged from 55% to 97.5% individually, and 100% when combined. Our results support a multidimensional approach to assess SC in college athletes which correctly identified 80-100% of concussed participants as injured. When each test was evaluated separately, up to 47.5% of our sample was misclassified. Caution is warranted when using singular measures to manage SC.

The sensitivity and specificity of clinical measures of sport concussion: three tests are better than one

PubMed Central

Resch, Jacob E; Brown, Cathleen N; Schmidt, Julianne; Macciocchi, Stephen N; Blueitt, Damond; Cullum, C Munro; Ferrara, Michael S

2016-01-01

Context A battery of clinical measures of neurocognition, balance and symptoms has been recommended for the management of sport concussion (SC) but is based on variable evidence. Objective To examine the sensitivity and specificity of a battery of tests to assess SC in college athletes. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Research laboratory. Patients or other participants Division 1 athletes diagnosed with a SC (n=40) who were 20.2±1.60 years of age and 180.5±11.12 cm tall and healthy athletes (n=40) who were 19.0±0.93 years of age and 179.1±11.39 cm tall were enrolled. Intervention(s) Participants were administered Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and the Revised Head Injury Scale (HIS-r) prior to and up to 24 h following injury between the 2004 and 2014 sport seasons. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using predictive discriminant analyses (PDA) and clinical interpretation guidelines. Main outcome measures Outcome measures included baseline and postinjury ImPACT, SOT and HIS-r composite scores. Results Using PDA, each clinical measure's sensitivity ranged from 55.0% to 77.5% and specificity ranged from 52.5% to 100%. The test battery possessed a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0% and 100%, respectively. Using clinical interpretation guidelines, sensitivity ranged from 55% to 97.5% individually, and 100% when combined. Conclusions Our results support a multidimensional approach to assess SC in college athletes which correctly identified 80–100% of concussed participants as injured. When each test was evaluated separately, up to 47.5% of our sample was misclassified. Caution is warranted when using singular measures to manage SC. PMID:27900145

USSR Report, Problems of the Far East No 4, Oct-Dec 1986.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-21

including long-range land- based cruise missiles, it should be dealt with separately. Last May the Soviet Union prolonged its moratorium on nuclear test ...Union has unilaterally adhered to a moratorium on nuclear testing . All those who hold dear the future of mankind in the nuclear age heartily...support this action, while the wave of indignation over Washington’s persistence in nuclear testing is mounting throughout the world. As a matter of fact

Measuring attention in very old adults using the Test of Everyday Attention.

PubMed

van der Leeuw, Guusje; Leveille, Suzanne G; Jones, Richard N; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M; McLean, Robert; Kiely, Dan K; Gagnon, Margaret; Milberg, William P

2017-09-01

There is a need for validated measures of attention for use in longitudinal studies of older populations. We studied 249 participants aged 80 to 101 years using the population-based MOBILIZE Boston Study. Four subscales of the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA) were included, measuring attention switching, selective, sustained and divided attention and a neuropsychological battery including validated measures of multiple cognitive domains measuring attention, executive function and memory. The TEA previously has not been validated in persons aged 80 and older. Among participants who completed the TEA, scores on other attentional measures strongly with TEA domains (R=.60-.70). Proportions of participants with incomplete TEA subscales ranged from 8% (selective attention) to 19% (attentional switching). Reasons for not completing TEA tests included failure to comprehend test instructions despite repetition and practice. These results demonstrate the challenges and potential value of the Test of Everyday Attention in studies of very old populations.

The juvenile face as a suitable age indicator in child pornography cases: a pilot study on the reliability of automated and visual estimation approaches.

PubMed

Ratnayake, M; Obertová, Z; Dose, M; Gabriel, P; Bröker, H M; Brauckmann, M; Barkus, A; Rizgeliene, R; Tutkuviene, J; Ritz-Timme, S; Marasciuolo, L; Gibelli, D; Cattaneo, C

2014-09-01

In cases of suspected child pornography, the age of the victim represents a crucial factor for legal prosecution. The conventional methods for age estimation provide unreliable age estimates, particularly if teenage victims are concerned. In this pilot study, the potential of age estimation for screening purposes is explored for juvenile faces. In addition to a visual approach, an automated procedure is introduced, which has the ability to rapidly scan through large numbers of suspicious image data in order to trace juvenile faces. Age estimations were performed by experts, non-experts and the Demonstrator of a developed software on frontal facial images of 50 females aged 10-19 years from Germany, Italy, and Lithuania. To test the accuracy, the mean absolute error (MAE) between the estimates and the real ages was calculated for each examiner and the Demonstrator. The Demonstrator achieved the lowest MAE (1.47 years) for the 50 test images. Decreased image quality had no significant impact on the performance and classification results. The experts delivered slightly less accurate MAE (1.63 years). Throughout the tested age range, both the manual and the automated approach led to reliable age estimates within the limits of natural biological variability. The visual analysis of the face produces reasonably accurate age estimates up to the age of 18 years, which is the legally relevant age threshold for victims in cases of pedo-pornography. This approach can be applied in conjunction with the conventional methods for a preliminary age estimation of juveniles depicted on images.

Weight and Volume of Plantation-Grown Choctawhatchee Sand Pine

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Kenneth W. Outcalt; Raymond H. Brendemuehl

1985-01-01

The aboveground green weight of the total tree and its major components, the main stem and crown, were determined in eight stands of planted Choctawhatchee sand-pine ranging in age from 7 to 27 years. Eighty-three trees, ranging in d.b.h. from 0.7 to11.1 inches from 11 to 59 feet in total height, were sampled. After testing for significant differences, data were...

Gentamicin ototoxicity: a 23-year selected case series of 103 patients.

PubMed

Ahmed, Rebekah M; Hannigan, Imelda P; MacDougall, Hamish G; Chan, Raymond C; Halmagyi, G Michael

2012-06-18

To review patients with severe bilateral vestibular loss associated with gentamicin treatment in hospital. A retrospective case series of presentations to a balance disorders clinic between 1988 and 2010. Relationship between vestibulotoxicity and gentamicin dose or dosing profile; indications for prescribing gentamicin. 103 patients (age, 18-84 years; mean, 64 years) presented with imbalance, oscillopsia or both, but none had vertigo. Only three noted some hearing impairment after having gentamicin, but audiometric thresholds for all patients were consistent with their age. In all patients, the following tests gave positive results: a bilateral clinical head-impulse test, a vertical head-shaking test for vertical oscillopsia, and a foam Romberg test. In 21 patients, imbalance occurred during gentamicin treatment (ignored or dismissed by prescribers in 20) and in 66 after treatment; the remaining 16 could not recall when symptoms were first noticed, except that it was after gentamicin treatment in hospital. Total gentamicin dose range was 2-318 mg/kg (mean, 52 mg/kg), daily dose range was 1.5-5.6 mg/kg (mean, 3.5mg/kg), and duration was 1-80 days (mean, 17 days). Six patients had only a single dose; 26 had five or fewer doses. Serum gentamicin levels, measured in 82 patients, were in the recommended range in 59. Time to diagnosis ranged from 4 days to 15 years. Nephrotoxicity developed in 43 patients. Gentamicin dosage complied with contemporary or current Australian antibiotic guidelines in under half the patients. Gentamicin ototoxicity is vestibular, not cochlear, producing permanent loss of balance, but not of hearing. Gentamicin can be vestibulotoxic in any dose, in any regimen, at any serum level.

OPEN CLUSTERS AS PROBES OF THE GALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELD. I. CLUSTER PROPERTIES

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

Hoq, Sadia; Clemens, D. P., E-mail: shoq@bu.edu, E-mail: clemens@bu.edu

2015-10-15

Stars in open clusters are powerful probes of the intervening Galactic magnetic field via background starlight polarimetry because they provide constraints on the magnetic field distances. We use 2MASS photometric data for a sample of 31 clusters in the outer Galaxy for which near-IR polarimetric data were obtained to determine the cluster distances, ages, and reddenings via fitting theoretical isochrones to cluster color–magnitude diagrams. The fitting approach uses an objective χ{sup 2} minimization technique to derive the cluster properties and their uncertainties. We found the ages, distances, and reddenings for 24 of the clusters, and the distances and reddenings formore » 6 additional clusters that were either sparse or faint in the near-IR. The derived ranges of log(age), distance, and E(B−V) were 7.25–9.63, ∼670–6160 pc, and 0.02–1.46 mag, respectively. The distance uncertainties ranged from ∼8% to 20%. The derived parameters were compared to previous studies, and most cluster parameters agree within our uncertainties. To test the accuracy of the fitting technique, synthetic clusters with 50, 100, or 200 cluster members and a wide range of ages were fit. These tests recovered the input parameters within their uncertainties for more than 90% of the individual synthetic cluster parameters. These results indicate that the fitting technique likely provides reliable estimates of cluster properties. The distances derived will be used in an upcoming study of the Galactic magnetic field in the outer Galaxy.« less

Age-related changes in human posture control: Sensory organization tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, R. J.; Black, F. O.

1989-01-01

Postural control was measured in 214 human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. Sensory organization tests measured the magnitude of anterior-posterior body sway during six 21 s trials in which visual and somatosensory orientation cues were altered (by rotating the visual surround and support surface in proportion to the subject's sway) or vision eliminated (eyes closed) in various combinations. No age-related increase in postural sway was found for subjects standing on a fixed support surface with eyes open or closed. However, age-related increases in sway were found for conditions involving altered visual or somatosensory cues. Subjects older than about 55 years showed the largest sway increases. Subjects younger than about 15 years were also sensitive to alteration of sensory cues. On average, the older subjects were more affected by altered visual cues whereas younger subjects had more difficulty with altered somatosensory cues.

Repetition blindness and homophone blindness in young and older adults.

PubMed

Tyrrell, Caitlin J; James, Lori E; Noble, Paula M

2016-11-01

We tested age effects on repetition blindness (RB), defined as the reduced probability of reporting a target word following presentation of the same word in a rapidly presented list. We also tested age effects on homophone blindness (HB), in which the first word is a homophone of the target word rather than a repeated word. Thirty young and 28 older adults viewed rapidly presented lists of words containing repeated, homophone, or unrepeated word pairs and reported all of the words immediately after each list. Older adults exhibited a greater degree of RB and HB than young adults using a conditional scoring method that provides certainty that blindness has occurred. The existence of RB and HB for both age groups, and increased blindness for older compared to young adults, supports predictions of a binding theory that has successfully accounted for a wide range of phenomena in cognitive aging.

How are the ancient cystic fibrosis patients? Cystic fibrosis diagnosed over 60 years-old.

PubMed

Prados, C; Lerín, M; Cabanillas, J J; Gómez-Carrera, L; Álvarez-Sala, R

2017-01-01

To specify the prevalence of patients diagnosed with CF at age of ≥60 year-old and to analyze their characteristics. Observational study of CF patients which were diagnosed at age ≥60 year-old. The analyzed variables were: age, sex, nationality, lung function parameters, conditions present at diagnosis, microbiological characteristics and genetic findings. eight patients were included. 7 patients were female (87.5%) with a mean age of 70.6 years (median 71.5 years, range 60-78 years). The most important findings were: sweat test >60 mEq/l; heterozygotes F508del; bronchiectasis in CT; methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (50%) in sputum. The most patients presented a normal or mild obstructive lung function. CF must also be considered a disease diagnosed in adulthood, incorporating the sweat test within the usual techniques of differential diagnosis in patients with different diseases associated with CF, because genetic counselling is esencial.

Criterion validation of two submaximal aerobic fitness tests, the self-monitoring Fox-walk test and the Åstrand cycle test in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Nordgren, Birgitta; Fridén, Cecilia; Jansson, Eva; Österlund, Ted; Grooten, Wilhelmus Johannes; Opava, Christina H; Rickenlund, Anette

2014-09-17

Aerobic capacity tests are important to evaluate exercise programs and to encourage individuals to have a physically active lifestyle. Submaximal tests, if proven valid and reliable could be used for estimation of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). The purpose of the study was to examine the criterion-validity of the submaximal self-monitoring Fox-walk test and the submaximal Åstrand cycle test against a maximal cycle test in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A secondary aim was to study the influence of different formulas for age predicted maximal heart rate when estimating VO2max by the Åstrand test. Twenty seven subjects (81% female), mean (SD) age 62 (8.1) years, diagnosed with RA since 17.9 (11.7) years, participated in the study. They performed the Fox-walk test (775 meters), the Åstrand test and the maximal cycle test (measured VO2max test). Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the direction and strength of the association between the tests, and paired t-tests were used to test potential differences between the tests. Bland and Altman methods were used to assess whether there was any systematic disagreement between the submaximal tests and the maximal test. The correlation between the estimated and measured VO2max values were strong and ranged between r = 0.52 and r = 0.82 including the use of different formulas for age predicted maximal heart rate, when estimating VO2max by the Åstrand test. VO2max was overestimated by 30% by the Fox-walk test and underestimated by 10% by the Åstrand test corrected for age. When the different formulas for age predicted maximal heart rate were used, the results showed that two formulas better predicted maximal heart rate and consequently a more precise estimation of VO2max. Despite the fact that the Fox-walk test overestimated VO2max substantially, the test is a promising method for self-monitoring VO2max and further development of the test is encouraged. The Åstrand test should be considered as highly valid and feasible and the two newly developed formulas for predicting maximal heart rate according to age are preferable to use when estimating VO2max by the Åstrand test.

Performance on the Balance Scale by Two-Year Old Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halford, Graeme S.; Dalton, Cherie

Twenty-two children ranging in age from 2 to 3 years were tested on their abilities to apply weight and distance rules to the balance scale. This study was performed to test the prediction that 2-year-olds would be able to understand either a weight rule or a distance rule, but not be able to integrate the two. The sample group was instructed in…

Reading Disabilities Prevention in Five Year Olds: A Case of Development X Treatment Interaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Linda L.; And Others

A total of 211 kindergarten children, aged 63 to 81 months, were classified into two groups according to the risk of failure in first grade predicted for them on the basis of their performance on the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and the Draw a Person (DAP) test. According to prediction, Group I children without intervention would probably…

Dichotic Listening and Otoacoustic Emissions: Shared Variance between Cochlear Function and Dichotic Listening Performance in Adults with Normal Hearing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markevych, Vladlena; Asbjornsen, Arve E.; Lind, Ola; Plante, Elena; Cone, Barbara

2011-01-01

The present study investigated a possible connection between speech processing and cochlear function. Twenty-two subjects with age range from 18 to 39, balanced for gender with normal hearing and without any known neurological condition, were tested with the dichotic listening (DL) test, in which listeners were asked to identify CV-syllables in a…

White-black and white-Hispanic differences on fluid and crystallized abilities by age across the 11- to 94-year range.

PubMed

Kaufman, J C; McLean, J E; Kaufman, A S; Kaufman, N L

1994-12-01

Standardization data for the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT) were used to examine white-black and white-Hispanic differences on the Horn-Cattell crystallized and fluid constructs at several age groups across the broad 11- to 94-year span. Samples included 1,547 white, 241 black, and 140 Hispanic persons. Multivariate analyses with educational attainment covaried yielded only one significant finding: the white-black difference on the Crystallized Famous Faces subtest became smaller with increasing age.

A computer-controlled color vision test for children based on the Cambridge Colour Test.

PubMed

Goulart, Paulo R K; Bandeira, Marcio L; Tsubota, Daniela; Oiwa, Nestor N; Costa, Marcelo F; Ventura, Dora F

2008-01-01

The present study aimed at providing conditions for the assessment of color discrimination in children using a modified version of the Cambridge Colour Test (CCT, Cambridge Research Systems Ltd., Rochester, UK). Since the task of indicating the gap of the Landolt C used in that test proved counterintuitive and/or difficult for young children to understand, we changed the target stimulus to a patch of color approximately the size of the Landolt C gap (about 7 degrees of visual angle at 50 cm from the monitor). The modifications were performed for the CCT Trivector test which measures color discrimination for the protan, deutan and tritan confusion lines. Experiment 1 sought to evaluate the correspondence between the CCT and the child-friendly adaptation with adult subjects (n = 29) with normal color vision. Results showed good agreement between the two test versions. Experiment 2 tested the child-friendly software with children 2 to 7 years old (n = 25) using operant training techniques for establishing and maintaining the subjects' performance. Color discrimination thresholds were progressively lower as age increased within the age range tested (2 to 30 years old), and the data--including those obtained for children--fell within the range of thresholds previously obtained for adults with the CCT. The protan and deutan thresholds were consistently lower than tritan thresholds, a pattern repeatedly observed in adults tested with the CCT. The results demonstrate that the test is fit for assessment of color discrimination in young children and may be a useful tool for the establishment of color vision thresholds during development.

Is education associated with improvements in general cognitive ability, or in specific skills?

PubMed

Ritchie, Stuart J; Bates, Timothy C; Deary, Ian J

2015-05-01

Previous research has indicated that education influences cognitive development, but it is unclear what, precisely, is being improved. Here, we tested whether education is associated with cognitive test score improvements via domain-general effects on general cognitive ability (g), or via domain-specific effects on particular cognitive skills. We conducted structural equation modeling on data from a large (n = 1,091), longitudinal sample, with a measure of intelligence at age 11 years and 10 tests covering a diverse range of cognitive abilities taken at age 70. Results indicated that the association of education with improved cognitive test scores is not mediated by g, but consists of direct effects on specific cognitive skills. These results suggest a decoupling of educational gains from increases in general intellectual capacity. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Nordic walking improves the postural control and gait parameters of women between the age 65 and 74: a randomized trial

PubMed Central

Kocur, Piotr; Wiernicka, Marzena; Wilski, Maciej; Kaminska, Ewa; Furmaniuk, Lech; Maslowska, Marta Flis; Lewandowski, Jacek

2015-01-01

[Purpose] To assess the effect of 12-weeks Nordic walking training on gait parameters and some elements of postural control. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty-seven women aged 65 to 74 years were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into a Nordic Walking group (12 weeks of Nordic walking training, 3 times a week for 75 minutes) and a control group. In both study groups, a set of functional tests were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the study: the Forward Reach Test (FRT) and the Upward Reach Test (URT) on a stabilometric platform, and the analysis of gait parameters on a treadmill. [Results] The NW group showed improvements in: the range of reach in the FRT test and the URT test in compared to the control group. The length of the gait cycle and gait cycle frequency also showed changes in the NW group compared to the control group. [Conclusion] A 12-week NW training program had a positive impact on selected gait parameters and may improve the postural control of women aged over 65 according to the results selected functional tests. PMID:26834341

Does Nordic walking improves the postural control and gait parameters of women between the age 65 and 74: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Kocur, Piotr; Wiernicka, Marzena; Wilski, Maciej; Kaminska, Ewa; Furmaniuk, Lech; Maslowska, Marta Flis; Lewandowski, Jacek

2015-12-01

[Purpose] To assess the effect of 12-weeks Nordic walking training on gait parameters and some elements of postural control. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty-seven women aged 65 to 74 years were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into a Nordic Walking group (12 weeks of Nordic walking training, 3 times a week for 75 minutes) and a control group. In both study groups, a set of functional tests were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the study: the Forward Reach Test (FRT) and the Upward Reach Test (URT) on a stabilometric platform, and the analysis of gait parameters on a treadmill. [Results] The NW group showed improvements in: the range of reach in the FRT test and the URT test in compared to the control group. The length of the gait cycle and gait cycle frequency also showed changes in the NW group compared to the control group. [Conclusion] A 12-week NW training program had a positive impact on selected gait parameters and may improve the postural control of women aged over 65 according to the results selected functional tests.

Measuring salivary analytes from free-ranging monkeys

PubMed Central

Higham, James P.; Vitale, Alison; Rivera, Adaris Mas; Ayala, James E.; Maestripieri, Dario

2014-01-01

Studies of large free-ranging mammals have been revolutionized by non-invasive methods for assessing physiology, which usually involve the measurement of fecal or urinary biomarkers. However, such techniques are limited by numerous factors. To expand the range of physiological variables measurable non-invasively from free-ranging primates, we developed techniques for sampling monkey saliva by offering monkeys ropes with oral swabs sewn on the ends. We evaluated different attractants for encouraging individuals to offer samples, and proportions of individuals in different age/sex categories willing to give samples. We tested the saliva samples we obtained in three commercially available assays: cortisol, Salivary Alpha Amylase, and Secretory Immunoglobulin A. We show that habituated free-ranging rhesus macaques will give saliva samples voluntarily without training, with 100% of infants, and over 50% of adults willing to chew on collection devices. Our field methods are robust even for analytes that show poor recovery from cotton, and/or that have concentrations dependent on salivary flow rate. We validated the cortisol and SAA assays for use in rhesus macaques by showing aspects of analytical validation, such as that samples dilute linearly and in parallel to assay standards. We also found that values measured correlated with biologically meaningful characteristics of sampled individuals (age and dominance rank). The SIgA assay tested did not react to samples. Given the wide range of analytes measurable in saliva but not in feces or urine, our methods considerably improve our ability to study physiological aspects of the behavior and ecology of free-ranging primates, and are also potentially adaptable to other mammalian taxa. PMID:20837036

Trends in mortality of insurance applicants with HIV infection.

PubMed

Stout, Robert L; Fulks, Michael; Dolan, Vera F

2012-01-01

Provide a brief review of HIV history and determine the relative mortality of life insurance applicants who are HIV positive and how that has changed over time with advances in treatment. By use of the Social Security Death Master File and multivariate analysis, mortality of those HIV positive relative to those HIV negative was determined for life insurance applicants from 1991 to 2009. Relative mortality varied by type of testing (blood, urine or oral fluid) and by age, ranging from 320% at the oldest ages to over 1300% at the youngest ages for applicants with blood testing. Surprisingly, there was little change in relative risk among HIV-positive applicants over this period. Relative risk for life insurance applicants who are HIV positive remains high despite advances in therapy.

Age-related variation in EEG complexity to photic stimulation: A multiscale entropy analysis

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Tetsuya; Cho, Raymond Y.; Murata, Tetsuhito; Mizuno, Tomoyuki; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Mizukami, Kimiko; Kosaka, Hirotaka; Takahashi, Koichi; Wada, Yuji

2010-01-01

Objective This study was intended to examine variations in electroencephalographic (EEG) complexity in response to photic stimulation (PS) during aging to test the hypothesis that the aging process reduces physiologic complexity and functional responsiveness. Methods Multiscale entropy (MSE), an estimate of time-series signal complexity associated with long-range temporal correlation, is used as a recently proposed method for quantifying EEG complexity with multiple coarse-grained sequences. We recorded EEG in 13 healthy elderly subjects and 12 healthy young subjects during pre-PS and post-PS conditions and estimated their respective MSE values. Results For the pre-PS condition, no significant complexity difference was found between the groups. However, a significant MSE change (complexity increase) was found post-PS only in young subjects, thereby revealing a power-law scaling property, which means long-range temporal correlation. Conclusions Enhancement of long-range temporal correlation in young subjects after PS might reflect a cortical response to stimuli, which was absent in elderly subjects. These results are consistent with the general “loss of complexity/diminished functional response to stimuli” theory of aging. Significance Our findings demonstrate that application of MSE analysis to EEG is a powerful approach for studying age-related changes in brain function. PMID:19231279

Changes in chloride concentration in water from municipal wells that tap aquifers in rocks of Cambrian and Ordovician age in northeastern Illinois, 1915-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Balding, G.O.

1991-01-01

During the past few decades, several municipalities in northeastern Illinois have noted increases in the salinity of water from wells that tap aquifers in rocks of Cambrian and Ordovician age. The municipalities have discontinued the use of, or sealed-off sections of, those wells. The aquifers involved include the Ancell, the Ironton-Galesville, and the Elmhurst-Mt. Simon. To define the location, magnitude, and possible causes for the salinity increases in the six northeastern counties of Illinois, 17 municipal wells and 1 deep test well were selected on the basis of their proximity to major pumping centers, the availability of water-quality data, and their documented maintenance history. Well depths ranged from about 960 to 3,475 feet. One well was finished in the middle confining unit, 2 wells were finished in the Ironton-Galesville aquifer, 4 wells were finished in the Eau Claire confining unit, and 10 wells were finished in the Elmhurst-Mt. Simon aquifer. The deep test well was finished below the Elmhurst-Mt. Simon aquifer in Precambrian-age rock. Chloride concentrations in the municipal wells ranged from less than 5 to greater than 600 milligrams per liter; in the deep test well, they ranged from 13 t o 37,000 milligrams per liter. Some changes in the chloride concentration in water from the studied municipal wells can be related to physical changes to the wells, including the partial filling in of a well, bridging within a well, the cleaning out of a well, or the deepening of a well. Some changes in chloride concentration are not related to physical changes but may be caused by increased pumpage; changes in pumping rate, frequency, or duration; cessation of pumping; improper abandonment of wells; and the upconing of highly mineralized water. The data base was inadequate for a quantitative study of the changes in chloride concentration in water from individual aquifers in rocks of Cambrian and Ordovician age.

RETENTION OF HIGH TACTILE ACUITY THROUGHOUT THE LIFESPAN IN BLINDNESS

PubMed Central

Legge, Gordon E.; Madison, Cindee; Vaughn, Brenna N.; Cheong, Allen M.Y.; Miller, Joseph C.

2009-01-01

Previous studies of tactile acuity on the fingertip using passive touch have demonstrated an age-related decline in spatial resolution for both sighted and blind subjects. We have re-examined this age dependence with two newly designed tactile-acuity charts requiring active exploration of the test symbols. One chart used dot patterns similar to Braille and the other used embossed Landolt rings. Groups of blind Braille readers and sighted subjects, ranging in age from 12 to 85 years, were tested in two experiments. We replicated previous findings for sighted subjects by showing an age related decrease in tactile acuity by nearly 1% per year. Surprisingly, the blind subjects retained high acuity into old age showing no age-related decline. For the blind subjects, tactile acuity did not correlate with braille reading speed, the amount of daily reading, or the age at which braille was learned. We conclude that when measured with active touch, blind subjects retain high tactile acuity into old age, unlike their aging sighted peers. We propose that blind people's use of active touch in daily activities, not specifically Braille reading, results in preservation of tactile acuity across the lifespan. PMID:19064491

A normative study of cervical range of motion measures including the flexion-rotation test in asymptomatic children: side-to-side variability and pain provocation.

PubMed

Budelmann, Kim; von Piekartz, Harry; Hall, Toby

2016-09-01

Cervical movement impairment has been identified as a core component of cervicogenic headache evaluation. However, normal range of motion values in children has been investigated rarely and no study has reported such values for the flexion-rotation test (FRT). The purpose of this study was to identify normal values and side-to-side variation for cervical spine range of motion (ROM) and the FRT, in asymptomatic children aged 6-12 years. Another important purpose was to identify the presence of pain during the FRT. Thirty-four asymptomatic children without history of neck pain or headache (26 females and 8 males, mean age 125.38 months [SD 13.14]) were evaluated. Cervical spine cardinal plane ROM and the FRT were evaluated by a single examiner using a cervical ROM device. Values for cardinal plane ROM measures are presented. No significant gender difference was found for any ROM measure. Mean difference in ROM for rotation, side flexion, and the FRT were less than one degree. However, intra-individual variation was greater, with lower bound scores of 9.32° for rotation, 5.30° for side flexion, and 10.89° for the FRT. Multiple linear regression analysis indicates that movement in the cardinal planes only explains 19% of the variance in the FRT. Pain scores reported following the FRT were less than 2/10. Children have consistently greater cervical spine ROM than adults. In children, side-to-side variation in rotation and side flexion ROM and range recorded during the FRT indicates that the clinician should be cautious when using range in one direction to determine impairment in another. Range recorded during the FRT is independent of cardinal movement variables, which further adds to the importance of the FRT, as a test that mainly evaluates range of movement of the upper cervical spine.

The Dyad-Adaptive Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (DA-PASAT): Normative data and the effects of repeated testing, simulated malingering, and traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Wyma, John M.; Herron, Timothy J.; Yund, E. William; Reed, Bruce

2018-01-01

The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is widely used to evaluate processing speed and executive function in patients with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological disorders. In the PASAT, subjects listen to sequences of digits while continuously reporting the sum of the last two digits presented. Four different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) are usually tested, with difficulty increasing as SOAs are reduced. Ceiling effects are common at long SOAs, while the digit delivery rate often exceeds the subject’s processing capacity at short SOAs, causing some subjects to stop performing altogether. In addition, subjects may adopt an “alternate answer” strategy at short SOAs, which reduces the test’s demands on working-memory and processing speed. Consequently, studies have shown that the number of dyads (consecutive correct answers) is a more sensitive measure of PASAT performance than the overall number of correct sums. Here, we describe a 2.5-minute computerized test, the Dyad-Adaptive PASAT (DA-PASAT), where SOAs are adjusted with a 2:1 staircase, decreasing after each pair of correct responses and increasing after misses. Processing capacity is reflected in the minimum SOA (minSOA) achieved in 54 trials. Experiment 1 gathered normative data in two large populations: 1617 subjects in New Zealand ranging in age from 18 to 65 years, and 214 Californians ranging in age from 18 to 82 years. Minimum SOAs were influenced by age, education, and daily hours of computer-use. Minimum SOA z-scores, calculated after factoring out the influence of these factors, were virtually identical in the two control groups, as were response times (RTs) and dyad ratios (the proportion of hits occurring in dyads). Experiment 2 measured the test-retest reliability of the DA-PASAT in 44 young subjects who underwent three test sessions at weekly intervals. High intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were found for minSOAs (0.87), response times (0.76), and dyad ratios (0.87). Performance improved across test sessions for all measures. Experiment 3 investigated the effects of simulated malingering in 50 subjects: 42% of simulated malingerers produced abnormal (p< 0.05) minSOA z-scores. Simulated malingerers with abnormal scores were distinguished with 87% sensitivity and 69% specificity from control subjects with abnormal scores by excessive differences between training performance and the actual test. Experiment 4 investigated patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI): patients with mild TBI performed within the normal range while patients with severe TBI showed deficits. The DA-PASAT reduces the time and stress of PASAT assessment while gathering sensitive measures of dyad processing that reveal the effects of aging, malingering, and traumatic brain injury on performance. PMID:29677192

Prevalence of feline leukemia virus infection in domestic cats in Rio de Janeiro.

PubMed

de Almeida, Nadia R; Danelli, Maria G M; da Silva, Lucia H P; Hagiwara, Mitika K; Mazur, Carlos

2012-08-01

Peripheral blood smears of 1094 domestic cats were collected and tested by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay for p27 antigen in cells to study the prevalence and risk factors for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Sex, age, breed, outdoor access, neutering status, type of habitation (household, shelter, veterinary clinics and other places), number of household cats and clinical signs were registered on a form. Among the tested samples, 11.52% were positive. Risk factors for FeLV infection included outdoor access, age range between 1 and 5 years old, and cohabitation with numerous cats.

A longitudinal study of ice hockey in boys aged 8--12.

PubMed

MacNab, R B

1979-03-01

A group of fifteen boys (experimental or competitive) were studied over a five year period of competitive ice hockey beginning at age 8. The subjects were members of a team which averaged 66 games per year, ranging from 50 at age 8 to 78 at age 12. In addition, they practiced twice a week with heavy stress on skating and individual puck handling skills. A second group of eleven boys (control or less competitive) were studied from age 10 to 12. The latter subjects played an average of 25 games per year and practiced once a week. All subjects were measured each year on skating and puck control skills, fitness-performance tests, grip strength, physical work capacity as well as height and weight. The results demonstrate learning curves for skating and puck control tests which, while typical in nature, show extremely high levels of achievement. Fitness-Performance, grip strength and physical work capacity levels of the competitive group are extremely high in comparison with data from other countries.

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.

Mapping the dense scotoma and its enlargement in Stargardt disease

PubMed Central

Bernstein, Aryeh; Sunness, Janet S.; Applegate, Carol A.; Tegins, Elizabeth O.

2016-01-01

Purpose To describe the enlargement of the dense scotoma over time in Stargardt disease, and to highlight methodological issues in tracking enlargement. Methods Retrospective study of patients with full mapping of the border of the dense scotoma using the MP-1 for at least two visits. Results Fourteen eyes of 7 patients met this criterion. Patients had median of 3 visits (range 2 to 5), with median total f/u of 4.5 years (range 1.5-8). Mean baseline visual acuity was 20/56 (range 20/25-20/200), mean baseline dense scotoma area was 2.23mm2 (range 0.41-5.48), and mean dense scotoma enlargement rate was 1.36mm2/year (range 0.22-2.91). The younger patients tended to have more rapid loss of visual acuity, which tended to plateau when the VA was 20/100 or worse. The patients who developed Stargardt before age 20, and the single patient who developed Stargardt disease after age 40, had more rapid enlargement rates, with preservation of central vision in the oldest patient. The ability to precisely define the dense scotoma area was dependent upon the density location of the points tested; this led to significant variability in the assessment of the scotoma enlargement rate in 3 of the 7 patients. The dense scotoma was not described adequately by the extent of the homogeneous dark area on fundus autofluorescence imaging. Conclusion Microperimetry is necessary for mapping the scotoma in patients with Stargardt disease, since current imaging is not adequate. Standardized grid testing, plus a standardized procedure for refining the border of the dense scotoma, should allow more precise testing and longitudinal assessment of enlargement rates. PMID:26909568

Effect of Duration of Breastfeeding on Neuropsychological Development at 10 to 12 Years of Age in a Cohort of Healthy Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tozzi, Alberto Eugenio; Bisiacchi, Patrizia; Tarantino, Vincenza; Chiarotti, Flavia; D'elia, Lidia; De Mei, Barbara; Romano, Mariateresa; Gesualdo, Francesco; Salmaso, Stefania

2012-01-01

Aim: The aim of this article was to explore the effect of duration of breastfeeding on neurocognitive development. Method: The long-term effect of breastfeeding on neurodevelopment was examined through a battery of neuropsychological tests in 1403 children (693 females, 710 males; mean age 11y 9mo [SD 6mo], range: 10y 3mo-12y 8mo) who were…

ESR and 230Th/234U dating of speleothems from Aladağlar Mountain Range (AMR) in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulusoy, Ülkü; Anbar, Gül; Bayarı, Serdar; Uysal, Tonguç

2014-03-01

Electron spin resonance (ESR) and 230Th/234U ages of speleothem samples collected from karstic caves located around 3000 m elevation in the Aladağlar Mountain Range (AMR), south-central Turkey, were determined in order to provide new insight and information regarding late Pleistocene climate. ESR ages were validated with the 230Th/234U ages of test samples. The ESR ages of 21 different layers of six speleothem samples were found to range mostly between about 59 and 4 ka, which cover the Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages (MIS) MIS 3 to MIS 1. Among all, only six layers appear to have deposited during MIS 8 and 5. Most of the samples dated were deposited during the late glacial stage (MIS 2). It appears that a cooler climate with a perennial and steady recharge was more conducive to speleothem development rather than a warmer climate with seasonal recharge in the AMR during the late Quaternary. This argument supports previous findings that suggest a two -fold increase in last glacial maximum mean precipitation in Turkey with respect to the present value.

Growth Outcomes of Preterm Infants Exposed to Different Oxygen Saturation Target Ranges from Birth

PubMed Central

Navarrete, Cristina T.; Wrage, Lisa A.; Carlo, Waldemar A.; Walsh, Michele C.; Rich, Wade; Gantz, Marie G.; Das, Abhik; Schibler, Kurt; Newman, Nancy S.; Piazza, Anthony J.; Poindexter, Brenda B.; Shankaran, Seetha; Sánchez, Pablo J.; Morris, Brenda H.; Frantz, Ivan D.; Van Meurs, Krisa P.; Cotten, C. Michael; Ehrenkranz, Richard A.; Bell, Edward F.; Watterberg, Kristi L.; Higgins, Rosemary D.; Duara, Shahnaz

2017-01-01

Objective To test whether infants randomized to a lower oxygen saturation (SpO2) target range while on supplemental oxygen from birth will have better growth velocity from birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), and less growth failure at 36 weeks PMA and 18–22 months corrected age. Study design We evaluated a subgroup of 810 preterm infants from the Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial, randomized at birth to lower (85–89%, n=402, GA 26 ± 1wk, BW 839 ± 186 g) or higher (91–95%, n=408, GA 26 ± 1wk, BW 840 ± 191 g) SpO2 target ranges. Anthropometric measures were obtained at birth, postnatal days 7, 14, 21, and 28; then at 32 and 36 weeks PMA, and 18–22 months corrected age. Growth velocities were estimated using the exponential method and analyzed using linear mixed models. Poor growth outcome, defined as weight < 10th percentile at 36 weeks PMA and 18–22 months corrected age, was compared across the two treatment groups using robust Poisson regression. Results Growth outcomes including growth at 36 weeks PMA and 18–22 months corrected age, as well as growth velocity were similar in the lower and higher SpO2 target groups. Conclusion Targeting different oxygen saturation ranges between 85% and 95% from birth did not impact growth velocity or reduce growth failure in preterm infants. PMID:27344218

Developmental Changes in Soluble CD40 Ligand

PubMed Central

Cholette, Jill M.; Blumberg, Neil; Phipps, Richard P.; McDermott, Michael P.; Gettings, Kelly F.; Lerner, Norma B.

2008-01-01

Objectives To determine if soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L; formally CD154) levels vary with age and to identify age-dependent ranges in healthy pediatric and adult populations. Study design sCD40L was measured in 25 neonates, 74 children (3 months –15 years) and 20 adults using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For age group comparisons, Mann-Whitney tests were performed. Correlation coefficients assessed relationships between plasma and serum sCD40L. Results Plasma sCD40L levels were higher in neonates than in all other age groups, (p<0.001). All grouped pediatric plasma levels were significantly higher than in adults (p<0.0001). There were no significant differences in plasma sCD40L between pediatric age groups. Serum levels were significantly higher in neonates than in any other age group (p <0.0001). Pediatric and adult serum sCD40L levels were not significantly different. Conclusions Plasma sCD40L levels are highest at birth and remain higher than those in adults throughout childhood. Reasons for such developmental changes remain to be investigated. Age appropriate reference ranges should be used when sCD40L is being evaluated in pediatric disorders. PMID:18154898

Aerobic fitness of Anglo-Saxon and Indian students.

PubMed Central

Hardy, C P; Eston, R G

1985-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the aerobic fitness of two groups of male college students: 32 Anglo-Saxon males (age range 16-18 years) with 27 Indian males, born in England, (age range 16-23 years), none of whom was highly active in any particular sport. Maximal oxygen uptake was estimated by submaximal test on a cycle ergometer and percent body fat was assessed by skinfold calipers. The Anglo-Saxon group had higher absolute and relative maximal oxygen consumption values and higher body weight. There was no difference in percent fat between the two groups. Strength data were also provided for descriptive purposes. Images p217-a p217-b PMID:4092143

Apolipoprotein E genotype does not moderate the associations of depressive symptoms, neuroticism and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive aging in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

PubMed

Crook, Zander; Booth, Tom; Cox, Simon R; Corley, Janie; Dykiert, Dominika; Redmond, Paul; Pattie, Alison; Taylor, Adele M; Harris, Sarah E; Starr, John M; Deary, Ian J

2018-01-01

In this replication-and-extension study, we tested whether depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load (multisystem physiological dysregulation) were related to lower baseline cognitive ability and greater subsequent cognitive decline in older adults, and whether these relationships were moderated by the E4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. We also tested whether allostatic load mediated the relationships between neuroticism and cognitive outcomes. We used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n at Waves 1-3: 1,028 [M age = 69.5 y]; 820 [M duration since Wave 1 = 2.98 y]; 659 [M duration since Wave 1 = 6.74 y]). We fitted latent growth curve models of general cognitive ability (modeled using five cognitive tests) with groups of APOE E4 non-carriers and carriers. In separate models, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load predicted baseline cognitive ability and subsequent cognitive decline. In addition, models tested whether allostatic load mediated relationships between neuroticism and cognitive outcomes. Baseline cognitive ability had small-to-moderate negative associations with depressive symptoms (β range = -0.20 to -0.17), neuroticism (β range = -0.27 to -0.23), and allostatic load (β range = -0.11 to 0.09). Greater cognitive decline was linked to baseline allostatic load (β range = -0.98 to -0.83) and depressive symptoms (β range = -1.00 to -0.88). However, APOE E4 allele possession did not moderate the relationships of depressive symptoms, neuroticism and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive decline. Additionally, the associations of neuroticism with cognitive ability and cognitive decline were not mediated through allostatic load. Our results suggest that APOE E4 status does not moderate the relationships of depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive decline in healthy older adults. The most notable positive finding in the current research was the strong association between allostatic load and cognitive decline.

EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES

PubMed Central

Pershad, Dwarka; Verma, S. K.

1980-01-01

Education, a long neglected variable affecting psychological test score, is in search of reemphasis. Some evidence for this has accumulated on the psychological tests constructed and standardized here at the department of Psychiatry, P.G.I., Chandigarh. Tentative norms prepared education wise on WAIS-Verbal section, PGI-Memory Scale, Proverb and Similarity Tests, Psychoticism Questionnaire, and PGI MQN 2, for adults, in the age range of 16-50, are reported. The results showed marked difference in the mean scores of different educational categories and thus stressed the need for reporting norms separately for different educational levels. PMID:22064617

Spanish normative studies in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults project): norms for verbal fluency tests.

PubMed

Casals-Coll, M; Sánchez-Benavides, G; Quintana, M; Manero, R M; Rognoni, T; Calvo, L; Palomo, R; Aranciva, F; Tamayo, F; Peña-Casanova, J

2013-01-01

Lexical fluency tests are frequently used in clinical practice to assess language and executive function. As part of the Spanish normative studies project in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults project), we provide age- and education-adjusted normative data for 3 semantic fluency tasks (animals, fruits and vegetables, and kitchen tools), three formal lexical fluency tasks (words beginning with P, M and R), three excluded-letter fluency tasks (words excluding A, E and S) and a verb fluency task. The sample consisted of 179 participants who are cognitively normal and range in age from 18 to 49 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to scaled scores. Age- and education-adjusted scores are provided by applying linear regression techniques. The results show that education impacted most of the verbal fluency test scores, with no effects related to age and only minimal effects related to sex. The norms obtained will be extremely useful in the clinical evaluation of young Spanish adults. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Are APOE ɛ genotype and TOMM40 poly-T repeat length associations with cognitive ageing mediated by brain white matter tract integrity?

PubMed

Lyall, D M; Harris, S E; Bastin, M E; Muñoz Maniega, S; Murray, C; Lutz, M W; Saunders, A M; Roses, A D; Valdés Hernández, M del C; Royle, N A; Starr, J M; Porteous, D J; Wardlaw, J M; Deary, I J

2014-09-23

Genetic polymorphisms in the APOE ɛ and TOMM40 '523' poly-T repeat gene loci have been associated with significantly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study investigated the independent effects of these polymorphisms on human cognitive ageing, and the extent to which nominally significant associations with cognitive ageing were mediated by previously reported genetic associations with brain white matter tract integrity in this sample. Most participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 completed a reasoning-type intelligence test at age 11 years, and detailed cognitive/physical assessments and structural diffusion tensor brain magnetic resonance imaging at a mean age of 72.70 years (s.d.=0.74). Participants were genotyped for APOE ɛ2/ɛ3/ɛ4 status and TOMM40 523 poly-T repeat length. Data were available from 758-814 subjects for cognitive analysis, and 522-543 for mediation analysis with brain imaging data. APOE genotype was significantly associated with performance on several different tests of cognitive ability, including general factors of intelligence, information processing speed and memory (raw P-values all<0.05), independently of childhood IQ and vascular disease history. Formal tests of mediation showed that several significant APOE-cognitive ageing associations--particularly those related to tests of information processing speed--were partially mediated by white matter tract integrity. TOMM40 523 genotype was not associated with cognitive ageing. A range of brain phenotypes are likely to form the anatomical basis for significant associations between APOE genotype and cognitive ageing, including white matter tract microstructural integrity.

Are APOE ɛ genotype and TOMM40 poly-T repeat length associations with cognitive ageing mediated by brain white matter tract integrity?

PubMed Central

Lyall, D M; Harris, S E; Bastin, M E; Muñoz Maniega, S; Murray, C; Lutz, M W; Saunders, A M; Roses, A D; Valdés Hernández, M del C; Royle, N A; Starr, J M; Porteous, D J; Wardlaw, J M; Deary, I J

2014-01-01

Genetic polymorphisms in the APOE ɛ and TOMM40 ‘523' poly-T repeat gene loci have been associated with significantly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study investigated the independent effects of these polymorphisms on human cognitive ageing, and the extent to which nominally significant associations with cognitive ageing were mediated by previously reported genetic associations with brain white matter tract integrity in this sample. Most participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 completed a reasoning-type intelligence test at age 11 years, and detailed cognitive/physical assessments and structural diffusion tensor brain magnetic resonance imaging at a mean age of 72.70 years (s.d.=0.74). Participants were genotyped for APOE ɛ2/ɛ3/ɛ4 status and TOMM40 523 poly-T repeat length. Data were available from 758–814 subjects for cognitive analysis, and 522–543 for mediation analysis with brain imaging data. APOE genotype was significantly associated with performance on several different tests of cognitive ability, including general factors of intelligence, information processing speed and memory (raw P-values all<0.05), independently of childhood IQ and vascular disease history. Formal tests of mediation showed that several significant APOE-cognitive ageing associations—particularly those related to tests of information processing speed—were partially mediated by white matter tract integrity. TOMM40 523 genotype was not associated with cognitive ageing. A range of brain phenotypes are likely to form the anatomical basis for significant associations between APOE genotype and cognitive ageing, including white matter tract microstructural integrity. PMID:25247594

Near-maximal ECG stress testing and coronary artery disease risk factor analysis in Los Angeles City fire fighters.

PubMed

Barnard, R J; Gardner, G W; Diaco, N V; Kattus, A A

1975-11-01

Near-maximal ECG stress testing and coronary artery disease risk factor analysis including blood pressure, serum cholesterol and smoking habits were conducted on a randomly selected group (N=90) of Los Angeles City Fire Fighters ranging in age from 40 to 59 yrs. The data obtained from the fire fighters were compared to data previously reported for a group of Los Angeles insurance underwriters of the same age range. Only 12% of the fire fighters had cholesterol values greater than 260 mg% while 18% of the insurance executives fell into this category. Only 2% of the fire fighters had blood pressure values greater than 160/90 mm Hg while 25% of the insurance executives were hypertensive. Thirty-two percent of the fire fighters were smokers at the time of testing as compared to 26% for the insurance executives. Only one fire fighter had all three risk factors elevated and only five had two risk factors elevated. Forty-seven of the fire fighters had no risk factors elevated. Ten percent of the fire fighters had ischemic stress tests as compared to 8% for the insurance executives. Of the nine fire fighters with ischemic stress tests one was hypertensive, one had elevated serum triglycerides, and three were smokers at the time of testing. Since the fire fighters are a medically-selected population with low risk factors for CHD, the observed incidence of ischemic stress tests is surprising and suggests that ischemic heart disease may be job associated.

Do retractile testes have anatomical anomalies?

PubMed Central

Anderson, Kleber M.; Costa, Suelen F.; Sampaio, Francisco J.B.; Favorito, Luciano A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the incidence of anatomical anomalies in patients with retractile testis. Materials and Methods: We studied prospectively 20 patients (28 testes) with truly retractile testis and compared them with 25 human fetuses (50 testes) with testis in scrotal position. We analyzed the relations among the testis, epididymis and patency of the processus vaginalis (PV). To analyze the relations between the testis and epididymis, we used a previous classification according to epididymis attachment to the testis and the presence of epididymis atresia. To analyze the structure of the PV, we considered two situations: obliteration of the PV and patency of the PV. We used the Chi-square test for contingency analysis of the populations under study (p <0.05). Results: The fetuses ranged in age from 26 to 35 weeks post-conception (WPC) and the 20 patients with retractile testis ranged in ages from 1 to 12 years (average of 5.8). Of the 50 fetal testes, we observed complete patency of the PV in 2 cases (4%) and epididymal anomalies (EAs) in 1 testis (2%). Of the 28 retractile testes, we observed patency of the PV in 6 cases (21.4%) and EA in 4 (14.28%). When we compared the incidence of EAs and PV patency we observed a significantly higher prevalence of these anomalies in retractile testes (p=0.0116). Conclusions: Retractile testis is not a normal variant with a significant risk of patent processus vaginalis and epididymal anomalies. PMID:27564294

Screening of the spine in adolescents: inter- and intra-rater reliability and measurement error of commonly used clinical tests.

PubMed

Aartun, Ellen; Degerfalk, Anna; Kentsdotter, Linn; Hestbaek, Lise

2014-02-10

Evidence on the reliability of clinical tests used for the spinal screening of children and adolescents is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-rater reliability and measurement error of clinical tests commonly used when screening young spines. Two experienced chiropractors independently assessed 111 adolescents aged 12-14 years who were recruited from a primary school in Denmark. A standardised examination protocol was used to test inter-rater reliability including tests for scoliosis, hypermobility, general mobility, inter-segmental mobility and end range pain in the spine. Seventy-five of the 111 subjects were re-examined after one to four hours to test intra-rater reliability. Percentage agreement and Cohen's Kappa were calculated for binary variables, and interclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots with Limits of Agreement (LoA) were calculated for continuous measures. Inter-rater percentage agreement for binary data ranged from 59.5% to 100%. Kappa ranged from 0.06-1.00. Kappa ≥ 0.40 was seen for elbow, thumb, fifth finger and trunk/hip flexion hypermobility, pain response in inter-segmental mobility and end range pain in lumbar flexion and extension. For continuous data, ICCs ranged from 0.40-0.95. Only forward flexion as measured by finger-to-floor distance reached an acceptable ICC(≥ 0.75). Overall, results for intra-rater reliability were better than for inter-rater reliability but for both components, the LoA were quite wide compared with the range of assessments. Some clinical tests showed good, and some tests poor, reliability when applied in a spinal screening of adolescents. The results could probably be improved by additional training and further test standardization. This is the first step in evaluating the value of these tests for the spinal screening of adolescents. Future research should determine the association between these tests and current and/or future neck and back pain.

Normative Reference of Standing Long Jump for Colombian Schoolchildren Aged 9-17.9 Years: The FUPRECOL Study.

PubMed

Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Martínez, Martin; Correa-Bautista, Jorge E; Lobelo, Felipe; Izquierdo, Mikel; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Fernando; Cristi-Montero, Carlos

2017-08-01

Ramírez-Vélez, R, Martínez, M, Correa-Bautista, JE, Lobelo, F, Izquierdo, M, Rodríguez-Rodríguez, F, and Cristi-Montero, C. Normative reference of standing long jump for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years: The FUPRECOL study. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2083-2090, 2017-The purpose of this study was to generate normative values for the standing long jump (SLJ) test in 9- to 17.9-year olds and to investigate sex and age-group differences. The sample comprised 8,034 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [boys n = 3,488 and girls n = 4,546; mean (SD) age 12.8 (±2.3) years old]. Each participant performed two SLJ. Centile smoothed curves, percentile, and tables for the third, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles were calculated using Cole's Lambda-Mu-Sigma method. The 2-way analysis of variance tests and Cohen's d showed that the maximum SLJ (centimeter) was higher in boys than in girls across age groups (p < 0.01), reaching the peak at 13 years. Posthoc analyses within the sexes showed yearly increases in SLJ in all ages. In boys, the 50th percentile SLJ score ranged from 109 to 165 cm. In girls, the 50th percentile jump ranged from 96 to 120 cm. For girls, jump scores increased yearly from age 9 to 12.9 years before reaching a plateau at an age between 13 and 15.9. Our results provide, for the first time, sex- and age-specific SLJ reference values for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years. The normative values presented in this study provide the basis for the determination of the proposed age- and sex-specific standards for the FUPRECOL (Association for Muscular Strength with Early Manifestation of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Colombian Children and Adolescents) Study-Physical fitness battery for children and adolescents.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing of men in UK general practice: a 10-year longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Young, Grace J; Harrison, Sean; Turner, Emma L; Walsh, Eleanor I; Oliver, Steven E; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Evans, Simon; Lane, J Athene; Neal, David E; Hamdy, Freddie C; Donovan, Jenny L; Martin, Richard M; Metcalfe, Chris

2017-10-30

Cross-sectional studies suggest that around 6% of men undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing each year in UK general practice (GP). This longitudinal study aims to determine the cumulative testing pattern of men over a 10-year period and whether this testing can be considered equivalent to screening for prostate cancer (PCa). Patient-level data on PSA tests, biopsies and PCa diagnoses were obtained from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) for the years 2002 to 2011. The cumulative risks of PSA testing and of being diagnosed with PCa were estimated for the 10-year study period. Associations of a man's age, region and index of multiple deprivation with the cumulative risk of PSA testing and PCa diagnosis were investigated. Rates of biopsy and diagnosis, following a high test result, were compared with those from the programme of PSA testing in the Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) study. The 10-year risk of exposure to at least one PSA test in men aged 45 to 69 years in UK GP was 39.2% (95% CI 39.0 to 39.4%). The age-specific risks ranged from 25.2% for men aged 45-49 years to 53.0% for men aged 65-69 years (p for trend <0.001). For those with a PSA level ≥3, a test in UK GP was less likely to result in a biopsy (6%) and/or diagnosis of PCa (15%) compared with ProtecT study participants (85% and 34%, respectively). A high proportion of men aged 45-69 years undergo PSA tests in UK GP: 39% over a 10-year period. A high proportion of these tests appear to be for the investigation of lower urinary tract symptoms and not screening for PCa. ISRCTN20141297,NCT02044172. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Cervical range of motion, cervical and shoulder strength in senior versus age-grade Rugby Union International front-row forwards.

PubMed

Davies, Mark; Moore, Isabel S; Moran, Patrick; Mathema, Prabhat; Ranson, Craig A

2016-05-01

To provide normative values for cervical range of motion (CROM), isometric cervical and shoulder strength for; International Senior professional, and International Age-grade Rugby Union front-row forwards. Cross-sectional population study. All international level front-row players within a Rugby Union Tier 1 Nation. Nineteen Senior and 21 Age-grade front-row forwards underwent CROM, cervical and shoulder strength testing. CROM was measured using the CROM device and the Gatherer System was used to measure multi-directional isometric cervical and shoulder strength. The Age-grade players had significantly lower; cervical strength (26-57% deficits), cervical flexion to extension strength ratios (0.5 vs. 0.6), and shoulder strength (2-36% deficits) than the Senior players. However, there were no differences between front-row positions within each age group. Additionally, there were no differences between age groups or front-row positions in the CROM measurements. Senior Rugby Union front-row forwards have greater cervical and shoulder strength than Age-grade players, with the biggest differences being in cervical strength, highlighting the need for age specific normative values. Importantly, Age-grade players should be evaluated to ensure they have developed sufficient cervical strength prior to entering professional level Rugby Union. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Age, Task Performance, and Structural Brain Development on Face Processing

PubMed Central

Cohen Kadosh, Kathrin; Johnson, Mark H; Dick, Frederic; Cohen Kadosh, Roi; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne

2013-01-01

In this combined structural and functional MRI developmental study, we tested 48 participants aged 7–37 years on 3 simple face-processing tasks (identity, expression, and gaze task), which were designed to yield very similar performance levels across the entire age range. The same participants then carried out 3 more difficult out-of-scanner tasks, which provided in-depth measures of changes in performance. For our analysis we adopted a novel, systematic approach that allowed us to differentiate age- from performance-related changes in the BOLD response in the 3 tasks, and compared these effects to concomitant changes in brain structure. The processing of all face aspects activated the core face-network across the age range, as well as additional and partially separable regions. Small task-specific activations in posterior regions were found to increase with age and were distinct from more widespread activations that varied as a function of individual task performance (but not of age). Our results demonstrate that activity during face-processing changes with age, and these effects are still observed when controlling for changes associated with differences in task performance. Moreover, we found that changes in white and gray matter volume were associated with changes in activation with age and performance in the out-of-scanner tasks. PMID:22661406

Effect of unilateral congenital cataract surgery on ocular axial length growth and corneal flattening.

PubMed

Borghol-Kassar, R; Menezo-Rozalén, J L; Harto-Castaño, M A; Desco-Esteban, M C

2015-03-01

The aim of this article is to study the effect of unilateral congenital cataract surgery on ocular growth and corneal flattening. This is a cross-sectional study of 59 patients operated on due to a unilateral congenital cataract. The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 17 months (interquartile range, 5-39 months). The median age at cataract the time of surgery was 28 months (interquartile range, 8-52 months), and the mean follow-up between cataract surgery and assessments was 149.7±69.9 months (range, 30-319 months). Axial length and corneal curvature were measured in both operated and non-operated eyes, comparing the results between them. There were no statistically significant differences for axial length growth or corneal flattening between operated and non-operated eyes: axial length (P=.327, Student t test) and corneal curvature (P=.078, Student t test). A sub-analysis was performed using the visual acuity and the age of the patient at the time of surgery. The only statistically significant data (P=.007, Student t test) was a lower axial length in operated eyes compared to non-operated eyes, in the non-deep-amblyopia group. No significant axial length growth modifications were observed between operated and non-operated eyes. Only the non-deep-amblyopia group presented with a lower axial length in the operated eyes compared to non-operated eyes. No significant differences in corneal flattening were found between groups after unilateral congenital cataract surgery. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Cognitive capacity in advanced age: initial results of the Berlin Aging Study].

PubMed

Lindenberger, U; Baltes, P B

1995-01-01

This study reports data on intellectual functioning in old and very old age from the Berlin Aging Study (N = 516; age range = 70-103 years; mean age = 85 years). A psychometric battery of 14 tests was used to assess five cognitive abilities: reasoning, memory, and perceptual speed from the broad fluid-mechanical as well as knowledge and fluency from the broad crystallized-pragmatic domains. Cognitive abilities had a negative linear relationship with age, with more pronounced age-based reductions in fluid-mechanical than crystallized-pragmatic abilities. At the same time, ability intercorrelations formed a highly positive manifold, and did not follow the fluid-crystallized distinction. Interindividual variability was of about equal magnitude across the entire age range studied. There was, however, no evidence for substantial sex differences. As to origins of individual differences, indicators of sensory and sensorimotor functioning were more powerful predictors of intellectual functioning than cultural-biographical variables, and the two sets of predictors were, consistent with theoretical expectations, differentially related to measures of fluid-mechanical (perceptual speed) and crystallized pragmatic (knowledge) functioning. Results, in general indicative of sizeable and general losses with age, are consistent with the view that aging-induced biological influences are a prominent source of individual differences in intellectual functioning in old and very old age. Longitudinal follow-ups are underway to examine the role of cohort effects, selective mortality, and interindividual differences in change trajectories.

Metabolic differences between short children with GH peak levels in the lower normal range and healthy children of normal height.

PubMed

Tidblad, Anders; Gustafsson, Jan; Marcus, Claude; Ritzén, Martin; Ekström, Klas

2017-06-01

Severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD) leads to several metabolic effects in the body ranging from abnormal body composition to biochemical disturbances. However, less is known regarding these parameters in short children with GH peak levels in the lower normal range during provocation tests. Our aim was to study the metabolic profile of this group and compare it with that of healthy children of normal height. Thirty-five pre-pubertal short children (<-2.5 SDS) aged between 7 and 10years, with peak levels of GH between 7 and 14μg/L in an arginine insulin tolerance test (AITT), were compared with twelve age- and sex-matched children of normal height. The metabolic profile of the subjects was analysed by blood samples, DEXA, frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test, microdialysis and stable isotope examinations of rates of glucose production and lipolysis. There were no overall significant metabolic differences between the groups. However, in the subgroup analysis, the short children with GH peaks <10μg/L had significantly lower fasting insulin levels which also correlated to other metabolic parameters. The short pre-pubertal children with GH peak levels between 7 and 14μg/L did not differ significantly from healthy children of normal height but subpopulations within this group show significant metabolic differences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Hygrothermal Aging on the Impact Penetration Resistance of Triaxially Braided Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pereira, J. Michael; Revilock, Duane M.; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Roberts, Gary D.; Kohlman, Lee W.; Miller, Sandi G.

2016-01-01

An experimental study was conducted to measure the effects of long term hygrothermal aging on the impact penetration resistance of triaxially braided polymer composites. Flat panels of three different materials were subjected to repeated cycles of high and low temperature and high and low humidity for two years. Samples of the panels were periodically tested under impact loading during the two year time period. The purpose of the study was to identify and quantify any degradation in impact penetration resistance of these composites under cyclic temperature and humidity conditions experienced by materials in the fan section of commercial gas turbine engines for a representative aircraft flight cycle. The materials tested consisted of Toray ® T700S carbon fibers in a 2D triaxial braid with three different resins, Cycom® PR520, a toughened resin, Hercules® 3502, an untoughened resin and EPON 862, intermediate between the two. The fiber preforms consisted of a quasi-isotropic 0/+60/-60 braid with 24K tows in the axial direction and 12K tows in the bias directions. The composite panels were manufactured using a resin transfer molding process producing panels with a thickness of 0.125 inches. The materials were tested in their as-processed condition and again after one year and two years of aging (1.6 years in the case of E862). The aging process involved subjecting the test panels to two cycles per day of high and low temperature and high and low humidity. A temperature range of -60degF to 250degF and a humidity range of 0 to 85% rh was used to simulate extreme conditions for composite components in the fan section of a commercial gas turbine engine. Additional testing was conducted on the as-processed PR520 composite under cryogenic conditions. After aging there was some change in the failure pattern, but there was no reduction in impact penetration threshold for any of the three systems, and in the case of the 3502 system, a significant increase in penetration threshold. There was also an increase in the penetration resistance of the PR520 system impacted under cryogenic conditions.

Determination of thickness of palatal mucosa

PubMed Central

Kolliyavar, Bharati; Setty, Swati; Thakur, Srinath L.

2012-01-01

Background: The palatal masticatory mucosa is widely used as a donor material in periodontal plastic surgery. The thickness of graft tissue is an important factor for the graft survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the thickness of palatal mucosa by a bone sounding technique. The association of age and gender with the thickness of palatal mucosa was also examined. Materials and Methods: Twenty four healthy subjects had participated in the study. The younger age group of 16-30 years consisted of 12 subjects of 7 females and 5 males, and the older age group of 31-54 years consisted of 12 subjects, of 5 females and 7 males. A bone sounding method using a periodontal probe was done to assess the thickness of palatal mucosa at 15 measurement sites defined according to the gingival margin and palatal line. Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the difference in mucosal thickness between both the groups. Results: The younger age group had thinner mucosa ranged from 2 to 3.1 mm in thickness than the older age group which ranged from 3.2 to 3.7 mm. In the same age group, females had thinner mucosa than males in the same age group. The mean thickness of palatal masticatory mucosa ranged from 2.5 to 3.7 mm. Conclusion: The younger subjects had thinner mucosa than older subjects. The canine and premolar areas appeared to be the most appropriate donor site for grafting procedures. PMID:22628968

Population pharmacokinetics of paracetamol across the human age-range from (pre)term neonates, infants, children to adults.

PubMed

Wang, Chenguang; Allegaert, Karel; Tibboel, Dick; Danhof, Meindert; van der Marel, Caroline D; Mathot, Ron A A; Knibbe, Catherijne A J

2014-06-01

In order to characterize the variation in pharmacokinetics of paracetamol across the human age span, we performed a population pharmacokinetic analysis from preterm neonates to adults with specific focus on clearance. Concentration-time data obtained in 220 neonates (post-natal age 1-76 days, gestational age 27-42 weeks), infants (0.11-1.33 yrs), children (2-7 yrs) and adults (19-34 yrs) were analyzed using NONMEM 7.2. In the covariate analysis, linear functions, power functions, and a power function with a bodyweight-dependent exponent were tested. Between preterm neonates and adults, linear bodyweight functions were identified for Q2, Q3, V1, V2, and V3, while for CL a power function with a bodyweight-dependent exponent k was identified (CLi  = CLp  × (BW/70)(k) ). The exponent k was found to decrease in a sigmoidal manner with bodyweight from 1.2 to 0.75, with half the decrease in exponent reached at 12.2 kg. No other covariates such as age were identified. A pharmacokinetic model for paracetamol characterizing changes in pharmacokinetic parameters across the pediatric age-range was developed. Clearance was found to change in a nonlinear manner with bodyweight. Based on the final model, dosing guidelines are proposed from preterm neonates to adolescents resulting in similar exposure across all age ranges. © 2014, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

A Complex Story: Universal Preference vs. Individual Differences Shaping Aesthetic Response to Fractals Patterns

PubMed Central

Street, Nichola; Forsythe, Alexandra M.; Reilly, Ronan; Taylor, Richard; Helmy, Mai S.

2016-01-01

Fractal patterns offer one way to represent the rough complexity of the natural world. Whilst they dominate many of our visual experiences in nature, little large-scale perceptual research has been done to explore how we respond aesthetically to these patterns. Previous research (Taylor et al., 2011) suggests that the fractal patterns with mid-range fractal dimensions (FDs) have universal aesthetic appeal. Perceptual and aesthetic responses to visual complexity have been more varied with findings suggesting both linear (Forsythe et al., 2011) and curvilinear (Berlyne, 1970) relationships. Individual differences have been found to account for many of the differences we see in aesthetic responses but some, such as culture, have received little attention within the fractal and complexity research fields. This two-study article aims to test preference responses to FD and visual complexity, using a large cohort (N = 443) of participants from around the world to allow universality claims to be tested. It explores the extent to which age, culture and gender can predict our preferences for fractally complex patterns. Following exploratory analysis that found strong correlations between FD and visual complexity, a series of linear mixed-effect models were implemented to explore if each of the individual variables could predict preference. The first tested a linear complexity model (likelihood of selecting the more complex image from the pair of images) and the second a mid-range FD model (likelihood of selecting an image within mid-range). Results show that individual differences can reliably predict preferences for complexity across culture, gender and age. However, in fitting with current findings the mid-range models show greater consistency in preference not mediated by gender, age or culture. This article supports the established theory that the mid-range fractal patterns appear to be a universal construct underlying preference but also highlights the fragility of universal claims by demonstrating individual differences in preference for the interrelated concept of visual complexity. This highlights a current stalemate in the field of empirical aesthetics. PMID:27252634

Choice of Stimulus Range and Size Can Reduce Test-Retest Variability in Glaucomatous Visual Field Defects

PubMed Central

Swanson, William H.; Horner, Douglas G.; Dul, Mitchell W.; Malinovsky, Victor E.

2014-01-01

Purpose To develop guidelines for engineering perimetric stimuli to reduce test-retest variability in glaucomatous defects. Methods Perimetric testing was performed on one eye for 62 patients with glaucoma and 41 age-similar controls on size III and frequency-doubling perimetry and three custom tests with Gaussian blob and Gabor sinusoid stimuli. Stimulus range was controlled by values for ceiling (maximum sensitivity) and floor (minimum sensitivity). Bland-Altman analysis was used to derive 95% limits of agreement on test and retest, and bootstrap analysis was used to test the hypotheses about peak variability. Results Limits of agreement for the three custom stimuli were similar in width (0.72 to 0.79 log units) and peak variability (0.22 to 0.29 log units) for a stimulus range of 1.7 log units. The width of the limits of agreement for size III decreased from 1.78 to 1.37 to 0.99 log units for stimulus ranges of 3.9, 2.7, and 1.7 log units, respectively (F = 3.23, P < 0.001); peak variability was 0.99, 0.54, and 0.34 log units, respectively (P < 0.01). For a stimulus range of 1.3 log units, limits of agreement were narrowest with Gabor and widest with size III stimuli, and peak variability was lower (P < 0.01) with Gabor (0.18 log units) and frequency-doubling perimetry (0.24 log units) than with size III stimuli (0.38 log units). Conclusions Test-retest variability in glaucomatous visual field defects was substantially reduced by engineering the stimuli. Translational Relevance The guidelines should allow developers to choose from a wide range of stimuli. PMID:25371855

Choice of Stimulus Range and Size Can Reduce Test-Retest Variability in Glaucomatous Visual Field Defects.

PubMed

Swanson, William H; Horner, Douglas G; Dul, Mitchell W; Malinovsky, Victor E

2014-09-01

To develop guidelines for engineering perimetric stimuli to reduce test-retest variability in glaucomatous defects. Perimetric testing was performed on one eye for 62 patients with glaucoma and 41 age-similar controls on size III and frequency-doubling perimetry and three custom tests with Gaussian blob and Gabor sinusoid stimuli. Stimulus range was controlled by values for ceiling (maximum sensitivity) and floor (minimum sensitivity). Bland-Altman analysis was used to derive 95% limits of agreement on test and retest, and bootstrap analysis was used to test the hypotheses about peak variability. Limits of agreement for the three custom stimuli were similar in width (0.72 to 0.79 log units) and peak variability (0.22 to 0.29 log units) for a stimulus range of 1.7 log units. The width of the limits of agreement for size III decreased from 1.78 to 1.37 to 0.99 log units for stimulus ranges of 3.9, 2.7, and 1.7 log units, respectively ( F = 3.23, P < 0.001); peak variability was 0.99, 0.54, and 0.34 log units, respectively ( P < 0.01). For a stimulus range of 1.3 log units, limits of agreement were narrowest with Gabor and widest with size III stimuli, and peak variability was lower ( P < 0.01) with Gabor (0.18 log units) and frequency-doubling perimetry (0.24 log units) than with size III stimuli (0.38 log units). Test-retest variability in glaucomatous visual field defects was substantially reduced by engineering the stimuli. The guidelines should allow developers to choose from a wide range of stimuli.

Reliability of the sub-components of the instrumented timed up and go test in ambulatory children with traumatic brain injury and typically developed controls.

PubMed

Newman, Mark A; Hirsch, Mark A; Peindl, Richard D; Habet, Nahir A; Tsai, Tobias J; Runyon, Michael S; Huynh, Toan; Zheng, Nigel

2018-06-01

Studies have evaluated the test-re-test reliability of subcomponents of the timed up and-go test in adults by using body-worn inertial sensors. However, studies in children have not been reported in the literature. To evaluate the within-session reliability of subcomponents of a newly developed electronically augmented timed 'upand-go' test (EATUG) in ambulatory children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and children with typical development (TD). The timed up and go test was administered to twelve consecutive ambulatory children with moderate to severe TBI (6 males and 6 females, age 10.5 ± 1.5 years, range 8-13 years, during inpatient rehabilitation at 27.0 ± 11.8 days following injury) and 10 TD age and sex-matched children (5 males and 5 females, 10.4 ± 1.3 years, range 8-11 years). Participants wore a single chest-mounted inertial measurement sensor package with custom software that measured angular and acceleration velocity and torso flexion and extension angles, while they performed 6 trials of the EATUG test. Measures were derived from the overall time to complete the TUG test, angular velocity and angular displacement data for torso flexion and extension during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit segments and both mean and peak angular velocities for two turning segments (i.e. turning around a cone and turning-before-sitting). Within-session reliability of the subcomponents of the TUG test for children with TBI assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient was ICC (1,1) = 0.84, (range 0.82-0.96), and for TD children ICC (1,1) = 0.73, (range 0.53-0.89). Scores on Total Time, maximum torso flexion/extension angle and peak flexion angular velocity during sit-tostand, and peak turn angular velocity for both turns around the cone and turns before sitting were lower for children with TBI than for TD children (p ≤ 0.05). The EATUG test is a reliable measure of physical function in children with TBI who are being discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Testing spectral models for stellar populations with star clusters - II. Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González Delgado, Rosa M.; Cid Fernandes, Roberto

2010-04-01

High spectral resolution evolutionary synthesis models have become a routinely used ingredient in extragalactic work, and as such deserve thorough testing. Star clusters are ideal laboratories for such tests. This paper applies the spectral fitting methodology outlined in Paper I to a sample of clusters, mainly from the Magellanic Clouds and spanning a wide range in age and metallicity, fitting their integrated light spectra with a suite of modern evolutionary synthesis models for single stellar populations. The combinations of model plus spectral library employed in this investigation are Galaxev/STELIB, Vazdekis/MILES, SED@/GRANADA and Galaxev/MILES+GRANADA, which provide a representative sample of models currently available for spectral fitting work. A series of empirical tests are performed with these models, comparing the quality of the spectral fits and the values of age, metallicity and extinction obtained with each of them. A comparison is also made between the properties derived from these spectral fits and literature data on these nearby, well studied clusters. These comparisons are done with the general goal of providing useful feedback for model makers, as well as guidance to the users of such models. We find the following. (i) All models are able to derive ages that are in good agreement both with each other and with literature data, although ages derived from spectral fits are on average slightly older than those based on the S-colour-magnitude diagram (S-CMD) method as calibrated by Girardi et al. (ii) There is less agreement between the models for the metallicity and extinction. In particular, Galaxev/STELIB models underestimate the metallicity by ~0.6 dex, and the extinction is overestimated by 0.1 mag. (iii) New generations of models using the GRANADA and MILES libraries are superior to STELIB-based models both in terms of spectral fit quality and regarding the accuracy with which age and metallicity are retrieved. Accuracies of about 0.1 dex in age and 0.3 dex in metallicity can be achieved as long as the models are not extrapolated beyond their expected range of validity.

Childhood Otitis Media: A Cohort Study With 30-Year Follow-Up of Hearing (The HUNT Study).

PubMed

Aarhus, Lisa; Tambs, Kristian; Kvestad, Ellen; Engdahl, Bo

2015-01-01

To study the extent to which otitis media (OM) in childhood is associated with adult hearing thresholds. Furthermore, to study whether the effects of OM on adult hearing thresholds are moderated by age or noise exposure. Population-based cohort study of 32,786 participants who had their hearing tested by pure-tone audiometry in primary school and again at ages ranging from 20 to 56 years. Three thousand sixty-six children were diagnosed with hearing loss; the remaining sample had normal childhood hearing. Compared with participants with normal childhood hearing, those diagnosed with childhood hearing loss caused by otitis media with effusion (n = 1255), chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM; n = 108), or hearing loss after recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM; n = 613) had significantly increased adult hearing thresholds in the whole frequency range (2 dB/17-20 dB/7-10 dB, respectively). The effects were adjusted for age, sex, and noise exposure. Children diagnosed with hearing loss after rAOM had somewhat improved hearing thresholds as adults. The effects of CSOM and hearing loss after rAOM on adult hearing thresholds were larger in participants tested in middle adulthood (ages 40 to 56 years) than in those tested in young adulthood (ages 20 to 40 years). Eardrum pathology added a marginally increased risk of adult hearing loss (1-3 dB) in children with otitis media with effusion or hearing loss after rAOM. The study could not reveal significant differences in the effect of self-reported noise exposure on adult hearing thresholds between the groups with OM and the group with normal childhood hearing. This cohort study indicates that CSOM and rAOM in childhood are associated with adult hearing loss, underlining the importance of optimal treatment in these conditions. It appears that ears with a subsequent hearing loss after OM in childhood age at a faster rate than those without; however this should be confirmed by studies with several follow-up tests through adulthood.

Serum adipokines and HIV viral replication in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy

PubMed Central

Aramă, Victoria; Tilişcan, Cătălin; Ion, Daniela Adriana; Mihăilescu, Raluca; Munteanu, Daniela; Streinu-Cercel, Anca; Tudor, Ana Maria; Hristea, Adriana; Leoveanu, Viorica; Olaru, Ioana; Aramă, Ştefan Sorin

2012-01-01

Introduction Several studies have reported that cytokines secreted by adipose tissue (adipokines) may be linked to HIV replication. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between HIV replication and serum levels of adipokines, in a Caucasian HIV-infected population of men and women undergoing complex antiretroviral therapy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in an unselected sample of 77 HIV-1-positive patients. Serum adipokines levels were measured including circulating adiponectin, leptin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 - with undetectable viral load and Group 2 - with persistent HIV viral replication. Differences between groups ? were tested using independent-sample t-test for Gaussian variables and Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test for non-parametric variables. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for correlation analysis. Results A total of 77 patients (age range: 17-65, mean: 32.5 years) including 44 men (57.1% men, age range: 17–63 years, mean: 34.1 years) and 33 women (42.9% women age range: 19–65 years, mean: 30.3 years) were included in the study. TNF-alpha had significantly higher serum levels in patients with detectable viral load (16.89 vs. 9.35 pg/mL), (p=0.043), but correlation analysis lacked statistical significance. Adiponectin had median serum levels of 9.22 ìg/mL in Group 1 vs. 16.50 ìg/mL in Group 2 but the results lacked statistical significance (p=0.059). Higher leptin, IL-6 and resistin serum levels were noted in patients with undetectable HIV viral load, without statistical significance. Conclusions The present study reported higher TNF-alpha serum levels in patients with persistent HIV viral load. We found no statistically significant correlations between adiponectin, leptin, resistin and IL-6 and HIV viral load in our Caucasian HIV-positive study population, undergoing antiretroviral therapy. PMID:24432258

Long-term follow-up of acute isolated accommodation insufficiency.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Jin; Baek, Seung-Hee; Kim, Ungsoo Samuel

2013-04-01

To define the long-term results of accommodation insufficiency and to investigate the correlation between accommodation insufficiency and other factors including near point of convergence (NPC), age, and refractive errors. From January 2008 to December 2009, 11 patients with acute near vision disturbance and remote near point of accommodation (NPA) were evaluated. Full ophthalmologic examinations, including best corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction and prism cover tests were performed. Accommodation ability was measured by NPA using the push-up method. We compared accommodation insufficiency and factors including age, refractive errors and NPC. We also investigated the recovery from loss of accommodation in patients. Mean age of patients was 20 years (range, 9 to 34 years). Five of the 11 patients were female. Mean refractive error was -0.6 diopters (range, -3.5 to +0.25 diopters) and 8 of 11 patients (73%) had emmetropia (+0.50 to -0.50 diopters). No abnormalities were found in brain imaging tests. Refractive errors were not correlated with NPA or NPC (rho = 0.148, p = 0.511; rho = 0.319, p = 0.339; respectively). The correlation between age and NPA was not significant (rho = -395, p = 0.069). However, the correlation between age and NPC was negative (rho = -0.508, p = 0.016). Three of 11 patients were lost to follow-up, and 6 of 8 patients had permanent insufficiency of accommodation. Accommodation insufficiency is most common in emmetropia, however, refractive errors and age are not correlated with accommodation insufficiency. Dysfunction of accommodation can be permanent in the isolated accommodation insufficiency.

Long-term Follow-up of Acute Isolated Accommodation Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Lee, Jung Jin; Baek, Seung-Hee

2013-01-01

Purpose To define the long-term results of accommodation insufficiency and to investigate the correlation between accommodation insufficiency and other factors including near point of convergence (NPC), age, and refractive errors. Methods From January 2008 to December 2009, 11 patients with acute near vision disturbance and remote near point of accommodation (NPA) were evaluated. Full ophthalmologic examinations, including best corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction and prism cover tests were performed. Accommodation ability was measured by NPA using the push-up method. We compared accommodation insufficiency and factors including age, refractive errors and NPC. We also investigated the recovery from loss of accommodation in patients. Results Mean age of patients was 20 years (range, 9 to 34 years). Five of the 11 patients were female. Mean refractive error was -0.6 diopters (range, -3.5 to +0.25 diopters) and 8 of 11 patients (73%) had emmetropia (+0.50 to -0.50 diopters). No abnormalities were found in brain imaging tests. Refractive errors were not correlated with NPA or NPC (rho = 0.148, p = 0.511; rho = 0.319, p = 0.339; respectively). The correlation between age and NPA was not significant (rho = -395, p = 0.069). However, the correlation between age and NPC was negative (rho = -0.508, p = 0.016). Three of 11 patients were lost to follow-up, and 6 of 8 patients had permanent insufficiency of accommodation. Conclusions Accommodation insufficiency is most common in emmetropia, however, refractive errors and age are not correlated with accommodation insufficiency. Dysfunction of accommodation can be permanent in the isolated accommodation insufficiency. PMID:23543051

School-age children enjoyed good respiratory health and fewer allergies despite having lung disease after preterm birth.

PubMed

Ronkainen, Eveliina; Kaukola, Tuula; Marttila, Riitta; Hallman, Mikko; Dunder, Teija

2016-11-01

This study explored the under-researched area of whether preterm birth or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) affected hospitalisation rates, allergies or health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We studied 88 schoolchildren born preterm at a mean gestational age of 28.8 weeks (range 24.1-31.9) and matched term-born controls at the mean age of 11 years (range 8-14). Hospitalisations after the first discharge were recorded, skin prick allergy tests were performed and HRQoL was assessed with a parental questionnaire. Preterm children were hospitalised more than controls (64% versus 39%, p = 0.001), mostly before two years of age. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for two-year-old preterm-born children being hospitalised for wheezing was 8.2 (95% CI 2.0-34.1). BPD affected 56% of the preterm children, but did not influence hospitalisations, and the positive skin prick rate was similar between the preterm and term-born children (35% versus 48%, p = 0.126). Preterm BPD children had fewer positive skin prick tests than those without BPD. HRQoL was lower in preterm than term children (81.25 ± 10.84 versus 86.80 ± 9.60, p = 0.001). Most health problems experienced by preterm-born schoolchildren occurred before two years of age and were mainly wheezing disorders. BPD decreased atopy but had no influence on hospitalisation rates. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validating the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: testing factor structure and measurement invariance across child gender and age in a Dutch sample.

PubMed

Koomen, Helma M Y; Verschueren, Karine; van Schooten, Erik; Jak, Suzanne; Pianta, Robert C

2012-04-01

The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) is widely used to examine teachers' relationships with young students in terms of closeness, conflict, and dependency. This study aimed to verify the dimensional structure of the STRS with confirmatory factor analysis, test its measurement invariance across child gender and age, improve its measurement of the dependency construct, and extend its age range. Teachers completed a slightly adapted STRS for a Dutch sample of 2335 children aged 3 to 12. Overall, the 3-factor model showed an acceptable fit. Results indicated metric invariance across gender and age up to 8years. Scalar invariance generally did not hold. Lack of metric invariance at ages 8 to 12 primarily involved Conflict items, whereas scale differences across gender and age primarily involved Closeness items. The adapted Dependency scale showed strong invariance and higher internal consistencies than the original scale for this Dutch sample. Importantly, the revealed non-invariance for gender and age did not influence mean group comparisons. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speech and language development in six infants adopted from China

PubMed Central

PRICE, JOHANNA R.; POLLOCK, KAREN E.; OLLER, D. KIMBROUGH

2012-01-01

Children adopted from China currently represent the largest group of newly internationally adopted children in the US. An exploratory investigation of the communicative development of six young females adopted at ages 9 to 17 months from China by US families was conducted. Children were followed longitudinally from approximately three months post-adoption to age three years. English language skills were assessed at approximately three-month intervals, detailed communicative analyses were conducted at six months post-adoption, and outcomes were measured at three years of age. Results indicated wide variability in rates of English language development. Phonological, social-communicative, and lexical bases of communication were intact for each child at six months post-adoption. At age three years, four of the children demonstrated speech and language skills within one standard deviation of standardized test norms, one child demonstrated skills above the normal range, and one child’s skills were below the normal range. This study provides evidence of the resiliency of children’s language learning abilities. PMID:23204925

Speech and language development in six infants adopted from China.

PubMed

Price, Johanna R; Pollock, Karen E; Oller, D Kimbrough

2006-07-01

Children adopted from China currently represent the largest group of newly internationally adopted children in the US. An exploratory investigation of the communicative development of six young females adopted at ages 9 to 17 months from China by US families was conducted. Children were followed longitudinally from approximately three months post-adoption to age three years. English language skills were assessed at approximately three-month intervals, detailed communicative analyses were conducted at six months post-adoption, and outcomes were measured at three years of age. Results indicated wide variability in rates of English language development. Phonological, social-communicative, and lexical bases of communication were intact for each child at six months post-adoption. At age three years, four of the children demonstrated speech and language skills within one standard deviation of standardized test norms, one child demonstrated skills above the normal range, and one child's skills were below the normal range. This study provides evidence of the resiliency of children's language learning abilities.

Auto-Thermal Reforming of Jet-A Fuel over Commercial Monolith Catalysts: MicroReactor Evaluation and Screening Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, Judy C. H.; Tomsik, Thomas M.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the results of a series of catalyst screening tests conducted with Jet-A fuel under auto-thermal reforming (ATR) process conditions at the research laboratories of SOFCo-EFS Holdings LLC under Glenn Research Center Contract. The primary objective is to identify best available catalysts for future testing at the NASA GRC 10-kW(sub e) reformer test facility. The new GRC reformer-injector test rig construction is due to complete by March 2004. Six commercially available monolithic catalyst materials were initially selected by the NASA/SOFCo team for evaluation and bench scale screening in an existing 0.05 kW(sub e) microreactor test apparatus. The catalyst screening tests performed lasted 70 to 100 hours in duration in order to allow comparison between the different samples over a defined range of ATR process conditions. Aging tests were subsequently performed with the top two ranked catalysts as a more representative evaluation of performance in a commercial aerospace application. The two catalyst aging tests conducted lasting for approximately 600 hours and 1000 hours, respectively.

Evaluation of a new methodology to simulate damage and wear of polyethylene hip replacements subjected to edge loading in hip simulator testing.

PubMed

Partridge, Susan; Tipper, Joanne L; Al-Hajjar, Mazen; Isaac, Graham H; Fisher, John; Williams, Sophie

2018-05-01

Wear and fatigue of polyethylene acetabular cups have been reported to play a role in the failure of total hip replacements. Hip simulator testing under a wide range of clinically relevant loading conditions is important. Edge loading of hip replacements can occur following impingement under extreme activities and can also occur during normal gait, where there is an offset deficiency and/or joint laxity. This study evaluated a hip simulator method that assessed wear and damage in polyethylene acetabular liners that were subjected to edge loading. The liners tested to evaluate the method were a currently manufactured crosslinked polyethylene acetabular liner and an aged conventional polyethylene acetabular liner. The acetabular liners were tested for 5 million standard walking cycles and following this 5 million walking cycles with edge loading. Edge loading conditions represented a separation of the centers of rotation of the femoral head and the acetabular liner during the swing phase, leading to loading of the liner rim on heel strike. Rim damage and cracking was observed in the aged conventional polyethylene liner. Steady-state wear rates assessed gravimetrically were lower under edge loading compared to standard loading. This study supports previous clinical findings that edge loading may cause rim cracking in liners, where component positioning is suboptimal or where material degradation is present. The simulation method developed has the potential to be used in the future to test the effect of aging and different levels of severity of edge loading on a range of cross-linked polyethylene materials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1456-1462, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Phallometric Test for Hebephilia.

PubMed

Cantor, James M; McPhail, Ian V

2015-09-01

The phallometric test has been examined most widely in the literature with regard to its ability to detect pedophilia; however, it has become of increasing interest to clinicians and researchers to ascertain to what extent the test accurately detects hebephilia: Whereas pedophilia refers to an adult's sexual interest in prepubescent children (age 10 or younger, on average), hebephilia refers to an adult's sexual interest in pubescent children (ages 11-14, on average). The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of volumetric phallometry in distinguishing pedophilic men and hebephilic men from men who are teleiophilic (primarily sexually interested in adults, age 17 or older). A retrospective chart review was conducted on the cumulate database of a large phallometric laboratory and clinic to identify a group of 239 men who committed sexual offenses against extrafamilial adults age 17 or older and a group of 996 men who committed sexual offenses against extrafamilial children age 14 or younger, all of whom professed a greater sexual interest in adults over children. The sensitivity and specificity of the phallometric test is calculated for its accuracy in distinguishing sexual preferences for children spanning various age ranges. Receiver operator characteristic curves were highly significant for each classification decision: Using its previously established cut-point of +0.25 standard deviation (SD) units, the phallometric test detected hebephilia with a sensitivity and specificity of 70.0% and 90.7%, detected pedophilia with 46.9% and 100%, and detected pedohebephilia with 75.3% and 90.7%. At a new cut-point of +0.0 SD units, the sensitivity and specificity of the test for pedophilia was 71.9% and 95.3%. Volumetric phallometry significantly distinguishes teleiophilic sex offenders from each of pedophilic, hebephilic, and pedohebephilic sex offenders and can serve as a reliable diagnostic test of sexual age preference among men who deny sexual interest in children. © 2015 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Influence of Examiner Differences on Rorschach Productivity in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuma, June M.; McCraw, Ronald K.

1975-01-01

Rorschach test protocols for a matched sample of male and female subjects, in the child and adolescent range, were scored for total responses. The data was analyzed for evidence of interactions between sex of experimenter and sex and age of subject. (Author/BJG)

Origins of Negative Strain Rate Dependence of Stress Corrosion Cracking Initiation in Alloy 690, and Intergranular Crack Formation in Thermally Treated Alloy 690

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young Suk; Kim, Sung Soo

2016-09-01

We show that enhanced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) initiation in cold-rolled Alloy 690 with decreasing strain rate is related to the rate of short-range ordering (SRO) but not to the time-dependent corrosion process. Evidence for SRO is provided by aging tests on cold-rolled Alloy 690 at 623 K and 693 K (350 °C and 420 °C), respectively, which demonstrate its enhanced lattice contraction and hardness increase with aging temperature and time, respectively. Secondary intergranular cracks formed only in thermally treated and cold-rolled Alloy 690 during SCC tests, which are not SCC cracks, are caused by its lattice contraction by SRO before SCC tests but not by the orientation effect.

Better Working Memory and Motor Inhibition in Children Who Delayed Gratification

PubMed Central

Yu, Junhong; Kam, Chi-Ming; Lee, Tatia M. C.

2016-01-01

Background: Despite the extensive research on delayed gratification over the past few decades, the neurocognitive processes that subserve delayed gratification remains unclear. As an exploratory step in studying these processes, the present study aims to describe the executive function profiles of children who were successful at delaying gratification and those who were not. Methods: A total of 138 kindergarten students (65 males, 73 females; Mage = 44 months, SD = 3.5; age range = 37–53 months) were administered a delayed gratification task, a 1-back test, a Day/night Stroop test and a Go/no-go test. The outcome measures of these tests were then analyzed between groups using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance, and subsequently a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance incorporating age as a covariate. Results: Children who were successful in delaying gratification were significantly older and had significantly better outcomes in the 1-back test and go/no-go test. With the exception of the number of hits in the go/no-go test, all other group differences remained significant after controlling for age. Conclusion: Children who were successful in delaying gratification showed better working memory and motor inhibition relative to those who failed the delayed gratification task. The implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:27493638

Aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity in Asian Indian babies: spectrum of disease and outcome after laser treatment.

PubMed

Sanghi, Gaurav; Dogra, Mangat R; Das, Pranab; Vinekar, Anand; Gupta, Amod; Dutta, Saurabh

2009-10-01

To analyze the spectrum of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity and outcome after laser treatment. This is a retrospective review of 81 eyes of 44 consecutive infants diagnosed to have aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity and treated between September 2005 and March 2007 from a large tertiary care center in North India. Qualitative variables were tested for statistical significance using the chi-square test and independent samples with the student's t-test. Mean birth weight and gestational age were 1,259.66 +/- 310.51 g (range, 660-2,000 g) and 29.75 +/- 2.35 weeks (range, 26-36 weeks), respectively. Twenty-one infants (47.72%) had a birth weight > 1,250 g. Thirty-three (40.74%) eyes had Zone 1, and 48 (59.26%) had posterior Zone 2 disease. All eyes underwent confluent laser photocoagulation at a mean postconceptional age of 34.58 +/- 2.19 weeks (range, 31-40.5 weeks). Mean follow-up was 12.8 months (range, 6-24 months). At the last follow-up visit, 55 (71.4%) of 77 eyes had a favorable outcome. Eighteen eyes (23.4%) had a localized (1-3 clock hours) partial peripheral tractional detachment (Stage 4a), which remained stable at last follow-up. Two eyes (2.6%) developed falciform fold involving the macular area, and 2 (2.6%) developed Stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity. Aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity is encountered not only in low birth weight infants, but also in heavier and more mature Asian Indian infants. Early, aggressive confluent laser photocoagulation is necessary to maximize outcomes in these eyes.

Inter-Tester Reliability and Precision of Manual Muscle Testing and Hand-Held Dynamometry in Lower Limb Muscles of Children with Spina Bifida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahony, Kate; Hunt, Adrienne; Daley, Deborah; Sims, Susan; Adams, Roger

2009-01-01

Reliability and measurement precision of manual muscle testing (MMT) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) were compared for children with spina bifida. Strength measures were obtained of the hip flexors, hip abductors, and knee extensors of 20 children (10 males, 10 females; mean age 9 years 10 months; range: 5 to 15 years) by two experienced physical…

Use of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency for Identifying Children with Motor Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venetsanou, Fotini; Kambas, Antonis; Aggeloussis, Nickos; Serbezis, Vasilios; Taxildaris, Kyriakos

2007-01-01

This study compared the consistency of the Short Form (SF) and the Long Form (LF) of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) in identifying preschool children with motor impairment (MI). One hundred and forty-four Greek preschool children participated (74 males, 70 females; mean age 5y 2mo [SD 5mo], range 4y 6mo-5y 6mo). Although…

Influence of thinning on acoustic velocity of Douglas-fir trees in western Washington and western Oregon

Treesearch

David G. Briggs; Gonzalo Thienel; Eric C. Turnblom; Eini Lowell; Dennis Dykstra; Robert J. Ross; Xiping Wang; Peter Carter

2008-01-01

Acoustic velocity was measured with a time-of-flight method on approximately 50 trees in each of five plots from four test sites of a Douglas-fir (Pseudostuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) thinning trial. The test sites reflect two age classes, 33 to 35 and 48 to 50 years, with 50-year site index ranging from 35 to 50 m. The acoustic velocity...

An Empirical Investigation of the Moral Judgment Development of a Sample of High School Kuwaiti Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Shurai, Saad

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the moral development of one hundred Kuwaiti high school teachers. They ranged in age from 23 to 48 years with a mean of 28.6 years and a standard deviation of 8.3 years. The teachers' individual moral judgment levels were assessed by the Defining Issues Test (DIT)--an objective test designed by James Rest…

Menopausal symptoms and the metabolic syndrome in Nigerian women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Ogbera, A; Fasanmade, O; Kalra, S

2011-02-01

To determine the frequency of occurrence of the metabolic syndrome and the age of onset and pattern of menopausal symptomatology in Nigerian women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This was a cross-sectional study in which 201 menopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged between 40 and 85 years were studied. Their anthropometric indices, fasting lipid values, glucose parameters, uric acid and HbA(1c) were documented. The presence of the metabolic syndrome and menopausal symptoms were determined using the National Cholesterol Panel-ATP definition and MENQOL questionnaire, respectively. The test statistics used included the t test, χ(2) and correlation coefficient. The mean age (standard deviation) of the onset, median age and age range of menopause were 50.3 (4.8) years, 50 years and 40-57 years, respectively. The frequency of occurrence of menopausal symptoms ranged from 14% to 76%. Hot flushes, night sweats and dry skin are some of the vasomotor symptoms which occurred in 38%, 31% and 30%, respectively, of the subjects. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 69%, with the pattern of occurrence of the menopausal symptoms being comparable in subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome. The frequency of occurrence of hyperuricemia in the study population was 42%. In the partial correlation analysis, serum uric acid concentration was significantly positively correlated with body mass index (r = 0.15, p = 0.02) and significantly negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.1, p = 0.03). The age of onset of menopause in Nigerian women with type 2 diabetes mellitus is comparable to the age that is commonly reported and the metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in this group of women.

Sex differences in facial emotion perception ability across the lifespan.

PubMed

Olderbak, Sally; Wilhelm, Oliver; Hildebrandt, Andrea; Quoidbach, Jordi

2018-03-22

Perception of emotion in the face is a key component of human social cognition and is considered vital for many domains of life; however, little is known about how this ability differs across the lifespan for men and women. We addressed this question with a large community sample (N = 100,257) of persons ranging from younger than 15 to older than 60 years of age. Participants were viewers of the television show "Tout le Monde Joue", and the task was presented on television, with participants responding via their mobile devices. Applying latent variable modeling, and establishing measurement invariance between males and females and across age, we found that, for both males and females, emotion perception abilities peak between the ages of 15 and 30, with poorer performance by younger adults and declining performance after the age of 30. In addition, we show a consistent advantage by females across the lifespan, which decreases in magnitude with increasing age. This large scale study with a wide range of people and testing environments suggests these effects are largely robust. Implications are discussed.

Perceived social support in a large community sample--age and sex differences.

PubMed

Coventry, W L; Gillespie, N A; Heath, A C; Martin, N G

2004-08-01

The positive health and wellbeing effects of social support have been consistently demonstrated in the literature since the late 1970s. However, a better understanding of the effects of age and sex is required. We examined the factor structure and reliability of Kessler's Perceived Social Support (KPSS) measure in a community-based sample that comprised younger and older adult cohorts from the Australian Twin Registry (ATR), totalling 11,389 males and females aged 18-95, of whom 887 were retested 25 months later. Factor analysis consistently identified seven factors: support from spouse, twin, children, parents, relatives, friends and helping support. Internal reliability for the seven dimensions ranged from 0.87 to 0.71 and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.75 to 0.48. Perceived support was only marginally higher in females. Age dependencies were explored. Across the age range, there was a slight decline (more marked in females) in the perceived support from spouse, parent and friend, a slight increase in perceived relative and helping support for males but none for females, a substantial increase in the perceived support from children for males and females and a negligible decline in total KPSS for females against a negligible increase for males. The perceived support from twin remained constant. Females were more likely to have a confidant, although this declined with age whilst increasing with age for males. Total scores for perceived social support conflate heterogeneous patterns on sub-scales that differ markedly by age and sex. Our paper describes these relationships in detail in a very large Australian sample.

Effect of light aging on silicone-resin bond strength in maxillofacial prostheses.

PubMed

Polyzois, Gregory; Pantopoulos, Antonis; Papadopoulos, Triantafillos; Hatamleh, Muhanad

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of accelerated light aging on bond strength of a silicone elastomer to three types of denture resin. A total of 60 single lap joint specimens were fabricated with auto-, heat-, and photopolymerized (n = 20) resins. An addition-type silicone elastomer (Episil-E) was bonded to resins treated with the same primer (A330-G). Thirty specimens served as controls and were tested after 24 hours, and the remaining were aged under accelerated exposure to daylight for 546 hours (irradiance 765 W/m(2) ). Lap shear joint tests were performed to evaluate bond strength at 50 mm/min crosshead speed. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were carried out to detect statistical significance (p < 0.05). ANOVA showed that the main effect of light aging was the most important factor determining the shear bond strength. The mean bond strength values ranged from 0.096 to 0.136 MPa. The highest values were recorded for auto- (0.131 MPa) and photopolymerized (0.136 MPa) resins after aging. Accelerated light aging for 546 hours affects the bond strength of an addition-type silicone elastomer to three different denture resins. The bond strength significantly increased after aging for photo- and autopolymerized resins. All the bonds failed adhesively. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Life cycle cost analysis of aging aircraft airframe maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sperry, Kenneth Robert

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between an aircraft's age and its annual airframe maintenance costs. Common life cycle costing methodology has previously not recognized the existence of this cost growth potential, and has therefor not determined the magnitude nor significance of this cost element. This study analyzed twenty-five years of DOT Form 41-airframe maintenance cost data for the Boeing 727, 737, 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC9 and DC-10 aircraft. Statistical analysis included regression analysis, Pearson's r, and t-tests to test the null hypothesis. Findings and conclusion. Airframe maintenance cost growth was confirmed to be increasing after an aircraft's age exceeded its designed service objective of approximately twenty-years. Annual airframe maintenance cost growth increases were measured ranging from 3.5% annually for a DC-9, to approximately 9% annually for a DC-10 aircraft. Average measured coefficient of determination between age and airframe maintenance, exceeded .80, confirming a strong relationship between cost: and age. The statistical significance of the difference between airframe costs sampled in 1985, compared to airframe costs sampled in 1998 was confirmed by t-tests performed on each subject aircraft group. Future cost forecasts involving aging aircraft subjects must address cost growth due to aging when attempting to model an aircraft's economic service life.

Communication outcomes for groups of children using cochlear implants enrolled in auditory-verbal, aural-oral, and bilingual-bicultural early intervention programs.

PubMed

Dettman, Shani; Wall, Elizabeth; Constantinescu, Gabriella; Dowell, Richard

2013-04-01

The relative impact of early intervention approach on speech perception and language skills was examined in these 3 well-matched groups of children using cochlear implants. Eight children from an auditory verbal intervention program were identified. From a pediatric database, researchers blind to the outcome data, identified 23 children from auditory oral programs and 8 children from bilingual-bicultural programs with the same inclusion criteria and equivalent demographic factors. All child participants were male, had congenital profound hearing loss (pure tone average >80 dBHL), no additional disabilities, were within the normal IQ range, were monolingual English speakers, had no unusual findings on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, and received hearing aids and cochlear implants at a similar age and before 4 years of age. Open-set speech perception (consonant-nucleus-consonant [CNC] words and Bamford-Kowal-Bench [BKB] sentences) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) were administered. The mean age at cochlear implant was 1.7 years (range, 0.8-3.9; SD, 0.7), mean test age was 5.4 years (range, 2.5-10.1; SD, 1.7), and mean device experience was 3.7 years (range, 0.7-7.9; SD, 1.8). Results indicate mean CNC scores of 60%, 43%, and 24% and BKB scores of 77%, 77%, and 56% for the auditory-verbal (AV), aural-oral (AO), and bilingual-bicultural (BB) groups, respectively. The mean PPVT delay was 13, 19, and 26 months for AV, AO, and BB groups, respectively. Despite equivalent child demographic characteristics at the outset of this study, by 3 years postimplant, there were significant differences in AV, AO, and BB groups. Results support consistent emphasis on oral/aural input to achieve optimum spoken communication outcomes for children using cochlear implants.

Glucose hypermetabolism in the thalamus of patients with drug-induced blepharospasm.

PubMed

Suzuki, Y; Kiyosawa, M; Wakakura, M; Mochizuki, M; Ishiwata, K; Oda, K; Ishii, K

2014-03-28

We examined the difference in cerebral function alterations between drug-induced blepharospasm patients and essential blepharospasm (EB) patients by using positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Cerebral glucose metabolism was examined in 21 patients with drug-induced blepharospasm (5 men and 16 women; mean age, 53.1 [range, 29-78] years), 21 essential EB patients (5 men and 16 women; mean age, 53.0 [range, 33-72] years) and 24 healthy subjects (6 men and 18 women; mean age, 57.9 [range, 22-78] years) with long-term history of benzodiazepines use (drug healthy subjects). Drug-induced blepharospasm patients developed symptoms while taking benzodiazepines or thienodiazepines. Sixty-three normal volunteers (15 men and 48 women; mean age, 53.6 [range, 20-70] years) were examined as controls. Differences between the patient groups and control group were examined by statistical parametric mapping. Additionally, we defined regions of interests on both sides of the thalamus, caudate nucleus, anterior putamen, posterior putamen and primary somatosensory area. The differences between groups were tested using two-sample t-tests with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Cerebral glucose hypermetabolism on both side of the thalamus was detected in drug-induced blepharospasm, EB patients and drug healthy subjects by statistical parametric mapping. In the analysis of regions of interest, glucose metabolism in both sides of the thalamus in the drug-induced blepharospasm group was significantly lower than that in the EB group. Moreover, we observed glucose hypermetabolism in the anterior and posterior putamen bilaterally in EB group but not in drug-induced blepharospasm group and drug healthy subjects. Long-term regimens of benzodiazepines or thienodiazepines may cause down-regulation of benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. We suggest that the functional brain alteration in drug-induced blepharospasm patients is similar to that in EB patients, and that alteration of the GABAergic system might be related to the pathology of both blepharospasm types. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of specific IgE and skin-prick testing in predicting food challenge results to baked egg

PubMed Central

Cortot, Catherine F.; Sheehan, William J.; Permaul, Perdita; Friedlander, James L.; Baxi, Sachin N.; Gaffin, Jonathan M.; Dioun, Anahita F.; Hoffman, Elaine B.; Schneider, Lynda C.

2012-01-01

Previous studies suggest that children with egg allergy may be able to tolerate baked egg. Reliable predictors of a successful baked egg challenge are not well established. We examined egg white–specific IgE levels, skin-prick test (SPT) results, and age as predictors of baked egg oral food challenge (OFC) outcomes. We conducted a retrospective chart review of children, aged 2–18 years, receiving an egg white–specific IgE level, SPT, and OFC to baked egg from 2008 to 2010. Fifty-two oral baked egg challenges were conducted. Of the 52 challenges, 83% (n = 43) passed and 17% (n = 9) failed, including 2 having anaphylaxis. Median SPT wheal size was 12 mm (range, 0–35 mm) for passed challenges and 17 mm (range, 10–30 mm) for failed challenges (p = 0.091). The negative predictive value for passing the OFC was 100% (9 of 9) if SPT wheal size was <10 mm. Median egg white–specific IgE was 2.02 kU/L (range, <0.35–13.00 kU/L) for passed challenges and 1.52 kU/L (range, 0.51–6.10 kU/L) for failed challenges (p = 0.660). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for SPT revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.64. ROC curve analysis for egg white–specific IgE revealed an AUC of 0.63. There was no significant difference in age between patients who failed and those who passed (median = 8.8 years versus 7.0 years; p = 0.721). Based on our sample, SPT, egg white–specific IgE and age are not good predictors of passing a baked egg challenge. However, there was a trend for more predictability with SPT wheal size. PMID:22584194

Selected data on characteristics of glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers, midwestern basins and arches region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joseph, R.L.; Eberts, S.M.

1994-01-01

In 1988, the Geological Survey (USGS) began study to examine the hydrogeologic framework, ground-water-flow systems, water chemistry, and withdrawal response of aquifers in glacial deposits and carbonate rock in the Midwestern Basins and Arches Region in western Ohio and eastern Indiana. As part of this study, data from pumped-well tests and instantaneous-rechange tests (slug tests) of wells completed in the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers were compiled from reports and information on file with State agencies, environmental consulting firms, drilling firms, municipalities, universities, and the USGS. The data, from 73 counties in Ohio and Indiana, were entered into a computerized data base in a spreadsheet format and subsequently into a geographic information system (GIS). Aquifer-characteristics data from this compilation include the results of 105 pumped-well tests and 39 slug tests in wells completed in glacial deposits, 174 pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer, and 4 slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in glacial till and glacial-deposit aquifers (sands and gravels) range from 1.54 to 69,700 feet squared per day. Storage coefficients or specific yields range from 0.00002 to 0.38 at these wells. Horizontal-hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in glacial-deposit aquifers range from 0.33 to 1,000 feet per day. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer range from 70 to 52,000 feet squared per day. Storage coefficient or specific yields at these wells range from 0.00001 to 0.05. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age range from 0.0016 to 12 feet per day. These data are summarized in tables and figures within this report. The collection and compilation of selected aquifer-characteristic data for the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers within the Midwestern Basin and Arches Region of Shaver (1985) are an essential part of the Midwestern Basins and Arches Regional Aquifer-Systems Analysis (Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA) project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Specifically, the data are needed to help describe ground-water flow in the regional aquifer system, which isone of the objectives of the Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA project (Bugliosi, 1990). To meet this objective, the Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA began subprojects in the Ohio and Indiana offices of the USGS to collect and compile available aquifer-characteristics data from aquifer tests of the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers. The data were not reanalyzed to verify accuracy because of time constraints and insufficient data in many cases.

Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) Program - Statistical Analysis of RDX Standard Data Sets

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

Sandstrom, Mary M.; Brown, Geoffrey W.; Preston, Daniel N.

2015-10-30

The Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) program is conducting a Proficiency Test for Small- Scale Safety and Thermal (SSST) testing of homemade explosives (HMEs). Described here are statistical analyses of the results for impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the RDX Type II Class 5 standard. The material was tested as a well-characterized standard several times during the proficiency study to assess differences among participants and the range of results that may arise for well-behaved explosive materials. The analyses show that there are detectable differences among the results from IDCA participants. While these differences are statisticallymore » significant, most of them can be disregarded for comparison purposes to assess potential variability when laboratories attempt to measure identical samples using methods assumed to be nominally the same. The results presented in this report include the average sensitivity results for the IDCA participants and the ranges of values obtained. The ranges represent variation about the mean values of the tests of between 26% and 42%. The magnitude of this variation is attributed to differences in operator, method, and environment as well as the use of different instruments that are also of varying age. The results appear to be a good representation of the broader safety testing community based on the range of methods, instruments, and environments included in the IDCA Proficiency Test.« less

A longitudinal study of language and speech in children who were internationally adopted at different ages.

PubMed

Glennen, Sharon

2014-07-01

The author followed 56 internationally adopted children during the first 3 years after adoption to determine how and when they reached age-expected language proficiency in Standard American English. The influence of age of adoption was measured, along with the relationship between early and later language and speech outcomes. Children adopted from Eastern Europe at ages 12 months to 4 years, 11 months, were assessed 5 times across 3 years. Norm-referenced measures of receptive and expressive language and articulation were compared over time. In addition, mean length of utterance (MLU) was measured. Across all children, receptive language reached age-expected levels more quickly than expressive language. Children adopted at ages 1 and 2 "caught up" more quickly than children adopted at ages 3 and 4. Three years after adoption, there was no difference in test scores across age of adoption groups, and the percentage of children with language or speech delays matched population estimates. MLU was within the average range 3 years after adoption but significantly lower than other language test scores. Three years after adoption, age of adoption did not influence language or speech outcomes, and most children reached age-expected language levels. Expressive syntax as measured by MLU was an area of relative weakness.

Reliability and validity of Yo-Yo tests in 9- to 16-year-old football players and matched non-sports active schoolboys.

PubMed

Póvoas, Susana C A; Castagna, Carlo; Soares, José M C; Silva, Pedro M R; Lopes, Mariana V M F; Krustrup, Peter

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of three age-adapted Yo-Yo intermittent tests in football players aged 9-16 years (n = 70) and in age-matched non-sports active boys (n = 72). Within 7 days, each participant performed two repetitions of an age-related intensity-adapted Yo-Yo intermittent test, i.e. the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 children's test for 9- to 11-year-olds; the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance level 1 for 12- to 13-year-olds and the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance level 2 test for 14- to 16-year-olds. Peak heart rate (HRpeak) was determined for all tests. The distance covered in the tests was 57% (1098 ± 680 vs. 700 ± 272 m), 119% (2325 ± 778 vs. 1062 ± 285 m) and 238% (1743 ± 460 vs. 515 ± 113 m) higher (p ≤ .016), respectively for football-trained than for non-sports active boys aged 9-11, 12-13 and 14-16 years. The typical errors of measurement for Yo-Yo distance, expressed as a percentage of the coefficient of variation (confidence interval), were 11.1% (9.0-14.7%), 10.1% (8.1-13.7%) and 8.5% (6.7-11.7%) for football players aged 9-11, 12-13 and 14-16 years, respectively, with corresponding values of 9.3% (7.4-12.8%), 10.2% (8.1-14.0%) and 8.5% (6.8-11.3%) for non-sports active boys. Intraclass correlation coefficient values for test-retest were excellent in both groups (range: 0.844-0.981). Relative HRpeak did not differ significantly between the groups in test and retest. In conclusion, Yo-Yo intermittent test performances and HRpeak are reliable for 9- to 16-year-old footballers and non-sports active boys. Additionally, performances of the three Yo-Yo tests were seemingly better for football-trained than for non-sports active boys, providing evidence of construct validity.

Spanish normative studies in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults project): norms for the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (copy and memory) and Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test.

PubMed

Palomo, R; Casals-Coll, M; Sánchez-Benavides, G; Quintana, M; Manero, R M; Rognoni, T; Calvo, L; Aranciva, F; Tamayo, F; Peña-Casanova, J

2013-05-01

The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) are widely used in clinical practice. The ROCF assesses visual perception, constructional praxis, and visuo-spatial memory. The FCSRT assesses verbal learning and memory. In this study, as part of the Spanish normative studies project in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults), we present age- and education-adjusted normative data for both tests obtained by using linear regression techniques. The sample consisted of 179 healthy participants ranging in age from 18 to 49 years. We provide tables for converting raw scores to scaled scores in addition to tables with scores adjusted by socio-demographic factors. The results showed that education affects scores for some of the memory tests and the figure-copying task. Age was only found to have an effect on the performance of visuo-spatial memory tests, and the effect of sex was negligible. The normative data obtained will be extremely useful in the clinical neuropsychological evaluation of young Spanish adults. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic Technique for Predicting Grittiness of Salted Duck Egg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erawan, S.; Budiastra, I. W.; Subrata, I. D. M.

2018-05-01

Grittiness of egg yolk is a major factor in consumer acceptance of salted duck egg product. Commonly, the grittiness level is determined by the destructive method. Salted egg industries need a grading system that can judge the grittiness accurately and nondestructively. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for determining grittiness of salted duck eggs nondestructively based on ultrasonic method. This study used 100 samples of salted duck eggs with 7,10,14 and 21 days of salting age. Velocity and attenuation were measured by an ultrasonic system at frequency 50 kHz, followed by physicochemical properties measurement (hardness of egg yolks and salt content), and organoleptic test. Ultrasonic wave velocity in salted duck eggs ranged from 620.6 m/s to 1334.6 m/s, while the coefficient of attenuation value ranged from – 0.76 dB/m to -0.51 dB/m. Yolk hardness was 2.68 N at 7 days to 5.54 N at 21 days of salting age. Salt content was 1.81 % at 7 days to 5.71 % at 21 days of salting age. Highest scores of organoleptic tests on salted duck eggs were 4.23 and 4.18 for 10 and 14 days of salting age, respectively. Discriminant function using ultrasonic velocity variables in minor and major diameter could predict grittiness with 95 % accuracy.

Overgeneral autobiographical memory in healthy young and older adults: Differential age effects on components of the capture and rumination, functional avoidance, and impaired executive control (CaRFAX) model.

PubMed

Ros, Laura; Latorre, Jose M; Serrano, Juan P; Ricarte, Jorge J

2017-08-01

The CaRFAX model (Williams et al., 2007) has been used to explain the causes of overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM; the difficulty to retrieve specific autobiographical memories), a cognitive phenomenon generally related with different psychopathologies. This model proposes 3 different mechanisms to explain OGM: capture and rumination (CaR), functional avoidance (FA) and impaired executive functions (X). However, the complete CaRFAX model has not been tested in nonclinical populations. This study aims to assess the usefulness of the CaRFAX model to explain OGM in 2 healthy samples: a young sample and an older sample, to test for possible age-related differences in the underlying causes of OGM. A total of 175 young (age range: 19-36 years) and 175 older (age range: 53-88 years) participants completed measures of brooding rumination (CaR), functional avoidance (FA), and executive tasks (X). Using structural equation modeling, we found that memory specificity is mainly associated with lower functional avoidance and higher executive functions in the older group, but only with executive functions in young participants. We discuss the different roles of emotional regulation strategies used by young and older people and their relation to the CaRFAX model to explain OGM in healthy people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Metallurgical evaluation of factors influencing the ductility of aged T-111

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, R. E.

1972-01-01

The metallurgical factors influencing the ductility of T-111 (Ta-8W-2Hf) alloy following long-time exposures of GTA welds and tubing in the temperature range 982 C (1800 F) through 1316 C (2400 F) were evaluated by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Auger electron emission spectroscopy, and optical metallographic procedures. No classical aging response occurs in the alloy over the temperature range studied. The ductility impairment implied by previous investigations is not the result of microstructural response of the alloy to thermal exposures. Intergranular failure in the GTA sheet welds appears the result of random contamination by silicon, potassium, and/or fluorine at the grain boundaries of the fusion zones. Exposure to lithium at high temperatures had no adverse effects on the ductility of T-111 tubing. These materials were, however, sensitive to post-age handling and testing procedures.

Impact of specific training and competition on myocardial structure and function in different age ranges of male handball players

PubMed Central

Agrebi, Brahim; Tkatchuk, Vladimir; Hlila, Nawel; Mouelhi, Emna; Belhani, Ali

2015-01-01

Handball activity involves cardiac changes and demands a mixture of both eccentric and concentric remodeling within the heart. This study seeks to explore heart performance and cardiac remodeling likely to define cardiac parameters which influence specific performance in male handball players across different age ranges. Forty three players, with a regular training and competitive background in handball separated into three groups aged on average 11.78±0.41 for youth players aka “schools”, “elite juniors” 15.99±0.81 and “elite adults” 24.46±2.63 years, underwent echocardiography and ECG examinations. Incremental ergocycle and specific field (SFT) tests have also been conducted. With age and regular training and competition, myocardial remodeling in different age ranges exhibit significant differences in dilatation’s parameters between “schools” and “juniors” players, such as the end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and the end-systolic diameter of the left ventricle (LVESD), the root of aorta (Ao) and left atrial (LA), while significant increase is observed between “juniors” and “adults” players in the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior wall thicknesses (PWT) and LV mass index. ECG changes are also noted but NS differences were observed in studied parameters. For incremental maximal test, players demonstrate a significant increase in duration and total work between “schools” and “juniors” and, in total work only, between “juniors” and “seniors”. The SFT shows improvement in performance which ranged between 26.17±1.83 sec to 31.23±2.34 sec respectively from “seniors” to “schools”. The cross-sectional approach used to compare groups with prior hypothesis that there would be differences in exercise performance and cardiac parameters depending on duration of prior handball practice, leads to point out the early cardiac remodeling within the heart as adaptive change. Prevalence of cardiac chamber dilation with less hypertrophy remodeling was found from “schools” to “juniors” while a prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy with less pronounced chamber dilation remodeling was noted later. PMID:26630561

Utility of immediate postoperative hip MRI in developmental hip dysplasia: closed vs. open reduction.

PubMed

Jadhav, Siddharth P; More, Snehal R; Shenava, Vinitha; Zhang, Wei; Kan, J Herman

2018-04-25

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hips is being increasingly used to confirm hip reduction after surgery and spica cast placement for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). To review a single institutional experience with post-spica MRI in children undergoing closed or open hip reduction and describe the utility of MRI in directing the need for re-intervention. Seventy-four patients (52 female, 22 male) who underwent post-spica hip MRI over a 6-year period were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred and seven hips were included. Data reviewed included age at intervention, gender, type of intervention performed, MRI findings, the need for re-intervention and the interval between interventions. Gender was compared between the closed and open reduction groups via the Fisher exact test. Age at the first procedure was compared via the Wilcoxon rank test. Rates of re-intervention after closed and open reduction were calculated and the reasons for re-intervention were reviewed. The mean age at the time of the first intervention was 16.4 months (range: 4 to 63 months). Mean age for the closed reduction group was 10.5 months (range: 4-24 months) and for the open reduction group was 23.7 months (range: 5-63 months), which was significant (P-value <0.0001). Of the 52 hips that underwent closed reduction, 16 (31%) needed re-intervention. Of the 55 hips that underwent open reduction, MRI was useful in deciding re-intervention in only 1 (2%). This patient had prior multiple failed closed and open reductions at an outside institute. Post intervention hip spica MRI is useful in determining the need for re-intervention after closed hip reduction, but its role after open reduction is questionable.

Incidence of medically attended influenza infection and cases averted by vaccination, 2011/12 and 2012/13 influenza seasons

PubMed Central

Jackson, Michael L.; Jackson, Lisa A.; Kieke, Burney; McClure, David; Gaglani, Manjusha; Murthy, Kempapura; Malosh, Ryan; Monto, Arnold; Zimmerman, Richard K.; Foppa, Ivo M.; Flannery, Brendan; Thompson, Mark G.

2018-01-01

Background We estimated the burden of outpatient influenza and cases prevented by vaccination during the 2011/12 and 2012/13 influenza seasons using data from the United States Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (US Flu VE) Network. Methods We defined source populations of persons who could seek care for acute respiratory illness (ARI) at each of the five US Flu VE Network sites. We identified all members of the source population who were tested for influenza during US Flu VE influenza surveillance. Each influenza-positive subject received a sampling weight based on the proportion of source population members who were tested for influenza, stratified by site, age, and other factors. We used the sampling weights to estimate the cumulative incidence of medically attended influenza in the source populations. We estimated cases averted by vaccination using estimates of cumulative incidence, vaccine coverage, and vaccine effectiveness. Results Cumulative incidence of medically attended influenza ranged from 0.8% to 2.8% across sites during 2011/12 and from 2.6% to 6.5% during the 2012/13 season. Stratified by age, incidence ranged from 1.2% among adults 50 years of age and older in 2011/12 to 10.9% among children 6 months to 8 years of age in 2012/13. Cases averted by vaccination ranged from 4 to 41 per 1,000 vaccinees, depending on the study site and year. Conclusions The incidence of medically attended influenza varies greatly by year and even by geographic region within the same year. The number of cases averted by vaccination varies greatly based on overall incidence and on vaccine coverage. PMID:26271827

The reliability and convergent and divergent validity of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test in healthy young adults.

PubMed

Ross, Thomas P

2014-12-01

The reliability and validity of standard and qualitative scores for the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT; Ruff, 1988) was examined in 102 healthy undergraduates. Participants (M age = 21.79; SD = 3.7; age = 80% Caucasian) were administered the RFFT and measures assessing executive functions (EF) and other cognitive domains. Inter-scorer reliability was excellent (0.9 range) for most RFFT indices. Test-retest coefficients (M interval = 7 weeks) ranged from 0.64 for the error ratio score to 0.87 for unique designs. RFFT indices correlated with Block Design performance and nonverbal measures of working memory, but were unrelated to measures of verbal fluency, verbal learning, or working memory for verbal material. RFFT novel design output correlated with most measures of EF supporting the convergent validity of this measure. In contrast, correlations between measures of EF and qualitative scores were absent or weak. RFFT score interpretation is discussed in light of relevant models of EF and directions for future research are presented. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of NDE for key indicators of aging cables in nuclear power plants - Interim status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, S. W.; Ramuhalli, P.; Fifield, L. S.; Prowant, M. S.; Dib, G.; Tedeschi, J. R.; Suter, J. D.; Jones, A. M.; Good, M. S.; Pardini, A. F.; Hartman, T. S.

2016-02-01

Degradation of the cable jacket, electrical insulation, and other cable components of installed cables within nuclear power plants (NPPs) is known to occur as a function of age, temperature, radiation, and other environmental factors. System tests verify cable function under normal loads; however, the concern is over cable performance under exceptional loads associated with design-basis events (DBEs). The cable's ability to perform safely over the initial 40-year planned and licensed life has generally been demonstrated and there have been very few age-related cable failures. With greater than 1000 km of power, control, instrumentation, and other cables typically found in an NPP, replacing all the cables would be a severe cost burden. Justification for life extension to 60 and 80 years requires a cable aging management program to justify cable performance under normal operation as well as accident conditions. Currently the gold standard for determining cable insulation degradation is the elongation-at-break (EAB). This, however, is an ex-situ measurement and requires removal of a sample for laboratory investigation. A reliable nondestructive examination (NDE) in-situ approach is desirable to objectively determine the suitability of the cable for service. A variety of tests are available to assess various aspects of electrical and mechanical cable performance, but none of these tests are suitable for all cable configurations nor does any single test confirm all features of interest. Nevertheless, the complete collection of test possibilities offers a powerful range of tools to assure the integrity of critical cables. Licensees and regulators have settled on a practical program to justify continued operation based on condition monitoring of a lead sample set of cables where test data is tracked in a database and the required test data are continually adjusted based on plant and fleet-wide experience. As part of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, and industry (represented by the Electric Power Research Institute), an assessment of cable NDE methods was commissioned. Technologies include both bulk electrical measurements (Tan δ, time domain reflectometry, frequency domain reflectometry (FDR), partial discharge, and other techniques) and local insulation measurement (indenter, dynamic mechanical analysis interdigital capacitance, infrared spectral measurement, etc.). This aging cable NDE program update reviews the full range of techniques but focuses on the most interesting test approaches that have a chance to be deployed in-situ, particularly including Tan δ, FDR, and ultrasound methods that have been reviewed most completely in this progress period.

Integrated bio-behavioural HIV surveillance surveys among female sex workers in Sudan, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Elhadi, Magda; Elbadawi, Abdulateef; Abdelrahman, Samira; Mohammed, Ibtisam; Bozicevic, Ivana; Hassan, Ehab A; Elmukhtar, Mohammed; Ahmed, Sally; Abdelraheem, Mohammed Sidahmed; Mubarak, Nazik; Elsanousi, Salwa; Setayesh, Hamidreza

2013-11-01

To assess HIV and syphilis prevalence, HIV-related behaviours and testing for HIV in female sex workers (FSW) in Sudan. Bio-behavioural surveys using respondent-driven sampling were carried out among FSW in the capital cities of 14 states in Sudan in 2011-2012. HIV and syphilis testing was done by rapid tests. 4220 FSW aged 15-49 years were recruited. The median age of recruited women varied from 21 to 28 years per site. The highest HIV prevalence was measured at two sites in the eastern zone (5.0% and 7.7%), while in the other zones it ranged from 0% to 1.5%. Syphilis prevalence ranged from 1.5% in the northern zone to 8.9% in the eastern zone. Ever having been tested for HIV was reported by 4.4%-23.9% of FSW across all sites. Condom use at last sex with a client varied from 4.7% to 55.1%, while consistent condom use with clients in the month preceding the surveys was reported by 0.7%-24.5% of FSW. The highest reporting of ever injecting drugs was measured at a site in the western zone (5.0%). The surveys' findings indicate that the highest burden of HIV in FSW is in the eastern states of the country. Condom use and HIV testing data demonstrate the need for HIV interventions that should focus on HIV testing and risk reduction strategies that include stronger condom promotion programmes in FSW and their clients.

Brief communication: Hip joint mobility in free-ranging rhesus macaques

PubMed Central

Hammond, Ashley S.; Johnson, Victoria P.; Higham, James P.

2016-01-01

Objectives We aimed to test for differences in hip joint range of motion (ROM) between captive and free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), particularly for hip joint abduction, which previous studies of captive macaques have found to be lower than predicted. Materials and Methods Hip ROM was assessed following standard joint measurement methodology in anesthetized adult free-ranging rhesus macaques (n=39) from Cayo Santiago, and compared to published ROM data from captive rhesus macaques (n=16) (Hammond 2014a, American Journal of Physical Anthropology). Significant differences between populations were detected using one-way analysis of variance (p<0.05). Results In a sample of pooled sexes and ages, free-ranging macaques are capable of increased hip abduction, flexion, and internal rotation compared to captive individuals. These differences in joint excursion resulted in free-ranging individuals having significantly increased ROM for hip adduction-abduction, rotation, flexion-extension, and the distance spanned by the knee during hip abduction. When looking at data for a smaller sample of age-matched males, fewer ROM differences are significant, but free-ranging males have significantly increased hip abduction, internal rotation, range of flexion-extension, and distance spanned by the knee during hip abduction compared to captive males of similar age. Discussion Our results suggest that a spatially restrictive environment results in decreased hip mobility in cage-confined animals and ultimately limits the potential limb postures in captive macaques. These results have implications for selection of animal samples in model validation studies, as well as laboratory animal husbandry practices. PMID:27731892

Effect of leg dominance, gender and age on sensory responses to structural differentiation of straight leg raise test in asymptomatic subjects: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Torres Lacomba, María; de la Villa Polo, Pedro

2017-01-01

Study design Cross-sectional study. Objectives To assess the effect of structural differentiation on sensory responses of asymptomatic individuals to standard neurodynamic tests of straight leg raise (SLR) and to evaluate the relevance of leg dominance, gender, and age. Background SLR test is a well-known neurodynamic test among physical therapists; no studies to date have investigated the influence of gender, age, and leg dominance to the sensory responses of this neurodynamic test and its structured differentiating maneuver. Methods Thirty (16 women) asymptomatic individuals enrolled in this study. Dominancy test was performed for each participant. Pain intensity using visual analogue scale (VAS), symptoms location in a body chart, nature of symptoms evoked, and hip range of motion (ROM) were recorded and compared at ankle neutral position (N-SLR) and dorsiflexion (DF-SLR) in both legs at the point of pain tolerance during SLR (P2). In addition, hip ROM was recorded at the onset of pain (P1). Results There was a statistically significant sex main effect for P1 and P2 between N-SLR and DF-SLR (p < 0.05). Mean hip ROM during the SLR was more than 10° greater in women than men. There was no statistically significant interaction between leg dominance and age group in N-SLR, DF-SLR, and VAS. Pain intensity was moderate for each SLR test. Symptoms most often described were stretch (96.7%), followed by tightness (70%) in the posterior thigh and leg. Conclusions SLR hip ROM is influenced by sex in asymptomatic individuals, leading to a greater hip ROM in SLR in women. Age and limb dominance are not relevant to SLR hip ROM or pain intensity. PMID:28559668

The assessment of body sway and the choice of the stability parameter(s).

PubMed

Raymakers, J A; Samson, M M; Verhaar, H J J

2005-01-01

This methodological study aims at comparison of the practical usefulness of several parameters of body sway derived from recordings of the center of pressure (CoP) with the aid of a static force platform as proposed in the literature. These included: mean displacement velocity, maximal range of movement along x- and y-co-ordinates, movement area, planar deviation, phase plane parameter of Riley and the parameters of the diffusion stabilogram according to Collins. They were compared in over 850 experiments in a group of young healthy subjects (n = 10, age 21-45 years), a group of elderly healthy (n = 38, age 61-78 years) and two groups of elderly subjects (n = 10 and n = 21, age 65-89 years) with stability problems under different conditions known to interfere with stability as compared to standing with open eyes fixing a visual anchoring point: closing the eyes, standing on plastic foam in stead of a firm surface and performing a cognitive task: the modified stroop test. A force platform (Kistler) was used and co-ordinates of the body's center of pressure were recorded during 60 s of quiet barefoot standing with a sampling frequency of 10 Hz. In general, the results show important overlapping among groups and test conditions. Mean displacement velocity shows the most consistent differences between test situations, health conditions and age ranges, but is not affected by an extra cognitive task in healthy old people. Mean maximal sideways sway range is different among groups and test conditions except for the cognitive task in young and elderly subjects. Standardised displacement parameters such as standard deviations of displacements and planar deviation discriminate less well than the actual range of motion or the velocity. The critical time interval derived from the diffusion stabilogram according to Collins et al. seems to add a specific type of information since it shows significant influence from addition of a cognitive task in old subjects standing on a firm surface but not when standing on plastic foam. The critical time interval shows no consistent relation to any other parameter. The influence of cognitive activity on balance merits further exploration. A new parameter, sum of maximal deviation time (SDT) was proposed showing complete discrimination between frail elderly and other old subjects when obtained while visual input was suppressed. It was concluded that mean displacement velocity seems to be the most informative parameter in most situations.

Application of Lamendin's adult dental aging technique to a diverse skeletal sample.

PubMed

Prince, Debra A; Ubelaker, Douglas H

2002-01-01

Lamendin et al. (1) proposed a technique to estimate age at death for adults by analyzing single-rooted teeth. They expressed age as a function of two factors: translucency of the tooth root and periodontosis (gingival regression). In their study, they analyzed 306 singled rooted teeth that were extracted at autopsy from 208 individuals of known age at death, all of whom were considered as having a French ancestry. Their sample consisted of 135 males, 73 females, 198 whites, and 10 blacks. The sample ranged in age from 22 to 90 years of age. By using a simple formulae (A = 0.18 x P + 0.42 x T + 25.53, where A = Age in years, P = Periodontosis height x 100/root height, and T = Transparency height x 100/root height), Lamendin et al. were able to estimate age at death with a mean error of +/- 10 years on their working sample and +/- 8.4 years on a forensic control sample. Lamendin found this technique to work well with a French population, but did not test it outside of that sample area. This study tests the accuracy of this adult aging technique on a more diverse skeletal population, the Terry Collection housed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Our sample consists of 400 teeth from 94 black females, 72 white females, 98 black males, and 95 white males, ranging from 25 to 99 years. Lamendin's technique was applied to this sample to test its applicability to a population not of French origin. Providing results from a diverse skeletal population will aid in establishing the validity of this method to be used in forensic cases, its ideal purpose. Our results suggest that Lamendin's method estimates age fairly accurately outside of the French sample yielding a mean error of 8.2 years, standard deviation 6.9 years, and standard error of the mean 0.34 years. In addition, when ancestry and sex are accounted for, the mean errors are reduced for each group (black females, white females, black males, and white males). Lamendin et al. reported an inter-observer error of 9+/-1.8 and 10+/-2 sears from two independent observers. Forty teeth were randomly remeasured from the Terry Collection in order to assess an intra-observer error. From this retest, an intra-observer error of 6.5 years was detected.

Reliability and feasibility of physical fitness tests in female fibromyalgia patients.

PubMed

Carbonell-Baeza, A; Álvarez-Gallardo, I C; Segura-Jiménez, V; Castro-Piñero, J; Ruiz, J R; Delgado-Fernández, M; Aparicio, V A

2015-02-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and feasibility of physical fitness tests in female fibromyalgia patients. 100 female fibromyalgia patients (aged 50.6±8.6 years) performed the following tests twice (7 days interval test-retest): chair sit and reach, back scratch, handgrip strength, arm curl, chair stand, 8 feet up and go, and 6-min walk. Significant differences between test and retest were found in the arm curl (mean difference: 1.25±2.16 repetitions, Cohen d=0.251), chair stand (0.99±1.7 repetitions, Cohen d=0.254) and 8 feet up and go (-0.38±1.09 s, Cohen d=0.111) tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) range from 0.92 in the arm curl test to 0.96 in the back scratch test. The feasibility of the tests (patients able to complete the test) ranged from 89% in the arm curl test to 100% in the handgrip strength test. Therefore, the reliability and feasibility of the physical fitness tests examined is acceptable for female fibromyalgia patients. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Academic potential and cognitive functioning of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation.

PubMed

Ee, L C; Lloyd, O; Beale, K; Fawcett, J; Cleghorn, G J

2014-05-01

This cross-sectional study assessed intellect, cognition, academic function, behaviour, and emotional health of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation. Eligible children were >5 yr post-transplant, still attending school, and resident in Queensland. Hearing and neurocognitive testing were performed on 13 transplanted children and six siblings including two twin pairs where one was transplanted and the other not. Median age at testing was 13.08 (range 6.52-16.99) yr; time elapsed after transplant 10.89 (range 5.16-16.37) yr; and age at transplant 1.15 (range 0.38-10.00) yr. Mean full-scale IQ was 97 (81-117) for transplanted children and 105 (87-130) for siblings. No difficulties were identified in intellect, cognition, academic function, and memory and learning in transplanted children or their siblings, although both groups had reduced mathematical ability compared with normal. Transplanted patients had difficulties in executive functioning, particularly in self-regulation, planning and organization, problem-solving, and visual scanning. Thirty-one percent (4/13) of transplanted patients, and no siblings, scored in the clinical range for ADHD. Emotional difficulties were noted in transplanted patients but were not different from their siblings. Long-term liver transplant survivors exhibit difficulties in executive function and are more likely to have ADHD despite relatively intact intellect and cognition. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Research on the measurement of the ultraviolet irradiance in the xenon lamp aging test chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Muyao; Li, Tiecheng; Lin, Fangsheng; Yin, Dejin; Cheng, Weihai; Huang, Biyong; Lai, Lei; Xia, Ming

2018-01-01

This paper briefly introduces the methods of calibrating the irradiance in the Xenon lamp aging test chamber. And the irradiance under ultraviolet region is mainly researched. Three different detectors whose response wave range are respectively UVA (320 400nm), UVB (275 330nm) and UVA+B (280 400nm) are used in the experiment. Through comparing the measuring results with different detectors under the same xenon lamp source, we discuss the difference between UVA, UVB and UVA+B on the basis of the spectrum of the xenon lamp and the response curve of the detectors. We also point out the possible error source, when use these detectors to calibrate the chamber.

Salicylate-induced changes in auditory thresholds of adolescent and adult rats.

PubMed

Brennan, J F; Brown, C A; Jastreboff, P J

1996-01-01

Shifts in auditory intensity thresholds after salicylate administration were examined in postweanling and adult pigmented rats at frequencies ranging from 1 to 35 kHz. A total of 132 subjects from both age levels were tested under two-way active avoidance or one-way active avoidance paradigms. Estimated thresholds were inferred from behavioral responses to presentations of descending and ascending series of intensities for each test frequency value. Reliable threshold estimates were found under both avoidance conditioning methods, and compared to controls, subjects at both age levels showed threshold shifts at selective higher frequency values after salicylate injection, and the extent of shifts was related to salicylate dose level.

Stream Community Structure: An Analysis of Riparian Forest Buffer Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orzetti, L. L.; Jones, R. C.

2005-05-01

Forested riparian buffer zones have been proposed as an important aid in curtailing upland sources of pollution before they reach stream surface waters, and enhancing habitat for stream organisms. Our objective was to test the efficacy of restored forest riparian buffers along streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by examining the stream macrobenthic community structure. To test our hypothesis, we collected riffle benthic and water samples, and performed habitat evaluations at 30 stream sites in the mid-Atlantic Piedmont, ranging in buffer age from 0 to greater than 50 years of age. Results showed that habitat, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrate metrics improved with age of restored buffer. Habitat scores were driven mostly by instream substrate availability and width and age of riparian buffer zones. Water quality parameters varied within buffer age groups depending age of surrounding forest vegetation. Benthic invertebrate taxa richness, % EPT, % Plecoptera, % Ephemeroptera, and the FBI all improved with age of buffer zone. Instream habitat quality was the greatest driver of benthic macroinvertebrate community diversity and health, and appeared to plateau within 10-15 years of restoration with noticeable improvements occurring within 5-10 years post restoration.

Speechreading development in deaf and hearing children: introducing a new Test of Child Speechreading (ToCS)

PubMed Central

Kyle, Fiona Elizabeth; Campbell, Ruth; Mohammed, Tara; Coleman, Mike; MacSweeney, Mairéad

2016-01-01

Purpose We describe the development of a new Test of Child Speechreading (ToCS) specifically designed for use with deaf and hearing children. Speechreading is a skill which is required for deaf children to access the language of the hearing community. ToCS is a deaf-friendly, computer-based test that measures child speechreading (silent lipreading) at three psycholinguistic levels: words, sentences and short stories. The aims of the study were to standardize ToCS with deaf and hearing children and investigate the effects of hearing status, age and linguistic complexity on speechreading ability. Method 86 severely and profoundly deaf and 91 hearing children aged between 5 and 14 years participated. The deaf children were from a range of language and communication backgrounds and their preferred mode of communication varied. Results: Speechreading skills significantly improved with age for both deaf and hearing children. There was no effect of hearing status on speechreading ability and deaf and hearing showed similar performance across all subtests on ToCS. Conclusions The Test of Child Speechreading (ToCS) is a valid and reliable assessment of speechreading ability in school-aged children that can be used to measure individual differences in performance in speechreading ability. PMID:23275416

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TRUNK ENDURANCE TESTING METHODS IN COLLEGE‐AGED INDIVIDUALS

PubMed Central

Krier, Amber D.; Nelson, Julie A.; Rogers, Michael A.; Stuke, Zachariah O.; Smith, Barbara S.

2012-01-01

Objective: Determine the reliability of two different modified (MOD1 and MOD2) testing methods compared to a standard method (ST) for testing trunk flexion and extension endurance. Participants: Twenty‐eight healthy individuals (age 26.4 ± 3.2 years, height 1.75 ± m, weight 71.8 ± 10.3 kg, body mass index 23.6 ± 3.4 m/kg2). Method: Trunk endurance time was measured in seconds for flexion and extension under the three different stabilization conditions. The MOD1 testing procedure utilized a female clinician (70.3 kg) and MOD2 utilized a male clinician (90.7 kg) to provide stabilization as opposed to the ST method of belt stabilization. Results: No significant differences occurred between flexion and extension times. Intraclass correlations (ICCs3,1) for the different testing conditions ranged from .79 to .95 (p <.000) and are found in Table 3. Concurrent validity using the ST flexion times as the gold standard coefficients were .95 for MOD1 and .90 for MOD2. For ST extension, coefficients were .91 and .80, for MOD1 and MOD2 respectively (p <.01). Conclusions: These methods proved to be a reliable substitute for previously accepted ST testing methods in normal college‐aged individuals. These modified testing procedures can be implemented in athletic training rooms and weight rooms lacking appropriate tables for the ST testing. Level of Evidence: 3 PMID:23091786

Impaired recognition of traffic signs in adults with dyslexia.

PubMed

Brachacki, G W; Nicolson, R I; Fawcett, A J

1995-05-01

Ten adults with dyslexia (4 women and 6 men, mean age: 26.8 years, range: 19-43 years) and 11 controls (5 women and 6 men, mean age: 20.5 years, range: 18-29 years) were tested on their ability to differentiate between real and false traffic signs. The stimuli, computer-presented color pictures, were chosen to minimize the applicability of verbal or written linguistic skills to the task. The adults with dyslexia recognized the traffic signs significantly less well than did the controls. Furthermore, whereas for the controls there was a significant correlation between traffic sign recognition and driving experience, no such correlation was found for the adults with dyslexia. The results are interpreted in terms of a deficit in implicit learning.

Objective estimation of patient age through a new composite scale for facial aging assessment: The face - Objective assessment scale.

PubMed

La Padula, Simone; Hersant, Barbara; SidAhmed, Mounia; Niddam, Jeremy; Meningaud, Jean Paul

2016-07-01

Most patients requesting aesthetic rejuvenation treatment expect to look healthier and younger. Some scales for ageing assessment have been proposed, but none is focused on patient age prediction. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new facial rating scale assessing facial ageing sign severity. One thousand Caucasian patients were included and assessed. The Rasch model was used as part of the validation process. A score was attributed to each patient, based on the scales we developed. The correlation between the real age and scores obtained, the inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability were analysed. The objective was to develop a tool enabling the assigning of a patient to a specific age range based on the calculated score. All scales exceeded criteria for acceptability, reliability and validity. The real age strongly correlated with the total facial score in both sex groups. The test-retest reliability confirmed this strong correlation. We developed a facial ageing scale which could be a useful tool to assess patients before and after rejuvenation treatment and an important new metrics to be used in facial rejuvenation and regenerative clinical research. Copyright © 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age, gender, and voided volume dependency of peak urinary flow rate and uroflowmetry nomogram in the Indian population

PubMed Central

Kumar, Vikash; Dhabalia, Jayesh V.; Nelivigi, Girish G.; Punia, Mahendra S.; Suryavanshi, Manav

2009-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study was measurement of urine flow parameters by a non invasive urodynamic test. Variation of flow rates based on voided volume, age, and gender are described. Different nomograms are available for different populations and racial differences of urethral physiology are described. Currently, there has been no study from the Indian population on uroflow parameters. So the purpose of this study was to establish normal reference ranges of maximum and average flow rates, to see the influence of age, gender, and voided volume on flow rates, and to chart these values in the form of a nomogram. Methods: We evaluated 1,011 uroflowmetry tests in different age groups in a healthy population (healthy relatives of our patients) 16-50 year old males, >50 year old males, 5-15 year old children, and >15 year pre-menopausal and post-menopausal females. The uroflowmetry was done using the gravitimetric method. Flow chart parameters were analyzed and statistical calculations were used for drawing uroflow nomograms. Results: Qmax values in adult males were significantly higher than in the elderly and Qmax values in young females were significantly higher than in young males. Qmax values in males increased with age until 15 years old; followed by a slow decline until reaching 50 years old followed by a rapid decline after 50 years old even after correcting voided volume. Qmax values in females increased with age until they reached age 15 followed by decline in flow rate until a pre-menopausal age followed by no significant decline in post-menopausal females. Qmax values increased with voided volume until 700 cc followed by a plateau and decline. Conclusions: Qmax values more significantly correlated with age and voided volume than Qavg. Nomograms were drawn in centile form to provide normal reference ranges. Qmax values in our population were lower than described in literature. Patients with voided volume up to 50 ml could be evaluated with a nomogram. PMID:19955668

Binding of Visual and Spatial Short-Term Memory in Williams Syndrome and Moderate Learning Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarrold, Christopher; Phillips, Caroline; Baddeley, Alan D

2007-01-01

A main aim of this study was to test the claim that individuals with Williams syndrome have selectively impaired memory for spatial as opposed to visual information. The performance of 16 individuals with Williams syndrome (six males, 10 females; mean age 18y 7mo [SD 7y 6mo], range 9y 1mo-30y 7mo) on tests of short-term memory for item and…

Prevalence of Poor Bone Quality in Women Undergoing Spinal Fusion Using Biomechanical-CT Analysis.

PubMed

Burch, Shane; Feldstein, Michael; Hoffmann, Paul F; Keaveny, Tony M

2016-02-01

Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of vertebral bone quality in spine-fusion patients at a single medical center. To characterize the prevalence of osteoporosis and fragile bone strength in a spine-fusion population of women with an age range of 50 years to 70 years. Fragile bone strength is defined as the level of vertebral strength below which a patient is at as high a risk of future vertebral fracture as a patient having bone density-defined osteoporosis. Poor bone quality--defined here as the presence of either osteoporosis or fragile bone strength--is a risk factor for spine-fusion patients that often goes undetected but can now be assessed preoperatively by additional postprocessing of computed tomography (CT) scans originally ordered for perioperative clinical assessment. Utilizing such perioperative CT scans for a cohort of 98 women (age range: 51-70 yr) about to undergo spine fusion, we retrospectively used a phantomless calibration technique and biomechanical-CT postprocessing analysis to measure vertebral trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) (in mg/cm³) and by nonlinear finite element analysis, vertebral compressive strength (in Newtons, N) in the L1 or L2 vertebra. Preestablished validated threshold values were used to define the presence of osteoporosis (trabecular BMD of 80 mg/cm³ or lower) and fragile bone strength (vertebral strength of 4500 N or lower). Fourteen percent of the women tested positive for osteoporosis, 27% tested positive for fragile bone strength, and 29% were classified as having poor bone quality (either osteoporosis or fragile bone strength). Over this narrow age range, neither BMD nor vertebral strength were significantly correlated with age, weight, height, or body mass index (P values 0.14-0.97 for BMD; 0.13-0.51 for strength). Poor bone quality appears to be common in women between ages 50 years and 70 years undergoing spinal fusion surgery. 3.

Gray Hair and Eager Minds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apsler, Alfred

1976-01-01

Describes the Focus on Mature Learning program offered to senior citizens by Clark College (Washington). This series of mini-courses on topics ranging from the politics of aging to the geography of the Northwest involves no grades, no tests, and no term papers. Reactions from students and teachers alike have been overwhelmingly positive. (DC)

Coppersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Scores of Boys with Severe Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Frank H.; Johnson, Ardes

1972-01-01

Scores on the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory of 44 behaviorally disturbed boys ranging in age from 8 to 12 years were compared with the test's norms, with later retest scores, with teacher assigned self esteem ranks, and with peer group status as measured by sociometric procedures. (DB)

Understanding the Writing Process through Brain Hemisphere Neurology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogge, Joan Ellet

Acknowledging that ordering, spatial orientation, and synthesis are important properties in achieving clarity in writing, a study investigated the biological influences on students' writing processes and ways to help writers produce more coherent written products. Subjects, two males and four females ranging in age from 19 to 40, were tested using…

Discovering Me: Music Activities for Special Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Keith P.; And Others

The book contains information on musical activities which were field tested in Project PASE (Program in the Arts for Special Education, Pennsylvania) classrooms with a wide range of exceptionalities from preschool age to adolescence. Activities are seen to help children become more aware of their bodies, feelings, and themselves; feel important…

Children's Perceptions of Brazilian Cerrado Landscapes and Biodiversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bizerril, Marcelo X. A.

2004-01-01

In this study, the author evaluated Brazilian students' environmental perceptions of Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation). The author administered tests of knowledge and perception of the Cerrado biome's wildlife to students of different social classes. The students (age range: 11-17 years) generally exhibited low identification with the region, and…

Aging of biogenic secondary organic aerosol via gas-phase OH radical reactions

PubMed Central

Donahue, Neil M.; Henry, Kaytlin M.; Mentel, Thomas F.; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid; Spindler, Christian; Bohn, Birger; Brauers, Theo; Dorn, Hans P.; Fuchs, Hendrik; Tillmann, Ralf; Wahner, Andreas; Saathoff, Harald; Naumann, Karl-Heinz; Möhler, Ottmar; Leisner, Thomas; Müller, Lars; Reinnig, Marc-Christopher; Hoffmann, Thorsten; Salo, Kent; Hallquist, Mattias; Frosch, Mia; Bilde, Merete; Tritscher, Torsten; Barmet, Peter; Praplan, Arnaud P.; DeCarlo, Peter F.; Dommen, Josef; Prévôt, Andre S.H.; Baltensperger, Urs

2012-01-01

The Multiple Chamber Aerosol Chemical Aging Study (MUCHACHAS) tested the hypothesis that hydroxyl radical (OH) aging significantly increases the concentration of first-generation biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA). OH is the dominant atmospheric oxidant, and MUCHACHAS employed environmental chambers of very different designs, using multiple OH sources to explore a range of chemical conditions and potential sources of systematic error. We isolated the effect of OH aging, confirming our hypothesis while observing corresponding changes in SOA properties. The mass increases are consistent with an existing gap between global SOA sources and those predicted in models, and can be described by a mechanism suitable for implementation in those models. PMID:22869714

AGE AND REPEATED BIOPSY INFLUENCE ANTEMORTEM PRP(CWD) TESTING IN MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS) IN COLORADO, USA.

PubMed

Geremia, Chris; Hoeting, Jennifer A; Wolfe, Lisa L; Galloway, Nathan L; Antolin, Michael F; Spraker, Terry R; Miller, Michael W; Hobbs, N Thompson

2015-10-01

Biopsy of rectal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue provides a useful, but imperfect, live-animal test for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). It is difficult and expensive to complete these tests on free-ranging animals, and wildlife health managers will benefit from methods that can accommodate test results of varying quality. To this end, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian model to estimate the probability that an individual is infected based on test results. Our model was estimated with the use of data on 210 adult female mule deer repeatedly tested during 2010-14. The ability to identify infected individuals correctly declined with age and may have been influenced by repeated biopsy. Fewer isolated lymphoid follicles (where PrP(CWD) accumulates) were obtained in biopsies of older deer and the proportion of follicles showing PrP(CWD) was reduced. A deer's genotype in the prion gene (PRNP) also influenced detection. At least five follicles were needed in a biopsy to assure a 95% accurate test in PRNP genotype 225SS deer.

Cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility, active range of cervical motion, and oculomotor function in patients with whiplash injury.

PubMed

Heikkilä, H V; Wenngren, B I

1998-09-01

To investigate cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility, active range of cervical motion, and oculomotor function in patients with whiplash injury. A 2-year review of consecutive patients admitted to the emergency unit after whiplash injury. An otorhinolaryngology department. Twenty-seven consecutive patients with diagnosed whiplash injury (14 men and 13 women, mean age, 33.8yrs [range, 18 to 66yrs]). The controls were healthy subjects without a history of whiplash injury. Oculomotor function was tested at 2 months and at 2 years after whiplash injury. The ability to appreciate both movement and head position was studied. Active range of cervical motion was measured. Subjective intensity of neck pain and major medical symptoms were recorded. Active head repositioning was significantly less precise in the whiplash subjects than in the control group. Failures in oculomotor functions were observed in 62% of subjects. Significant correlations occurred between smooth pursuit tests and active cervical range of motion. Correlations also were established between the oculomotor test and the kinesthetic sensibility test. The results suggest that restricted cervical movements and changes in the quality of proprioceptive information from the cervical spine region affect voluntary eye movements. A flexion/extension injury to the neck may result in dysfunction of the proprioceptive system. Oculomotor dysfunction after neck trauma might be related to cervical afferent input disturbances.

Barn owls have ageless ears.

PubMed

Krumm, Bianca; Klump, Georg; Köppl, Christine; Langemann, Ulrike

2017-09-27

We measured the auditory sensitivity of the barn owl ( Tyto alba ), using a behavioural Go/NoGo paradigm in two different age groups, one younger than 2 years ( n = 4) and another more than 13 years of age ( n = 3). In addition, we obtained thresholds from one individual aged 23 years, three times during its lifetime. For computing audiograms, we presented test frequencies of between 0.5 and 12 kHz, covering the hearing range of the barn owl. Average thresholds in quiet were below 0 dB sound pressure level (SPL) for frequencies between 1 and 10 kHz. The lowest mean threshold was -12.6 dB SPL at 8 kHz. Thresholds were the highest at 12 kHz, with a mean of 31.7 dB SPL. Test frequency had a significant effect on auditory threshold but age group had no significant effect. There was no significant interaction between age group and test frequency. Repeated threshold estimates over 21 years from a single individual showed only a slight increase in thresholds. We discuss the auditory sensitivity of barn owls with respect to other species and suggest that birds, which generally show a remarkable capacity for regeneration of hair cells in the basilar papilla, are naturally protected from presbycusis. © 2017 The Author(s).

Pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 infection in Victoria, Australia: no evidence for harm or benefit following receipt of seasonal influenza vaccine in 2009.

PubMed

Kelly, Heath A; Grant, Kristina A; Fielding, James E; Carville, Kylie S; Looker, Clare O; Tran, Thomas; Jacoby, Peter

2011-08-26

Conflicting findings regarding the level of protection offered by seasonal influenza vaccination against pandemic influenza H1N1 have been reported. We performed a test-negative case control study using sentinel patients from general practices in Victoria to estimate seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness against laboratory proven infection with pandemic influenza. Cases were defined as patients with an influenza-like illness who tested positive for influenza while controls had an influenza-like illness but tested negative. We found no evidence of significant protection from seasonal vaccine against pandemic influenza virus infection in any age group. Age-stratified point estimates, adjusted for pandemic phase, ranged from 44% in persons aged less than 5 years to -103% (odds ratio=2.03) in persons aged 50-64 years. Vaccine effectiveness, adjusted for age group and pandemic phase, was 3% (95% CI -48 to 37) for all patients. Our study confirms the results from our previous interim report, and other studies, that failed to demonstrate benefit or harm from receipt of seasonal influenza vaccine in patients with confirmed infection with pandemic influenza H1N1 2009. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution of personality, individual characteristics and internet usage in Swedish older adults.

PubMed

Berner, Jessica; Rennemark, Mikael; Jogréus, Claes; Berglund, Johan

2012-01-01

This article investigated factors associated with internet usage in the Swedish older adults ranging in age from 60 to 96. Personality traits and individual characteristics have been previously noted to influence internet usage, where older adults have not been the focus population. In this study, the relationships between personality, individual characteristics and internet usage were investigated. A descriptive analysis of the personality tests of a total of 1402 subjects included in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care was conducted. Three variables were controlled for: sex, age and education. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, chi-square tests and a logistic regression were used in order to detect the relationships with internet usage. Men differ significantly from women in the personality traits analysis. Those with higher education were more open and neuroticism was lower in the oldest older adults. Internet usage declined significantly with age and those with middle to higher education were using the internet the most. No other associations with internet use were found. Personality traits and individual characteristics do not seem to influence the Swedish older adult and their internet usage. What one needs to account for is the age and education of the person. The more educated and the youngest cohorts were using the internet more frequently.

The Association Between Computer Use and Cognition Across Adulthood: Use it so You Won't Lose it?

PubMed Central

Tun, Patricia A.; Lachman, Margie E.

2012-01-01

Understanding the association between computer use and adult cognition has been limited until now by self-selected samples with restricted ranges of age and education. Here we studied effects of computer use in a large national sample (N=2671) of adults aged 32 to 84, assessing cognition with the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (Tun & Lachman, 2005), and executive function with the Stop and Go Switch Task (Tun & Lachman, 2008). Frequency of computer activity was associated with cognitive performance after controlling for age, sex, education, and health status: that is, individuals who used the computer frequently scored significantly higher than those who seldom used the computer. Greater computer use was also associated with better executive function on a task-switching test, even after controlling for basic cognitive ability as well as demographic variables. These findings suggest that frequent computer activity is associated with good cognitive function, particularly executive control, across adulthood into old age, especially for those with lower intellectual ability. PMID:20677884

Polymer-Oxygen Compatibility Testing: Effect of Oxygen Aging on Ignition and Combustion Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, Jess M.; Haas, Jon P.; Wilson, D. Bruce; Fries, Joseph (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The oxygen compatibility of six polymers used in oxygen service was evaluated after exposure for 48 hours to oxygen pressures ranging from 350 to 6200 kPa (50 to 900 psia), and temperatures ranging from 50 to 250 C (122 to 302 F). Three elastomers were tested: CR rubber (C873-70), FKM fluorocarbon rubber (Viton A), and MPQ silicone rubber (MIL-ZZ-765, Class 2); and three thermoplastics were tested: polyhexamethylene adipamide (Zytel 42), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon TFE), and polychlorotrifluoroethylene (Neoflon CTFE M400H). Post-aging changes in mass, dimensions, tensile strength, elongation at break, and durometer hardness were determined. Also, the compression set was determined for the three elastomers. Results show that the properties under investigation were more sensitive to oxygen pressure at low to moderate temperatures, and more sensitive to temperature at low to moderate oxygen pressures. Inspection of the results also suggested that both chain scissioning and cross-linking processes were operative, consistent with heterogeneous oxidation. Attempts are underway to verify conclusively the occurrence of heterogeneous oxidation using a simple modulus profiling technique. Finally, the effect of aging at 620 kpa (90 psia) and 121 C (250 F) on ignition and combustion resistance was determined. As expected, aged polymers were less ignitable and combustible (had higher AlTs and lower heats of combustion). Special attention was given to Neoflon CTFE. More specifically, the effect of process history (compression versus extrusion molding) and percent crystallinity (quick- versus slow-quenched) on the AIT, heat of combustion, and impact sensitivity of Neoflon CTFE was investigated. Results show the AIT, heat of combustion, and impact sensitivity to be essentially independent of Neoflon CTFE process history and structure.

Infants' development of object permanence: a refined methodology and new evidence of Piaget's hypothesized ordinality.

PubMed

Kramer, J A; Hill, K T; Cohen, L B

1975-03-01

To investigate Piaget's theory of object concept development, a series of 6 tasks was administered in a combined longitudinal/cross-sectional design incorporating a number of methodological controls. The tasks spanned the entire sensorimotor period and included single versus sequential displacements combined with visible or invisible hidings. 36 infants from 5 to 32 months of age at initial testing were drawn equally from day-care and home settings. All infants received the 6 tasks during each of 3 testing sessions over a 6-month period. Clear evidence was obtained for task ordinality as proposed by Piaget, with ordinality coefficients ranging from .71 to .82 for the 3 testing sessions. Performance changes across the 3 sessions were also ordinal in 80% of the cases. Expected age, task, and session effects and accompanying interactions were also obtained.

The role of disease characteristics in the ethical debate on personal genome testing.

PubMed

Bunnik, Eline M; Schermer, Maartje Hn; Janssens, A Cecile J W

2012-01-19

Companies are currently marketing personal genome tests directly-to-consumer that provide genetic susceptibility testing for a range of multifactorial diseases simultaneously. As these tests comprise multiple risk analyses for multiple diseases, they may be difficult to evaluate. Insight into morally relevant differences between diseases will assist researchers, healthcare professionals, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the ethical evaluation of personal genome tests. In this paper, we identify and discuss four disease characteristics--severity, actionability, age of onset, and the somatic/psychiatric nature of disease--and show how these lead to specific ethical issues. By way of illustration, we apply this framework to genetic susceptibility testing for three diseases: type 2 diabetes, age-related macular degeneration and clinical depression. For these three diseases, we point out the ethical issues that are relevant to the question whether it is morally justifiable to offer genetic susceptibility testing to adults or to children or minors, and on what conditions. We conclude that the ethical evaluation of personal genome tests is challenging, for the ethical issues differ with the diseases tested for. An understanding of the ethical significance of disease characteristics will improve the ethical, legal and societal debate on personal genome testing.

Weathering and aging of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in soil increases toxicity to potworm Enchytraeus crypticus.

PubMed

Kuperman, Roman G; Checkai, Ronald T; Simini, Michael; Phillips, Carlton T; Kolakowski, Jan E; Kurnas, Carl W

2005-10-01

Energetic materials are employed in a wide range of commercial and military activities and often are released into the environment. Scientifically based ecological soil-screening levels (Eco-SSLs) are needed to identify contaminant explosive levels in soil that present an acceptable ecological risk. Insufficient information for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) to generate Eco-SSLs for soil invertebrates necessitated toxicity testing. We adapted the standardized Enchytraeid Reproduction Test and selected Enchytraeus crypticus for these studies. Tests were conducted in Sassafras sandy loam soil, which supports relatively high bioavailability of TNT. Weathering and aging procedures for TNT amended to test soil were incorporated into the study design to produce toxicity data that better reflect the soil exposure conditions in the field compared with toxicity in freshly amended soils. This included exposing hydrated TNT-amended soils in open glass containers in the greenhouse to alternating wetting and drying cycles. Definitive tests showed that toxicity for E. crypticus adult survival and juvenile production was increased significantly in weathered and aged soil treatments compared with toxicity in freshly amended soil based on 95% confidence intervals. The median effect concentration and 20% effective concentration for reproduction were 98 and 77 mg/kg, respectively, for TNT freshly amended into soil and 48 and 37 mg/kg, respectively, for weathered and aged TNT soil treatments. These findings of increased toxicity to E. crypticus in weathered and aged TNT soil treatments compared with exposures in freshly amended soils show that future investigations should include a weathering and aging component to generate toxicity data that provide more complete information on ecotoxicological effects of energetic contaminants in soil.

Trajectories of age-related cognitive decline and potential associated factors of cognitive function in senior citizens of Beijing.

PubMed

Li, He; Lv, Chenlong; Zhang, Ting; Chen, Kewei; Chen, Chuansheng; Gai, Guozhong; Hu, Liangping; Wang, Yongyan; Zhang, Zhanjun

2014-01-01

With a longer life expectancy and an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, investigations on trajectories of cognitive aging have become exciting and promising. This study aimed to estimate the patterns of age-related cognitive decline and the potential associated factors of cognitive function in community-dwelling residents of Beijing, China. In this study, 1248 older adults aged 52-88 years [including 175 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects] completed a battery of neuropsychological scales. The personal information, including demographic information, medical history, eating habits, lifestyle regularity and leisure activities, was also collected. All cognitive function exhibited an agerelated decline in normal volunteers. Piece-wise linear fitting results suggested that performance on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test remained stable until 58 years of age and continued to decline thereafter. The decline in processing speed and executive function began during the early 50's. Scores on visual-spatial and language tests declined after 66 years of age. The decline stage of the general mental status ranged from 63 to 70 years of age. However, the MCI group did not exhibit an obvious age-related decline in most cognitive tests. Multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that education, gender, leisure activities, diabetes and eating habits were associated with cognitive abilities. These results indicated various trajectories of age-related decline across multiple cognitive domains. We also found different patterns of agerelated cognitive decline between MCI and normal elderly. These findings could help improve the guidance of cognitive intervention program and have implications for public policy issues.

Precision and accuracy of commonly used dental age estimation charts for the New Zealand population.

PubMed

Baylis, Stephanie; Bassed, Richard

2017-08-01

Little research has been undertaken for the New Zealand population in the field of dental age estimation. This research to date indicates there are differences in dental developmental rates between the New Zealand population and other global population groups, and within the New Zealand population itself. Dental age estimation methods range from dental development charts to complex biometric analysis. Dental development charts are not the most accurate method of dental age estimation, but are time saving in their use. They are an excellent screening tool, particularly for post-mortem identification purposes, and for assessing variation from population norms in living individuals. The aim of this study was to test the precision and accuracy of three dental development charts (Schour and Massler, Blenkin and Taylor, and the London Atlas), used to estimate dental age of a sample of New Zealand juveniles between the ages of 5 and 18 years old (n=875). Percentage 'best fit' to correct age category and to expected chart stage were calculated to determine which chart was the most precise for the sample. Chronological ages were compared to estimated dental ages using a two-tailed paired t-test (P<0.05) for each of the three methods. The mean differences between CA and DA were calculated to determine bias and the absolute mean differences were calculated to indicate accuracy. The results of this study show that while accuracy and precision were low for all charts tested against the New Zealand population sample, the Blenkin and Taylor Australian charts performed best overall. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The rise and fall of immediate and delayed memory for verbal and visuospatial information from late childhood to late adulthood.

PubMed

Murre, Jaap M J; Janssen, Steve M J; Rouw, Romke; Meeter, Martijn

2013-01-01

Over 100,000 verbal and visuospatial immediate and delayed memory tests were presented via the Internet to over 28,000 participants in the age range of 11 to 80. Structural equation modeling pointed to the verbal versus visuospatial dimension as an important factor in individual differences, but not the immediate versus delayed dimension. We found a linear decrease of 1% to 3% per year in overall memory performance past the age of 25. For visuospatial tests, this decrease started at age 18 and was twice as fast as the decrease of verbal memory. There were strong effects of education, with the highest educated group sometimes scoring one full standard deviation above the lowest educated group. Gender effects were small but as expected: women outperformed men on the verbal memory tasks; men outperformed women on the visuospatial tasks. We also found evidence of increasing proneness to false memory with age. Memory for recent news events did not show a decrease with age. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is there sufficient evidence for tuning fork tests in diagnosing fractures? A systematic review.

PubMed

Mugunthan, Kayalvili; Doust, Jenny; Kurz, Bodo; Glasziou, Paul

2014-08-04

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of tuning fork tests for detecting fractures. Systematic review of primary studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of tuning fork tests for the presence of fracture. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, EMBASE, Sports Discus, CAB Abstracts and Web of Science from commencement to November 2012. We manually searched the reference lists of any review papers and any identified relevant studies. Two reviewers independently reviewed the list of potentially eligible studies and rated the studies for quality using the QUADAS-2 tool. Data were extracted to form 2×2 contingency tables. The primary outcome measure was the accuracy of the test as measured by its sensitivity and specificity with 95% CIs. We included six studies (329 patients), with two types of tuning fork tests (pain induction and loss of sound transmission). The studies included patients with an age range 7-60 years. The prevalence of fracture ranged from 10% to 80%. The sensitivity of the tuning fork tests was high, ranging from 75% to 100%. The specificity of the tests was highly heterogeneous, ranging from 18% to 95%. Based on the studies in this review, tuning fork tests have some value in ruling out fractures, but are not sufficiently reliable or accurate for widespread clinical use. The small sample size of the studies and the observed heterogeneity make generalisable conclusion difficult. 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 test of Hartnett's revisions to the pubic symphysis and fourth rib methods on a modern sample.

PubMed

Merritt, Catherine E

2014-05-01

Estimating age at death is one of the most important aspects of creating a biological profile. Most adult age estimation methods were developed on North American skeletal collections from the early to mid-20th century, and their applicability to modern populations has been questioned. In 2010, Hartnett used a modern skeletal collection from the Maricopia County Forensic Science Centre to revise the Suchey-Brooks pubic symphysis method and the İşcan et al. fourth rib methods. The current study tests Hartnett's revised methods as well as the original Suchey-Brooks and İşcan et al. methods on a modern sample from the William Bass Skeletal Collection (N = 313, mean age = 58.5, range 19-92). Results show that the Suchey-Brooks and İşcan et al. methods assign individuals to the correct phase 70.8% and 57.5% of the time compared with Hartnett's revised methods at 58.1% and 29.7%, respectively, with correctness scores based on one standard deviation of the mean rather than the entire age range. Accuracy and bias scores are significantly improved for Hartnett's revised pubic symphysis method and marginally better for Hartnett's revised fourth rib method, suggesting that the revised mean ages at death of Hartnett's phases better reflect this modern population. Overall, both Hartnett's revised methods are reliable age estimation methods. For the pubic symphysis, there are significant improvements in accuracy and bias scores, especially for older individuals; however, for the fourth rib, the results are comparable to the original İşcan et al. methods, with some improvement for older individuals. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Skill-related physical fitness versus aerobic fitness as a predictor of executive functioning in children with intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning.

PubMed

Hartman, Esther; Smith, Joanne; Houwen, Suzanne; Visscher, Chris

2017-05-01

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) or borderline intellectual disabilities (BIF) often demonstrate impairments in executive functioning (EF). Studies in typically developing children show that aerobic fitness (AF) is positively related with EF. Skill-related physical fitness (SF) might, however, be a stronger predictor of EF than AF, as cognitive challenges are inherent in application of these skills. In this study, AF and SF were examined simultaneously in relationship with domains of EF in children with ID or BIF. Seventy-three children (age range 8-11; 51 boys) with ID (IQ range 56-79) or BIF (IQ range 71-79) were measured annually over a period of 4 years on AF (20-m endurance shuttle run test) and SF (plate tapping and 10×5m run). EF was measured with the Stroop Color-Word test (inhibition), Trailmaking and Fluency test (cognitive flexibility), Self-ordered pointing task (working memory) and the Tower of London (planning). Multilevel models showed that SF was significantly associated with inhibition and both measures of cognitive flexibility, but in the same models no significant associations between AF and EF were found. In addition, age was significantly related to working memory and cognitive flexibility, favouring the older children. In children with ID or BIF, SF is of greater importance than AF in relationship with core domains of EF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity of the Jump-and-Reach Test in Subelite Adolescent Handball Players.

PubMed

Muehlbauer, Thomas; Pabst, Jan; Granacher, Urs; Büsch, Dirk

2017-05-01

Muehlbauer, T, Pabst, J, Granacher, U, and Büsch, D. Validity of the jump-and-reach test in subelite adolescent handball players. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1282-1289, 2017-The primary purpose of this study was to examine concurrent validity of the jump-and-reach (JaR) test using the Vertec system and a criterion device (i.e., Optojump system). In separate subanalyses, we investigated the influence of gym floor condition and athletes' sex on the validity of vertical jump height. Four hundred forty subelite adolescent female (n = 222, mean age: 14 ± 1 year, age range: 13-15 years) and male (n = 218, mean age: 15 ± 1 year, age range: 14-16 years) handball players performed the JaR test in gyms with region or point elastic floors. Maximal vertical jump height was simultaneously assessed using the Vertec and the Optojump systems. In general, significantly higher jump heights were obtained for the Vertec compared with the Optojump system (11.2 cm, Δ31%, Cohen's d = 2.58). The subanalyses revealed significantly larger jump heights for the Vertec compared with the Optojump system irrespective of gym floor condition and players' sex. The association between Optojump- and Vertec-derived vertical jump heights amounted to rP = 0.84, with a coefficient of determination (R) of 0.71. The subanalyses indicated significantly larger correlations in males (rP = 0.75, R = 0.56) than in females (rP = 0.63, R = 0.40). Yet, correlations were not significantly different between region (rP = 0.83, R = 0.69) as opposed to point elastic floor (rP = 0.87, R = 0.76). Our findings indicate that the 2 apparatuses cannot be used interchangeably. Consequently, gym floor and sex-specific regression equations were provided to estimate true (Optojump system) vertical jump height from Vertec-derived data.

Genetic and developmental factors in spontaneous selective attention: a study of normal twins.

PubMed

Myles-Worsley, M; Coon, H

1997-08-08

The Spontaneous Selective Attention Task (SSAT) is a visual word identification task designed to measure the type of selective attention that occurs spontaneously when there are multiple stimuli, all potentially relevant, and insufficient time to process each of them fully. These are conditions which are common in everyday life. SSAT performance is measured by word identification accuracy, first under a baseline divided attention condition with no predictability, then under a selective attention condition with partial predictability introduced via word repetition. Accuracy to identify novel words in the upper location which becomes partially predictable (P words) vs. the lower location which remains non-predictable (N words) can be used to calculate a baseline performance index and a P/N ratio measure of selective attention. The SSAT has been shown to identify an attentional abnormality that may be useful in the development of an attentional endophenotype for family-genetic studies of schizophrenia. This study examined age and genetic effects on SSAT performance in normal children in order to evaluate whether the SSAT has the potential to qualify as a candidate endophenotype for schizophrenia in studies of at-risk children. A total of 59 monozygotic twin pairs and 33 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs ranging from 10 to 18 years of age were tested on the SSAT, a Continuous Performance Test. (CPT), a Span of Apprehension Test (SPAN) and a full-scale IQ test. Baseline performance on the SSAT, which was correlated with verbal IQ and SPAN performance, improved with age but showed no significant heritability. The P/N selectivity ratio was stable over the 10-18-year age range, was not significantly correlated with IQ, CPT, or SPAN performance, and its heritability was estimated to be 0.41. These findings suggest that the P/N selectivity ratio measured by the SSAT may be useful as a vulnerability marker in studies of children born into families segregating schizophrenia.

Yeast as a tool to identify anti-aging compounds

PubMed Central

Zimmermann, Andreas; Hofer, Sebastian; Pendl, Tobias; Kainz, Katharina; Madeo, Frank; Carmona-Gutierrez, Didac

2018-01-01

Abstract In the search for interventions against aging and age-related diseases, biological screening platforms are indispensable tools to identify anti-aging compounds among large substance libraries. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has emerged as a powerful chemical and genetic screening platform, as it combines a rapid workflow with experimental amenability and the availability of a wide range of genetic mutant libraries. Given the amount of conserved genes and aging mechanisms between yeast and human, testing candidate anti-aging substances in yeast gene-deletion or overexpression collections, or de novo derived mutants, has proven highly successful in finding potential molecular targets. Yeast-based studies, for example, have led to the discovery of the polyphenol resveratrol and the natural polyamine spermidine as potential anti-aging agents. Here, we present strategies for pharmacological anti-aging screens in yeast, discuss common pitfalls and summarize studies that have used yeast for drug discovery and target identification. PMID:29905792

Developing an Assessment Method of Active Aging: University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale.

PubMed

Rantanen, Taina; Portegijs, Erja; Kokko, Katja; Rantakokko, Merja; Törmäkangas, Timo; Saajanaho, Milla

2018-01-01

To develop an assessment method of active aging for research on older people. A multiphase process that included drafting by an expert panel, a pilot study for item analysis and scale validity, a feedback study with focus groups and questionnaire respondents, and a test-retest study. Altogether 235 people aged 60 to 94 years provided responses and/or feedback. We developed a 17-item University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale with four aspects in each item (goals, ability, opportunity, and activity; range 0-272). The psychometric and item properties are good and the scale assesses a unidimensional latent construct of active aging. Our scale assesses older people's striving for well-being through activities pertaining to their goals, abilities, and opportunities. The University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale provides a quantifiable measure of active aging that may be used in postal questionnaires or interviews in research and practice.

[Applicability of syalometry and other instruments to evaluate xerostomia and xerophtalmia in a Sjögren's Syndrome outpatient clinic].

PubMed

Barcelos, Filipe; Patto, José Vaz; Parente, Manuela; Medeiros, Dina; Sousa, Miguel; Figueiredo, Rui; Miguel, Cláudia; Teixeira, Ana

2009-01-01

To evaluate the applicability and utility of unstimulated syalometry and instruments of evaluation of sicca complaints in a Sjögren's syndrome outpatient clinic. We performed unstimulated syalometry to 45 consecutive Primary Sjögren's Syndrome patients (PSS) and 21 healthy asymptomatic individuals age and sex-matched. PSS patients were further evaluated with Schirmer's test. We applied 3 published questionnaires to PSS patients: Xerostomia Inventory (XI), Oral Health Impact Profile-short form (OHIP) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), and correlated the results with syalometry and Schirmer's test. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS (Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's correlation). Salivary flux was significantly lower in PSS patients, as compared to controls (0.08+/-0.01 ml/min versus 0.38+/-0.25 ml/min, p=0.000), and decreased with age. Syalometry didn't correlate with Schirmer's test. OHIP scores (mean 26.8 points, ranging from 2 to 43 for a maximum of 56 points) didn't correlate with syalometry neither with Schirmer's test, but showed an association with the XI (p<0.0005) and OSDI (p<0.0005) tests. The XI questionnaire (mean 28.4 points, ranging from 11 to 41 for a maximum of 44 points) correlated with syalometry (p=0.018), with the OHIP questionary (p<0.0005) and with the OSDI scale (p=0.004), although it didn't correlate with Schirmer's test. OSDI scores (mean 56.5 points, ranging from 7 to 90 for a maximum of 100 points) didn't correlate with Schirmer's test neither with syalometry, but associated with the XI (p=0.004) and OHIP (p<0.0005) scales. Unstimulated syalometry is useful in the evaluation of patients suspected of suffering from Sjögren's syndrome, since it can confirm salivary hypofunction in a quick and cheap manner, allowing to differentiate between healthy individuals and patients. In a specialized clinic, the immediate availability of a salivary functional test is important in the classification of PSS or sicca syndrome. The xerostomia and xerophtalmia impact scales were mutually concordant, and since they evaluate the effects of the disease through time, could be helpful in our daily consultation.

A Model of Thermal Aging of Hyper-Elastic Materials with an Application to Natural Rubber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korba, Ahmed G.

Understanding the degradation of material properties and stress-strain behavior of rubber-like materials that has been exposed to elevated temperature is essential for rubber among components design and lifetime prediction. The complexity of the relationship between hyper-elastic materials, crosslinking density, and chemical composition present a difficult problem for the accurate prediction of mechanical properties under thermal aging. In the first part of the current research, a new and relatively simple mathematical formulation is presented to expresses the change in material properties of natural rubber subjected to various elevated temperatures and aging times. The aging temperatures ranged from 76.7 °C to 115.0 °C, and the aging times ranged from 0 to 600 hours. Based on the experimental data, the natural rubber mechanical properties under thermal aging showed a similar behavior to the rate of change of the crosslinking density (CLD) with aging time and temperature as determined as of the research. Three mechanical properties have been chosen to be studied: the ultimate tensile strength, the fracture stretch value, and the secant modulus at 11.0% strain. The proposed phenomenological model relates the mechanical properties with the rate of change of the CLD based on a form of Arrhenius equation. The proposed equations showed promising results compared to the experimental data with an acceptable error margin of less than 10% in most of the cases studied. In the second part of the current research, a closed form set of equations that was based on basic continuum mechanics assumptions has been proposed to define the material stress-strain behavior of natural rubber as an application of hyper-elastic materials. The proposed formulas include the influence of aging time and temperature. The newly proposed "Wight Function Based" (WFB) method has been verified against the historic Treloar's test data for uni-axial, bi-axial and pure shear loadings of Treloar's vulcanized rubber material, showing a promising level of confidence compared to the Ogden and the Yeoh methods. Tensile testing was performed on strip specimens that were thermally aged then subjected uni-axial tension and hardness tests. A non-linear least square optimization tool in Matlab (Lscurvefitt) was used for all fitting purposes.

Growth and development of male external genitalia: a cross-sectional study of 6200 males aged 0 to 19 years.

PubMed

Tomova, Analia; Deepinder, Fnu; Robeva, Ralitsa; Lalabonova, Hristina; Kumanov, Philip; Agarwal, Ashok

2010-12-01

To provide estimates of normal variations in penile measurements and testicular volumes, and to establish reference ranges for clinical use. Cross-sectional, population-based study. Schools, kindergartens, and child care centers in different parts of Bulgaria. A population of 6200 clinically healthy white males aged 0 to 19 years. The study physician chose schools, kindergartens, and child care centers randomly and examined children at random until he reached the required number. Each of the 20 age groups (age range, 0-19 years) had an equal number of males (ie, 310). The mean (SD) values and fifth, 50th, and 95th percentiles of height (Siber Hegner anthropometer), weight (beam balance), testicular volume (Prader orchidometer), penile length (rigid tape), and penile circumference (measuring tape) from birth to 19 years of age. Testes did not show any increase in size until the onset of puberty at age 11 years, whereas penile growth was gradual after birth. However, both penile and testicular development demonstrated peak growth from 12 to 16 years of age, which coincided with the maximal male pubertal growth spurt. Data indicate an earlier pubertal development for this study population than that for a similar population several decades ago. Significant differences between urban and rural populations regarding penile length were also noticed. Our study provides the contemporary reference range values for height, weight, testicular volume, and penile length and circumference of males aged 0 to 19 years. Our data show that, even by the end of 20th century, there is still some acceleration of male pubertal development. For the first time are reported somatic differences in genitalia within a population between urban and rural representatives.

Data and material of the Safe-Range-Inventory: An assistance tool helping to improve the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

PubMed

Carbon, Claus-Christian; Gebauer, Fabian

2017-10-01

The Safe-Range-Inventory (SRI) was constructed in order to help public authorities to improve the charging infrastructures for electric vehicles [1; 10.1016/j.trf.2017.04.011]. Specifically, the impact of fast (vs slow) charging stations on people's range anxiety was examined. Ninety-seven electric vehicle users from Germany (81 male; M age =46.3 years, SD =12.1) were recruited to participate in the experimental design. Statistical analyses were conducted using ANOVA for repeated measures to test for interaction effects of available charging stations and remaining range with the dependent variable range anxiety . The full data set is publicly available via https://osf.io/bveyw/ (Carbon and Gebauer, 2017) [2].

Systemic inflammation in 222.841 healthy employed smokers and nonsmokers: white blood cell count and relationship to spirometry

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Smoking has been linked to low-grade systemic inflammation, a known risk factor for disease. This state is reflected in elevated white blood cell (WBC) count. Objective We analyzed the relationship between WBC count and smoking in healthy men and women across several age ranges who underwent preventive medical check-ups in the workplace. We also analysed the relationship between smoking and lung function. Methods Cross-sectional descriptive study in 163 459 men and 59 382 women aged between 16 and 70 years. Data analysed were smoking status, WBC count, and spirometry readings. Results Total WBC showed higher counts in both male and female smokers, around 1000 to 1300 cell/ml (t test, P < 0.001). Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%) was higher in nonsmokers for both sexes between 25 to 54 years (t test, P < 0.001). Analysis of covariance showed a multiple variable effect of age, sex, smoking status, body mass index on WBC count. The relationship between WBC blood count and smoking status was confirmed after the sample was stratified for these variables. Smokers with airway obstruction measured by FEV1% were found to have higher WBC counts, in comparison to smokers with a normal FEV1% among similar age and BMI groups. Conclusions Smoking increases WBC count and affects lung function. The effects are evident across a wide age range, underlining the importance of initiating preventive measures as soon as an individual begins to smoke. PMID:22613769

Estimation of premorbid general fluid intelligence using traditional Chinese reading performance in Taiwanese samples.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Jen; Ho, Meng-Yang; Chen, Kwan-Ju; Hsu, Chia-Fen; Ryu, Shan-Jin

2009-08-01

The aims of the present study were to (i) investigate if traditional Chinese word reading ability can be used for estimating premorbid general intelligence; and (ii) to provide multiple regression equations for estimating premorbid performance on Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM), using age, years of education and Chinese Graded Word Reading Test (CGWRT) scores as predictor variables. Four hundred and twenty-six healthy volunteers (201 male, 225 female), aged 16-93 years (mean +/- SD, 41.92 +/- 18.19 years) undertook the tests individually under supervised conditions. Seventy percent of subjects were randomly allocated to the derivation group (n = 296), and the rest to the validation group (n = 130). RSPM score was positively correlated with CGWRT score and years of education. RSPM and CGWRT scores and years of education were also inversely correlated with age, but the declining trend for RSPM performance against age was steeper than that for CGWRT performance. Separate multiple regression equations were derived for estimating RSPM scores using different combinations of age, years of education, and CGWRT score for both groups. The multiple regression coefficient of each equation ranged from 0.71 to 0.80 with the standard error of estimate between 7 and 8 RSPM points. When fitting the data of one group to the equations derived from its counterpart group, the cross-validation multiple regression coefficients ranged from 0.71 to 0.79. There were no significant differences in the 'predicted-obtained' RSPM discrepancies between any equations. The regression equations derived in the present study may provide a basis for estimating premorbid RSPM performance.

Testosterone Treatment and Cognitive Function in Older Men With Low Testosterone and Age-Associated Memory Impairment.

PubMed

Resnick, Susan M; Matsumoto, Alvin M; Stephens-Shields, Alisa J; Ellenberg, Susan S; Gill, Thomas M; Shumaker, Sally A; Pleasants, Debbie D; Barrett-Connor, Elizabeth; Bhasin, Shalender; Cauley, Jane A; Cella, David; Crandall, Jill P; Cunningham, Glenn R; Ensrud, Kristine E; Farrar, John T; Lewis, Cora E; Molitch, Mark E; Pahor, Marco; Swerdloff, Ronald S; Cifelli, Denise; Anton, Stephen; Basaria, Shehzad; Diem, Susan J; Wang, Christina; Hou, Xiaoling; Snyder, Peter J

2017-02-21

Most cognitive functions decline with age. Prior studies suggest that testosterone treatment may improve these functions. To determine if testosterone treatment compared with placebo is associated with improved verbal memory and other cognitive functions in older men with low testosterone and age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). The Testosterone Trials (TTrials) were 7 trials to assess the efficacy of testosterone treatment in older men with low testosterone levels. The Cognitive Function Trial evaluated cognitive function in all TTrials participants. In 12 US academic medical centers, 788 men who were 65 years or older with a serum testosterone level less than 275 ng/mL and impaired sexual function, physical function, or vitality were allocated to testosterone treatment (n = 394) or placebo (n = 394). A subgroup of 493 men met criteria for AAMI based on baseline subjective memory complaints and objective memory performance. Enrollment in the TTrials began June 24, 2010; the final participant completed treatment and assessment in June 2014. Testosterone gel (adjusted to maintain the testosterone level within the normal range for young men) or placebo gel for 1 year. The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline to 6 months and 12 months for delayed paragraph recall (score range, 0 to 50) among men with AAMI. Secondary outcomes were mean changes in visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test; score range, 0 to -26), executive function (Trail-Making Test B minus A; range, -290 to 290), and spatial ability (Card Rotation Test; score range, -80 to 80) among men with AAMI. Tests were administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Among the 493 men with AAMI (mean age, 72.3 years [SD, 5.8]; mean baseline testosterone, 234 ng/dL [SD, 65.1]), 247 were assigned to receive testosterone and 246 to receive placebo. Of these groups, 247 men in the testosterone group and 245 men in the placebo completed the memory study. There was no significant mean change from baseline to 6 and 12 months in delayed paragraph recall score among men with AAMI in the testosterone and placebo groups (adjusted estimated difference, -0.07 [95% CI, -0.92 to 0.79]; P = .88). Mean scores for delayed paragraph recall were 14.0 at baseline, 16.0 at 6 months, and 16.2 at 12 months in the testosterone group and 14.4 at baseline, 16.0 at 6 months, and 16.5 at 12 months in the placebo group. Testosterone was also not associated with significant differences in visual memory (-0.28 [95% CI, -0.76 to 0.19]; P = .24), executive function (-5.51 [95% CI, -12.91 to 1.88]; P = .14), or spatial ability (-0.12 [95% CI, -1.89 to 1.65]; P = .89). Among older men with low testosterone and age-associated memory impairment, treatment with testosterone for 1 year compared with placebo was not associated with improved memory or other cognitive functions. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00799617.

Capturing the fragile X premutation phenotypes: a collaborative effort across multiple cohorts.

PubMed

Hunter, Jessica Ezzell; Sherman, Stephanie; Grigsby, Jim; Kogan, Cary; Cornish, Kim

2012-03-01

To capture the neuropsychological profile among male carriers of the FMR1 premutation allele (55-200 CGG repeats) who do not meet diagnostic criteria for the late-onset fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, FXTAS. We have initiated a multicenter collaboration that includes 3 independent cohorts, totaling 100 carriers of the premutation and 216 noncarriers. The initial focus of this collaboration has been on executive function. Four executive function scores are shared among the 3 cohorts (Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Stroop Color-Word Test, and Wechsler backward digit span and letter-number sequencing) whereas additional executive function scores are available for specific cohorts (Behavior Dyscontrol Scale, Hayling Sentence Completion Test Part B, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Raw scores were analyzed by using statistical models that adjust for cohort-specific effects as well as age and education. Carriers scored significantly lower compared to noncarriers on the Stroop Color-Word Test (p = .01), Hayling Sentence Completion Test Part B (p < .01), and Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale (p = .03), with the Hayling displaying a significant age-related decline (p = .01), as assessed by an age and repeat length-group interaction. Follow-up analysis of the collective data did not identify any specific age groups or repeat length ranges (i.e., low premutation = 55-70 repeats, midpremutation = 71-100 repeats, high premutation = 101-199 repeats) that were associated with an increased risk of executive function deficits. Preliminary analyses do not indicate global executive function impairment among male carriers without FXTAS compared to noncarriers. However, impairment in inhibitory capacity may be present among a subset of carriers, though the risk factors for this group do not appear to be related to age or repeat length.

Development and Standardization of a Test for Pragmatic Language Skills in Egyptian Arabic: The Egyptian Arabic Pragmatic Language Test (EAPLT).

PubMed

Khodeir, Mona S; Hegazi, Mona A; Saleh, Marwa M

2018-03-19

The aim of this study was to standardize an Egyptian Arabic Pragmatic Language Test (EAPLT) using linguistically and socially suitable questions and pictures in order to be able to address specific deficits in this language domain. Questions and pictures were designed for the EAPLT to assess 3 pragmatic language subsets: pragmatic skills, functions, and factors. Ten expert phoniatricians were asked to review the EAPLT and complete a questionnaire to assess the validity of the test items. The EAPLT was applied in 120 typically developing Arabic-speaking Egyptian children (64 females and 56 males) randomly selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria in the age range between 2 years, 1 month, 1 day and 9 years, 12 months, 31 days. Children's scores were used to calculate the means and standard deviations and the 5th and 95th percentiles to determine the age of the pragmatic skills acquisition. All experts have mostly agreed that the EAPLT gives a general idea about children's pragmatic language development. Test-retest reliability analysis proved the high reliability and internal consistency of the EAPLT subsets. A statistically significant correlation was found between the test subsets and age. The EAPLT is a valid and reliable Egyptian Arabic test that can be applied in order to detect a pragmatic language delay. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Personalized pulmonary rehabilitation and occupational therapy based on cardiopulmonary exercise testing for patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PubMed Central

Maekura, Ryoji; Hiraga, Toru; Miki, Keisuke; Kitada, Seigo; Miki, Mari; Yoshimura, Kenji; Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Kawabe, Toshiko; Mori, Masahide

2015-01-01

Take-home summary Personalized pulmonary rehabilitation including occupational therapy improves the prognosis of patients with advanced COPD. Purpose We previously reported that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit three exercise-induced life-threatening conditions: hypoxemia, sympathetic overactivity, and respiratory acidosis. We aimed to verify whether mortality in patients with advanced COPD could be reduced by a personalized pulmonary rehabilitation (PPR) program in hospital, which determines individual safe ranges and includes occupational therapy (PPR-OT), to prevent desaturation and sympathetic nerve activation during daily activities. Patients and methods The novel PPR-OT program was evaluated in a retrospective study of patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] Grade D) who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) between April 1990 and December 1999. They received regular treatment without the proposed therapy (control group: n=61; male-to-female ratio [M:F] =57:4; mean age: 68.5±6.7 years) or with the proposed therapy (PPR-OT group: n=46; M:F =44:2; mean age: 68.7±7.1 years). A prospective observational study included patients with COPD receiving home oxygen therapy (HOT) between April 1995 and March 2007 to compare the survival rates of the control group (n=47; M:F ratio =34:13; mean age: 71.3±10.0 years) and the PPR-OT group (n=85; M:F =78:7; mean age: 70.7±6.1 years) who completed the proposed therapy. Survival after CPET or HOT was analyzed using Cox proportional-hazards regression and Kaplan–Meier analyses. Results In both studies, the program significantly improved all-cause mortality (retrospective study: risk ratio =0.389 [range: 0.172–0.800]; P=0.0094; log-rank test, P=0.0094; observational study: risk ratio =0.515 [range: 0.296–0.933]; P=0.0291; log-rank test, P=0.0232]. At 5 years and 7 years, all-cause mortality was extremely low in patients in the PPR-OT group receiving HOT (18.8% and 28.2%, respectively), compared to that in the control group (34.0% and 44.7%, respectively). Survival of patients with life-threatening pathophysiological conditions also greatly improved. Conclusion The PPR-OT program improved the survival of patients with advanced COPD probably because it modified life-threatening conditions. PMID:26366071

Home food safety program for the Georgia Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

PubMed

Sellers, Tiffany; Andress, Elizabeth; Fischer, Joan G; Johnson, Mary Ann

2006-01-01

This study examined the effects of an educational intervention on improving home food safety practices (HFSP) in 136 older adults (mean age: 79 years; 74% female; 61% Caucasian). At the pre-test, adherence to 16 HFSP was variable and ranged from or= 76% for other practices. Following the intervention, participants were more likely to wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before eating (76% vs. 90%, P

Assessment of brain core temperature using MR DWI-thermometry in Alzheimer disease patients compared to healthy subjects.

PubMed

Sparacia, Gianvincenzo; Sakai, Koji; Yamada, Kei; Giordano, Giovanna; Coppola, Rosalia; Midiri, Massimo; Grimaldi, Luigi Maria

2017-04-01

To assess the brain core temperature of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients in comparison with healthy volunteers using diffusion-weighted thermometry. Fourteen AD patients (3 men, 11 women; age range 60-81 years, mean age 73.8 ± 6.1 years) and 14 healthy volunteers, age and sex-matched (mean age 70.1 ± 6.9 years; range 62-84 years; 5 men, 9 women) underwent MR examination between February 2014 and March 2016. MR imaging studies were performed with a 1.5-T MR scanner. Brain core temperature (T: °C) was calculated using the following equation from the diffusion coefficient (D) in the lateral ventricular (LV) cerebrospinal fluid: T = 2256.74/ln (4.39221/D) - 273.15 using a standard DWI single-shot echo-planar pulse sequence (b value 1000 s/mm 2 ). Statistical analysis was performed using a nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test to compare the patient and control groups regarding LV temperatures. There was no significant difference (P = 0.1937) in LV temperature between patients (mean 37.9 ± 1.1 °C, range 35.8-39.2 °C) and control group (38.7 ± 1.4 °C, range 36.9-42.7 °C). Brain core temperature in AD patients showed no significant alterations compared to healthy volunteers.

Decreased Visual Function Scores on a Low Luminance Questionnaire Is Associated with Impaired Dark Adaptation.

PubMed

Yazdanie, Mohammad; Alvarez, Jason; Agrón, Elvira; Wong, Wai T; Wiley, Henry E; Ferris, Frederick L; Chew, Emily Y; Cukras, Catherine

2017-09-01

We investigate whether responses on a Low Luminance Questionnaire (LLQ) in patients with a range of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) severity are associated with their performance on focal dark adaptation (DA) testing and with choroidal thickness. Cross-sectional, single-center, observational study. A total of 113 participants older than 50 years of age with a range of AMD severity. Participants answered the LLQ on the same day they underwent DA testing using a focal dark adaptometer measuring rod intercept time (RIT). We performed univariable and multivariable analyses of the LLQ scores and age, RIT, AMD severity, subfoveal choroidal thickness [SFCT], phakic status, and best-corrected visual acuity. The primary outcome of this study was the score on the 32-question LLQ. Each item in the LLQ is designated to 1 of 6 subscales describing functional problems in low luminance: driving, emotional distress, mobility, extreme lighting, peripheral vision, and general dim lighting. Scores were computed for each subscale, in addition to a weighted total mean score. Responses from 113 participants (mean age, 76.2±9.3 years; 58.4% were female) and 113 study eyes were analyzed. Univariable analysis demonstrated that lower scores on all LLQ subscales were correlated with prolonged DA testing (longer RIT) and decreased choroidal thickness. All associations were statistically significant except for the association of choroidal thickness and "peripheral vision." The strongest association was the LLQ subscale of driving with RIT (r =-0.97, P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis for each of the LLQ subscale outcomes, adjusted for age, included RIT, with total LLQ score, "driving," "extreme lighting," and "mobility" also including choroidal thickness. In all multivariable analyses, RIT had a stronger association than choroidal thickness. This cross-sectional analysis demonstrates associations of patient-reported functional deficits, as assessed on the LLQ, with both reduced DA and reduced choroidal thickness, in a population of older adults with varying degrees of AMD severity and good visual acuity in at least 1 eye. These analyses suggest that local functional measurements of DA testing (RIT) and choroidal thickness are associated with patient-reported functional deficits. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Testing cognitive function in elderly populations: the PROSPER study. PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk.

PubMed

Houx, P J; Shepherd, J; Blauw, G-J; Murphy, M B; Ford, I; Bollen, E L; Buckley, B; Stott, D J; Jukema, W; Hyland, M; Gaw, A; Norrie, J; Kamper, A M; Perry, I J; MacFarlane, P W; Meinders, A Edo; Sweeney, B J; Packard, C J; Twomey, C; Cobbe, S M; Westendorp, R G

2002-10-01

For large scale follow up studies with non-demented patients in which cognition is an endpoint, there is a need for short, inexpensive, sensitive, and reliable neuropsychological tests that are suitable for repeated measurements. The commonly used Mini-Mental-State-Examination fulfils only the first two requirements. In the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER), 5804 elderly subjects aged 70 to 82 years were examined using a learning test (memory), a coding test (general speed), and a short version of the Stroop test (attention). Data presented here were collected at dual baseline, before randomisation for active treatment. The tests proved to be reliable (with test/retest reliabilities ranging from acceptable (r=0.63) to high (r=0.88) and sensitive to detect small differences in subjects from different age categories. All tests showed significant practice effects: performance increased from the first measurement to the first follow up after two weeks. Normative data are provided that can be used for one time neuropsychological testing as well as for assessing individual and group change. Methods for analysing cognitive change are proposed.

Effect of outdoor exposure at ambient and elevated temperatures on fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy sheet in the annealed and the solution treated and aged condition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, E. P.

1974-01-01

Specimens of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy sheet in the annealed and the solution-treated and aged heat-treatment condition were exposed outdoors at ambient and 560 K (550 F) temperatures to determine the effect of outdoor exposure on fatigue life. Effects of exposure were determined by comparing fatigue lives of exposed specimens to those of unexpected specimens. Two procedures for fatigue testing the exposed specimens were evaluated: (1) fatigue tests conducted outdoors by applying 1200 load cycles per week until failure occurred and (2) conventional fatigue tests (continuous cycling until failure occurred) conducted indoors after outdoor exposure under static load. The exposure period ranged from 9 to 28 months for the outdoor fatigue-test group and was 24 months for the static-load group. All fatigue tests were constant-amplitude bending of specimens containing a drilled hole (stress concentration factor of 1.6). The results of the tests indicate that the fatigue lives of solution-treated and aged specimens were significantly reduced by the outdoor exposure at 560 K but not by the exposure at ambient temperature. Fatigue lives of the annealed specimens were essentially unaffected by the outdoor exposure at either temperature. The two test procedures - outdoor fatigue test and indoor fatigue test after outdoor exposure - led to the same conclusions about exposure effects.

Impact of landfill liner time-temperature history on the service life of HDPE geomembranes.

PubMed

Rowe, R Kerry; Islam, M Z

2009-10-01

The observed temperatures in different landfills are used to establish a number of idealized time-temperature histories for geomembrane liners in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. These are then used for estimating the service life of different HDPE geomembranes. The predicted antioxidant depletion times (Stage I) are between 7 and 750 years with the large variation depending on the specific HDPE geomembrane product, exposure conditions, and most importantly, the magnitude and duration of the peak liner temperature. The higher end of the range corresponds to data from geomembranes aged in simulated landfill liner tests and a maximum liner temperature of 37 degrees C. The lower end of the range corresponds to a testing condition where geomembranes were immersed in a synthetic leachate and a maximum liner temperature of 60 degrees C. The total service life of the geomembranes was estimated to be between 20 and 3300 years depending on the time-temperature history examined. The range illustrates the important role that time-temperature history could play in terms of geomembrane service life. The need for long-term monitoring of landfill liner temperature and for geomembrane ageing studies that will provide improved data for assessing the likely long-term performance of geomembranes in MSW landfills are highlighted.

Evaluation of Two Systems for Fundus-Controlled Scotopic and Mesopic Perimetry in Eye with Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PubMed

Steinberg, Julia S; Saßmannshausen, Marlene; Pfau, Maximilian; Fleckenstein, Monika; Finger, Robert P; Holz, Frank G; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the MP-1S (Nidek Technologies, Padova, Italy) and the S-MAIA (CenterVue, Padova, Italy) for mesopic and scotopic fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Eleven eyes from 11 patients underwent mesopic and, after 30 minutes of dark adaptation, scotopic (MP-1S: Goldmann V, 200 ms, background luminance 0.0032 cd/m 2 ; S-MAIA: Goldman III, 200 ms, background luminance <0.0001 cd/m 2 ) FCP. For the S-MAIA device, cyan (505 nm) and red (627 nm) scotopic FCP were performed. For both devices, a grid of 56 stimulus points covering 16° of the central macula was used. Examination time, fixation stability, and threshold values were analyzed. The upper end of the dynamic range (≤4 dB of lowest threshold) was frequently reached by the MP-1S for mesopic testing (median 34 of 56 stimuli), while threshold values within the lower 4 dB of the dynamic range were occasionally found with the S-MAIA for scotopic testing (median 3 for cyan, median 2 for red). After correction of the stimulus intensity for the S-MAIA results, the median difference for all stimuli between both devices for mesopic testing was -2.0 dB (interquartile range [-4;0], range -14 to 6). The results indicate that robust testing of mesopic and scotopic function is feasible with both devices in patients with AMD, although both devices are susceptible to floor and ceiling effects. The interpretation and particularly the comparison of both scotopic and mesopic FCP results between the MP-1S and the S-MAIA in AMD eyes need to consider variable susceptibility of floor and ceiling effects. Further software updates are desirable as FCP captures visual functional loss that is not noted with best-corrected central visual acuity and is important for clinical trials in AMD.

Testing a novel method for improving wayfinding by means of a P3b Virtual Reality Visual Paradigm in normal aging.

PubMed

de Tommaso, Marina; Ricci, Katia; Delussi, Marianna; Montemurno, Anna; Vecchio, Eleonora; Brunetti, Antonio; Bevilacqua, Vitoantonio

2016-01-01

We propose a virtual reality (VR) model, reproducing a house environment, where color modification of target places, obtainable by home automation in a real ambient, was tested by means of a P3b paradigm. The target place (bathroom door) was designed to be recognized during a virtual wayfinding in a realistic reproduction of a house environment. Different color and luminous conditions, easily obtained in the real ambient from a remote home automation control, were applied to the target and standard places, all the doors being illuminated in white (W), and only target doors colored with a green (G) or red (R) spotlight. Three different Virtual Environments (VE) were depicted, as the bathroom was designed in the aisle (A), living room (L) and bedroom (B). EEG was recorded from 57 scalp electrodes in 10 healthy subjects in the 60-80 year age range (O-old group) and 12 normal cases in the 20-30 year age range (Y-young group). In Young group, all the target stimuli determined a significant increase in P3b amplitude on the parietal, occipital and central electrodes compared to frequent stimuli condition, whatever was the color of the target door, while in elderly group the P3b obtained by the green and red colors was significantly different from the frequent stimulus, on the parietal, occipital, and central derivations, while the White stimulus did not evoke a significantly larger P3b with respect to frequent stimulus. The modulation of P3b amplitude, obtained by color and luminance change of target place, suggests that cortical resources, able to compensate the age-related progressive loss of cognitive performance, need to be facilitated even in normal elderly. The event-related responses obtained by virtual reality may be a reliable method to test the environmental feasibility to age-related cognitive changes.

Estimation of the Blood Pressure Response With Exercise Stress Testing.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Benjamin T; Ballard, Emma L; Scalia, Gregory M

2018-04-20

The blood pressure response to exercise has been described as a significant increase in systolic BP (sBP) with a smaller change in diastolic BP (dBP). This has been documented in small numbers, in healthy young men or in ethnic populations. This study examines these changes in low to intermediate risk of myocardial ischaemia in men and women over a wide age range. Consecutive patients having stress echocardiography were analysed. Ischaemic tests were excluded. Manual BP was estimated before and during standard Bruce protocol treadmill testing. Patient age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and resting and peak exercise BP were recorded. 3200 patients (mean age 58±12years) were included with 1123 (35%) females, and 2077 males, age range 18 to 93 years. Systolic BP increased from 125±17mmHg to 176±23mmHg. The change in sBP (ΔsBP) was 51mmHg (95% CI 51,52). The ΔdBP was 1mmHg (95% CI 1, 1), from 77 to 78mmHg, p<0.001). The upper limit of normal peak exercise sBP (determined by the 90th percentile) was 210mmHg in males and 200mmHg in females. The upper limit of normal ΔsBP was 80mmHg in males and 70mmHg in females. The lower limit of normal ΔsBP was 30mmHg in males and 20mmHg in females. In this large cohort, sBP increased significantly with exercise. Males had on average higher values than females. Similar changes were seen with the ΔsBP. The upper limit of normal for peak exercise sBP and ΔsBP are reported by age and gender. Copyright © 2018 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). All rights reserved.

Testing for HPV as an objective measure for quality assurance in gynecologic cytology: positive rates in equivocal and abnormal specimens and comparison with the ASCUS to SIL ratio.

PubMed

Ko, Vincent; Nanji, Shabin; Tambouret, Rosemary H; Wilbur, David C

2007-04-25

Inappropriate use of the category of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) can result in overtreatment or undertreatment of patients, which may decrease the cost effectiveness of screening. Quality assurance tools, such as the ASCUS to squamous intraepithelial lesion ratio (ASCUS:SIL) and case review, are imperfect. High-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing is an objective test for a known viral carcinogen, and hrHPV may be more useful in monitoring the quality of ASCUS interpretations. hrHPV rates for cytologic diagnoses and patient age groups were calculated for a 2-year period. All hrHPV results for ASCUS and SIL over a 17-month period were analyzed by patient age group, over time, and by individual cytopathologist to compare hrHPV rates with the corresponding ASCUS:SIL. The hrHPV positive rate for SIL was >90%, and it was 32.6% for ASCUS. Stratification by patient age showed that approximately 50% of patients younger than 30 years and older than 70 years of age were hrHPV positive, whereas other patients had a lower rate ranging from 14% to 34%. The overall ASCUS:SIL was 1.42, and the overall hrHPV positive rate was 39.9%. Over time and by individual cytopathologist, the hrHPV rate performed similarly to the ASCUS:SIL. The analysis by patient age showed a high statistical correlation (R(2) = 0.9772) between the 2 methods. Despite differences between these techniques, the hrHPV rate closely recapitulates the ASCUS:SIL. When used together, the 2 methods can complement each other. The desirable hrHPV-positive range appears to be 40% to 50%; however, this may vary based on the patient population. The hrHPV rate is as quick and cost effective as determining the ASCUS:SIL. (c) 2007 American Cancer Society.

Health and economic impact of HPV 16 and 18 vaccination and cervical cancer screening in India

PubMed Central

Diaz, M; Kim, J J; Albero, G; de Sanjosé, S; Clifford, G; Bosch, F X; Goldie, S J

2008-01-01

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women in low-income countries, with ∼25% of cases worldwide occurring in India. We estimated the potential health and economic impact of different cervical cancer prevention strategies. After empirically calibrating a cervical cancer model to country-specific epidemiologic data, we projected cancer incidence, life expectancy, and lifetime costs (I$2005), and calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (I$/YLS) for the following strategies: pre-adolescent vaccination of girls before age 12, screening of women over age 30, and combined vaccination and screening. Screening differed by test (cytology, visual inspection, HPV DNA testing), number of clinical visits (1, 2 or 3), frequency (1 × , 2 × , 3 × per lifetime), and age range (35–45). Vaccine efficacy, coverage, and costs were varied in sensitivity analyses. Assuming 70% coverage, mean reduction in lifetime cancer risk was 44% (range, 28–57%) with HPV 16,18 vaccination alone, and 21–33% with screening three times per lifetime. Combining vaccination and screening three times per lifetime provided a mean reduction of 56% (vaccination plus 3-visit conventional cytology) to 63% (vaccination plus 2-visit HPV DNA testing). At a cost per vaccinated girl of I$10 (per dose cost of $2), pre-adolescent vaccination followed by screening three times per lifetime using either VIA or HPV DNA testing, would be considered cost-effective using the country's per capita gross domestic product (I$3452) as a threshold. In India, if high coverage of pre-adolescent girls with a low-cost HPV vaccine that provides long-term protection is achievable, vaccination followed by screening three times per lifetime is expected to reduce cancer deaths by half, and be cost-effective. PMID:18612311

Workup for Perinatal Stroke Does Not Predict Recurrence.

PubMed

Lehman, Laura L; Beaute, Jeanette; Kapur, Kush; Danehy, Amy R; Bernson-Leung, Miya E; Malkin, Hayley; Rivkin, Michael J; Trenor, Cameron C

2017-08-01

Perinatal stroke, including neonatal and presumed perinatal presentation, represents the age in childhood in which stroke occurs most frequently. The roles of thrombophilia, arteriopathy, and cardiac anomalies in perinatal ischemic stroke are currently unclear. We took a uniform approach to perinatal ischemic stroke evaluation to study these risk factors and their association with recurrent stroke. We reviewed records of perinatal stroke patients evaluated from August 2008 to February 2016 at a single referral center. Demographics, echocardiography, arterial imaging, and thrombophilia testing were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test. Across 215 cases, the median follow-up was 3.17 years (1.49, 6.46). Females comprised 42.8% of cases. Age of presentation was neonatal (110, 51.2%) or presumed perinatal (105, 48.8%). The median age at diagnosis was 2.9 days (interquartile range, 2.0-9.9) for neonatal stroke and 12.9 months (interquartile range, 8.7-32.8) for presumed perinatal stroke. Strokes were classified as arterial (149, 69.3%), venous (60, 27.9%), both (4, 1.9%), or uncertain (2, 0.9%) by consensus imaging review. Of the 215 cases, there were 6 (2.8%) recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events. Abnormal thrombophilia testing was not associated with recurrent stroke, except for a single patient with combined antithrombin deficiency and protein C deficiency. After excluding venous events, 155 patients were evaluated for arteriopathy and cardioembolic risk factors; neither was associated with recurrent stroke. Positive family history of thrombosis was not predictive of abnormal thrombophilia testing. Thrombophilia, arteriopathy, or cardioembolic risk factors were not predictive of recurrent events after perinatal stroke. Thrombophilia evaluation in perinatal stroke should only rarely be considered. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Association of Muscle Endurance, Fatigability, and Strength With Functional Limitation and Mortality in the Health Aging and Body Composition Study

PubMed Central

Patel, Kushang V.; Fried, Linda F.; Robinson-Cohen, Cassianne; de Boer, Ian H.; Harris, Tamara; Murphy, Rachel A.; Satterfield, Suzanne; Goodpaster, Bret H.; Shlipak, Michael; Newman, Anne B.; Kestenbaum, Bryan

2017-01-01

Background: Mobility limitation is highly prevalent among older adults and is central to the loss of functional independence. Dynamic isokinetic muscle fatigue testing may reveal increased vulnerability to disability and mortality beyond strength testing. Methods: We studied community-dwelling older adults enrolled in the Health Aging and Body Composition study (age range: 71–82) free of mobility disability and who underwent isokinetic muscle fatigue testing in 1999–2000 (n = 1,963). Isokinetic quadriceps work and fatigue index was determined over 30 repetitions and compared with isometric quadriceps maximum torque. Work was normalized to leg lean mass accounting for gender-specific differences (specific work). The primary outcome was incident persistent severe lower extremity limitation (PSLL), defined as two consecutive reports of either having a lot of difficulty or being unable to walk 1/4 mile or climb 10 steps without resting. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results: There were 608 (31%) occurrences of incident PSLL and 488 (25%) deaths during median follow-up of 9.3 years. After adjustment, lower isokinetic work was associated with significantly greater risks of PSLL and mortality across the full measured range. Hazard ratios per standard deviation lower specific isokinetic work were 1.22 (95% CI 1.12, 1.33) for PSLL and 1.21 (95% CI 1.13, 1.30) for mortality, respectively. Lower isometric strength was associated with PSLL, but not mortality. Fatigue index was not associated with PSLL or mortality. Conclusions: Muscle endurance, estimated by isokinetic work, is an indicator of muscle health associated with mobility limitation and mortality providing important insight beyond strength testing. PMID:27907890

Age-Related Differences in Socio-demographic and Behavioral Determinants of HIV Testing and Counseling in HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept.

PubMed

Salazar-Austin, N; Kulich, M; Chingono, A; Chariyalertsak, S; Srithanaviboonchai, K; Gray, G; Richter, L; van Rooyen, H; Morin, S; Sweat, M; Mbwambo, J; Szekeres, G; Coates, T; Celentano, D

2018-02-01

Youth represent a large proportion of new HIV infections worldwide, yet their utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) remains low. Using the post-intervention, cross-sectional, population-based household survey done in 2011 as part of HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept, a cluster-randomized trial of community mobilization and mobile HTC in South Africa (Soweto and KwaZulu Natal), Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Thailand, we evaluated age-related differences among socio-demographic and behavioral determinants of HTC in study participants by study arm, site, and gender. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed using complete individual data from 13,755 participants with recent HIV testing (prior 12 months) as the outcome. Youth (18-24 years) was not predictive of recent HTC, except for high-risk youth with multiple concurrent partners, who were less likely (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.61-0.92) to have recently been tested than youth reporting a single partner. Importantly, the intervention was successful in reaching men with site specific success ranging from aOR 1.27 (95% CI 1.05-1.53) in South Africa to aOR 2.30 in Thailand (95% CI 1.85-2.84). Finally, across a diverse range of settings, higher education (aOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.42, 1.96), higher socio-economic status (aOR 1.21; 95% CI 1.08-1.36), and marriage (aOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.37-1.75) were all predictive of recent HTC, which did not significantly vary across study arm, site, gender or age category (18-24 vs. 25-32 years).

Gastric emptying of solids in children: reference values for the (13) C-octanoic acid breath test.

PubMed

Hauser, B; Roelants, M; De Schepper, J; Veereman, G; Caveliers, V; Devreker, T; De Greef, E; Vandenplas, Y

2016-10-01

(99m) Technetium scintigraphy ((99m) TS) is the 'gold standard' for measuring gastric emptying (GE), but it is associated with a radiation exposure. For this reason, the (13) C-octanoic acid breath test ((13) C-OBT) was developed for measuring GE of solids. The objective of this study was to determine normal values for gastric half-emptying time (t1/2 GE) of solids in healthy children. Gastric emptying of a standardized solid test meal consisting of a pancake evaluated with (99m) TS and (13) C-OBT was compared in 22 children aged between 1 and 15 years with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Subsequently, the (13) C-OBT was used to determine normal values for GE of the same solid test meal in 120 healthy children aged between 1 and 17 years. The results showed a significant correlation (r = 0.748, p = 0.0001) between t1/2 GE measured with both techniques in the group of children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In the group of healthy children, mean t1/2 GE was 157.7 ± 54.0 min (range 71-415 min), but t1/2 GE decreased with age between 1 and 10 years and remained stable afterward. There was no influence of gender, weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area on t1/2 GE. Normal values for GE of solids measured with the (13) C-OBT using a standardized methodology were determined in healthy children. We propose to use this method and corresponding reference ranges to study GE of solids in children with gastrointestinal problems. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How Well Do Customers of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing Services Comprehend Genetic Test Results? Findings from the Impact of Personal Genomics Study.

PubMed

Ostergren, Jenny E; Gornick, Michele C; Carere, Deanna Alexis; Kalia, Sarah S; Uhlmann, Wendy R; Ruffin, Mack T; Mountain, Joanna L; Green, Robert C; Roberts, J Scott

2015-01-01

To assess customer comprehension of health-related personal genomic testing (PGT) results. We presented sample reports of genetic results and examined responses to comprehension questions in 1,030 PGT customers (mean age: 46.7 years; 59.9% female; 79.0% college graduates; 14.9% non-White; 4.7% of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity). Sample reports presented a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes, carrier screening summary results for >30 conditions, results for phenylketonuria and cystic fibrosis, and drug response results for a statin drug. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of participant comprehension. Participants exhibited high overall comprehension (mean score: 79.1% correct). The highest comprehension (range: 81.1-97.4% correct) was observed in the statin drug response and carrier screening summary results, and lower comprehension (range: 63.6-74.8% correct) on specific carrier screening results. Higher levels of numeracy, genetic knowledge, and education were significantly associated with greater comprehension. Older age (≥ 60 years) was associated with lower comprehension scores. Most customers accurately interpreted the health implications of PGT results; however, comprehension varied by demographic characteristics, numeracy and genetic knowledge, and types and format of the genetic information presented. Results suggest a need to tailor the presentation of PGT results by test type and customer characteristics. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

How Well Do Customers of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing Services Comprehend Genetic Test Results? Findings from the Impact of Personal Genomics Study

PubMed Central

Ostergren, Jenny E.; Gornick, Michele C.; Carere, Deanna Alexis; Kalia, Sarah S.; Uhlmann, Wendy R.; Ruffin, Mack T.; Mountain, Joanna L.; Green, Robert C.; Roberts, J. Scott

2016-01-01

Aim To assess customer comprehension of health-related personal genomic testing (PGT) results. Methods We presented sample reports of genetic results and examined responses to comprehension questions in 1,030 PGT customers (mean age: 46.7 years; 59.9% female; 79.0% college graduates; 14.9% non-White; 4.7% of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity). Sample reports presented a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, carrier screening summary results for >30 conditions, results for phenylketonuria and cystic fibrosis, and drug response results for a statin drug. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of participant comprehension. Results Participants exhibited high overall comprehension (mean score: 79.1% correct). The highest comprehension (range: 81.1–97.4% correct) was observed in the statin drug response and carrier screening summary results, and lower comprehension (range: 63.6–74.8% correct) on specific carrier screening results. Higher levels of numeracy, genetic knowledge, and education were significantly associated with greater comprehension. Older age (≥ 60 years) was associated with lower comprehension scores. Conclusions Most customers accurately interpreted the health implications of PGT results; however, comprehension varied by demographic characteristics, numeracy and genetic knowledge, and types and format of the genetic information presented. Results suggest a need to tailor the presentation of PGT results by test type and customer characteristics. PMID:26087778

The implementation of European Association of Urology guidelines in the management of acute epididymo-orchitis.

PubMed

Garthwaite, Mary A E; Johnson, G; Lloyd, S; Eardley, I

2007-11-01

Acute epididymo-orchitis is a common and increasing problem. This retrospective study reviewed whether the European Association of Urology guidelines for the management of acute epididymo-orchitis, which form the basis of this Trust's present inter-departmental guidelines, are being effectively implemented. Case notes of 53 patients attending the emergency department with acute epididymo-orchitis over a 6-month period were reviewed retrospectively. The hospital results' database was used to confirm the diagnostic tests requested on patients at the time of their initial presentation. Of the study cohort, 26 patients were aged 35 years. The results demonstrated that a sexual history was documented in only 43.4% of cases. A mid-stream urine sample was sent for routine culture in 54.7% of cases whilst urine for the Chlamydia polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was obtained in 17% and a urethral swab performed in 5.6%. Antibiotics were prescribed in 81% of cases. Of these patients, 46.5% received ciprofloxacin alone (mean age, 52 years; range, 18-87 years), 25.5% received doxycycline alone (mean age, 30 years; range, 18-45 years) and 21% received both ciprofloxacin and doxycycline (mean age, 33 years; range 18-49 years). In 26.4% of cases, verbal advice to attend a genito-urinary medicine clinic was given, whilst a formal telephone referral was made in only one case. Formal urological follow-up was arranged for only three out of 11 patients aged > 50 years. Although a joint emergency department/urology clinical protocol for the investigation and treatment of acute epididymo-orchitis already exists within the Trust, our current management conforms to this in only a minority of cases. Many different strategies can be employed in the implementation of clinical practice guidelines and all are associated with variable degrees of success. The regular movement of junior staff through each department necessitates that the distribution of management protocols and guidelines occurs at frequent intervals throughout the year and that their implementation is continuously monitored so that, if necessary, further implementation strategies can be employed.

Measuring episodic memory across the lifespan: NIH Toolbox Picture Sequence Memory Test.

PubMed

Dikmen, Sureyya S; Bauer, Patricia J; Weintraub, Sandra; Mungas, Dan; Slotkin, Jerry; Beaumont, Jennifer L; Gershon, Richard; Temkin, Nancy R; Heaton, Robert K

2014-07-01

Episodic memory is one of the most important cognitive domains that involves acquiring, storing and recalling new information. In this article, we describe a new measure developed for the NIH Toolbox, called the Picture Sequence Memory Test (PSMT) that is the first to examine episodic memory across the age range from 3 to 85. We describe the development of the measure and present validation data for ages 20 to 85. The PSMT involves presentation of sequences of pictured objects and activities in a fixed order on a computer screen and simultaneously verbally described, that the participant must remember and then reproduce over three learning trials. The results indicate good test-retest reliability and construct validity. Performance is strongly related to well-established "gold standard" measures of episodic memory and, as expected, much less well correlated with those of a measure of vocabulary. It shows clear decline with aging in parallel with a gold standard summary measure and relates to several other demographic factors and to self-reported general health status. The PSMT appears to be a reliable and valid test of episodic memory for adults, a finding similar to those found for the same measure with children.

Spanish normative studies in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults project): norms for Stroop Color-Word Interference and Tower of London-Drexel University tests.

PubMed

Rognoni, T; Casals-Coll, M; Sánchez-Benavides, G; Quintana, M; Manero, R M; Calvo, L; Palomo, R; Aranciva, F; Tamayo, F; Peña-Casanova, J

2013-03-01

The Stroop Color-Word Interference Test (Stroop) measures cognitive flexibility, selective attention, cognitive inhibition and information processing speed. The Tower of London-Drexel University version test (TOL) assesses higher-order problem solving and executive planning abilities. In this study, as part of the Spanish normative studies project in young adults (NEURONORMA young adults), we present normative data for the Stroop and young adults TOL tests. The sample consisted of 179 participants who are cognitively normal and range in age from 18 to 49 years. Tables are provided to convert raw scores to scaled scores. Scores adjusted for sociodemographic factors were obtained by applying linear regression techniques. No effects were found for age and sex in either test. Educational level impacted most of the Stroop test variables and some of the TOL scores (Total Moves score and Total Initiation Time score). The norms obtained will be extremely useful in the clinical evaluation of young Spanish adults. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Learning facts during aging: the benefits of curiosity.

PubMed

Galli, Giulia; Sirota, Miroslav; Gruber, Matthias J; Ivanof, Bianca Elena; Ganesh, Janani; Materassi, Maurizio; Thorpe, Alistair; Loaiza, Vanessa; Cappelletti, Marinella; Craik, Fergus I M

2018-05-22

Background/study context: Recent studies have shown that young adults better remember factual information they are curious about. It is not entirely clear, however, whether this effect is retained during aging. Here, the authors investigated curiosity-driven memory benefits in young and elderly individuals. In two experiments, young (age range 18-26) and older (age range 65-89) adults read trivia questions and rated their curiosity to find out the answer. They also attended to task-irrelevant faces presented between the trivia question and the answer. The authors then administered a surprise memory test to assess recall accuracy for trivia answers and recognition memory performance for the incidentally learned faces. In both young and elderly adults, recall performance was higher for answers to questions that elicited high levels of curiosity. In Experiment 1, the authors also found that faces presented in temporal proximity to curiosity-eliciting trivia questions were better recognized, indicating that the beneficial effects of curiosity extended to the encoding of task-irrelevant material. These findings show that elderly individuals benefit from the memory-enhancing effects of curiosity. This may lead to the implementation of learning strategies that target and stimulate curiosity in aging.

Absolute Ages and Distances of 22 GCs Using Monte Carlo Main-sequence Fitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Malley, Erin M.; Gilligan, Christina; Chaboyer, Brian

2017-04-01

The recent Gaia Data Release 1 of stellar parallaxes provides ample opportunity to find metal-poor main-sequence stars with precise parallaxes. We select 21 such stars with parallax uncertainties better than σ π /π ≤ 0.10 and accurate abundance determinations suitable for testing metal-poor stellar evolution models and determining the distance to Galactic globular clusters (GCs). A Monte Carlo analysis was used, taking into account uncertainties in the model construction parameters, to generate stellar models and isochrones to fit to the calibration stars. The isochrones that fit the calibration stars best were then used to determine the distances and ages of 22 GCs with metallicities ranging from -2.4 dex to -0.7 dex. We find distances with an average uncertainty of 0.15 mag and absolute ages ranging from 10.8 to 13.6 Gyr with an average uncertainty of 1.6 Gyr. Using literature proper motion data, we calculate orbits for the clusters, finding six that reside within the Galactic disk/bulge, while the rest are considered halo clusters. We find no strong evidence for a relationship between age and Galactocentric distance, but we do find a decreasing age-[Fe/H] relation.

[The speech audiometry using the matrix sentence test].

PubMed

Boboshko, M Yu; Zhilinskaia, E V; Warzybok, A; Maltseva, N V; Zokoll, M; Kollmeier, B

The matrix sentence test in which the five-word semantically unpredictable sentences presented under the background noise conditions are used as the speech material was designed and validated for many languages. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the Russian version of the matrix sentence test (RuMatrix test) in the listeners of different ages with normal hearing. At the first stage of the study, 35 listeners at the age from 18 to 33 year were examined. The results of the estimation of the training effect dictated the necessity of conducting two training tracks before carrying out the RuMatrix test proper. The signal-to-noise ratio at which 50% speech recognition (SRT50) was obtained was found to be -8.8±0.8 dB SNR. A significant effect of exposure to the background noise was demonstrated: the noise level of 80 and 75 Db SPL led to a considerably lower intelligibility than the noise levels in the range from 45 to 70 dB SPL; in the subsequent studies, the noise level of 65 dB SPL was used. The high test-retest reliability of the RuMatrix test was proved. At the second stage of the study, 20 young (20-40 year old) listeners and 20 aged (62-74 year old) ones were examined. The mean SRT50 in the aged patients was found to be -6.9±1.1 dB SNR which was much worse than the mean STR50 in the young subjects (-8.7±0.9 dB SNR). It is concluded that, bearing in mind the excellent comparability of the results of the RUMat rix test across different languages, it can be used as a universal tool in international research projects.

Geohydrology of test well USW H-1, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

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

Rush, F.E.; Thordarson, W.; Pyles, D.G.

This report contains the results of hydraulic testing, hydrologic monitoring, and geophysical logging of test well USW H-1, one of several wells drilled in the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site in cooperation with the US Department of Energy for investigations related to the isolation of high-level radioactive wastes. All rocks penetrated by the well to a total depth of 1829 meters were of volcanic origin and of Tertiary age. Hydraulic head in the zone 688 to 741 meters below land surface was 730 meters above sea level and at a depth of 572 meters below land surface. Deepermore » zones had hydraulic heads of 781 meters above sea level or higher, indicating an upward component of ground-water flow at the site. The most transmissive zone, with an apparent transmissivity of about 150 meters squared per day, is in the Prow Pass Member of the Crater Flat Tuff in the depth range from 572 to 688 meters below land surface. The remainder of the penetrated rocks in the saturated zone, 688 to 1829 meters, has an apparent transmissivity of about 1 meter squared per day. The most transmissive part of the lower depth range is in the Bullfrog Member of the Crater Flat Tuff in the depth interval from 736 to 741 meters. The apparent hydraulic conductivity of the rocks in this lower depth interval from 688 to 1829 meters commonly ranges between 10{sup -4} and 10{sup -7} meter per day. Water chemistry is typical of tuffaceous rocks of southern Nevada. The water is a sodium bicarbonate type and has an apparent age of 12,000 to 13,000 years before present, as determined by carbon-14 dating.« less

FIRST STATUS REPORT: TESTING OF AGED SOFTWOOD FIBERBOARD MATERIAL FOR THE 9975 SHIPPING PACKAGE

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

Daugherty, W.

2010-01-08

Samples have been prepared from a softwood fiberboard lower subassembly. Physical, mechanical and thermal properties have been measured following varying periods of conditioning in each of several environments. These tests have been conducted in the same manner as previous testing on cane fiberboard samples. Overall, similar aging trends are observed for softwood and cane fiberboard samples. Some of the observed differences result from the limited exposure periods of the softwood fiberboard samples, and the impact of seasonal humidity levels. Testing following additional conditioning will continue and should eliminate this bias. Post-conditioning data have been measured on a single softwood fiberboardmore » assembly, and baseline data are also available from a limited number of vendor-provided samples. This provides minimal information on the possible sample-to-sample variation exhibited by softwood fiberboard. Data to date are generally consistent with the range seen in cane fiberboard, but much of the compression strength data tends toward the lower end of that range. Further understanding of the variability of softwood fiberboard properties will require testing of additional material. Cane fiberboard wall sheathing is specified for thermal insulation and impact resistance in 9975 shipping packages. Softwood fiberboard manufactured by Knight-Celotex was approved as an acceptable substitute for transportation in 2008. Data in the literature [1] show a consistent trend in thermal properties of fiberboard as a function of temperature, density and/or moisture content regardless of material source. Thermal and mechanical properties were measured for un-aged softwood fiberboard samples, and found to be sufficiently similar to those of un-aged cane fiberboard to support the acceptance of 9975 packages with softwood fiberboard overpack into KAMS for storage. The continued acceptability of aged softwood fiberboard to meet KAMS storage requirements was the subject of subsequent activities. This is an interim status report for experiments carried out per Task Technical Plan WSRC-TR-2008-00024 [2], which is part of the comprehensive 9975 package surveillance program [3]. The primary goal of this task is to validate the preliminary assessment that Knight-Celotex softwood fiberboard is an acceptable substitute for cane fiberboard in the 9975 shipping package overpack, and that the long-term performance of these two materials in a storage environment is comparable.« less

Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Self-Transcendence Scale among very old people.

PubMed

Lundman, Berit; Årestedt, Kristofer; Norberg, Astrid; Norberg, Catharina; Fischer, Regina Santamäki; Lövheim, Hugo

2015-01-01

This study tested the psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the Self-Transcendence Scale (STS). Cohen's weighted kappa, agreement, absolute reliability, relative reliability, and internal consistency were calculated, and the underlying structure of the STS was established by exploratory factor analysis. There were 2 samples available: 1 including 194 people aged 85-103 years and a convenience sample of 60 people aged 21-69 years. Weighted kappa values ranged from .40 to .89. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the original STS was .763, and the least significant change between repeated tests was 6.25 points. The revised STS was found to have satisfactory psychometric properties, and 2 of the 4 underlying dimensions in Reed's self-transcendence theory were supported.

Assessment of executive functioning in children and young adults treated for frontal lobe tumours using ecologically valid tests.

PubMed

Longaud-Valès, A; Chevignard, M; Dufour, C; Grill, J; Puget, S; Sainte-Rose, C; Valteau-Couanet, D; Dellatolas, G

2016-08-01

There is a lack of studies assessing executive functions (EF) using ecologically valid tests in children with frontal lobe lesions. This study aimed to (1) evaluate EF in children, adolescents and young adults treated for childhood frontal lobe tumours, (2) identify factors influencing performance, such as age at diagnosis or type of treatment, and (3) examine correlations between intellectual ability and classical and ecological tests of EF. Twenty-one patients, aged 8-27 years, treated for a childhood benign or malignant frontal lobe tumour, and 42 healthy controls (matched for gender, age and socio-economic status) were assessed using classical tests of EF, and the BADS-C ecological battery. Patients also underwent assessment of intellectual ability and parent and teacher ratings of the BRIEF questionnaire. IQ scores ranged from 45 to 125 (mean FSIQ = 84) and were lower in case of epilepsy, hydrocephalus and lower parental education. Patients displayed deficits in most, but not all measures of EF. Most classical and ecological measures of EF were strongly correlated to IQ. This study confirms the frequency of EF deficits in this population; it also highlights the utility of ecological measures of EF and some limitations of classical tests of EF in children.

Apolipoprotein E genotype does not moderate the associations of depressive symptoms, neuroticism and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive aging in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936

PubMed Central

Booth, Tom; Cox, Simon R.; Corley, Janie; Dykiert, Dominika; Redmond, Paul; Pattie, Alison; Taylor, Adele M.; Harris, Sarah E.; Starr, John M.; Deary, Ian J.

2018-01-01

Objectives In this replication-and-extension study, we tested whether depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load (multisystem physiological dysregulation) were related to lower baseline cognitive ability and greater subsequent cognitive decline in older adults, and whether these relationships were moderated by the E4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. We also tested whether allostatic load mediated the relationships between neuroticism and cognitive outcomes. Methods We used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n at Waves 1–3: 1,028 [M age = 69.5 y]; 820 [M duration since Wave 1 = 2.98 y]; 659 [M duration since Wave 1 = 6.74 y]). We fitted latent growth curve models of general cognitive ability (modeled using five cognitive tests) with groups of APOE E4 non-carriers and carriers. In separate models, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load predicted baseline cognitive ability and subsequent cognitive decline. In addition, models tested whether allostatic load mediated relationships between neuroticism and cognitive outcomes. Results Baseline cognitive ability had small-to-moderate negative associations with depressive symptoms (β range = -0.20 to -0.17), neuroticism (β range = -0.27 to -0.23), and allostatic load (β range = -0.11 to 0.09). Greater cognitive decline was linked to baseline allostatic load (β range = -0.98 to -0.83) and depressive symptoms (β range = -1.00 to -0.88). However, APOE E4 allele possession did not moderate the relationships of depressive symptoms, neuroticism and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive decline. Additionally, the associations of neuroticism with cognitive ability and cognitive decline were not mediated through allostatic load. Conclusions Our results suggest that APOE E4 status does not moderate the relationships of depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and allostatic load with cognitive ability and cognitive decline in healthy older adults. The most notable positive finding in the current research was the strong association between allostatic load and cognitive decline. PMID:29451880

Long work hours and physical fitness: 30-year risk of ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality among middle-aged Caucasian men.

PubMed

Holtermann, Andreas; Mortensen, Ole Steen; Burr, Hermann; Søgaard, Karen; Gyntelberg, Finn; Suadicani, Poul

2010-10-01

No previous long-term studies have examined if workers with low physical fitness have an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality due to long work hours. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. The study comprised 30-year follow-up of a cohort of 5249 gainfully employed men aged 40-59years in the Copenhagen Male Study. 274 men with cardiovascular disease were excluded from the follow-up. Physical fitness (maximal oxygen consumption, Vo(2)max) was estimated using the Åstrand bicycle ergometer test, and number of work hours was obtained from questionnaire items; 4943 men were eligible for the incidence study. 587 men (11.9%) died because of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Cox analyses adjusted for age, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, physical work demands, and social class, showed that working more than 45h/week was associated with an increased risk of IHD mortality in the least fit (Vo(2)max range 15-26; HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.10 to 4.73), but not intermediate (Vo(2)max range 27-38; HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.51) and most fit men (Vo(2)max range 39-78; HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.41 to 2.02) referencing men working less than 40h/week. The findings indicate that men with low physical fitness are at increased risk for IHD mortality from working long hours. Men working long hours should be physically fit.

Adolescent mothers and their children: changes in maternal characteristics and child developmental and behavioral outcome at school age.

PubMed

Camp, B W

1996-06-01

This study examines stability and change in characteristics of adolescent mothers from their child's infancy to school age, describes cognitive and behavioral characteristics of their children at school age, and reports on the relationship between maternal characteristics and child behavior and development at school age. Cognitive status and childrearing attitudes were assessed in 43 adolescent mothers (mean age 16.3 years) when their children were infants (Time 1) and again when children were school age (Time 2). At school age, mothers also completed the Louisville Behavior Checklist, and children were administered the Slosson Intelligence Test and the Wide Range Achievement Test. Significant correlations were obtained between maternal measures at Time 1 and Time 2, and no significant differences were observed between mean scores at Time 1 and Time 2 on any measures. Children demonstrated average intelligence, but mean achievement was almost 1 SD below average. Significantly more children had high scores than expected on scales for hyperactivity and academic disability. Except for maternal vocabulary, maternal measures obtained at Time 1 were not directly related to children's IQ or behavior problems. Maternal vocabulary and authoritarian and hostile childrearing attitudes assessed at Time 1 contributed independently to prediction of achievement test scores in a positive direction. Mothers' vocabulary at Time 2 and high or increased hostile childrearing attitudes contributed positively to prediction of child IQ. Mothers who still had high scores in authoritarian childrearing attitudes or whose scores increased had children with lower IQs. Changes in attitudes or contemporary measures of attitudes were also related to behavior problems at school age.

Circulating Spexin Levels Negatively Correlate With Age, BMI, Fasting Glucose, and Triglycerides in Healthy Adult Women.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Yuan; Huang, Tao; Zhao, Ling; Zhong, Linda L D; Lam, Wai Ching; Fan, Bao-Min; Bian, Zhao-Xiang

2018-05-01

Spexin is a newly identified neuropeptide that is involved in satiety control, glucose, and lipids metabolism. It has also been related to human diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, whether spexin changes with age or not is still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between circulating spexin levels and age and to study their interaction effects on body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, and -lipids. This is a cross-sectional study, including 68 healthy adult women whose ages are in a wide range (minimum: 23; median: 38.5; maximum: 64). The serum spexin levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine were measured by routine biochemical test. Shapiro-Wilk's test, Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses, χ 2 test, and two-way analysis of variance were used to interpret the data. Serum spexin levels are significantly correlated with age (Spearman r = -0.277, P = 0.022), BMI (Spearman r = -0.445, P < 0.001), fasting glucose (Spearman r = -0.302, P = 0.014), and TG (Spearman r = -0.324, P = 0.008). Spexin levels independently predict the risk of high BMI and high fasting glucose. No interaction effects of spexin and age on BMI and fasting glucose were found. Circulating spexin levels decrease with age, suggesting a possible role of this peptide in aging-related functions and disorders. Further investigations are needed to expand the clinical significance of this finding.

Brightness Induction and Suprathreshold Vision: Effects of Age and Visual Field

PubMed Central

McCourt, Mark E.; Leone, Lynnette M.; Blakeslee, Barbara

2014-01-01

A variety of visual capacities show significant age-related alterations. We assessed suprathreshold contrast and brightness perception across the lifespan in a large sample of healthy participants (N = 155; 142) ranging in age from 16–80 years. Experiment 1 used a quadrature-phase motion cancelation technique (Blakeslee & McCourt, 2008) to measure canceling contrast (in central vision) for induced gratings at two temporal frequencies (1 Hz and 4 Hz) at two test field heights (0.5° or 2° × 38.7°; 0.052 c/d). There was a significant age-related reduction in canceling contrast at 4 Hz, but not at 1 Hz. We find no age-related change in induction magnitude in the 1 Hz condition. We interpret the age-related decline in grating induction magnitude at 4 Hz to reflect a diminished capacity for inhibitory processing at higher temporal frequencies. In Experiment 2 participants adjusted the contrast of a matching grating (0.5° or 2° × 38.7°; 0.052 c/d) to equal that of both real (30% contrast, 0.052 c/d) and induced (McCourt, 1982) standard gratings (100% inducing grating contrast; 0.052 c/d). Matching gratings appeared in the upper visual field (UVF) and test gratings appeared in the lower visual field (LVF), and vice versa, at eccentricities of ±7.5°. Average induction magnitude was invariant with age for both test field heights. There was a significant age-related reduction in perceived contrast of stimuli in the LVF versus UVF for both real and induced gratings. PMID:25462024

Interpretation of Ferroan Anorthosite Ages and Implications for the Lunar Magma Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, C. R.; Draper, D. S.

2017-01-01

Ferroan Anorthosites (FANs) are considered to have purportedly crystallized directly from the lunar magma ocean (LMO) as a flotation crust. LMO modeling suggests that such anorthosites started to form only after greater than 70 percent of the LMO had crystallized. Recent age dates for FANs have questioned this hypothesis as they span too large of an age range. This means a younger age for the Moon-forming giant impact or the LMO hypothesis is flawed. However, FANs are notoriously difficult to age-date using the isochron method. We have proposed a mechanism for testing the LMO hypothesis through using plagioclase trace element abundances to calculate equilibrium liquids and compare them with LMO crystallization models. We now examine the petrography of the samples that have Sm-Nd (Samarium-Neodymium) age dates (Rb-Sr (Rubidium-Strontium) isotopic systematics may have been disturbed) and propose a relative way to age date FANs.

Failure on the Foam Eyes Closed Test of Standing Balance Associated With Reduced Semicircular Canal Function in Healthy Older Adults.

PubMed

Anson, Eric; Bigelow, Robin T; Studenski, Stephanie; Deshpande, Nandini; Agrawal, Yuri

2018-06-11

Standing on foam with eyes closed (FOEC) has been characterized as a measure of vestibular function; however, the relative contribution of vestibular function and proprioceptive function to the FOEC test has not been well described. In this study, the authors investigate the relationship between peripheral sensory systems (vestibular and proprioception) and performance on the FOEC test in a cohort of healthy adults. A total of 563 community-dwelling healthy adults (mean age, 72.7 [SD, 12.6] years; range, 27 to 93 years) participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were tested. Proprioceptive threshold (PROP) was evaluated with passive motion detection at the right ankle. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain was measured using video head impulses. Otolith function was measured with cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials. Participants stood on FOEC for 40 sec while wearing BalanSens (BioSensics, LLC, Watertown, MA) to quantify center of mass sway area. A mixed-model multiple logistic regression was used to examine the odds of passing the FOEC test based on PROP, VOR, cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential, and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential function in a multisensory model while controlling for age and gender. The odds of passing the FOEC test decreased by 15% (p < 0.001) for each year of increasing age and by 8% with every 0.1 reduction in VOR gain (p = 0.025). Neither PROP nor otolith function was significantly associated with passing the FOEC test. Failure to maintain balance during FOEC may serve as a proxy for rotational vestibular contributions to postural control. Semicircular canals are more sensitive to low-frequency motion than otoliths that may explain these relationships because standing sway is dominated by lower frequencies. Lower VOR gain and increased age independently decreased the odds of passing the test.

A Test of the Abstinence Violation Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruderman, Audrey J.

According to the abstinence violation effect, highly controlled drinkers tend to overindulge following an initial slip. To investigate this relapse model, 47 male college students, ranging in age from 21 to 46, were assigned either to an unrestrained or a restrained drinker group according to their scores on the Restrained Drinking Scale. Subjects…

Early Malnutrition and Child Neurobehavioral Development: Insights from the Study of Children of Diabetic Mothers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizzo, Thomas A.; And Others

1997-01-01

Studied whether disturbances in mothers' metabolism (N=139) during pregnancy may exert long-range effects on neurobehavioral development of singleton progeny. Examined detailed pregnancy and perinatal records of mothers who experienced diabetes in pregnancy and intelligence tests of their offspring, administered at ages 7 to 11 years. All…

Behavioral/Emotional Problems of Preschoolers: Caregiver/Teacher Reports from 15 Societies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rescorla, Leslie A.; Achenbach, Thomas M.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Bilenberg, Niels; Bjarnadottir, Gudrun; Denner, Silvia; Dias, Pedro; Dobrean, Anca; Dopfner, Manfred; Frigerio, Alessandra; Goncalves, Miguel; Guomundsson, Halldor; Jusiene, Roma; Kristensen, Solvejg; Lecannelier, Felipe; Leung, Patrick W. L.; Liu, Jianghong; Lobel, Sofia P.; Machado, Barbara Cesar; Markovic, Jasminka; Mas, Paola A.; Esmaeili, Elaheh Mohammad; Montirosso, Rosario; Pluck, Julia; Pronaj, Adelina Ahmeti; Rodriguez, Jorge T.; Rojas, Pamela O.; Schmeck, Klaus; Shahini, Mimoza; Silva, Jaime R.; van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C.

2012-01-01

This study tested societal effects on caregiver/teacher ratings of behavioral/emotional problems for 10,521 preschoolers from 15 societies. Many societies had problem scale scores within a relatively narrow range, despite differences in language, culture, and other characteristics. The small age and gender effects were quite similar across…

Tuberculosis surveillance of elephants (Elephas maximus) in Nepal at the captive-wild interface

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A comprehensive elephant tuberculosis (TB) survey using culture and four serological screening tests was conducted in Nepal. Private and government-owned male and female captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) were included in the study. The mean reported age was 38 years (range 5-60 years). A tot...

Personal, Socioeconomic, and Sibling Influences on Sex-Role Differentiation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seegmiller, Bonni R.; And Others

The influences of personal, socioeconomic, and sibling characteristics on the sex-role differentiation of preschool children were investigated. Subjects included 446 lower- and middle-income boys and girls ranging in age from 3 to 5 years. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was administered to each child to obtain a measure of IQ. Information…

The Effects of Delivery Skills Instruction on Speech Anxiety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neer, Michael R.; Kircher, W. Faye

A study tested a delivery skills method of instruction for reducing public speaking anxiety. Subjects were 59 male and 71 female undergraduates (ranging in age from 17-49) enrolled in a basic public speaking course at a midwestern university during the 1986-87 academic year. The Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension (PRPSA) which…

Spatial Training Improves Children's Mathematics Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Yi-Ling; Mix, Kelly S.

2014-01-01

We tested whether mental rotation training improved math performance in 6- to 8-year-olds. Children were pretested on a range of number and math skills. Then one group received a single session of mental rotation training using an object completion task that had previously improved spatial ability in children this age (Ehrlich, Levine, &…