Correlation between chronological age, cervical vertebral maturation and Fishman's skeletal maturity indicators in southern Chinese.

PubMed

Alkhal, Hessa Abdulla; Wong, Ricky W K; Rabie, A Bakr M

2008-07-01

To investigate the correlation between chronological age, cervical vertebral maturation (CVM), and Fishman's hand-wrist skeletal maturity indicators in southern Chinese. Four hundred contemporary hand-wrist and lateral cephalometric radiographs of southern Chinese subjects were randomly selected and analyzed. The female subjects were between 10 and 15 years of age, and the male subjects were between 12 and 17 years of age; all subjects were within the circumpubertal period. The CVM was assessed using the method developed by Baccetti and coworkers, but the hand-wrist maturation was assessed using the method developed by Fishman. These two methods and the chronological age were correlated using the Spearman rank correlation analysis. The CVM was significantly correlated with the hand-wrist skeletal age (Spearman r male = 0.9206, female = 0.9363). All patients in the cervical maturation stage (CS3) of CVM were discovered to be in the skeletal maturational indicator (SMI2 or SMI3) stages of hand-wrist maturation (HWM), which was around the peak of the growth spurt. Low correlations were found between the CVM and chronological age (male r = 0.7577; female r = 0.7877) and between the HWM and chronological age (male r = 0.7492; female r = 0.7758). CVM is a valid indicator of skeletal growth during the circumpubertal and has a high correlation with the HWM for the southern Chinese population. However, the low correlations found between the chronological age and both CVM and HWM showed that the chronological age was not suitable to measure skeletal maturity.

Associations between age, body size and nephron number with individual glomerular volumes in urban West African males

PubMed Central

McNamara, Bridgette J.; Diouf, Boucar; Hughson, Michael D.; Hoy, Wendy E.; Bertram, John F.

2009-01-01

Background. Glomerulomegaly has been associated with an increased risk of renal disease. Few reports have investigated the heterogeneity of glomerular size within kidneys and associated risk factors. This study measured the individual glomerular volume (IGV) of 720 non-sclerotic glomeruli in kidneys of adult West African males, and investigated associations of IGV with age, total glomerular (nephron) number and body surface area (BSA). Methods. IGVs were determined in the kidneys of 24 Senegalese males from two age groups (12 subjects aged 20– 30 years and 12 subjects aged 50–70 years). Subjects were randomly chosen at autopsies performed at Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar. Volumes of 30 glomeruli per subject were determined using the disector/Cavalieri stereological method. Results. IGVs ranged from 1.31 × 106 μm3 to 12.40 × 106 μm3 (a 9.4-fold variation). IGV varied up to 5.3-fold within single kidneys. The trimmed range of IGV within subjects (10th to 90th percentile of IGV) was directly correlated with median glomerular size. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of IGV did not differ significantly between age groups or between subjects with higher (≥1.78 m2) and lower BSA (<1.78 m2). In older subjects the SD of IGV was significantly and directly correlated with BSA. Kidneys with less than 1 million nephrons had significantly larger mean IGV than kidneys with more than 1 million nephrons, and the trimmed range of IGVs within subjects was inversely correlated with total glomerular number. Conclusion. There was a considerable variation in IGV within kidneys of Senegalese males at autopsy. The heterogeneity of IGV was increased in association with low nephron number and increased BSA, with more pronounced effects in older subjects. PMID:19028752

Factors affecting perception thresholds of vertical whole-body vibration in recumbent subjects: Gender and age of subjects, and vibration duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Y.; Maeda, S.; Iwane, Y.; Iwata, Y.

2011-04-01

Some factors that may affect human perception thresholds of the vertical whole-body vibrations were investigated in two laboratory experiments with recumbent subjects. In the first experiment, the effects of gender and age of subjects on perception were investigated with three groups of 12 subjects, i.e., young males, young females and old males. For continuous sinusoidal vibrations at 2, 4, 8, 16, 31.5 and 63 Hz, there were no significant differences in the perception thresholds between male and female subjects, while the thresholds of young subjects tended to be significantly lower than the thresholds of old subjects. In the second experiment, the effect of vibration duration was investigated by using sinusoidal vibrations, at the same frequencies as above, modulated by the Hanning windows with different lengths (i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 s) for 12 subjects. It was found that the peak acceleration at the threshold tended to decrease with increasing duration of vibration. The perception thresholds were also evaluated by the running root-mean-square (rms) acceleration and the fourth power acceleration method defined in the current standards. The differences in the threshold of the transient vibrations for different durations were less with the fourth power acceleration method. Additionally, the effect of the integration time on the threshold was investigated for the running rms acceleration and the fourth power acceleration. It was found that the integration time that yielded less differences in the threshold of vibrations for different durations depended on the frequency of vibration.

Students' Responses to Active Instructional Approaches in a Social Studies Methods Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byer, John L.

A study investigated the effects of actively involving students in a social studies methods class on instructor evaluations given by students. Subjects were 30 undergraduates who were all elementary education majors except for one special education major. Subjects (27 female and 3 male) ranged in age from 21 to 53 years old. The experimental…

Salivary Stress-Related Responses in Tinnitus: A Preliminary Study in Young Male Subjects with Tinnitus

PubMed Central

Alsalman, Ola A.; Tucker, Denise; Vanneste, Sven

2016-01-01

Objective: This preliminary study examined if baseline measures of stress-related biomarkers as measured by salivary secretions of specific autonomic [measured by salivary α-amylase (sAA)], endocrine (measured by salivary cortisol), and immune (measured by salivary neopterin) responses are greater in male subjects with tinnitus in response to an induced-stress task. Method: Twenty male subjects with no significant hearing loss, 10 with tinnitus, and 10 without tinnitus were enrolled in this study.Salivary secretions were collected before and after the induced stress task at four different time intervals. Results: sAA levels were lower in the tinnitus group in comparison to subjects without tinnitus, suggesting impaired sympathetic activity in the subjects with tinnitus although these levels remained stable throughout the stress experiment.While no significant effects could be obtained for salivary cortisol or neopterin, salivary neopterin levels were trending toward significance over all measurements. Behavioral measures of stress were found to correlate negatively with measures of sAA and salivary neopterin. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest impaired stress-related sAA mechanisms in male subjects with tinnitus, as evidenced by the different stress reactions induced in the endocrine system (as measured by salivary cortisol) and the immune system (as measured by salivary neopterin). PMID:27489534

Knee biomechanics during a jump-cut maneuver: Effects of gender & ACL surgery

PubMed Central

Miranda, Daniel L.; Fadale, Paul D.; Hulstyn, Michael J.; Shalvoy, Robert M.; Machan, Jason T.; Fleming, Braden C.

2012-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare kinetic and knee kinematic measurements from male and female ACL-intact (ACLINT) and ACL-reconstructed (ACLREC) subjects during a jump-cut maneuver using biplanar videoradiography. Methods Twenty subjects were recruited; 10 ACLINT (5 males, 5 females) and 10 ACLREC (4 males, 6 females; five years post surgery). Each subject performed a jump-cut maneuver by landing on a single leg and performing a 45° side-step cut. Ground reaction force was measured by a force plate and expressed relative to body weight. Six-degree-of-freedom knee kinematics were determined from a biplanar videoradiography system and an optical motion capture system. Results ACLINT female subjects landed with a larger peak vertical GRF (p<0.001) compared to ACLINT male subjects. ACLINT subjects landed with a larger peak vertical GRF (p≤0.036) compared to ACLREC subjects. Regardless of ACL reconstruction status, female subjects underwent less knee flexion angle excursion (p=0.002) and had an increased average rate of anterior tibial translation (0.05±0.01%/millisecond; p=0.037) after contact compared to male subjects. Furthermore, ACLREC subjects had a lower rate of anterior tibial translation compared to ACLINT subjects (0.05±0.01%/millisecond; p=0.035). Finally, no striking differences were observed in other knee motion parameters. Conclusion Women permit a smaller amount of knee flexion angle excursion during a jump-cut maneuver, resulting in a larger peak vertical GRF and increased rate of anterior tibial translation. Notably, ACLREC subjects also perform the jump cut maneuver with lower GRF than ACLINT subjects five years post surgery. This study proposes a causal sequence whereby increased landing stiffness (larger peak vertical GRF combined with less knee flexion angle excursion) leads to an increased rate of anterior tibial translation while performing a jump-cut maneuver. PMID:23190595

Health-Related Quality of Life Measures for Physically Active Elderly in Community Exercise Programs in Catalonia: Comparative Analysis with Sedentary People

PubMed Central

Fortuño-Godes, Jesús; Guerra-Balic, Myriam; Cabedo-Sanromà, Josep

2013-01-01

Objective. To evaluate Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), medication used, and Stock of Health Capital (SHC) in physically active elderly participants in Community Exercise Programs (CEPs) compared to a sedentary group. Methods. EuroQol standardized instrument was completed by physically active elderly (n = 2,185) who participated in CEPs. Common items were compared to HRQoL data of 1,874 sedentary elderly people, taken from the Catalan Health Survey 2006 (CHS'06). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) outcomes and medication used were assessed through parametric statistics. Dimensions of health conditions were compared, between sedentary people and physically active elderly participants in CEPs. SHC results were obtained combining the EuroQol scores and Life Expectancy (LE) values. An economic value of €34,858.70 was assigned to these years of LE. Results. Physically active subjects had better HRQoL values (75.36 in males and 70.71 in females) than CHS'06 sedentary subjects (58.35 in males and 50.59 in females). Medication used was different between physically active subjects (1.89 in males and 2.87 in females) and CHS'06 sedentary subjects (4.34 in males and 4.21 in females). SHC data for physically active elderly (€465,988.31/QALY in males and €522,550.31/QALY in females) were higher than for CHS'06 sedentary subjects (€363,689.33/QALY in males and €346,615.91/QALY in females). PMID:24454357

Knowledge of dental health and diseases among dental patients, a multicentre study in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Almas, K; Albaker, A; Felembam, N

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of dental patients about dental health and diseases. A questionnaire was developed with three sets of questions, 1-general knowledge of dental conditions, 2-use of alternate methods in prevention and treatment of dental diseases, 3-awareness about personal oral health. Six hundred questionnaires were distributed in 6 cities from 4 different regions (i.e. Makkah, Riyadh, Tabuk, Gizan). 367 respondents (61% response rate) constituted 233 (63.5%) male and 134 (36.5%) female with the age range 11-70 years (mean 30 +/- 11.9). The data were analyzed by SPSS version 9.0 and results presented in frequency distributions. 99% male and 96% female considered their teeth for chewing food, 97% male and 96% female knew that increased carbohydrate intake and poor oral hygiene are related to tooth decay, 89% male and 96% female used toothbrush and paste to prevent dental diseases and 75% male and 66% female were regular user of miswak (chewing sticks.) 67% male and 59% female visit dentist, only in pain. 46% used miswak after their meals, only 14% of the subjects used miswak on their lingual and palatal surfaces of teeth, while 38% of the subjects used clove as remedy for toothache, 25.6% used saline and 10% used lemon for bleaching their teeth. 15% considered honey important for their good oral health. Regarding personal oral health, 35% had pain in gums, 36.8% were with bad breath, 28% had tooth hypersensitivity, and almost 50% used toothbrush twice daily while 42% had bleeding gums. It is important to note that knowledge and awareness about dental health and disease conditions are better in male subjects, dietary habits and oral hygiene methods need to be addressed in future investigations. There is a need to provide more health education to female subjects to improve their oral health.

Facial morphologies of an adult Egyptian population and an adult Houstonian white population compared using 3D imaging.

PubMed

Seager, Dennis Craig; Kau, Chung How; English, Jeryl D; Tawfik, Wael; Bussa, Harry I; Ahmed, Abou El Yazeed M

2009-09-01

To compare the facial morphologies of an adult Egyptian population with those of a Houstonian white population. The three-dimensional (3D) images were acquired via a commercially available stereophotogrammetric camera capture system. The 3dMDface System photographed 186 subjects from two population groups (Egypt and Houston). All of the participants from both population groups were between 18 and 30 years of age and had no apparent facial anomalies. All facial images were overlaid and superimposed, and a complex mathematical algorithm was performed to generate a composite facial average (one male and one female) for each subgroup (EGY-M: Egyptian male subjects; EGY-F: Egyptian female subjects; HOU-M: Houstonian male subjects; and HOU-F: Houstonian female subjects). The computer-generated facial averages were superimposed based on a previously validated superimposition method, and the facial differences were evaluated and quantified. Distinct facial differences were evident between the subgroups evaluated, involving various regions of the face including the slant of the forehead, and the nasal, malar, and labial regions. Overall, the mean facial differences between the Egyptian and Houstonian female subjects were 1.33 +/- 0.93 mm, while the differences in Egyptian and Houstonian male subjects were 2.32 +/- 2.23 mm. The range of differences for the female population pairings and the male population pairings were 14.34 mm and 13.71 mm, respectively. The average adult Egyptian and white Houstonian face possess distinct differences. Different populations and ethnicities have different facial features and averages.

Evidence That Brain MAO A Activity Does Not Correspond to MAO A Genotype in Healthy Male Subjects

PubMed Central

Fowler, Joanna S.; Alia-Klein, Nelly; Kriplani, Aarti; Logan, Jean; Williams, Benjamin; Zhu, Wei; Craig, Ian W.; Telang, Frank; Goldstein, Rita; Volkow, Nora D.; Vaska, Paul; Wang, Gene-Jack

2009-01-01

Background A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) gene has two common alleles that are referred to as the high and low MAO A genotypes. We report the first in vivo human study to determine whether there is an association between MAO A genotype and brain MAO A activity in healthy male subjects. Methods Brain MAO A activity was measured with positron emission tomography and [11C]clorgyline in 38 healthy adult male nonsmokers genotyped for MAO A polymorphism. Results There was no significant difference in brain MAO A activity between the high (n = 26) and low (n = 12) MAO A genotypes. Conclusions The lack of an association between the high and low MAO A genotype and brain MAO A activity suggests that this polymorphism by itself does not contribute to differences in brain MAO A activity in healthy adult male subjects. PMID:17141746

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in females and males in different cervical vertebral maturation stages.

PubMed

Gupta, Shreya; Deoskar, Anuradha; Gupta, Puneet; Jain, Sandhya

2015-01-01

The aim of this cross sectional study was to assess serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in female and male subjects at various cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages. The study sample consisted of 60 subjects, 30 females and 30 males, in the age range of 8-23 years. For all subjects, serum IGF-1 level was estimated from blood samples by means of chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). CVM was assessed on lateral cephalograms using the method described by Baccetti. Serum IGF-1 level and cervical staging data of 30 female subjects were included and taken from records of a previous study. Data were analyzed by Kruska-Wallis and Mann Whitney test. Bonferroni correction was carried out and alpha value was set at 0.003. Peak value of serum IGF-1 was observed in cervical stages CS3 in females and CS4 in males. Differences between males and females were observed in mean values of IGF-1 at stages CS3, 4 and 5. The highest mean IGF-1 levels in males was observed in CS4 followed by CS5 and third highest in CS3; whereas in females the highest mean IGF-1 levelswas observed in CS3 followed by CS4 and third highest in CS5. Trends of IGF-1 in relation to the cervical stages also differed between males and females. The greatest mean serum IGF-1 value for both sexes was comparable, for females (397 ng/ml) values were slightly higher than in males (394.8 ng/ml). Males and females showed differences in IGF-1 trends and levels at different cervical stages.

The subjective experience of using Ignatian meditation by male and female South African university students: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Efthimiadis-Keith, Helen; Lindegger, Graham

2014-10-01

This study is set out to examine the subjective experience of using the Ignatian method of meditation to reflect on and pray through Ruth 2. A group of male and female Theology students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal were invited to reflect upon/pray through Ruth 2 using Ignatian meditation. Following this exercise, participants were invited to participate in a focus group in which they shared their experience of this exercise, focusing particularly on some of the gendered aspects of the experience. The transcribed focus group material was subjected to a critical thematic analysis, in order to identify which core aspects of the experience of using this method of meditation and reflection were responsible for the reported subjective experiences. The analysis also included a comparison of the experience for men and women participating in this exercise, and the differential effect of various aspects of the exercise on men and women.

Gender Differences in Subjective and Physiological Responses to Caffeine and the Role of Steroid Hormones

PubMed Central

Ziegler, Amanda M.

2011-01-01

Background We have shown previously that male and female adolescents differ in their responses to caffeine, but to date, the mechanisms underlying these gender differences are unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that differences in circulating steroid hormones mediate gender differences in response to caffeine. Methods Subjective and physiological responses to caffeine were tested in adolescents using a double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover design. Participants were tested every 2 weeks for 8 weeks and received placebo and caffeine (2 mg/kg) twice each. Females were tested with placebo and caffeine in each phase of their menstrual cycle. Salivary concentrations of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone were also measured. Results Males showed greater positive subjective effects than females. In females, higher levels of estradiol were associated with little or no subjective responses to caffeine, but lower levels of estradiol were associated with negative subjective responses to caffeine relative to placebo. There were gender differences in cardiovascular responses to caffeine, with males showing greater decreases in heart rate after caffeine administration than females, but females showing greater increases in diastolic blood pressure than males after caffeine administration. These gender differences may be related to steroid hormone concentrations. Blood pressure responses to caffeine were lower in males when estradiol was high, but higher in females when estradiol was high. Conclusions When taken together, these findings suggest that males and females differ in their responses to caffeine and that these differences may be mediated by changes in circulating steroid hormones. PMID:24761262

Computer-assisted analysis of cervical vertebral bone age using cephalometric radiographs in Brazilian subjects.

PubMed

Caldas, Maria de Paula; Ambrosano, Gláucia Maria Bovi; Haiter Neto, Francisco

2010-01-01

The aims of this study were to develop a computerized program for objectively evaluating skeletal maturation on cephalometric radiographs, and to apply the new method to Brazilian subjects. The samples were taken from the patient files of Oral Radiological Clinics from the North, Northeast, Midwest and South regions of the country. A total of 717 subjects aged 7.0 to 15.9 years who had lateral cephalometric radiographs and hand-wrist radiographs were selected. A cervical vertebral computerized analysis was created in the Radiocef Studio 2 computer software for digital cephalometric analysis, and cervical vertebral bone age was calculated using the formulas developed by Caldas et al.17 (2007). Hand-wrist bone age was evaluated by the TW3 method. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test were used to compare cervical vertebral bone age, hand-wrist bone age and chronological age (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between cervical vertebral bone age and chronological age in all regions studied. When analyzing bone age, it was possible to observe a statistically significant difference between cervical vertebral bone age and hand-wrist bone age for female and male subjects in the North and Northeast regions, as well as for male subjects in the Midwest region. No significant difference was observed between bone age and chronological age in all regions except for male subjects in the North and female subjects in the Northeast. Using cervical vertebral bone age, it might be possible to evaluate skeletal maturation in an objective manner using cephalometric radiographs.

Cognitive Support in Teaching Football Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duda, Henryk

2009-01-01

Study aim: To improve the teaching of football techniques by applying cognitive and imagery techniques. Material and methods: Four groups of subjects, n = 32 each, were studied: male and female physical education students aged 20-21 years, not engaged previously in football training; male juniors and minors, aged 16 and 13 years, respectively,…

Resident intruder paradigm-induced aggression relieves depressive-like behaviors in male rats subjected to chronic mild stress

PubMed Central

Wei, Sheng; Ji, Xiao-wei; Wu, Chun-ling; Li, Zi-fa; Sun, Peng; Wang, Jie-qiong; Zhao, Qi-tao; Gao, Jie; Guo, Ying-hui; Sun, Shi-guang; Qiao, Ming-qi

2014-01-01

Background Accumulating epidemiological evidence shows that life event stressors are major vulnerability factors for psychiatric diseases such as major depression. It is also well known that the resident intruder paradigm (RIP) results in aggressive behavior in male rats. However, it is not known how resident intruder paradigm-induced aggression affects depressive-like behavior in isolated male rats subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS), which is an animal model of depression. Material/Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: non-stressed controls, isolated rats subjected to the CMS protocol, and resident intruder paradigm-exposed rats subjected to the CMS protocol. Results In the sucrose intake test, ingestion of a 1% sucrose solution by rats in the CMS group was significantly lower than in control and CMS+RIP rats after 3 weeks of stress. In the open-field test, CMS rats had significantly lower open-field scores compared to control rats. Furthermore, the total scores given the CMS group were significantly lower than in the CMS+RIP rats. In the forced swimming test (FST), the immobility times of CMS rats were significantly longer than those of the control or CMS+RIP rats. However, no differences were observed between controls and CMS+RIP rats. Conclusions Our data show that aggressive behavior evoked by the resident intruder paradigm could relieve broad-spectrum depressive-like behaviors in isolated adult male rats subjected to CMS. PMID:24911067

Gynecomastia: the horizontal ellipse method for its correction.

PubMed

Gheita, Alaa

2008-09-01

Gynecomastia is an extremely disturbing deformity affecting males, especially when it occurs in young subjects. Such subjects generally have no hormonal anomalies and thus either liposuction or surgical intervention, depending on the type and consistency of the breast, is required for treatment. If there is slight hypertrophy alone with no ptosis, then subcutaneous mastectomy is usually sufficient. However, when hypertrophy and/or ptosis are present, then corrective surgery on the skin and breast is mandatory to obtain a good cosmetic result. Most of the procedures suggested for reduction of the male breast are usually derived from reduction mammaplasty methods used for females. They have some disadvantages, mainly the multiple scars, which remain apparent in males, unusual shape, and the lack of symmetry with regard to the size of both breasts and/or the nipple position. The author presents a new, simple method that has proven superior to any previous method described so far. It consists of a horizontal excision ellipse of the breast's redundant skin and deep excess tissue and a superior pedicle flap carrying the areola-nipple complex to its new site on the chest wall. The method described yields excellent shape, symmetry, and minimal scars. A new method for treating gynecomastis is described in detail, its early and late operative results are shown, and its advantages are discussed.

Effects of body position on lung density estimated from EIT data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noshiro, Makoto; Ebihara, Kei; Sato, Ena; Nebuya, Satoru; Brown, Brian H.

2010-04-01

Normal subjects took the sitting, supine, prone, right lateral and left lateral positions during the measurement procedure. One minute epochs of EIT data were collected at the levels of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th intercostal spaces in each position during normal tidal breathing. Lung density was then determined from the EIT data using the method proposed by Brown5. Lung density at the electrode level of the 6th intercostal space was different from that at almost any other levels in both male and female subjects, and lung density at the electrode levels of the 4th and 5th intercostal spaces in male subjects did not depend upon position.

A study on male homosexual behavior.

PubMed

Ramachandran, R; Viswanath, Sudha; Elangovan, P; Saravanan, N

2015-01-01

Male homosexual behavior carries a high risk of transmitting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Ignorance regarding the associated high risk, indulgence inspite of no natural homosexual orientation and not using protective barrier methods can affect the sexual health of adolescents and adults. (1) To assess the proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) having a natural homosexual orientation compared to those who had acquired the homosexual behavior initially under various circumstances (such as due to certain misconceptions, fear of having heterosexual contact, peer pressure, and influence of alcohol). (2) To assess the level of awareness regarding increased risk of transmission of STIs associated with homosexual behavior and regarding protective barrier methods. After obtaining consent from the subjects, questionnaire - based interview used for obtaining data for this observational (cross-sectional) study. (1) Of the 50 subjects, only about 25% had interest in homosexual behavior prior to initial episode. (2) About 50% subjects indulged in homosexual behavior due to lack/fear of having heterosexual contact. (3) About 60% subjects believed that homosexual behavior carried relatively lower risk of acquiring STIs and 68% subjects have had unprotected contact. (4) About 70% subjects had only acquired this behavior and nearly 60% subjects were interested in heterosexual marriage and not interested in further homosexual behavior. (1) Homosexuality is a natural orientation in some and an acquired behavior in the rest. (2) If homosexual behavior is acquired, due to misconceptions, then imparting sex education and awareness regarding involved risks, and the importance of protective barrier methods will prevent ignorance driven behavior. For those with natural homosexual orientation, the importance of protective barrier methods in homosexual behavior needs emphasis.

Associations between age, body size and nephron number with individual glomerular volumes in urban West African males.

PubMed

McNamara, Bridgette J; Diouf, Boucar; Hughson, Michael D; Hoy, Wendy E; Bertram, John F

2009-05-01

Glomerulomegaly has been associated with an increased risk of renal disease. Few reports have investigated the heterogeneity of glomerular size within kidneys and associated risk factors. This study measured the individual glomerular volume (IGV) of 720 non-sclerotic glomeruli in kidneys of adult West African males, and investigated associations of IGV with age, total glomerular (nephron) number and body surface area (BSA). IGVs were determined in the kidneys of 24 Senegalese males from two age groups (12 subjects aged 20- 30 years and 12 subjects aged 50-70 years). Subjects were randomly chosen at autopsies performed at Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar. Volumes of 30 glomeruli per subject were determined using the disector/Cavalieri stereological method. IGVs ranged from 1.31 x 10(6) microm3 to 12.40 x 10(6) microm3 (a 9.4-fold variation). IGV varied up to 5.3-fold within single kidneys. The trimmed range of IGV within subjects (10th to 90th percentile of IGV) was directly correlated with median glomerular size. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of IGV did not differ significantly between age groups or between subjects with higher (> or =1.78 m2) and lower BSA (<1.78 m2). In older subjects the SD of IGV was significantly and directly correlated with BSA. Kidneys with less than 1 million nephrons had significantly larger mean IGV than kidneys with more than 1 million nephrons, and the trimmed range of IGVs within subjects was inversely correlated with total glomerular number. There was a considerable variation in IGV within kidneys of Senegalese males at autopsy. The heterogeneity of IGV was increased in association with low nephron number and increased BSA, with more pronounced effects in older subjects.

Skeletal maturity assessment using mandibular canine calcification stages.

PubMed

Džemidžić, Vildana; Tiro, Alisa; Zukanović, Amila; Redžić, Ismeta; Nakaš, Enita

2016-11-01

The aims of this study were: to investigate the relationship between mandibular canine calcification stages and skeletal maturity; and to evaluate whether the mandibular canine calcification stages may be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for skeletal maturity assessment. This study included 151 subjects: 81 females and 70 males, with ages ranging from 9 to 16 years (mean age: 12.29±1.86 years). The inclusion criteria for subjects were as follows: age between 9 and 16 years; good general health without any hormonal, nutritional, growth or dental development problems. Subjects who were undergoing or had previously received orthodontic treatment were not included in this study. The calcification stages of the left permanent mandibular canine were assessed according to the method of Demirjian, on panoramic radiographs. Assessment of skeletal maturity was carried out using the cervical vertebral maturation index (CVMI), as proposed by the Hassel-Farman method, on lateral cephalograms. The correlation between the calcification stages of mandibular canine and skeletal maturity was estimated separately for male and female subjects. Correlation coefficients between calcification stages of mandibular canine and skeletal maturity were 0.895 for male and 0.701 for female subjects. A significant correlation was found between the calcification stages of the mandibular canine and skeletal maturity. The calcification stages of the mandibular canine show a satisfactory diagnostic performance only for assessment of pre-pubertal growth phase. Copyright © 2016 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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

A randomized, controlled, multicenter contraceptive efficacy clinical trial of the intravas device, a nonocclusive surgical male sterilization.

PubMed

Lu, Wen-Hong; Liang, Xiao-Wei; Gu, Yi-Qun; Wu, Wei-Xiong; Bo, Li-Wei; Zheng, Tian-Gui; Chen, Zhen-Wen

2014-01-01

Because of unavoidable complications of vasectomy, this study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of male sterilization with a nonobstructive intravas device (IVD) implanted into the vas lumen by a mini-surgical method compared with no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV). IVDs were categorized into two types: IVD-B has a tail used for fixing to the vas deferens (fixed wing) whereas IVD-A does not. A multicenter prospective randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in China. The study was comprised of 1459 male volunteers seeking vasectomy who were randomly assigned to the IVD-A (n = 487), IVD-B (n = 485) or NSV (n = 487) groups and underwent operation. Follow-up included visits at the 3 rd -6 th and 12 th postoperative months. The assessments of the subjects involved regular physical examinations (including general and andrological examinations) and semen analysis. The subjects' partners also underwent monitoring for pregnancy by monthly interviews regarding menstruation and if necessary, urine tests. There were no significant differences in pregnancy rates (0.65% for IVD-A, 0 for IVD-B and 0.21% for NSV) among the three groups (P > 0.05). The cumulative rates of complications at the 12 th postoperative month were zero, 0.9% and 1.7% in the three groups, respectively. In conclusion, IVD male sterilization exhibits a low risk of long-term adverse events and was found to be effective as a male sterilization method, similar to the NSV technique. IVD male sterilization is expected to be a novel contraceptive method.

Nutritional situation of a Chinese community.

PubMed

Suriah, A R; Chong, T J; Yeoh, B Y

1998-08-01

To evaluate the anthropometric measurements and dietary intake of the free-living elderly in a Chinese community. A survey was carried out on 48 male and female subjects aged 60 to 96 years using anthropometric, dietary intake and questionnaire techniques. The study indicated female subjects to have more health problems, like pain at the joints (33%), hypertension (17%) and diabetes (27%) as compared to the male subjects. Dietary intake analysis showed the Chinese male subjects to have a higher energy intake (1,623 kcal) compared to the females (1,197 kcal) even though they did not fulfill the recommended dietary intake. The intake for energy, fats and carbohydrates, was found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between both sexes. Anthropometric measurements indicated male elderly subjects to be significantly heavier (p < 0.05, 55.4 kg) and taller (161.8 cm) than female elderly subjects (49.5 kg; 146.2 cm respectively). About half of the elderly were normal in their BMI (male 55.6%; female 50%) and only 6.6% of the female subjects were obese. More male subjects were found to be underweight (33%) compared to female subjects (17%). Waist hip ratio was 0.92 for male and 0.87 for female. Our study showed that female elderly subjects had more health problems compared to male elderly subjects. On the whole, the elderly did not fulfill the recommended amount for energy intake while the percentage for carbohydrates, fats and protein from the total calorie intake were not in accordance with the healthy diet guidelines. Anthropometrically, male subjects were heavier and taller than female subjects. Looking at body mass index, most of the male elderly subjects were in the normal to underweight range. With these results, more research is warranted to give a clearer picture of the Chinese elderly in the country.

Accuracy of MRI skeletal age estimation for subjects 12-19. Potential use for subjects of unknown age.

PubMed

Serinelli, Serenella; Panebianco, Valeria; Martino, Milvia; Battisti, Sofia; Rodacki, Karina; Marinelli, Enrico; Zaccagna, Fulvio; Semelka, Richard C; Tomei, Ernesto

2015-05-01

In forensic practice, there is a growing need for accurate methods of age estimation, especially in the cases of young individuals of unknown age. Age can be estimated through somatic features that are universally considered associated with chronological age. Unfortunately, these features do not always coincide with the real chronological age: for these reasons that age determination is often very difficult. Our aim is to evaluate accuracy of skeletal age estimation using Tomei's MRI method in subjects between 12 and 19 years old for forensic purposes. Two investigators analyzed MRI images of the left hand and wrist of 77 male and 74 female caucasian subjects, without chronic diseases or developmental disorders, whose age ranged from 12 to 19 years. Skeletal maturation was determined by two operators, who analyzed all MRI images separately, in blinded fashion to the chronological age. Inter-rater agreement was measured with Pearson (R (2)) coefficient. One of the examiners repeated the evaluation after 6 months, and intraobserver variation was analyzed. Bland-Altman plots were used to determine mean differences between skeletal and chronological age. Inter-rater agreement Pearson coefficient showed a good linear correlation, respectively, 0.98 and 0.97 in males and females. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that the differences between chronological and skeletal age are not significant. Spearman's correlation coefficient showed good correlation between skeletal and chronological age both in females (R (2) = 0.96) and in males (R (2) = 0.94). Our results show that MRI skeletal age is a reproducible method and has good correlation with chronological age.

The effects of gender on circadian rhythm of human physiological indexes in high temperature environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, G. Z.; Li, K.; Bu, W. T.; Lu, Y. Z.; Wang, Y. J.

2018-03-01

In the context of frequent high temperature weather in recent years, peoples’ physical health is seriously threatened by the indoor high temperature. The physiological activities of human body show a certain changes of circadian rhythm. In this paper, the circadian rhythms of the physiological indexes in indoor high temperature environment were quantified and compared between the male subjects and female subjects. Ten subjects (five males and five females) were selected. The temperature conditions were set at 28°C, 32°C, 36°C and 38°C, respectively. The blood pressure, heart rate, rectal temperature, eardrum temperature, forehead temperature and mean skin temperature were measured for 24 hours continuously. The medians, amplitudes and acrophases of the circadian rhythms were obtained by the cosinor analysis method. Then the effects of gender on the circadian rhythm of the human body in high temperature environment were analyzed. The results indicate that, compared with the female subjects, the male medians of the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure were higher, and the male medians of heart rate and rectal temperature were lower, however, no significant differences were found between eardrum temperature, forehead temperature and mean skin temperature. This study can provide scientific basis for the health protection of the indoor relevant personnel.

Effects of a Worksite Weight-Control Programme in Obese Male Workers: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iriyama, Yae; Murayama, Nobuko

2014-01-01

Objective: We conducted a randomized controlled crossover trial to evaluate the effects of a new worksite weight-control programme designed for men with or at risk of obesity using a combination of nutrition education and nutrition environmental interventions. Subjects and methods: Male workers with or at risk of obesity were recruited for this…

Impact of Norm Perceptions and Guilt on Audience Response to Anti-Smoking Norm PSAs: The Case of Korean Male Smokers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyegyu; Paek, Hye-Jin

2013-01-01

Objective: To examine how norm appeals and guilt influence smokers' behavioural intention. Design: Quasi-experimental design. Setting: South Korea. Method: Two hundred and fifty-five male smokers were randomly assigned to descriptive, injunctive, or subjective anti-smoking norm messages. After they viewed the norm messages, their norm perceptions,…

Growth charts for non-growth hormone treated Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Butler, Merlin G; Lee, Jaehoon; Manzardo, Ann M; Gold, June-Anne; Miller, Jennifer L; Kimonis, Virginia; Driscoll, Daniel J

2015-01-01

The goal of this study was to generate and report standardized growth curves for weight, height, head circumference, and BMI for non-growth hormone-treated white male and female US subjects with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) between 3 and 18 years of age and develop standardized growth charts. Anthropometric measures (N = 133) were obtained according to standard methods from 120 non-growth hormone-treated white subjects (63 males and 57 females) with PWS between 3 and 18 years of age. Standardized growth curves were developed for the third, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles by using the LMS method for weight, height, head circumference, and BMI for PWS subjects along with the normative third, 50th, and 97th percentiles from national and international growth data. The LMS smoothing procedure summarized the distribution of the anthropometric variables at each age using three parameters: power of the Box-Cox transformation λ (L), median μ (M) and coefficient of variation δ (S). Weight, height, head circumference, and BMI standardized growth charts representing 7 percentile ranges were developed from 120 non-growth hormone-treated white male and female US subjects with PWS (age range: 3-18 years) and normative third, 50th, and 97th percentiles from national and international data. We encourage the use of syndrome-specific growth standards to examine and evaluate subjects with PWS when monitoring growth patterns and determining nutritional and obesity status. These variables can be influenced by culture, individual medical care, diet intervention, and physical activity plans. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Nano-LC-MS/MS for Quantification of Lyso-Gb3 and Its Analogues Reveals a Useful Biomarker for Fabry Disease

PubMed Central

Sueoka, Hideaki; Ichihara, Junji; Tsukimura, Takahiro; Togawa, Tadayasu; Sakuraba, Hitoshi

2015-01-01

Biomarkers useful for diagnosis and evaluation of treatment for patients with Fabry disease are urgently needed. Recently, plasma globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3) and lyso-Gb3-related analogues have attracted attention as promising biomarkers of Fabry disease. However, the plasma concentrations of lyso-Gb3 and its analogues are extremely low or below the detection limits in some Fabry patients as well as in healthy subjects. In this paper, we introduce the novel application of a nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) system to the measurement of lyso-Gb3 and its analogues in plasma. Nano-LC-MS/MS requires smaller amounts of samples and is more sensitive than conventional techniques. Using this method, we measured the plasma concentrations of lyso-Gb3 and its analogues in 40 healthy subjects, 5 functional variants (males with E66Q), and various Fabry patients (9 classic Fabry males/9 mutations; 7 later-onset Fabry males/5 mutations; and 10 Fabry females/9 mutations). The results revealed that the mean lyso-Gb3 and lyso-Gb3(-2) concentrations in all the Fabry patient subgroups were statistically higher, especially in the classic Fabry males, than those in the functional variants and healthy subjects. The plasma concentrations of lyso-Gb3 and its analogues in healthy subjects, functional variants, and some Fabry patients with specific mutations (R112H and M296I) that cannot be established by conventional techniques were successfully determined by means of nano-LC-MS/MS. The lyso-Gb3 and lyso-Gb3(-2) concentrations in male patients with these mutations were lower than those in most Fabry patients having other mutations, but higher than those in the functional variants and healthy subjects. This new method is expected to be useful for sensitive determination of the plasma concentrations of lyso-Gb3 and its analogues. This study also revealed that not only lyso-Gb3 but also lyso-Gb3(-2) in plasma is a useful biomarker for the diagnosis of Fabry disease. PMID:25965380

The Effect of 12-Week Passive Aquatic Bodywork on Sympathovagal Balance of Obese Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tufekcioglu, Ertan; Erzeybek, Mustafa Sait; Kaya, Fatih; Ozan, Goksel

2018-01-01

Background: Obesity has been identified as a global epidemic that is associated with numerous comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease. We have investigated the effects of Watsu® therapy and Immersion on HRV parameters of obese male subjects. Methods and Results: Volunteer 34 obese subjects with BMI above…

Alternative phenotypes of male mating behaviour in the two-spotted spider mite.

PubMed

Sato, Yukie; Sabelis, Maurice W; Egas, Martijn; Faraji, Farid

2013-09-01

Severe intraspecific competition for mates selects for aggressive individuals but may also lead to the evolution of alternative phenotypes that do not act aggressively, yet manage to acquire matings. The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, shows male mate-guarding behaviour and male-male combat for available females. This may provide opportunity for weaker males to avoid fighting by adopting alternative mating behaviour such as sneaker or satellite tactics as observed in other animals. We investigated male precopulatory behaviour in the two-spotted spider mite by means of video-techniques and found three types of male mating behaviour: territorial, sneaker and opportunistic. Territorial and sneaker males associate with female teleiochrysales and spend much time guarding them. Territorial males are easily disturbed by rival males and engage themselves in fights with them. However, sneaker males are not at all disturbed by rival males, never engage in fights and, strikingly, never face attack by territorial males. Opportunistic males wander around in search of females that are in the teleiochrysalis stage but very close to or at emergence. To quickly classify any given mate-guarding male as territorial or sneaker we developed a method based on the instantaneous response of males to disturbance by a live male mounted on top of a brush. We tested this method against the response of the same males to natural disturbance by two or three other males. Because this method proved to be successful, we used it to collect territorial and sneaker males, and subjected them to morphological analysis to assess whether the various behavioural phenotypes are associated with different morphological characters. However, we found no statistical differences between territorial and sneaker males, concerning the length of the first legs, the stylets, the pedipalps or the body.

[Correlation between vertebral bone marrow fat and abdomen fat: a prospective study].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Dong; Zhao, Yin-Xia; Zhao, Wen-Ji; Zhang, Ling-Yan; Yan, Jie-Wen; Hao, Shuai; Lu, Xiong-Guang; Zhao, Jing; Li, Shao-Lin

2016-02-01

To investigate the correlation between the lumbar bone marrow fat and abdominal fat. A total of 68 individuals (32 men and 36 women, aged 21-74 years with a median of 49.5 years) were included in this study. All the subjects underwent spectroscopic examination of the third lumber vertebra with the single voxel method on a 1.5T MR scanner to measure the fat fraction (FF%). Quantitative CT was also performed for measurement of the abdomen subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). The measurements were compared between subjects aged ≥50 years and those below 50 years, respectively,in male or female subjects. In male subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT or SAT showed no significant differences between the two age groups (P>0.05), and FF% was not correlated with BMI, VAT or SAT (r=0.109, 0.034, 0.066, respectively; P>0.05). In the female subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT and SAT differed significantly between the two age groups (P<0.05), and in ≥50 years group, FF% showed a positive correlation with VAT (r=0.499, P<0.05) but was not correlated with SAT (r=0.221, P>0.05); in<50 years group, FF% was not correlated with VAT or SAT (r=0.076, -0.067, respectively; P>0.05). FF% is positively correlated with VAT in female subjects aged beyond 50 years, but is not correlated with VAT or SAT in male subjects or in younger female subjects.

Ethnic Differences in Physiological Responses to Fear Conditioned Stimuli

PubMed Central

Martínez, Karen G.; Franco-Chaves, José A.; Milad, Mohammed R.; Quirk, Gregory J.

2014-01-01

The idea that emotional expression varies with ethnicity is based largely on questionnaires and behavioral observations rather than physiological measures. We therefore compared the skin conductance responses (SCR) of Hispanic (Puerto Rican) and White non-Hispanic subjects in a fear conditioning and fear extinction task. Subjects were recruited from two sites: San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR), and Boston, Massachusetts (MA), using identical methods. A total of 78 healthy subjects (39 from PR, 39 from MA) were divided by sex and matched for age and educational level. Females from the two sites did not differ in their SCRs during any experimental phase of fear conditioning (habituation, conditioning, or extinction). In contrast, PR males responded significantly to the conditioned stimulus than MA males or PR females. Subtracting ethnic differences observed during the habituation phase (prior to conditioning) eliminated differences from subsequent phases, suggesting that PR males are elevated in their response to novelty rather than fear learning. Our findings suggest that, in addition to sex differences, there are ethnic differences in physiological responses to novel stimuli at least in males, which could be relevant for the assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders. PMID:25501365

Acceptability of a combination testosterone gel and depomedroxyprogesterone acetate male contraceptive regimen.

PubMed

Amory, John K; Page, Stephanie T; Anawalt, Bradley D; Matsumoto, Alvin M; Bremner, William J

2007-03-01

Testosterone (T) gel, administered transdermally in combination with injections of depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) every 3 months, results in effective suppression of spermatogenesis in 90% of men. Men's attitudes regarding the daily self-administration of T-gel and the impact of such a regimen on sexual function, however, are unknown. Therefore, we questioned subjects enrolled in a combination T-gel plus DMPA male contraceptive trial regarding the acceptability of T-gel for male contraception and the impact of the T-gel/DMPA regimen on sexual function and satisfaction during treatment. Thirty-eight healthy men, ages 18-55, were treated with T-gel (100 mg daily) + DMPA (300 mg every 3 months) for 24 weeks. Sexual function was assessed using a validated questionnaire at baseline, after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks into recovery. The overall acceptability of the method and attitudes regarding the daily self-administration of T-gel were assessed by a questionnaire 12 weeks into recovery. Fifty percent of subjects were either satisfied or very satisfied with the T-gel-based contraceptive regimen, and 45% indicated they would use the regimen if it were commercially available. The T-gel was found to be easy to use by 76% of men, but a third of subjects felt that T-gel administration interfered with their daily routine. Sexual function was largely preserved during treatment; however, slight decreases in sexual function were noted during recovery. The experimental male hormonal contraceptive regimen of T-gel + DMPA is acceptable to approximately one half of study volunteers, most of whom would use the method if it were commercially available. Given its appeal to a significant proportion of men, additional studies using T-gel and DMPA for male contraception are warranted.

Lipid and hematological parameters in hyperleptinemic healthy Arab male youth in Jordan.

PubMed

Abu-Samak, Mahmoud; Yousef, Al-Motassem; Al-Jarie, Ahmad; Al-Matubsi, Hisham Y; Abu-Zaiton, Ahmed; Al-Quraan, Mamoun; Khuzaie, Rula

2011-03-01

To analyze the influence ofhyperleptinemia on fasting lipid and hematological parameters in healthy Arab male youth in Jordan, this cross-sectional study was carried out in April 2009 on a sample of 120 students aged 18-24 years. Subjects were stratified by fasting leptin into two groups (control, <12.7 ng mL(-1) vs. hyperleptenimic, e_< 12.7 ng mL(-1)) and BMI (normal weight, < 25 kgm(-2) vs. overweight/obese, BMI e_< 25 kg m(-2)). Fasting serum leptin, blood glucose, lipid profile and hematological parameters values were determined by standard kit methods. Mean serum leptin concentrations were more than five times as high in hyperleptenemic subjects than in control subjects (p < 0.001). Compared with control group, significant elevations (p < 0.01) were observed in the means total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels of hyperleptenemic group whereas no significant differences was detected in HDL-cholesterol. Except the changes of WBC count, MCH and slightly MCHC, there were no differences between both groups in any other term of hematological parameters. In conclusion, changes in lipid variables and some hematological parameters may increase plasma viscosity as a step during atherosclerosis pathogenesis in male youth at risk for dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, hyperleptinemia could be a useful index in identifying healthy youth male subjects but this hypothesis needs further investigation.

Age and Sex Effects on the Active Stiffness of Vastus Intermedius under Isometric Contraction

PubMed Central

Wang, Cong-Zhi; Guo, Jing-Yi; Li, Tian-Jie; Shi, Wenxiu; Zheng, Yong-Ping

2017-01-01

Previously, a novel technique was proposed to quantify the relationship between the muscle stiffness and its nonfatigue contraction intensity. The method extended the measured range of isometric contraction to 100% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) using an ultrasonic shear wave measurement setup. Yet, it has not been revealed how this relationship could be affected by factors like age or sex. To clarify these questions, vastus intermedius (VI) stiffness of 40 healthy subjects was assessed under 11 step levels of isometric contraction. The subjects were divided into four groups: young males, young females, elderly males, and elderly females (n = 10 for each). In a relaxed state, no significant difference was observed between the male and female subjects (p = 0.156) nor between the young and elderly subjects (p = 0.221). However, when performing isometric contraction, the VI stiffness of males was found to be significantly higher than that of females at the same level (p < 0.001), and that of the young was higher than the elderly (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, for two knee joint angles used, the stiffness measured at a 90° knee joint angle was always significantly larger than that measured at 60° (p < 0.001). Recognizing the active muscle stiffness of VI contributes to body stability, and these results may provide insight into the age and sex bias in musculoskeletal studies, such as those on fall risks. PMID:28473990

Hand grip strength and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Korea: an analysis in KNHANES VI.

PubMed

Lee, Su Hwan; Kim, Soo Jung; Han, Yeji; Ryu, Yon Ju; Lee, Jin Hwa; Chang, Jung Hyun

2017-01-01

Muscle mass is known to be associated with mortality in elderly adults. Because hand grip strength (HGS) is known as a simple assessment tool for muscular strength, many researchers have studied the association between HGS and disease. However, empirical evidence for the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and HGS is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between COPD and HGS, using Korean population data. This was a population-based cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted from 2013 to 2015. To reduce the effects of HGS-related factors and potential confounding factors, propensity score matching was used to match subjects with and without COPD. Among 14,930 subjects, 832 were enrolled in each group (non-COPD and COPD) after propensity score matching. COPD subjects did not have lower HGS than non-COPD subjects (non-COPD vs COPD, male, 38.0±7.0 vs 38.9±7.0 kg, P =0.044, female, 23.8±4.6 vs 24.2±4.9 kg, P =0.342). Lung function was classified by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages and was not significantly associated with HGS. For male COPD subjects, there was a significant correlation between HGS and the EuroQol Five-Dimension Questionnaire (EQ5D) utility score index, which is an indicator of quality of life that adjusts for age and body mass index ( r =0.201, P <0.001). The correlation was absent for female subjects ( r =0.098, P =0.170). COPD subjects did not have lower HGS than non-COPD subjects. HGS did not associate with lung function. However, the HGS of male COPD subjects was positively associated with EQ5D utility score index, an indicator of quality of life. HGS may be helpful as an additional method to the evaluation of quality of life in male COPD patients.

Generation of Boundary Manikin Anthropometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Karen S.; Margerum, Sarah; Barr, Abbe; Ferrer, Mike A.; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop 3D digital boundary manikins that are representative of the anthropometry of a unique population. These digital manikins can be used by designers to verify and validate that the components of the spacesuit design satisfy the requirements specified in the Human Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR) document. Currently, the HSIR requires the suit to accommodate the 1st percentile American female to the 99th percentile American male. The manikin anthropometry was derived using two methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Whole Body Posture Based Analysis (WBPBA). PCA is a statistical method for reducing a multidimensional data set by using eigenvectors and eigenvalues. The goal is to create a reduced data set that encapsulates the majority of the variation in the population. WBPBA is a multivariate analytical approach that was developed by the Anthropometry and Biomechanics Facility (ABF) to identify the extremes of the population for a given body posture. WBPBA is a simulation-based method that finds extremes in a population based on anthropometry and posture whereas PCA is based solely on anthropometry. Both methods yield a list of subjects and their anthropometry from the target population; PCA resulted in 20 female and 22 male subjects anthropometry and WBPBA resulted in 7 subjects' anthropometry representing the extreme subjects in the target population. The subjects anthropometry is then used to 'morph' a baseline digital scan of a person with the same body type to create a 3D digital model that can be used as a tool for designers, the details of which will be discussed in subsequent papers.

Effects of Premature Birth on the Risk for Alcoholism Appear to Be Greater in Males Than Females*

PubMed Central

Manzardo, Ann M.; Madarasz, Wendy V.; Penick, Elizabeth C.; Knop, Joachim; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Sorensen, Holger J.; Mahnken, Jonathan D.; Becker, Ulrik; Nickel, Elizabeth J.; Gabrielli, William F.

2011-01-01

Objective: A large Danish birth cohort was used to test the independent and joint effects of perinatal measures associated with premature birth as predictors of the development of alcoholism in male and female subjects. Method: Subjects were born at the Copenhagen University Hospital between 1959 and 1961 (N = 9,125). A comprehensive series of measures was obtained for each of the 8,109 surviving and eligible infants before birth, during birth, shortly after birth, and at 1 year. The adult alcoholism outcome was defined as any ICD-10 F10 diagnosis (Mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use) or an equivalent ICD-8 diagnosis found in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register or the Municipal Alcohol Clinics of Copenhagen by 2007. Results: Multiple perinatal markers of premature birth independently predicted the development of an alcoholism diagnosis in male (n = 310) but not female (n = 138) subjects. Logistic regression modeling with a global prematurity score, adjusted for social status, maternal smoking, and gender, indicated a significant association of prematurity score for males (p < .02), but not females (p = .51), on the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: The results suggest that neurodevelopmental sequelae of premature birth are associated with gender-specific effects on the development of alcoholism in the male baby: small, premature, or growth-delayed male babies appear to be selectively vulnerable to alcoholic drinking years later. The findings implicate neurodevelopmental influences in alcoholism pathophysiology in males and suggest the possibility of distinct, gender-specific pathways in the etiology of severe problem drinking. PMID:21513675

Body image discrepancy and subjective norm as mediators and moderators of the relationship between body mass index and quality of life

PubMed Central

Pétré, Benoit; Scheen, André J; Ziegler, Olivier; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Dardenne, Nadia; Husson, Eddy; Albert, Adelin; Guillaume, Michèle

2016-01-01

Background and objective Despite the strength and consistency of the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and quality of life (QoL), a reduction in BMI does not necessarily lead to an improvement in QoL. Between-subject variability indicates the presence of mediators and moderators in the BMI–QoL association. This study aimed to examine the roles of body image discrepancy (BID) and subjective norm (SN) as potential mediators and moderators. Subjects and methods In 2012, 3,016 volunteers (aged ≥18 years) participated in a community-based survey conducted in the French-speaking region of Belgium. Participation was enhanced using a large multimedia campaign (which was supported by a large network of recruiters) that employed the nonstigmatizing slogan, “Whatever your weight, your opinion will count”. Participants were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire on their weight-related experiences. Self-reported measures were used to calculate each participant’s BMI, BID, SN, and QoL (a French obesity-specific QoL questionnaire was used to calculate the participants’ physical dimension of QoL scores [PHY-QoL], psychosocial dimension of QoL scores [PSY/SOC-QoL], and their total scores). The covariates included gender, age, subjective economic status, level of education, household size, and perceived health. The mediation/moderation tests were based on Hayes’ method. Results Tests showed that the relationships between BMI and PHY-QoL, PSY/SOC-QoL, and TOT-QoL were partially mediated by BID in both males and females and by SN in females. Moreover, BID was a moderator of the relationship between BMI and PSY/SOC-QoL in males and females. SN was a moderator of the relationship between BMI and PSY/SOC-QoL in males and between BMI and total scores in males (when used without BID in the models). Conclusion BID and SN should be considered as important factors in obesity management strategies. The study shows that targeting BMI only is not sufficient to improve the QoL of overweight and obese subjects, and that other variables, including perceptual factors, should be considered. PMID:27853356

Androgen Receptor Repeat Length Polymorphism Associated with Male-to-Female Transsexualism

PubMed Central

Hare, Lauren; Bernard, Pascal; Sánchez, Francisco J.; Baird, Paul N.; Vilain, Eric; Kennedy, Trudy; Harley, Vincent R.

2012-01-01

Background There is a likely genetic component to transsexualism, and genes involved in sex steroidogenesis are good candidates. We explored the specific hypothesis that male-to-female transsexualism is associated with gene variants responsible for undermasculinization and/or feminization. Specifically, we assessed the role of disease-associated repeat length polymorphisms in the androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), and aromatase (CYP19) genes. Methods Subject-control analysis included 112 male-to-female transsexuals and 258 non-transsexual males. Associations and interactions were investigated between CAG repeat length in the AR gene, CA repeat length in the ERβ gene, and TTTA repeat length in the CYP19 gene and male-to-female transsexualism. Results A significant association was identified between transsexualism and the AR allele, with transsexuals having longer AR repeat lengths than non-transsexual male control subjects (p = .04). No associations for transsexualism were evident in repeat lengths for CYP19 or ERβ genes. Individuals were then classified as short or long for each gene polymorphism on the basis of control median polymorphism lengths in order to further elucidate possible combined effects. No interaction associations between the three genes and transsexualism were identified. Conclusions This study provides evidence that male gender identity might be partly mediated through the androgen receptor. PMID:18962445

Prevalence of apical periodontitis and quality of root canal treatment in an adult Saudi population

PubMed Central

Al-Nazhan, Saad A.; Alsaeed, Suliman A.; Al-Attas, Hussan A.; Dohaithem, Abdullah J.; Al-Serhan, Mohamed S.; Al-Maflehi, Nassr S.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine the health status of periradicular tissue and the quality of root canal fillings in an adult Saudi population attending dental clinics for the first time. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the dental clinics at King Saud University, Riyadh and other dental centers (Jeddah, Najran, and Albaha City), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between year 2010 and 2012. Good-quality panoramic radiographs of 926 Saudi subjects (540 males and 386 females)were analyzed based on the gender, age, health status, smoking habits, periapical status of the endodontically treated teeth, technical quality of the root canal fillings, and the presence or absence of coronal restoration. Data were calibrated and statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 17. Results: Of the 25,028 teeth examined, 1,556 teeth (6.2%) had apical periodontitis (AP). Male subjects aged over 55 years and females between 36 and 45 years had higher AP. A total of 36 diabetic and 87 smokers subjects had AP. The AP was more common in male diabetics than female (p=0.383), and in female smokers more than male (p=0.44). Only 42.2% of male and 57.7% of female teeth had adequate root canal treatment. Conclusions: Apical periodontitis was significantly related to diabetes, smoking, and inadequate endodontic treatment. PMID:28397949

Are Autonomous and Controlled Motivations School-Subjects-Specific?

PubMed

Chanal, Julien; Guay, Frédéric

2015-01-01

This research sought to test whether autonomous and controlled motivations are specific to school subjects or more general to the school context. In two cross-sectional studies, 252 elementary school children (43.7% male; mean age = 10.7 years, SD = 1.3 years) and 334 junior high school children (49.7% male, mean age = 14.07 years, SD = 1.01 years) were administered a questionnaire assessing their motivation for various school subjects. Results based on structural equation modeling using the correlated trait-correlated method minus one model (CTCM-1) showed that autonomous and controlled motivations assessed at the school subject level are not equally school-subject-specific. We found larger specificity effects for autonomous (intrinsic and identified) than for controlled (introjected and external) motivation. In both studies, results of factor loadings and the correlations with self-concept and achievement demonstrated that more evidence of specificity was obtained for autonomous regulations than for controlled ones. These findings suggest a new understanding of the hierarchical and multidimensional academic structure of autonomous and controlled motivations and of the mechanisms involved in the development of types of regulations for school subjects.

Are Autonomous and Controlled Motivations School-Subjects-Specific?

PubMed Central

Chanal, Julien; Guay, Frédéric

2015-01-01

This research sought to test whether autonomous and controlled motivations are specific to school subjects or more general to the school context. In two cross-sectional studies, 252 elementary school children (43.7% male; mean age = 10.7 years, SD = 1.3 years) and 334 junior high school children (49.7% male, mean age = 14.07 years, SD = 1.01 years) were administered a questionnaire assessing their motivation for various school subjects. Results based on structural equation modeling using the correlated trait-correlated method minus one model (CTCM-1) showed that autonomous and controlled motivations assessed at the school subject level are not equally school-subject-specific. We found larger specificity effects for autonomous (intrinsic and identified) than for controlled (introjected and external) motivation. In both studies, results of factor loadings and the correlations with self-concept and achievement demonstrated that more evidence of specificity was obtained for autonomous regulations than for controlled ones. These findings suggest a new understanding of the hierarchical and multidimensional academic structure of autonomous and controlled motivations and of the mechanisms involved in the development of types of regulations for school subjects. PMID:26247788

Comprehensive Assessment of the Psychological Burden for Students in Physical Education Classes in Chinese Universities.

PubMed

Wei, Xuemei; Liu, Zhen

2018-05-15

BACKGROUND Physical education (PE) is part of the curriculum in Chinese universities. The psychological burden, or anxiety levels, for students in PE classes, can result from several factors, including teaching content, teaching environment, and the organization of the teaching methods. The aim of this study was to assess the psychological burden on students in PE classes in Chinese universities. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 400 students (200 men and 200 women) from a Chinese university, who participated in PE classes. The distribution of the levels of psychological burden associated with PE was assessed using subjective measurements and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method that to provide an integrated framework combining the results of judgments made at multiple stages of the evaluation process. RESULTS Of the 400 study participants who attended PE classes, 61.5% of male students and 47.5% of female students coped well or very well when dealing with the perceived psychological burden; 33.5% of male students and 42.5% of female students reported a medium level of psychological burden. Few students reported a high level of psychological burden associated with PE classes. The average psychological burden in female students was greater than for male students who participated in PE classes. CONCLUSIONS The combination of subjective measurement of the psychological burden associated with PE classes by university students in China, combined with a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method showed that female university students might require more support than male students to overcome any psychological burden associated with PE classes.

Lack of Day/Night variation in fibroblast growth factor 21 levels in young healthy men.

PubMed

Foo, J-P; Aronis, K N; Chamberland, J P; Mantzoros, C S

2015-06-01

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 is an endocrine factor with an emerging role as a metabolic regulator. We previously reported the presence of a significant day/night variation of FGF-21 in energy-replete, healthy female subjects. However the day/night patterns of secretion in male subjects remain to be fully elucidated. To elucidate day/night pattern of FGF-21 levels in male subjects in the energy-replete state, its relationship to FFA and to investigate whether a sexual dimorphism exists in FGF-21 physiology. Eight healthy lean male subjects were studied for up to 5 days while on an isocaloric diet. Blood samples were obtained for measurement of FGF-21 and free fatty acids (FFA) hourly from 0800 AM on day 4 till 0800AM on day 5. FGF-21 did not exhibit any statistically significant day/night variation pattern of circulating FGF-21 levels during the isocaloric fed state in male subjects. FGF-21 levels in male subjects are closely cross-correlated with FFA levels, similar to female subjects. A sexual dimorphism exists in FGF-21 physiology; that as opposed to female subjects, no significant day/night variation exists in FGF-21 rhythm in male subjects in the energy-replete state. Circulating pattern of FGF-21, similar to the female subjects, was highly cross-correlated to the FFA levels in the male subjects, signifying that the sexual dimorphism in FGF-21 physiology may be related to the differing lipid metabolism in both the genders.

A clinical study to evaluate the correlation between maxillary central incisor tooth form and face form in an Indian population.

PubMed

Koralakunte, Pavankumar R; Budihal, Dhanyakumar H

2012-09-01

A study was performed to examine the correlation between maxillary central incisor tooth form and face form in males and females in an Indian population. The selection of prosthetic teeth for edentulous patients is a primary issue in denture esthetics, especially in the case of maxillary central incisors, which are the most prominent teeth in the arch. Two hundred dental students of Indian origin comprising 79 males and 121 females aged 18-28 years studying at Bapuji Dental College and Hospital were randomly selected as the study subjects. A standardized photographic procedure was used to obtain images of the face and the maxillary central incisors. The outline forms of the face and the maxillary right central incisor tooth were determined using a standardized method. The outline forms obtained were used to classify both face form and tooth form on the basis of visual and William's methods. The means were considered after evaluation by five prosthodontists, and the results were tabulated. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test for association and Z-test for equality of proportions. A correlation greater than 50% was observed between tooth form and face form by the visual method, compared with one of 31.5% by William's method. There was no highly defined correlation between maxillary central incisor tooth form and face form among the male and female Indian subjects studied.

Study of Odours and taste for Space Food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katayama, Naomi; Space Agriculture Task Force; Nakata, Seiichi; Teranishi, Masaaki; Sone, Michihiko; Nakashima, Tsutomu; Hamajima, Nobuyuki; Ito, Yoshihiro

2012-07-01

The sense of taste and smell come under some kind of influences in the space environment. In the space, the astronaut was changed their food habits from light taste and smell food to like strong taste and smells food. When an astronaut live in the space comes to have weak bone like osteoporosis. It may become the physiologic condition like the old man on the earth. Therefore this study performed fact-finding of the smell and the taste in the old man on the earth as test bed of astronaut in space. Based on this finding, it was intended to predict the taste and the olfactory change of the astronaut in the space. The study included 179 males and 251 females aged 30-90 years in Yakumo Town, Hokkaido, Japan. Odours were tested using a ``standard odours by odour stick identification''method of organoleptic testing. Taste were tested using a ``standard taste by taste disc identification'' method of chemical testing. Correct answers for identification odours consisted of average 6.0±3.0 in male subjects and average 6.9±2.8 in female subjects. Correct answers for identification of sweet taste consisted of 81% males and 87% females, salty taste consisted of 86% males and 91%, sour taste consisted of 75% males and 78% females, bitter taste consisted of 76% males and 88% females. It became clear that overall approximately 20% were in some kind of abnormality in sense of smell and taste. I want to perform the investigation that continued more in future.

46,XX male disorder of sexual development:a case report.

PubMed

Anık, Ahmet; Çatlı, Gönül; Abacı, Ayhan; Böber, Ece

2013-01-01

The main factor influencing sex determination of an embryo is the sex-determining region Y (SRY), a master regulatory gene located on the Y chromosome. The presence of SRY causes the bipotential gonad to differentiate into a testis. However, some individuals carry a Y chromosome but are phenotypically female (46,XY females) or have a female karyotype but are phenotypically male (46,XX males). 46, XX male is rare (1:20 000 in newborn males), and SRY positivity is responsible for this condition in approximately 90% of these subjects. External genitalia of 46,XX SRY-positive males appear as normal male external genitalia, and such cases are diagnosed when they present with small testes and/or infertility after puberty. Herein, we report an adolescent who presented with low testicular volume and who was diagnosed as a 46,XX male. SRY positivity was demonstrated in the patient by fluorescence in situ hybridization method.

The Effects of Sex of Subject, Sex and Attractiveness of Photo on Facial Recognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroo, Agatha W.; Mozingo, R.

1989-01-01

Assessed effect of sex of subject, and sex and attractiveness of photo on facial recognition with 25 male and 25 female college students. Found male subjects performed better with male faces with d' prime scores. (Author/ABL)

Comparison of Standing Posture Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis with DXA for Body Composition in a Large, Healthy Chinese Population.

PubMed

Chen, Kuen-Tsann; Chen, Yu-Yawn; Wang, Chia-Wei; Chuang, Chih-Lin; Chiang, Li-Ming; Lai, Chung-Liang; Lu, Hsueh-Kuan; Dwyer, Gregory B; Chao, Shu-Ping; Shih, Ming-Kuei; Hsieh, Kuen-Chang

2016-01-01

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a common method for assessing body composition in research and clinical trials. BIA is convenient but when compared with other reference methods, the results have been inconclusive. The level of obesity degree in subjects is considered to be an important factor affecting the accuracy of the measurements. A total of 711 participants were recruited in Taiwan and were sub-grouped by gender and levels of adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the agreement of the measured body fat percentage (BF%) between BIA and DXA. The BF% measured by the DXA and BIA methods (Tanita BC-418) were expressed as BF%DXA and BF%BIA8, respectively. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in BF% measurements by gender and levels of adiposity. The estimated BF%BIA8 and BF%DXA in the all subjects, male and female groups were all highly correlated (r = 0.934, 0.901, 0.916, all P< 0.001). The average estimated BF%BIA8 (22.54 ± 9.48%) was significantly lower than the average BF%DXA (26.26 ± 11.18%). The BF%BIA8 was overestimated in the male subgroup (BF%DXA< 15%), compared to BF%DXA by 0.45%, respectively. In the other subgroups, the BF%BIA8 values were all underestimated. Standing BIA estimating body fat percentage in Chinese participants have a high correlation, but underestimated on normal and high obesity degree in both male and female subjects.

Comparison of Standing Posture Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis with DXA for Body Composition in a Large, Healthy Chinese Population

PubMed Central

Chen, Kuen-Tsann; Chen, Yu-Yawn; Wang, Chia-Wei; Chuang, Chih-Lin; Chiang, Li-Ming; Lai, Chung-Liang; Lu, Hsueh-Kuan; Dwyer, Gregory B.; Chao, Shu-Ping; Shih, Ming-Kuei; Hsieh, Kuen-Chang

2016-01-01

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a common method for assessing body composition in research and clinical trials. BIA is convenient but when compared with other reference methods, the results have been inconclusive. The level of obesity degree in subjects is considered to be an important factor affecting the accuracy of the measurements. A total of 711 participants were recruited in Taiwan and were sub-grouped by gender and levels of adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the agreement of the measured body fat percentage (BF%) between BIA and DXA. The BF% measured by the DXA and BIA methods (Tanita BC-418) were expressed as BF%DXA and BF%BIA8, respectively. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in BF% measurements by gender and levels of adiposity. The estimated BF%BIA8 and BF%DXA in the all subjects, male and female groups were all highly correlated (r = 0.934, 0.901, 0.916, all P< 0.001). The average estimated BF%BIA8 (22.54 ± 9.48%) was significantly lower than the average BF%DXA (26.26 ± 11.18%). The BF%BIA8 was overestimated in the male subgroup (BF%DXA< 15%), compared to BF%DXA by 0.45%, respectively. In the other subgroups, the BF%BIA8 values were all underestimated. Standing BIA estimating body fat percentage in Chinese participants have a high correlation, but underestimated on normal and high obesity degree in both male and female subjects. PMID:27467065

The Immediate Effect of Neuromuscular Joint Facilitation (NJF) Treatment on Electromechanical Reaction Times of Hip Flexion.

PubMed

Huo, Ming; Wang, Hongzhao; Ge, Meng; Huang, Qiuchen; Li, Desheng; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2013-11-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the change in electromechanical reaction times (EMG-RT) of hip flexion of younger persons after neuromuscular joint facilitation (NJF) treatment. [Subjects] The subjects were 39 healthy young people, who were divided into two groups: a NJF group and a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) group. The NJF group consisted of 16 subjects (7 males, 9 females), and the PNF group consisted of 23 subjects (10 males, 13 females). [Methods] Participants in the NJF group received NJF treatment. We measured the EMG-RT, the premotor time (PMT) and the motor time (MT) during hip flexion movement before and after the intervention in both groups. [Results] There were no significant differences among the results of the PNF group. For the NJF group, there were significant differences in PMT and EMG-RT after NJF treatment. [Conclusion] These results suggest that there is an immediate effect of NJF intervention on electromechanical reaction times of hip flexion.

The Immediate Effect of Neuromuscular Joint Facilitation (NJF) Treatment on Electromechanical Reaction Times of Hip Flexion

PubMed Central

Huo, Ming; Wang, Hongzhao; Ge, Meng; Huang, Qiuchen; Li, Desheng; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2013-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the change in electromechanical reaction times (EMG-RT) of hip flexion of younger persons after neuromuscular joint facilitation (NJF) treatment. [Subjects] The subjects were 39 healthy young people, who were divided into two groups: a NJF group and a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) group. The NJF group consisted of 16 subjects (7 males, 9 females), and the PNF group consisted of 23 subjects (10 males, 13 females). [Methods] Participants in the NJF group received NJF treatment. We measured the EMG-RT, the premotor time (PMT) and the motor time (MT) during hip flexion movement before and after the intervention in both groups. [Results] There were no significant differences among the results of the PNF group. For the NJF group, there were significant differences in PMT and EMG-RT after NJF treatment. [Conclusion] These results suggest that there is an immediate effect of NJF intervention on electromechanical reaction times of hip flexion. PMID:24396211

Indirect measurement of lung density and air volume from electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data.

PubMed

Nebuya, Satoru; Mills, Gary H; Milnes, Peter; Brown, Brian H

2011-12-01

This paper describes a method for estimating lung density, air volume and changes in fluid content from a non-invasive measurement of the electrical resistivity of the lungs. Resistivity in Ω m was found by fitting measured electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data to a finite difference model of the thorax. Lung density was determined by comparing the resistivity of the lungs, measured at a relatively high frequency, with values predicted from a published model of lung structure. Lung air volume can then be calculated if total lung weight is also known. Temporal changes in lung fluid content will produce proportional changes in lung density. The method was implemented on EIT data, collected using eight electrodes placed in a single plane around the thorax, from 46 adult male subjects and 36 adult female subjects. Mean lung densities (±SD) of 246 ± 67 and 239 ± 64 kg m(-3), respectively, were obtained. In seven adult male subjects estimates of 1.68 ± 0.30, 3.42 ± 0.49 and 4.40 ± 0.53 l in residual volume, functional residual capacity and vital capacity, respectively, were obtained. Sources of error are discussed. It is concluded that absolute differences in lung density of about 30% and changes over time of less than 30% should be detected using the current technology in normal subjects. These changes would result from approximately 300 ml increase in lung fluid. The method proposed could be used for non-invasive monitoring of total lung air and fluid content in normal subjects but needs to be assessed in patients with lung disease.

A split-body study evaluating the efficacy of a conformable surface cryolipolysis applicator for the treatment of male pseudogynecomastia.

PubMed

Jones, Isabela T; Vanaman Wilson, Monique J; Guiha, Isabella; Wu, Douglas C; Goldman, Mitchel P

2018-01-13

Cryolipolysis is a non-invasive method of body shaping that has been used for male pseudogynecomastia. However, traditional vacuum suction cryolipolysis requires a minimum pinchable fat layer which may not always be present in this area. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a conformable surface cryolipolysis applicator for the reduction of male pseudogynecomastia. Ten male subjects with pseudogynecomastia received two cycles of cryolipolysis to the breast 6 weeks apart. Ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of adipose tissue. Seven of 10 patients completed the study. Compared to baseline, the mean ± SD change in adipose tissue thickness was 8.12 ± 6.94 mm for the treated versus 1.03 ± 6.03 mm for the control breast at week 6 (p = 0.014), and 8.71 ± 7.04 mm for the treated vs. 2.66 ± 7.04 mm for the control breast at week 12 (P = 0.16). Four (4) of seven (57%) patients were at least slightly satisfied with the treated breast, and although subject satisfaction was higher in the treated breast, this did not reach significance (0.085). Adverse events were mild and transient. A conformable surface cryolipolysis applicator was effective in reducing the mean adipose tissue thickness in subjects with male pseudogynecomastia. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Deaths from violence in North Carolina, 2004: how deaths differ in females and males

PubMed Central

Sanford, C; Marshall, S W; Martin, S L; Coyne‐Beasley, T; Waller, A E; Cook, P J; Norwood, T; Demissie, Z

2006-01-01

Objective To identify gender differences in violent deaths in terms of incidence, circumstances, and methods of death. Design Analysis of surveillance data. Setting North Carolina, a state of 8.6 million residents on the eastern seaboard of the US. Subjects 1674 North Carolina residents who died from violence in the state during 2004. Methods Information on violent deaths was collected by the North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System using data from death certificates, medical examiner reports, and law enforcement agency incidence reports. Results Suicide and homicide rates were lower for females than males. For suicides, females were more likely than males to have a diagnosis of depression (55% v 36%), a current mental health problem (66% v 42%), or a history of suicide attempts (25% v 13%). Firearms were the sole method of suicide in 65% of males and 42% of females. Poisonings were more common in female than male suicides (37% v 12%). Male and female homicide victims were most likely to die from a handgun or a sharp instrument. Fifty seven percent of female homicides involved intimate partner violence, compared with 13% of male homicides. Among female homicides involving intimate partner violence, 78% occurred in the woman's home. White females had a higher rate of suicide than African‐American females, but African‐American females had a higher rate of homicide than white females. Conclusions The incidence, circumstances, and methods of fatal violence differ greatly between females and males. These differences should be taken into account in the development of violence prevention efforts. PMID:17170164

Comfort evaluation of a subject-specific seating interface formed by vibrating grains.

PubMed

Liu, Shenghui; Qu, Yunxia; Hou, Shujun; Li, Kai; Li, Xinye; Zhai, Yang; Ji, Yunxiao

2018-09-01

Sitting is the most common posture for work in offices, and spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who are wheelchair dependent spend 10.6 h per day seated in wheelchairs. Thus, the comfort of subject-specific interfaces is increasingly important for the well-being of patients and office workers. This paper introduces a new method of forming a subject-specific interface, based on vibrating grains. Twenty subjects (10 females and 10 males) participated in the sitting test. Interface comfort was evaluated using the pressure distribution and subjective rating methods. Five seating interface types were compared. The results showed that compared with a flat interface, the interfaces formed by vibrating grains had a significantly reduced peak contact pressure (PeakCP) (by more than 58.03%), and that PeakCP was highly correlated with the comfort rating (R = -0.533) and discomfort rating(R = -0.603). This new method shows promise for guiding the future development of customized seating interfaces. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The reliability of Fishman method of skeletal maturation for age estimation in children of South Indian population.

PubMed

Mohammed, Rezwana Begum; Kalyan, V Siva; Tircouveluri, Saritha; Vegesna, Goutham Chakravarthy; Chirla, Anil; Varma, D Maruthi

2014-07-01

Determining the age of a person in the absence of documentary evidence of birth is essential for legal and medico-legal purpose. Fishman method of skeletal maturation is widely used for this purpose; however, the reliability of this method for people with all geographic locations is not well-established. In this study, we assessed various stages of carpal and metacarpal bone maturation and tested the reliability of Fishman method of skeletal maturation to estimate the age in South Indian population. We also evaluated the correlation between the chronological age (CA) and predicted age based on the Fishman method of skeletal maturation. Digital right hand-wrist radiographs of 330 individuals aged 9-20 years were obtained and the skeletal maturity stage for each subject was determined using Fishman method. The skeletal maturation indicator scores were obtained and analyzed with reference to CA and sex. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software package (version 12, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The study subjects had a tendency toward late maturation with the mean skeletal age (SA) estimated being significantly lowers (P < 0.05) than the mean CA at various skeletal maturity stages. Nevertheless, significant correlation was observed in this study between SA and CA for males (r = 0.82) and females (r = 0.85). Interestingly, female subjects were observed to be advanced in SA compared with males. Fishman method of skeletal maturation can be used as an alternative tool for the assessment of mean age of an individual of unknown CA in South Indian children.

Role of olfactory reactions, nociception, and immunoendocrine shifts in addictive disorders.

PubMed

Masterova, Elena; Nevidimova, Tatiana; Savochkina, Dariya; Nikitina, Valentina; Lobacheva, Olga; Vetlugina, Tamara; Bokhan, Nikolay

2017-09-01

Addictive pathology is associated with nervous, immune, and endocrine shifts. Meanwhile, the nature of intersystemic relationship lying beneath addictive disorders remains unclear. The purpose of the study was to identify neuroimmunoendocrine markers of addictive disorders in male subjects defining the nature of their interaction. The study enrolled 69 subjects aged 18-43 years: 59 males and 10 females divided into those with addictive disorders (n = 39) and conditionally healthy subjects (n = 30). EEG testing with olfactory stimulation, olfactometric, and pressure algometric examinations was carried out. Multiplex technique was applied to determine mitogen-induced production of cytokines IL-10, IL-1, IL-1RA, IL-2, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha. ELISA method was applied to measure serum cortisol and testosterone levels. Olfactory responses to isopropanol with open eyes in addicted patients manifested as increase in alpha-rhythm and beta1-rhythm, with closed eyes presentation of this odorant was accompanied by increase of theta-rhythm in opioid-addicted patients. Male subjects with addictive disorders showed reduced alpha-rhythm in terms of olfactory stimulation with modified emotional evaluation of the odorant, deficient mitogen-induced production of IFN-gamma, and reduced pain sensitivity. Male subjects with opioid addiction had reduced beta1-rhythm in terms of olfactory stimulation, mitogen-induced production of IFN-gamma, and elevated testosterone level. The findings obtained verify potential involvement of nociception, olfaction, and cytokine production in addiction pathogenesis evidencing their various roles depending on the range of psychoactive substances (PAS) and pathology progression. The data obtained may provide background for unification of reward circuit and inhibitory control concepts in regulation of addictive behavior. (Am J Addict 2017;26:640-648). © 2017 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

An epidemiological study of sexual disorders in south Indian rural population

PubMed Central

Sathyanarayana Rao, T. S.; Darshan, M. S.; Tandon, Abhinav

2015-01-01

Background: Sexuality is an important aspect of the personality of an individual and influences psychological, physical and social well-being of both men and women. It is a paradox, that in the country where ‘kamasutra’ (by Vatsyayana) took birth, there is a lack of research publications and sexuality related literature; hence the current study was conducted, to estimate the prevalence and association of sexual disorders with various socio-demographic variables, in the selected rural population. Materials and Methods: Subjects who were sexually active and fulfilled the study criteria were administered Arizona Sexual Experience Scale as screening tool for the presence of sexual problems. Those who were found to be having sexual problems were interviewed further using appropriate questionnaires. Results: 21.15% of the male subjects were diagnosed to have one (or more) sexual disorder. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction was found to be 15.77%, male hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) 2.56%; premature ejaculation was found to be prevalent in 8.76% of the male subjects. Around 14% of the female subjects were diagnosed to have female sexual disorders. Prevalence of female arousal dysfunction was found to be 6.65%, female HSDD 8.87%, female anorgasmia 5.67%, female dyspareunia 2.34% and female sexual aversion disorder was found to be prevalent in 0.37% of the female subjects. Conclusion: This study concluded that one in five males and one in seven females were suffering from one (or more) sexual disorder. Improving the training of undergraduate medical and nursing students in sexuality related issues, increasing trained individuals in sexual medicine by starting new courses, providing sex education to the general population using media and merging sexual health care with primary care, are likely to play a significant role in addressing the increasing sexual health morbidity. PMID:26124520

Differences in pedal forces during recumbent cycling in adolescents with and without cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Johnston, Therese E.; Prosser, Laura A.; Lee, Samuel C.K.

2011-01-01

Background We showed that subjects with cerebral palsy had greater transverse and frontal plane hip and knee motion, increased duration of muscle activity, increased cocontraction, and decreased efficiency during recumbent cycling than subjects with typical development. However, it is also important to understand the forces exerted on the pedals. The purpose of this report was to compare pedal forces during cycling between adolescents with and without cerebral palsy. Methods Ten subjects (3 male, 7 female) with spastic diplegic or quadriplegic cerebral palsy (15.6 years, SD 1.8) and 10 subjects (3 male, 7 female) with typical development (14.9 years, SD 1.4) cycled on a stationary recumbent cycle at 30 and 60 revolutions per minute if able. Three-dimensional piezoelectric force transducers measured pedal forces. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVAs. Findings Subjects with cerebral palsy spent a smaller percentage (P < .001, r2 = .09, power = 1.0) of the revolution applying positive force (pushing into the pedal during the extension phase) and a greater percentage (P < .001, r2 = .09, power = 1.0) of the revolution applying negative force (pulling away from the pedal during the flexion phase). There was no effect of cadence and no interaction effect. Interpretation These findings compliment our earlier findings of altered joint kinematics and muscle activity indicating that subjects with cerebral palsy and typical development have different cycling strategies. Methods to increase the duration of the positive force may allow subjects with CP to cycle more successfully and cycle vigorously enough to reach a heart rate necessary for improving fitness. PMID:17950505

"Fitspiration" on Social Media: A Content Analysis of Gendered Images.

PubMed

Carrotte, Elise Rose; Prichard, Ivanka; Lim, Megan Su Cheng

2017-03-29

"Fitspiration" (also known as "fitspo") aims to inspire individuals to exercise and be healthy, but emerging research indicates exposure can negatively impact female body image. Fitspiration is frequently accessed on social media; however, it is currently unclear the degree to which messages about body image and exercise differ by gender of the subject. The aim of our study was to conduct a content analysis to identify the characteristics of fitspiration content posted across social media and whether this differs according to subject gender. Content tagged with #fitspo across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr was extracted over a composite 30-minute period. All posts were analyzed by 2 independent coders according to a codebook. Of the 415/476 (87.2%) relevant posts extracted, most posts were on Instagram (360/415, 86.8%). Most posts (308/415, 74.2%) related thematically to exercise, and 81/415 (19.6%) related thematically to food. In total, 151 (36.4%) posts depicted only female subjects and 114/415 (27.5%) depicted only male subjects. Female subjects were typically thin but toned; male subjects were often muscular or hypermuscular. Within the images, female subjects were significantly more likely to be aged under 25 years (P<.001) than the male subjects, to have their full body visible (P=.001), and to have their buttocks emphasized (P<.001). Male subjects were more likely to have their face visible in the post (P=.005) than the female subjects. Female subjects were more likely to be sexualized than the male subjects (P=.002). Female #fitspo subjects typically adhered to the thin or athletic ideal, and male subjects typically adhered to the muscular ideal. Future research and interventional efforts should consider the potential objectifying messages in fitspiration, as it relates to both female and male body image. ©Elise Rose Carrotte, Ivanka Prichard, Megan Su Cheng Lim. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 29.03.2017.

Gender differences in colour naming performance for gender specific body shape images.

PubMed

Elliman, N A; Green, M W; Wan, W K

1998-03-01

Males are increasingly subjected to pressures to conform to aesthetic body stereotypes. There is, however, comparatively little published research on the aetiology of male body shape concerns. Two experiments are presented, which investigate the relationship between gender specific body shape concerns and colour-naming performance. Each study comprised a between subject design, in which each subject was tested on a single occasion. A pictorial version of a modified Stroop task was used in both studies. Subjects colour-named gender specific obese and thin body shape images and semantically homogeneous neutral images (birds) presented in a blocked format. The first experiment investigated female subjects (N = 68) and the second investigated males (N = 56). Subjects also completed a self-report measure of eating behaviour. Currently dieting female subjects exhibited significant colour-naming differences between obese and neutral images. A similar pattern of colour-naming performance was found to be related to external eating in the male subjects.

New method for evaluation of cervical vertebral maturation based on angular measurements.

PubMed

Alhadlaq, Adel M; Al-Shayea, Eman I

2013-04-01

To investigate the validity of a new approach to assess the cervical vertebral maturation based on angular measurements of the lower border concavity of cervical vertebral bodies. Hand-wrist and lateral cephalometric radiographs of 197 male subjects with age range of 10-15 years attending the orthodontic clinic at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were utilized. The study was carried out between September 2009 and May 2011. The study sample was divided into 6 groups (group 1: 10 years to group 6: 15 years) based on the chronological age of the subject. The skeletal age of the subjects was determined using Greulich and Pyle's standard radiographic atlas, and skeletal maturation was assessed by Fishman's skeletal maturity indicators. The cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) of subjects was determined using angular measurements of the second, third, and fourth cervical vertebral bodies. The validity of the newly developed method was assessed by examining the correlation between CVM stages determined by the angular measurements and the skeletal maturation level as determined by the standard hand-wrist methods. A significant correlation (r=0.94) was found between the angular CVM stages and the skeletal age determined by Greulich and Pyle's atlas from hand-wrist radiographs. Also, a high correlation (r=0.94) was found between the angular CVM stages and the Fishman's hand-wrist skeletal maturity indicators. The new angular measurement approach to determine CVM is valid and has the potential to be applied in assessing skeletal maturity level in growing male children.

Mortal Kombat: The Effects of Violent Video Technology on Males' Hostility and Cardiovascular Responding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Mary E.; Wiest, J. Rose

A study examined differences in cardiovascular (CV) reactions and hostility following non-violent play and violent video game play. Subjects were 30 male college undergraduate students. Only male subjects were used because most video games are male oriented, males frequent videogame arcades more often than females, and the gender gap in video game…

Corneal thickness differences between sexes after oxybuprocaine eye drops.

PubMed

Fernandez-Garcia, Pablo; Cerviño, Alejandro; Quiles-Guiñau, Laura; Albarran-Diego, Cesar; Garcia-Lazaro, Santiago; Sanchis-Gimeno, Juan A

2015-01-01

We aimed to analyze the corneal thickness (CT) values of female and male subjects before and after instillation of oxybuprocaine 0.4% anesthetic eye drops. The CT of 30 female subjects and 28 male subjects was measured using scanning-slit corneal topography (Orbscan Topography System II, Orbscan, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT). Measurements were carried out before and 3 minutes after the instillation of oxybuprocaine 0.4% eye drops. The difference between the baseline values and those obtained after anesthesia ranged as follows: male subjects: central, -26 to +24 μm; superior, -24 to +23 μm; inferior, -19 to +20 μm; nasal, -25 to +30 μm; and temporal, -21 to +20 μm; female subjects: central, -16 to +24 μm; superior, -19 to +32 μm; inferior, -14 to +34 μm; nasal, -19 to +33 μm; and temporal, -36 to +16 μm. No significant differences were found in any corneal location in male subjects. The differences were significant at inferior (p = 0.001) and nasal (p = 0.011) corneal sites in female subjects. Oxybuprocaine anesthetic eye drops induce significant CT increases in female subjects but not in male subjects.

Sources of male chauvinism in the TAT.

PubMed

Potkay, C R; Merrens, M R

1975-10-01

Potential sources of antifemale bias in TAT stimuli were evaluated by having 358 undergraduate subjects rate 17 male and 17 female TAT figures on 7-point anchored scales. Data from the five independent rating conditions were examined by 2 x 2 ANOVA. Biases toward greater Mental Health and Intelligence for female figures were seen to be insufficient counterbalancers of biases toward greater Cultural Favorability and Identification for male figures. Achievement status was rated equivalently. TAT stimuli appeared to show a "built in" source of male chauvinism systematically "pulling" male-sex identification. Potential for unfavorable clinical evaluation was seen to be greater for female TAT subjects compared with male subjects.

Pretreatment with CP-154526 blocks the modifying effects of alarm pheromone on components of sexual behavior in male, but not in female, rats.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Tatsuya; Kiyokawa, Yasushi; Takeuchi, Yukari; Mori, Yuji

2011-09-01

We previously demonstrated that an alarm pheromone released from male donor Wistar rats evoked several physiological and behavioral responses in recipient rats. However, the pheromone effects on social behavior were not analyzed. In the present study, we examined whether the alarm pheromone affects sexual behavior in male or female rats. When a pair of male and female subjects was exposed to the alarm pheromone during sexual behavior, the ejaculation latency was elongated, the number of mounts was increased, and the hit rate (number of intromissions/number of mounts and intromissions) was decreased in the male subject. In contrast, female sexual behavior was not affected by the alarm pheromone. When we exposed only the male or female subject of the pair to the pheromone just before sexual behavior, the results were similar: the pheromone effects were evident in male, but not in female, subjects. In addition, when we pretreated with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antagonist (CP-154526) before exposing the male subject to the alarm pheromone, the pheromone effects were attenuated in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that the alarm pheromone modifies male, but not female, components of sexual behavior and that CRF participates in the effects.

Male and female runners demonstrate different sagittal plane mechanics as a function of static hamstring flexibility

PubMed Central

Williams III, D. S. Blaise; Welch, Lee M.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Injuries to runners are common. However, there are many potential contributing factors to injury. While lack of flexibility alone is commonly related to injury, there are clear differences in hamstring flexibility between males and females. Objective: To compare the effect of static hamstring length on sagittal plane mechanics between male and female runners. Method: Forty subjects (30.0±6.4 years) participated and were placed in one of 4 groups: flexible males (n=10), inflexible males (n=10), flexible females (n=10), and inflexible females (n=10). All subjects were free of injury at the time of data collection. Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were collected while subjects ran over ground across 2 force platforms. Sagittal plane joint angles and moments were calculated at the knee and hip and compared with a 2-way (sex X flexibility) ANOVA (α=0.05). Results: Males exhibited greater peak knee extension moment than females (M=2.80±0.47, F=2.48±0.52 Nm/kg*m, p=0.05) and inflexible runners exhibited greater peak knee extension moment than flexible runners (In=2.83±0.56, Fl=2.44±0.51 Nm/kg*m, p=0.01). For hip flexion at initial contact, a significant interaction existed (p<0.05). Flexible females (36.7±7.4º) exhibited more hip flexion than inflexible females (27.9±4.6º, p<0.01) and flexible males (30.1±9.5º, p<0.05). No differences existed for knee angle at initial contact, peak knee angle, peak hip angle, or peak hip moment. Conclusion: Hamstring flexibility results in different mechanical profiles in males and females. Flexibility in the hamstrings may result in decreased moments via active or passive tension. These differences may have implications for performance and injury in flexible female runners. PMID:26537812

Impulsivity, Mental Disorder, and Suicide in Rural China

PubMed Central

Lin, Lin; Zhang, Jie

2017-01-01

Aims The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among impulsivity, mental disorder, and suicide with a sample of rural young Chinese. Methods Subjects were 392 consecutively recruited male and female suicides aged 15–34 years and 416 community male and female controls of the same age range sampled in rural China. The case-control data were obtained using psychological autopsy method with structured and semi-structured instruments. Results Dysfunctional impulsivity was a significant risk factor regardless of mental disorder in rural China. Conclusions Dysfunctional impulsivity is a potential area for further study of suicidal behavior. The suicide prevention efforts in rural China may address impulsivity. PMID:25764273

Glomerular filtration rate and kidney size in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Wirta, O R; Pasternack, A I

1995-07-01

The objective of the present study was to estimate glomerular filtration rate and kidney size in recently diagnosed and long-term type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects. The study design comprised of a population-based controlled cross-sectional survey of middle-aged type 2 diabetic subjects in the City of Tampere, Southwest Finland. One hundred and fifty consecutive recently diagnosed and 146 long-term middle-aged type 2 diabetic subjects with a disease duration of at least five years and one hundred and fifty age- and sex-matched (to recent diabetic subjects) non-diabetic control subjects were recruited. The glomerular filtration rate by single-shot 51Cr-EDTA clearance and kidney size by native X-ray tomography were measured. The glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2) was increased in both recently diagnosed (males 121 [27] and females 112 [27]) and long-term (males 123 [24] and females 102 [36]) diabetic subjects (corrected for age) compared to control subjects (males 111 [26] and females 93 [17]). The kidney areas (cm2) were greater in both recent diabetic (males 116.6 [15.4] and females 99.1 [15.3] and long-term diabetic (males 118.3 [15.8] and females 100.4 [15.2]) subjects than in the control group (males 104.3 [12.0] and females 88.6 [12.0]). All differences between diabetic subjects and non-diabetic subjects were statistically significant (p < 0.05), except that between long-term diabetic and non-diabetic females for glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.07). Analyzed by linear regression glomerular filtration rate was related to kidney area in all study groups and to hemoglobin A1c in long-term diabetic males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Associations among hair loss, oral sulfur-containing gases, and gastrointestinal and metabolic linked diseases in Japanese elderly men: pilot study

PubMed Central

Ansai, Toshihiro; Awano, Shuji; Soh, Inho; Takata, Yutaka; Yoshida, Akihiro; Hamasaki, Tomoko; Takehara, Tadamichi

2009-01-01

Background Male pattern baldness (MPB), an observable trait, has been reported to be associated with various diseases, such as prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. Oral sulfur-containing gases have also been suggested to be useful as markers of systemic health condition. However, there are no known reports regarding the associations among MPB, and oral sulfur-containing gases, and systemic health conditions in males. Methods We studied 170 male subjects aged either 60 or 65 years old. The degree of MPB was assessed using the Norwood-Hamilton Baldness scale. Oral sulfur-containing gases were measured using a compact-designed device. All subjects completed physical and laboratory blood examinations, a face-to-face medical questionnaire, and an oral examination. Results There were significant differences between the levels of CH3SCH3 and baldness patterns, independent of age. When we analyzed whether the association was linked to systemic health condition, a strong significant association was observed between the level of CH3SCH3 and severe MPB in subjects with gastrointestinal diseases, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Conclusion These results suggest that MPB is associated with the level of CH3SCH3, a sulfur-containing gas that causes oral malodor, in elderly Japanese males. Further, the association was intensified by the existence of gastrointestinal tract and metabolic disorders. PMID:19284665

The Lowest Prevalence of Cholelithiasis in the Americas - An Autopsy-based Study

PubMed Central

Asperti, André Marangoni; Reis, Paulo; Diniz, Marcio Augusto; Pinto, Mariana Dourado; da Silva, Edinésio Carlos; da Silva, Danilo Felipe Dias; D’Albuquerque, Luiz Augusto Carneiro; Andraus, Wellington

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study used autopsy to evaluate the prevalence of cholelithiasis and its associated risk factors in a population of healthy, young subjects who suffered a violent or natural death. METHODS: This study is a prospective evaluation of autopsies of 446 individuals from 2011 to 2013 in Brazil. Of that sample, 330 (74%) subjects died from violent deaths and 116 (26%) died naturally. The presence of biliary calculi, previous cholecystectomy, gender, age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and alcohol use were evaluated. RESULTS: In the natural death group, 6.9% (95% CI 3.39 to 13.28) (3.08% of the male subjects and 11.76% of the female subjects) exhibited evidence of gallbladder disease. In the violent death group, only 2.12% (95% CI 0.96 to 4.43) (2.17% of the male subjects and 1.85% of the female subjects) of the subjects exhibited evidence of gallbladder disease. Age was correlated with the prevalence of gallbladder disease, but BMI was correlated with only gallbladder disease in the natural death group. CONCLUSIONS: This population has the lowest prevalence of cholelithiasis in the Americas. Dietary habits, physical activity, ethnicity, alcohol consumption and genetic factors may be responsible for this low prevalence. PMID:27464291

Conflicting Role of Sarcopenia and Obesity in Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PubMed Central

Koo, Hyeon-Kyoung; Park, Joo-Hyun; Park, Hye Kyeong; Jung, Hoon; Lee, Sung-Soon

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the impact of sarcopenia and obesity on pulmonary function and quality of life (QOL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Research Design and Methods Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including data from health interviews, health examinations, nutritional questionnaires, and laboratory findings. Laboratory data included pulmonary function assessment and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry results. Sarcopenia was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and obesity was defined by body mass index. Male COPD patients were then classified into 4 groups according to the presence of sarcopenia and obesity. Results In male patients with COPD, the prevalence of sarcopenia was found to be 29.3%, and that of sarcopenic obesity was 14.2%. Furthermore, 22.5% of the patients observed in this study had impaired QOL. Following multivariable statistical analysis, both sarcopenia and obesity were independent risk factors for worsening lung function. Adjusted values of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second were the lowest in the sarcopenic obesity group. Sarcopenia was also associated with more subjective activity limitation and poorer QOL; however obesity was related to less subjective limitation and better QOL after multivariable analysis. Adjusted value of QOL was the lowest in sarcopenic subjects without obesity, and the highest in obese subject without sarcopenia. Conclusions Both sarcopenia and obesity were found to be associated with worsening lung function in male COPD patients. However, obesity was positively correlated with improved QOL while sarcopenia was negatively correlated with QQL. PMID:25353344

Possible interethnic differences in quinidine-induced QT prolongation between healthy Caucasian and Korean subjects

PubMed Central

Shin, Jae-Gook; Kang, Won-ku; Shon, Ji-Hong; Arefayene, Million; Yoon, Young-Ran; Kim, Kyung-Ah; Kim, Doo-Il; Kim, Dong-Soo; Cho, Kwang-Hyun; Woosley, Raymond L; Flockhart, David A

2007-01-01

Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of quinidine-induced QT prolongation in healthy Caucasian and Korean subjects to investigate interethnic differences in susceptibility to drug-induced arrhythmia. Methods A randomized, double-blind crossover study was conducted in 24 (12 male and 12 female) Korean and 13 (seven male and six female) Caucasian subjects. After a 20 min infusion of quinidine (4 mg kg−1) or saline, the serum concentration of quinidine and the QT interval corrected by Bazett's formula (QTc) were monitored. The dynamic data were analyzed by means of a population modelling approach using NONMEM. Results There were no statistical differences in the pharmacokinetic profiles of quinidine between ethnic groups. The QTc values in Caucasians were higher than those in Koreans at the same quinidine concentrations, especially at higher quinidine concentrations and in female subjects. According to an Emax model , the population modelling approach revealed that E0 (ms) was related to gender (408 + [34*(1 − Sex)]; 1 for male and 0 for female), ΔEmax (ms) was related to ethnicity ((136*fETHN) + Cfemale: fETHN = 1 for Koreans and 1.26 for Caucasians; Cfemale was 106 only for Caucasian females), and EC50 was estimated to be 3.13 µm. Conclusions These results suggest that Korean subjects were less sensitive to quinidine-induced QT prolongation than Caucasian subjects, and that this trend was particularly true for females. Further population-based studies are merited to characterize more completely the ethnic differences in drug-induced QT prolongation between Asians and other ethnic groups. PMID:17096683

Gender-specific association of metabolic syndrome and its components with arterial stiffness in the general Chinese population

PubMed Central

Liu, Hongjian; He, Minfu; Wu, Fangyuan; Li, Xuanxuan; Pang, Yingxin; Yang, Xiaodi; Zhou, Ge; Ma, Juan; Liu, Meitian; Gong, Ping; Li, Jinghua; Zhang, Xiumin

2017-01-01

Objectives Metabolic syndrome (MS) is considered to be a cluster of interrelated risk factors for metabolism, which may increase arterial stiffness and cardiovascular morbidity. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a reliable indicator of arterial stiffness and early arteriosclerosis. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the gender-specific relationship between MS and CAVI in the general Chinese population. Methods A total of 1,301 subjects aged 20 to 60 years participated in this study. CAVI was measured noninvasively using a Vasera VS-1000 device. Blood samples and waist circumference were examined to identify metabolic syndrome according to the criteria set forth in the 2009 Joint Scientific Statement. Results The prevalence of MS in the study subjects was 17.4% (30.7% in males and 7.0% in females, P < 0.001). CAVI values were significantly higher in MS subjects than in non-MS subjects and increased linearly as the number of MS components increased in females, but not in males. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that BMI was correlated with CAVI in the overall population and in both genders, and that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was associated with CAVI in males, while the number of MS components was related to CAVI in females. CAVI values increased linearly with age in both genders (P-trend < 0.001 for both), and this correlation was stronger in males than in females. Conclusions There are gender-specific differences in the association of MS and CAVI. First, the effects of the number of MS components on CAVI are stronger in females than in males. Second, the effect of each MS component on arterial stiffness may differ in relation to gender. In addition, aging affects arterial stiffness more severely in males, and the increase in arterial stiffness tends to occur at a younger age in males than in females. Larger samples and longitudinal studies are needed to further confirm our results in the future. PMID:29073198

The reliability of Fishman method of skeletal maturation for age estimation in children of South Indian population

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Rezwana Begum; Kalyan, V. Siva; Tircouveluri, Saritha; Vegesna, Goutham Chakravarthy; Chirla, Anil; Varma, D. Maruthi

2014-01-01

Introduction: Determining the age of a person in the absence of documentary evidence of birth is essential for legal and medico-legal purpose. Fishman method of skeletal maturation is widely used for this purpose; however, the reliability of this method for people with all geographic locations is not well-established. Aims and Objectives: In this study, we assessed various stages of carpal and metacarpal bone maturation and tested the reliability of Fishman method of skeletal maturation to estimate the age in South Indian population. We also evaluated the correlation between the chronological age (CA) and predicted age based on the Fishman method of skeletal maturation. Materials and Methods: Digital right hand-wrist radiographs of 330 individuals aged 9-20 years were obtained and the skeletal maturity stage for each subject was determined using Fishman method. The skeletal maturation indicator scores were obtained and analyzed with reference to CA and sex. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software package (version 12, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The study subjects had a tendency toward late maturation with the mean skeletal age (SA) estimated being significantly lowers (P < 0.05) than the mean CA at various skeletal maturity stages. Nevertheless, significant correlation was observed in this study between SA and CA for males (r = 0.82) and females (r = 0.85). Interestingly, female subjects were observed to be advanced in SA compared with males. Conclusion: Fishman method of skeletal maturation can be used as an alternative tool for the assessment of mean age of an individual of unknown CA in South Indian children. PMID:25097402

Clinical implications of gait analysis in the rehabilitation of adult patients with "Prader-Willi" Syndrome: a cross-sectional comparative study ("Prader-Willi" Syndrome vs matched obese patients and healthy subjects)

PubMed Central

Vismara, Luca; Romei, Marianna; Galli, Manuela; Montesano, Angelo; Baccalaro, Gabriele; Crivellini, Marcello; Grugni, Graziano

2007-01-01

Background Being severely overweight is a distinctive clinical feature of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). PWS is a complex multisystem disorder, representing the most common form of genetic obesity. The aim of this study was the analysis of the gait pattern of adult subjects with PWS by using three-Dimensional Gait Analysis. The results were compared with those obtained in a group of obese patients and in a group of healthy subjects. Methods Cross-sectional, comparative study: 19 patients with PWS (11 males and 8 females, age: 18–40 years, BMI: 29.3–50.3 kg/m2); 14 obese matched patients (5 males and 9 females, age: 18–40 years, BMI: 34.3–45.2 kg/m2); 20 healthy subjects (10 males and 10 females, age: 21–41 years, BMI: 19.3–25.4 kg/m2). Kinematic and kinetic parameters during walking were assessed by an optoelectronic system and two force platforms. Results PWS adult patients walked slower, had a shorter stride length, a lower cadence and a longer stance phase compared with both matched obese, and healthy subjects. Obese matched patients showed spatio-temporal parameters significantly different from healthy subjects. Furthermore, Range Of Motion (ROM) at knee and ankle, and plantaflexor activity of PWS patients were significantly different between obese and healthy subjects. Obese subjects revealed kinematic and kinetic data similar to healthy subjects. Conclusion PWS subjects had a gait pattern significantly different from obese patients. Despite that, both groups had a similar BMI. We suggest that PWS gait abnormalities may be related to abnormalities in the development of motor skills in childhood, due to precocious obesity. A tailored rehabilitation program in early childhood of PWS patients could prevent gait pattern changes. PMID:17493259

The influence of gender, athletic events, and athletic experience on the subjective dominant hand and the determination of the dominant hand based on the laterality quotient (LQ) and the validity of the LQ.

PubMed

Demura, Shinichi; Tada, Nobuhiko; Matsuzawa, Jinzaburo; Mikami, Hajime; Ohuchi, Tetsuhiko; Shirane, Hiroya; Nagasawa, Yoshinori; Uchiyama, Masanobu

2006-09-01

This study aimed to reveal the influence of gender, athletic events and athletic experience on the subjective dominant hand and the dominant hand based on the laterality quotient (LQ). It also aimed to examine the validity of the Edinburgh Inventory (Oldfield, 1971). Males and females (n=3,726) living in 7 prefectures in Japan (age: 16-45 yrs) participated in this survey. Analysis was performed on 3,557 separate datasets with high reliability. The reliability of the survey was examined using a test-retest method consisting of 100 people selected randomly from all participants. All participants provided the same answers for each question. The influence of gender, event and experience was examined for the subjective and LQ-based dominant hands. In addition, concordance rates of the subjective dominant hand and the LQ-based dominant hand and both dominant hands were examined. Differences of concordance rates between hands used in the 10 movement questions of the Inventory and the subjective dominant hand were tested using the chi(2) test. The frequency differences among items were tested using Ryan's method (multiple comparisons). Significant gender differences were found between rates of the LQ-based dominant hand (males: 94.4%; females: 96.6%) and the subjective dominant hand (males: 91.6%; females: 94.0%), but the degree was only 2.0-4.0%. Insignificant differences were found among athletic events, two groups of different athletic experience, and gender according to each athletic event. The subjective dominant hand almost always agreed with the LQ-based dominant hand (complete concordance rate=0.96, kappa=0.67). Of the 10 question items, inexperienced answers were found only in the item "Knife (without fork)". The "Toothbrush", "Broom (upper hand)", and "Opening box (lid)" items had significantly lower correspondence with the subjective dominant hand (79.7-87.0%) than the other items (92.1-95.7%). In conclusion, athletic experience appears to have little influence on handedness, although there is a slight gender difference. The subjective dominant hand almost always agrees with the dominant hand based on the Inventory. A more efficient handedness inventory may be constructed by excluding the above 4 items.

Bioavailability of dexmedetomidine after extravascular doses in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Anttila, Markku; Penttilä, Jani; Helminen, Antti; Vuorilehto, Lauri; Scheinin, Harry

2003-01-01

Aim To determine the absolute bioavailability of extravascularly administered dexmedetomidine, a novel a2-adrenoceptor agonist, in healthy subjects. Methods Single 2 µg kg−1 doses of dexmedetomidine were given intravenously, intramuscularly, perorally and buccally (where the solution is not swallowed) to 12 healthy male subjects. The drug concentration-time data were analysed using linear one-compartment (buccal and peroral data), or two-compartment modelling (intravenous data), or noncompartmental methods (intramuscular data). Results Mean (95% CI) absolute bioavailability after peroral, buccal and intramuscular administration was 16% (12–20%), 82% (73–92%) and 104% (96–112%), respectively. Conclusion Dexmedetomidine is well absorbed systemically through the oral mucosa, and therefore buccal dosing may provide an effective, noninvasive route to administer the drug. PMID:14616431

[Comparison BMC assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance in Chinese overweight and obesity adults].

PubMed

Wang, Zhenghe; Fu, Lianguo; Yang, Yide; Wang, Shuo; Ma, Jun

2016-05-01

To compare consistency of Body Mineral Content (BMC, kg) assessed by Multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis ( MF-BIA) and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) measurement, providing evidence for MF-BIA accurate application in Chinese overweight/obese adults. A total of 1323 overweight/obesity adults aged 22-55 years were recruited voluntarily. All the subjects received the measurement of BMC both using MF-BIA and DXA. To evaluate the agreement of BMC measured by MF-BIA and DXA using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC), then establish correction prediction models. The mean difference of BMC between two methods was significant different with 0, overweight male subgroup was 0.28 kg, and 0.38 kg for obesity male, 0.24 kg for overweight female and 0.36 kg for obesity female, respectively (P < 0.05). The ICC of BMC between MF-BIA and DXA measurement were statistically significant in all subgroups (P < 0.01). The ICC for overweight male subgroup was 0.787, 0.796 for obesity male, 0.741 for overweight female and 0.788 for obesity female, respectively. Correction prediction model: overweight male population: BMC (DXA method) = -0.297 + 1.005 x BMC (MF-BIA method). Obese male population: BMC (DXA method) =0.302 + 0.799 x BMC (MF-BIA method). Overweight female groups: BMC (DXA method) = 0.780 + 0.598 x BMC (MF-BIA method). Obese female group: BMC (DXA method) = 0.755 + 0.597 x BMC (MF-BIA method). Upon examination, correction prediction models were better. Co The correlation and agreement of BMC measured by BIA and DXA are weak in Chinese overweight/obese adults. Therefore, consideration should be given to BMC measured by BIA method in Chinese overweight/obese adults. It should be corrected or adjusted to reduce errors compared with DXA method.

Comparison of cranial sex determination by discriminant analysis and logistic regression.

PubMed

Amores-Ampuero, Anabel; Alemán, Inmaculada

2016-04-05

Various methods have been proposed for estimating dimorphism. The objective of this study was to compare sex determination results from cranial measurements using discriminant analysis or logistic regression. The study sample comprised 130 individuals (70 males) of known sex, age, and cause of death from San José cemetery in Granada (Spain). Measurements of 19 neurocranial dimensions and 11 splanchnocranial dimensions were subjected to discriminant analysis and logistic regression, and the percentages of correct classification were compared between the sex functions obtained with each method. The discriminant capacity of the selected variables was evaluated with a cross-validation procedure. The percentage accuracy with discriminant analysis was 78.2% for the neurocranium (82.4% in females and 74.6% in males) and 73.7% for the splanchnocranium (79.6% in females and 68.8% in males). These percentages were higher with logistic regression analysis: 85.7% for the neurocranium (in both sexes) and 94.1% for the splanchnocranium (100% in females and 91.7% in males).

Evolution of Pre- and Post-Copulatory Traits in Male Drosophila melanogaster as a Correlated Response to Selection for Resistance to Cold Stress

PubMed Central

Singh, Karan; Samant, Manas Arun; Tom, Megha Treesa; Prasad, Nagaraj Guru

2016-01-01

Background In Drosophila melanogaster the fitness of males depends on a broad array of reproductive traits classified as pre- and post-copulatory traits. Exposure to cold stress, can reduce sperm number, male mating ability and courtship behavior. Therefore, it is expected that the adaptation to cold stress will involve changes in pre- and post-copulatory traits. Such evolution of reproductive traits in response to cold stress is not well studied. Methods We selected replicate populations of D. melanogaster for resistance to cold shock. Over 37–46 generations of selection, we investigated pre- and post-copulatory traits such as mating latency, copulation duration, mating frequency, male fertility, fitness (progeny production) and sperm competitive ability in male flies subjected to cold shock and those not subjected to cold shock. Results We found that post cold shock, the males from the selected populations had a significantly lower mating latency along with, higher mating frequency, fertility, sperm competitive ability and number of progeny relative to the control populations. Conclusion While most studies of experimental evolution of cold stress resistance have documented the evolution of survivorship in response to selection, our study clearly shows that adaptation to cold stress involves rapid changes in the pre- and post-copulatory traits. Additionally, improved performances under stressful conditions need not necessarily trade-off with performance under benign conditions. PMID:27093599

Differences in personality traits between male-to-female and female-to-male gender identity disorder subjects.

PubMed

Miyajima, Eiichi; Taira, Naoki; Koda, Munenaga; Kondo, Tsuyoshi

2014-12-15

The present study aimed to investigate differences in personality traits among male-to-female (MtF), female-to-male (FtM) gender identity disorder (GID) subjects and non-transsexual male (M) and female (F) controls. Subjects were 72 MtF and 187 FtM GID subjects without psychiatric comorbidities together with 184 male and 159 female non-transsexual controls. Personality traits were assessed using a short version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125). Group comparisons were made by two-way ANOVA. Statistical significances were observed as follows: 1) lower novelty seeking in FtM than in M or MtF, 2) higher reward dependence in FtM than in M, 3) higher cooperativeness in FtM than in M or MtF, 4) the highest self-transcendence in MtF among all the groups. The highest self-transcendence in MtF subjects may reflect their vulnerable identity and constrained adaptation to society as the minority. Nevertheless, higher reward dependence and cooperativeness in FtM subjects can be related to more determined motivation for the treatments of GID and might promise better social functioning and adjustment than MtF subjects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabolic syndrome is a significant and independent risk factor for increased arterial stiffness in Japanese subjects.

PubMed

Satoh, Hiroki; Kishi, Reiko; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki

2009-12-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, the impact of MetS on arterial stiffness has not been fully established in the general Japanese population. We analyzed the relationship between MetS and the severity of arterial stiffness using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in 2744 male and 358 female subjects aged 38-62 years, adjusted for conventional risk factors and C-reactive protein. The prevalence rates of MetS identified by Japanese criteria were 22.7% (n=624) and 7.8% (n=28) in male and female subjects, respectively. The subjects with MetS had significantly greater mean values of baPWV than those without MetS among both male and female subjects (1444+/-209 vs. 1294+/-165 cm/s in male subjects, P<0.001; 1379+/-151 vs. 1220+/-171 cm/s in female subjects, P<0.001). After adjustment for atherosclerotic variables such as age, smoking habits, total cholesterol and C-reactive protein, the odds ratio (OR) of MetS for increased baPWV was 3.65 in male subjects (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.99-4.47, P<0.001) and 8.02 in female subjects (95% CI: 3.18-20.25 P<0.001). In conclusion, MetS was identified as a significant and independent risk factor for increased arterial stiffness in both the male and female general population in Japan.

Glomerular hypertrophy in subjects with low nephron number: contributions of sex, body size and race

PubMed Central

Puelles, Victor G.; Douglas-Denton, Rebecca N.; Zimanyi, Monika A.; Armitage, James A.; Hughson, Michael D.; Kerr, Peter G.; Bertram, John F.

2014-01-01

Background We have shown that low nephron number (Nglom) is a strong determinant of individual glomerular volume (IGV) in male Americans. However, whether the same pattern is present in female Americans remains unclear. The contributions of body surface area (BSA) and race to IGV in the context of Nglom also require further evaluation. Methods Kidneys without overt renal disease were collected at autopsy in Mississippi, USA. The extremes of female Nglom were used to define high and low Nglom for both sexes. Nglom and IGV were estimated by design-based stereology. A total of 24 African and Caucasian American females (n = 12 per race; 6 per Nglom extreme) were included. These subjects were subsequently matched to 24 comparable males by age and Nglom and to 18 additional males by age, Nglom and BSA. Results IGV average and variance were very similar in female African and Caucasian Americans with high and low Nglom. Males with low Nglom from both races showed greater IGV average and variance than comparable females matched by age and Nglom. These differences in IGV between sexes were not observed in Caucasian Americans with low Nglom that were matched by age, Nglom and BSA. In contrast, glomeruli from African Americans were larger than those from Caucasian Americans, especially in subjects with high Nglom. Conclusions While female Americans with low Nglom did not show glomerular hypertrophy, comparable males with low Nglom showed marked glomerular hypertrophy that was closely associated with high BSA. Glomerular size in African Americans may be confounded by multiple additional factors. PMID:24792374

Volumetric evaluation of the relations among the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem in young subjects: a combination of stereology and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Ekinci, Nihat; Acer, Niyazi; Akkaya, Akcan; Sankur, Seref; Kabadayi, Taner; Sahin, Bünyamin

2008-08-01

The Cavalieri estimator using a point grid is used to estimate the volume of three-dimensional structures based on two-dimensional slices of the object. The size of the components of intracranial neural structures should have proportional relations among them. The volume fraction approach of stereological methods provides information about volumetric relations of the components of structures. The purpose of our study is to estimate the volume and volume fraction data related to the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. In this study, volume of the total brain, cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem were estimated in 24 young Turkish volunteers (12 males and 12 females) who are free of any neurological symptoms and signs. The volume and volume fraction of the total brain, cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem were determined on magnetic resonance (MR) images using the point-counting approach of stereological methods. The mean (+/-SD) total brain, cerebrum and cerebellum volumes were 1,202.05 +/- 103.51, 1,143.65 +/- 106.25 cm3 in males and females, 1,060.0 +/- 94.6, 1,008.9 +/- 104.3 cm3 in males and females, 117.75 +/- 10.7, 111.83 +/- 8.0 cm3 in males and females, respectively. The mean brain stem volumes were 24.3 +/- 2.89, 22.9 +/- 4.49 cm3 in males and females, respectively. Our results revealed that female subjects have less cerebral, cerebellar and brain stem volumes compared to males, although there was no statistically significant difference between genders (P > 0.05). The volume ratio of the cerebrum to total brain volume (TBV), cerebellum to TBV and brain stem to TBV were 88.16 and 88.13% in males and females, 9.8 and 9.8% in males and females, 2.03 and 2.03% in males and females, respectively. The volume ratio of the cerebellum to cerebrum, brain stem to cerebrum and brain stem to cerebellum were 11.12 and 11.16% in males and females, 2.30 and 2.31% in males and females, 20.7 and 20.6% in males and females, respectively. The difference between the genders was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Our results revealed that the volumetric composition of the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem does not show sexual dimorphism.

Simulated stand tests and centrifuge training to prevent orthostatic intolerance on Earth, moon, and Mars.

PubMed

Coats, Brandon W; Sharp, M Keith

2010-03-01

One proposed method to overcome postflight orthostatic intolerance is for astronauts to undergo inflight centrifugation. Cardiovascular responses were compared between centrifuge and gravitational conditions using a seven-compartment cardiovascular model. Vascular resistance, heart rate, and stroke volume values were adopted from literature, while compartmental volumes and compliances were derived from impedance plethysmography of subjects (n=8) riding on a centrifuge. Three different models were developed to represent the typical male subject who completed a 10-min postflight stand test ("male finisher"), "non-finishing male" and "female" (all non-finishers). A sensitivity analysis found that both cardiac output and arterial pressure were most sensitive to total blood volume. Simulated stand tests showed that female astronauts were more susceptible to orthostatic intolerance due to lower initial blood pressure and higher pressure threshold for presyncope. Rates of blood volume loss by capillary filtration were found to be equivalent in female and male non-finishers, but four times smaller in male finishers. For equivalent times to presyncope during centrifugation as those during constant gravity, lower G forces at the level of the heart were required. Centrifuge G levels to match other cardiovascular parameters varied depending on the parameter, centrifuge arm length, and the gravity level being matched.

A Comparison of the Foot and Ankle Condition between Elite Athletes and Non-athletes.

PubMed

Kim, Hyeyoung; Chung, Eunjung; Lee, Byoung-Hee

2013-10-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the foot and ankle condition between elite athletes and non-athletes. [Subjects] The elite athletes group included 85 subjects (28 males and 57 females) and the non-athletes group included 85 subjects (38 males and 47 females). [Methods] All subjects were evaluated for pain (visual analogue scale, VAS) and foot and ankle condition (The Foot and Ankle Disability Index, FADI, and The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, FAOS). [Results] The elite athlete group showed significant differences from the non-athletes group in VAS, FADI (FADI, FADI-Sports), and FAOS (FAOS-symptoms, FAOS-pain, FAOS-ADL, FAOS-sports, FAOS-QoL). In addition, a meaningful difference in VAS, FADI-Sports, and FAOS-symptoms was observed between gymnasts and wrestlers. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest the necessity prevention of injury to the foot and ankle of elite athletes, and for the development of exercise for the rehabilitation of foot and ankle injuries, because there is a difference in foot and ankle condition between elite athletes and non-athletes.

The Immediate Effect of Neuromuscular Joint Facilitation (NJF) Treatment on Hip Muscle Strength.

PubMed

Wang, Hongdan; Huo, Ming; Huang, Qiuchen; Li, Desheng; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2013-11-01

[Purpose] This study investigated the change in hip muscle strength of younger persons after neuromuscular joint facilitation (NJF) treatment. [Subjects] The subjects were 45 healthy young people, who were divided into two groups: a NJF group and a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) group. The NJF group consisted of 21 subjects (11 males, 10 females), and the PNF group consisted of 24 subjects (11 males, 13 females). [Methods] Participants in the NJF group received NJF treatment. We measured the maximal flexor strength and the maximal extensor strength during isokinetic movement of the hip joint before and after intervention in both groups. The angular velocities used were 60°/sec and 180°/sec. [Results] The NJF group showed significant increases in the maximal flexor strength and the maximal extensor strength after the intervention at each angular velocity. In the PNF group, the maximal flexor strength of 60°/sec and the maximal extensor strength of 180°/sec were significant increases. [Conclusion] These results suggest that there is an immediate effect of NJF intervention on hip muscle strength.

A Comparison of the Foot and Ankle Condition between Elite Athletes and Non-athletes

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyeyoung; Chung, EunJung; Lee, Byoung-Hee

2013-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the foot and ankle condition between elite athletes and non-athletes. [Subjects] The elite athletes group included 85 subjects (28 males and 57 females) and the non-athletes group included 85 subjects (38 males and 47 females). [Methods] All subjects were evaluated for pain (visual analogue scale, VAS) and foot and ankle condition (The Foot and Ankle Disability Index, FADI, and The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, FAOS). [Results] The elite athlete group showed significant differences from the non-athletes group in VAS, FADI (FADI, FADI-Sports), and FAOS (FAOS-symptoms, FAOS-pain, FAOS-ADL, FAOS-sports, FAOS-QoL). In addition, a meaningful difference in VAS, FADI-Sports, and FAOS-symptoms was observed between gymnasts and wrestlers. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest the necessity prevention of injury to the foot and ankle of elite athletes, and for the development of exercise for the rehabilitation of foot and ankle injuries, because there is a difference in foot and ankle condition between elite athletes and non-athletes. PMID:24259773

Efficacy and safety of a low-level laser device in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss: a multicenter, randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind study.

PubMed

Jimenez, Joaquin J; Wikramanayake, Tongyu C; Bergfeld, Wilma; Hordinsky, Maria; Hickman, Janet G; Hamblin, Michael R; Schachner, Lawrence A

2014-04-01

Male and female pattern hair loss are common, chronic dermatologic disorders with limited therapeutic options. In recent years, a number of commercial devices using low-level laser therapy have been promoted, but there have been little peer-reviewed data on their efficacy. To determine whether treatment with a low-level laser device, the US FDA-cleared HairMax Lasercomb®, increases terminal hair density in both men and women with pattern hair loss. Randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind clinical trials were conducted at multiple institutional and private practices. A total of 146 male and 188 female subjects with pattern hair loss were screened. A total of 128 male and 141 female subjects were randomized to receive either a lasercomb (one of three models) or a sham device in concealed sealed packets, and were treated on the whole scalp three times a week for 26 weeks. Terminal hair density of the target area was evaluated at baseline and at 16- and 26-week follow-ups, and analyzed to determine whether the hypothesis formulated prior to data collection, that lasercomb treatment would increase terminal hair density, was correct. The site investigators and the subjects remained blinded to the type of device they dispensed/received throughout the study. The evaluator of masked digital photographs was blinded to which trial arm the subject belonged. Seventy-eight, 63, 49, and 79 subjects were randomized in four trials of 9-beam lasercomb treatment in female subjects, 12-beam lasercomb treatment in female subjects, 7-beam lasercomb treatment in male subjects, and 9- and 12-beam lasercomb treatment in male subjects, compared with the sham device, respectively. Nineteen female and 25 male subjects were lost to follow-up. Among the remaining 122 female and 103 male subjects in the efficacy analysis, the mean terminal hair count at 26 weeks increased from baseline by 20.2, 20.6, 18.4, 20.9, and 25.7 per cm2 in 9-beam lasercomb-treated female subjects, 12-beam lasercomb-treated female subjects, 7-beam lasercomb-treated male subjects, and 9- and 12-beam lasercomb-treated male subjects, respectively, compared with 2.8 (p<0.0001), 3.0 (p<0.0001), 1.6 (p=0.0017), 9.4 (p=0.0249), and 9.4 (p=0.0028) in sham-treated subjects (95% confidence interval). The increase in terminal hair density was independent of the age and sex of the subject and the lasercomb model. Additionally, a higher percentage of lasercomb-treated subjects reported overall improvement of hair loss condition and thickness and fullness of hair in self-assessment, compared with sham-treated subjects. No serious adverse events were reported in any subject receiving the lasercomb in any of the four trials. We observed a statistically significant difference in the increase in terminal hair density between lasercomb- and sham-treated subjects. No serious adverse events were reported. Our results suggest that low-level laser treatment may be an effective option to treat pattern hair loss in both men and women. Additional studies should be considered to determine the long-term effects of low-level laser treatment on hair growth and maintenance, and to optimize laser modality.

Obstructive sleep apnea screening by NIRS imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashefi, Feraydune; Watenpaugh, Donald E.; Liu, Hanli

2007-02-01

This study aimed at determining cerebral hemodynamic parameters in human subjects during breath holding using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Breath holding serves as a method of simulation OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea). Data was acquired non-invasively from 40 subjects, twenty OSA sufferers (10 females, 10 males, age 20-70 years), and twenty normal volunteers (10 females, 10 males, age 20-65 years). Measurements were conducted using a LED Imager (LEDI) during breath holding. In comparing OSA subjects with controls during breath holding, a consistent increase or even a decrease in oxy- ([O IIHb]), deoxy- ([HHb]), total hemoglobin ([tHb]) concentrations, and tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO II) in the regional brain tissue were observed. The LEDI probe consists of 4 sources and 10 detectors serving as 4 sets of 1 source and 4 detectors each. A three wavelength (730, 805, and 850 nm) LED was used and the wavelengths were switched sequentially. The distance between sources and the source-detector separation were 2.5 cm. Data acquisition consisted of three segments, baseline for one minute, followed by a period of breath holding, and then 2 minutes of recovery time. The duration of the breath holding was subject-dependent. Our investigation proves that NIR spectroscopy could be used as a tool for detecting cerebral hemodynamics and also serves as a method of screening patients with OSA.

Thermal Comfort and Sensation in Men Wearing a Cooling System Controlled by Skin Temperature

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

The study was done to determine whether thermal comfort (TC), thermal sensation (TS), and subjective factors gauging environmental stress were...improvement in thermal comfort . Methods: Eight male volunteers exercised at moderate work intensity (425 W) in three microclimate cooling tests. The

Spacesuit and Space Vehicle Comparative Ergonomic Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, Scott; Benson, Elizabeth; Cowley, Matthew; Harvill, Lauren; Blackledge, Christopher; Perez, Esau; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2011-01-01

With the advent of the latest manned spaceflight objectives, a series of prototype launch and reentry spacesuit architectures were evaluated for eventual down selection by NASA based on the performance of a set of designated tasks. A consolidated approach was taken to testing, concurrently collecting suit mobility data, seat-suit-vehicle interface clearances and movement strategies within the volume of a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle mockup. To achieve the objectives of the test, a requirement was set forth to maintain high mockup fidelity while using advanced motion capture technologies. These seemingly mutually exclusive goals were accommodated with the construction of an optically transparent and fully adjustable frame mockup. The mockup was constructed such that it could be dimensionally validated rapidly with the motion capture system. This paper will describe the method used to create a motion capture compatible space vehicle mockup, the consolidated approach for evaluating spacesuits in action, as well as the various methods for generating hardware requirements for an entire population from the resulting complex data set using a limited number of test subjects. Kinematics, hardware clearance, suited anthropometry, and subjective feedback data were recorded on fifteen unsuited and five suited subjects. Unsuited subjects were selected chiefly by anthropometry, in an attempt to find subjects who fell within predefined criteria for medium male, large male and small female subjects. The suited subjects were selected as a subset of the unsuited subjects and tested in both unpressurized and pressurized conditions. Since the prototype spacesuits were fabricated in a single size to accommodate an approximately average sized male, the findings from the suit testing were systematically extrapolated to the extremes of the population to anticipate likely problem areas. This extrapolation was achieved by first performing population analysis through a comparison of suited subjects performance to their unsuited performance and then applying the results to the entire range of population. The use of a transparent space vehicle mockup enabled the collection of large amounts of data during human-in-the-loop testing. Mobility data revealed that most of the tested spacesuits had sufficient ranges of motion for tasks to be performed successfully. A failed tasked by a suited subject most often stemmed from a combination of poor field of view while seated and poor dexterity of the gloves when pressurized or from suit/vehicle interface issues. Seat ingress/egress testing showed that problems with anthropometric accommodation does not exclusively occur with the largest or smallest subjects, but rather specific combinations of measurements that lead to narrower seat ingress/egress clearance.

Perceived direction of gravity and the body-axis during static whole body roll-tilt in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Tamura, Atsushi; Wada, Yoshiro; Inui, Takuo; Shiotani, Akihiro

2017-10-01

We used the subjective visual vertical (SVV) and two different subjective visual body axis (SVBA) methods to quantify roll-tilt perception under gravity, and investigated the characteristics of these methods during static roll-tilt. In addition, we independently developed a compact device to facilitate evaluation of SVBA in different gravitational environments. Ten male volunteers participated in this study. We created a roll-tilt environment using a flight simulator in a dark room. The cockpit of the simulator was tilted leftward or rightward (-30°, -20°, -10°, 0°, 10°, 20° and 30°) in each randomly ordered trial. We quantified roll-tilt perception such that the experiment was conducted under 21 different conditions per participant. We found no significant differences among the SVV error and the two types of SVBA error. The SVV and the SVBA methods may be useful for evaluating subjective roll-tilt perception.

Psychiatric comorbidity and gender difference among treatment-seeking heroin abusers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiang, Shu-Chuan; Chan, Hung-Yu; Chang, Yuan-Ying; Sun, Hsiao-Ju; Chen, Wei J; Chen, Chih-Ken

2007-02-01

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the psychiatric comorbidity of Taiwanese heroin users seeking treatment and to identify the gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and drug use behavior. Subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire on drug use behavior and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for psychiatric disorders. Of the subjects, 58.5% of the male and 62.5% of the female subjects had at least one non-substance-use axis I psychiatric disorder or antisocial personality disorder. Compared to male subjects, female subjects were younger, were less educated, had higher rates of unemployment and had earlier onset of illicit drug use. Female subjects were 11-fold more likely than male subjects to exhibit suicidal behavior. Among heroin abusers in the present study, female subjects were more widely exposed to unfavorable social factors and had substantially higher incidence of suicidal behavior than male subjects. Drug treatment centers should be aware of these gender differences and pay particular attention to comorbid depressive disorders and suicidal behavior of female heroin abusers.

Effects of Withania somnifera on Reproductive System: A Systematic Review of the Available Evidence

PubMed Central

Nazemyieh, Hossein; Fazljou, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Nejatbakhsh, Fatemeh; Moini Jazani, Arezoo; Ahmadi AsrBadr, Yadollah

2018-01-01

Introduction Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ashwagandha is a well-known medicinal plant used in traditional medicine in many countries for infertility treatment. The present study was aimed at systemically reviewing therapeutic effects of WS on the reproductive system. Methods This systematic review study was designed in 2016. Required data were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Web of Science, and manual search of articles, grey literature, reference checking, and expert contact. Results WS was found to improve reproductive system function by many ways. WS extract decreased infertility among male subjects, due to the enhancement in semen quality which is proposed due to the enhanced enzymatic activity in seminal plasma and decreasing oxidative stress. Also, WS extract improved luteinizing hormone and follicular stimulating hormone balance leading to folliculogenesis and increased gonadal weight, although some animal studies had concluded that WS had reversible spermicidal and infertilizing effects in male subjects. Conclusion WS was found to enhance spermatogenesis and sperm related indices in male and sexual behaviors in female. But, according to some available evidences for spermicidal features, further studies should focus on the extract preparation method and also dosage used in their study protocols. PMID:29670898

The Role of Cartilage Stress in Patellofemoral Pain

PubMed Central

Besier, Thor F.; Pal, Saikat; Draper, Christine E.; Fredericson, Michael; Gold, Garry E.; Delp, Scott L.; Beaupré, Gary S.

2015-01-01

Purpose Elevated cartilage stress has been identified as a potential mechanism for retropatellar pain; however, there are limited data in the literature to support this mechanism. Females are more likely to develop patellofemoral pain than males, yet the causes of this dimorphism are unclear. We used experimental data and computational modeling to determine whether patients with patellofemoral pain had elevated cartilage stress compared to pain-free controls and test the hypothesis that females exhibit greater cartilage stress than males. Methods We created finite element models of 24 patients with patellofemoral pain (11 males; 13 females) and 16 pain-free controls (8 males; 8 females) to estimate peak patellar cartilage stress (strain energy density) during a stair climb activity. Simulations took into account cartilage morphology from MRI, joint posture from weight-bearing MRI, and muscle forces from an EMG-driven model. Results We found no difference in peak patellar strain energy density between patellofemoral pain (1.9 ± 1.23 J/m3) and control subjects (1.66 ± 0.75 J/m3, p=0.52). Females exhibited greater cartilage stress compared to males (2.2 vs 1.3 J/m3, respectively, p=0.0075), with large quadriceps muscle forces (3.7BW females vs 3.3BW males) and 23% smaller joint contact area (females: 467 ± 59 mm2 vs males: 608 ± 95mm2). Conclusion Patellofemoral pain patients did not display significantly greater patellar cartilage stress compared to pain-free controls; however, there was a great deal of subject variation. Females exhibited greater peak cartilage stress compared to males, which might explain the greater prevalence of patellofemoral pain in females compared to males but other mechanical and biological factors are clearly involved in this complex pathway to pain. PMID:25899103

Cerebral blood flow and red cell delivery in normal subjects and in multiple sclerosis

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

Swank, R.L.; Roth, J.G.; Woody, D.C. Jr.

1983-01-01

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was determined in 77 normal females and 53 normal males of different ages and in 26 men and 45 women with multiple sclerosis by the inhalation of radioactive Xe133 method. In the normal subjects the CBF was relatively high in the teens and fell, at first rapidly and then slowly in both sexes with age. During adult life the flow in females was significantly higher than in males. The delivery of packed red cells (RCD) was determined by multiplying the CBF by the percentage concentration of red cells (HCT). The RCD for both sexes wasmore » nearly the same. In the patients with multiple sclerosis there occurred a progressive generalized decrease in CBF and in RCD with age which was significantly greater than observed in normal subjects. The rate of decrease in CBF and RCD correlated directly with the rate of progress of the disease.« less

Prevalence of pernicious anemia in patients with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12

PubMed Central

AA, Abdulmanea; AH, Alsaeed; AP, Shaik; FH, AlGahtani

2014-01-01

Objective: The current research evaluated the prevalence of pernicious anemia (PA) in patients with macrocytic anemia (high MCV) and low serum B12 in Riyadh. Methods: Blood testing was done in 77 patients (males: 45.5%, females: 54.5%) with macrocytic anemia; 84 patients; (males: 23.8%, females: 76.2%) with low serum B12 and 30 healthy subjects. Complete blood count, differential count, folic acid, vitamin B12, intrinsic factor, gastric parietal cell antibodies and holotranscobalamin II were assessed. Results: A total of five subjects from 161 patients had PA; three of these patients had macrocyticanemia (3.90%) and two patients had low serum B12 (2.38%). Significant differences (p<0.05) in some hematological, immunological, biochemical parameters were found in subjects with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12 compared to controls. Conclusions: Pernicious anemia in patients with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12 was for the selected sample size can be assumed to be uncommon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PMID:25674111

Gender Differences in the Psychosomatic Reactions of Students Subjected to Examination Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosmala-Anderson, Joanna; Wallace, Louise M.

2007-01-01

Introduction: The study investigated pre-examination anxiety and emotional control strategies as possible mediators of gender differences in self reported intensity and type of psychosomatic reactions to examination stress. Method: Sample comprised 150 male and 150 female high school senior students and university students who voluntarily…

Metabolic features of chronic fatigue syndrome

PubMed Central

Naviaux, Robert K.; Naviaux, Jane C.; Li, Kefeng; Bright, A. Taylor; Alaynick, William A.; Wang, Lin; Baxter, Asha; Nathan, Neil; Anderson, Wayne; Gordon, Eric

2016-01-01

More than 2 million people in the United States have myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We performed targeted, broad-spectrum metabolomics to gain insights into the biology of CFS. We studied a total of 84 subjects using these methods. Forty-five subjects (n = 22 men and 23 women) met diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS by Institute of Medicine, Canadian, and Fukuda criteria. Thirty-nine subjects (n = 18 men and 21 women) were age- and sex-matched normal controls. Males with CFS were 53 (±2.8) y old (mean ± SEM; range, 21–67 y). Females were 52 (±2.5) y old (range, 20–67 y). The Karnofsky performance scores were 62 (±3.2) for males and 54 (±3.3) for females. We targeted 612 metabolites in plasma from 63 biochemical pathways by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry in a single-injection method. Patients with CFS showed abnormalities in 20 metabolic pathways. Eighty percent of the diagnostic metabolites were decreased, consistent with a hypometabolic syndrome. Pathway abnormalities included sphingolipid, phospholipid, purine, cholesterol, microbiome, pyrroline-5-carboxylate, riboflavin, branch chain amino acid, peroxisomal, and mitochondrial metabolism. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed diagnostic accuracies of 94% [95% confidence interval (CI), 84–100%] in males using eight metabolites and 96% (95% CI, 86–100%) in females using 13 metabolites. Our data show that despite the heterogeneity of factors leading to CFS, the cellular metabolic response in patients was homogeneous, statistically robust, and chemically similar to the evolutionarily conserved persistence response to environmental stress known as dauer. PMID:27573827

Genetic Variations in the KCNJ5 Gene in Primary Aldosteronism Patients from Xinjiang, China

PubMed Central

Li, Nan-Fang; Li, Hong-Jian; Zhang, De-Lian; Zhang, Ju-Hong; Yao, Xiao-Guang; Wang, Hong-Mei; Abulikemu, Suofeiya; Zhou, Ke-Ming; Zhang, Xiang-Yang

2013-01-01

Background Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common endocrine form of secondary hypertension, and one of the most common subtypes of sporadic PA is aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). Recently, two somatic mutations of the KCNJ5 gene were implicated in APA, and two germline mutations were associated with familial hyperaldosteronism III. Objectives This case-control study was designed to investigate the relationship between genetic variations in the KCNJ5 gene and sporadic PA patients in Xinjiang, China. Methods Five common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the KCNJ5 gene (rs6590357, rs4937391, rs3740835, rs2604204, and rs11221497) were detected in patients with sporadic PA (n = 235) and essential hypertension (EH; n = 913) by the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction method. Results The EH group and the PA group showed significant differences in the distributions of genotypes and alleles of rs4937391 and rs2604204 in total and male subjects (P<0.05), as well as rs3740835 in male subjects (P<0.05). However, only the association between the rs2604204 genotype and male sporadic PA remained significant after Bonferroni’s correction (P<0.01). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the CC genotype of rs2604204 was a risk factor for male patients with sporadic PA, after adjusting for age and body mass index (odds ratio = 2.228, 95% CI: 1.300–3.819, P = 0.004). Conclusion The genetic variant rs2604204 of KCNJ5 is associated with sporadic PA in Chinese males, suggesting that KCNJ5 may be involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic PA in these particular patients. PMID:23382865

Racial and sex differences in timing of the cervical vertebrae maturation stages.

PubMed

Montasser, Mona A; Viana, Grace; Evans, Carla A

2017-04-01

Our objective was to investigate skeletal maturation of female and male subjects from different racial groups by comparing the cervical vertebrae maturation (CVM) stages. The study included 3 racial groups: white, African American, and Hispanic subjects. Each group was subdivided into female and male. The age range of the subjects was between 7 and 18 years. The sample included 60 lateral cephalographs for each subgroup. Skeletal maturation of the cervical vertebrae was assessed according to a method that described 6 CVM stages. Racial differences were evident in the mean ages of CVM stages 2, 3, 4, and 5 (P = 0.002; P = 0.003; P = 0.001; and P = 0.001, respectively) among females; among males, only stage 3 was different (P = 0.001). Sex differences in the mean ages of stages 1, 2, and 3 in Hispanic subjects (P <0.001), and in stages 2 and 3 in African American subjects (P = 0.019 and P <0.001) and white subjects (P = 0.004 and P <0.001) were detected. In both sexes, racial differences were not apparent between whites and African Americans, but differences were evident between Hispanics vs both whites and African Americans. Sex differences were apparent between the sexes in each of the 3 ethnic groups in CVM stages 2 and 3. No sex differences were detected in stages 4, 5, or 6 in any of the 3 racial groups. It is recommended to consider racial and sex differences when using the CVM stage as a skeletal maturation indicator. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deficient Event-Related Theta Oscillations in Individuals at Risk for Alcoholism: A Study of Reward Processing and Impulsivity Features

PubMed Central

Kamarajan, Chella; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Chorlian, David B.; Manz, Niklas; Stimus, Arthur T.; Anokhin, Andrey P.; Bauer, Lance O.; Kuperman, Samuel; Kramer, John; Bucholz, Kathleen K.; Schuckit, Marc A.; Hesselbrock, Victor M.; Porjesz, Bernice

2015-01-01

Background Individuals at high risk to develop alcoholism often manifest neurocognitive deficits as well as increased impulsivity. Event-related oscillations (EROs) have been used to effectively measure brain (dys)function during cognitive tasks in individuals with alcoholism and related disorders and in those at risk to develop these disorders. The current study examines ERO theta power during reward processing as well as impulsivity in adolescent and young adult subjects at high risk for alcoholism. Methods EROs were recorded during a monetary gambling task (MGT) in 12–25 years old participants (N = 1821; males = 48%) from high risk alcoholic families (HR, N = 1534) and comparison low risk community families (LR, N = 287) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Impulsivity scores and prevalence of externalizing diagnoses were also compared between LR and HR groups. Results HR offspring showed lower theta power and decreased current source density (CSD) activity than LR offspring during loss and gain conditions. Younger males had higher theta power than younger females in both groups, while the older HR females showed more theta power than older HR males. Younger subjects showed higher theta power than older subjects in each comparison. Differences in topography (i.e., frontalization) between groups were also observed. Further, HR subjects across gender had higher impulsivity scores and increased prevalence of externalizing disorders compared to LR subjects. Conclusions As theta power during reward processing is found to be lower not only in alcoholics, but also in HR subjects, it is proposed that reduced reward-related theta power, in addition to impulsivity and externalizing features, may be related in a predisposition to develop alcoholism and related disorders. PMID:26580209

The Psychopathological Influence of Congenital Heart Disease in Korean Male Adolescents: An Analysis of Multiphasic Personal Inventory Test Results

PubMed Central

Oh, Chang Hyun; Lim, Hyun Kyoung; Chung, Joonho; Park, Hyeong-Chun; Park, Chong Oon

2012-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychopathological influence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in Korean 19-year-old males. Materials and Methods The authors compared the Korean military multiphasic personal inventory (KMPI) military profiles of 211 CHD cases (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, or combined CHD) with the KMPI profiles of 300 normal controls. The CHD group was also divided according to whether or not the subjects had undergone open cardiac surgery in order to evaluate the psychopathological effects of an operation among the subjects. Results A decreased result on the faking-good response scale and an increased result on the faking-bad response were observed in the CHD group compared to the control (p<0.01). The neurosis scale results, including anxiety, depression and somatization symptoms, were markedly increased in the CHD group compared to the control (p<0.01). The severity level of personality disorder was also increased in the CHD group (p<0.001). Differences in KMPI scale scores were not related to open cardiac surgery history. Conclusion In this study, young males with CHD tended to report more abnormal results on the multiphasic personal inventory test in comparison to normal subjects, suggesting that CHD may be related to psychopathology in young males in Korea. Therefore, clinicians are recommended to evaluate the psychopathological traits of patients with CHD. PMID:23074109

Fat accumulation in the tongue is associated with male gender, abnormal upper airway measures and whole-body adiposity

PubMed Central

Godoy, Ivan R. B.; Martinez-Salazar, Edgar Leonardo; Eajazi, Alireza; Genta, Pedro R.; Bredella, Miriam A.; Torriani, Martin

2017-01-01

Objective To examine associations between tongue adiposity with upper airway measures, whole-body adiposity and gender. We hypothesized that increased tongue adiposity is higher in males and positively associated with abnormal upper airway measures and whole-body adiposity. Methods We studied subjects who underwent whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography to obtain tongue attenuation (TA) values and cross-sectional area, pharyngeal length (PL) and mandibular-hyoid distance (MPH), as well as abdominal circumference, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue areas, neck circumference (NC) and neck adipose tissue area. Metabolic syndrome was determined from available clinical and laboratory data. Results We identified 206 patients (104 females, 102 males) with mean age 56±17y and mean body mass index (BMI) 28±6kg/m2 (range 16–47kg/m2). Males had lower TA values (P=0.0002) and higher upper airway measures (P< 0.0001) independent of age and BMI (P<0.001). In all subjects, TA was negatively associated with upper airway measures (P<0.001). TA was negatively associated with body composition parameters (all P<0.0001), most notably with VAT (r=−0.53) and NC (r=−0.47). TA values were lower in subjects with metabolic syndrome (P<0.0001). Conclusion Increased tongue adiposity is influenced by gender and is associated with abnormal upper airway patency and body composition parameters. PMID:27733254

Genetic polymorphism of interleukin-6 influences susceptibility to HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma in a male Chinese Han population.

PubMed

Tang, Shengli; Yuan, Yufeng; He, Yueming; Pan, Dingyu; Zhang, Yongxi; Liu, Yuanyuan; Liu, Quanyan; Zhang, Zhonglin; Liu, Zhisu

2014-04-01

As a multifunctional cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a key role in chronic inflammation as well as tumor growth and progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Recent studies have implicated that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -572C>G (rs1800796) located within the promoter region of IL-6 gene was associated with susceptibility to several diseases. Here, a case-control study was undertaken to investigate the association between this polymorphism and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility in a Chinese Han population. A total of 900 patients with chronic HBV infection, including 505 HBV-related HCC patients and 395 HBV infected patients without HCC were enrolled, and rs1800796 polymorphism was genotyped by the TaqMan method and DNA sequencing technology. The results indicated no significant association between rs1800796 polymorphism and the risk of HBV-related HCC in all subjects; however, a significant difference was identified in male subjects. Under the dominant model, male subjects with the G allele (CG/GG) have higher susceptibility to HBV-related HCC than those with CC genotype after adjusting confounding factors (P=0.012, odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.15-2.42). Our results suggested that rs1800796 polymorphism of IL-6 gene was associated with susceptibility to HBV-related HCC in a male Chinese Han population. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene among Malay male hypertensive subjects in response to ACE inhibitors.

PubMed

Heidari, Farzad; Vasudevan, Ramachandran; Mohd Ali, Siti Zubaidah; Ismail, Patimah; Etemad, Ali; Pishva, Seyyed Reza; Othman, Fauziah; Abu Bakar, Suhaili

2015-12-01

Several studies show that the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with hypertension in various populations. The present study sought to determine the association of the I/D gene polymorphism among Malay male essential hypertensive subjects in response to ACE inhibitors (enalapril and lisinopril). A total of 72 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension and 72 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. Blood pressure was recorded from 0 to 24 weeks of treatment with enalapril or lisinopril. Genotyping of the I/D polymorphism was carried out using a standard PCR method. Statistically significant association of the D allele of the ACE gene was observed between the case and control subjects (p < 0.01). There was a decrease in blood pressure in the patients carrying the DD genotype (SBP=18.5±8.1 mmHg, DBP=15.29±7.1 mmHg) rather than the ID (SBP=4.1±3.3 mmHg, DBP=9.1±3.5 mmHg) and II genotypes (SBP= 3.0±0.2 mmHg, DBP 0.11±6.1 mmHg) of the ACE gene. Patients carrying the DD genotype had higher blood pressure-lowering response when treated with ACE inhibitors enalapril or lisinopril than those carrying ID and II genotypes, suggesting that the D allele may be a possible genetic marker for essential hypertension among Malay male subjects. © The Author(s) 2014.

Long-term total sleep deprivation decreases the default spontaneous activity and connectivity pattern in healthy male subjects: a resting-state fMRI study

PubMed Central

Dai, Xi-Jian; Liu, Chun-Lei; Zhou, Ren-Lai; Gong, Hong-Han; Wu, Bin; Gao, Lei; Wang, Yi-Xiang J

2015-01-01

Objective The aim of this study is to use resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) methods to explore intrinsic default-mode network (DMN) impairment after sleep deprivation (SD) and its relationships with clinical features. Methods Twelve healthy male subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging twice: once following rested wakefulness (RW) and the other following 72 hours of total SD. Before the scans, all subjects underwent the attention network test (ANT). The independent component analysis (ICA), rsFC, and ALFF methods were used to examine intrinsic DMN impairment. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to distinguish SD status from RW status. Results Compared with RW subjects, SD subjects showed a lower accuracy rate (RW =96.83%, SD =77.67%; P<0.001), a slower reaction time (RW =695.92 ms; SD =799.18 ms; P=0.003), a higher lapse rate (RW =0.69%, SD =19.29%; P<0.001), and a higher intraindividual coefficient of variability in reaction time (RW =0.26, SD =0.33; P=0.021). The ICA method showed that, compared with RW subjects, SD subjects had decreased rsFC in the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL, BA40) and in the left precuneus (PrC)/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) (BA30, 31). The two different areas were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for future rsFC analysis. Compared with the same in RW subjects, in SD subjects, the right IPL showed decreased rsFC with the left PrC (BA7) and increased rsFC with the left fusiform gyrus (BA37) and the left cluster of middle temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus (BA37). However, the left PrC/PCC did not show any connectivity differences. Compared with RW subjects, SD subjects showed lower ALFF area in the left IPL (BA39, 40). The left IPL, as an ROI, showed decreased rsFC with the right cluster of IPL and superior temporal gyrus (BA39, 40). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) value of the left IPL was 0.75, with a cutoff point of 0.834 (mean ALFF signal value). Further diagnostic analysis exhibited that the AUC alone discriminated SD status from RW status, with 75% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity. Conclusion Long-term SD disturbed the spontaneous activity and connectivity pattern of DMN. PMID:25834451

Characteristics of perceived parenting styles in Japan using the EMBU scale.

PubMed

Someya, T; Uehara, T; Kadowaki, M; Tang, S W; Takahashi, S

1999-10-01

The EMBU (Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran) is a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of one's memory of parental rearing experiences. We are interested in using this scale to determine the characteristics of perceived parenting styles in Japan. The study subjects consisted of 1320 healthy Japanese volunteers, comprising 687 males (52%) and 633 females (48%). We investigated the relationship between demographics and the EMBU scale. ANCOVA revealed that the subject's gender had a significant effect on paternal rejection scores (male > female), and both gender and birth-order position had significant effects on emotional warmth scores for both parents (female > male, and only-child > middle or last-born child). Birth-order position had significant effects on maternal over-protection, with the highest score being that of only children, and on the aspect of favouritism (favouring subjects), scores for both parents were highest from the last-born children. Rejection scores for the mother were significantly higher than those for the father from female subjects. Among both male and female subjects, emotional warmth scores and overprotection scores for the mother were significantly higher than those for the father. Among male subjects, scores for the mother on favouritism of the subject were significantly higher than those for the father. On the other hand, among female subjects, scores for the father on favouritism of the subject were higher than scores for the mother. Our results suggest that parenting styles have significant interrelationships with the gender and birth-order position of the subject.

Muscle activity and mood state during simulated plant factory work in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Okahara, Satoshi; Kataoka, Masataka; Okuda, Kuniharu; Shima, Masato; Miyagaki, Keiko; Ohara, Hitoshi

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The present study investigated the physical and mental effects of plant factory work in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury and the use of a newly developed agricultural working environment. [Subjects] Six males with C5–C8 spinal cord injuries and 10 healthy volunteers participated. [Methods] Plant factory work involved three simulated repetitive tasks: sowing, transplantation, and harvesting. Surface electromyography was performed in the dominant upper arm, upper trapezius, anterior deltoid, and biceps brachii muscles. Subjects’ moods were monitored using the Profile of Mood States. [Results] Five males with C6–C8 injuries performed the same tasks as healthy persons; a male with a C5 injury performed fewer repetitions of tasks because it took longer. Regarding muscle activity during transplantation and harvesting, subjects with spinal cord injury had higher values for the upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscles compared with healthy persons. The Profile of Mood States vigor scores were significantly higher after tasks in subjects with spinal cord injury. [Conclusion] Individuals with cervical spinal cord injury completed the plant factory work, though it required increased time and muscle activity. For individuals with C5–C8 injuries, it is necessary to develop an appropriate environment and assistive devices to facilitate their work. PMID:27134377

Cognitive Factors Related to Drug Abuse Among a Sample of Iranian Male Medical College Students

PubMed Central

Jalilian, Farzad; Ataee, Mari; Matin, Behzad Karami; Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Jouybari, Touraj Ahmadi; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Mahboubi, Mohammad; Alavijeh, Mehdi Mirzaei

2015-01-01

Backgrounds: Drug abuse is one of the most serious social problems in many countries. College students, particularly at their first year of education, are considered as one of the at risk groups for drug abuse. The present study aimed to determine cognitive factors related to drug abuse among a sample of Iranian male medical college students based on the social cognitive theory (SCT). Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 425 Iranian male medical college students who were randomly selected to participate voluntarily in the study. The participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software (ver. 21.0) using bivariate correlations, logistic and linear regression at 95% significant level. Results: Attitude, outcome expectation, outcome expectancies, subjective norms, and self-control were cognitive factors that accounted for 49% of the variation in the outcome measure of the intention to abuse drugs. Logistic regression showed that attitude (OR=1.062), outcome expectancies (OR=1.115), and subjective norms (OR=1.269) were the most influential predictors for drug abuse. Conclusions: The findings suggest that designing and implementation of educational programs may be useful to increase negative attitude, outcome expectancies, and subjective norms towards drug abuse for college students in order to prevent drug abuse. PMID:26156919

Students’ Spatial Performance: Cognitive Style and Sex Differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanifah, U.; Juniati, D.; Siswono, T. Y. E.

2018-01-01

This study aims at describing the students’ spatial abilities based on cognitive styles and sex differences. Spatial abilities in this study include 5 components, namely spatial perception, spatial visualization, mental rotation, spatial relations, and spatial orientation. This research is descriptive research with qualitative approach. The subjects in this research were 4 students of junior high school, there were 1 male FI, 1 male FD, 1 female FI, and 1 female FI. The results showed that there are differences in spatial abilities of the four subjects that are on the components of spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial relations. The differences in spatial abilities were found in methods / strategies used by each subject to solve each component problem. The differences in cognitive styles and sex suggested different choice of strategies used to solve problems. The male students imagined the figures but female students needed the media to solve the problem. Besides sex, the cognitive style differences also have an effect on solving a problem. In addition, FI students were not affected by distracting information but FD students could be affected by distracting information. This research was expected to contribute knowledge and insight to the readers, especially for math teachers in terms of the spatial ability of the students so that they can optimize their students’ spatial ability.

Should male gender assignment be considered in the markedly virilized patient With 46,XX and congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

PubMed

Lee, Peter A; Houk, Christopher P; Husmann, Douglas A

2010-10-01

We assess the outcome in 46,XX men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia who were born with Prader 4 or 5 genitalia and assigned male gender at birth. After receiving institutional review board approval and subject consent we reviewed the medical records of 12 men 35 to 69 years old with 46,XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia, of whom 6 completed social and gender issue questionnaires. All subjects were assigned male gender at birth, were diagnosed with virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia at age greater than 3 years and indicated a male gender identity with sexual orientation to females. Ten of the 12 subjects had always lived as male and 2 who were reassigned to female gender in childhood subsequently self-reassigned as male. Nine of the 12 men had long-term female partners, including 7 married 12 years or more. The 3 subjects without a long-term female partner included 1 priest, 1 who was reassigned female gender, married, divorced and self-reassigned as male, and 1 with a girlfriend and sexual activity. All except the priest and the subject who was previously married when female indicated a strong libido and frequent orgasmic sexual activity. Responses to self-esteem, masculinity, body image, social adjustment and symptom questionnaires suggested adjustments related to the extent of familial and social support. Outcome data on severely masculinized 46,XX patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia who were assigned male gender at birth indicate male gender identity in adulthood with satisfactory male sexual function in those retaining male genitalia. In men who completed questionnaires results were poorer in those lacking familial/social support. Male gender of rearing may be a viable option for parents whose children are born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a 46,XX karyotype and male genitalia, although positive parental and other support, and counseling are needed for adjustment. Copyright © 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between heavy drinking, binge drinking, and metabolic syndrome in obese and non-obese Korean male adults

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Obesity and alcohol drinking are associated with metabolic syndrome. However, few studies show the relationship between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome according to varying degrees of obesity. This study aimed to determine the association between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in obese and non-obese Korean male adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS This cross-sectional study included 5,867 males aged ≥ 20 years who were examined at the Soonchunhyang University health promotion center during June 2008–December 2010. The subjects were divided into non-obese (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) groups and further divided according to weekly alcohol consumption into nondrinking (0 drinks/week), moderate drinking (≤ 14 drinks/week), and heavy drinking (> 14 drinks/week) groups. The subjects were also categorized into binge drinking and non-binge drinking groups. To obtain odds ratios (ORs) for metabolic syndrome, binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS The overall metabolic syndrome prevalence was 27.3% (12.8%, non-obese group; 50.4%, obese group). After adjusting for age, physical activity, and smoking, in the non-obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking (reference: nondrinking) was 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–2.18), with a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence. In the obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking was 1.42 (95% CI = 1.07–1.88), showing a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In both non-obese and obese Korean males, heavy drinking with binge drinking was associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Thus, both non-obese and obese males should restrict their alcohol intake and not indulge in binge drinking. PMID:29629034

Experimental investigation of the visual field dependency in the erect and supine positions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichtenstein, J. H.; Saucer, R. T.

1972-01-01

The increasing utilization of simulators in many fields, in addition to aeronautics and space, requires the efficient use of these devices. It seemed that personnel highly influenced by the visual scene would make desirable subjects, particularly for those simulators without sufficient motion cues. In order to evaluate this concept, some measure of the degree of influence of the visual field on the subject in necessary. As part of this undertaking, 37 male and female subjects, including eight test pilots, were tested for their visual field dependency or independency. A version of Witkin's rod and frame apparatus was used for the tests. The results showed that nearly all the test subjects exhibited some degree of field dependency, the degree varying from very high field dependency to nearly zero field dependency in a normal distribution. The results for the test pilots were scattered throughout a range similar to the results for the bulk of male subjects. The few female subjects exhibited a higher field dependency than the male subjects. The male subjects exhibited a greater field dependency in the supine position than in the erect position, whereas the field dependency of the female subjects changed only slightly.

United States Air Force Faculty Research Program 1989. Program Technical Report. Volume 4

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

and B.A.’s. Five subjects were between 20 and 30 years of age; 16 be- 135-11 tween 31 and 40 years of age; five between 41 and 50 years of age; and...to 30 year range (two males and one female) and two were in the 40 to 50 year range (one female and one male). Of the five dark-eyed subjects, three...were in the 20 to 30 year range (one male and two females) while there were two dark-eyed subjects in the 40 to 50 year range (one male and one female

Effect on LTAS of vocal loudness variation.

PubMed

Nordenberg, Maria; Sundberg, Johan

2004-01-01

Long-term-average spectrum (LTAS) is an efficient method for voice analysis, revealing both voice source and formant characteristics. However, the LTAS contour is non-uniformly affected by vocal loudness. This variation was analyzed in 15 male and 16 female untrained voices reading a text 7 times at different degrees of vocal loudness, mean change in overall equivalent sound level (Leq) amounting to 27.9 dB and 28.4 dB for the female and male subjects. For all frequency values up to 4 kHz, spectrum level was strongly and linearly correlated with Leq for each subject. The gain factor, that is to say, the rate of level increase, varied with frequency, from about 0.5 at low frequencies to about 1.5 in the frequency range 1.5-3 kHz. Using the gain factors for a subject, LTAS contours could be predicted at any Leq within the measured range, with an average accuracy of 2-3 dB below 4 kHz. Mean LTAS calculated for an Leq of 70 dB for each subject showed considerable individual variation for both males and females, SD of the level varying between 7 dB and 4 dB depending on frequency. On the other hand, the results also suggest that meaningful comparisons of LTAS, recorded for example before and after voice therapy, can be made, provided that the documentation includes a set of recordings at different loudness levels from one recording session.

Social Environmental Conceptions of Male Homosexual Behavior: A University Climate Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Arthur J.

1989-01-01

Assessed university climate of 32 male homosexual and 32 male heterosexual undergraduates. Subjects completed the University Climate Scale, Alienation Scale, Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the University Homophobia Scale. Results revealed that homosexual subjects perceived measures of university climate as significantly…

G6PD deficiency assessment in Freetown, Sierra Leone, reveals further insight into the molecular heterogeneity of G6PD A-.

PubMed

Jalloh, Amadu; Jalloh, Muctarr; Gamanga, Idrissa; Baion, David; Sahr, Foday; Gbakima, Aiah; Willoughby, Victor R; Matsuoka, Hiroyuki

2008-01-01

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Africa is of high prevalence, although precise data are lacking in many individual nations. We investigated 129 unrelated subjects (71 male subjects, 58 female subjects) visiting a teaching hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to collect baseline data on the distribution of G6PD deficiency among respective ethnic groups in the country. We confirmed eight G6PD-deficient male subjects by two formazan-based blood tests (11.3% of the male subjects examined), and also detected the common 376A > G mutation in 11 male subjects and eight female subjects by sequencing exons 3-5 of the G6PD gene. Selected samples were further sequenced for exons 2-13 and introns 5, 7, 8, and 11. Among the deficient male subjects, six were G6PD A- carrying the double mutations (202G > A and 376A > G), all of whom were in the Temne and Mende ethnic groups. Others included A- Betica, and a novel variant having double mutations in exon 5 (311G > A and 376A > G forming 104 Arg > His and 126 Asn > Asp, respectively), which we designate as G6PD Sierra Leone. Subsequent haplotype analysis linked this novel variant to the G6PD A- "family".

Comparison of Digital 12-Lead ECG and Digital 12-Lead Holter ECG Recordings in Healthy Male Subjects: Results from a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Wang, Duolao; Bakhai, Ameet; Arezina, Radivoj; Täubel, Jörg

2016-11-01

Electrocardiogram (ECG) variability is greatly affected by the ECG recording method. This study aims to compare Holter and standard ECG recording methods in terms of central locations and variations of ECG data. We used the ECG data from a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial and used a mixed model approach to assess the agreement between two methods in central locations and variations of eight ECG parameters (Heart Rate, PR, QRS, QT, RR, QTcB, QTcF, and QTcI intervals). A total of 34 heathy male subjects with mean age of 25.7 ± 4.78 years were randomized to receive either active drug or placebo. Digital 12-lead ECG and digital 12-lead Holter ECG recordings were performed to assess ECG variability. There are no significant differences in least square mean between the Holter and the standard method for all ECG parameters. The total variance is consistently higher for the Holter method than the standard method for all ECG parameters except for QRS. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values for the Holter method are consistently lower than those for the standard method for all ECG parameters except for QRS, in particular, the ICC for QTcF is reduced from 0.86 for the standard method to 0.67 for the Holter method. This study suggests that Holter ECGs recorded in a controlled environment are not significantly different but more variable than those from the standard method. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparing Utility of Anthropometric Indices Based on Gender Differences in Predicting Dyslipidaemia in Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Pawaskar, Priyanka N; Shirali, Arun; Prabhu, M Venkatraya; Pai, Sheila R; Kumar, Nayanatara Arun; Pawaskar, Niwas G

2015-08-01

Anthropometry is a simple reliable method for quantifying body proportions by measuring body length, weight and circumferences. Our intention in this study was to compare sensitivities and positive predictive values of waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI) in identifying healthy subjects, males and females separately for identifying obesity associated dyslipidemia. We analysed randomly selected 100 healthy subjects (males:58%, females:42%) between 25 and 60 years of age attending tertiary health care center in South India, after obtaining informed consent and Institutional Ethical Clearance. WC, WHR, WHtR and BMI of all the enrolled subjects were measured and estimated. Their fasting serum lipid profile was assessed. Subjects were divided based on their gender and each group was then categorized as obese and non-obese using anthropometric parameters and their individual serum lipid profile values depending on the cut off standards as per WHO and ATP III guidelines and compared. Data obtained was statistically analysed. Mean values of WC, WHR, WHtR and BMI were highly significant (p<0.000) in obese in both males (97.43 ± 6.21cm, 0.96 ± 0.04, 0.61 ± 0.05, 27.72 ± 2.45kg/m(2)) and females (91.82 ± 5.18cm, 0.92 ± 0.06, 0.60 ± 0.04, 27.70 ± 3.44kg/m(2)) when considered separately compared to non-obese males (82.27 ± 5.33cm, 0.83 ± 0.033, 0.51 ± 0.03, 22.80 ± 2.11kg/m(2)) and females (71.68 ± 7.33cm, 0.78 ± 0.03, 0.48 ± 0.03, 21.82 ± 1.98kg/m(2) respectively). WC was more sensitive for predicting the altered lipid profile (85%) in females and WHR (65%) in males. WHR showed higher ability to correctly predict the occurrence of dyslipidemia in the obese males (90% positive predictive value) and WHtR in females (92%). The present study inferred that WC, WHR are more sensitive while WHR and WHtR have a higher positive predictive value than BMI in identifying dyslipidemia in healthy males and females.

Differences in kinematics of single leg squatting between anterior cruciate ligament-injured patients and healthy controls.

PubMed

Yamazaki, J; Muneta, T; Ju, Y J; Sekiya, I

2010-01-01

Seventy to eighty percent of all anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are due to non-contact injury mechanisms. It has been reported that the majority of injuries due to single leg landing come from valgus positioning of the lower leg. Preventing valgus positioning during single leg landing is expected to help reduce the number of ACL injuries. We found that many ACL-deficient patients cannot perform stable single leg squatting. Therefore, we performed 3D motion analysis of the single-legged half squat for ACL-injured patients to evaluate its significance as a risk factor for ACL injuries. We evaluated the relative angles between the body, thigh, and lower leg using an electromagnetic device during single leg half squatting performed by 63 ACL-injured patients (32 males, 31 females) the day before ACL reconstruction and by 26 healthy control subjects with no knee problems. The uninjured leg of ACL-injured male subjects demonstrated significantly less external knee rotation than that of the dominant leg of the male control. The uninjured leg of ACL-injured female subjects demonstrated significantly more external hip rotation and knee flexion and less hip flexion than that of the dominant leg of the female control. Comparing injured and uninjured legs, the injured leg of male subjects demonstrated significantly less external knee and hip rotation, less knee flexion, and more knee varus than that of the uninjured leg of male subjects. The injured leg of female subjects demonstrated more knee varus than that of the uninjured leg of female subjects. Regarding gender differences, female subjects demonstrated significantly more external hip rotation and knee valgus than male subjects did in both the injured and uninjured legs (P < 0.05). The current kinematic study exhibited biomechanical characteristics of female ACL-injured subjects compared with that of control groups. Kinematic correction during single leg half squat would reduce ACL reinjury in female ACL-injured subjects.

Elevated Plasma Levels of Soluble (Pro)Renin Receptor in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Parallel with the Disease Severity.

PubMed

Nishijima, Tsuguo; Tajima, Kazuki; Yamashiro, Yoshihiro; Hosokawa, Keisuke; Suwabe, Akira; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Sakurai, Shigeru

2016-04-01

(Pro)renin receptor ((P)RR), a receptor for renin and prorenin, is implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and their complications. Soluble (P)RR (s(P)RR) is composed of extracellular domain of (P)RR and thus exists in blood. We have reported that plasma concentrations of s(P)RR were elevated in male patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The aim of the present study was to clarify the difference in plasma s(P)RR concentrations between male and female OSAS patients. Plasma s(P)RR concentrations were studied in 289 subjects (206 males and 83 females) consisting of 259 OSAS patients and 30 non-OSAS control subjects. The 259 OSAS patients were classified into mild (5 ≤ apnea hypopnea index (AHI) < 15 events/h), moderate (15 ≤ AHI < 30), and severe OSAS (AHI ≥ 30). Plasma s(P)RR levels were significantly elevated in all three OSAS groups compared to non-OSAS control subjects (AHI < 5) in the entire cohort and male subjects, whereas in female subjects, the significant elevation was found only in severe OSAS. Plasma s(P)RR levels were significantly correlated with AHI in both sexes, with a higher r value found in male subjects (male r = 0.413, p < 0.0001; female r = 0.263, p < 0.05). Importantly, when OSAS patients (26 males and 15 females) with AHI ≥ 20 underwent continuous positive airway pressure treatment, plasma s(P)RR levels were significantly decreased. In conclusion, plasma s(P)RR levels are elevated in both male and female OSAS patients in parallel with the disease severity.

In vivo serial sampling of epididymal sperm in mice.

PubMed

Del Val, Gonzalo Moreno; Robledano, Patricia Muñoz

2013-07-01

This study was undertaken to refine the techniques of in vivo collection of sperm in the mouse. The principal objective was to offer a viable, safe and reliable method for serial collection of in vivo epididimary sperm through the direct puncture of the epididymis. Six C57Bl/6J males were subjected to the whole experiment. First we obtain a sperm sample of the right epididymis, and perform a vasectomy on the left side. This sample was used in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) experiment while the males were individually housed for 10 days to let them recover from the surgery, and then their fertility was tested with natural matings until we obtained a litter of each one. After that, the animals were subjected another time to the same process (sampling, recover and natural mating). The results of these experiments were a fertilization average value of 56.7%, and that all the males had a litter in the first month after the natural matings. This study documented the feasibility of the epididimary puncture technique to in vivo serial sampling of sperm in the mouse.

The relation of obesity with serum resistin levels in smoker and nonsmokers

PubMed Central

Gürsoy, Gül; Eşbah, Onur; Kirnap, Nazli Gülsoy; Çetiner, Hacer; Acar, Yaşar; Demirbaş, Berrin; Öztürk, Abidin; Kiliç, Zuhal

2012-01-01

Background: The demonstration that adipose tissue produces numerous cytokines increases interest of investigators in their role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Resistin is one of those cytokines. There are conflicing reports as cigarette smoking impairs insulin secretion, augments insulin resistance, or has no effect on glucose metabolism. In our study, we intended to examine the relationship of obesity with resistin levels in smokers and nonsmokers. Patients and Methods: The study included 52 male smokers and 34 age matched nonsmoker male control subjects. We classified smoker and nonsmoker groups according to their body mass index as BMI < 27 and ≥27. As well as making physical and anthropometric examinations, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, postprandial plasma glucose, lipid profile, and resistin levels were measured in all male subjects. We compared all parameters in smoker and nonsmokers either having BMI < 27 or ≥27. Results: In both BMI levels, resistin levels were higher in smoker groups than nonsmoker ones (P<0.01 all), we did not find any difference in other parameters. Conclusion: in conclusion we may speculate that if someone smokes resistin levels increase. PMID:23264782

Participation in Sports and Sociometric Status of Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadzic, Aleksandar; Vuckovic, Igor

2009-01-01

Study aim: To examine the relationships between sport participation and sociometric status of adolescent youths. Material and methods: A group of 359 secondary school students from central Serbia (143 male and 216 female) aged 16-19 years participated in the study. The subjects were given questionnaires pertaining to their participation in sports…

Psycho-Social Factors Causing Stress: A Study of Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, Geetika; Tyagi, Harish Kumar; Kumar, Anil

2015-01-01

Purpose: The present investigation was planned to determine the influence of type of personality, gender, age, qualification and experience causing stress among teacher educators at work. Method: A sample of 100 subjects from male and female teachers teaching in teacher training colleges, Delhi, India was drawn randomly. The data was collected by…

State Self-Esteem in Relation to Weight Locus of Control amongst Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rattan, Neelam; Kang, Shirin; Thakur, Nisha; Parthi, Komila

2006-01-01

The current society emphasizes physical appearance and physical fitness. Individual's self-esteem has been shown to be linked with physical appearance. Methods: A random sample comprising of 100 male and 100 female (N = 200) adolescents was selected. The subjects were administered the Current Thoughts Scale and the Dieting Beliefs Scale for…

EEG Alpha and Beta Activity in Normal and Deaf Subjects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron, Manjula; And Others

Electroencephalogram and task performance data were collected from three groups of young adult males: profoundly deaf Ss who signed from an early age, profoundly deaf Ss who only used oral (speech and speedreading) methods of communication, and normal hearing Ss. Alpha and Beta brain wave patterns over the Wernicke's area were compared across…

Are Written Instructions Enough? Efficacy of Male Condom Packaging Leaflets among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindemann, Dana F.; Harbke, Colin R.

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate whether or not written condom use instructions successfully inform correct condom use skills. Design: Between-subjects, two-group design. Setting: Public university located in rural Midwestern region of the United States. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to either a control condition (read physical exercise…

Gender Categorization in Cochlear Implant Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massida, Zoe; Marx, Mathieu; Belin, Pascal; James, Christopher; Fraysse, Bernard; Barone, Pascal; Deguine, Olivier

2013-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors examined the ability of subjects with cochlear implants (CIs) to discriminate voice gender and how this ability evolved as a function of CI experience. Method: The authors presented a continuum of voice samples created by voice morphing, with 9 intermediate acoustic parameter steps between a typical male and a…

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…

Enhancing Students' Communication Skills through Problem Posing and Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugito; E. S., Sri Mulyani; Hartono; Supartono

2017-01-01

This study was to explore how enhance communication skill through problem posing and presentation method. The subjects of this research were the seven grade students Junior High School, including 20 male and 14 female. This research was conducted in two cycles and each cycle consisted of four steps, they were: planning, action, observation, and…

Measuring Recognition Performance Using Computer-Based and Paper-Based Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federico, Pat-Anthony

1991-01-01

Using a within-subjects design, computer-based and paper-based tests of aircraft silhouette recognition were administered to 83 male naval pilots and flight officers to determine the relative reliabilities and validities of 2 measurement modes. Relative reliabilities and validities of the two modes were contingent on the multivariate measurement…

Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar.

PubMed

Aye, Thanda; Oo, Khin Saw; Khin, Myo Thuzar; Kuramoto-Ahuja, Tsugumi; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2017-10-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar. [Subjects and Methods] Total 472 healthy Kindergarten children (237 males, 235 females) of 2016-2017 academic year from four schools in urban area and four schools in rural area of Myanmar were recruited. The gross motor skill development of all subjects was assessed with the test of gross motor development second edition (TGMD-2). All subjects performed two trials for each gross motor skill and the performance was video recorded and scored. The assessment procedures were done according to the standardized guidelines of TGMD-2. [Results] The majority of subjects had average level of gross motor skill rank. The significant differences were found on the run and gallop of locomotor skills and the most of object control skills except the catch between males and females. The significant differences were also found between subjects from urban and rural areas. [Conclusion] Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar had gender-based and region-based differences on both locomotor and object control skills. This study added a valuable information to the establishment of a normative reference of Kindergarten aged children for future studies.

Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar

PubMed Central

Aye, Thanda; Oo, Khin Saw; Khin, Myo Thuzar; Kuramoto-Ahuja, Tsugumi; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2017-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar. [Subjects and Methods] Total 472 healthy Kindergarten children (237 males, 235 females) of 2016–2017 academic year from four schools in urban area and four schools in rural area of Myanmar were recruited. The gross motor skill development of all subjects was assessed with the test of gross motor development second edition (TGMD-2). All subjects performed two trials for each gross motor skill and the performance was video recorded and scored. The assessment procedures were done according to the standardized guidelines of TGMD-2. [Results] The majority of subjects had average level of gross motor skill rank. The significant differences were found on the run and gallop of locomotor skills and the most of object control skills except the catch between males and females. The significant differences were also found between subjects from urban and rural areas. [Conclusion] Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar had gender-based and region-based differences on both locomotor and object control skills. This study added a valuable information to the establishment of a normative reference of Kindergarten aged children for future studies. PMID:29184287

Digital radiographic evaluation of mandibular third molar for age estimation in young adults and adolescents of South Indian population using modified Demirjian's method

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Rezwana Begum; Koganti, Ravichandra; Kalyan, Siva V.; Tircouveluri, Saritha; Singh, Johar Rajvinder; Srinivasulu, Enganti

2014-01-01

In recent years, it has become increasingly important to determine the age of living people for a variety of reasons, including identifying criminal and legal responsibility and for many other social events such as birth certificate, marriage, beginning a job, joining the army and retirement Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the developmental stages of mandibular third molar for estimation of dental age (DA) in different age groups and to evaluate the possible correlation between DA and chronological age (CA) in South Indian population. Materials and Methods: Digital orthopantomography of 330 subjects (165 males, 165 females) who fit the study and the criteria were obtained. Assessment of mandibular third molar development was performed using Demirjian et al., modified method and DA was assessed using tooth specific stages. Results and Discussion: The present study showed a significant correlation between DA and CA in both males and females. Third molar development commenced around 9 years and root completion takes place around 18.9 years in males and in females 9 years and 18.6 years respectively. Demirjian modified method underestimated the mean age of males by 0.8 years and females by 0.5 years and also showed that females mature earlier than males in selected population. Conclusion: Digital radiographic assessment of mandibular third molar development can be used to generate mean DA using Demirjian modified method and also the estimated age range for an individual of unknown CA. Since the Demirjian method is based on French-Canadian population, to enhance the accuracy of forensic age estimates based on third molar development, the use of population-specific standards is recommended. PMID:25177143

The treatment effect of hamstring stretching and nerve mobilization for patients with radicular lower back pain

PubMed Central

Lee, Ju-hyun; Kim, Tae-ho

2017-01-01

[Purpose] In this paper, hamstring stretching and nerve mobilization are conducted on patients with radicular lower back pain, and changes to pain levels, pressure thresholds, angles of knee joint extension, and disorder levels of lower back pain were studied. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were divided into two groups: one group conducted hamstring stretches and was comprised of 6 male and 5 female subjects, and the other group received nerve mobilization treatment and was comprised of 5 male and 6 female subjects. [Results] Pain level and the disorder index of lower back pain were significantly alleviated after the intervention in both groups. Pressure threshold and angles of knee extension were significantly increased after the intervention in both groups. Comparing the two groups, the alleviation of pain was more significant in the nerve mobilization group. [Conclusion] Patients with radicular lower back pain showed significant differences in pain level, pressure threshold, knee extension angle, and disorder index of lower back pain for both the hamstring stretching group and nerve mobilization group after the treatment. Hamstring stretching and nerve mobilization can be usefully applied for the therapy of patients with radicular lower back pain. PMID:28931991

Descriptive Study of Gender Dysphoria in Japanese Individuals with Male-to-Female Gender Identity Disorder.

PubMed

Shinohara, Yoshie; Nakatsuka, Mikiya

2018-04-01

We focus on Japanese individuals with gender identity disorder (GID), especially male-to-female (MTF) GID, who have experienced difficulty in adapting to social life. We clarify what gender dysphoria is, and we examine methods of intervention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 individuals with MTF-GID from August 2015 to April 2017. We categorized the subjects'experiences regarding dysphoria into the 'Onset of gender dysphoria,' 'Experience of feeling gender dysphoria,' and 'Changes due to receiving medical care.' The subjects reported experiencing great pain and distress because they did not fully understand that they were experiencing dysphoria and could not align their gender identity and their self-identity. All subjects described their experiences of dysphoria as negative. Additionally, all said that the dysphoria was alleviated by a medical intervention such as visiting a gender clinic, receiving a diagnosis and treatment, and changing their physical sex to the sex congruent with their gender identity. The provision of information at the gender clinic and the physical changes achieved by medical intervention exerted a positive effect both mentally and socially on the subjects, who suffered various physical, mental and social problems.

Reading Interest and Achievement: What Are the Implications for Male Disabled Readers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Tim K.

A study examined the relationship between reading interest and achievement of male disabled readers. Subjects, 30 males aged 8 to 12 years and identified as disabled readers, were selected from a metropolitan school district in central Oklahoma. Subjects completed a reading interest questionnaire and a standardized reading test. The five subjects…

Gender difference of ankle stability in the sagittal and frontal planes.

PubMed

Hanzlick, Harrison; Hyunglae Lee

2017-07-01

This paper offers quantification of ankle stability in relation to simulated haptic environments of varying stiffness. This study analyzes the stability trends of male and female subjects independently over a wide range of simulated environments after subjects were exposed to vigorous position perturbation. Ankle stability was quantified for both degrees-of-freedom of the ankle in the sagittal and frontal planes. Subjects' stability consistently decreased when exposed to environments of negative simulated stiffness. In the frontal plane, male and female subjects exhibited nearly identical stability levels. In the sagittal plane, however, male subjects demonstrated marginally more stability than female subjects in environments with negative stiffness. Results of this study are beneficial to understanding situations in which the ankle is likely to lose stability, potentially resulting in injury.

Parental relationships during childhood in homosexuality, transvestism and transsexualism.

PubMed

Buhrich, N; McConaghy, N

1978-06-01

The nature of the relationships of 29 male homosexuals, 34 male transvestites and 29 male transsexuals with their parents, during childhood, was assessed on the basis of the subjects' reports, and on their responses to two tests, namely the Childhood Family Relationship test and a Semantic Differential. If the subjects' reports are valid significantly more mothers of transvestite and transsexual subjects hoped for a girl prior to the subject's birth. During childhood there was a trend for homosexual, transvestite and transsexual subjects to report that their fathers lacked interest in them or were absent from home. There was little evidence to support the view that homosexual, transvestite or transsexual subjects had pathological relationships with their mother. Intrafamilial childhood environmental factors reported by homosexuals, transvestites and transsexuals appear to be non-specific.

Counselor-Subject Sex Variables in Systematic Desensitization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geer, Carol A.; Hurst, James C.

1976-01-01

A Sex of Subject x Sex of Counselor interaction in the desensitization of test anxiety among 44 college students suggested consideration of the sex variable. Results showed significant treatment effects by both male and female counselors and a significant interaction effect by the male counselor with female subjects. (Author)

Exercise load index and changes in body weight during long-duration confinement in an isolated environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, Norbert O.; Lyons, Terence J.; Binder, Heidi; Inoue, Natsuhiko; Ohshima, Hiroshi; Sekiguchi, Chiharu

2003-01-01

PURPOSE: The objectives of this project were to investigate exercise load and body weight related to long-duration confinement in a closed environment simulating ISS flight conditions, and to evaluate subjects' motivation to continue the experiment and their adaptation to isolation. METHODS: Four Russian male subjects participated in a 240-d experiment (Group I), and four subjects (three male subjects and one female subject) from Austria, Canada, Japan, and Russia participated in a 110-d experiment (Group II). Exercise load was estimated during confinement using a modified Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. Free reports were used to determine subjects' motivation. Body weight was measured before, during, and after confinement. RESULTS: Group I achieved their lowest exercise loads during their first month of isolation; problems with adaptation to the isolation environment were also reported during this first month. Group II exercise load was significantly lower in the second month due to crewmember problems; loss of motivation could be noted from their free reports. The subject with the lowest exercise load retired from the isolation experiment earlier than scheduled. Exercise load was not correlated with prior exercise habits. Significant differences in body weight was observed between group I and II and between Russian and non-Russian subjects. One subject in Group I experienced a significant increase in his body weight. CONCLUSION: Exercise load may be a good indicator for adaptation problems and motivation changes in closed environments. Immobility, lack of space, and smoking cessation in general did not induce significant body weight changes.

3D dentofacial photogrammetry reference values: a novel approach to orthodontic diagnosis.

PubMed

Masoud, Mohamed I; Bansal, Neetu; C Castillo, Jose; Manosudprasit, Amornrut; Allareddy, Veerasathpurush; Haghi, Arshan; Hawkins, Hannah C; Otárola-Castillo, Erik

2017-04-01

Orthodontic diagnostic standards generally use the cranial base as a reference and rely on samples selected by orthodontists. The purpose of this study was to provide male and female standards for a novel non-radiographic approach for orthodontic diagnosis that utilizes 3D dentofacial photogrammetry using the eyes and natural head orientation as references instead of the cranial base. One hundred and eighty females and 200 males between the ages of 18 and 35 years from 2 modeling agencies were orthodontically screened for near ideal occlusion. Subjects that met the inclusion criteria were rated by a sample of 40 lay people for attractiveness on a visual analogue scale. The final sample that had 3D facial and dental imaging included 49 subjects 25 males and 24 females with near ideal occlusion and considered attractive by the public. Inter and Intra-examiner ICC were greater than 0.8 for both landmarking and indexing. Relative to a coronal plane contacting the pupils (MC), the mean sagittal position of the alar curvature (representing the nasomaxillary complex) was 14.36 ± 3.08 mm in males and 12.4 ± 3.58 mm in females. The sagittal position of soft tissue pogonion relative to the pupils was 14.84 ± 3.63 mm in males and 12.78 ± 5.68 mm in females. The angle between the alar curvature and pogonion relative to the pupils was 9° in males and 10° in females. With the exception of the occlusal plane which was steeper in females, no ratios or angular facial measurements showed a significant gender difference. Relative to MC, males had more proclined upper incisors (20° vs 16°) and more retroclined Lower incisors (27° vs 31°; P > 0.05). A Procrustes ANOVA and permutation test showed that the shapes of males and females are different enough to be considered two distinct populations. 1. When using the proposed method for orthodontic diagnosis, male and female patients should be compared to their respective dentofacial standards. 2. Validation of the proposed method and standards on an orthodontic population is underway to determine the scope its use. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Pharmacokinetics and safety of imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of actinic keratoses of the face, scalp, or hands and arms.

PubMed

Harrison, Lester I; Skinner, Shari L; Marbury, Thomas C; Owens, Mary L; Kurup, Sarala; McKane, Scott; Greene, Robert J

2004-06-01

The safety and efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream is being evaluated for the treatment of dysplastic lesions of the epidermis (actinic keratoses, AK). The objective of this clinical study was to describe the pharmacokinetics and safety of topical imiquimod during multiple dosing of AK subjects. A total of 58 adult subjects with 5 to 20 AK lesions at the treatment site applied imiquimod cream three times per week for up to 16 weeks as follows: 12 males and 11 females applied 12.5 mg imiquimod to the face; 11 males applied 25 mg to the entire balding area of the scalp; and 12 males and 12 females applied 75 mg to both hands and forearms. Pharmacokinetics and safety were assessed after the first and last doses, as well as biweekly. Imiquimod and its metabolites were measured in the serum and urine using sensitive liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods. Less than 0.6% of the applied doses was recovered in the urine of all subjects. Serum imiquimod levels were low, reflecting minimal dermal absorption, and increased with dose, although not proportionally. Peak levels at the end of dosing were 0.1, 0.2, and 1.6 ng/ml for the face, scalp, and hands/arms groups, respectively. A two- to fourfold accumulation was seen at the end of dosing. Local application site reactions were the most common adverse event, reported by approximately 50% of the subjects in each treatment group. The small number of systemic adverse events, including 'flu-like symptoms, were mostly mild and did not show a dose response. Thus, minimal systemic absorption and good safety margins for topical imiquimod were seen in AK subjects with doses as high as 75 mg three times per week for 16 weeks.

[Study on anti +Gx respiratory maneuver and its training method].

PubMed

Xue, Yue-ying; You, Guang-xing; Wu, Bin; Liu, Xing-hua; Lu, Sheng-qiang; Xie, Bao-sheng

2002-12-01

Objective. To study the anti +Gx respiratory maneuver and its training method. Method. Seven young male subjects undertook the anti +Gx respiratory maneuver training. Their +Gx tolerances were examined on human centrifuge before and after training. The change of respiratory type, breath rate, electrocardiogram, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), subjective symptom and vision were real-time monitored during the +Gx tolerance examination. Result. Compared with pre-training, the +Gx tolerance increased after training (P<0.05). Dyspnea and chest pain disappeared or obviously lightened and the magnitude of decrease of SaO2 decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion. The above results suggested that the anti +Gx respiratory maneuver can effectively eliminate or alleviate dyspnea and chest pain induced by +Gx stress and increase human +Gx tolerance.

The future of male contraception: a fertile ground

PubMed Central

Zillioux, Jacqueline; Eisenfrats, Kevin; Foley, Daniel; Smith, Ryan

2018-01-01

The continued and rapid expansion of the Earth’s population mandates the need for safe and effective measures of contraception. While a plethora of options exist for women, methods of contraception for the male partner are limited to condoms and vasectomy. The sequela of this discrepancy has led to the family planning burden falling disproportionately on the female partner. For the past several decades, extensive research has been undertaken exploring the feasibility of hormonal male contraception. This proposed method of contraception has focused on suppressing spermatogenesis by exploiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Beginning with proof of concept studies in the early nineties, administration of testosterone in healthy male subjects has been shown to be an efficacious method of inducing sterility. Owing to ethnic differences in spermatogenesis suppression and the comparatively low rate of azoospermia in Caucasian men with androgen-only regimens, investigators have explored the addition of progestins to further enhance the efficacy of hormonal contraception. Though studies have revealed promise with androgen-progestin regimens, the lack of long-term studies has precluded the development of a marketable product. Recently, more research has been directed towards identifying non-hormonal alternatives to male contraception. These non-hormonal options have ranged from the development of devices facilitating reversible occlusion of the vas deferens lumen to medications disrupting various pathways in the process of spermatogenesis. Underlying the development of hormonal and non-hormonal strategies is the shared enthusiasm men and women have towards these male directed methods. The willingness of couples to pursue these alternatives combined with the global need to reduce the psychological and socioeconomic implications of unintended pregnancy ensures that research will continue to bring this goal to fruition.

Body composition of university students by hydrostatic weighing and skinfold measurement.

PubMed

Jürimäe, T; Jagomägi, G; Lepp, T

1992-12-01

The body composition of 124 male and 70 female Tartu University students was measured by three different methods: hydrostatic weighing by maximal expiration, hydrostatic weighing by maximal inspiration and subcutaneous fat thickness measurements. Our results show that the proposed body density measuring method by maximal expiration is simple, reliable and applicable not only in indoor swimming pools but in field conditions as well. The second new hydrostatic weighing apparatus is more comfortable for the subjects where the body density is measured at maximal inspiration. The mean body density of males was somewhat higher when measured by the maximal inspiration (1.066 +/- 0.012 g.ml-1) than when measured by the maximal expiration (1.063 +/- 0.009 g.ml-1, p < 0.05). For females, on the contrary, the maximal expiration method (1.044 +/- 0.010 g.ml-1) yielded a higher body density value than when measured by the maximal inspiration (1.040 +/- 0.011 g.ml-1, p > 0.05). The body fat percentage measured by skinfold thickness correlated significantly with the body fat percentage calculated by body density by maximal expiration (males r = 0.420, females r = 0.531) and inspiration (males r = 0.507, females r = 0.663). We must conclude that the presented two methods of measuring body density offer new possibilities for densitometric analysis without the need for expensive laboratory equipment.

Prevalence of Lumbar Disc Herniation in Adolescent Males in Seoul, Korea: Prevalence of Adolescent LDH in Seoul, Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Do-Keun; Oh, Chang Hyun; Lee, Myoung Seok; Park, Hyung-chun; Park, Chong Oon

2011-01-01

Objective The authors surveyed the prevalence and the clinical character of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in Korean male adolescents, and the usefulness of current conscription criteria. Methods The data of 39,673 nineteen-year-old males that underwent a conscription examination at the Seoul Regional Korean Military Manpower Administration (MMA) from October 2010 to May 2011 were investigated. For those diagnosed as having lumbar disc herniation, prevalences, subject characteristics, herniation severities, levels of herniation, and modified Korean Oswestry low back pain disability scores by MMA physical grade were evaluated. The analysis was performed using medical certificates, medical records, medical images, and electromyographic and radiologic findings. Results The prevalence of adolescent LDH was 0.60%(237 of the 39,673 study subjects), and the prevalence of serious adolescent LDH with thecal sac compression or significant discogenic spinal stenosis was 0.28%(110 of the 39,673 study subjects). Of the 237 adolescent LDH cases, 105 (44.3%) were of single level LDH and 132 (55.7%) were of multiple level LDH, and the L4-5 level was the most severely and frequently affected. Oswestry back pain disability scores increased with herniation severity (p<0.01), and were well correlated with MMA grade. Conclusions In this large cohort of 19-year-old Korean males, the prevalence of adolescent LDH was 0.60% and the prevalence of serious adolescent LDH, which requires management, was relatively high at 0.28%. MMA physical grade was confirmed to be a useful measure of the disability caused by LDH. PMID:26064143

PFC Activity Pattern During Verbal WM Task in Healthy Male and Female Subjects: A NIRS Study.

PubMed

Gao, Chenyang; Zhang, Lei; Luo, Dewu; Liu, Dan; Gong, Hui

2016-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), as a non-invasive optical imaging method, has been widely used in psychology research. Working memory (WM) is an extensively researched psychological concept related to the temporary storage and processing of information. Many neuropsychological studies demonstrate that several brain areas of prefrontal cortex (PFC) are engaged during verbal WM tasks. The gender-based differences in WM remains under dispute. To better understand the active module and gender differences in PFC activity patterns during verbal WM tasks, we investigated the blood oxygenation changes of the PFC in 15 healthy subjects using a homemade multichannel continuous-wave NIRS instrument, while performing a verbal n-back task. We employed traditional activation and novel connectivity analyses simultaneously. Males had a higher level of oxygenation activity and connectivity in PFC than females. Only the results of females revealed a leftward lateralization in the 2-back task.

Intravenous Nicotine Self-Administration in Smokers: Dose-Response Function and Sex Differences.

PubMed

Jensen, Kevin P; DeVito, Elise E; Valentine, Gerald; Gueorguieva, Ralitza; Sofuoglu, Mehmet

2016-07-01

Sex differences in the sensitivity to nicotine may influence vulnerability to tobacco dependence. The goal of this study was to investigate the dose-response function for the reinforcing and subjective effects of intravenous nicotine in male and female smokers. Tobacco-dependent subjects (12 male and 14 female) participated in four experimental sessions in which they received sample infusions of saline and nicotine (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 mg doses) in a randomized double-blind crossover design. During each session, subjects first received the sample infusions, and heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and subjective stimulatory, pleasurable and aversive responses were monitored. Immediately following the sample infusions, subjects self-administered either nicotine or saline in six double-blind forced-choice trials. A sex by dose interaction was observed in the nicotine choice paradigm. Nicotine self-administration rate was negatively correlated with nicotine dose in males (males displayed choice preference for low doses of nicotine over high doses of nicotine), but no significant relationship between dose and choice preference was evident in females. Relative to placebo, sample doses of nicotine increased heart rate and blood pressure, and induced stimulatory, pleasurable, and aversive subjective effects. Diastolic blood pressure increased dose dependently in males, but not in females. These findings, which demonstrate sex differences in nicotine self-administration for doses that are near to the reinforcement threshold, suggest that male and female smokers may respond differently to the changes in nicotine doses available for self-administration.

Homophobia, perceived fathering, and male intimate relationships.

PubMed

Devlin, P K; Cowan, G A

1985-10-01

This study examined the relationships among homophobia, perceived fathering, and male intimacy with significant male and female best friends. A questionnaire, administered to 130 adult heterosexual males, included McDonald and Game's homophobia measure (ATHMS), eight intimacy scales, and four scales measuring subjects' recollections of their fathers' parenting styles. Correlations of ATHMS and individual intimacy scales revealed a significant relationship between homophobia and intimacy in male-male relationships. Homophobia was related to male-female intimacy on those measures which reflected subjects' perception of their female partner's sensitivity to them. Although homophobia was related to perception of the father as enforcing sex roles, none of the perceived fathering variables were directly related to intimacy with males. The findings provide evidence for a direct relationship between male homophobia and lack of intimacy in friendships between men.

Evaluation of Amnion-derived Multipotent Progenitor (AMP) Cells and Amnion-derived Cellular Cytokine Solution (ST266) in Promoting Craniomaxillofacial Regenerative Bone Healing in Critical Size Calvarial Defects

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-10

action. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects Subjects used in the study include male Fischer 344 (CDF®) rats weighing 280-300 grams obtained from...PBS before being transferred to a flat bottom 96-well plate. Absorbance was then read at 450nm on a Biotek microplate reader. Live/Dead Staining of...incubation, live/dead staining of the scaffolds was imaged on a confocal microscope (Nikon). AMP Cell Differentiation To determine whether AMP

Association Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Coronary Artery Disease in Young Male Patients

PubMed Central

Sharma, Kamal H; Jindal, Anchal

2014-01-01

Background: Several studies have demonstrated an association between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and cardiovascular disease. Still controversies exist regarding the association. Are they truly associated? Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of AGA and establish its association in young (<45 years) Asian Indian Gujarati male patients having coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and Methods: Case-control prospective multicentric study was carried out on 424 men. Case group consisted of 212 male subjects having CAD (Group 1) and another 212, either sibling or first degree male relative of the case subjects (having no evidence of CAD) were considered as the control group (Group 2). Age, total cholesterol, incidence of diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were similar in both groups. The degree of alopecia was assessed using the Norwood-Hamilton scale for men. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test. Results: AGA was found in 80 (37.73%) young CAD patients (Group 1), whereas 44 (20.7%) of patients had alopecia in the control group (Group 2). There was statistically significant association between male AGA and CAD (P = 0.001). Odds ratio was 2.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72 ± 4.26). Statistically significant association was found between high grade baldness (Grades IV-VII) and CAD in young men (P < 0.05). Odds ratio = 2.36 (95% CI, 1.108 ± 5.033). There is statistically significant association of AGA in young Asian Gujarati male with CAD and the prevalence of AGA in young CAD patient is 37.73%. Conclusion: This study implies early onset AGA in male is independently associated with CAD, though mechanisms need to be investigated. PMID:25114445

A three-dimensional look for facial differences between males and females in a British-Caucasian sample aged 151/2 years old.

PubMed

Toma, A M; Zhurov, A; Playle, R; Richmond, S

2008-08-01

Optical surface scanning accurately records the three-dimension (3D) shape of the face non-invasively. Many software programs have been developed to process and analyze the 3D data, enabling the clinicians to create average templates for groups of subjects to provide a comparison of facial shape. Differences in facial morphology of males and females were identified using a laser scan imaging technology. This study was undertaken on 380 British-Caucasian children aged 15 and a half year old, recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). 3D facial images were obtained for each individual using two high resolution Konica/Minolta laser scanners. The scan quality was assessed and any unsuitable scans were excluded from the study. Average facial templates were created for males and females, and a registration technique was used to superimpose the facial shells of males and females so that facial differences can be quantified. Thirty unsuitable scans were excluded from the study. The final sample consisted of 350 subjects (166 females, 184 males). Females tend to have more prominent eyes and cheeks in relation to males with a maximum difference of 2.4 mm. Males tend to have more prominent noses and mouths with a maximum difference of 2.7 mm. About 31% of the facial shells match exactly (no difference), mainly in the forehead and chin regions of the face. Differences in facial morphology can be accurately quantified and visualized using 3D imaging technology. This method of facial assessment can be recommended and applied for future research studies to assess facial soft tissue changes because of growth or healthcare intervention.

Reliability of reference distances used in photogrammetry.

PubMed

Aksu, Muge; Kaya, Demet; Kocadereli, Ilken

2010-07-01

To determine the reliability of the reference distances used for photogrammetric assessment. The sample consisted of 100 subjects with mean ages of 22.97 +/- 2.98 years. Five lateral and four frontal parameters were measured directly on the subjects' faces. For photogrammetric assessment, two reference distances for the profile view and three reference distances for the frontal view were established. Standardized photographs were taken and all the parameters that had been measured directly on the face were measured on the photographs. The reliability of the reference distances was checked by comparing direct and indirect values of the parameters obtained from the subjects' faces and photographs. Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bland-Altman analyses were used for statistical assessment. For profile measurements, the indirect values measured were statistically different from the direct values except for Sn-Sto in male subjects and Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in female subjects. The indirect values of Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto were reliable in both sexes. The poorest results were obtained in the indirect values of the N-Sn parameter for female subjects and the Sn-Me parameter for male subjects according to the Sa-Sba reference distance. For frontal measurements, the indirect values were statistically different from the direct values in both sexes except for one in male subjects. The indirect values measured were not statistically different from the direct values for Go-Go. The indirect values of Ch-Ch were reliable in male subjects. The poorest results were obtained according to the P-P reference distance. For profile assessment, the T-Ex reference distance was reliable for Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in both sexes. For frontal assessment, Ex-Ex and En-En reference distances were reliable for Ch-Ch in male subjects.

Gender differences in undergraduate medicine in Galway: a tale of two curricula.

PubMed

McVeigh, T P; Dunne, F P

2014-03-01

Medical teaching in the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) has undergone a shift from subject- to system-based learning. Our aims were to examine differences between genders in academic performance in medicine across two different curricula. Results of each student graduating between 2007 and 2012 for each subject undertaken over the medical degree were obtained from the Medical School. Data were collected with respect to gender, nationality and mode of entry, and analysis completed using SPSS. The cohort included 360 females and 249 males. 396 students read from a subject-based curriculum and 213 a system-based course. Females outperformed males in 19/24 (79 %) subjects in the subject-based curriculum, and in 9/38 (24 %) in the system-based course. Males were more likely to fail and less likely to achieve an honours degree. Multivariate analysis showed nationality and gender to be significant predictive factors. Females outperformed males overall. Differences were most pronounced in a subject-based curriculum. Nationality and gender were found to be significant factors in determining overall results.

University Programme Preferences of High School Science Students in Singapore and Reasons that Matter in their Preferences: A Rasch analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oon, Pey-Tee; Subramaniam, R.

2015-01-01

This study explored an under-researched area in science education-the university programmes preferred by high school students who take physical science subjects and the reasons that matter in their preferences. A total of 1,071 upper secondary and pre-university students in Singapore, who take physical science subjects among their range of subjects, participated in this study. A survey method was adopted and the Rasch model was used to analyse the data. Overall, Business Studies was ranked as the predominant choice; nonetheless, scientific programmes such as Science, Engineering, and Mathematics are generally still well liked by the students. When gender differences were examined, we found that students largely followed gender-typical programme preferences, in which males tend to incline towards Engineering while females tend to incline towards Arts and Social Sciences. Students prefer a university programme based on their individual interest and ability, with career aspiration and remuneration coming next. Interestingly, females place greater emphasis on career aspiration than males. Some implications of the study are discussed.

Hydrostatic weighing without head submersion: description of a method.

PubMed

Donnelly, J E; Brown, T E; Israel, R G; Smith-Sintek, S; O'Brien, K F; Caslavka, B

1988-02-01

Hydrostatic weighing (HW) was performed at residual volume (RV) and total lung capacity without head submersion (TLCNS). Ninety-five males (25.6 +/- 4.9 yr) and 87 females (22.6 +/- 5.2 yr) were studied at two laboratory sites using identical protocols. Twenty males and 20 females were separated from the original group and randomly assigned to cross-validation groups. RVs were determined by the oxygen dilution method. Vital capacity was determined with the subject submerged in water to the shoulders. Underwater weight was determined using 10 trials at RV and 5 trials at TLCNS, with the order of methods randomly assigned. Regression analysis provided an equation to predict body density (pDb) at RV from body density (Db) at TLCNS. The equation for males was pDb (HW at RV) = 0.5829 (DbHW at TLCNS) + 0.4059, r = 0.88, SEE = 0.0067. The equation for females was pDb (HW at RV) = 0.4745 (DbHW at TLCNS) + 0.5173, r = 0.85, SEE = 0.0061. Cross-validation showed no significant differences using Db from HW at RV (males = 1.0626 g.ml-1, females = 1.0493 g.ml-1 and pDb from HW at TLCNS (males = 1.0625 g.ml-1, females = 1.0479 g.ml-1). The correlation coefficient SEE and total error for males were r = 0.95, 0.0043, and 0.0041, respectively and for females r = 0.82, 0.0084, and 0.0085, respectively. Mean percent fat for RV and TLCNS was identical for males and differed by 0.7% for females. Test-re-test data indicated the TLCNS procedure was reliable (r = 0.98).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cardiovascular responses of men and women to lower body negative pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, L. D.; Kirk, P. J.; Payne, P. A.; Gerber, R. L.; Newton, S. D.; Williams, B. A.

1977-01-01

Changes in blood flow and blood redistribution were measured by impedance plethysmography in the pelvic and leg regions of six male and four female subjects during three 5-min exposures to -20, -40, and -60 mm Hg lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Female subjects demonstrated significantly higher mean heart rate and lower leg blood flow indices than the male subjects during the recumbent control periods. Men had slightly higher mean resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures and higher mean control pelvic blood indices. Women demonstrated significantly less blood pooling in the legs and slightly less in the pelvic region than the men. All of the 18 tests with male subjects at -60 mm Hg were completed without initial signs of syncope, while only two of the tests with women were completed successfully without the subject exhibiting presyncopal conditions. Results indicate that impedance plethysmography can be used to measure segmental cardiovascular responses during LBNP and that females may be less tolerant to -60 mm Hg LBNP than males.

Family Functioning, Identity Formation, and the Ability of Conflict Resolution among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiani, Behnaz; Hojatkhah, Seyed Mohsen; Torabi-Nami, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Family is perhaps the most influential system in individuals' life in which various behaviors are learnt. Family functioning refers to the ability of family to meet its responsibilities. The present correlation study used a multi-stage cluster sampling method to recruit 686 subjects including 338 males and 348 females from all high school students…

Athletes' Perception of Coaches' Behavior and Skills about Their Sport

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Üzüm, Hanifi

2018-01-01

This study examined the perception of athletes' about their coaches' behavior and skills in terms of knowledge and skills, fairness and coaches' characteristic features. The research was conducted by using relational survey method. The subjects of the study were 95 females and 180 males from different sports. Both team sports athletes such as…

The Relationship between Elementary School Principals' Transformational Leadership and Spiritual Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehdinezhad, Vali; Nouri, Fatemeh

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between transformational leadership and spiritual well-being among elementary school principals. A correlational research or ex post facto method was used in this study. The sample population comprised 141 subjects, of which 69 were male and 72 were female. Bass and Avolio's Transformational…

Developmental Sexual Dimorphism of the Oral and Pharyngeal Portions of the Vocal Tract: An Imaging Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorperian, Houri K.; Wang, Shubing; Schimek, E. Michael; Durtschi, Reid B.; Kent, Ray D.; Gentry, Lindell R.; Chung, Moo K.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The anatomic origin for prepubertal vowel acoustic differences between male and female subjects remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine developmental sex differences in vocal tract (VT) length and its oral and pharyngeal portions. Method: Nine VT variables were measured from 605 imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging…

Gender differences in algebraic thinking ability to solve mathematics problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusumaningsih, W.; Darhim; Herman, T.; Turmudi

2018-05-01

This study aimed to conduct a gender study on students' algebraic thinking ability in solving a mathematics problem, polyhedron concept, for grade VIII. This research used a qualitative method. The data was collected using: test and interview methods. The subjects in this study were eight male and female students with different level of abilities. It was found that the algebraic thinking skills of male students reached high group of five categories. They were superior in terms of reasoning and quick understanding in solving problems. Algebraic thinking ability of high-achieving group of female students also met five categories of algebraic thinking indicators. They were more diligent, tenacious and thorough in solving problems. Algebraic thinking ability of male students in medium category only satisfied three categories of algebraic thinking indicators. They were sufficient in terms of reasoning and understanding in solving problems. Algebraic thinking ability group of female students in medium group also satisfied three categories of algebraic thinking indicators. They were fairly diligent, tenacious and meticulous on working on the problems.

Efficacy of Sex Determination from Human Dental Pulp Tissue and its Reliability as a Tool in Forensic Dentistry

PubMed Central

Khanna, Kaveri Surya

2015-01-01

Background: Sex determination is one of the primary steps in forensics. Barr body can be used as a histological method for identification of sex as it is found to be specific to female somatic cells and rare in male cells. To demarcate human dental pulp as an important identification tool of sex in forensic odontology (FO) and to evaluate the time period till which sex can be determined from pulp tissue using three stains H and E, Feulgen, and acridine - orange under fluorescence so as. Materials and Methods: 90 pulp samples (45 males and 45 females) were subjected to Barr body analysis for determination of sex using light and fluorescent microscopy. Results: Barr body was found to be positive for female samples and negative or rare in the male sample (<3%). Conclusion: Barr body from human dental pulp tissue can be used as a successful determinant of sex identification in FO. PMID:26668474

Sex determination from the frontal bone: a geometric morphometric study.

PubMed

Perlaza, Néstor A

2014-09-01

Sex estimation in human skeletal remains when using the cranium through traditional methods is a fundamental pillar in human identification; however, it may be possible to incur in a margin of error due because of the state of preservation in incomplete or fragmented remains. The aim of this investigation was sex estimation through the geometric morphometric analysis of the frontal bone. The sample employed 60 lateral radiographs of adult subjects of both sexes (30 males and 30 females), aged between 18 and 40 years, with mean age for males of 28 ± 4 and 30 ± 6 years for females. Thin-plate splines evidenced strong expansion of the glabellar region in males and contraction in females. No significant differences were found between sexes with respect to size. The findings suggest differences in shape and size in the glabellar region, besides reaffirming the use of geometric morphometrics as a quantitative method in sex estimation. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Biomechanics of volunteers subject to loading by a motorized shoulder belt tensioner.

PubMed

Good, Craig A; Viano, David C; Ronsky, Janet L

2008-04-15

A biomechanical study using human volunteers. Motorized shoulder belt tensioning is a new seatbelt technology that is likely to be incorporated into future vehicles. The objective of this study was to characterize the upper torso biomechanics of 3 sizes of adult volunteers (5th percentile female, 50th percentile male, and 95th percentile male) subjected to motorized shoulder belt tensioning in the static environment. There is a lack of volunteer data concerning the biomechanics of occupants subject to motorized precrash shoulder belt tensioning. Studies of torso repositioning by the air force for ejection seats are much too aggressive to be relevant to motorized systems. Low-level motorized shoulder belt tensioning is well tolerated by vehicle occupants but optimized performance by occupant size is unknown. Nineteen male and 6 female subjects were instrumented in a fixture designed to support the occupant leaning forward and apply seatbelt tension. The subjects were 5th percentile females, 50th percentile males, and 95th percentile males. Reflective markers were placed on the subjects to monitor torso kinematics during tensioning. Changes in spinal curvature were small during shoulder belt tensioning and the angular motion of the torso originated within 4.2 cm of the pelvis-femur junction or H-point. Torso repositioning and retraction timing was found to be: 54.3 degrees in 0.78 seconds for the 5th percentile female, 57.6 degrees in 0.95 seconds for the 50th percentile male, and 42.2 degrees in 0.92 seconds for the 95th percentile male. Occupant size has a significant effect on retraction time to reposition the torso during shoulder belt tensioning. Larger vehicle occupants require more time because of a slower retraction velocity. The results are sufficiently simple that a lumped-mass model can predict tensioning kinetics.

Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives

PubMed Central

Teixeira, Renata Roland; Díaz, Miguel Mauricio; Santos, Tatiane Vanessa da Silva; Bernardes, Jean Tofoles Martins; Peixoto, Leonardo Gomes; Bocanegra, Olga Lucia; Neto, Morun Bernardino; Espindola, Foued Salmen

2015-01-01

The present study examined the incidence of chronic stress in business executives (109 subjects: 75 male and 34 female) and its relationship with cortisol levels, cognitive performance, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity after an acute mental stressor. Blood samples were collected from the subjects to measure cortisol concentration. After the sample collection, the subjects completed the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults and the Stroop Color-Word Test to evaluate stress and cognitive performance levels, respectively. Saliva samples were collected prior to, immediately after, and five minutes after the test. The results revealed that 90.1% of the stressed subjects experienced stress phases that are considered chronic stress. At rest, the subjects with chronic stress showed higher cortisol levels, and no gender differences were observed. No differences were found between the stressed and non-stressed subjects regarding salivary amylase activity prior to test. Chronic stress also impaired performance on the Stroop test, which revealed higher rates of error and longer reaction times in the incongruent stimulus task independently of gender. For the congruent stimulus task of the Stroop test, the stressed males presented a higher rate of errors than the non-stressed males and a longer reaction time than the stressed females. After the acute mental stressor, the non-stressed male group showed an increase in salivary alpha-amylase activity, which returned to the initial values five minutes after the test; this ANS reactivity was not observed in the chronically stressed male subjects. The ANS responses of the non-stressed vs stressed female groups were not different prior to or after the Stroop test. This study is the first to demonstrate a blunted reactivity of the ANS when male subjects with chronic psychological stress were subjected to an acute mental stressor, and this change could contribute to impairments in cognitive performance. PMID:25807003

Chronic stress induces a hyporeactivity of the autonomic nervous system in response to acute mental stressor and impairs cognitive performance in business executives.

PubMed

Teixeira, Renata Roland; Díaz, Miguel Mauricio; Santos, Tatiane Vanessa da Silva; Bernardes, Jean Tofoles Martins; Peixoto, Leonardo Gomes; Bocanegra, Olga Lucia; Neto, Morun Bernardino; Espindola, Foued Salmen

2015-01-01

The present study examined the incidence of chronic stress in business executives (109 subjects: 75 male and 34 female) and its relationship with cortisol levels, cognitive performance, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity after an acute mental stressor. Blood samples were collected from the subjects to measure cortisol concentration. After the sample collection, the subjects completed the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults and the Stroop Color-Word Test to evaluate stress and cognitive performance levels, respectively. Saliva samples were collected prior to, immediately after, and five minutes after the test. The results revealed that 90.1% of the stressed subjects experienced stress phases that are considered chronic stress. At rest, the subjects with chronic stress showed higher cortisol levels, and no gender differences were observed. No differences were found between the stressed and non-stressed subjects regarding salivary amylase activity prior to test. Chronic stress also impaired performance on the Stroop test, which revealed higher rates of error and longer reaction times in the incongruent stimulus task independently of gender. For the congruent stimulus task of the Stroop test, the stressed males presented a higher rate of errors than the non-stressed males and a longer reaction time than the stressed females. After the acute mental stressor, the non-stressed male group showed an increase in salivary alpha-amylase activity, which returned to the initial values five minutes after the test; this ANS reactivity was not observed in the chronically stressed male subjects. The ANS responses of the non-stressed vs stressed female groups were not different prior to or after the Stroop test. This study is the first to demonstrate a blunted reactivity of the ANS when male subjects with chronic psychological stress were subjected to an acute mental stressor, and this change could contribute to impairments in cognitive performance.

Digital radiographic evaluation of mandibular third molar for age estimation in young adults and adolescents of South Indian population using modified Demirjian's method.

PubMed

Mohammed, Rezwana Begum; Koganti, Ravichandra; Kalyan, Siva V; Tircouveluri, Saritha; Singh, Johar Rajvinder; Srinivasulu, Enganti

2014-09-01

In recent years, it has become increasingly important to determine the age of living people for a variety of reasons, including identifying criminal and legal responsibility and for many other social events such as birth certificate, marriage, beginning a job, joining the army and retirement. The aim of this study was to assess the developmental stages of mandibular third molar for estimation of dental age (DA) in different age groups and to evaluate the possible correlation between DA and chronological age (CA) in South Indian population. Digital orthopantomography of 330 subjects (165 males, 165 females) who fit the study and the criteria were obtained. Assessment of mandibular third molar development was performed using Demirjian et al., modified method and DA was assessed using tooth specific stages. The present study showed a significant correlation between DA and CA in both males and females. Third molar development commenced around 9 years and root completion takes place around 18.9 years in males and in females 9 years and 18.6 years respectively. Demirjian modified method underestimated the mean age of males by 0.8 years and females by 0.5 years and also showed that females mature earlier than males in selected population. Digital radiographic assessment of mandibular third molar development can be used to generate mean DA using Demirjian modified method and also the estimated age range for an individual of unknown CA. Since the Demirjian method is based on French-Canadian population, to enhance the accuracy of forensic age estimates based on third molar development, the use of population-specific standards is recommended.

Comparative Ergonomic Evaluation of Spacesuit and Space Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, Scott; Cowley, Matthew; Benson, Elizabeth; Harvill, Lauren; Blackledge, Christopher; Perez, Esau; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2012-01-01

With the advent of the latest human spaceflight objectives, a series of prototype architectures for a new launch and reentry spacesuit that would be suited to the new mission goals. Four prototype suits were evaluated to compare their performance and enable the selection of the preferred suit components and designs. A consolidated approach to testing was taken: concurrently collecting suit mobility data, seat-suit-vehicle interface clearances, and qualitative assessments of suit performance within the volume of a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle mockup. It was necessary to maintain high fidelity in a mockup and use advanced motion-capture technologies in order to achieve the objectives of the study. These seemingly mutually exclusive goals were accommodated with the construction of an optically transparent and fully adjustable frame mockup. The construction of the mockup was such that it could be dimensionally validated rapidly with the motioncapture system. This paper describes the method used to create a space vehicle mockup compatible with use of an optical motion-capture system, the consolidated approach for evaluating spacesuits in action, and a way to use the complex data set resulting from a limited number of test subjects to generate hardware requirements for an entire population. Kinematics, hardware clearance, anthropometry (suited and unsuited), and subjective feedback data were recorded on 15 unsuited and 5 suited subjects. Unsuited subjects were selected chiefly based on their anthropometry in an attempt to find subjects who fell within predefined criteria for medium male, large male, and small female subjects. The suited subjects were selected as a subset of the unsuited medium male subjects and were tested in both unpressurized and pressurized conditions. The prototype spacesuits were each fabricated in a single size to accommodate an approximately average-sized male, so select findings from the suit testing were systematically extrapolated to the extremes of the population to anticipate likely problem areas. This extrapolation was achieved by first comparing suited subjects performance with their unsuited performance, and then applying the results to the entire range of the population. The use of a transparent space vehicle mockup enabled the collection of large amounts of data during human-in-the-loop testing. Mobility data revealed that most of the tested spacesuits had sufficient ranges of motion for the selected tasks to be performed successfully. A suited subject's inability to perform a task most often stemmed from a combination of poor field of view in a seated position, poor dexterity of the pressurized gloves, or from suit/vehicle interface issues. Seat ingress and egress testing showed that problems with anthropometric accommodation did not exclusively occur with the largest or smallest subjects, but also with specific combinations of measurements that led to narrower seat ingress/egress clearance.

Sex Differences in Lopinavir (LPV) and Ritonavir (RTV) Pharmacokinetics (PKs) Among HIV-infected Females and Males

PubMed Central

Umeh, OC; Currier, JS; Park, JG; Cramer, Y; Hermes, AE; Fletcher, CV

2012-01-01

Objectives We compared the pharmacokinetics of lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) between female and males. Methods This two-step, multicenter, pharmacokinetic study enrolled HIV-infected adults on lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) capsules (400/100mg BID) plus 1 or more NRTIs. All subjects underwent 12 hour pharmacokinetic sampling. The PK sampling was repeated in subjects receiving the LPV/r tablet formulation. Results Step 1 enrolled 37 women and 40 men; step 2 included 42 subjects from step 1 plus 35 new participants (39 women and 38 men). LPV pharmacokinetics in females and males were not significantly different with either formulation. Females had significantly higher median RTV AUC0–12h with both the soft gel capsule and tablet formulations (SGC:5395 vs. 4119 ng*hr/ml, p=0.026; tablet 5310 vs. 3941 ng*hr/ml, p=0.012), higher median Cmax (SGC:802 vs. 635 ng/mL, p=0.032; tablet: 773 vs. 570 ng/ml, p=0.006)) and lower median CL/F (SGC:18.54 vs. 24.31 L/hour, p=0.026; tablet: 18.83 vs. 25.37 L/hour, p=0.012). RTV CL/F was slower in females after weight adjustment with both formulations. Conclusion The pharmacokinetics of LPV in the SGC and tablet formulations are comparable in HIV infected subjects. Females had higher RTV AUC0–12h and lower CL/F with both formulations. The mechanism of the sex difference in RTV CL/F warrants elucidation. PMID:21233301

New simple evaluation method of the monosyllable /sa/ using a psychoacoustic system in maxillectomy patients.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Nafees Uddin; Otomaru, Takafumi; Murase, Mai; Inohara, Ken; Hattori, Mariko; Sumita, Yuka I; Taniguchi, Hisashi

2011-01-01

An objective assessment of speech would benefit the prosthetic rehabilitation of maxillectomy patients. This study aimed to establish a simple, objective evaluation of monosyllable /sa/ utterances in maxillectomy patients by using a psychoacoustic system typically used in industry. This study comprised two experiments. Experiment 1 involved analysis of the psychoacoustic parameters (loudness, sharpness and roughness) in monosyllable /sa/ utterances by 18 healthy subjects (9 males, 9 females). The utterances were recorded in a sound-treated room. The coefficient of variation (CV) for each parameter was compared to identify the most suitable parameter for objective evaluation of speech. Experiment 2 involved analysis of /sa/ utterances by 18 maxillectomy patients (9 males, 9 females) with and without prosthesis, and comparisons of the psychoacoustic data between the healthy subjects and maxillectomy patients without prosthesis, between the maxillectomy patients with and without prosthesis, and between the healthy subjects and maxillectomy patients with prosthesis. The CV for sharpness was the lowest among the three psychoacoustic parameters in both the healthy males and females. There were significant differences in the sharpness of /sa/ between the healthy subjects and the maxillectomy patients without prosthesis (but not with prosthesis), and between the maxillectomy patients with and without prosthesis. We found that the psychoacoustic parameters typically adopted in industrial research could also be applied to evaluate the psychoacoustics of the monosyllable /sa/ utterance, and distinguished the monosyllable /sa/ in maxillectomy patients with an obturator from that without an obturator using the system. Copyright © 2010 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary function and symptoms in workers exposed to wood dust.

PubMed Central

Shamssain, M H

1992-01-01

BACKGROUND: Exposure to wood dust can cause a variety of lung problems, including chronic airflow obstruction. METHODS: Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory ratio (FEV1/FVC x 100), forced expiratory flow (FEF), forced mid expiratory flow (FMF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm, breathlessness, wheezing, and nasal symptoms) were recorded in 145 non-smoking workers (77 male, 68 female) exposed to wood dust in a furniture factory in Umtata, Republic of Transkei, and 152 non-smoking control subjects (77 male, 75 female) from a bottling factory with a clean environment. RESULTS: After adjustment for age and standing height the forced expiratory indices were significantly lower in the exposed male workers than in the control subjects. FEF and PEF in the exposed men were 81.3% and 89.4% of predicted values and were lower than other indices. FVC in exposed men showed a significant inverse correlation with exposure (expressed in number of years of employment). The FVC was reduced by 26 ml per year of employment. The proportion of men with an FEV1/FVC below 70 was higher in exposed workers than in control subjects and higher in the exposed workers with more years of employment. The exposed workers had more respiratory symptoms than the control subjects, the prevalence, especially of cough and nasal symptoms, increasing with the increase in the number of years of employment. CONCLUSION: Workers exposed to pine and fibre dust have more respiratory symptoms and a greater risk of airflow obstruction. PMID:1549828

Assessment of genotoxic exposure in Swedish coke-oven work by different methods of biological monitoring.

PubMed

Reuterwall, C; Aringer, L; Elinder, C G; Rannug, A; Levin, J O; Juringe, L; Onfelt, A

1991-04-01

This study evaluated the results of several biological methods used simultaneously to monitor coke-oven work. Blood samples from 44 male coke-oven workers and 48 male referents, matched for age and smoking/snuff consumption, were examined for cytogenetic damage in lymphocytes. Urinary thioether excretion was determined for 62, and urine mutagenicity for 31, of the subjects, who followed a standardized diet during the urine sampling. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons varied with work task, the ambient air levels of benzo[a]pyrene sometimes exceeding 5 micrograms/m3. Cytogenetic damage, urine mutagenicity, and thioether excretion did not differ between the groups. The smokers, however, had significantly higher sister chromatid exchange frequencies, urine mutagenicity, and thioether excretion than the nonsmokers. The absence of biological indications of genotoxic exposure was unexpected and indicates that the studied methods are not adequate to assess the carcinogenic risks of Swedish coke-oven workers.

Calculations of B1 Distribution, Specific Energy Absorption Rate, and Intrinsic Signal-to-Noise Ratio for a Body-Size Birdcage Coil Loaded with Different Human Subjects at 64 and 128 MHz.

PubMed

Liu, W; Collins, C M; Smith, M B

2005-03-01

A numerical model of a female body is developed to study the effects of different body types with different coil drive methods on radio-frequency magnetic ( B 1 ) field distribution, specific energy absorption rate (SAR), and intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio (ISNR) for a body-size birdcage coil at 64 and 128 MHz. The coil is loaded with either a larger, more muscular male body model (subject 1) or a newly developed female body model (subject 2), and driven with two-port (quadrature), four-port, or many (ideal) sources. Loading the coil with subject 1 results in significantly less homogeneous B 1 field, higher SAR, and lower ISNR than those for subject 2 at both frequencies. This dependence of MR performance and safety measures on body type indicates a need for a variety of numerical models representative of a diverse population for future calculations. The different drive methods result in similar B 1 field patterns, SAR, and ISNR in all cases.

Quantitative EEG findings associated with chronic stimulant and cannabis abuse and ADHD in an adult male substance use disorder population.

PubMed

Trudeau, D L; Thuras, P; Stockley, H

1999-10-01

QEEG was studied in a population of chronic male PSUD/ADHD (psychoactive substance use disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) subjects vs. a matched sample of non-ADHD subjects with PSUD. Our first interest in conducting this study was to determine if the Thatcher University of Maryland database and complex demodulation method could replicate the specific QEEG findings reported for cocaine and cannabis using the John-NYU database and Fourier Transform method. The effects of cannabis and stimulants were also studied both separately and together to see if there were interactions and to see if the QEEG changes associated with chronic stimulant dependence were predicted by childhood ADHD status. Eyes-closed QEEGs were obtained and two independent artifacted 60 second samples were compared for reliability. The Thatcher database was used to analyze QEEG data from 56 subjects with mixed substance use disorder. Results showed that the Thatcher database replicates the John database for chronic stimulant dependence findings. Because of confounding variables of alcohol and polysubstance abuse, the findings related to cannabis and stimulant interaction were difficult to assess. Cannabis and stimulant dependence together produced more QEEG changes than either alone. More right temporal abnormalities were observed with stimulant dependence. In the absence of stimulant use, the QEEG effects of cannabis were relatively small; however, sample selection and methods used precluded comparison to previous studies. The persistent QEEG abnormalities associated with chronic stimulant dependence were independent of ADHD status in this sample using the methods of this study. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship of stimulant dependence with QEEG changes and ADHD status, and to clarify the interactions of chronic stimulant and cannabis abuse on QEEG.

Gender differences in brain regional homogeneity of healthy subjects after normal sleep and after sleep deprivation: a resting-state fMRI study.

PubMed

Dai, Xi-Jian; Gong, Hong-Han; Wang, Yi-Xiang; Zhou, Fu-Qing; Min, You-Jiang; Zhao, Feng; Wang, Si-Yong; Liu, Bi-Xia; Xiao, Xiang-Zuo

2012-06-01

To explore the gender differences of brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) in healthy subjects during the resting-state, after normal sleep, and after sleep deprivation (SD) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the ReHo method. Sixteen healthy subjects (eight males and eight females) each underwent the resting-state fMRI exams twice, i.e., once after normal sleep and again after 24h's SD. According to the gender and sleep, 16 subjects were all measured twice and divided into four groups: the male control group (MC), female control group (FC), male SD group (MSD), and female SD group (FSD). The ReHo method was used to calculate and analyze the data, SPM5 software was used to perform a two-sample T-test and a two-pair T-test with a P value <0.001, and cluster volume ≥ 270 mm(3) was used to determine statistical significance. Compared with the MC, the MSD showed significantly higher ReHo in the right paracentral lobule (BA3/6), but in no obviously lower regions. Compared with the FC, the FSD showed significantly higher ReHo in bilateral parietal lobes (BA2/3), bilateral vision-related regions of occipital lobes (BA17/18/19), right frontal lobe (BA4/6), and lower ReHo in the right frontal lobe. Compared with the FC, the MC showed significantly higher ReHo in the left occipital lobe (BA18/19), and left temporal lobe (BA21), left frontal lobe, and lower ReHo in the right insula and in the left parietal lobe. Compared with the FSD, the MSD showed significantly higher ReHo in the left cerebellum posterior lobe (uvula/declive of vermis), left parietal lobe, and bilateral frontal lobes, and lower ReHo in the right occipital lobe (BA17) and right frontal lobe (BA4). The differences of brain activity in the resting state can be widely found not only between the control and SD group in a same gender group, but also between the male group and female group. Thus, we should take the gender differences into consideration in future fMRI studies, especially the treatment of brain-related diseases (e.g., depression). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sex determination from calcification of costal cartilages in a Scottish sample.

PubMed

Middleham, Helen P; Boyd, Laura E; Mcdonald, Stuart W

2015-10-01

The pelvic bones and skull are not always available when human remains are discovered in a forensic setting. This study investigates the suitability to a Scottish sample of existing methods of sexing based on calcification patterns in the costal cartilages. Radiographs of chest plates of 41 cadavers, 22 male and 19 female aged 57-96 years were analyzed for their calcification patterns according to the methods of McCormick et al. (1985, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:173-195) and Rejtarova et al. (2004, Biomed. Pap. Med. Fac. Univ. Palacky. Olomouc. Czech. Repub. 148:241-243). With the method of Rejtarova et al. (2004, Biomed. Pap. Med. Fac. Univ. Palacky. Olomouc. Czech. Repub. 148:241-243) none of the male specimens was sexed correctly. Of the chest plates that were suitable for sexing, the method of McCormick et al. (1985, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:173-195) correctly sexed 82.4% of the female specimens but only 41.2% of the males. To improve the reliability, we suggest a new method of sex determination based on whether the calcified deposits in the second to seventh costal cartilages are predominantly trabecular bone or sclerotic calcified deposits. Specimens with minimal amounts or similar amounts of trabecular bone or sclerotic deposits in the costal cartilages are not appropriate for our method. When such specimens (10 specimens) were excluded, our method correctly sexed 16 of 17 (94%) males and 12 of 14 (86%) females. The authors acknowledge that their sample is small and that many of their subjects were elderly and that the method should be tested on a larger sample group before application in a forensic context. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Estimation of Correlation between Chronological Age, Skeletal Age and Dental Age in Children- A Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

Macha, Madhulika; Lamba, Bharti; Muthineni, Sridhar; Margana, Pratap Gowd Jai Shankar; Chitoori, Prasad

2017-01-01

Introduction In the modern era, identification and determination of age is imperative for diversity of reasons that include disputed birth records, premature delivery, legal issues and for validation of birth certificate for school admissions, adoption, marriage, job and immigration. Several growth assessment parameters like bone age, dental age and the combination of both have been applied for different population with variable outcomes. It has been well documented that the chronological age does not necessarily correlate with the maturational status of a child. Hence, efforts were made to determine a child’s developmental age by using dental age (calcification of teeth) and skeletal age (skeletal maturation). Aim The present study was aimed to correlate the chronological age, dental age and skeletal age in children from Southeastern region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods Out of the total 900 screened children, only 100 subjects between age groups of 6-14 years with a mean age of 11.3±2.63 for males and 10.77±2.24 for females were selected for the study. Dental age was calculated by Demirjian method and skeletal age by modified Middle Phalanx of left hand third finger (MP3) method. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation tests were done to estimate the correlation between chronological, dental and skeletal ages among study population. Results There was a significant positive correlation between chronological age, dental age and all stages of MP3 among males. Similar results were observed in females, except for a non-significant moderate correlation between chronological age and dental age in the H stage of the MP3 region. Conclusion The results of the present study revealed correlation with statistical significance (p<0.05) between chronological, dental and skeletal ages among all the subjects (48 males and 52 females) and females attained maturity earlier than males in the present study population. PMID:29207822

Factor Analysis of the Modified Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire-Male

PubMed Central

Wilmoth, Margaret C.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Ng, Lit Soo; Bruner, Debra W.

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose The Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) is used in National Cancer Institute–sponsored clinical trials as an outcome measure for sexual functioning. The tool was revised to meet the needs for a clinically useful, theory-based outcome measure for use in both research and clinical settings. This report describes the modifications and validity testing of the modified Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire-Male (mSAQ-Male). Methods This secondary analysis of data from a large Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trial employed principal axis factor analytic techniques in estimating validity of the revised tool. The sample size was 686; most subjects were White, older than the age 60 years, and with a high school education and a Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) score of greater than 90. Results A 16-item, 3-factor solution resulted from the factor analysis. The mSAQ-Male was also found to be sensitive to changes in physical sexual functioning as measured by the KPS. Conclusion The mSAQ-Male is a valid self-report measure of sexuality that can be used clinically to detect changes in male sexual functioning. PMID:25255676

Bioequivalence of generic lamotrigine 100-mg tablets in healthy Thai male volunteers: a randomized, single-dose, two-period, two-sequence crossover study.

PubMed

Srichaiya, Arunee; Longchoopol, Chaowanee; Oo-Puthinan, Sarawut; Sayasathid, Jarun; Sripalakit, Pattana; Viyoch, Jarupa

2008-10-01

Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug which has been used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. A search of the literature did not find previously published bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic evaluations of lamotrigine in healthy Thai male volunteers. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic parameters between 2 brands of lamotrigine in healthy Thai male volunteers. A randomized, single-dose, 2-period, 2-sequence, crossover study design with a 2-week washout period was conducted in healthy Thai males. Subjects were randomized to receive either the test or reference formulation in the first period. All subjects were required to be nonsmokers and without a history of alcohol or drug abuse. Plasma samples were collected over a 120-hour period after 100-mg lamotrigine administration in each period. A validated high-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet method was used to analyze lamotrigine concentration in plasma. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using a noncompartmental method. Bioequivalence between the test and reference products, as defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is determined when the ratio for the 90% CIs of the difference in the means of the log-transformed AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), and C(max) of the 2 products are within 0.80 and 1.25. Adverse events were determined by measuring vital signs after dosing. Subjects were also asked if they suffered from undesirable effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headache. This bioequivalence study was performed in 24 healthy Thai males (mean [SD] age, 20.5 [1.3] years; range, 19-24 years; weight, 62.5 [7.4] kg; height, 172.8 [6.9] cm; body mass index, 20.9 [2.0] kg/m(2)). The mean (SD) C(max) and T(max) of the test formulation of lamotrigine were 1.7 (0.3) microg/mL and 1.2 (0.9) hours, respectively. The mean (SD) C(max) and T(max) of the reference formulation of lamotrigine were 1.7 (0.3) microg/mL and 1.4 (1.0) hours, respectively. The mean (SD) AUC(0-t) was 67.1 (13.2) microg/mL x h(-1) for the test product and 66.4 (14.6) microg/mL x h(-1) for the reference product. The mean (SD) AUC(0-infinity) was 74.9 (18.3) microg/mL x h(-1) for the test product and 74.3 (20.5) microg/mL x h(-1) for the reference product. The mean (SD) t((1/2)) values were 35.0 (7.6) hours for the test product and 34.7 (7.6) hours for the reference product. The mean test/reference ratios for AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), and Cmax were 1.01, 1.01, and 1.05, respectively. The parametric 90% CIs for AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), and Cmax were 0.98 to 1.05, 0.98 to 1.06, and 0.98 to 1.13, respectively. Following administration, dizziness or headache was reported in 2 subjects in the test group and 1 subject in the reference group. The results of this study suggest that the test product was bioequivalent to the reference product in these healthy Thai male subjects, based on the US FDA's regulatory definition.

Effects of Personal Space Invasion and Anomia on Anxiety, Nonperson Orientation and Source Credibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heston, Judee K.

It is hypothesized that subjects who are highly anomic will demonstrate less anxiety and higher nonperson orientation than normal subjects will when personal space is invaded. Fifty-six pretested subjects classified as either anomic (14 males, 14 females) or normal (14 males, 14 females) were placed in one of two interview conditions: personal…

Association of the rs7395662 SNP in the MADD-FOLH1 and Several Environmental Factors with Serum Lipid Levels in the Mulao and Han Populations

PubMed Central

Huang, Ke-Ke; Yin, Rui-Xing; Zeng, Xiao-Na; Huang, Ping; Lin, Quan-Zhen; Wu, Jian; Guo, Tao; Wang, Wei; Yang, De-Zhai; Lin, Wei-Xiong

2013-01-01

Background: The rs7395662 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MADD-FOLH1 has been associated with serum lipid traits, but the results are inconsistent in different populations. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association of rs7395662 SNP and several environmental factors with serum lipid levels in the Guangxi Mulao and Han populations. Method: A total of 721 subjects of Mulao and 727 subjects of Han Chinese were randomly selected from our previous stratified randomized samples. Genotyping of the SNP was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism combined with gel electrophoresis, and confirmed by direct sequencing. Results: Serum apolipoprotein (Apo) B levels were higher in Mulao than in Han (P < 0.01). The allelic and genotypic frequencies in Han were different between males and females (P < 0.05 for each), but there was no difference between Mulao and Han or between Mulao males and females. The levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and ApoB in Mulao females were different among the genotypes (P < 0.05), the G allele carriers had higher LDL-C and ApoB levels than the G allele non-carriers. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), LDL-C and ApoB in Han males and TC, TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in Han females were different among the genotypes (P < 0.05-0.01), the subjects with GG genotype in Han males had higher TC, TG, and ApoB and lower LDL-C levels than the subjects with AA or AG genotype, and the G allele carriers in Han females had lower TC and HDL-C levels than the G allele non-carriers. The levels of LDL-C and ApoB in Mulao females were correlated with the genotypes (P < 0.05 for each). The levels of HDL-C and ApoAI in Han males and HDL-C in Han females were correlated with genotypes (P < 0.05-0.001). Serum lipid parameters were also correlated with several environmental factors in both ethnic groups (P < 0.05-0.01). Conclusion: The association of rs7395662 SNP and serum lipid levels is different between the Mulao and Han populations, and between males and females in both ethnic groups. PMID:24046529

The effect of recovery time on strength performance following a high-intensity bench press workout in males and females.

PubMed

Judge, Lawrence W; Burke, Jeanmarie R

2010-06-01

To determine the effects of training sessions, involving high-resistance, low-repetition bench press exercise, on strength recovery patterns, as a function of gender and training background. The subjects were 12 athletes (6 males and 6 females) and age-matched college students of both genders (4 males and 4 females). The subjects completed a 3-wk resistance training program involving a bench press exercise, 3 d/wk, to become familiar with the testing procedure. After the completion of the resistance training program, the subjects, on three consecutive weeks, participated in two testing sessions per week, baseline session and recovery session. During the testing sessions, subjects performed five sets of the bench press exercise at 50% to 100% of perceived five repetition maximum (5-RM). Following the weekly baseline sessions, subjects rested during a 4-, 24-, or 48-h recovery period. Strength measurements were estimates of one repetition maximum (1-RM), using equivalent percentages for the number of repetitions completed by the subject at the perceived 5-RM effort of the bench press exercise. The full-factorial ANOVA model revealed a Gender by Recovery Period by Testing Session interaction effect, F(2, 32) = 10.65; P < .05. Among male subjects, decreases in estimated 1-RM were detected at the 4- and 24-h recovery times. There were no differences in muscle strength among the female subjects, regardless of recovery time. For bench press exercises, using different recovery times of 48 h for males and 4 h for females may optimize strength development as a function of gender.

Comparison of the applicability of Demirjian and Willems methods for dental age estimation in children from the Thrace region, Turkey.

PubMed

Ozveren, N; Serindere, G

2018-04-01

Dental age (DA) estimation is frequently used in the fields of orthodontics, paediatric dentistry and forensic science. DA estimation methods use radiology, and are reliable and non-destructive according to the literature. The Demirjian method is currently the most frequently used method, but recently, the Willems method was reported to have given results that were more accurate for some regions. The aim of this study was to detect and compare the accuracy of DA estimation methods for children and adolescents from the Thrace region, Turkey. The mean difference between the chronological age (CA) and the DA was selected as the primary outcome measure, and the difference range according to sex and age group was selected as the secondary outcome. Panoramic radiographs (n=766) from a Thrace region population (380 males and 386 females) ranging in age from 6 to 14.99 years old were evaluated. DA was calculated using both the Demirjian and the Willems methods. The mean CA of the subjects was 11.39±2.34 years (males=11.08±2.42 years and females=11.70±2.23 years). The mean difference values between the CA and the DA (CA-DA) using the Demirjian method and the Willems method were -0.87 and -0.17 for females, respectively, and -1.04 and -0.40 for males, respectively. For the different age groups, the differences between the CA and the DA calculated using the Demirjian method (CA-DA) ranged from -0.53 to -1.46 years for males and from -0.19 to -1.20 years for females, while the mean differences between the CA and the DA calculated by the Willems method (CA-DA) ranged from -0.19 to -0.50 years for males and from 0.20 to -0.49 years for females. The results suggest that the Willems method produced more accurate results for almost all age groups of both sexes, and it is better suited for children from the Thrace region of Turkey, than the Demirjian method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The promoter of an A9 homolog from the conifer Cryptomeria japonica imparts male strobilus-dominant expression in transgenic trees.

PubMed

Kurita, Manabu; Konagaya, Ken-ichi; Watanabe, Atsushi; Kondo, Teiji; Ishii, Katsuaki; Taniguchi, Toru

2013-02-01

KEY MESSAGE : GUS analysis in Cryptomeria japonica revealed that the CjMALE1 promoter is activated in the male strobilus of C. japonica. Toward the development of male sterile technology for Cryptomeria japonica, a male strobilus-dominant promoter of C. japonica was isolated. The CjMALE1 gene was isolated from a male strobilus-specific suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library, and the promoter was isolated by the TAIL-PCR method. To characterize the CjMALE1 promoter, β-glucuronidase (GUS)-fused genes were constructed and introduced into C. japonica using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. GUS expression from CjMALE1-2.5 K (2,718 bp fragment)::GUS C. japonica and CjMALE1-1 K (1,029 bp fragment)::GUS C. japonica was detected in the tapetum and microspore mother cells. These promoter fragments were comparably active in the pre-meiotic stage of the male strobilus of C. japonica. Our analysis showed that the 1,029 bp promoter had all the cis-elements necessary for male strobilus-dominant expression of CjMALE1. When CjMALE1-1 K::GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis, GUS expression was detected in the same spatiotemporal pattern as in C. japonica. These results suggest that the CjMALE1 promoter is subject to transcriptional regulatory systems consisting of cis- and trans-elements that have been highly conserved during evolution.

A comparative study of the effects of trunk exercise program in aquatic and land-based therapy on gait in hemiplegic stroke patients.

PubMed

Park, Byoung-Sun; Noh, Ji-Woong; Kim, Mee-Young; Lee, Lim-Kyu; Yang, Seung-Min; Lee, Won-Deok; Shin, Yong-Sub; Kim, Ju-Hyun; Lee, Jeong-Uk; Kwak, Taek-Yong; Lee, Tae-Hyun; Park, Jaehong; Kim, Junghwan

2016-06-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program on gait in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 28 hemiplegic stroke patients (20 males, 8 females). The subjects performed a trunk exercise program for a total of four weeks. [Results] Walking speed and cycle, stance phase and stride length of the affected side, and the symmetry index of the stance phase significantly improved after the aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program. [Conclusion] These results suggest that the aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program may help improve gait performance ability after stroke.

Event-related potentials for gender discrimination: an examination between differences in gender discrimination between males and females.

PubMed

Suyama, Natsuka; Hoshiyama, Minoru; Shimizu, Hideki; Saito, Hirofumi

2008-09-01

The event-related potentials (ERP) following presentation of male and female faces were investigated to study differences in the gender discrimination process. Visual stimuli from four categories including male and female faces were presented. For the male subjects, the P220 amplitude of the T5 area following viewing of a female face was significantly larger than that following viewing of a male face. On the other hand for female subjects, the P170 amplitude of the Cz area following observation of a male face was larger than that for a female face. The results indicate that the neural processes, including responsive brain areas used for gender discrimination by observing faces, are different between males and females.

Student’s rigorous mathematical thinking based on cognitive style

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriyani, H.; Khasanah, U.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the rigorous mathematical thinking (RMT) of mathematics education students in solving math problems in terms of reflective and impulsive cognitive styles. The research used descriptive qualitative approach. Subjects in this research were 4 students of the reflective and impulsive cognitive style which was each consisting male and female subjects. Data collection techniques used problem-solving test and interview. Analysis of research data used Miles and Huberman model that was reduction of data, presentation of data, and conclusion. The results showed that impulsive male subjects used three levels of the cognitive function required for RMT that were qualitative thinking, quantitative thinking with precision, and relational thinking completely while the other three subjects were only able to use cognitive function at qualitative thinking level of RMT. Therefore the subject of impulsive male has a better RMT ability than the other three research subjects.

Total energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate and physical activity level in free-living rural elderly men and women from Cuba, Chile and México.

PubMed

Alemán-Mateo, H; Salazar, G; Hernández-Triana, M; Valencia, M E

2006-11-01

The objective of this study was to assess total energy expenditure (TEE), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and physical activity level (PAL), and to estimate energy requirements (ERs) in free-living elderly subjects from Cuba, Chile and Mexico. Cross-sectional study designed to estimate ERs. Rural regions of Cuba, Chile and Mexico. Forty subjects >60 years old were selected to participate in this study. A dose of doubly labeled water (DLW) was administered and urine samples were collected in the following 12-14 days. From the isotopic analysis, TEE was derived. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry. TEE in Chilean (8.8+/-1.6 MJ/day) and Cuban (8.3+/-1.3 MJ/day) elderly was not different, and was higher for the Mexican group (9.5+/-1.5 MJ/day) (P < 0.0001). RMR was not different between countries. PAL and activity energy expenditure (AEE) were only different between Chile and Mexico (P < 0.002). For the three regions, overall PALs were 1.70+/-0.16 for male and 1.62+/-0.13 for female subjects (P < 0.02), and AEE was 3.05+/-0.66 and 2.27+/-0.66 MJ/day for male and female subjects, respectively (P < 0.001). Predictive equations (MJ/day) were RMR = 1.6447 + 0.05714 x weight (kg) + 0.449 sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.479) and TEE = 3.414 + 0.0795 x weight (kg) + 1.227 x sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.668). There were differences in TEE and PAL owing to sex and region. The average PAL in men was higher than the PAL reported either with factorial approach or with the DLW method in elderly. Predictive ER equations based on RMR and TEE gave very similar results to calculations from the 2004 FAO/WHO/UNU report.

SIDE TO SIDE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOMINANT AND NON-DOMINANT ARM’S BONE DENSITY AND ISOMETRIC HANDGRIP STRENGTH IN MALES AND FEMALES AGED 40-65 YEARS OLD

PubMed Central

Krasniqi, Ermira; Koni, Mynyr; Kabashi, Antigona; Bahtiri, Abedin; Gjeli, Selda; Boshnjaku, Arben

2016-01-01

Objective: This observational, cross-sectional study, investigates and compares the differences of BMD, T-score, Z-score and isometric strength between dominant (D) versus non-dominant (ND) arms of 162 subjects aged 40-65 in a developing, low income country (Kosova). Material and Methods: Bone Mineral Density (BMD), T-score and Z-score at distal forearm regions of both arms (measured by DXA scan), together with the Handgrip Isometric Strength (HIS) (by handgrip) were evaluated in a total subjects (53 Males and 109 Females). Additionally, General Healthcare Status Questionnaire together with self-administrated International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were filled. Results: Significant differences (p<0.05) between arms were found in BMD, T-score, and Z-score in total subjects and in females, whereas not significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in Males BMD comparing to significantly higher results (p<0.05) in T-score and Z-score. Significant differences (p<0.05) were also found in total subjects and in females handgrip, but not (p>0.05) in males. When comparing the total subject’s BMD, T-score, Z-score and Handgrip based on the PA levels (1 to 3 according to IPAQ scoring) no significant differences (p>0.05) were found between PA1, as well as PA3 whereas significantly differences (p<0.05) were found in D arms of PA2 level. Conclusion: The study analyses side-to-side differences in bone density and muscular force between D and ND arms amongst a population which is frequently exposed to diagnostic screenings for age related osteomuscular conditions (aged 40-60), and demonstrates that these differences should be in consideration amongst clinicians, but not in the way it is done right now. PMID:27999479

Manifestation of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Klang Valley, Malaysia: An Autopsy Study

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Razuin; Singh, Mansharan Kaur Chainchel; Noor, Norizal Mohd; Omar, Effat; Noor, Shahidan Md; Mahmood, Mohd Shah; Abdullah, Nurliza; Nawawi, Hapizah Mohd

2018-01-01

Aims: The present study aimed to determine the epidemiological aspects of medico-legal autopsies and manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods: This was a cross sectional study involving 222 cases recruited from National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Department of Forensic Medicine Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSgB) for a period of 15 months, from December 2012 to April 2014. Sociodemographic and autopsy findings, including the cause and manner of death were documented. Results: Male and female subjects aged 18–70 years were recruited. Males contributed to 86% of the total subjects and comprised 61% of young adults. Road traffic accidents were the primary cause of death, contributing almost 50% of the subjects. One third of the cases comprised of death due to natural causes, wherein almost 75% of the subjects within this category succumbed to sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease (CAD) contributed to 60% of the sudden cardiac death (SCD). Single and double-vessel diseases were the most common pattern of atherosclerosis. In almost 80% of CAD cases, atherosclerosis affected the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Conclusion: Cardiovascular diseases were the most significant natural cause of sudden death with a staggering figure of 75%. CAD was the single most commonly encountered pathology within the SCD. Most cases presented with single and double-vessel diseases, observed in all subjects, as well as the young adult population. PMID:29118310

Effects of trunk stabilization exercise on the local muscle activity and balance ability of normal subjects.

PubMed

Cha, Hyun Gyu

2018-06-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trunk stabilization exercise on the transvers abdominalis (TA) and internal oblique (IO) muscle activity and balance ability of normal subjects. [Subjects and Methods] Forty healthy male subjects without orthopedic history of the lower extremity were selected for the present study. The experimental group received a hollowing exercise, curl-up and bridging exercise. The control group received a pelvic tilting exercise in the sitting position for the same period of time. [Results] Significant differences in the post-training gains in Balance index, TA, IO were observed between the experimental group and the control group. [Conclusion] The trunk stabilization exercise improved the balance ability and increased the activity of the TA and IO muscle.

Comparison of a novel surface laser scanning anthropometric technique to traditional methods for facial parameter measurements.

PubMed

Joe, Paula S; Ito, Yasushi; Shih, Alan M; Oestenstad, Riedar K; Lungu, Claudiu T

2012-01-01

This study was designed to determine if three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning techniques could be used to collect accurate anthropometric measurements, compared with traditional methods. The use of an alternative 3D method would allow for quick collection of data that could be used to change the parameters used for facepiece design, improving fit and protection for a wider variety of faces. In our study, 10 facial dimensions were collected using both the traditional calipers and tape method and a Konica-Minolta Vivid9i laser scanner. Scans were combined using RapidForm XOR software to create a single complete facial geometry of the subject as a triangulated surface with an associated texture image from which to obtain measurements. A paired t-test was performed on subject means in each measurement by method. Nine subjects were used in this study: five males (one African-American and four Caucasian females) and four females displaying a range of facial dimensions. Five measurements showed significant differences (p<0.05), with most accounted for by subject movements or amended by scanning technique modifications. Laser scanning measurements showed high precision and accuracy when compared with traditional methods. Significant differences found can be very small changes in measurements and are unlikely to present a practical difference. The laser scanning technique demonstrated reliable and quick anthropometric data collection for use in future projects in redesigning respirators.

Factors associated with relapse into drug use among male and female attendees of a three-month drug detoxification–rehabilitation programme in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To determine relapse rates and associated factors among people who use drugs (PWUDs) attending abstinence-oriented drug treatment clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods A cohort of male and female PWUDs admitted to the 3-month drug detoxification-rehabilitation treatment programmes of three non-governmental organisation-run drug treatment clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh were interviewed on admission and over the following 5 months, which included the first 2 months after discharge. The study subjects comprised 150 male and 110 female PWUDs who had been taking opiates/opioids, cannabis or other drugs (including sedatives) before admission, had provided informed consent and were aged ≥16 years. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires at four time points; on admission, at discharge and at 1 and 2 months after discharge. Relapse rates were assessed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Factors associated with relapse on enrolment and after discharge were determined using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results A greater proportion of female than male subjects relapsed over the study period (71.9% versus 54.5%, p < 0.01). For men, baseline factors associated with relapse were living with other PWUDs (relative hazard ratio [RHR] = 2.27), living alone (RHR = 2.35) and not having sex with non-commercial partners (RHR = 2.27); whereas for women these were previous history of drug treatment (RHR = 1.94), unstable housing (RHR = 2.44), higher earnings (RHR = 1.89), preferring to smoke heroin (RHR = 3.62) and injecting buprenorphine/pethidine (RHR = 3.00). After discharge, relapse for men was associated with unstable housing (RHR = 2.78), living alone (RHR = 3.69), higher earnings (RHR = 2.48) and buying sex from sex workers (RHR = 2.29). Women’ relapses were associated with not having children to support (RHR = 3.24) and selling sex (RHR = 2.56). Conclusions The relapse rate was higher for female PWUDs. For both male and female subjects the findings highlight the importance of stable living conditions. Additionally, female PWUDs need gender-sensitive services and active efforts to refer them for opioid substitution therapy, which should not be restricted only to people who inject drugs. PMID:24004685

Somatotypic characteristic of schizophrenic patients.

PubMed

Sivkov, Stefan; Akabaliev, Valentin; Nikolova, Yulia

2005-01-01

Introduction of quantitative metric methods of somatotype assessment in schizophrenic patients to make clinical diagnosis more objective, the diagnosis being otherwise based exclusively on the clinical interview and assessment of the mental status of patients and thus involving certain subjectivity. The study included 67 schizophrenic inpatients (38 men, 29 women) consecutively admitted to the Clinic of Psychiatry in Plovdiv. Their mean age was 31.47 years (SD = 9.43, range 16-56), mean duration of illness 6.86 (SD = 6.09, range 1-27), mean number of hospitalizations 4.22 (SD = 4.08, range 1-19). The patients satisfied DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The control group comprised 69 subjects (36 men, 33 women) with a mean age 39.24 years (SD = 10.18, range 22-68) and socioeconomic background matching that of the patients. The data showed statistically significant differences in the three somatotype component and in almost all somatotypological variables between male schizophrenic patients and control subjects. The somatotype categories were more extensively presented in the schizophrenic patients. There was a tendency to higher frequency of the ectomorphic categories (ectomorphic mesomorph, mesomorphic ectomorph and endomorph-ectomorph). No statistically significant differences were found in the somatotype components and somatotypological variables between the female schizophrenic patients and control subjects. The data of the examination of the somatotype of schizophrenic patients and control subjects evince a definite sexually related body constitution characteristic that differentiates the groups. Schizophrenic patients and control subjects are clearly determined somatotypically only in the group of males.

Helplessness and perceived pain intensity: relations to cortisol concentrations after electrocutaneous stimulation in healthy young men

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Uncontrollable aversive events are associated with feelings of helplessness and cortisol elevation and are suitable as a model of depression. The high comorbidity of depression and pain symptoms and the importance of controllability in both conditions are clinically well-known but empirical studies are scarce. The study investigated the relationship of pain experience, helplessness, and cortisol secretion after controllable vs. uncontrollable electric skin stimulation in healthy male individuals. Methods Sixty-four male volunteers were randomly assigned to receive 30 controllable (self-administered) or uncontrollable (experimenter-administered) painful electric skin stimuli. Perceived pain intensity (PPI), subjective helplessness ratings, and salivary cortisol concentrations were assessed. PPI was assessed after stress exposure. For salivary cortisol concentrations and subjective helplessness ratings, areas under the response curve (AUC) were calculated. Results After uncontrollable vs. controllable stress exposure significantly higher PPI ratings (P = 0.023), higher subjective helplessness AUC (P < 0.0005) and higher salivary cortisol AUC (P = 0.004, t-tests) were found. Correlation analyses revealed a significant correlation between subjective helplessness AUC and PPI (r = 0.500, P < 0.0005), subjective helplessness AUC and salivary cortisol AUC (r = 0.304, P = 0.015) and between PPI and salivary cortisol AUC (r = 0.298, P = 0.017). Conclusions The results confirm the impact of uncontrollability on stress responses in humans; the relationship of PPI with subjective helplessness and salivary cortisol suggests a cognitive-affective sensitization of pain perception, particularly under uncontrollable conditions. PMID:21718526

The shear modulus of the human vocal fold, preliminary results from 20 larynxes.

PubMed

Goodyer, Eric; Hemmerich, Sandra; Müller, Frank; Kobler, James B; Hess, Markus

2007-01-01

Quantification of the elastic properties of the human vocal fold provides invaluable data for researchers deriving mathematical models of phonation, developing tissue engineering therapies, and as normative data for comparison between healthy and scarred tissue. This study measured the shear modulus of excised cadaver vocal folds from 20 subjects. Twenty freshly excised human larynxes were evaluated less than four days post-mortem. They were split along the saggital plane and mounted without tension. Shear modulus was obtained by two different methods. For method 1 cyclical shear stress was applied transversely to the mid-membranous portion of the vocal fold, and shear modulus derived by applying a simple shear model. For method 2 the apparatus was configured as an indentometer, and shear modulus obtained from the stress/strain data by applying an established analytical technique. Method 1 shear model for male larynxes yielded a range from 246 to 3,356 Pa, with a mean value of 1,008 and SD of 380. The range for female larynxes was 286-3,332 Pa, with a mean value of 1,237 and SD of 768. Method 2 indentometer model for male larynxes yielded a range from 552 to 2,741 Pa, with a mean value of 1,000 and SD of 460. The range for female larynxes was 509-1,989 Pa, with a mean value of 1,332 and SD of 428. We have successfully demonstrated two methodologies that are capable of directly measuring the shear modulus of the human vocal fold, without dissecting out the vocal fold cover tissue. The sample size of nine female and 11 male larynxes is too small to validate a general conclusion. The high degree of variability in this small cohort of subjects indicates that factors such as age, health status, and post-mortem delay may be significant; and that there is range of 'normality' for vocal fold tissue.

Serum Iron Status of Under-Five Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia in Lagos, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Akodu, S. O.; Diaku-Akinwumi, I. N.; Kehinde, O. A.; Njokanma, O. F.

2013-01-01

Background. Iron status in patients with sickle cell anaemia is a matter of continuing investigation. Objective. This paper aims to determine the serum iron status of under-five, sickle cell anaemia patients. Methods. The study spanned from December 2009 to February 2010 at the Consultant Outpatient Clinics involving 97 HbSS subjects and 97 age- and sex-matched HbAA controls. Biochemical iron status was assayed in subjects and controls. Results. Age range of the children was seven months to five years, with a mean of 30.6 (±15.97) months. Irrespective of gender, mean serum iron values were higher in HbAA controls than their HbSS counterparts but the observed difference was not significant (P = 0.299 and 0.111, resp.). The mean total iron binding capacity values of males and females were also not significantly different for sickle cell anaemia subjects and controls (P > 0.05). Males and females with HbAA had significantly lower serum ferritin when compared with their HbSS counterparts. Irrespective of gender, mean transferrin saturation was lower in HbSS subjects but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Children with sickle cell anaemia have higher serum ferritin than controls, implying relatively higher iron content in the reticuloendothelial cells. PMID:24288599

Clinicopathologic assessment of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Ugwu, Theophilus E.; Ikem, Rosemary T.; Kolawole, Babatope A.; Ezeani, Ignatius U.

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and evaluate its clinical and pathologic correlates. Subjects and Methods: In a cross-sectional survey of 200 type 2 diabetic males aged 32–69 years, total testosterone (TT), follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, waist circumference (WC), glycated hemoglobin, and lipids were measured. Clinical assessment of androgen deficiency was done using the androgen deficiency in aging male (ADAM) questionnaire. Overt hypogonadism was defined as a combination of positive ADAM score and TT < 8 nmol/L while possible hypogonadism was defined as positive ADAM score with TT 8–12 nmol/L. Results: Overt and possible hypogonadism occurred in 29.5% and 23% of the participants, respectively. Majority (76.3%) of the subjects who had overt hypogonadism had the hypogonadotrophic pattern. Hypogonadal subjects were significantly older (P = 0.014) and had higher mean WC (P = 0.009) than eugonadal ones. Erectile dysfunction was the most common symptom, occurring in 79.7% of overtly hypogonadal subjects. There was a significant negative correlation between WC and serum TT (r = −0.41, P = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a high frequency of symptomatic hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes and the frequency increases with advancing age and visceral adiposity. PMID:27730078

The proportion of the face in younger adults using the thumb rule of Leonardo da Vinci.

PubMed

Oguz, O

1996-01-01

The present study was conducted to examine whether the thumb rule of Leonardo da Vinci could be an objective method in the determination of the natural and artistic proportions of human face. In this study, a sample of 400 subjects (200 male and 200 female, 22-25 years old) was used. Measurements were made of the length of thumb, the length of ear, the approximate distances between the hair line and the glabella or eyebrows, between the glabella or eyebrows and the tip of the nose and the distance between the nose and the chin, and the distance between the ear and the lateral aspect of the eye. The results obtained in the males and females showed significant (p < 0.01) correlations between the length of thumb and the proportions of the face examined in the study. Additionally, the height of the face was found to be almost three times the length of the thumb. However, the measurements obtained from female subjects were on average smaller than those taken from males. The results obtained in this experiment could be of value in understanding of the evaluation of the face for the people working in plastic surgery or art.

Gender-related differences in lower limb alignment, range of joint motion, and the incidence of sports injuries in Japanese university athletes.

PubMed

Mitani, Yasuhiro

2017-01-01

[Purpose] To investigate the gender-related differences in lower limb alignment, range of joint motion, and history of lower limb sports injuries in Japanese university athletes. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 224 Japanese university athletes (154 males and 70 females). The quadriceps angle (Q-angle), arch height index, and ranges of internal and external rotation of the hip joints were measured. History of lower limb sports injury was surveyed using a questionnaire. [Results] Females had a significantly higher Q-angle and hip joint internal rotation angle and a significantly lower arch height index than males. The survey revealed that a significantly higher proportion of females had a history of lower limb sports injuries, and that the proportion of those with a history of foot/ankle injuries was particularly high. [Conclusion] These results suggested that females experience more lower limb sports injuries than males, and that a large proportion of these injuries involve the foot/ankle. Reduced lower limb alignment and increased range of joint motion in females may be risk factors for injury because they lead to increased physical stress being exerted on the lower legs during sporting activities.

Neck Circumference Positively Related with Central Obesity and Overweight in Turkish University Students: A Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Özkaya, İsmail; Tunçkale, Aydın

2016-06-01

According to the World Health Organization, central obesity is increasing alarmingly worldwide. Neck circumference is a relatively new method of differentiating between normal and abnormal fat distribution. The aim of this study is to determine the association between neck circumference and central obesity in young Turkish male and female university students. A community of university students based cross-sectional study was conducted on 319 males and 838 females and investigated the association between neck circumference and other anthropometric variables by gender. In male subjects, the neck circumference revealed a positive correlation with the body mass index (r=0.684, p<0.01), waist circumference (r=0.686, p<0.01) and waist/hip ratio (r=0.534, p<0.01). Similarly, in female subjects neck circumference revealed a positive correlation with the body mass index (r=0.482, p<0.01), waist circumference (r=0.479, p<0.01) and waist/hip ratio (r=0.246, p<0.01). Our study has demonstrated that the positive correlation between neck circumference, which is a simple and fast anthropometric measurement, and visceral obesity, is also applicable to university students. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2015.

[Use of physical factors in the complex therapy of patients with diabetic angio- and polyneuropathies of the lower extremities].

PubMed

Shablinskaia, N B

2002-01-01

Results are submitted of treatment of 110 patients with diabetes mellitus (61 male and 49 female subjects) presenting with angio- and polyneuropathies of the lower extremities. 70 patients, in addition to a drug therapy, were administered physiotherapeutic treatments, such as amplipulsetherapy, darsonvalization, and laserotherapy. Forty patients received medicamentous therapy only. Based on clinical findings and laboratory methods of investigation expediency has been shown of employment of physiotherapeutic methods in the treatment of the above pathology.

Methodology for social accountability: multiple methods and feminist, poststructural, psychoanalytic discourse analysis.

PubMed

Phillips, D A

2001-06-01

Bridging the gap between the individual and social context, methodology that aims to surface and explore the regulatory function of discourse on subjectivity production moves nursing research beyond the individual level in order to theorize social context and its influence on health and well-being. This article describes the feminist, poststructural, psychoanalytic discourse analysis and multiple methods used in a recent study exploring links between cultural discourses of masculinity, performativity of masculinity, and practices of male violence.

Multiple exposure photographic (MEP) technique: an objective assessment of sperm motility in infertility management.

PubMed

Adetoro, O O

1988-06-01

Multiple exposure photography (MEP), an objective technique, was used in determining the percentage of motile sperms in the semen samples from 41 males being investigated for infertility. This technique was compared with the conventional subjective ordinary microscopy method of spermatozoal motility assessment. A satisfactory correlation was observed in percentage sperm motility assessment using the two methods but the MEP estimation was more consistent and reliable. The value of this technique of sperm motility study in the developing world is discussed.

Effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy on Male Obesity and Psychological Parameters-A Randomised Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Subramanya, Pailoor

2016-01-01

Introduction Obesity is a growing global epidemic and cause of non-communicable diseases. Yoga is one of the effective ways to reduce stress which is one of the causes of obesity. Aim To assess the effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) yoga module on adult male obesity in an urban setting. Materials and Methods RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) was conducted for 14 weeks on obese male subjects with yoga and control groups. Total number of subjects were 72 and they were randomized into two groups (Yoga n=37, Control n=35). The subjects were from an urban setting of Mumbai and were doing yoga for the first time. Special yoga training of IAYT was given to yoga group for one and half hour for 5 days in a week for 14 weeks. The control group continued regular physical activities and no specific physical activity was given. The assessments were anthropometric parameters of weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), MAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumferences) of Left and Right Arm, Waist Circumference (WC), HC (Hip Circumference), WHR (Waist Hip Ratio), SKF(Skin Fold Thickness of Biceps, Triceps, Sub scapular, suprailiac and cumulative), Percentage body fat based on SKF and Psychological Questionnaires of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and AAQW (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight Related Difficulty). These were taken before and after intervention for both yoga and control groups. Within and between group analysis & correlation of differences from post to pre readings among the variables, were carried out using SPSS 21. Results The anthropometric and psychological parameters were improved in both the groups but changes were significant in yoga group. Conclusion Incorporating the IAYT for obese male in urban setting will be effective for obesity treatment and for reducing the obesity related problems. PMID:27891357

Smokeless Tobacco Use and Periodontal Health in a Rural Male Population

PubMed Central

Chu, Yong H.; Tatakis, Dimitris N.

2010-01-01

Background Despite the reported effects of smokeless tobacco (ST) on the periodontium and high prevalence of ST use in rural populations and in men, studies on this specific topic are limited. The purpose of this cross-sectional investigation is to evaluate the periodontal health status of male ST users from a rural population. Methods Adult male residents of two rural Appalachian Ohio counties and daily ST users, with a unilateral mandibular oral ST keratosis lesion, were recruited. Subjects completed a questionnaire and received oral examination. Teeth present, ST keratosis lesion, plaque and gingival index, probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), and attachment level were recorded. Statistical analysis compared ST-site mandibular teeth (teeth adjacent to the subject’s unilateral ST keratosis lesion) to NST-site teeth (contralateral corresponding teeth). Results This study includes 73 ST users. Recession prevalence is much greater in ST-site quadrants (36%) compared to NST-site quadrants (18%; P <0.001). Twice as many teeth had recession on ST-site (approximately 20%) than NST-site (approximately 10%; P = 0.0001). Average buccal RD on ST-site teeth did not differ from that on the NST-site teeth (P = 0.0875). Although average buccal attachment loss is greater on ST-site teeth (P = 0.016), the mean difference is <0.5 mm. When stratified by years of ST use, subjects using ST for 10 to 18 years exhibit the most differences between ST and NST sites, whereas subjects using ST for <10 years show no differences. Conclusion The results indicate that greater gingival recession prevalence and extent are associated with ST placement site in rural male ST users. PMID:20350155

Body composition by hydrostatic weighing at total lung capacity and residual volume.

PubMed

Timson, B F; Coffman, J L

1984-08-01

Body density and percent fat were determined by hydro-static weighing (HW) at residual volume (RV), total lung capacity measured on land (TLCL), and total lung capacity measured in water (TLCW) in 50 male and 50 female subjects. Residual volume was measured on land by using the helium dilution method. Vital capacity was measured both on land and with the subject submerged to the neck in water. Total lung capacity was reduced during water submersion by 6.7 and 5.1% in males and females, respectively. Body density was 1.0588 +/- 0.0215, 1.0581 +/- 0.0207, and 1.0634 +/- 0.0214 for males, and 1.0246 +/- 0.0219, 1.0242 +/- 0.0233, and 1.0276 +/- 0.0238 for females at RV, TLCW, and TLCL, respectively. Percent fat was 17.7 +/- 9.7, 18.0 +/- 9.3, and 15.7 +/- 9.5 for males, and 33.4 +/- 10.3, 33.5 +/- 10.8, and 32.0 +/- 11.0 for females at RV, TLCW, and TLCL, respectively. Body density and percent fat were similar when measured by HW at RV and by HW at TLCW. Body density and percent fat measured by HW at TLCL were different than when measured by HW at RV (P less than 0.001). The subjects, using a modified 10-point Borg Scale, rated the HW procedure easier to perform at TLC than at RV (P less than 0.001). The results of this study indicate that measurement of body density and percent fat by HW at TLCW and HW at RV are similar, but if measured by HW at TLCL, body density is overestimated and percent fat is underestimated.

Population Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Analysis to Compare the Effect of Moxifloxacin on QT Interval Prolongation Between Healthy Korean and Japanese Subjects.

PubMed

Choi, Hyang-Ki; Jung, Jin Ah; Fujita, Tomoe; Amano, Hideki; Ghim, Jong-Lyul; Lee, Dong-Hwan; Tabata, Kenichi; Song, Il-Dae; Maeda, Mika; Kumagai, Yuji; Mendzelevski, Boaz; Shin, Jae-Gook

2016-12-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the moxifloxacin-induced QT interval prolongation in healthy male and female Korean and Japanese volunteers to investigate interethnic differences. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-way crossover study was conducted in healthy male and female Korean and Japanese volunteers. In each period, a single dose of moxifloxacin or placebo 400 mg was administered orally under fasting conditions. Triplicate 12-lead ECGs were recorded at defined time points before, up to 24 hours after dosing, and at corresponding time points during baseline. Serial blood sampling was conducted for pharmacokinetic analysis of moxifloxacin. The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic data between the 2 ethnic groups were compared by using a typical analysis based on the intersection-union test and a nonlinear mixed effects method. A total of 39 healthy subjects (Korean, male: 10, female: 10; Japanese, male: 10, female: 9) were included in the analysis. The concentration-effect analysis revealed that there was no change in slope (and confirmed that the difference was caused by a change in the pharmacokinetic model of moxifloxacin). A 2-compartment model with first-order absorption provided the best description of moxifloxacin's pharmacokinetic parameters. Weight and sex were selected as significant covariates for central volume of distribution and intercompartmental clearance, respectively. An E max model (E[C]=[E max ⋅C]/[EC 50 +C]) described the QT interval data of this study well. However, ethnicity was not found to be a significant factor in a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic link model. The drug-induced QTc prolongations evaluated using moxifloxacin as the probe did not seem to be significantly different between these Korean and Japanese subjects. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01876316. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Steady-State Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Bupropion Extended-Release In Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daviss, W. Burleson; Perel, James M.; Birmaher, Boris; Rudolph, George R.; Melhem, Imad; Axelson, David A.; Brent, David A.

2006-01-01

Objective: To examine in children and adolescents the 24-hour, steady-state clinical pharmacokinetics of an extended-release (XL) formulation of bupropion (Wellbutrin XL). Method: Subjects were six male and four female patients (ages 11.5-16.2 years) prescribed bupropion XL in morning daily doses of either 150 mg (n = 5) or 300 mg (n = 5) for at…

Effects of Eight Week Plyometric Study on the Balance Performance of Hearing Impaired Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nacaroglu, Ersin; Karakoc, Onder

2018-01-01

This is an experimental study and it was aimed to identify the effects of 8-week plyometric training of hearing-impaired athletes on balance. 24 Male hearing-impaired volleyball players participated in the study. Random method was used when experimental and control groups were identified. Subjects used in the study were divided into two groups as…

Perception of Doping-Related Risks by Junior and Senior Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mroczkowska, Helena

2009-01-01

Study aim: To assess the degree of acceptance of risk by experienced and inexperienced athletes. Material and methods: Two male teams participated in the study: juniors (football; n = 9) aged 16-18 years and seniors (volleyball; n = 13) aged 20-32 years. The subjects were requested to assess the doping-related risk of losing every of 6 values:…

Visual perception of male body attractiveness.

PubMed

Fan, J; Dai, W; Liu, F; Wu, J

2005-02-07

Based on 69 scanned Chinese male subjects and 25 Caucasian male subjects, the present study showed that the volume height index (VHI) is the most important visual cue to male body attractiveness of young Chinese viewers among the many body parameters examined in the study. VHI alone can explain ca. 73% of the variance of male body attractiveness ratings. The effect of VHI can be fitted with two half bell-shaped exponential curves with an optimal VHI at 17.6 l m(-2) and 18.0 l m(-2) for female raters and male raters, respectively. In addition to VHI, other body parameters or ratios can have small, but significant effects on male body attractiveness. Body proportions associated with fitness will enhance male body attractiveness. It was also found that there is an optimal waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) at 0.8 and deviations from this optimal WHR reduce male body attractiveness.

How Do Vision and Hearing Impact Pedestrian Time-to-Arrival Judgments?

PubMed Central

Roper, JulieAnne M.; Hassan, Shirin E.

2014-01-01

Purpose To determine how accurate normally-sighted male and female pedestrians were at making time-to-arrival (TTA) judgments of approaching vehicles when using just their hearing or both their hearing and vision. Methods Ten male and 14 female subjects with confirmed normal vision and hearing estimated the TTA of approaching vehicles along an unsignalized street under two sensory conditions: (i) using both habitual vision and hearing; and (ii) using habitual hearing only. All subjects estimated how long the approaching vehicle would take to reach them (ie the TTA). The actual TTA of vehicles was also measured using custom made sensors. The error in TTA judgments for each subject under each sensory condition was calculated as the difference between the actual and estimated TTA. A secondary timing experiment was also conducted to adjust each subject’s TTA judgments for their “internal metronome”. Results Error in TTA judgments changed significantly as a function of both the actual TTA (p<0.0001) and sensory condition (p<0.0001). While no main effect for gender was found (p=0.19), the way the TTA judgments varied within each sensory condition for each gender was different (p<0.0001). Females tended to be as accurate under either condition (p≥0.01) with the exception of TTA judgments made when the actual TTA was two seconds or less and eight seconds or longer, during which the vision and hearing condition was more accurate (p≤0.002). Males made more accurate TTA judgments under the hearing only condition for actual TTA values five seconds or less (p<0.0001), after which there were no significant differences between the two conditions (p≥0.01). Conclusions Our data suggests that males and females use visual and auditory information differently when making TTA judgments. While the sensory condition did not affect the females’ accuracy in judgments, males initially tended to be more accurate when using their hearing only. PMID:24509543

Pulmonary function studies in young healthy Malaysians of Kelantan, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Bandyopadhyay, Amit

2011-01-01

Background & objectives: Pulmonary function tests have been evolved as clinical tools in diagnosis, management and follow up of respiratory diseases as it provides objective information about the status of an individual's respiratory system. The present study was aimed to evaluate pulmonary function among the male and female young Kelantanese Malaysians of Kota Bharu, Malaysia, and to compare the data with other populations. Methods: A total of 128 (64 males, 64 females) non-smoking healthy young subjects were randomly sampled for the study from the Kelantanese students’ population of the University Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu Campus, Kelantan, Malaysia. The study population (20-25 yr age group) had similar socio-economic background. Each subject filled up the ATS (1978) questionnaire to record their personal demographic data, health status and consent to participate in the study. Subjects with any history of pulmonary diseases were excluded from the study. Results: The pulmonary function measurements exhibited significantly higher values among males than the females. FEV1% did not show any significant inter-group variation probably because the parameter expresses FEV1 as a percentage of FVC. FVC and FEV1 exhibited significant correlations with body height and body mass among males whereas in the females exhibited significant correlation with body mass, body weight and also with age. FEV1% exhibited significant correlation with body height and body mass among males and with body height in females. FEF25-75% did not show any significant correlation except with body height among females. However, PEFR exhibited significant positive correlation with all the physical parameters except with age among the females. On the basis of the existence of significant correlation between different physical parameters and pulmonary function variables, simple and multiple regression norms have been computed. Interpretation & conclusions: From the present investigation it can be concluded that Kelantanese Malaysian youths have normal range of pulmonary function in both the sexes and the computed regression norms may be used to predict the pulmonary function values in the studied population. PMID:22199104

Double-blinded, vehicle-controlled proof of concept study to investigate the recurrence of inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions using tretinoin gel (microsphere) 0.04% in male patients after oral isotretinoin use.

PubMed

Vender, Reid; Vender, Ronald

2012-01-01

Background. Although isotretinoin orally is commonly used for moderate to severe or scarring acne, it is not a cure. Unfortunately recurrence is unpredictable and varies within the acne population. Objectives. Using a proof of concept study, determine the recurrence of acne after isotretinoin use in male patients. Methods. Twenty males aged 18-45 years old were enrolled. Subjects successfully completed a treatment of acne vulgaris with oral isotretinoin (120-150 mg/kg/course). Subjects were randomized 1 to 1. The study duration was 24 weeks. The primary endpoint measured was the absolute change in lesion counts from baseline to weeks 16 and 24. Local tolerability assessments were measured. Results. There were favorable changes in all outcomes measured. Overall, there was a 38.7% lower lesion count with tretinoin 0.04% microsphere gel use versus vehicle. The active product was well tolerated with great patient satisfaction. There were no significant safety issues. The limitations included the low number of patients enrolled, average age, and percentage of patients lost to follow-up. Conclusion. In summary, the results favored tretinoin 0.04% microsphere gel in the prevention of recurrent acne after isotretinoin use in male patients over 18 years old over a six-month period.

Evaluation of ADMA, carbonyl groups, CAT and NKA in depressed patients with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Ogłodek, Ewa A

2017-08-01

It has been shown that asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), carbonyl groups, catalase (CAT) and neurokinin A (NKA) are actively involved in neuronal processes such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of their roles is to protect the body from oxidative damage. This is done by affecting neuronal growth, development and plasticity. The study aimed at assessing the concentrations of ADMA, carbonyl groups, CAT and NKA in patients with varying levels of depression severity, PTSD, and depression concurrent with PTSD. The study covered 460 people. Out of them, 120 suffered from different types of depression. The study groups comprised: 60 subjects with mild depression (MD), 60 subjects with moderate depression (MOD), 60 subjects with severe depression (SeD), 60 subjects with MD and PTSD (MD+PTSD), 60 subjects with MOD and PTSD (MOD+PTSD), 60 subjects with SeD and PTSD (SeD+PTSD), and 60 subjects with PTSD alone. Each group of 60 participants included 30 males and 30 females. The concentrations of all blood parameters were determined at 7 a.m. using the ELISA method. Depressive episodes became more severe as the concentration levels of studied markers increased. ADMA, carbonyl groups, CAT and NKA can be useful markers of chronic stress in both males and females with depression, PTSD, and depression concurrent with PTSD. They can be utilized when making an initial diagnosis and evaluating the severity of disease. Changes in their concentration levels may show a biological response to oxidative stress characteristic of depression. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o.

Esthetics and smile-related characteristics assessed by laypersons.

PubMed

Wang, Cui; Hu, Wen-Jie; Liang, Ling-Zhi; Zhang, Yan-Ling; Chung, Kwok-Hung

2018-03-01

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of full-smile images assessed by laypersons using visual analog scale measurement. A total of 176 young Chinese subjects (88 males and 88 females; 20-35 years of age) with healthy dentogingival tissue were recruited to have their dynamic smiles captured using digital technology. A full-smile frame image of each subject was selected and evaluated by 22 laypersons (11 males and 11 females; 20-35 years of age) using visual analog scale measurement. Unattractive and attractive groups were designated according to the 25th percentile and 75th percentile of average visual analog scale score for the subjects, respectively. Eight smile variables were used to measure the characteristics of the full-smile images. Pearson's Chi-square test and unpaired t tests were used to analyze the data with significance level α = 0.05. The visual analog scale measurement scores of unattractive and attractive subgroups, respectively, were 37.89 ± 2.12 and 50.67 ± 2.75 (male subjects), and 37.14 ± 2.80 and 51.92 ± 1.99 (female subjects). VAS scores were significantly different between subgroups for both male and female subjects (P < .001). No significant differences were observed between male and female subjects (P > .05). Attractive full-smiles in young Chinese subjects demonstrated higher frequencies of average or low anterior smile line, average or low posterior smile line, upward upper lip curvature, and "broad and short" smile with high smile index. The smile variables of anterior smile line, posterior smile line, upper lip curvature, and smile index are predominant factors of smile attractiveness, which should be given priority to consider and manage in the anterior esthetic treatment plan. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Underwater hearing sensitivity of a male and a female Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus).

PubMed

Kastelein, Ronald A; van Schie, Robbert; Verboom, Wim C; de Haan, Dick

2005-09-01

The unmasked underwater hearing sensitivities of an 8-year-old male and a 7-year-old female Steller sea lion were measured in a pool, by using behavioral psychophysics. The animals were trained with positive reinforcement to respond when they detected an acoustic signal and not to respond when they did not. The signals were narrow-band, frequency-modulated stimuli with a duration of 600 ms and center frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 32 kHz for the male and from 4 to 32 kHz for the female. Detection thresholds at each frequency were measured by varying signal amplitude according to the up-down staircase method. The resulting underwater audiogram (50% detection thresholds) for the male Steller sea lion showed the typical mammalian U-shape. His maximum sensitivity (77 dB re: 1 microPa, rms) occurred at 1 kHz. The range of best hearing (10 dB from the maximum sensitivity) was from 1 to 16 kHz (4 octaves). Higher hearing thresholds (indicating poorer sensitivity) were observed below 1 kHz and above 16 kHz. The maximum sensitivity of the female (73 dB re: 1 microPa, rms) occurred at 25 kHz. Higher hearing thresholds (indicating poorer sensitivity) were observed for signals below 16 kHz and above 25 kHz. At frequencies for which both subjects were tested, hearing thresholds of the male were significantly higher than those of the female. The hearing sensitivity differences between the male and female Steller sea lion in this study may be due to individual differences in sensitivity between the subjects or due to sexual dimorphism in hearing.

Non-invasive fetal sex determination by maternal plasma sequencing and application in X-linked disorder counseling.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Chunlei; Li, Xuchao; Chen, Shengpei; Ge, Huijuan; Zhang, Yanyan; Chen, Fang; Jiang, Hui; Jiang, Fuman; Zhang, Hongyun; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xiuqing

2014-12-01

To develop a fetal sex determination method based on maternal plasma sequencing (MPS), assess its performance and potential use in X-linked disorder counseling. 900 cases of MPS data from a previous study were reviewed, in which 100 and 800 cases were used as training and validation set, respectively. The percentage of uniquely mapped sequencing reads on Y chromosome was calculated and used to classify male and female cases. Eight pregnant women who are carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) mutations were recruited, whose plasma were subjected to multiplex sequencing and fetal sex determination analysis. In the training set, a sensitivity of 96% and false positive rate of 0% for male cases detection were reached in our method. The blinded validation results showed 421 in 423 male cases and 374 in 377 female cases were successfully identified, revealing sensitivity and specificity of 99.53% and 99.20% for fetal sex determination, at as early as 12 gestational weeks. Fetal sex for all eight DMD genetic counseling cases were correctly identified, which were confirmed by amniocentesis. Based on MPS, high accuracy of non-invasive fetal sex determination can be achieved. This method can potentially be used for prenatal genetic counseling.

[Male contraception - the current state of knowledge].

PubMed

Zdrojewicz, Zygmynt; Kasperska, Karolina; Lewandowska, Marta

2016-08-01

Contraception is important from a health, psychological and socioeconomic point of view. Due to the fact that male-based contraceptive methods are mostly represented by condoms and vasectomy, researchers are working on the new solutions, which could let the men be more involved in a conscious family planning. In this review we will present the current state of knowledge on this subject. There is a lot going on in the field of hormonal contraception. Studies including testosterone, progestins, synthetic androgens and other derivatives are on a different stages of clinical trials and mostly demonstrate high efficacy rates. Recent discovers of Izumo and Juno proteins, essential for the fertilization process, give hope for an easily reversible, non-hormonal method. Researchers are also trying to interfere with the process of spermatogenesis using BRDT inhibitor - JQ1, or neutralize the sperm by injecting styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) into the lumen of the vas deferens. The other studies explore processes involved in proper sperm motility. A vaccine which induces an immune response to the reproductive system is also an interesting method. The latest research use ultrasound waves and mechanical device which blocks the patency of vas deferens. The aim of the study current state of knowledge male contraception. © 2016 MEDPRESS.

Characterizing populations and searching for diagnostics via elastic registration of MRI images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pettey, David; Gee, James C.

2001-07-01

Given image data from two distinct populations and a family of functions, we find the scalar discriminant function which best discriminates between the populations. The goals are two-fold: first, to construct a discriminant function which can accurately and reliably classify subjects via the image data. Second, the best discriminant allows us to see which features in the images distinguish between the populations; these features can guide us to finding characteristic differences between the two groups even if these differences are not sufficient to perform classification. We apply our method to mid-sagittal MRI sections of the corpus callosum from 34 males and 52 females. While we are not certain of the ability of the derived discriminant function to perform sex classification, we find that regions in the anterior of the corpus callosum do appear to be more important for the discriminant function than other regions. This indicates there may be significant differences in the relative size of the splenium in males and females, as has been reported elsewhere. More notably, we applied previous methods which support this view on our larger data set, but found that these methods no longer show statistically significant differences between the male and female splenium.

Physical Activity Associated with Prayer Regimes Improves Standing Dynamic Balance of Healthy People

PubMed Central

AlAbdulwahab, Sami Saleh; Kachanathu, Shaji John; Oluseye, Kamaldeen

2014-01-01

[Purpose] Preparing for prayers, practicing religious meditation and performing prayers are believed to stimulate the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems, which provide the sensory information that influences human balance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Islamic prayer regime on balance. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty healthy male subjects with a mean age of 31 ± 5 years and a mean body mass index of 27 ± 2 kg/cm2 voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects were divided into two equal groups: one group of subjects who regularly practiced Islamic prayer, and another group of non-practicing subjects. The dynamic balance of individuals in both groups was measured using a Balance Master. [Results] Adult healthy subjects practicing Islamic prayer regimes exhibited statistically significantly better dynamic balance than the non-practicing healthy subjects. [Conclusions] The results of this study support the hypothesis that religious meditation and prayers benefit human physiological function, especially balance. PMID:24409021

Passive Attenuating Communication Earphone (PACE): Noise Attenuation and Speech Intelligibility Performance When Worn in Conjunction with the HGU-56/P and HGU-55/P Flight Helmets

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-16

right) eartips The purpose of this study was to integrate the HGU-56/P and HGU-55/P flight helmets with PACE to measure the noise attenuation and...55/P flight helmet integrated with PACE 2.0 METHODS 2.1 Subjects Twenty paid volunteer subjects (9 male, 11 female) participated in the study ...Pan Pad Pat Path Pack Pass Buff Bus But Bug Buck Bun Sat Sag Sass Sack Sad Sap Run Sun Bun Gun Fun Nun 8 Distribution A: Approved for

Systolic time interval v heart rate regression equations using atropine: reproducibility studies.

PubMed Central

Kelman, A W; Sumner, D J; Whiting, B

1981-01-01

1. Systolic time intervals (STI) were recorded in six normal male subjects over a period of 3 weeks. On one day per week, each subject received incremental doses of atropine intravenously to increase heart rate, allowing the determination of individual STI v HR regression equations. On the other days STI were recorded with the subjects resting, in the supine position. 2. There were highly significant regression relationships between heart rate and both LVET and QS2, but not between heart rate and PEP. 3. The regression relationships showed little intra-subject variability, but a large degree of inter-subject variability: they proved adequate to correct the STI for the daily fluctuations in heart rate. 4. Administration of small doses of atropine intravenously provides a satisfactory and convenient method of deriving individual STI v HR regression equations which can be applied over a period of weeks. PMID:7248136

Systolic time interval v heart rate regression equations using atropine: reproducibility studies.

PubMed

Kelman, A W; Sumner, D J; Whiting, B

1981-07-01

1. Systolic time intervals (STI) were recorded in six normal male subjects over a period of 3 weeks. On one day per week, each subject received incremental doses of atropine intravenously to increase heart rate, allowing the determination of individual STI v HR regression equations. On the other days STI were recorded with the subjects resting, in the supine position. 2. There were highly significant regression relationships between heart rate and both LVET and QS2, but not between heart rate and PEP. 3. The regression relationships showed little intra-subject variability, but a large degree of inter-subject variability: they proved adequate to correct the STI for the daily fluctuations in heart rate. 4. Administration of small doses of atropine intravenously provides a satisfactory and convenient method of deriving individual STI v HR regression equations which can be applied over a period of weeks.

Comparison of circadian rhythms in male and female humans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winget, C. M.; Deroshia, C. W.; Vernikos-Danellis, J.; Rosenblatt, W. S.; Hetherington, N. W.

1977-01-01

Heart rate (HR) and rectal temperature (RT) data were obtained from 12 female and 27 male subjects. The subjects were housed in a facility where the environment was controlled. Human male and female RT and HR exhibit a circadian rhythm with an excursion of about 1.2 C and 30 beats/min, respectively. The acrophases, amplitudes, and level crossings are only slightly different between the sexes. The male HR and RT circadian wave forms are more stable than those of the females. However, the actual RT and HR of males were always lower than that of females at all time points around the clock. The HR during sleep in females is 15 per cent below the daily mean heart rate and in males, 22 per cent.

Dysfunctional core beliefs, perceived parenting behavior and psychopathology in gender identity disorder: A comparison of male-to-female, female-to-male transsexual and nontranssexual control subjects.

PubMed

Simon, Lajos; Zsolt, Unoka; Fogd, Dora; Czobor, Pál

2011-03-01

Research into the association between Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and psychological disturbances as well as on its relation with parenting experiences yielded mixed results, with different patterns for Male-to-Female (MF) and Female-to-Male (FM) transsexual subjects. We investigated vulnerability markers of maladjustment and their possible origins in MF and FM transsexuals by examining maladaptive core beliefs and parenting behaviors thought to be specifically related to them. Dysfunctional core beliefs, parenting experiences and psychiatric symptoms were assessed by the Young Schema Questionnaire indexing 19 Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS), the Young Parenting Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-R, respectively, in 30 MF, 17 FM transsexual and 114 control subjects (43 males, 114 females). Subjects with GID demonstrated a level of psychiatric distress comparable to that of controls. They did display elevated scores, however, on multiple EMSs compared to nontranssexual subjects, indicating feelings of isolation, emotional deprivation and an urge to meet others' needs, with MF transsexuals conceptualizing themselves also as more vulnerable and deficient than controls. Parenting experiences of transsexual subjects were characterised by increased maternal dominance, emotional abuse and neglect compared to controls, with males being exposed to a disengaged maternal style and more paternal emotional neglect and criticism. Both MF and FM transsexuals were made felt that in areas of achievement they will inevitably fail. There is no evidence of elevated levels of psychiatric symptoms in GID, but potential predisposing factors, particularly in MF transsexuals, are present; these may originate from the more intense rejection they experience. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intraduodenal Administration of Intact Pea Protein Effectively Reduces Food Intake in Both Lean and Obese Male Subjects

PubMed Central

Geraedts, Maartje C. P.; Troost, Freddy J.; Munsters, Marjet J. M.; Stegen, Jos H. C. H.; de Ridder, Rogier J.; Conchillo, Jose M.; Kruimel, Joanna W.; Masclee, Ad A. M.; Saris, Wim H. M.

2011-01-01

Background Human duodenal mucosa secretes increased levels of satiety signals upon exposure to intact protein. However, after oral protein ingestion, gastric digestion leaves little intact proteins to enter the duodenum. This study investigated whether bypassing the stomach, through intraduodenal administration, affects hormone release and food-intake to a larger extent than orally administered protein in both lean and obese subjects. Methods Ten lean (BMI:23.0±0.7 kg/m2) and ten obese (BMI:33.4±1.4 kg/m2) healthy male subjects were included. All subjects randomly received either pea protein solutions (250 mg/kg bodyweight in 0.4 ml/kg bodyweight of water) or placebo (0.4 ml/kg bodyweight of water), either orally or intraduodenally via a naso-duodenal tube. Appetite-profile, plasma GLP-1, CCK, and PYY concentrations were determined over a 2 h period. After 2 h, subjects received an ad-libitum meal and food-intake was recorded. Results CCK levels were increased at 10(p<0.02) and 20(p<0.01) minutes after intraduodenal protein administration (IPA), in obese subjects, compared to lean subjects, but also compared to oral protein administration (OPA)(p<0.04). GLP-1 levels increased after IPA in obese subjects after 90(p<0.02) to 120(p<0.01) minutes, compared to OPA. Food-intake was reduced after IPA both in lean and obese subjects (-168.9±40 kcal (p<0.01) and −298.2±44 kcal (p<0.01), respectively), compared to placebo. Also, in obese subjects, food-intake was decreased after IPA (−132.6±42 kcal; p<0.01), compared to OPA. Conclusions Prevention of gastric proteolysis through bypassing the stomach effectively reduces food intake, and seems to affect obese subjects to a greater extent than lean subjects. Enteric coating of intact protein supplements may provide an effective dietary strategy in the prevention/treatment of obesity. PMID:21931864

Blood hyperviscosity identification with reflective spectroscopy of tongue tip based on principal component analysis combining artificial neural network.

PubMed

Liu, Ming; Zhao, Jing; Lu, XiaoZuo; Li, Gang; Wu, Taixia; Zhang, LiFu

2018-05-10

With spectral methods, noninvasive determination of blood hyperviscosity in vivo is very potential and meaningful in clinical diagnosis. In this study, 67 male subjects (41 health, and 26 hyperviscosity according to blood sample analysis results) participate. Reflectance spectra of subjects' tongue tips is measured, and a classification method bases on principal component analysis combined with artificial neural network model is built to identify hyperviscosity. Hold-out and Leave-one-out methods are used to avoid significant bias and lessen overfitting problem, which are widely accepted in the model validation. To measure the performance of the classification, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and F-measure are calculated, respectively. The accuracies with 100 times Hold-out method and 67 times Leave-one-out method are 88.05% and 97.01%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the built classification model has certain practical value and proves the feasibility of using spectroscopy to identify hyperviscosity by noninvasive determination.

Sexual selection and the evolution of male pheromone glands in philanthine wasps (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae).

PubMed

Weiss, Katharina; Herzner, Gudrun; Strohm, Erhard

2017-06-06

Sexual selection is thought to promote evolutionary changes and diversification. However, the impact of sexual selection in relation to other selective forces is difficult to evaluate. Male digger wasps of the tribe Philanthini (Hymenoptera, Philanthinae) scent mark territories to attract receptive females. Consequently, the organs for production and storage of the marking secretion, the mandibular gland (MG) and the postpharyngeal gland (PPG), are subject to sexual selection. In female Philanthini, these glands are most likely solely subject to natural selection and show very little morphological diversity. According to the hypothesis that sexual selection drives interspecific diversity, we predicted that the MG and PPG show higher interspecific variation in males than in females. Using histological methods, 3D-reconstructions, and multivariate statistical analysis of morphological characters, we conducted a comparative analysis of the MG and the PPG in males of 30 species of Philanthini and three species of the Cercerini and Aphilanthopsini, two related tribes within the Philanthinae. We found substantial interspecific diversity in gland morphology with regard to gland incidence, size, shape and the type of associated secretory cells. Overall there was a phylogenetic trend: Ensuing from the large MGs and small PPGs of male Cercerini and Aphilanthopsini, the size and complexity of the MG was reduced in male Philanthini, while their PPG became considerably enlarged, substantially more complex, and associated with an apparently novel type of secretory cells. In some clades of the Philanthini the MG was even lost and entirely replaced by the PPG. However, several species showed reversals of and exceptions from this trend. Head gland morphology was significantly more diverse among male than among female Philanthinae. Our results show considerable variation in male head glands including the loss of an entire gland system and the evolution of a novel kind of secretory cells, confirming the prediction that interspecific diversity in head gland morphology is higher in male than in female Philanthini. We discuss possible causes for the remarkable evolutionary changes in males and we conclude that this high diversity has been caused by sexual selection.

A New Diagnostic Resource for Ceratitis capitata Strain Identification Based on QTL Mapping

PubMed Central

Sim, Sheina B.; Ruiz-Arce, Raul; Barr, Norman B.; Geib, Scott M.

2017-01-01

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is a destructive agricultural pest and the subject of exclusion efforts in many countries. Suppression and eradication of invasive populations to prevent its establishment is facilitated by the release of sterile males using the sterile insect technique (SIT). In SIT release areas, it is critical to accurately discriminate between released sterile males and wild individuals to detect extremely rare invasive individuals in areas inundated with millions of sterile male flies. Current methods for discrimination exist but are not always definitive, and a more reliable method is necessary. To address this, we developed a genotyping assay that can be used to discriminate between sterile males from the SIT strain and wild individuals. This was achieved by identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to the maintained traits that facilitate male-only releases, white pupae (wp) and temperature-sensitive lethal (tsl), via QTL mapping. This resulted in the identification of one SNP that was in near-perfect linkage disequilibrium between genotype at this locus and the pupal color phenotype. Medfly from many SIT colonies and wild individuals from across its geographic range were genotyped for this locus, and results show its consistency in identifying SIT flies. In addition, linkage and QTL mapping of wp and tsl have larger impacts as they can serve as foundational tools to identify the genetic basis of traits that facilitate the separation of males from female flies, which can be used to develop SIT programs in related species. PMID:28889103

Persistent Sex Disparities in Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases in the Conjugate Vaccine Era.

PubMed

de St Maurice, Annabelle; Schaffner, William; Griffin, Marie R; Halasa, Natasha; Grijalva, Carlos G

2016-09-01

Few studies have characterized the role of sex on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We examined sex differences in rates of IPD, and trends after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We used active population and laboratory-based IPD surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Active Bacterial Core surveillance program (1998-2013) in Tennessee. Population-based rates of IPD by sex, race, age group, and PCV era were calculated. Rates were compared using incidence rate ratios. Throughout the study years, rates of IPD were higher in male than in female subjects, particularly in children <2 years and adults 40-64 years of age, with male subjects having IPD rates 1.5-2 times higher than female subjects. The proportions of comorbid conditions were similar in male and female subjects . Sex rate differences persisted after stratification by race. Although the introductions of 7-valent PCV (PCV7) and 13-valent PCV (PCV13) were associated with declines in IPD rates in both sexes, rates of IPD after PCV13 were still significantly higher in male than in female subjects among children and adults 40-64 and >74 years of age. Rates of IPD were generally higher in male than in female subjects. These sex differences were observed in different race groups and persisted after introduction of both PCVs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Work-related stress and bullying: gender differences and forensic medicine issues in the diagnostic procedure

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The attention of international agencies and scientific community on bullying and work-related stress is increasing. This study describes the gender differences found in victims of bullying and work-related stress in an Italian case series and analyzes the critical issues in the diagnostic workup. Methods Between 2001 and 2009 we examined 345 outpatients (148 males, 197 females; mean age: 41 ± 10.49) for suspected psychopathological work-related problems. Diagnosis of bullying was established using international criteria (ICD-10 and DSM-IV). Results After interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluation (Occupational Medicine Unit, Psychology and Psychiatry Service), the diagnosis of bullying was formulated in 35 subjects, 12 males and 23 females (2 cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and 33 of Adjustment Disorder). Fifty-four (20 males, 34 females) suffered from work-related anxiety, while work-unrelated Adjustment Disorder and other psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 7 and 112 subjects, respectively. Women between 34 and 45 years showed a high prevalence (65%) of "mobbing syndrome" or other work-related stress disorders. Conclusions At work, women are more subject to harassment (for personal aspects related to emotional and relational factors) than men. The knowledge of the phenomenon is an essential requisite to contrast bullying; prevention can be carried out only through effective information and training of workers and employers, who have the legal obligation to preserve the integrity of the mental and physical status of their employees during work. PMID:22088163

[Quality of life and related social support for men who have sex with men among university students in Chongqing, China].

PubMed

Chen, Jiang-peng; Wang, Hong; Liu, Liang

2013-09-01

To study the status of quality of life(QOL) on men who have sex with men (MSM) and it's relationship with social support among university students in Chongqing. Snowball sampling was applied to recruit the subjects on MSM for this study and multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to recruit ordinary male college students. WHOQOL-BREF and SSRS questionnaires were used to collect information from both MSM and ordinary male college students. Scores from the physiological, psychological, social relations and environmental domains for QOL and total QOL were 13.82 ± 2.25, 13.14 ± 2.51, 13.24 ± 2.96, 12.44 ± 2.49 and 13.12 ± 2.16, respectively. Scores for all domains of QOL on MSM were lower than figures from ordinary male college students (P < 0.05). Results from Canonical correlation analysis revealed that subjective support and the use of support, together with psychological and social relations were the main factors that influencing the social support and quality of life in this population, respectively. The improvement of subjective feelings and proper use of social support and targeted interventions among this MSM population should accord to the different demographic characteristics, especially for those who did not have regular sexual partner or in gay circles, and for those who practice passive role during sexual act(as "0"), seemed to be helpful to improve their quality of life.

External Validation of Fatty Liver Index for Identifying Ultrasonographic Fatty Liver in a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Fang, Kuan-Chieh; Wang, Yuan-Chen; Huo, Teh-Ia; Huang, Yi-Hsiang; Yang, Hwai-I; Su, Chien-Wei; Lin, Han-Chieh; Lee, Fa-Yauh; Wu, Jaw-Ching; Lee, Shou-Dong

2015-01-01

Background and Aims The fatty liver index (FLI) is an algorithm involving the waist circumference, body mass index, and serum levels of triglyceride and gamma-glutamyl transferase to identify fatty liver. Although some studies have attempted to validate the FLI, few studies have been conducted for external validation among Asians. We attempted to validate FLI to predict ultrasonographic fatty liver in Taiwanese subjects. Methods We enrolled consecutive subjects who received health check-up services at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2002 to 2009. Ultrasonography was applied to diagnose fatty liver. The ability of the FLI to detect ultrasonographic fatty liver was assessed by analyzing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Results Among the 29,797 subjects enrolled in this study, fatty liver was diagnosed in 44.5% of the population. Subjects with ultrasonographic fatty liver had a significantly higher FLI than those without fatty liver by multivariate analysis (odds ratio 1.045; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.044–1.047, p< 0.001). Moreover, FLI had the best discriminative ability to identify patients with ultrasonographic fatty liver (AUROC: 0.827, 95% confidence interval, 0.822–0.831). An FLI < 25 (negative likelihood ratio (LR−) 0.32) for males and <10 (LR− 0.26) for females rule out ultrasonographic fatty liver. Moreover, an FLI ≥ 35 (positive likelihood ratio (LR+) 3.12) for males and ≥ 20 (LR+ 4.43) for females rule in ultrasonographic fatty liver. Conclusions FLI could accurately identify ultrasonographic fatty liver in a large-scale population in Taiwan but with lower cut-off value than the Western population. Meanwhile the cut-off value was lower in females than in males. PMID:25781622

Bioequivalence of a fixed-dose repaglinide/metformin combination tablet and equivalent doses of repaglinide and metformin tablets
.

PubMed

Cho, Hea-Young; Ngo, Lien; Kim, Sang-Ki; Choi, Yoonho; Lee, Yong-Bok

2018-06-01

This study was conducted to determine whether a fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet of repaglinide/metformin (2/500 mg) is equivalent to coadministration of equivalent doses of individual (EDI) tablets of repaglinide (2 mg) and metformin (500 mg) in healthy Korean male subjects. This study was conducted as an open-label, randomized, single-dose, two-period, two-sequence crossover design in 50 healthy Korean male subjects who received an FDC tablet or EDI tablets. Plasma concentrations of repaglinide and metformin were determined for up to 24 hours using a validated UPLC-MS/MS method. Bioequivalence was assessed according to current guidelines issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Korean legislation. Tolerability was also evaluated throughout the study via subject interview, vital signs, and blood sampling. Point estimates (90% CIs) for AUC_0-t, AUC_0-∞, and C_max based on EDI tablets were 110.07 (102.25 - 118.49), 109.90 (101.70 - 118.39), and 112.60 (101.49 - 124.85), respectively, for repaglinide. They were 95.18 (89.62 - 101.05), 95.00 (89.74 - 100.65), and 98.44 (92.72 - 104.50), respectively, for metformin. These results satisfied the bioequivalence criteria of 80.00 - 125.00% proposed by the FDA and Korean legislation. Results of pharmacokinetic analysis suggested that repaglinide and metformin in FDC tablets were bioequivalent to EDI tablets of repaglinide (2 mg) and metformin (500 mg) in healthy Korean male subjects. Both formulations appeared to be well tolerated.
.

Responses of juvenile bonnet macaques to social stimuli presented through color videotapes.

PubMed

Plimpton, E H; Swartz, K B; Rosenblum, L A

1981-03-01

Twelve juvenile bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata), 6 males and 6 females, were presented with color videotape recordings of 3 types of social stimuli. The stimulus animals, all unfamiliar adult conspecifics, consisted of a passive female, a passive male, and a threatening male. Subjects were observed in the presence of their mother and 1 other juvenile-mother dyad. The juveniles showed the highest scores for contact with mother when presented with the threatening male stimulus. Similarly, subjects lipsmacked significantly more to the male threatening male stimulus than to either the passive male or female. The female stimulus was approached significantly more than either the passive or threatening male. Results suggest that juvenile macaques will respond to social stimuli presented through color video recordings in a socially appropriate manner. This technique provides a new tool in the investigation of social perception in nonhuman primates.

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in menstruating females has high recurrence

PubMed Central

Mehta, Christopher K.; Stanifer, Bryan P.; Fore-Kosterski, Susan; Gillespie, Colin; Yeldandi, Anjana; Meyerson, Shari; Odell, David D.; DeCamp, Malcolm M.; Bharat, Ankit

2016-01-01

Background Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is treated based on studies that have predominantly consisted of tall male subjects. Here we determined recurrence of PSP in average-statured menstruating women and studied prevalence of catamenial pneumothorax (CP) in this population. Methods Males and menstruating females, aged 18-55 years, without underlying lung disease or substance abuse were retrospectively studied between 2009-2015. A chest pathologist reviewed all specimens for thoracic endometriosis. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to determine recurrence. Results The median age of females (n=33) and males (n=183) was 33.4 and 31.6 years, respectively. In females, nine (27%) had left-sided and 24 (73%) had right-sided PSP, treated with tube thoracostomy. Recurrence occurred in 21 (64%) females with median follow up of 14 months and was treated with thoracoscopic pleurodesis. Right PSP had higher recurrence (70%) compared to left (56%, p=0.02). Four females (12%) presented with recurrent tension pneumothorax within six months. Eight (24%) patients had PSP within 72 hours of menses, meeting clinical criteria of CP. All these were placed on hormonal suppression after initial episode but went on to develop recurrence that was treated with pleurodesis. However, classic endometrial glands were not found in any biopsy specimens obtained during the thoracoscopy. In contrast to female subjects, only 8 (4.4%) average-statured males had recurrence (p<0.001) with a median follow up of 16 months. Conclusions PSP in healthy average-statured menstruating women has high recurrence compared to male counterparts. CP is a clinical diagnosis and often recurs despite hormonal suppression therapy. PMID:27345097

Altered Autonomic Functions and Distressed Personality Traits in Male Adolescents with Internet Gaming Addiction.

PubMed

Kim, Nahyun; Hughes, Tonda L; Park, Chang G; Quinn, Laurie; Kong, In Deok

2016-11-01

Internet gaming addiction (IGA) has been associated with many negative health outcomes, especially for youth; however, few studies have examined the physiological parameters and personality features related to this addiction. This study aimed to identify differences in autonomic functions and distressed (type D) personality traits among Korean adolescent males with and without IGA. In a cross-sectional study, 68 adolescent males were recruited in a Korean city using convenience and snowball sampling methods. For each subject, heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were measured as autonomic functions and questionnaires were used to identify IGA and type D personality traits. Data were analyzed using descriptive analyses, t tests, χ 2 tests, and Pearson's correlation. Most HRV parameters significantly differed between the IGA and non-IGA groups (all p < 0.05). Type D personality total and subscale scores, including those for negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition, were significantly higher in the IGA group (all p < 0.001). Of the 68 subjects, 46 were classified as having type D personality, with nearly twice as many in the IGA group as in the non-IGA group (p = 0.002). Type D personality total scores negatively correlated with the logarithmic value of total power and low frequency among the HRV parameters (both p < 0.05). Results showed that excessive Internet gaming was related to alterations in autonomic functions and distressed personality traits in male adolescents. These findings provide further understanding of the IGA phenomenon and highlight the need for interventions that address male adolescents with IGA.

A comparative study of the effects of trunk exercise program in aquatic and land-based therapy on gait in hemiplegic stroke patients

PubMed Central

Park, Byoung-Sun; Noh, Ji-Woong; Kim, Mee-Young; Lee, Lim-Kyu; Yang, Seung-Min; Lee, Won-Deok; Shin, Yong-Sub; Kim, Ju-Hyun; Lee, Jeong-Uk; Kwak, Taek-Yong; Lee, Tae-Hyun; Park, Jaehong; Kim, Junghwan

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program on gait in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 28 hemiplegic stroke patients (20 males, 8 females). The subjects performed a trunk exercise program for a total of four weeks. [Results] Walking speed and cycle, stance phase and stride length of the affected side, and the symmetry index of the stance phase significantly improved after the aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program. [Conclusion] These results suggest that the aquatic and land-based trunk exercise program may help improve gait performance ability after stroke. PMID:27390444

Perceptual Adaptation of Voice Gender Discrimination with Spectrally Shifted Vowels

PubMed Central

Li, Tianhao; Fu, Qian-Jie

2013-01-01

Purpose To determine whether perceptual adaptation improves voice gender discrimination of spectrally shifted vowels and, if so, which acoustic cues contribute to the improvement. Method Voice gender discrimination was measured for 10 normal-hearing subjects, during 5 days of adaptation to spectrally shifted vowels, produced by processing the speech of 5 male and 5 female talkers with 16-channel sine-wave vocoders. The subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups; one subjected to 50-Hz, and the other to 200-Hz, temporal envelope cutoff frequencies. No preview or feedback was provided. Results: There was significant adaptation in voice gender discrimination with the 200-Hz cutoff frequency, but significant improvement was observed only for 3 female talkers with F0 > 180 Hz and 3 male talkers with F0 < 170 Hz. There was no significant adaptation with the 50-Hz cutoff frequency. Conclusions Temporal envelope cues are important for voice gender discrimination under spectral shift conditions with perceptual adaptation, but spectral shift may limit the exclusive use of spectral information and/or the use of formant structure on voice gender discrimination. The results have implications for cochlear implant users and for understanding voice gender discrimination. PMID:21173392

Microdeletions at DYS448 and DYS387S1 associate with increased risk of male infertility.

PubMed

Li, Yanqing; Zhao, Qiurong; Liu, Hai

2017-10-01

Male infertility affects many people of reproductive age. Diagnosis and therapies based on descriptive semen parameters have helped some of the infertility patients; however, further progress in reproductive therapy demands a better understanding of the molecular and genetic causes for male infertility. Although Y chromosome microdeletions have been a hot subject of genetic studies on male infertility, the relationship between male infertility and microdeletions at Y chromosome loci DYS448, DYS387, and DYS627 remains unclear. Here we analyzed the microdeletions at these three loci in 200 infertility male patients and 200 healthy subjects and showed that microdeletions at DYS448 and DYS387 correlate with male infertility. Our results suggest that genetic analyses of Y chromosome loci DYS448 and DYS387 can be genetic markers for reproductive diagnosis and therapy.

The Impact of Gender on the Quality and Content of E-Mail Advice Professors Give to Students Applying to Graduate School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinpreis, Rhea E.; Anders, Katie A.; Riley, Monica G.; Ritzke, Dawn M.; McDonald, Theodore W.

The purpose of this study was to determine if gender plays a role in the quality and quantity of the advice given to undergraduates about applying to graduate school. Four hundred male and female psychologists who listed a university address and e-mail address in the 1997 Directory of the American Psychological Association were sent an e-mail inquiry from a pseudostudent (either Theresa or Brian Miller). In the first e-mail, the pseudostudent asked if the subjects would be willing to look at his or her GRE scores and grade point average (GPA) for the purpose of providing advice about his or her chances of getting into the graduate program at the subject's school. Two hundred forty subjects consented to examine the figures, nearly equally split between males and females. Subjects were then sent the GPA and scores of an outstanding, average, or poor applicant. The results indicated that female faculty were significantly more likely to consent to examine the data of a female pseudostudent and male faculty were significantly more likely to consent to examine the data of a male pseudostudent. However, once the faculty member agreed to offer advice, gender had no impact on the length or quality of advice given to the pseudostudent, and advice became a function of the pseudostudent's academic credentials. Furthermore, while male and female subjects were equally likely to encourage, discourage, or recant on their offer to give feedback, male subjects were more likely to refuse to review the data and female subjects were more likely to offer a neutral response to the data. The results are discussed in terms of the difficulty students face in finding adequate information about pursuing a graduate education. These problems may be magnified for female students because there are fewer female faculty available to serve as mentors.

Female vs. Male Ampelmännchen-Gender-Specific Reaction Times to Male and Female Traffic Light Figures

PubMed Central

Kandil, Farid I.; Olk, Bettina; Hilgetag, Claus C.

2017-01-01

Traffic signs are important visual guiding signals for the safe navigation through complex road traffic. Interestingly, there is little variation in the traffic signs for cars around the world. However, remarkable variation exists for pedestrian traffic signs. Following up from an earlier study, we investigated the visual efficacy of female vs. male German Ampelmännchen pedestrian traffic signs. In a Stroop-like test, 30 subjects were presented with female and male go and no-go traffic light figures that were shown either in the corresponding or opposing color. Subjects had to indicate, based either solely on the form or the color of the figure, whether they were allowed to go. Accuracy and response times across all subjects did not differ for the female vs. male signs, indicating that Ampelfrau and Ampelmann signs have equal visual efficacy. However, subjects responded faster to signs of their own vs. the opposite gender. This preference for signs of one's own gender is in accordance with effects in social psychology described by social learning theory. An introduction of such novel traffic lights may, thus, contribute to higher compliance with the traffic sign signals. PMID:28588511

Motivation of men and women in mathematics and language.

PubMed

Vrugt, Anneke; Oort, Frans J; Waardenburg, Lydeke

2009-10-01

Based on the multiple goal perspective it is argued that mastery and performance goals contribute to different motivational variables-mastery goals to self-efficacy and performance goals to social comparison-that contribute through affect to achievement. The first aim of this study was to determine whether this model is applicable irrespective of sex and subject. The expected relationships occurred for female students studying Dutch and mathematics, and for male students studying Dutch. The second aim was to test a model in which the perceived gender appropriateness of the subject affects the pursued achievement goal. We expected that subjects perceived as gender-appropriate--Dutch for female and mathematics for male students--would result in strong relationships between mastery goals, self-efficacy, affect, and achievement, and that less gender-appropriate subjects--mathematics for women and Dutch for men--would result in strong relationships between performance goals, social comparison, affect, and achievement. Several of the expected relationships occurred for female and males students studying Dutch and mathematics. Furthermore, female students obtained higher course grades in Dutch than male students, while male students studying mathematics scored higher on self-efficacy and affect than female students.

The effects of dancehall genre on adolescent sexual and violent behavior in Jamaica: A public health concern

PubMed Central

Crawford, Alexay D.

2010-01-01

Background: Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the loud ‘hard-core’ music played on public transportation and the proliferation of sexual activities on these said transportations. Aim: To determine the extent to which dancehall music/genre impacts adolescent behavior. Materials and Method: The study is informed by quantitative and qualitative data, which were collected during the period February–May 2008. Convenience and judgmental sampling were used to target 100 subjects. Results: Of the 100 adolescent cases (50 male, 50 female), females (40%) were more likely to gravitate to sexually explicit lyrical content than their male counterparts (26%). Females (74%) were also more likely to act upon lyrical contents than males (46%). There was no significant difference where males (100%) and females (98%) subconsciously sings the dancehall lyrics even without hearing it; as well as inspire their dreams 64% and 62% respectively. However, more females (74%) than males (46%) acted on lyrical contents of the dancehall genre. Conclusion: There is a correlation between hard-core dancehall genre and the sexual and violent behavior of adolescents. PMID:22624129

An improved automated method for the measurement of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate.

PubMed Central

Purcell, Y; Brozović, B

1976-01-01

A modified automated colorimetric micromethod for the determination of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) adapted from that of Grisolia et al (1969) is described. In the modified method, ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) is not used and consequently concentrations of several reagents are changed. During the development of the method it was found that the presence of EDTA, either in the blood or in reagents, consistently reduced the measured value of 2,3-DPG by 15%. This effect of EDTA, not previously recognized, is independent of the EDTA concentration within the range of 5 to 50 mmol/1 and is at present unexplianed. In normal subjects (41 men and 30 women) the mean red cell 2,3-DPG was 14-5 mol/g haemoglobin (range 12-1-18-1 mol/g haemoglobin). There was no significant difference in 2,3-DPG concentrations between male and female subjects. PMID:827552

Acculturation and changes in dietary behavior and anthropometric measures among Chinese international students in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Jounghee; Gao, Ran-Ran; Kim, Jung-Hee

2015-06-01

International students face dissimilar food environments, which could lead to changes in dietary behaviors and anthropometric characteristics between before and after migration. We sought to examine the risk factors, including dietary behaviors, acculturation, and demographic characteristics, related to overweight subjects residing in South Korea. We conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 142 Chinese international students (63 males, 79 females) in 2013. The mean age of the subjects was 25.4 years, and almost half of them immigrated to South Korea to earn a master's degree or doctoral degree (n = 70, 49.3%). Chinese international students showed an increase in skipping meals and eating speed, but a decrease in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea compared to when they lived in China. We found a statistically significant increase in weight (69.4 → 73.9 kg) and BMI (22.4 → 23.8 kg/m(2)) for male subjects (P < 0.001) but no change for female subjects. We also found that overweight subjects were more likely to be highly acculturated and male compared with normal-weight subjects. Among Chinese international students living in South Korea, male and more highly acculturated subjects are more vulnerable to weight gain. This study provides useful information to design tailored nutrition intervention programs for Chinese international students.

Regional cerebral blood flow changes in female to male gender identity disorder.

PubMed

Nawata, Hideyuki; Ogomori, Koji; Tanaka, Mariko; Nishimura, Ryoji; Urashima, Hajime; Yano, Rika; Takano, Koichi; Kuwabara, Yasuo

2010-04-01

Despite a range of research on gender identity disorder (GID), at present there is no scientific consensus on whether the etiology of GID is mental or physical. In particular recent advances in the technology of neuroimaging research have led to an increased understanding of the biological basis of various mental disorders. GID also should be evaluated from this perspective. The aim of the present study was therefore to do the first trial to examine the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in GID. Persons considered biologically male fulfilling the GID criteria are termed male to female (MTF) and, conversely, persons considered biological female are termed female to male (FTM). We compared 11 FTM subjects and nine age- and handedness-matched female control subjects. None of the subjects was regularly taking medication and none had any kind of physical or psychiatric comorbidity. To evaluate rCBF in GID subjects and control subjects, statistical parametric mapping analysis of (99m)Tc-ethyl-cysteinate dimer single-photon emission computed tomography was used. GID subjects had a significant decrease in rCBF in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and a significant increase in the right insula compared to control subjects. The ACC and insula are regions that have been noted as being related to human sexual behavior and consciousness. From these findings, useful insights into the biological basis of GID were suggested.

Effective brain network analysis with resting-state EEG data: a comparison between heroin abstinent and non-addicted subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bin; Dong, Qunxi; Hao, Yanrong; Zhao, Qinglin; Shen, Jian; Zheng, Fang

2017-08-01

Objective. Neuro-electrophysiological tools have been widely used in heroin addiction studies. Previous studies indicated that chronic heroin abuse would result in abnormal functional organization of the brain, while few heroin addiction studies have applied the effective connectivity tool to analyze the brain functional system (BFS) alterations induced by heroin abuse. The present study aims to identify the abnormality of resting-state heroin abstinent BFS using source decomposition and effective connectivity tools. Approach. The resting-state electroencephalograph (EEG) signals were acquired from 15 male heroin abstinent (HA) subjects and 14 male non-addicted (NA) controls. Multivariate autoregressive models combined independent component analysis (MVARICA) was applied for blind source decomposition. Generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) was applied for effective brain connectivity analysis. Effective brain networks of both HA and NA groups were constructed. The two groups of effective cortical networks were compared by the bootstrap method. Abnormal causal interactions between decomposed source regions were estimated in the 1-45 Hz frequency domain. Main results. This work suggested: (a) there were clear effective network alterations in heroin abstinent subject groups; (b) the parietal region was a dominant hub of the abnormally weaker causal pathways, and the left occipital region was a dominant hub of the abnormally stronger causal pathways. Significance. These findings provide direct evidence that chronic heroin abuse induces brain functional abnormalities. The potential value of combining effective connectivity analysis and brain source decomposition methods in exploring brain alterations of heroin addicts is also implied.

Effective brain network analysis with resting-state EEG data: a comparison between heroin abstinent and non-addicted subjects.

PubMed

Hu, Bin; Dong, Qunxi; Hao, Yanrong; Zhao, Qinglin; Shen, Jian; Zheng, Fang

2017-08-01

Neuro-electrophysiological tools have been widely used in heroin addiction studies. Previous studies indicated that chronic heroin abuse would result in abnormal functional organization of the brain, while few heroin addiction studies have applied the effective connectivity tool to analyze the brain functional system (BFS) alterations induced by heroin abuse. The present study aims to identify the abnormality of resting-state heroin abstinent BFS using source decomposition and effective connectivity tools. The resting-state electroencephalograph (EEG) signals were acquired from 15 male heroin abstinent (HA) subjects and 14 male non-addicted (NA) controls. Multivariate autoregressive models combined independent component analysis (MVARICA) was applied for blind source decomposition. Generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) was applied for effective brain connectivity analysis. Effective brain networks of both HA and NA groups were constructed. The two groups of effective cortical networks were compared by the bootstrap method. Abnormal causal interactions between decomposed source regions were estimated in the 1-45 Hz frequency domain. This work suggested: (a) there were clear effective network alterations in heroin abstinent subject groups; (b) the parietal region was a dominant hub of the abnormally weaker causal pathways, and the left occipital region was a dominant hub of the abnormally stronger causal pathways. These findings provide direct evidence that chronic heroin abuse induces brain functional abnormalities. The potential value of combining effective connectivity analysis and brain source decomposition methods in exploring brain alterations of heroin addicts is also implied.

Functional Thinking Profile of Junior High School Student in Solving Mathematical Problem Observed by Differences of Sex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siregar, A. P.; Juniati, D.; Sulaiman, R.

2018-01-01

This study involving 2 grade VIII students was taken place in SMPK Anak Bangsa Surabaya. Subjects were selected using equal mathematics ability criteria. Data was collected using provision of problem-solving tasks and followed by a task-based interview. Obtained data was analysed through the following steps, which are data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. Meanwhile, to obtain a valid data, in this study, researchers used data triangulation. The results indicated that in the problem number 1 about identifying patterns, the subjects of male and female show a tendency of similarities in stating what is known and asked the question. However, the male students provided a more specific answer in explaining the magnitude of the difference between the first quantity and the increased differences in the other quantities. Related the activities in determining the relationship between two quantities, male subjects and women subject tended to have similarities in the sense of using trial and error on existing mathematical operations. It can be concluded that the functional way of thinking both subjects is relatively identic. Nevertheless, the male subject showed the more specific answer in finding the difference between the two quantities and finding the correspondence relationship between the quantities.

Correlation of psychomotor skills and didactic performance among dental students in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Afify, Ahmed R; Zawawi, Khalid H; Othman, Hisham I; Al-Dharrab, Ayman A

2013-01-01

Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between the psychomotor skills and the academic performance of dental students. Methods Didactic and preclinical scores were collected for students who graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2011. Three courses (Dental Anatomy, Removable Prosthodontic Denture, and Orthodontics) were selected. Correlations comparing didactic and practical scores were done for the total samples, then for the males and females separately. Results There was no significant correlation between the practical and didactic scores for the three courses for the total sample. There was a significant correlation between all three subjects in the didactic scores. For females, the results showed that there was only a significant correlation between the practical and didactic scores for Dental Anatomy. For males, no correlation was observed between the practical and didactic scores for all subjects. Conclusion In the present sample, didactic performance did not correlate well with the students’ psychomotor performance. PMID:24159266

Body composition in male elite athletes, comparison of bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

PubMed Central

Svantesson, Ulla; Zander, Martina; Klingberg, Sofia; Slinde, Frode

2008-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to compare body composition results from bioelectrical spectroscopy (BIS) with results from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a population of male elite athletes. Body composition was assessed using DXA (Lunar Prodigy, GE Lunar Corp., Madison, USA) and BIS (Hydra 4200, Xitron Technologies Inc, San Diego, California, USA) at the same occasion. Agreement between methods was assessed using paired t-tests and agreement-plots. Results Thirty-three male elite athletes (soccer and ice hockey) were included in the study. The results showed that BIS underestimates the proportion of fat mass by 4.6% points in the ice hockey players. In soccer players the BIS resulted in a lower mean fat mass by 1.1% points. Agreement between the methods at the individual level was highly variable. Conclusion Body composition results assessed by BIS in elite athletes should be interpreted with caution, especially in individual subjects. BIS may present values of fat mass that is either higher or lower than fat mass assessed by DXA, independent of true fat content of the individual. PMID:18211680

Rights and representations: querying the male-to-male sexual subject in India.

PubMed

Boyce, Paul; Khanna, Akshay

2011-01-01

Same-sex sexualities in India have been portrayed in research and activism as socially marginal and minoritarian. Whilst proceeding from a commitment to the political utility of such a view, this paper questions such a standpoint. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in different sites, the paper considers male-to-male sexualities as enacted and implicated in the production of ostensibly heteronormative spaces. This, in turn, raises questions about the representation of the queer or same-sex sexual subject in law and HIV prevention, especially in the context of post-colonial perspectives on sexuality.

Biological sex and social setting affects pain intensity and observational coding of other people's pain behaviors.

PubMed

Vigil, Jacob M; Coulombe, Patrick

2011-09-01

This experiment examines the impact of biological sex and audience composition on laboratory-induced ischemic pain intensity and observational coding of other people's pain behaviors. Situational context was manipulated by varying the sex and number of audience stimuli in the laboratory setting during the pain task and during observational evaluations of other people's pain suffering. The analyses revealed sex differences in felt pain intensity and observable pain behaviors, with male subjects reporting lower pain intensity and evidencing fewer pain behaviors than female subjects on average. Follow-up analyses revealed that, after controlling for social anxiety, audience composition was linked to felt pain intensity, and this relation was moderated by participant sex and audience sex, such that only male subjects showed decreased pain intensity with increasing number of female audience members. Sex differences were also found in the rating of other people's pain behaviors, with male observers rating the pain of others lower than female observers. Composition of the audience influenced observers' pain ratings such that the presence of more male subjects in the audience correlated with lower observer ratings, whereas the presence of more female subjects correlated with higher observer ratings. This is the first study to show that the sex and the composition of the social context in which pain is experienced affects the intensity of felt pain and the evaluation of other people's pain suffering. Implications of the findings for measuring and interpreting pain suffering in male and female patients by male and female treatment providers in health care settings are discussed. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Perceptions of midline deviations among different facial types.

PubMed

Williams, Ryan P; Rinchuse, Daniel J; Zullo, Thomas G

2014-02-01

The correction of a deviated midline can involve complicated mechanics and a protracted treatment. The threshold below which midline deviations are considered acceptable might depend on multiple factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of facial type on laypersons' perceptions of various degrees of midline deviation. Smiling photographs of male and female subjects were altered to create 3 facial type variations (euryprosopic, mesoprosopic, and leptoprosopic) and deviations in the midline ranging from 0.0 to 4.0 mm. Evaluators rated the overall attractiveness and acceptability of each photograph. Data were collected from 160 raters. The overall threshold for the acceptability of a midline deviation was 2.92 ± 1.10 mm, with the threshold for the male subject significantly lower than that for the female subject. The euryprosopic facial type showed no decrease in mean attractiveness until the deviations were 2 mm or more. All other facial types were rated as decreasingly attractive from 1 mm onward. Among all facial types, the attractiveness of the male subject was only affected at deviations of 2 mm or greater; for the female subject, the attractiveness scores were significantly decreased at 1 mm. The mesoprosopic facial type was most attractive for the male subject but was the least attractive for the female subject. Facial type and sex may affect the thresholds at which a midline deviation is detected and above which a midline deviation is considered unacceptable. Both the euryprosopic facial type and male sex were associated with higher levels of attractiveness at relatively small levels of deviations. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Focus of Attention and Putting Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boutcher, Stephen H.; Crews, Debra J.

The effect of a preshot attentional/behavioral routine on putting performance was investigated. Subjects were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) Male Routine (MR); (2) Female Routine (FR); (3) Male Control (MC); and (4) Female Control (FC). Subjects in the FR and MR groups were given individualized putting routines which focused on specific…

Expected Time of Test and the Acquisition of Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Ydewalle, G.; And Others

1981-01-01

Subjects from four physics or literature classes expected a delayed or an immediate test after their class. All were tested immediately. Male subjects expecting the immediate test performed better than males expecting a delayed test. Absence of interaction effects with personality measurement suggested the inadequacy of the goal gradient…

Self-reported body weight perception and dieting practices in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Strassnig, Martin; Brar, Jaspreet S; Ganguli, Rohan

2005-06-15

Many patients with schizophrenia are exposed to serious health risks associated with their excess body weight. Evidence exists that even a moderate amount of weight loss may have significant health benefits. Thus, weight control in schizophrenia patients has become an important treatment goal. Although studies in the general population show that satisfaction with body weight is an important predictor for engagement in various weight loss measures, the perspective of schizophrenia patients has not been assessed. Information on self-reported weight perception, desire to lose weight as well as weight loss attempts was obtained according to methods employed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Cycle III (NHANES III). Body weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Perception of body weight and desire to lose weight were correlated to BMI. Both obese female and male subjects (BMI30) were aware of their weight status. However, whereas overweight females (BMI>25< or =29.9) accurately perceived themselves so, males in this category had difficulties perceiving themselves overweight, and consequently neither wanted to lose weight, nor tried to lose weight. As means of weight loss, caloric restriction (diet) was most frequently employed (by more than 80% of study subjects); yet only a third of study subjects (34.4%) engaged in the recommended combination of diet and exercise to lose weight. Questionable weight loss practices were also frequently employed, especially among women. Obese patients (BMI> or =30) were generally aware of their excess body weight and wanted to lose weight. Only non-obese, yet overweight males (BMI>25< or =29.9) did not perceive themselves as overweight and consequently did not try to lose weight. Weight loss practices did not always follow established recommendations. Especially women were likely to approach weight loss with questionably appropriate and unsafe methods.

Is there a correlation of sonographic measurements of true vocal cords with gender or body mass indices in normal healthy volunteers?

PubMed Central

Bright, Leah; Secko, Michael; Mehta, Ninfa; Paladino, Lorenzo; Sinert, Richard

2014-01-01

Background: Ultrasound is a readily available, non-invasive technique to visualize airway dimensions at the patient's bedside and possibly predict difficult airways before invasively looking; however, it has rarely been used for emergency investigation of the larynx. There is limited literature on the sonographic measurements of true vocal cords in adults and normal parameters must be established before abnormal parameters can be accurately identified. Objectives: The primary objective of the following study is to identify the normal sonographic values of human true vocal cords in an adult population. A secondary objective is to determine if there is a difference in true vocal cord measurements in people with different body mass indices (BMIs). The third objective was to determine if there was a statistical difference in the measurements for both genders. Materials and Methods: True vocal cord measurements were obtained in healthy volunteers by ultrasound fellowship trained emergency medicine physicians using a high frequency linear transducer orientated transversely across the anterior surface of the neck at the level of the thyroid cartilage. The width of the true vocal cord was measured perpendicularly to the length of the cord at its mid-portion. This method was duplicated from a previous study to create a standard of measurement acquisition. Results: A total of 38 subjects were enrolled. The study demonstrated no correlation between vocal cord measurements and patient's characteristics of height, weight, or BMI's. When accounting for vocal cord measurements by gender, males had larger BMI's and larger vocal cord measurements compared with females subjects with a statistically significant different in right vocal cord measurements for females compared with male subjects. Conclusion: No correlation was seen between vocal cord measurements and person's BMIs. In the study group of normal volunteers, there was a difference in size between the male and female vocal cord size. PMID:24812456

The effect of Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) c.800C > T polymorphism on rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics in Chinese healthy males.

PubMed

Lou, Xiao-Ya; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Guo; Hu, Dong-Li; Guo, Dong; Tan, Zhi-Rong; Zhou, Hong-Hao; Chen, Yao; Bao, Hei-Hua

2014-10-01

This study was designed to investigate the potential association between NTCP c.800C >T polymorphism and rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics in Chinese healthy males. 305 individuals were enrolled to identify NTCP c.800C > T, OATP1B1 c.521T > C and BCRP c.421C > A genotypes by direct sequencing and pyrosequencing methods, respectively. 17 healthy volunteers who were OATP1B1 c.521TT and BCRP c.421CC wild-type homozygotes with different NTCP c.800C > T genotype were selected to participate in this pharmacokinetic study. Nine were NTCP c.800CC wild-type homozygotes and the other eight subjects were carriers with at least one c.800T variant allele (seven subjects with c.800CT genotype and one was homozygote of c.800TT). All the subjects received a single oral dose of 10 mg rosuvastatin. The plasma concentrations of rosuvastatin were measured up to 72 h by a LC-MS method. NTCP c.800C > T genetic polymorphism markedly effected rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics. The AUC(o-72) and AUC(0 --> ∞) in subjects with NTCP c.800CT + TT genotype were 56% (162.64 ± 37.55 vs. 103.99 ± 28.15 ng x h/ml, P = 0.016) and 57% greater (178.51 ± 42.75 vs. 113.60 ± 33.73 ng x h/ml, P = 0.020) than those in the c.800CC wild-type subjects, respectively. In the c.800CT + TT mutant group, the C(max) was about 78% higher than those in c.800CC genotype (14.31 ± 3.63 vs. 8.04 ± 1.72 ng x h/ml, P = 0.004). The oral clearance (CL/F) of rosuvastatin in subjects with the c.800CT+TT genotype was only 63% of those in the c.800CC genotype (58.32 ± 12.16 vs. 93.04 ± 20.61 ng x h/ml, P = 0.009). The half-time (T1/2) and the T(max) had no significant difference between two groups (p = 0.466 and 0.713, respectively). NTCP c.800C > T polymorphism play a critical role in the individual variability of rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics in Chinese healthy males after excluding the impact of OATP1B1 c.521T > C and BCRP c.421C > A polymorphisms.

Validation of the TONOPORT VI ambulatory blood pressure monitor in adults according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010.

PubMed

Abou-Dakn, M; Döhmen, C; Wenzel, S

2017-02-01

The present study aims to examine the performance of the TONOPORT VI ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitor in the inflation and deflation measurement methods, according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010 (ESH-IP 2010). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively) of 33 subjects (23 female, 10 male) were sequentially measured and compared with reference measurements obtained by two observers using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. The subjects were selected according to the recruitment instructions of the ESH-IP 2010. Three comparative readings were performed per subject. Among the 99 readings in the inflation measurement method were 92/94 (SBP/DBP) with differences ⩽5, 97/99 ⩽10 and 98/99 ⩽15 mm Hg. All of the 33 subjects had at least 2 out of 3 comparative readings with differences ⩽5 mm Hg and 0/0 of the subjects had no reading ⩽15 mm Hg. The validation of the deflation measurement method resulted in differences where 93/91 were ⩽5, 98/98 were ⩽10, and 99/99 were ⩽15 mm Hg. Thirty-two of the 33 subjects had at least 2 out of 3 comparative readings ⩽5 mm Hg and 0/0 of the subjects had no reading ⩽15 mm Hg. In conclusion, the TONOPORT VI, respectively, in the inflation and deflation measurement methods met all requirements of Part 1 and 2 of the ESH-IP 2010. Based on the study results, the TONOPORT VI can be recommended for BP measurements in adults.

Relationship between isometric shoulder strength and arms-only swimming power among male collegiate swimmers: study of valid clinical assessment methods.

PubMed

Awatani, Takenori; Morikita, Ikuhiro; Mori, Seigo; Shinohara, Junji; Tatsumi, Yasutaka

2018-04-01

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to confirm the relationships between shoulder strength (extensor strength and internal rotator strength) of the abducted position and swimming power during arm-only swimming. [Subjects and Methods] Fourteen healthy male collegiate swimmers participated in the study. Main measures were shoulder strength (strength using torque that was calculated from the upper extremity length and the isometric force of the abducted position) and swimming power. [Results] Internal rotation torque of the dominant side in the abducted external rotated position (r=0.85) was significantly correlated with maximum swimming power. The rate of bilateral difference in extension torque in the maximum abducted position (r=-0.728) was significantly correlated with the swimming velocity-to-swimming power ratio. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that internal rotator strength measurement in the abducted external rotated position and extensor strength measurement in the maximum abducted position are valid assessment methods for swimmers.

Impact of gender and sleep position on relationships between anthropometric parameters and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

Jeong, Jong In; Gu, Seonhye; Cho, Juhee; Hong, Sang Duk; Kim, Su Jin; Dhong, Hun-Jong; Chung, Seung-Kyu; Kim, Hyo Yeol

2017-05-01

Considering the mechanisms by which obesity affects obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and the differences of fat distribution depending on gender, associations between anthropometric parameters, and OSAS may differ depending on gender or sleep position. We analyzed the impact of gender and sleep position on the relationship between fat distribution and development of OSAS. One thousand thirty-two consecutive subjects were analyzed. Recorded anthropometric measurements and overnight polysomnographic data of the subjects were reviewed retrospectively. The presence of OSAS was defined by the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) ≥5 with documented symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness. Eight hundred fifty-eight males and 174 females were included. Male subjects had significantly higher body mass index (BMI), larger waist circumference (WC), and lower percent of overall body fat (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively). The severity of OSAS was significantly higher in male subjects (RDI 26.9 ± 22.4 in males vs. 10.2 ± 13.8 in females, P < 0.0001). In male subjects, BMI, WC, and overall body fat were significantly associated with severity of OSAS and had larger impacts on supine RDI than lateral RDI. Overall body fat was not associated with severity of OSAS in female subjects, and there were no significant differences of the associations between all anthropometric parameters and RDIs depending on sleep position. Evaluation of the correlation of anthropometric data with severity of OSAS should consider sleep position as well as gender.

Quantitative and ultrastructural analysis of inflammatory infiltrates in male pattern alopecia.

PubMed

Sueki, H; Stoudemayer, T; Kligman, A M; Murphy, G F

1999-09-01

In order to determine whether lymphocytic inflammation around the lower infundibula in male pattern alopecia is incidental or a general phenomenon, we performed morphometric and ultrastructural analysis of inflammatory infiltrates in the transitional zones of the vertex and occipital hairy scalps of 19 patients with male pattern alopecia. Six normal subjects served as controls. The number of inflammatory infiltrates around the follicular infundibula of the alopecic vertices and non-alopecic occiputs of male pattern alopecia patients was significantly greater than the corresponding control value. The number of mast cells in the widened fibrous tracts in the vertices of male pattern alopecia patients was significantly greater than those in the adventitial fibrotic sheaths of control subjects and the non-alopecic occiputs of male pattern alopecia patients. These data support the idea that the inflammatory process may be, at least in part, responsible for the development of male pattern alopecia.

Total body composition estimated by standing-posture 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis in male wrestlers.

PubMed

Cheng, M-F; Chen, Y-Y; Jang, T-R; Lin, W-L; Chen, J; Hsieh, K-C

2016-12-01

Standing-posture 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis is a fast and practical method for evaluating body composition in clinical settings, which can be used to estimate percentage body fat (BF%) and skeletal muscle mass in a subject's total body and body segments. In this study, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used as a reference method for validating the standing 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis device BC-418 (BIA 8 , Tanita Corp., Tokyo, Japan). Forty-eight Taiwanese male wrestlers aged from 17.9 to 22.3 years volunteered to participate in this study. The lean soft tissue (LST) and BF% in the total body and body segments were measured in each subject by the BIA 8 and DXA. The correlation coefficients between total body, arm, leg segments impedance index (BI, ht 2 /Z) and lean soft tissue mass measured from DXA were r = 0.902, 0.453, 0.885, respectively (p < 0.01). In addition, the total body and segmental LST estimated by the BIA 8 were highly correlated with the DXA data (r = 0.936, 0.466, 0.886, p < 0.01). The estimation of total body and segmental BF% measured by BIA 8 and DXA also showed a significant correlation (r > 0.820, p < 0.01). The estimated LST and BF% from BIA 8 in the total body and body segments were highly correlated with the DXA results, which indicated that the standing-posture 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis may be used to derive reference measures of LST and BF% in Taiwanese male wrestlers.

Cross-sectional study of the ophthalmological effects of carbon disulfide in Chinese viscose workers.

PubMed

Wang, Chunhong; Tan, Xiaodong; Bi, Yongyi; Su, Yongjun; Yan, Jun; Ma, Shiqing; He, Jun; Braeckman, Lutgart; De Bacquer, Dirk; Wang, Fuyuan; Vanhoorne, Michel

2002-07-01

This article presents cross-sectional investigation results of ophthalmological effects for the occupational exposure to carbon disulfide of workers at a large viscose fibre factory in the middle part of China. The total of 271 exposed subjects (191 males, 80 females) and 133 workers (93 males, 40 females) not exposed to any toxic agent in the working environment underwent ophthalmological examination. The self-administered questionnaire collected data on the medical history and ophthalmological complaints during the past three months. The ophthalmologic examination included routine examination for retinal capillary anomalies and and color vision with the FM 100-Hue test method. Nearly all subjects did not use respirators, smocks or aprons, gloves or other personal protective devices during work time. The average personal CS2 exposure level in the present study was 13.7-20.05 mg/m3. The FM 100-Hue test results showed that the total error scores of the exposed group, whether male or female, were higher than that of the control, the discrimination of the green and blue zones was also impaired significantly. A fundus examination showed no retinal capillary anomalies or other serious ophthalmological symptoms that may be related to effects of CS2. In conclusion, color vision was disturbed in workers exposed to CS2, at levels below the present threshold value. Reduced color discrimination may be attributed to long-term carbon disulfide exposure and suggests that health surveillance of workers exposed to carbon disulfide should include the FM 100-Hue Test as a sensitive and easy method.

A new method for automatic tracking of facial landmarks in 3D motion captured images (4D).

PubMed

Al-Anezi, T; Khambay, B; Peng, M J; O'Leary, E; Ju, X; Ayoub, A

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate the automatic tracking of facial landmarks in 3D image sequences. 32 subjects (16 males and 16 females) aged 18-35 years were recruited. 23 anthropometric landmarks were marked on the face of each subject with non-permanent ink using a 0.5mm pen. The subjects were asked to perform three facial animations (maximal smile, lip purse and cheek puff) from rest position. Each animation was captured by the 3D imaging system. A single operator manually digitised the landmarks on the 3D facial models and their locations were compared with those of the automatically tracked ones. To investigate the accuracy of manual digitisation, the operator re-digitised the same set of 3D images of 10 subjects (5 male and 5 female) at 1 month interval. The discrepancies in x, y and z coordinates between the 3D position of the manual digitised landmarks and that of the automatic tracked facial landmarks were within 0.17mm. The mean distance between the manually digitised and the automatically tracked landmarks using the tracking software was within 0.55 mm. The automatic tracking of facial landmarks demonstrated satisfactory accuracy which would facilitate the analysis of the dynamic motion during facial animations. Copyright © 2012 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isokinetic Testing in Evaluation Rehabilitation Outcome After ACL Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Cvjetkovic, Dragana Dragicevic; Bijeljac, Sinisa; Palija, Stanislav; Talic, Goran; Radulovic, Tatjana Nozica; Kosanovic, Milkica Glogovac; Manojlovic, Slavko

2015-01-01

Introduction: Numerous rehab protocols have been used in rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. Isokinetic testing is an objective way to evaluate dynamic stability of the knee joint that estimates the quality of rehabilitation outcome after ACL reconstruction. Our investigation goal was to show importance of isokinetic testing in evaluation thigh muscle strength in patients which underwent ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation protocol. Subjects and methods: In prospective study, we evaluated 40 subjects which were divided into two groups. Experimental group consisted of 20 recreational males which underwent ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon and rehabilitation protocol 6 months before isokinetic testing. Control group (20 subjects) consisted of healthy recreational males. In all subjects knee muscle testing was performed on a Biodex System 4 Pro isokinetic dynamo-meter et velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s. We followed average peak torque to body weight (PT/BW) and classic H/Q ratio. In statistical analysis Student’s T test was used. Results: There were statistically significant differences between groups in all evaluated parameters except of the mean value of PT/BW of the quadriceps et velocity of 60°/s (p>0.05). Conclusion: Isokinetic testing of dynamic stabilizers of the knee is need in diagnostic and treatment thigh muscle imbalance. We believe that isokinetic testing is an objective parameter for return to sport activities after ACL reconstruction. PMID:25870471

A voxel-based approach to gray matter asymmetries.

PubMed

Luders, E; Gaser, C; Jancke, L; Schlaug, G

2004-06-01

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze gray matter (GM) asymmetries in a large sample (n = 60) of male and female professional musicians with and without absolute pitch (AP). We chose to examine these particular groups because previous studies using traditional region-of-interest (ROI) analyses have shown differences in hemispheric asymmetry related to AP and gender. Voxel-based methods may have advantages over traditional ROI-based methods since the analysis can be performed across the whole brain with minimal user bias. After determining that the VBM method was sufficiently sensitive for the detection of differences in GM asymmetries between groups, we found that male AP musicians were more leftward lateralized in the anterior region of the planum temporale (PT) than male non-AP musicians. This confirmed the results of previous studies using ROI-based methods that showed an association between PT asymmetry and the AP phenotype. We further observed that male non-AP musicians revealed an increased leftward GM asymmetry in the postcentral gyrus compared to female non-AP musicians, again corroborating results of a previously published study using ROI-based methods. By analyzing hemispheric GM differences across our entire sample, we were able to partially confirm findings of previous studies using traditional morphometric techniques, as well as more recent, voxel-based analyses. In addition, we found some unusually pronounced GM asymmetries in our musician sample not previously detected in subjects unselected for musical training. Since we were able to validate gender- and AP-related brain asymmetries previously described using traditional ROI-based morphometric techniques, the results of our analyses support the use of VBM for examinations of GM asymmetries.

Variation of Skin Surface pH, Sebum Content and Stratum Corneum Hydration with Age and Gender in a Large Chinese Population

PubMed Central

Man, M.Q.; Xin, S.J.; Song, S.P.; Cho, S.Y.; Zhang, X.J.; Tu, C.X.; Feingold, K.R.; Elias, P.M.

2009-01-01

Background and Objectives Evidence suggests the importance of skin biophysical properties in predicting diseases and in developing appropriate skin care. The results to date of studies on skin surface pH, stratum corneum (SC) hydration and sebum content in both genders and at various ages have been inconclusive, which was in part due to small sample size. Additionally, little is known about the skin physical properties of Asian, especially Chinese, subjects. In the present study, we assess the difference in skin surface pH, sebum content and SC hydration at various ages and in both genders in a large Chinese population without skin diseases. Methods 713 subjects (328 males and 385 females) aged 0.5–94 years were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided by age into 5 groups, i.e., 0–12, 13–35, 36–50, 51–70 and over 70 years old. A multifunctional skin physiology monitor was used to measure SC hydration, skin surface pH and sebum content on both the forehead and the forearms. Results In males, the highest sebum content was found on the forearm and the forehead in the age groups 36–50 (93.47 ± 10.01 μg/cm2) and 51–70 years (9.16 ± 1.95 μg/cm2), while in females, the highest sebum content was found on the forearm and the forehead in the age groups 13–35 (61.91 ± 6.12 μg/cm2) and 51–70 years (7.54 ± 2.55 μg/cm2). The forehead sebum content was higher in males aged 13–70 years than in age-matched females; the sebum content on the forehead in both males and females was higher than that on the forearm. Skin surface pH on the forehead of both males and females over the age of 70 years was higher than that in younger groups. SC hydration on the forehead in both males and females was lower above the age of 70, and the one in males aged 13–35 was higher than that in females (43.99 ± 1.88 vs. 36.38 ± 1.67 AU, p < 0.01). SC hydration on the forehead in both males and females did not significantly differ from that on the forearm. Conclusions In a large Chinese cohort, the skin surface pH, sebum content and SC hydration vary with age, gender and body site. PMID:19648780

Effects of FMO3 Polymorphisms on Pharmacokinetics of Sulindac in Chinese Healthy Male Volunteers

PubMed Central

Tang, Yong-Jun; Hu, Kai; Liu, Zhi; Chen, Yao; Ouyang, Dong-Sheng; Zhou, Hong-Hao

2017-01-01

Sulindac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which is clinically used for the ailments of various inflammations. This study investigated the allele frequencies of FMO3 E158K and E308G and evaluated the influences of these two genetic polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of sulindac and its metabolites in Chinese healthy male volunteers. Eight FMO3 wild-type (FMO3 HHDD) subjects and seven FMO3 homozygotes E158K and E308G mutant (FMO3 hhdd) subjects were recruited from 247 healthy male volunteers genotyped by PCR-RFLP method. The plasma concentrations of sulindac, sulindac sulfide, and sulindac sulfone were determined by UPLC, while the pharmacokinetic parameters of the two different FMO3 genotypes were compared with each other. The frequencies of FMO3 E158K and E308G were 20.3% and 20.1%, respectively, which were in line with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (D′ = 0.977, r2 = 0.944). The mean values of Cmax, AUC0–24, and AUC0–∞ of sulindac were significantly higher in FMO3 hhdd group than those of FMO3 HHDD group (P < 0.05), while the pharmacokinetic parameters except Tmax of sulindac sulfide and sulindac sulfone showed no statistical difference between the two groups. The two FMO3 mutants were in close linkage disequilibrium and might play an important role in the pharmacokinetics of sulindac in Chinese healthy male volunteers. PMID:28331852

A novel effective method for the assessment of microvascular function in male patients with coronary artery disease: a pilot study using laser speckle contrast imaging.

PubMed

Borges, J P; Lopes, G O; Verri, V; Coelho, M P; Nascimento, P M C; Kopiler, D A; Tibirica, E

2016-09-01

Evaluation of microvascular endothelial function is essential for investigating the pathophysiology and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Although laser speckle contrast imaging technology is well accepted as a noninvasive methodology for assessing microvascular endothelial function, it has never been used to compare male patients with coronary artery disease with male age-matched healthy controls. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether laser speckle contrast imaging could be used to detect differences in the systemic microvascular functions of patients with established cardiovascular disease (n=61) and healthy age-matched subjects (n=24). Cutaneous blood flow was assessed in the skin of the forearm using laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of acetylcholine and post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. The maximum increase in skin blood flow induced by acetylcholine was significantly reduced in the cardiovascular disease patients compared with the control subjects (74 vs 116%; P<0.01). With regard to post-occlusive reactive hyperemia-induced vasodilation, the patients also presented reduced responses compared to the controls (0.42±0.15 vs 0.50±0.13 APU/mmHg; P=0.04). In conclusion, laser speckle contrast imaging can identify endothelial and microvascular dysfunctions in male individuals with cardiovascular disease. Thus, this technology appears to be an efficient non-invasive technique for evaluating systemic microvascular and endothelial functions, which could be valuable as a peripheral marker of atherothrombotic diseases in men.

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in a large unselected general population in Japan

PubMed Central

Yamagishi, Hatsushi; Koike, Tomoyuki; Ohara, Shuichi; Kobayashi, Shigeyuki; Ariizumi, Ken; Abe, Yasuhiko; Iijima, Katsunori; Imatani, Akira; Inomata, Yoshifumi; Kato, Katsuaki; Shibuya, Daisuke; Aida, Shigemitsu; Shimosegawa, Tooru

2008-01-01

AIM: To examine the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms in a large unselected general population in Japan. METHODS: In Japan, mature adults are offered regular check-ups for the prevention of gastric cancer. A notice was sent by mail to all inhabitants aged > 40 years. A total of 160 983 Japanese (60 774 male, 100 209 female; mean age 61.9 years) who underwent a stomach check up were enrolled in this study. In addition, from these 160 983 subjects, we randomly selected a total of 82 894 (34 275 male, 48 619 female; mean age 62.4 years) to evaluate the prevalence of abdominal pain. The respective subjects were prospectively asked to complete questionnaires concerning the symptoms of heartburn, dysphagia, and abdominal pain for a 1 mo period. RESULTS: The respective prevalences of the symptoms in males and females were: heartburn, 15.8% vs 20.7%; dysphagia, 5.4% vs 7.8%; and abdominal pain, 6.6% vs 9.6%. Among these symptoms, heartburn was significantly high compared with the other symptoms, and the prevalence of heartburn was significantly more frequent in females than in males in the 60-89-year age group. Dysphagia was also significantly more frequent in female patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of typical GERD symptoms (heartburn) was high, at about 20% of the Japan population, and the frequency was especially high in females in the 60-89 year age group. PMID:18322948

Parental overprotection increases interpersonal sensitivity in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Otani, Koichi; Suzuki, Akihito; Matsumoto, Yoshihiko; Kamata, Mitsuhiro

2009-01-01

The effect of parental rearing on interpersonal sensitivity was studied in 469 Japanese volunteers. Perceived parental rearing was assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument, which consists of the factors of care and protection, and interpersonal sensitivity was measured by the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM). In male subjects, higher IPSM scores were related to higher scores of paternal protection (P < .01) and maternal protection (P < .05). In female subjects, higher IPSM scores were related to higher scores of maternal protection (P < .001). The present study suggests that in both males and females, interpersonal sensitivity is increased by high protection of the same-sex parents and that in males there is an additional effect of high maternal protection.

Review of bulimia nervosa in males.

PubMed

Carlat, D J; Camargo, C A

1991-07-01

The authors describe the distribution of bulimia nervosa among males and identify characteristics that distinguish male bulimics from their female counterparts. Potential references were identified through an English-language literature search using MEDLINE (1966 to April 1990) and through extensive manual searching of textbooks and reviews. All published works with original data or hypotheses concerning bulimia in males were included. Bulimia affects approximately 0.2% of adolescent boys and young adult men, and males account for 10%-15% of all bulimic subjects identified in community-based studies. Compared to their female counterparts, male bulimics appear to have a later age of onset; higher prevalences of premorbid obesity, homosexuality, and asexuality; and less concern with strict weight control. These findings are discussed from biological, psychological, and cultural perspectives to develop a fuller understanding of the pathogenesis of bulimia in males. Bulimia in males has received relatively little attention in the literature. Future research should focus on more rigorous analytic studies that include matched comparison groups of female bulimic and male nonbulimic subjects. Such studies would not only benefit male bulimics but might provide insight into the nature of bulimia in both sexes.

Histopathological and Reproductive Evaluation in Male Rats Fed Jatropha curcas Seed Cake with or without Alkaline Hydrolysis and Subjected to Heat Treatment.

PubMed

Teixeira Sousa Moura, Laiane; Palomaris Mariano Souza, Domenica; Mendonça, Simone; de Aquino Ribeiro, José Antônio; Fernandes Sousa, Luciano; Tony Ramos, Adriano; Maiorka, Paulo César; de Araújo, Vera Lúcia; Mayumi Maruo, Viviane

2017-01-01

Jatropha curcas cake, a by-product of biodiesel production, is rich in protein and has potential to be used in livestock feed; however, the presence of antinutritional factors and phorbol esters limits its use. Thus, this study investigated toxicological and reproductive effects in male Wistar rats after subchronic exposure to J. curcas cake subjected to detoxification procedures. Rats were divided into seven groups ( n = 10) and treated for 60 days. The control group received commercial feed, while experimental groups received a diet containing 5% J . curcas cake nonhydrolyzed or hydrolyzed with 5 M NaOH. The cakes were unwashed or washed with ethanol or water and were autoclaved at 121°C for 30 minutes. Alkaline hydrolysis combined with ethanol washing decreased the phorbol ester concentration in the cake by 98%. Histopathological findings included diffuse degeneration of the liver and edema around the pulmonary vessels in the nonhydrolyzed groups. In addition, nontreated females mated with males of nonhydrolyzed unwashed group showed a decreased number of live fetuses and an increased placental weight. There were no signs of toxicity in rats given hydrolyzed cakes washed and unwashed, indicating that alkaline hydrolysis associated with heat treatment is an efficient method for detoxification of the J. curcas cake.

Histopathological and Reproductive Evaluation in Male Rats Fed Jatropha curcas Seed Cake with or without Alkaline Hydrolysis and Subjected to Heat Treatment

PubMed Central

Palomaris Mariano Souza, Domenica; Mendonça, Simone; de Aquino Ribeiro, José Antônio; Fernandes Sousa, Luciano; Maiorka, Paulo César; Mayumi Maruo, Viviane

2017-01-01

Jatropha curcas cake, a by-product of biodiesel production, is rich in protein and has potential to be used in livestock feed; however, the presence of antinutritional factors and phorbol esters limits its use. Thus, this study investigated toxicological and reproductive effects in male Wistar rats after subchronic exposure to J. curcas cake subjected to detoxification procedures. Rats were divided into seven groups (n = 10) and treated for 60 days. The control group received commercial feed, while experimental groups received a diet containing 5% J. curcas cake nonhydrolyzed or hydrolyzed with 5 M NaOH. The cakes were unwashed or washed with ethanol or water and were autoclaved at 121°C for 30 minutes. Alkaline hydrolysis combined with ethanol washing decreased the phorbol ester concentration in the cake by 98%. Histopathological findings included diffuse degeneration of the liver and edema around the pulmonary vessels in the nonhydrolyzed groups. In addition, nontreated females mated with males of nonhydrolyzed unwashed group showed a decreased number of live fetuses and an increased placental weight. There were no signs of toxicity in rats given hydrolyzed cakes washed and unwashed, indicating that alkaline hydrolysis associated with heat treatment is an efficient method for detoxification of the J. curcas cake. PMID:28620618

Quantitation of Oxidative Modifications of Commercial Human Albumin for Clinical Use.

PubMed

Takahashi, Teppei; Terada, Tomoyoshi; Arikawa, Hajime; Kizaki, Kazuha; Terawaki, Hiroyuki; Imai, Hajime; Itoh, Yoshinori; Era, Seiichi

2016-01-01

We investigated the quantitation of oxidative chemical modifications, such as thiol oxidation and carbonylation, in medical-grade human serum albumin (HSA) preparations, in comparison with those of healthy and diseased subjects. Four kinds of HSA products were obtained from three major suppliers in Japan. Eight male collegiate students and six healthy male volunteers were recruited as the young (21.6 years) and older (57.2 years) groups, respectively. Four male stable patients (64.3 years) treated with regular hemodialysis (HD) also enrolled in this study. Quantitative analyses for thiol oxidation and carbonylation were performed using HPLC and spectroscopic methods, respectively. Structural characterization was further investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD) spectropolarimetry. Significantly larger amounts of thiol-oxidized and carbonylated HSA products were observed than HSA obtained from healthy subjects. In the structural characterization, the midpoint temperature of the denaturation curve (Tm) analyzed by DSC was relatively high, and may have been caused by the added albumin-specific stabilizers, and CD-resolved secondary structure showed that HSA products had a helical conformation. Commercial HSA products for clinical use have a more thermally stable state and remain in a helix-rich structure, even though their specific amino acids (mainly Cys and Lys residues) are oxidatively modified.

Body measurements of Chinese males in dynamic postures and application.

PubMed

Wang, Y J; Mok, P Y; Li, Y; Kwok, Y L

2011-11-01

It is generally accepted that there is a relationship between body dimensions, body movement and clothing wearing ease design, and yet previous research in this area has been neither sufficient nor systematic. This paper proposes a method to measure the human body in the static state and in 17 dynamic postures, so as to understand dimensional changes of different body parts during dynamic movements. Experimental work is carried out to collect 30 measurements of 10 male Chinese subjects in both static and dynamic states. Factor analysis is used to analyse body measurement data in a static state, and such key measurements describe the characteristics of different body figures. Moreover, one-way ANOVA is used to analyse how dynamic postures affect these key body measurements. Finally, an application of the research results is suggested: a dynamic block patternmaking method for high-performance clothing design. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

About 42% of 154 remains from the "Battle of Le Mans", France (1793) belong to women and children: Morphological and genetic evidence.

PubMed

Thèves, Catherine; Cabot, Elodie; Bouakaze, Caroline; Chevet, Pierre; Crubézy, Éric; Balaresque, Patricia

2016-05-01

Mass graves were discovered in Le Mans and 154 skeletons were exhumed, representing a remarkable historical series of human remains from western France. We aimed to characterise the age-class and sex of these subjects, and to determine whether their profile fits with that of the Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée, who fought against the Republican Army during the Battle of Le Mans (12th-13th December, 1793). This atypical army was composed of male soldiers, but also of civilian people who followed the troops, including the elderly, children and women. In total 154 skeletons from nine mass graves were exhumed from 2009 to 2010. Two morphological methods were used to determine the sex of the subjects: the Probabilist Sexual Diagnosis (DSP) and Secondary Sexual Diagnosis (DSS) methods. Samples were handled cautiously to avoid any pre-laboratory contamination. Molecular genetic sex-typing using a recently developed assay was used to maximise sex-diagnosis of the ancient DNA samples, and 97 successful profiles including immatures were generated. Using morphological and genetic data combined, we successfully determined the sex of 93% of the subjects; 62% were male and 31% female. About 87% of subjects could be considered adults (>18 years old), 6% adolescents (15-19 years old) and 7% infants (<15 years old). Our results of an unexpected population profile for an armed conflict (42% were women and children), in addition to traumatological and historical elements, tend to confirm that these subjects were involved in the Battle of Le Mans, either actively (Republican Army, the Catholic and Royal Army) or passively (collateral victims from the civilian population of Le Mans). They represent 5-6% of the estimated 2500-3000 victims. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantification of toy sword kinematics with male pediatric volunteers.

PubMed

Beeman, Stephanie M; Rowson, Steven; Duma, Stefan M

2014-01-01

While extensive research in toy safety has been performed, data is unavailable with regard to the kinematics of toy swords. To improve upon design criteria, knowledge of a child’s physical capacity is essential. The purpose of this study was to quantify the linear and angular velocities generated by children swinging toy swords. A total of 36 male subjects, ages 4-14 years old, each participated in one trial. Subjects were instructed to swing a toy sword as fast and hard as possible for ~10 seconds. A Vicon motion analysis system was used to capture subject and sword kinematics. Peak linear and angular sword velocities were calculated. A strong correlation was identified between age and velocity. The 8-14 year old males were not significantly different. The 4 year old males generated significantly lower velocities than the 8-14 year old males. The 6 year old males produced significantly lower velocities than the 10- 14 year old males. It was concluded that age had a significant effect on the linear and angular velocities generated by children. The trends observed within this study likely result from typical pediatric and adolescent development. By accounting for the physical capabilities of a specific population, toys can be designed with decreased inherent risks of injury.

Assessment of tamsulosin as a potential male contraceptive in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Wang, Jin; Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Shao-bo; Xia, Qing-hua; Wei, Chun-xiao; Wang, Mu-wen; Sun, Peng; Jin, Xun-bo

2012-09-01

To investigate the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin, an α(1A)-adrenoceptor antagonist, as a potential male contraceptive. Forty healthy male volunteers were equally divided into 2 groups, each of which received placebo and tamsulosin sequentially in a crossover manner. Ejaculatory profile was examined 4 to 6 hours after administration and adverse effects were noted. Anejaculation occurred in all subjects after taking 0.8-mg of tamsulosin. Total functional sperm count was significantly reduced in subjects after taking 0.4-mg of tamsulosin. Six subjects receiving 0.8-mg of tamsulosin complained of tolerated discomfort, which disappeared 10 hours after administration. When administered at 0.8 mg, tamsulosin can cause anejaculation with some transient side effects. Our results imply that tamsulosin and related drugs might potentially be used as male contraceptive agents in the future, which needs more studies to verify. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics of self-mutilating behavior in Turkish male subjects with antisocial personality disorder: relationship to psychopathy.

PubMed

Alpay Ates, M; Algul, Ayhan; Semiz, Umit B; Gecici, Omer; Basoglu, Cengiz; Ebrinc, Servet; Cetin, Mesut

2011-05-01

The aims of this study were to determine the characteristics of self-mutilation (SM) and examine the relationship between SM and psychopathy in male subjects with antisocial personality disorder (APD). APD diagnosis was established by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis II Disorders. Subjects (N = 116) were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and a semi-structured self-mutilation questionnaire form. In males with APD, the percentages of psychopathy and SM were 48.3% (N =56) and 96.6% (N = 112), respectively. There were positive correlations between severity of psychopathy and severity, number, and frequency of SM. Considerably high rates of SM and psychopathy were found in Turkish males with APD. The features of SM were associated with comorbidity of psychopathy. These results showed the importance of exploring the self-injurious behavior and psychopathy when diagnosed with APD.

Evaluation of vocal fold vibration with an assessment form for high-speed digital imaging: comparative study between healthy young and elderly subjects.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Akihito; Imagawa, Hiroshi; Yokonishi, Hisayuki; Nito, Takaharu; Yamasoba, Tatsuya; Goto, Takao; Takano, Shingo; Sakakibara, Ken-Ichi; Tayama, Niro

2012-11-01

We conducted a prospective study with a subjective assessment form for high-speed digital imaging (HSDI) to elucidate the features of vocal fold vibrations in vocally healthy subjects and to clarify gender- and age-related differences. Healthy adult volunteers participated in this study. They were divided into young (aged 35 and younger) and elderly (aged 65 and older) groups, and the scores of an assessment form for HSDI characteristics elaborated at our institution were statistically analyzed. Twenty-six young subjects (males: 9, females: 17; mean age: 27 years) and 20 elderly subjects (males: 8, females: 12; mean age: 72 years) were assigned to our study. Posterior gap and posterior-to-anterior longitudinal phase difference were characteristic to young females, whereas in young males, mucosal wave, anterior-to-posterior longitudinal phase difference, and supraglottic hyperactivity were frequent. In elderly males, axis shift, asymmetry, supraglottic hyperactivity, increased mucosal wave, lateral phase difference, and anterior-to-posterior longitudinal phase difference were frequent; and in elderly females, high incidence of lateral phase difference, atrophic change, anterior gap, and asymmetry were observed. The results show that the behaviors of vocal fold vibrations were diverse even in healthy subjects with no vocal complaints or history of laryngeal diseases, and hence, the diversity of vocal fold vibrations in normal subjects must be taken into account in evaluating vocal fold vibrations. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Subjective Sexual Arousal to Films of Masturbation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosher, Donald L.; Abramson, Paul R.

1977-01-01

A film of a male or female masturbating was viewed by 96 males and 102 females. Males reported the highest level of sexual arousal to the female film and the lowest level of arousal to the male film. Females were sexually aroused by both films. (Author)

Investigating the Group-Level Impact of Advanced Dual-Echo fMRI Combinations

PubMed Central

Kettinger, Ádám; Hill, Christopher; Vidnyánszky, Zoltán; Windischberger, Christian; Nagy, Zoltán

2016-01-01

Multi-echo fMRI data acquisition has been widely investigated and suggested to optimize sensitivity for detecting the BOLD signal. Several methods have also been proposed for the combination of data with different echo times. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether these advanced echo combination methods provide advantages over the simple averaging of echoes when state-of-the-art group-level random-effect analyses are performed. Both resting-state and task-based dual-echo fMRI data were collected from 27 healthy adult individuals (14 male, mean age = 25.75 years) using standard echo-planar acquisition methods at 3T. Both resting-state and task-based data were subjected to a standard image pre-processing pipeline. Subsequently the two echoes were combined as a weighted average, using four different strategies for calculating the weights: (1) simple arithmetic averaging, (2) BOLD sensitivity weighting, (3) temporal-signal-to-noise ratio weighting and (4) temporal BOLD sensitivity weighting. Our results clearly show that the simple averaging of data with the different echoes is sufficient. Advanced echo combination methods may provide advantages on a single-subject level but when considering random-effects group level statistics they provide no benefit regarding sensitivity (i.e., group-level t-values) compared to the simple echo-averaging approach. One possible reason for the lack of clear advantages may be that apart from increasing the average BOLD sensitivity at the single-subject level, the advanced weighted averaging methods also inflate the inter-subject variance. As the echo combination methods provide very similar results, the recommendation is to choose between them depending on the availability of time for collecting additional resting-state data or whether subject-level or group-level analyses are planned. PMID:28018165

Anthropometric typology of male and female rowers using k-means clustering.

PubMed

Forjasz, Justyna

2011-06-01

The aim of this paper is to present the morphological features of rowers. The objective is to establish the type of body build best suited to the present requirements of this sports discipline through the determination of the most important morphological features in rowing with regard to the type of racing boat. The subjects of this study included competitors who practise rowing and were members of the Junior National Team. The considered variables included a group of 32 anthropometric measurements of body composition determined using the BIA method among male and female athletes, while also including rowing boat categories. In order to determine the analysed structures of male and female rowers, an observation analysis was taken into consideration and performed by the k-means clustering method. In the group of male and female rowers using long paddles, higher mean values for the analysed features were observed, with the exception of fat-free mass, and water content in both genders, and trunk length and horizontal reach in women who achieved higher means in the short-paddle group. On the men's team, both groups differed significantly in body mass, longitudinal features, horizontal reach, hand width and body circumferences, while on the women's, they differed in body mass, width and length of the chest, body circumferences and fat content. The method of grouping used in this paper confirmed morphological differences in the competitors with regard to the type of racing boat.

Anthropometric Typology of Male and Female Rowers Using K-Means Clustering

PubMed Central

Forjasz, Justyna

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the morphological features of rowers. The objective is to establish the type of body build best suited to the present requirements of this sports discipline through the determination of the most important morphological features in rowing with regard to the type of racing boat. The subjects of this study included competitors who practise rowing and were members of the Junior National Team. The considered variables included a group of 32 anthropometric measurements of body composition determined using the BIA method among male and female athletes, while also including rowing boat categories. In order to determine the analysed structures of male and female rowers, an observation analysis was taken into consideration and performed by the k-means clustering method. In the group of male and female rowers using long paddles, higher mean values for the analysed features were observed, with the exception of fat-free mass, and water content in both genders, and trunk length and horizontal reach in women who achieved higher means in the short-paddle group. On the men’s team, both groups differed significantly in body mass, longitudinal features, horizontal reach, hand width and body circumferences, while on the women’s, they differed in body mass, width and length of the chest, body circumferences and fat content. The method of grouping used in this paper confirmed morphological differences in the competitors with regard to the type of racing boat. PMID:23486287

Profiles of Juvenile Male Incest Perpetrators: Preliminary Treatment Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nanjundappa, G.; And Others

1987-01-01

Evaluated the effects on participants' self-image of sexual offenses they had committed. Subjects (N=6) were male adolescents convicted of child molestation in a residential treatment and care facility. Results suggested subjects (who were themselves victims of family violence) perceived an above average self-image and handled their problems by…

Race and Physical Attractiveness as Criteria for White Subjects' Dating Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Bem P.

1976-01-01

Experiments involving "desirability for a date" ratings of black and white stimulus persons who varied in attractiveness indicated white male and female subjects gave appreciable weight to race and attractiveness, but females gave race more weight than attractiveness, while attractiveness was given more weight than race by males. (Author)

Lifespan Attitudes toward Death.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Gail; Maiden, Robert

To more fully understand how attitudes toward death and dying develop and change across the lifespan, 90 male and female subjects between the ages of 2 and 18 years and 90 male and female subjects between the ages of 18 and 97 were administered questionnaires and interviews about dying. The results revealed that children's attitudes were…

Efficacy of Sex Determination from Human Dental Pulp Tissue and its Reliability as a Tool in Forensic Dentistry.

PubMed

Khanna, Kaveri Surya

2015-01-01

Sex determination is one of the primary steps in forensics. Barr body can be used as a histological method for identification of sex as it is found to be specific to female somatic cells and rare in male cells. To demarcate human dental pulp as an important identification tool of sex in forensic odontology (FO) and to evaluate the time period till which sex can be determined from pulp tissue using three stains H and E, Feulgen, and acridine - orange under fluorescence so as. 90 pulp samples (45 males and 45 females) were subjected to Barr body analysis for determination of sex using light and fluorescent microscopy. Barr body was found to be positive for female samples and negative or rare in the male sample (<3%). Barr body from human dental pulp tissue can be used as a successful determinant of sex identification in FO.

Media suicide-reports, Internet use and the occurrence of suicides between 1987 and 2005 in Japan

PubMed Central

Hagihara, Akihito; Tarumi, Kimio; Abe, Takeru

2007-01-01

Background Previous investigations regarding the effects of suicide reports in the media on suicide incidence in Japan have been limited and inconclusive and, although Internet use has greatly increased, its influence on suicide is completely unknown. Thus, the relationship between newspaper articles about suicide, Internet use, and the incidence of suicide in Japan was examined. Methods A linear model was fitted to time series data from January 1987 to March 2005 (218 months). Results Consistent with previous findings, the number of newspaper articles about suicide was a predictor of suicide among both male and female subjects. Internet use was also a predictor of suicide among males, probably because males spent more time online than females. Conclusion Because this is the first, preliminary study examining the association between Internet use and suicide, further research is required to verify the present findings. PMID:17996117

Understanding the Use of Graphic Novels to Support the Writing Skills of a Struggling Writer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voss, Christina L.

2013-01-01

This mixed methods study combining a single-subject experimental design with an embedded case study focuses on the impact of a visual treatment on the handwritten and typed output of a struggling male writer during his 5th through 7th grades who has undergone a longitudinal remedial phase of two and a half years creating text-only material as well…

A study of blood serotonin and serotonin transporter promoter variant (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism in Egyptian autistic children

PubMed Central

Meguid, Nagwa A.; Gebril, Ola H.; Khalil, Rehab O.

2015-01-01

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with onset during early childhood. Most studies have reported an elevation in platelet serotonin in persons with autism. The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter in the brain uptakes 5-HT from extracellular spaces. It is also present in platelets, where it takes up 5-HT from plasma. Polymorphisms in serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) were frequently studied in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Materials and Methods: We have measured the plasma 5-HT levels in 20 autistic male children and 20 control male children by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. In addition, the SLC6A4 promoter region (5-HTTLPR) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism was studied, using whole genomic DNA. Results: Plasma serotonin was significantly low in autistic children compared to control (P = 0.001), although correlation to severity of autism was not significant. The frequency of short (S) allele in autism cases was 10% and in the control group it was absent. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an increased prevalence of 5-HTTLPR S allele in autism subjects. Significantly decreased plasma serotonin was detected in autism subjects, with no significant relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotype and plasma 5-HT being evident. PMID:26015920

Chronologic age and skeletal maturation of the cervical vertebrae and hand-wrist: is there a relationship?

PubMed

Uysal, Tancan; Ramoglu, Sabri Ilhan; Basciftci, Faruk Ayhan; Sari, Zafer

2006-11-01

The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the relationship between chronologic age and maturation of cervical vertebrae, (2) to identify the relationship between chronologic age and maturation stage evaluated by hand-wrist radiographs, and (3) to determine whether the maturation of cervical vertebrae correlates with maturation indicated by hand-wrist radiographs in a Turkish population. The samples were derived from lateral cephalometric and hand-wrist radiographs of 503 subjects (213 male, 290 female; ages, 5.3-24.1 years). Cervical vertebral development was evaluated by the method of Hassel and Farman. Skeletal maturation of each hand-wrist radiograph was determined according to the method described by Björk and Grave, and Brown's system. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were estimated separately for males and females to measure the relationships among chronologic age, cervical vertebral maturation, and the skeletal maturation measured at the hand-wrist. The Spearman correlation coefficients were 0.72 (P <.001) between chronologic age and cervical vertebrae skeletal maturation, and 0.79 (P < .001) between chronologic age and maturation via hand-wrist radiographs. The correlation coefficient between hand-wrist and cervical-vertebrae maturation was 0.86 (P <.001). The cervical-vertebrae maturation stages are clinically useful maturity indicators of the pubertal growth period Turkish subjects.

Database of normal human cerebral blood flow measured by SPECT: II. Quantification of I-123-IMP studies with ARG method and effects of partial volume correction.

PubMed

Inoue, Kentaro; Ito, Hiroshi; Shidahara, Miho; Goto, Ryoi; Kinomura, Shigeo; Sato, Kazunori; Taki, Yasuyuki; Okada, Ken; Kaneta, Tomohiro; Fukuda, Hiroshi

2006-02-01

The limited spatial resolution of SPECT causes a partial volume effect (PVE) and can lead to the significant underestimation of regional tracer concentration in the small structures surrounded by a low tracer concentration, such as the cortical gray matter of an atrophied brain. The aim of the present study was to determine, using 123I-IMP and SPECT, normal CBF of elderly subjects with and without PVE correction (PVC), and to determine regional differences in the effect of PVC and their association with the regional tissue fraction of the brain. Quantitative CBF SPECT using 123I-IMP was performed in 33 healthy elderly subjects (18 males, 15 females, 54-74 years old) using the autoradiographic method. We corrected CBF for PVE using segmented MR images, and analyzed quantitative CBF and regional differences in the effect of PVC using tissue fractions of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in regions of interest (ROIs) placed on the cortical and subcortical GM regions and deep WM regions. The mean CBF in GM-ROIs were 31.7 +/- 6.6 and 41.0 +/- 8.1 ml/100 g/min for males and females, and in WM-ROIs, 18.2 +/- 0.7 and 22.9 +/- 0.8 ml/100 g/min for males and females, respectively. The mean CBF in GM-ROIs after PVC were 50.9 +/- 12.8 and 65.8 +/- 16.1 ml/100 g/min for males and females, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the effect of PVC among ROIs, but not between genders. The effect of PVC was small in the cerebellum and parahippocampal gyrus, and it was large in the superior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule and precentral gyrus. Quantitative CBF in GM recovered significantly, but did not reach values as high as those obtained by invasive methods or in the H2(15)O PET study that used PVC. There were significant regional differences in the effect of PVC, which were considered to result from regional differences in GM tissue fraction, which is more reduced in the frontoparietal regions in the atrophied brain of the elderly.

Predicting fat-free mass in children using bioimpedance analysis.

PubMed

Pietrobelli, A; Andreoli, A; Cervelli, V; Carbonelli, M G; Peroni, D G; De Lorenzo, A

2003-10-01

Body composition assessment is a useful procedure for the study of nutritional status and water distribution. In adults, it is a predictor of morbidity and mortality, since body fatness is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) is a simple, safe, and inexpensive method for assessment of body composition both in pediatric and adult subjects. The aim of our study was to validate the impedance index, ZI (H(2)/Z, height in cm(2)/impedance), as a predictor factor of fatfree mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) in a sample ( n=75) of normal children. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was chosen as reference method. Despite some minor bias, DXAis considerably less expensive and easier to administer in pediatric subjects than other established gold standard reference methods for assessing body composition. ZI values were highly correlated with FFM measured with DXA. The following equations were obtained from the regression analysis: (a). male subjects, FFM(DXA)=0.6375 (ZI)+5.9913, r(2)=0.897, p<0.0001; (b). female subjects, FFM(DXA)=0.7597 (ZI)+ 3.5853, r(2)=0.903, p<0.0001. These data support the notion that BIA alone can be used as a surrogate to measure FFM in a pediatric sample.

Gender difference of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in DD genotype of ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism in elderly Chinese.

PubMed

Zhang, Ya-Feng; Cheng, Qiong; Tang, Nelson L S; Chu, Tanya T W; Tomlinson, Brian; Liu, Fan; Kwok, Timothy C Y

2014-12-01

In this study we investigated the gender difference of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in a population of Hong Kong-dwelling elderly Chinese. A total of 1767 (843 male, 924 female) Hong Kong-dwelling elderly Chinese were recruited. ACE I/D genotypes were identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification and serum ACE activity was determined using a commercially available kinetic kit. ACE I/D genotype distribution was compared by chi-square test, the correlation between ACE I/D polymorphism and serum ACE activity was analysed by ANOVA test and gender difference of serum ACE activity of different genotypes was compared by independent sample t-test. No statistically significant difference of genotype distribution between male and female subjects was found. Serum ACE activity was significantly correlated with ACE genotype. Overall, there was no gender difference of serum ACE activity; however, when sub-grouping the subjects by ACE I/D genotype, male subjects with DD genotype had higher serum ACE activity than female subjects with DD genotype. No significant gender difference of genotype distribution was found in elderly Chinese. Serum ACE activity was significantly correlated with ACE I/D polymorphism in elderly Chinese. Male subjects with DD genotype had higher serum ACE activity than female subjects with DD genotype. © The Author(s) 2013.

Effect of progressive resistance exercise with neuromuscular joint facilitation on the dynamic balance performance of junior soccer players.

PubMed

Wang, Hongzhao; Huo, Ming; Guan, Peipei; Onoda, Ko; Chen, Di; Huang, Qiuchen; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2015-11-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the change in dynamic balance performance of junior soccer players after progressive resistance treatment with neuromuscular joint facilitation (NJF). [Subjects] The subjects were 14 healthy males who were divided into two groups, namely the NJF and control groups. The NJF group consisted of 8 subjects, and the control group consisted of 6 subjects. [Methods] The participants in the NJF group received NJF progressive resistance treatment. Dynamic balance performance was measured before and after 3 weeks of exercise. [Results] Significant improvement in dynamic balance performance was observed both in the NJF and control groups. In the NJF group, dynamic balance performance was significantly increased compared with that in the control group. [Conclusion] The NJF intervention shortened movement time, which implies that NJF is effective for dynamic balance performance.

Excercise Within LBNP as an Artificial Gravity Countermeasure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hargens, A. R.; Watenpaugh, D. E.; Lee, S. M. C.; Meyer, R. S.; Macias, B.; Tanaka, K.; Kimura, S.; Steinbach, G.; Groppo, E.; Khalili, N.;

Orthodontic treatment need in Asian adult males.

PubMed

Soh, Jen; Sandham, Andrew

2004-12-01

Orthodontic treatment in adults has gained social and professional acceptance in recent years. An assessment of orthodontic treatment need helps to identify individuals who will benefit from treatment and safeguard their interest. The purpose of this study was to assess the objective and subjective levels of orthodontic treatment need in a sample of orthodontically untreated adult Asian males. A sample of male army recruits (n = 339, age 17-22 years, Chinese = 258, Malay = 60, Indian = 21) with no history of orthodontic treatment or craniofacial anomalies participated in the study on a voluntary basis with informed consent. Impressions for study models were taken. Objective treatment need was assessed based on study model analysis using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Questionnaires were used to assess subjective treatment need based on subjective esthetic component (EC) ratings. Fifty percentage of the sample had a definite need for orthodontic treatment (dental health component [DHC] grades 4 and 5), whereas 29.2% had a moderate need for treatment (DHC grades 3). The occlusal trait most commonly identified was dental crossbite. Malay males had the highest percentage with a definite need for treatment for both dental health and esthetic reasons in comparison with Chinese and Indian males. However, there was no difference in the level of treatment need among the ethnic groups (P > .05). No correlation between objective and subjective EC scores was found (P > .05). A high level of investigator-identified treatment need was not supported by a similar level of subject awareness among the adult sample.

Zinc balance of twenty healthy elderly subjects consuming self-selected diets

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

Souza, M.C.; Prather, E.S.; Rhodes, D.G.

1991-03-15

Dietary zinc (Zn) intake and balance were determined in ten male and ten female free-living, healthy, elderly subjects on self-selected diets over a period of seven consecutive days. Zn content in the diet, fecal and urine composites for each subject was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean age for the 20 participants was 73.9 years. Mean Zn intakes were 8.9 and 23.3 mg/day for females and males, respectively. Female dietary intakes ranged from 8.2 to 26.8 mg Zn/day. However, three of the males took Zn supplements which extended the total intake range to 64.9 mg/day. Mean Zn balances were +0.1more » and +5.1 mg/day for females and males, respectively; ranges for females were {minus}0.1 to +4.3 mg/day and for males were {minus}7.3 to +15.1 mg/day. The 1989 RDAs are 15 mg for males and 12 mg for females. Only three females consumed more than 12 mg Zn/day. Only 2 males consumed more than 15 mg/day from their diet; two other males consumed more than 15 mg due to Zn supplements. Total dietary phytate (TDP) and total dietary fiber (TDF) were calculated from the 7-day weighed food records. Mean TDP intake for females was 1,159 mg/day; mean TDP for the males was 1,661 mg/day. Mean TDF intake for females was 19 g/day; mean TDF for males was 30 g/day.« less

The effect of high-intensity circuit training on physical fitness.

PubMed

Schmidt, Dan; Anderson, Kaz; Graff, Marissa; Strutz, Victoria

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a high-intensity circuit training regimen, using only body weight as resistance, on physical fitness. Ninety-six recreationally active college aged subjects (53 female, 43 male) completed the study. Following baseline testing for height and weight, body composition, aerobic fitness, muscle strength and muscle endurance, subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 7-minute circuit training (CT-7), 14-minute circuit training (CT-14), and a non-training control group (C). Subjects in the CT-7 group (females, N.=17; males, N.=15) were asked to complete a seven minute circuit training workout for eight weeks (three workouts per week). The CT-14 group (females, N.=15; males, N.=13) followed the same protocol as CT-7 through the first four weeks. For the second four weeks they increased exercise time to 14 minutes with the same 7 minute circuit performed twice consecutively. Subjects in group C (females, N.=21; males, N.=15) maintained their normal activity levels throughout the course of the study. There were no significant differences between the groups for any variables tested prior to the exercise intervention. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant improvements in muscular endurance (push-ups) for both male and female subjects in the CT-7 and CT-14 groups. Males in the two exercising groups also showed improvement in muscular strength while aerobic capacity increased for females in the CT-14 group. These results suggest that short duration, high intensity circuit training may improve muscle endurance in moderately fit populations. Slight improvements that are gender specific may also be observed in muscle strength as well as aerobic fitness.

Effect of Gender on the Total Abdominal Fat, Intra-Abdominal Adipose Tissue and Abdominal Sub-Cutaneous Adipose Tissue among Indian Hypertensive Patients.

PubMed

Sahoo, Jaya Prakash; Kumari, Savita; Jain, Sanjay

2016-04-01

Abdominal obesity is a better marker of adverse metabolic profile than generalized obesity in hypertensive subjects. Further, gender has effect on adiposity and its distribution. Effect of gender on obesity and the distribution of fat in different sub-compartments of abdomen among Indian hypertensive subjects. This observational study included 278 adult subjects (Males-149 & Females-129) with essential hypertension from a tertiary care centre in north India over one year. A detailed history taking and physical examination including anthropometry were performed in all patients. Total Abdominal Fat (TAF) and abdominal adipose tissue sub-compartments like Intra-Abdominal Adipose Tissue (IAAT) and Sub-Cutaneous Adipose Tissue (SCAT) were measured using the predictive equations developed for Asian Indians. Female hypertensive subjects had higher Body Mass Index (BMI) with more overweight (BMI ≥ 23kg/m(2)), and obesity (BMI≥ 25 kg/m(2)). Additionally, they had higher prevalence of central obesity based on both Waist Circumference (WC) criteria (WC≥ 90 cm in males and WC≥ 80 cm in females) and TAF criteria {≥245.6 cm(2) (males) and ≥203.46 cm(2) (females)} than male patients. But there was no difference in the prevalence of central obesity based on Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) criteria (WHR ≥0.90 in males and WHR ≥ 0.85 in females) between two genders. High TAF & IAAT were present in more females although there was no difference in the distribution of high SCAT between two genders. Female hypertensive subjects were more obese with higher abnormal TAF & IAAT compared to male patients. However, there was no difference in the distribution of high SCAT among them.

Measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles using virtual touch imaging quantification ultrasound-Elastography: a cross section study.

PubMed

Heizelmann, Anne; Tasdemir, Sümeyra; Schmidberger, Julian; Gräter, Tilmann; Kratzer, Wolfgang; Grüner, Beate

2017-08-25

This study uses virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ) technology for the first time to conduct measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles in a large study population. The significance of various influencing factors, such as age and sex, are also examined. The study population comprised 278 subjects. The Siemens Acuson S3000 and VTIQ technology were used for measurements of the trapezius and erector spinae muscles (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). The following mean values ± standard deviation were calculated: left trapezius: males 2.89 ± 0.38 m/s, females 2.71 ± 0.37 m/s; right trapezius: males 2.84 ± 0.41 m/s, females 2.70 ± 0.38 m/s; left erector spinae: males 2.97 ± 0.50 m/s, females 2.81 ± 0.57 m/s; right erector spinae: males 3.00 ± 0.52 m/s, females 2.77 ± 0.59 m/s. A significant difference between male and female subjects was demonstrated both for the shear wave velocities of the trapezius and erector spinae as well as for the thickness of the trapezius muscle (p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in muscle elasticity between subjects over 60 years of age and those under 60 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the results indicate that regular physical activity has an effect on muscle elasticity. Our results demonstrate significantly different results between male and female subjects and between under- and over-sixty-year-old subjects. This means that sex-related and age-adapted considerations are obviously needed for further studies.

High dose androgen therapy in male pseudohermaphroditism due to 5 alpha-reductase deficiency and disorders of the androgen receptor.

PubMed

Price, P; Wass, J A; Griffin, J E; Leshin, M; Savage, M O; Large, D M; Bu'Lock, D E; Anderson, D C; Wilson, J D; Besser, G M

1984-10-01

We describe the clinical and biochemical features of six men with male pseudohermaphroditism due to androgen resistance. Each of the subjects had male-gender behavior but incomplete virilization. The underlying defects in androgen metabolism were defined by studies of the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme and the androgen receptor in fibroblasts cultured from biopsies of genital skin. Four of the six have 5 alpha-reductase deficiency, and two have defects of the androgen receptor (the Reifenstein syndrome). The responses of these men to androgen treatment were assessed by monitoring nitrogen balance, plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) values, and clinical parameters of virilization including penile growth, potency and ejaculatory volume, muscle bulk, and growth of body and facial hair. In all of the subjects with 5 alpha-reductase deficiency and one man with the Reifenstein syndrome significant response occurred, as evidence by nitrogen retention, lowered plasma LH levels, and improved virilization, with doses of parenteral testosterone esters that raised plasma testosterone levels above the normal male range and brought plasma dihydrotestosterone levels into the normal male range. The subject who did not respond with clinical virilization nevertheless showed nitrogen retention in response to acute testosterone administration. This patient had a profound deficiency of the androgen receptor, whereas the man with a receptor defect who did respond clinically to therapy had normal amounts of a qualitatively abnormal receptor. We conclude that high dose androgen therapy may be of benefit in improving virilization, self-image, and sexual performance in subjects with 5 alpha-reductase deficiency who have male-gender behavior and in some subjects with defects of the androgen receptor.

PROSPECTIVE FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE TESTING AND RELATIONSHIP TO LOWER EXTREMITY INJURY INCIDENCE IN ADOLESCENT SPORTS PARTICIPANTS

PubMed Central

DePhillipo, Nick; Kimura, Iris; Kocher, Morgan; Hetzler, Ronald

2017-01-01

Background Due to the high number of adolescent athletes and subsequent lower extremity injuries, improvements of injury prevention strategies with emphasis on clinic-based and practical assessments are warranted. Purpose The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate if a battery of functional performance tests (FPT) could be used as a preseason-screening tool to identify adolescent athletes at risk for sports-related acute lower extremity injury via comparison of injured and uninjured subjects. Methods One hundred adolescent volleyball, basketball and soccer athletes (female, n=62; male, n=38; mean age = 14.4 ± 1.6) participated. The FPT assessment included: triple hop for distance, star excursion balance test, double leg lowering maneuver, drop jump video test, and multi-stage fitness test. Composite scores were calculated using a derived equation. Subjects were monitored throughout their designated sport season(s), which consisted of a six-month surveillance period. The schools certified athletic trainer (ATC) recorded all injuries. Subjects were categorized into groups according to sex and injury incidence (acute lower extremity injury vs. uninjured) for analysis. Results Mean FPT composite scores were significantly lower for the injured compared to the uninjured groups in both sexes (males: 19.06 ± 3.59 vs. 21.90 ± 2.44; females: 19.48 ± 3.35 vs. 22.10 ± 3.06 injured and uninjured, respectively)(p < .05). The receiver-operator characteristic analysis determined the cut-off score at ≤ 20 for both genders (sensitivity=.71, specificity=.81, for males; sensitivity=.67, specificity=.69, for females)(p<.05) for acute noncontact lower extremity injuries. Significant positive correlations were found between the FPT composite score and the multi-stage fitness test in male subjects (r=.474, p=.003), suggesting a relationship between functional performance, aerobic capacity, and potential injury risk. Conclusion A comprehensive assessment of functional performance tests may be beneficial to identify high-injury risk adolescents prior to athletic participation. PMID:28515975

Scapulothoracic Muscle Activity during Use of a Wall Slide Device (WSD), a Comparison with the General Wall Push up Plus

PubMed Central

Park, Se-yeon; Ahn, Tae-kyung; Eom, Ji-hwan; Youn, Hyun-ji; Kim, In-kwang; Yoo, Won-gyu

2014-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the wall slide device on activation of the scapulothoracic musculature. [Subjects] We recruited 15 healthy male subjects. [Methods] The subjects performed the general wall push-up plus (WPUP) and the wall slide with device (WSD) exercises. During the exercises, the muscle activities of the upper and lower trapezius (UT, LT), middle and lower serratus anterior (MSA, LSA), and pectoralis major (PM) were measured. [Results] The normalized muscle activity data of the WSD were significantly higher in UT, MSA and LSA than the WPUP. [Conclusion] Our results suggest that exercise using the WSD can more effectively activate the scapulothoracic musculature than the general WPUP. PMID:25013271

Relationship between hamstring length and gluteus maximus strength with and without normalization.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Kyu; Oh, Jae-Seop

2018-01-01

[Purpose] This study assessed the relationship between hamstring length and gluteus maximus (GM) strength with and without normalization by body weight and height. [Subjects and Methods] In total, 34 healthy male subjects volunteered for this study. To measure GM strength, subjects performed maximal hip joint extension with the knee joints flexed to 90° in the prone position. GM strength was normalized for body weight and height. [Results] GM strength with normalization was positively correlated with hamstring length, whereas GM strength without normalization was negatively correlated with hamstring length. [Conclusion] The normalization of GM strength by body weight and height has the potential to lead to more appropriate conclusions and interpretations about its correlation with hamstring length. Hamstring length may be related to GM strength.

Male Asian international students' perceived racial discrimination, masculine identity, and subjective masculinity stress: a moderated mediation model.

PubMed

Wong, Y Joel; Tsai, Pei-Chun; Liu, Tao; Zhu, Qingqing; Wei, Meifen

2014-10-01

This study examined male Asian international college students' perceptions of racial discrimination, subjective masculinity stress, centrality of masculine identity, and psychological distress by testing a moderated mediation model. Participants were 160 male Asian international college students from 2 large public universities. Participants' perceived racial discrimination was positively related to their subjective masculinity stress only at high (but not low) levels of masculine identity centrality. Additionally, subjective masculinity stress was positively related to psychological distress, although this association was stronger among those who reported high levels of masculine identity centrality. The authors also detected a moderated mediation effect in which subjective masculinity stress mediated the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and psychological distress only at high (but not low) levels of masculine identity centrality. These findings contribute to the counseling psychology literature by highlighting the connections between race- and gender-related stressors as well as the relevance of masculine identity to an understanding of men's mental health. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

The Subjective Sexual Arousal Scale for Men (SSASM): preliminary development and psychometric validation of a multidimensional measure of subjective male sexual arousal.

PubMed

Althof, Stanley E; Perelman, Michael A; Rosen, Raymond C

2011-08-01

Sexual arousal is a multifaceted process that involves both mental and physical components. No instrument has been developed and validated to assess subjective aspects of male sexual arousal. To develop and psychometrically validate a self-administered scale for assessing subjective male sexual arousal. Using recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on patient-reported outcome instruments, important aspects of male sexual arousal were identified via qualitative research (focus groups and interviews) of U.S. men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and healthy controls. After a preliminary questionnaire was developed by a panel of experts, a quantitative study of men with ED and controls was conducted to psychometrically validate the Subjective Sexual Arousal Scale for Men (SSASM). To develop a male sexual arousal scale and determine its factor structure, reliability, and construct validity. Five aspects of male sexual arousal were identified from the qualitative focus groups and cognitive interviews. Men's preferred language for describing sexual arousal and preferred response formats were incorporated into the questions. Factor analysis of data from the quantitative study of 304 men aged 21 to 70 years identified five domains with eigenvalues >1: sexual performance (six items), mental satisfaction (five items), sexual assertiveness (three items), partner communication (three items), and partner relationship (three items). The five domains had a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha values 0.88-0.94). Test-retest reliability over a 2- to 4-week period was high-moderately high (r values 0.75-0.88) for the five domain scores. Correlations between SSASM domain scores and standardized scale scores for social desirability, general health, life satisfaction, and sexual function demonstrated the construct validity of the scale. Preliminary validation data suggest that the 20-item SSASM scale may be useful as a multidimensional, reliable, self-administered instrument for assessing subjective sexual arousal in men of different ages. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Reference Range and Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in the Korean Population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2015

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background No nationwide epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of subclinical and overt forms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has yet been conducted in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the reference range of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the national prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Korea. Methods Nation-wide cross-sectional data were analyzed from a representative sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized Korean population (n=6,564) who underwent blood testing for thyroid function and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013 to 2015). Results The reference interval of serum TSH in the Korean reference population was 0.62 to 6.68 mIU/L. Based on this reference interval, the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism was 0.73% (males 0.40%, females 1.10%) and 3.10% (males 2.26%, females 4.04%), respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age until the age group between 50 to 59 years. Positive TPOAb were found in 7.30% of subjects (males 4.33%, females 10.62%). The prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism TPOAb-positive subjects was 5.16% and 10.88%, respectively. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.54% (males 0.30%, females 0.81%) and 2.98% (males 2.43%, females, 3.59%), respectively. Conclusion The Serum TSH reference levels in the Korean population were higher than the corresponding levels in Western countries. Differences were found in the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism according to age, sex, and TPOAb positivity. This study provides important baseline information for understanding patterns of thyroid dysfunction and diseases in Korea. PMID:28116874

A Gender-based Comparison in Health Behaviors and State of Happiness among University Students

PubMed Central

Rehman, Rehana; Zafar, Amara; Mohib, Aleena

2018-01-01

Objective The presence of good healthy behaviors among university students is imperative for their future life. This study aimed to compare positive health behaviors and state of happiness between the two genders of Bahria University (BU), Karachi, Pakistan. Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at BU, Karachi, Pakistan. A total 813 students participated in this study. The health questionnaire, adapted from Health and Behavior Survey and the Subjective Happiness Scale, was used to assess self-reported happiness. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. Results Overall self-reported health behaviors were found to be more prevalent in females as compared to males, but males reported a better self-reported general health (p = 0.012). Testicular and breast self-examination was not common in both genders. Smoking was found to be more common in males (p < 0.01). Males exhibited habit of regular breakfast (p = 0.013) whereas females showed a tendency to avoid food rich in cholesterol and fat (p < 0.01) and the practice of consuming food rich in fiber was found to be more prevalent among females (p < 0.01) and they showed urge to lose weight (p < 0.01). Sleep disturbance was found in both genders, more so in females (p = 0.012). Consciousness about dental hygiene was common in females (p < 0.01). As compared to the females, more males strongly believe that they are very happy in life (p < 0.01), and they make the most out of everything in life (p < 0.01). Conclusion There was a diverse response to positive health behaviors and state of happiness in both genders. PMID:29796354

Reliability, precision, and gender differences in knee internal/external rotation proprioception measurements.

PubMed

Nagai, Takashi; Sell, Timothy C; Abt, John P; Lephart, Scott M

2012-11-01

To develop and assess the reliability and precision of knee internal/external rotation (IR/ER) threshold to detect passive motion (TTDPM) and determine if gender differences exist. Test-retest for the reliability/precision and cross-sectional for gender comparisons. University neuromuscular and human performance research laboratory. Ten subjects for the reliability and precision aim. Twenty subjects (10 males and 10 females) for gender comparisons. All TTDPM tests were performed using a multi-mode dynamometer. Subjects performed TTDPM at two knee positions (near IR or ER end-range). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC (3,k)) and standard error of measurement (SEM) were used to evaluate the reliability and precision. Independent t-tests were used to compare genders. TTDPM toward IR and ER at two knee positions. Intrasession and intersession reliability and precision were good (ICC=0.68-0.86; SEM=0.22°-0.37°). Females had significantly diminished TTDPM toward IR at IR-test position (males: 0.77°±0.14°, females: 1.18°±0.46°, p=0.021) and TTDPM toward IR at the ER-test position (males: 0.87°±0.13°, females: 1.36°±0.58°, p=0.026). No other significant gender differences were found (p>0.05). The current IR/ER TTDPM methods are reliable and accurate for the test-retest or cross-section research design. Gender differences were found toward IR where the ACL acts as the secondary restraint. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggressive Erotica and Violence against Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnerstein, Edward

1980-01-01

Examines the effects of aggressive-erotic stimuli on male aggression toward females. Male subjects' deliveries of electric shocks to males or females after viewing either a neutral, erotic, or aggressive-erotic film were measured. (Author/SS)

Spatial parameters of walking gait and footedness.

PubMed

Zverev, Y P

2006-01-01

The present study was undertaken to assess whether footedness has effects on selected spatial and angular parameters of able-bodied gait by evaluating footprints of young adults. A total of 112 males and 93 females were selected from among students and staff members of the University of Malawi using a simple random sampling method. Footedness of subjects was assessed by the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire Revised. Gait at natural speed was recorded using the footprint method. The following spatial parameters of gait were derived from the inked footprint sequences of subjects: step and stride lengths, gait angle and base of gait. The anthropometric measurements taken were weight, height, leg and foot length, foot breadth, shoulder width, and hip and waist circumferences. The prevalence of right-, left- and mix-footedness in the whole sample of young Malawian adults was 81%, 8.3% and 10.7%, respectively. One-way analysis of variance did not reveal a statistically significant difference between footedness categories in the mean values of anthropometric measurements (p > 0.05 for all variables). Gender differences in step and stride length values were not statistically significant. Correction of these variables for stature did not change the trend. Males had significantly broader steps than females. Normalized values of base of gait had similar gender difference. The group means of step length and normalized step length of the right and left feet were similar, for males and females. There was a significant side difference in the gait angle in both gender groups of volunteers with higher mean values on the left side compared to the right one (t = 2.64, p < 0.05 for males, and t = 2.78, p < 0.05 for females). One-way analysis of variance did not demonstrate significant difference between footedness categories in the mean values of step length, gait angle, bilateral differences in step length and gait angle, stride length, gait base and normalized gait variables of male and female volunteers (p > 0.05 for all variables). The present study demonstrated that footedness does not affect spatial and angular parameters of walking gait.

Effect of hepatitis B virus infection on sperm quality and oxidative stress state of the semen of infertile males.

PubMed

Qian, Li; Li, Qiong; Li, Haibo

2016-09-01

The effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on sperm quality and oxidative stress state of the semen of infertile males remain undetermined. Normal males and 60 semen samples from infertile males (with or without HBV infection) were subjected to semen analysis. Semen volume, semen pH, sperm density, percentage of forward, movement of sperm, sperm activation rate, sperm survival rate, rate of normal sperm morphology of infertile males with HBV infection were significantly lower than those of infertile males without genital infection and of normal males (P<.05), while interleukin (IL)-17, IL-18, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in subjects with HBV infection were significantly higher than those of infertile males without genital infection and of normal males (P<.05). In patients with HBV infection, MDA level was found to be negatively correlated with semen quality, but positively correlated with semen IL-17 and IL-18 concentrations. HBV infection increased MDA level, induced abnormal expression of IL-17 and IL-18, and negatively affected male reproductive capacity, resulting in male infertility. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Restoration of Muscle Mitochondrial Function and Metabolic Flexibility in Type 2 Diabetes by Exercise Training Is Paralleled by Increased Myocellular Fat Storage and Improved Insulin Sensitivity

PubMed Central

Meex, Ruth C.R.; Schrauwen-Hinderling, Vera B.; Moonen-Kornips, Esther; Schaart, Gert; Mensink, Marco; Phielix, Esther; van de Weijer, Tineke; Sels, Jean-Pierre; Schrauwen, Patrick; Hesselink, Matthijs K.C.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE Mitochondrial dysfunction and fat accumulation in skeletal muscle (increased intramyocellular lipid [IMCL]) have been linked to development of type 2 diabetes. We examined whether exercise training could restore mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eighteen male type 2 diabetic and 20 healthy male control subjects of comparable body weight, BMI, age, and Vo2max participated in a 12-week combined progressive training program (three times per week and 45 min per session). In vivo mitochondrial function (assessed via magnetic resonance spectroscopy), insulin sensitivity (clamp), metabolic flexibility (indirect calorimetry), and IMCL content (histochemically) were measured before and after training. RESULTS Mitochondrial function was lower in type 2 diabetic compared with control subjects (P = 0.03), improved by training in control subjects (28% increase; P = 0.02), and restored to control values in type 2 diabetic subjects (48% increase; P < 0.01). Insulin sensitivity tended to improve in control subjects (delta Rd 8% increase; P = 0.08) and improved significantly in type 2 diabetic subjects (delta Rd 63% increase; P < 0.01). Suppression of insulin-stimulated endogenous glucose production improved in both groups (−64%; P < 0.01 in control subjects and −52% in diabetic subjects; P < 0.01). After training, metabolic flexibility in type 2 diabetic subjects was restored (delta respiratory exchange ratio 63% increase; P = 0.01) but was unchanged in control subjects (delta respiratory exchange ratio 7% increase; P = 0.22). Starting with comparable pretraining IMCL levels, training tended to increase IMCL content in type 2 diabetic subjects (27% increase; P = 0.10), especially in type 2 muscle fibers. CONCLUSIONS Exercise training restored in vivo mitochondrial function in type 2 diabetic subjects. Insulin-mediated glucose disposal and metabolic flexibility improved in type 2 diabetic subjects in the face of near–significantly increased IMCL content. This indicates that increased capacity to store IMCL and restoration of improved mitochondrial function contribute to improved muscle insulin sensitivity. PMID:20028948

Sexual behaviors, sexual orientation and gender identity in adult intersexuals: a pilot study.

PubMed

Schober, J M

2001-06-01

Sexual preference and adjustment of intersexuals have rarely been investigated. Interview techniques were used to explore these issues. Ten adult intersexuals (average age 34.2 years) were randomly selected from Intersex Society of North America members. Of the 10 subjects 8 had initially been gender assigned as female and 2 as male. A structured telephone interview was used to assess sexual orientation, sexual activity and satisfaction with gender assignment. Sexual debut occurred at age 18.1 years (range 15 to 22). At debut, 4 females and 2 males engaged in heterosexual intercourse, and 4 females engaged in gynephilic (female) sexual contact. Despite female gender assignment of 8 and initial heterosexual activity by 4 subjects, the final choice of a sexual partner was female in all 8. Both males had initial heterosexual contact but only 1 continued to prefer female partners. Current number of sexual partners averaged 0.9 (range 0 to 2) and total number of sexual partners ranged from 1 to 300. Currently, 9 subjects are in a committed sexual relationship and 8 are able to achieve orgasm. Of the subjects 8 preferred being identified as intersexual, 1 male as male and 1 female as female. Two intersexuals with initial female gender assignment were undergoing male reassignment. Most intersexuals preferred being identified as intersexual and had female partners. Most reported being satisfied with overall physical appearance but satisfaction with genitalia was highly variable. Based on these results, further study of a larger population is warranted.

Determination of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase cut-off values in a Tunisian population.

PubMed

Laouini, Naouel; Sahli, Chaima Abdelhafidh; Jouini, Latifa; Haloui, Sabrine; Fredj, Sondes Hadj; Daboubi, Rym; Siala, Hajer; Ouali, Faida; Becher, Meriam; Toumi, Nourelhouda; Bibi, Amina; Messsaoud, Taieb

2017-07-26

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the commonest enzymopathy worldwide. The incidence depends essentially on the methods used for the assessment. In this respect, we attempted in this study to set cut-off values of G6PD activity to discriminate among normal, heterozygous, and deficient individuals using the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Blood samples from 250 female and 302 male subjects were enrolled in this study. The G6PD activity was determined using a quantitative assay. The common G6PD mutations in Tunisia were determined using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR) method. The ROC curve was used to choice the best cut-off. Normal G6PD values were 7.69±2.37, 7.86±2.39, and 7.51±2.35 U/g Hb for the entire, male, and female groups, respectively. Cut-off values for the total, male, and female were determined using the WHO classification and ROC curves analysis. In the male population, both cut-offs established using ROC curve analysis (4.00 U/g Hb) and the 60% level (3.82 U/g Hb), respectively are sensitive and specific resulting in a good efficiency of discrimination between deficient and normal males. For the female group the ROC cut-off (5.84 U/g Hb) seems better than the 60% level cut-off (3.88 U/g Hb) to discriminate between normal and heterozygote or homozygote women with higher Youden Index. The establishment of the normal values for a population is important for a better evaluation of the assay result. The ROC curve analysis is an alternative method to determine the status of patients since it correlates DNA analysis and G6PD activity.

Estimation of Correlation between Chronological Age, Skeletal Age and Dental Age in Children- A Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Macha, Madhulika; Lamba, Bharti; Avula, Jogendra Sai Sankar; Muthineni, Sridhar; Margana, Pratap Gowd Jai Shankar; Chitoori, Prasad

2017-09-01

In the modern era, identification and determination of age is imperative for diversity of reasons that include disputed birth records, premature delivery, legal issues and for validation of birth certificate for school admissions, adoption, marriage, job and immigration. Several growth assessment parameters like bone age, dental age and the combination of both have been applied for different population with variable outcomes. It has been well documented that the chronological age does not necessarily correlate with the maturational status of a child. Hence, efforts were made to determine a child's developmental age by using dental age (calcification of teeth) and skeletal age (skeletal maturation). The present study was aimed to correlate the chronological age, dental age and skeletal age in children from Southeastern region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Out of the total 900 screened children, only 100 subjects between age groups of 6-14 years with a mean age of 11.3±2.63 for males and 10.77±2.24 for females were selected for the study. Dental age was calculated by Demirjian method and skeletal age by modified Middle Phalanx of left hand third finger (MP3) method. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation tests were done to estimate the correlation between chronological, dental and skeletal ages among study population. There was a significant positive correlation between chronological age, dental age and all stages of MP3 among males. Similar results were observed in females, except for a non-significant moderate correlation between chronological age and dental age in the H stage of the MP3 region. The results of the present study revealed correlation with statistical significance (p<0.05) between chronological, dental and skeletal ages among all the subjects (48 males and 52 females) and females attained maturity earlier than males in the present study population.

Groundwater Contaminated with Hexavalent Chromium [Cr (VI)]: A Health Survey and Clinical Examination of Community Inhabitants (Kanpur, India)

PubMed Central

Sharma, Priti; Bihari, Vipin; Agarwal, Sudhir K.; Verma, Vipin; Kesavachandran, Chandrasekharan N.; Pangtey, Balram S.; Mathur, Neeraj; Singh, Kunwar Pal; Srivastava, Mithlesh; Goel, Sudhir K.

2012-01-01

Background We assessed the health effects of hexavalent chromium groundwater contamination (from tanneries and chrome sulfate manufacturing) in Kanpur, India. Methods The health status of residents living in areas with high Cr (VI) groundwater contamination (N = 186) were compared to residents with similar social and demographic features living in communities having no elevated Cr (VI) levels (N = 230). Subjects were recruited at health camps in both the areas. Health status was evaluated with health questionnaires, spirometry and blood hematology measures. Cr (VI) was measured in groundwater samples by diphenylcarbazide reagent method. Results Residents from communities with known Cr (VI) contamination had more self-reports of digestive and dermatological disorders and hematological abnormalities. GI distress was reported in 39.2% vs. 17.2% males (AOR = 3.1) and 39.3% vs. 21% females (AOR = 2.44); skin abnormalities in 24.5% vs. 9.2% males (AOR = 3.48) and 25% vs. 4.9% females (AOR = 6.57). Residents from affected communities had greater RBCs (among 30.7% males and 46.1% females), lower MCVs (among 62.8% males) and less platelets (among 68% males and 72% females) than matched controls. There were no differences in leucocytes count and spirometry parameters. Conclusions Living in communities with Cr (VI) groundwater is associated with gastrointestinal and dermatological complaints and abnormal hematological function. Limitations of this study include small sample size and the lack of long term follow-up. PMID:23112863

[Determination of normal reference value of pyrrole adducts in urine in young people in a university in Shandong, China].

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Wang, Yiping; Zhou, Zhenwei; Wang, Shuo; Yin, Hongyin; Xie, Keqin

2015-06-01

To determine the normal reference value of pyrrole adducts in urine in young people in a university in Shandong, China, and to provide a reliable basis for the clinical diagnosis of n-hexane poisoning. A total of 240 college students were randomly selected. After excluding 32 ineligible students, 208 subjects were included in this study, consisting of 104 males and 104 females, with a mean age of 21?3 years (range: 18 to 24 years). Morning urine was collected from each subject. The content of pyrrole adducts was determined by chromatometry. The content of pyrrole adducts in both male and female obeyed a positively skewed distribution. The median level of pyrrole adducts in male subjects was 0.88 nmol/ml, and the reference value was 0.14-3.92 nmol/ml. The median level of pyrrole adducts in female subjects was 0.93 nmol/ ml, and the reference value was 0.09-3.27 nmol/ml. Student's t test identified no statistical difference in pyrrole adduct level between male and female subjects (t=0.15, P>0.05). The median level of pyrrole adducts in normal young people is 0.91 nmol/ml, and the reference value is 0.11-3.95 nmol/ml.

Morphometric analysis of cervical spinal canal diameter, transverse foramen, and pedicle width using computed tomography in Indian population.

PubMed

Sureka, Binit; Mittal, Aliza; Mittal, Mahesh K; Agarwal, Kanhaiya; Sinha, Mukul; Thukral, Brij Bhushan

2018-01-01

Accurate and detailed measurements of spinal canal diameter (SCD) and transverse foraminal morphometry are essential for understanding spinal column-related diseases and for surgical planning, especially for transpedicular screw fixation. This is especially because lateral cervical radiographs do not provide accurate measurements. This study was conducted to measure the dimensions of the transverse foramen sagittal and transverse diameters (SFD, TFD), SCD, and the distance of spinal canal from the transverse foramina (dSC-TF) at C1-C7 level in the Indian population. The study population comprised 84 male and 42 female subjects. The mean age of the study group was 44.63 years (range, 19-81 years). A retrospective study was conducted, and data were collected and analyzed for patients who underwent cervical spine computed tomography (CT) imaging for various reasons. One hundred and twenty-six patients were included in the study. Detailed readings were taken at all levels from C1-C7 for SCD, SFD, TFD, and dSc-TF. Values for male and female subjects were separately calculated and compared. For both the groups, the widest SCD were measured at the C1 level and the narrowest SCD at the C4 level. The narrowest SFD was measured at C7 for both male and female subjects on the right and left sides. The widest SFD was measured at C1 both for male and female subjects on the right and left side. The narrowest TFD on the left side was measured at C7 for male and at C1 for female subjects. The narrowest mean distance of dSC-TF was found to be at C4 for both male and female subjects on both left and right side. The computed tomographic (CT) imaging is better than conventional radiographs for the preoperative evaluation of cervical spine and for better understanding cervical spine morphometry. Care must be taken during transpedicular screw fixation, especially in female subjects, more so at the C2, C4, and C6 levels due to a decrease in the distance of dSC-TF.

Parkinson Disease Detection from Speech Articulation Neuromechanics.

PubMed

Gómez-Vilda, Pedro; Mekyska, Jiri; Ferrández, José M; Palacios-Alonso, Daniel; Gómez-Rodellar, Andrés; Rodellar-Biarge, Victoria; Galaz, Zoltan; Smekal, Zdenek; Eliasova, Ilona; Kostalova, Milena; Rektorova, Irena

2017-01-01

Aim: The research described is intended to give a description of articulation dynamics as a correlate of the kinematic behavior of the jaw-tongue biomechanical system, encoded as a probability distribution of an absolute joint velocity. This distribution may be used in detecting and grading speech from patients affected by neurodegenerative illnesses, as Parkinson Disease. Hypothesis: The work hypothesis is that the probability density function of the absolute joint velocity includes information on the stability of phonation when applied to sustained vowels, as well as on fluency if applied to connected speech. Methods: A dataset of sustained vowels recorded from Parkinson Disease patients is contrasted with similar recordings from normative subjects. The probability distribution of the absolute kinematic velocity of the jaw-tongue system is extracted from each utterance. A Random Least Squares Feed-Forward Network (RLSFN) has been used as a binary classifier working on the pathological and normative datasets in a leave-one-out strategy. Monte Carlo simulations have been conducted to estimate the influence of the stochastic nature of the classifier. Two datasets for each gender were tested (males and females) including 26 normative and 53 pathological subjects in the male set, and 25 normative and 38 pathological in the female set. Results: Male and female data subsets were tested in single runs, yielding equal error rates under 0.6% (Accuracy over 99.4%). Due to the stochastic nature of each experiment, Monte Carlo runs were conducted to test the reliability of the methodology. The average detection results after 200 Montecarlo runs of a 200 hyperplane hidden layer RLSFN are given in terms of Sensitivity (males: 0.9946, females: 0.9942), Specificity (males: 0.9944, females: 0.9941) and Accuracy (males: 0.9945, females: 0.9942). The area under the ROC curve is 0.9947 (males) and 0.9945 (females). The equal error rate is 0.0054 (males) and 0.0057 (females). Conclusions: The proposed methodology avails that the use of highly normalized descriptors as the probability distribution of kinematic variables of vowel articulation stability, which has some interesting properties in terms of information theory, boosts the potential of simple yet powerful classifiers in producing quite acceptable detection results in Parkinson Disease.

Higher serum choline and betaine levels are associated with better body composition in male but not female population

PubMed Central

Gao, Xiang; Randell, Edward; Zhou, Haicheng

2018-01-01

Background Animal studies proved that choline and betaine have beneficial effect on reducing body fat. However, evidence in humans is scarce. We aim to investigate the association between serum choline and betaine levels with body composition in general population. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional study performed in 1081 subjects from the CODING (Complex Disease in Newfoundland population: Environment and Genetics) study. Serum choline and betaine levels were measured based on liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry technology. Body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry following a 12-hour fast. Major confounding factors including age, sex, total calorie intake and physical activity level were controlled in all analyses. Results Significantly inverse correlations were found between serum betaine levels and all obesity measurements in males (r ranged from -0.12 to -0.23, and p<0.01 for all) but not in females. Serum choline was negatively associated with total percent body fat (%BF), percent trunk fat (%TF), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (r ranged from -0.11 to -0.19, and p<0.05 for all) in males and positively associated with weight, BMI and WC (r ranged from 0.09 to 0.10, and p<0.05 for all) in females. The negative associations between serum choline and betaine levels with obesity in males were more profound in those not on any medication than those taking medications. Moreover, obese males had the lowest serum choline and betaine levels, followed by overweight males, and normal weight males having the highest serum choline and betaine levels, especially in those not taking medications (p<0.05). Likewise, subjects with the highest serum levels of both had the lowest obesity indexes, especially those not taking medications. Conclusions Higher serum choline and betaine levels were associated with a more favorable body composition (lower body fat and higher lean body mass) in males and the favorable association was more pronounced in non-medication users. PMID:29462191

Gender Differences in Isokinetic Strength after 60 and 90 d Bed Rest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, K. L.; Ploutz-Snyder, R. J.; Cromwell, R. L.; Ploutz-Snyder, L. L.

2010-01-01

Recent reports suggest that changes in muscle strength following disuse may differ between males and females. PURPOSE: To examine potential gender differences in strength changes following 60 and 90 d of experimental bed rest. METHODS: Isokinetic extensor and flexor strength of the knee (60deg and 180deg/s, concentric only), ankle (30deg/s, concentric and eccentric), and trunk (60deg/s, concentric only) were measured following 60 d (males: n=4, 34.5+/-9.6 y; females: n=4, 35.5+/-8.2 y) and 90 d (males: n=10, 31.4+/-4.8 y; females: n=5, 37.6+/-9.9 y) of 6-degree head-down-tilt bed rest (BR; N=23). Subjects were fed a controlled diet (55%/15%/ 30%, CHO/PRO/FAT) that maintained body weight within 3% of the weight recorded on Day 3 of bed rest. After a familiarization session, testing was conducted 6 d before BR and 2 d after BR completion. Peak torque and total work were calculated for the tests performed. To allow us to combine data from both 60- and 90-d subjects, we used a mixed-model statistical analysis in which time and gender were fixed effects and bed rest duration was a random effect. Log-transformations of strength measures were utilized when necessary in order to meet statistical assumptions. RESULTS: Main effects were seen for both time and gender (p<0.05), showing decreased strength in response to bed rest for both males and females, and males stronger than females for most strength measures. Only one interaction effect was observed: females exhibited a greater loss of trunk extensor peak torque at 60 d versus pre-BR, relative to males (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Sixty and 90 d of BR induced significant losses in isokinetic muscle strength of the locomotor and postural muscles of the knee, ankle, and trunk. Although males were stronger than females for most of the strength measures that we examined, only changes in trunk extensor peak torque were greater for females than males at day 60 of bed rest

A Single-Wing Removal Method to Assess Correspondence Between Gene Expression and Phenotype in Butterflies: The Case of Distal-less.

PubMed

Adhikari, Kiran; Otaki, Joji M

2016-02-01

It is often desirable but difficult to retrieve information on the mature phenotype of an immature tissue sample that has been subjected to gene expression analysis. This problem cannot be ignored when individual variation within a species is large. To circumvent this problem in the butterfly wing system, we developed a new surgical method for removing a single forewing from a pupa using Junonia orithya; the operated pupa was left to develop to an adult without eclosion. The removed right forewing was subjected to gene expression analysis, whereas the non-removed left forewing was examined for color patterns. As a test case, we focused on Distal-less (Dll), which likely plays an active role in inducing elemental patterns, including eyespots. The Dll expression level in forewings was paired with eyespot size data from the same individual. One third of the operated pupae survived and developed wing color patterns. Dll expression levels were significantly higher in males than in females, although male eyespots were smaller in size than female eyespots. Eyespot size data showed weak but significant correlations with the Dll expression level in females. These results demonstrate that a single-wing removal method was successfully applied to the butterfly wing system and suggest the weak and non-exclusive contribution of Dll to eyespot size determination in this butterfly. Our novel methodology for establishing correspondence between gene expression and phenotype can be applied to other candidate genes for color pattern development in butterflies. Conceptually similar methods may also be applicable in other developmental systems.

Factors associated with "Ikigai" among members of a public temporary employment agency for seniors (Silver Human Resources Centre) in Japan; gender differences

PubMed Central

Shirai, Kokoro; Iso, Hiroyasu; Fukuda, Hideki; Toyoda, Yasuhiro; Takatorige, Toshio; Tatara, Kozo

2006-01-01

Background "Ikigai" is culturally defined in the society of Japan as a comprehensive concept describing subjective well-being. It is considered to be related to life-satisfaction, self-esteem, morale, happiness as well as evaluation towards meaning of one's life. Although previous studies examined factors associated with Ikigai with smaller samples, consistent results have not been obtained, especially from the viewpoint of gender differences. Identification of gender-specific factors related with Ikigai among the elderly, may be of value to enhance subjective well-being. Methods Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among 4,737 randomly selected members of the Silver Human Resources Centre (SHRC), a public temporary employment agency for seniors, in Osaka, Japan. This represents about 10% of all registered members (n = 41,593) in the 38 SHRC centres in Osaka. A total of 4,376 subjects (male: 2,913; female: 1,463) provided a satisfactory response to the questionnaire (response rate: 92%). The status whether they have "Ikigai" or not was evaluated by self-anchoring scale ranging from 0 to 5 (0 = lowest rate and 5 = highest rate of having "Ikigai"). Also, self-rated life-change score through work (-3 to 3) was evaluated by three items, i.e.) changes in (1) the number of friends through work, (2) social interests and (3) the quantity of conversation with others (1 = increase, 0 = no change, and -1 = decrease). Results The factors associated with "Ikigai" for total subjects were the number of rooms in one's residence, annual income, healthy life style score (Breslow), the number of working days through SHRC, satisfaction with one's life history and life-change sore through work. The multivariable odds ratio (95%CI) of having "Ikigai" was 1.9 (1.1–3.3) for persons with no change in life thorough work compared with subjects with a score of ≦-1. Moreover, the multivariable odds ratios were 3.5 (1.9–6.6) for a life-change score = 1, 3.1 (1.7–5.7) for a score = 2 and 7.8 (4.0–15.2) for a score = 3 compared with persons with a score of ≦-1. For male subjects, other factors associated with having "Ikigai" were the number of rooms in their residence, annual income, the number of working days through SHRC, subjective assessment of health condition, and degree of satisfaction with their life history. For female, the corresponding factors were the presence of a spouse and degree of satisfaction with their life history. Conclusion Scores for life-changes through work were associated with a higher prevalence of having "Ikigai" for both male and female. For male, "Ikigai" tended to be associated with physical condition and socioeconomic factors such as the size of their residence or annual income, while for female, family relations such as having spouse and psychological factors such as satisfaction with one's life history were significant factors. In spite of the design limitations of this study, it is possible to conclude that the recognition of life change through obtaining work may enhance "Ikigai" among people who wish to engage in productive activities in their later stages of life for both male and female. SHRC has a potential to provide resources for fulfilling one's "Ikigai" through supporting working opportunities to realize life changes for both elder male and female. PMID:16504162

Communication Patterns in Four Types of Intimate Friendship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Em

To compare differences between types of friendships on an assortment of communication and situational variables, a study was conducted that involved pairs of four types of intimate friends: male-male, female-female, male-female with romantic interest, and male-female without romantic interest. Subjects, 61 pairs of college students, completed…

Gender effects on age-related changes in brain structure.

PubMed

Xu, J; Kobayashi, S; Yamaguchi, S; Iijima, K; Okada, K; Yamashita, K

2000-01-01

Previous reports have suggested that brain atrophy is associated with aging and that there are gender differences in brain atrophy with aging. These reports, however, neither exclude silent brain lesions in "healthy subjects" nor divide the brain into subregions. The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of gender on age-related changes in brain subregions by MR imaging. A computer-assisted system was used to calculate the brain matter area index (BMAI) of various regions of the brain from MR imaging of 331 subjects without brain lesions. There was significantly more brain atrophy with aging in the posterior parts of the right frontal lobe in male subjects than there was in female subjects. Age-related atrophy in the middle part of the right temporal lobe, the left basal ganglia, the parietal lobe, and the cerebellum also was found in male subjects, but not in female subjects. In the temporal lobe, thalamus, parieto-occipital lobe, and cerebellum, brain volume in the left hemisphere is significantly smaller than in the right hemisphere; sex and age did not affect the hemisphere differences of brain volume in these regions. The effect of gender on brain atrophy with aging varied in different subregions of the brain. There was more brain atrophy with aging in male subjects than in female subjects.

Children's Interpretation of Ambiguous Behavior: Evidence for a "Boys Are Bad" Bias.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyman, Gail D.

2001-01-01

Investigated whether 7- to 9-year-olds use gender category to resolve uncertainty when evaluating behavior. Subjects were shown pictures of unfamiliar children and were told that each had performed a behavior open to multiple interpretations. When the unfamiliar peers were male, both male and female subjects were more likely to remember behaviors…

Effects of Infant Cries on Alcohol Consumption in College Males at Risk for Child Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stasiewicz, Paul R.; Lisman, Stephen A.

1989-01-01

The study with 32 male college students supported previous studies depicting the infant cry as a stressful and aversive event, capable of eliciting increased drinking. Subjects who heard an infant cry consumed significantly more alcohol and reported feeling more aversion, arousal, and distress than subjects who listened to a smoke alarm.…

Racial differences of endothelial function and plasma endothelin 1 level in preclinical Tibetan and Han male population.

PubMed

Yang, B; Zhao, H; Zhang, J; Jiang, B; Li, C W; Cao, Y K; Cao, F

2016-07-01

The differences in endothelial function between Tibetan and Han nationality population have not been fully investigated. The aim of this work is to investigate the differences in endothelial function and plasma endothelin 1 (ET-1) concentration between Tibetan and Han male population. Totally 272 Tibetan male subjects aged 42.9 ± 9.4 years were enrolled in this study to stand for Tibetan population. All of them were native residents in Lhasa City. And 580 Qinghai-Tibet Railway constructors with Han nationality aged 41.8 ± 11.1 years were enrolled in this study to stand for Han nationality population. All of them were male subjects and lived in Lhasa City for at least 1 year. All subjects lived in the same high-altitude area (the altitude of Lhasa is 3658 m). Height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure were evaluated. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured in the fasting state using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. Computer-assisted analysis software was used to calculate brachial artery diameters. Venous blood was sampled for the measurement of total cholesterol (CH), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and HbA1c. Plasma ET-1 was quantitated using a commercially available ELISA kits. Totally 272 Tibetan subjects and 580 Han nationality subjects were enrolled in this study. BMI and waist-hip ratio in Tibetan subjects were much higher than those in Han subjects (p < 0.01). LDL cholesterol level and plasma ET-1 concentration in Tibetan subjects were significantly higher than Han subjects (p < 0.01). The baseline brachial artery diameter in Tibetan group was much higher than that of Han group (p < 0.01). The absolute and percent changes in brachial artery diameter were lower in Tibetan population compared with Han population (p < 0.01). The linear regression analysis showed that LDL cholesterol, and plasma ET-1 were correlated with FMD (p < 0.01). Endothelial function and plasma ET-1 concentration were different between Tibetan and Han male populations.

[Analysis of food intake and dietary habits in a population of adolescents in the city of Granada (Spain)].

PubMed

González-Jiménez, Emilio; Schmidt-Río-Valle, Jacqueline; García-López, Pedro A; García-García, Carmen J

2013-01-01

The main research objective was to analyze the intake of macronutrients and micronutrients in a population of adolescents. The purpose of the study was to verify a significant correlation between the habit of breafasting at home each morning and the nutritional status of the sample population. The sample population was composed of 100 adolescents, 12-15 years of age, who attended two public secondary schools in the city of Granada. The study conducted was descriptive, cross-sectional, and multi-centered, and involved a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional status of the subjects by using anthropometry. The analysis of food intake and dietary habits was based on a 72-hour record of the subjects' food intake. The protocol used had previously been elaborated and validated by the research team. For all subjects, the energy intake was found to be higher than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The female subjects had a mean protein intake of 16% in regards to total calorific value (TCV). In the case of the male subjects, the mean protein intake was 15%. The mean consumption of fats was 106.1 for the male subjects, whereas for the females, it was 110.4 grams. The females were found to ingest more carbohydrates at a rate of 297.4 grams per day in comparison to the male subjects, whose rate of carbohydrate ingestion was 251 grams per day. The ingestion of minerals varied in both sexes though in all cases it was lower than the RDA. However, the male subjects had a calcium and zinc intake higher than the RDA for these minerals. The vitamin intake was varied and balanced in both male and female subjects, and covered the requirements for both age and sex. Regarding the variable, breakfast, a significant relation was found (p < 0.0001) between the dietary habit of breakfasting at home before going to school and the nutritional status of the students. The results of this study showed that an optimal nutritional and health status requires a balanced food intake and healthy dietary habits. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Gender Specific Association of Serum Leptin and Insulinemic Indices with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Prediabetic Subjects

PubMed Central

Akter, Salima; Rahman, Mohammad Khalilur

2015-01-01

Adipose tissue-derived hormone leptin plays a functional role in glucose tolerance through its effects on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity which also represent the risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study explored the gender specific association of serum leptin and insulinemic indices with NAFLD in Bangladeshi prediabetic subjects. Under a cross-sectional analytical design a total of 110 ultrasound examined prediabetic subjects, aged 25–68 years consisting of 57.3% male (55.6% non NAFLD and 44.4% NAFLD) and 42.7% female (57.4% non NAFLD and 42.6% NAFLD), were investigated. Insulin secretory function (HOMA%B) and insulin sensitivity (HOMA%S) were calculated from homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Serum leptin showed significant positive correlation with fasting insulin (r = 0.530, P = 0.004), postprandial insulin (r = 0.384, P = 0.042) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.541, P = 0.003) as well as significant negative correlation with HOMA%S (r = -0.388, P = 0.046) and HOMA%B (r = -0.356, P = 0.039) in male prediabetic subjects with NAFLD. In multiple linear regression analysis, log transformed leptin showed significant positive association with HOMA-IR (β = 0.706, P <0.001) after adjusting the effects of body mass index (BMI), triglyceride (TG) and HOMA%B in male subjects with NAFLD. In binary logistic regression analysis, only log leptin [OR 1.29 95% (C.I) (1.11–1.51), P = 0.001] in male subjects as well as HOMA%B [OR 0.94 95% (C.I) (0.89–0.98), P = 0.012], HOMA-IR [OR 3.30 95% (C.I) (0.99–10.95), P = 0.049] and log leptin [OR 1.10 95% (C.I) (1.01–1.20), P = 0.026] in female subjects were found to be independent determinants of NAFLD after adjusting the BMI and TG. Serum leptin seems to have an association with NAFLD both in male and female prediabetic subjects and this association in turn, is mediated by insulin secretory dysfunction and insulin resistance among these subjects. PMID:26569494

Dental health status and treatment needs of transport workers of a northern Indian city: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Gambhir, Ramandeep S.; Sogi, Girish M.; Veeresha, Koratagere Lingappa; Sohi, Ramandeep K.; Randhawa, Amaninder; Kakar, Heena

2013-01-01

Aim: To assess the dental health status and treatment needs of transport workers working in Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (C.T.U.) buses, Chandigarh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all the available C.T.U. workers at all three bus depots. The data were recorded on a modified W.H.O. format (1997). A total of 1008 subjects constituted the final sample size. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 45.3 ± 7.8 years, and 97% (978) were males. Prevalence of dental caries was 63.4% and mean DMFT was 5.02. 47.6% of subjects needed some prosthesis in the maxillary arch while 53.3% needed some prosthesis in the mandibular arch. Regarding highest CPI (Community Periodontal Index) score, 8.13% of the subjects had healthy periodontium while maximum subjects (73.2%) had a score 2 (Calculus). Conclusion: Mean DMFT (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth) was satisfactory. Prosthetic need of the subjects was high with only a few subjects possessing prosthesis. Advanced periodontal disease (CPI score, 4) affected small number of subjects with maximum subjects (73%) having a CPI score of 2. PMID:24082750

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

Qiu Deqiang; Kwong, Dora; Chan, Godfrey

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that fractional anisotropy (FA) is more severely reduced in white matter of the frontal lobe compared with the parietal lobe after receiving the same whole-brain irradiation dose in a cohort of childhood medulloblastoma survivors. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two medulloblastoma survivors (15 male, mean [{+-} SD] age = 12.1 {+-} 4.6 years) and the same number of control subjects (15 male, aged 12.0 {+-} 4.2 years) were recruited for diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging scans. Using an automated tissue classification method and the Talairach Daemon atlas, FA values of frontal and parietal lobes receiving the samemore » radiation dose, and the ratio between them were quantified and denoted as FFA, PFA, and FA{sub f/p}, respectively. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test for significant differences of FFA, PFA, and FA{sub f/p} between medulloblastoma survivors and control subjects. Results: Frontal lobe and parietal lobe white matter FA were found to be significantly less in medulloblastoma survivors compared with control subjects (frontal p = 0.001, parietal p = 0.026). Moreover, these differences were found to be discrepant, with the frontal lobe having a significantly larger difference in FA compared with the parietal lobe. The FA{sub f/p} of control and medulloblastoma survivors was 1.110 and 1.082, respectively (p = 0.029). Conclusion: Discrepant FA changes after the same irradiation dose suggest radiosensitivity of the frontal lobe white matter compared with the parietal lobe. Special efforts to address the potentially vulnerable frontal lobe after treatment with whole-brain radiation may be needed so as to balance disease control and treatment-related morbidity.« less

Left ventricular geometric patterns in newly presenting nigerian hypertensives: An echocardiographic study

PubMed Central

Aje, Akinyemi; Adebiyi, Adewole A; Oladapo, Olulola O; Dada, Adekola; Ogah, Okechukwu S; Ojji, Dike B; Falase, Ayodele O

2006-01-01

Background Hypertension is a global problem and it is prevalent in Nigeria. Left ventricular hypertrophy is a major complication of hypertension with risk of sudden death and arrhythmias among others. Abnormal left ventricular geometric patterns also increase the burden of morbidity and mortality. It is therefore important to know the different left ventricular geometric patterns in Nigerian hypertensives because of their prognostic significance. Methods One hundred (100) newly presenting hypertensives (53 males and 47 females) and 100 controls (53 males and 47 females) were recruited for the study. All were subjected to clinical evaluation and full echocardiographic examination was performed according to the ASE recommendation. The relative wall thickness and the presence or absence of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy were used to determine the various geometric patterns Results The mean age of the hypertensive subjects was 56.06 (± 7.68) years while that of the control subjects was 56.10 (± 7.68) years. There was no significant difference in the mean ages of the two groups. In the hypertensive subjects 28% had normal geometry, 26% had concentric remodeling, 28% had concentric hypertrophy and 18% had eccentric hypertrophy. In the control group, 86% had normal geometry, 11% had concentric remodeling, 3% had eccentric hypertrophy and none had concentric hypertrophy. There was statistical significance when the geometric patterns of the hypertensive and controls were compared (χ2 = 74.30, p value < 0.0001). Conclusion The study showed that only 28% of the hypertensive subjects had normal LV geometric pattern while 86% of the normal subjects had normal geometry. There is need for longitudinal studies in order to prognosticate the various geometric patterns. PMID:16426452

Assessment of liver size by ultrasonography.

PubMed

Patzak, Monika; Porzner, Marc; Oeztuerk, Suemeyra; Mason, Richard Andrew; Wilhelm, Manfred; Graeter, Tilmann; Kratzer, Wolfgang; Haenle, Mark Martin; Akinli, Atilla Serif

2014-09-01

To determine liver span sonographically in a randomly selected population sample and identify factors that affect liver size. A total of 1,789 subjects (963 females, 826 males; mean age 41.8 ± 12.8 years) underwent sonographic examination of the liver in the midclavicular line to determine liver span. Subjects underwent physical examination and blood tests and completed a standardized interview questionnaire. The average liver span in the midclavicular line for the overall collective was 15.0 ± 1.5 cm; the average for females was 14.9 ± 1.6 cm and 15.1 ± 1.5 cm for males. Liver span exceeded 16 cm in 24.3% of subjects. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that, of the factors potentially influencing liver span, gender, age, body mass index, body height, fatty liver (p < 0.0001), waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.015), and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.032) are significant. By contrast, diabetes mellitus, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, physical activity, and laboratory findings showed no influence. Sonographic measurement of liver span in the midclavicular line is a simple method for routine clinical use. Gender, age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body height, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic syndrome are factors associated with liver span. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index in the men exposed to 1.5 T static magnetic field.

PubMed

Sirmatel, O; Sert, C; Sirmatel, F; Selek, S; Yokus, B

2007-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a high-strength magnetic field produced by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus on oxidative stress. The effects of a 1.5 T static magnetic field on the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in male subjects were investigated. In this study, 33 male volunteers were exposed to a 1.5 T static magnetic field for a short time and the TAC, TOS and OSI of each subject were determined. Magnetic field exposure was provided using a magnetic resonance apparatus; radiofrequency was not applied. Blood samples were taken from subjects and TAC, TOS and OSI values were measured using the methods of Erel. TAC showed a significant increase in post-exposures compared to pre-exposures to the magnetic field (p < 0.05). OSI and TOS showed a significant decrease in post-exposures compared to pre-exposures to a 1.5 T magnetic field (for each of two, p < 0.01). The 1.5 T static magnetic field used in the MRI apparatus did not yield a negative effect; on the contrary, it produced the positive effect of decreasing oxidative stress in men following short-term exposure.

[Efficacy and tolerability of 5% minoxidil solution (Carexidil®) in male and female androgenetic alopecia: a 6-month open multicentric study].

PubMed

Piraccini, B; Starace, M; Alessandrini, A; Guarrera, M; Fiorucci, M C; Lorenzi, S

2011-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of 5% Carexidil solution®, applied twice a day on the scalp, on male and female androgenetic alopecia. The 6 month-study was performed in three Italian dermatological centers. Evaluation of efficacy was performed with subjective and objective methods, including operator and patient assessments, global photography and videodermoscopy. Global photography revealed that after 6 months of treatment with 5% Carexidil solution®, androgenetic alopecia was improved in all 32 females and 16 males. Alopecia stopped to progress in 6 males. Scalp videodermoscopy confirmed the results. Some patients complained of increased hair greasiness, others complained of mild scalp itching. Two female patients developed contact sensitization to minoxidil, confirmed by patch test, 2 a mild malar-temporal hypertrichosis. All patients were satisfied by treatment and continued it after the end of the study. Our study confirms the data of the literature and the evidence coming from years of clinical experience, that twice a day topical application of 5% minoxidil solution, Carexidil ®, is effective in the treatment of male and female androgenetic alopecia, with evident efficacy already after 6 months.

A tactile stimulus applied to the leg improves postural stability in young, old and neuropathic subjects.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B; Lord, Stephen R; Fitzpatrick, Richard C

2006-10-02

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of passive tactile cues to the lower limb could improve postural stability in healthy young controls, older people and people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Antero-posterior sway was measured with eyes open and closed in 10 healthy young subjects (mean age 27 years, 5 male, 5 female), 10 older subjects without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (mean age 88 years, 2 male, 8 female) and 10 subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (mean age 65 years, 6 male, 4 female) while a small piece of Velcro attached to a flexible mount was applied to three different sites on the leg (ankle, calf, and knee). Across all conditions, the mean sway of the neuropathic subjects was 93% greater than for the young subjects and 11% more than the older subjects. On average, subjects swayed 10% more with the eyes closed than with the eyes open. Each stimulus reduced sway, but the effect increased approximately in proportion to the height of the stimulus above the ankles (ankle 7.6%, calf 13.5%, knee 20.1% reduction compared to the no stimulus condition). This experiment demonstrates that a passive stimulus applied to the skin of the leg, which provides sensory information about body movement, significantly reduces body sway during standing. This applies to older subjects and subjects with peripheral neuropathy as well as healthy young subjects. These results have implications for novel approaches for improving stability in people with peripheral sensory loss.

Impact of Gender on Pharmocokinetics of Intranasal Scopolamine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putcha, L.; Lei, Wu.; S-L Chow, Diana

2013-01-01

Introduction: An intranasal gel dosage formulation of scopolamine (INSCOP) was developed for the treatment of Space Motion Sickness (SMS), which is commonly experienced by astronauts during space missions. The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics (PK) were evaluated under IND guidelines. Since information is lacking on the effect of gender on the PK of Scopolamine, we examined gender differences in PK parameters of INSCOP at three dose levels of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg. Methods: Plasma scopolamine concentrations as a function of time data were collected from twelve normal healthy human subjects (6 male/6 female) who participated in a fully randomized double blind crossover study. The PK parameters were derived using WinNonlin. Covariate analysis of PK profiles was performed using NONMEN and statistically compared using a likelihood ratio test on the difference of objective function value (OFV). Statistical significance for covariate analysis was set at P<0.05(?OFV=3.84). Results: No significant difference in PK parameters between male and female subjects was observed with 0.1 and 0.2 mg doses. However, CL and Vd were significantly different between male and female subjects at the 0.4 mg dose. Results from population covariate modeling analysis indicate that a onecompartment PK model with first-order elimination rate offers best fit for describing INSCOP concentration-time profiles. The inclusion of sex as a covariate enhanced the model fitting (?OFV=-4.1) owing to the genderdependent CL and Vd differences after the 0.4 mg dose. Conclusion: Statistical modeling of scopolamine concentration-time data suggests gender-dependent pharmacokinetics of scopolamine at the high dose level of 0.4 mg. Clearance of the parent compound was significantly faster and the volume of distribution was significantly higher in males than in females, As a result, including gender as a covariate to the pharmacokinetic model of scopolamine offers the best fit for PK modeling of the drug at dose of 0.4 mg or higher.

Automated Measurement of Patient-Specific Tibial Slopes from MRI

PubMed Central

Amerinatanzi, Amirhesam; Summers, Rodney K.; Ahmadi, Kaveh; Goel, Vijay K.; Hewett, Timothy E.; Nyman, Edward

2017-01-01

Background: Multi-planar proximal tibial slopes may be associated with increased likelihood of osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament injury, due in part to their role in checking the anterior-posterior stability of the knee. Established methods suffer repeatability limitations and lack computational efficiency for intuitive clinical adoption. The aims of this study were to develop a novel automated approach and to compare the repeatability and computational efficiency of the approach against previously established methods. Methods: Tibial slope geometries were obtained via MRI and measured using an automated Matlab-based approach. Data were compared for repeatability and evaluated for computational efficiency. Results: Mean lateral tibial slope (LTS) for females (7.2°) was greater than for males (1.66°). Mean LTS in the lateral concavity zone was greater for females (7.8° for females, 4.2° for males). Mean medial tibial slope (MTS) for females was greater (9.3° vs. 4.6°). Along the medial concavity zone, female subjects demonstrated greater MTS. Conclusion: The automated method was more repeatable and computationally efficient than previously identified methods and may aid in the clinical assessment of knee injury risk, inform surgical planning, and implant design efforts. PMID:28952547

Patterns of cannabis use in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A population based analysis.

PubMed

Weiss, Alexandra; Friedenberg, Frank

2015-11-01

Tobacco use patterns and effects in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease have been extensively studied, however the role and patterns of cannabis use remains poorly defined. Our aim was to evaluate patterns of marijuana use in a large population based survey. Cases were identified from the NHANES database from the National Center for Health Statistics for the time period from January, 2009 through December, 2010 as having ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, and exact matched with controls using the Propensity Score Module of SPSS, based on age, gender, and sample weighted using the nearest neighbor method. After weighting, 2084,895 subjects with IBD and 2013,901 control subjects were identified with no significant differences in demographic characteristics. Subjects with IBD had a higher incidence of ever having used marijuana/hashish (M/H) (67.3% vs. 60.0%) and an earlier age of onset of M/H use (15.7 years vs. 19.6 years). Patients with IBD were less likely to have used M/H every month for a year, but more likely to use a heavier amount per day (64.9% subjects with IBD used three or more joints per day vs. 80.5% of subjects without IBD used two or fewer joints per day). In multivariable logistic regression, presence of IBD, male gender, and age over 40 years predicted M/H use. Our study is the first to evaluate marijuana patterns in a large-scale population based survey. Older, male IBD patients have the highest odds of marijuana use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Refractive Errors in Students with and without Color Vision Deficiency

PubMed Central

Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi; Yekta, Abbas Ali; Heravian, Javad; Azimi, Abbas; Hosseini, Seyed Mahdi Ahmadi; Vatandoust, Sakineh; Sharifi, Fatemeh; Abolbashari, Fereshteh

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate refractive errors in school age children with color vision deficiency (CVD) and those with normal color vision (NCV) in order to make a better understanding of the emmetropization process. Methods: A total of 4,400 primary school students aged 7–12 years were screened for color vision using Ishihara pseudoisochromatic color vision plate sets. Of these, 160 (3.6%) students had CVD. A total of 400 age- and sex-matched students with NCV were selected as controls. Refractive status was evaluated using objective cyclorefraction. Results: The CVD group included 136 male (85%) and 24 female (15%) subjects with mean age of 10.1 ± 1.8 years. The NCV group comprised of 336 male (84%) and 64 female (16%) subjects with mean age of 10.5 ± 1.2 years. The prevalence of myopia (7.7% vs. 13.9%, P < 0.001) and hyperopia (41% vs. 57.4%, P = 0.03) was significantly lower in the CVD group. Furthermore, subjects with CVD subjects demonstrated a lower magnitude of refractive errors as compared to the CVD group (mean refractive error: +0.54 ± 0.19 D versus + 0.74 ± 1.12 D, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Although the lower prevalence of myopia in subjects with CVD group supports the role of longitudinal chromatic aberration in the development of refractive errors; the lower prevalence of hyperopia in this group is an opposing finding. Myopia is a multifactorial disorder and longitudinal chromatic aberration is not the only factor influencing the emmetropization process. PMID:25709775

The Measurement of Airflow Using Singing Helmet That Allows Free Movement of the Jaw.

PubMed

Jiang, Jack J; Hanna, Rewais B; Willey, Malachi V; Rieves, Adam

2016-11-01

Airflow measurement is a useful method of evaluating laryngeal physiology. We introduce a noninvasive device that measures airflow without restricting jaw movement or requiring phonation into a mouthpiece, thus facilitating measurement during singing and connected speech. Validation and human subject trials were conducted. Airflow measurements were obtained from 16 male and 16 female subjects during singing, speech, and constant vowel production tasks. A similar helmet was designed by Stevens and Mead in 1968. The new device validity was evaluated by comparing the measured volume of air to a known volume of administered air using a calibration syringe. Subjects were asked to voice sustained vowels at low, medium, and high vocal intensity, read two sentences at a conversational volume, and perform different singing exercises while airflow was recorded. The device accurately and reliably measured airflow with mean airflow values falling within previously published ranges. There was an experimentally determined response time of 0.173 ± 0.014 seconds. Subjects were able to comfortably perform speech and singing exercises. Male subjects had higher airflow for all sustained vowels (P < 0.05). Airflow was higher for abduction rather than adduction sentences (P < 0.05). No other portable device has been shown to measure airflow during singing and speech while allowing for free movement of the jaw. This device provides a more natural environment to measure airflow that could be used to help evaluate laryngeal function and aid in singing training. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploitation: comparing sexual and violent imagery of females and males in advertising.

PubMed

Rudman, W J; Verdi, P

1993-01-01

This study examines the way female and male models are portrayed in magazine advertisements. Specifically, we focus on differences in sex role stereotyping, sexual display of the body, and violent imagery. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of magazines displaying fashion and fitness advertisements (N = 254). Findings from the analysis show that females are more likely than males to be placed in submissive positions, sexually displayed, and subjects of violent imagery. Sexual display and violent imagery measures are the strongest predictors of subjective level of exploitation.

5-Day versus 10-Day Course of Fluoroquinolones in Outpatient Males with a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

PubMed

Mospan, Geoffrey A; Wargo, Kurt A

Current guidelines classify urinary tract infections (UTIs) in males as complicated and recommend longer treatment than for UTIs in females. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that males with UTIs may be successfully treated with an outpatient 5-day course of levofloxacin. Data were obtained from a previously conducted clinical trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00210886), a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, noninferiority study comparing levofloxacin 750 mg intravenously/by mouth once daily for 5 days and ciprofloxacin 400/500 mg intravenously/by mouth twice daily for 10 days in complicated UTI (cUTI). The current study was a post hoc, subgroup analysis of male and female subjects with cUTI. Subjects were stratified into groups based on sex and antibiotic received. The subjects were analyzed at the end of therapy (EOT) and post therapy (PT) for clinical success rates, defined as no further need for antimicrobial treatment. Totals of 427 patients (224 male, 203 female) and 350 patients (189 male, 161 female) were included in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population and microbiologically evaluable (ME) populations, respectively. Clinical success rates between males and females were not statistically different between antibiotic groups in either the mITT or ME populations at EOT or PT. This study demonstrates that males with UTI may be treated with a shorter course of antimicrobial therapy for UTI than previously recommended. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Resting-State Brain Activity in Adult Males Who Stutter

PubMed Central

Zhu, Chaozhe; Wang, Liang; Yan, Qian; Lin, Chunlan; Yu, Chunshui

2012-01-01

Although developmental stuttering has been extensively studied with structural and task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), few studies have focused on resting-state brain activity in this disorder. We investigated resting-state brain activity of stuttering subjects by analyzing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), region of interest (ROI)-based functional connectivity (FC) and independent component analysis (ICA)-based FC. Forty-four adult males with developmental stuttering and 46 age-matched fluent male controls were scanned using resting-state fMRI. ALFF, ROI-based FCs and ICA-based FCs were compared between male stuttering subjects and fluent controls in a voxel-wise manner. Compared with fluent controls, stuttering subjects showed increased ALFF in left brain areas related to speech motor and auditory functions and bilateral prefrontal cortices related to cognitive control. However, stuttering subjects showed decreased ALFF in the left posterior language reception area and bilateral non-speech motor areas. ROI-based FC analysis revealed decreased FC between the posterior language area involved in the perception and decoding of sensory information and anterior brain area involved in the initiation of speech motor function, as well as increased FC within anterior or posterior speech- and language-associated areas and between the prefrontal areas and default-mode network (DMN) in stuttering subjects. ICA showed that stuttering subjects had decreased FC in the DMN and increased FC in the sensorimotor network. Our findings support the concept that stuttering subjects have deficits in multiple functional systems (motor, language, auditory and DMN) and in the connections between them. PMID:22276215

MIF and D-DT are potential disease severity modifiers in male MS subjects

PubMed Central

Benedek, Gil; Meza-Romero, Roberto; Jordan, Kelley; Zhang, Ying; Nguyen, Ha; Kent, Gail; Li, Jia; Siu, Edwin; Frazer, Jenny; Piecychna, Marta; Du, Xin; Sreih, Antoine; Leng, Lin; Wiedrick, Jack; Caillier, Stacy J.; Offner, Halina; Oksenberg, Jorge R.; Yadav, Vijayshree; Bourdette, Dennis; Bucala, Richard; Vandenbark, Arthur A.

2017-01-01

Little is known about mechanisms that drive the development of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), although inflammatory factors, such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), its homolog D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT), and their common receptor CD74 may contribute to disease worsening. Our findings demonstrate elevated MIF and D-DT levels in males with progressive disease compared with relapsing-remitting males (RRMS) and female MS subjects, with increased levels of CD74 in females vs. males with high MS disease severity. Furthermore, increased MIF and D-DT levels in males with progressive disease were significantly correlated with the presence of two high-expression promoter polymorphisms located in the MIF gene, a −794CATT5–8 microsatellite repeat and a −173 G/C SNP. Conversely, mice lacking MIF or D-DT developed less-severe signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a murine model of MS, thus implicating both homologs as copathogenic contributors. These findings indicate that genetically controlled high MIF expression (and D-DT) promotes MS progression in males, suggesting that these two factors are sex-specific disease modifiers and raising the possibility that aggressive anti-MIF treatment of clinically isolated syndrome or RRMS males with a high-expresser genotype might slow or prevent the onset of progressive MS. Additionally, selective targeting of MIF:CD74 signaling might provide an effective, trackable therapeutic approach for MS subjects of both sexes. PMID:28923927

Cortical-Cortical Interactions And Sensory Information Processing in Autism

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-30

Frith U: Autism, Asperger syndrome and brain mechanisms for the attribution of mental states to animated shapes. Brain 2002, 125:1839-1849. 15...Methods The subjects were ten males clinically diagnosed with autism (i.e., Autistic Disorder or Asperger Disorder; DSM-IV-TR; [22]), all naïve both...Disordered visual processing and oscillatory brain activity in autism and Williams syndrome . Neuroreport 2001, 12:2697-2700. 18. Wilson TW, Rojas DC

The RID2 biofidelic rear impact dummy: a pilot study using human subjects in low speed rear impact full scale crash tests.

PubMed

Croft, Arthur C; Philippens, Mathieu M G M

2007-03-01

Human subjects and the recently developed RID2 rear impact crash test dummy were exposed to a series of full scale, vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests. To evaluate the biofidelity of the RID2 anthropometric test dummy on the basis of calculated neck injury criterion (NIC) values by comparing these values to those obtained from human subjects exposed in the very same crashes. The widely used and familiar hybrid III dummy has been said to lack biofidelity in the special application of low speed rear impact crashes. Several attempts have been made to modify this dummy with only marginal success. Two completely new dummies have been developed; the BioRID and the RID2. Neither have been tested under real world crash boundary conditions in side-by-side comparisons with live human subjects. Volunteer subjects, including a 50th percentile male, a 95th percentile male, and a 50th percentile female, were placed in the driver's seat of a vehicle and subjected to a series of three low speed rear impact crashes each. The RID2 dummy, which is modeled after a 50th percentile male, was placed in the passenger seat in each case. Both subjects and dummy were fully instrumented and acceleration-time histories were recorded. From this data, velocities of the heads and torsos were determined and both were used to calculate the NIC values for both crash test subjects and the RID2. The RID2 demonstrated generally higher head accelerations and NIC values than those of the human subjects. Most of the observed variations might be explained on the basis of differing head restraint geometry, posture, and body size. The RID2 NIC values compared most favorably with those of the 50th percentile male subject. For the whole group, the correlations between RID2 and human subjects did not reach statistical significance. The small number of test subjects and crash tests limited the statistical power of this pilot study, and the correlation between the RID2 and human subject NIC values were not statistically significant. The overall qualitative performance and biofidelity of the RID2 was reasonable when compared with the male human 50th percentile subject. Its overall higher ranges of head acceleration and calculated NIC values compared to all of the human subjects were generally consistent. This condition could likely be improved by increasing the stiffness of the RID2 neck. Biofidelic validation of the RID2 will require ongoing testing using a larger number of human subjects and varying boundary conditions. The results of this pilot study, while encouraging, should be considered preliminary.

Plasma testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in male and female patients with dysthymic disorder.

PubMed

Markianos, Manolis; Tripodianakis, John; Sarantidis, Democritos; Hatzimanolis, John

2007-08-01

Depressive symptomatology has been connected with an activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and, in several studies, with reduced androgen levels, while administration of androgens, usually in older subjects, may have positive effects on mood, both in males and females. Regarding dysthymic disorder (DD), low serum testosterone levels have been reported in older males, while information on younger male or on female patients is lacking. We assessed the serum levels of testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and cortisol in male and female patients with DD, and compared them to the levels of sex and age matched controls. Eighteen male and 43 female patients in the age range of 22 to 71 years were studied and diagnosed according to the Scheduled Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders (SCID). Depressive symptomatology was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Subgroups with subjects below or over 50 years of age were also built and compared. Serum T levels were lower than controls mainly in the subjects aged below 50 years, in both genders. More pronounced were reductions in DHEAS levels both in male and female patients, while cortisol levels were normal or reduced. T levels were positively correlated to both DHEAS and cortisol. The negative correlations of DHEAS and T to age were significant for all groups and subgroups, except in the group of male patients. Four male patients (22%) had T levels below 2.0 ng/ml. Male and female patients with DD aged below 50 years show reduced gonadal and adrenal androgen levels, and normal to low cortisol levels. These neuroendocrine characteristics differentiate DD from depression, and place this diagnostic group closer to posttraumatic stress disorder.

[Influence of Mapuche origin and socioeconomic conditions on adult height].

PubMed

Erazo B, Marcia; Amigo C, Hugo; Bustos M, Patricia

2005-04-01

Studies in Chilean adults of low socioeconomic level suggest that their low height is likely to be due to their indigenous background. However this group also has been marginalized from socioeconomic development. To determine the influence of Mapuche ethnic origin and socioeconomic factors on the height of adults. In a cross sectional design, the height of 1,293 adults (528 males and 765 females) of Mapuche and non Mapuche origin were studied in the Araucania Region (Southern Chile) and in the Metropolitan Region (Central Chile). Subjects with Mapuche surnames were considered as pertaining to this ethnic community and those with Spanish surnames were considered as non Mapuche. Linear regression models were done, stratifying by sex, considering ethnic origin, to live in counties of different social vulnerability, and the level of family poverty. Among males, the mean height was 166.6+/-7.3 cm and among females, the figure was 153.6+/-5.9 cm. Mapuche subjects were significantly shorter: -3.2 cm (95% Confidence Interval (CI) -4.0 to -2.3) among females and -4.8 cm (CI -6.0 to -3.6) among males (non adjusted models). This deficit increased to -4.5 and -7.6 cm among females and males, respectively when they lived in poverty and in areas with highest social vulnerability. These differences decreased significantly if Mapuche subjects lived in communities with low social vulnerability and less poverty (-0.59 and -1.14 cm among females and males respectively). The studied population had low height, being lower in Mapuche subjects. The differences decreased among subjects living in counties of less vulnerability and less family poverty.

Stallion fertility: a focus on the spermatozoon.

PubMed

Varner, D D; Gibb, Z; Aitken, R J

2015-01-01

Stallion fertility is a vast subject, with a wide array of permutations that can impact reproductive performance in either positive or negative ways. This review is intended to address a mere segment of the male fertility issue, but the very essence of the male contribution to fertilisation, that of the spermatozoon. Spermatozoal ultrastructure and form-to-function are detailed and spermatozoal metabolism is discussed, with specific reference to distinctive characteristics of stallion spermatozoa. Lastly, methods for assessment of spermatozoal function are considered, with emphasis on spermatozoal motility, the acrosome reaction and spermatozoon-oocyte interactions. Closing comments address the need for development and standardisation of molecular-based assays for use with spermatozoa of stallions whose subfertility cannot be explained with conventional tests. © 2014 EVJ Ltd.

The effects of ketamine on sexual behavior, anxiety, and locomotion in female rats.

PubMed

Guarraci, Fay A; Gonzalez, Chantal M F; Lucero, Devon; Womble, Paige D; Abdel-Rahim, Heba; DeVore, Jennie; Kunkel, Marcela Nicole; Quadlander, Emma; Stinnett, Morgan; Boyette-Davis, Jessica

2018-02-01

The present study characterized the effects of ketamine on sexual behavior and anxiety in female rats. In Experiment 1, female subjects received an injection of ketamine (10.0mg/kg) or saline 30min prior to a sexual partner-preference test during which each female subject was given the opportunity to interact with a female stimulus or a sexually vigorous male stimulus. Immediately afterwards, female subjects were tested for locomotion in an open field test. Ketamine-treated subjects spent significantly more time with the male stimulus than saline-treated subjects. No other measures of mating behavior (i.e., paced mating behavior, lordosis) were affected by ketamine. Ketamine also had no effect on locomotion. In Experiment 2, female subjects received an injection of ketamine (10.0mg/kg), or saline daily for 10days to investigate the possibility that sexual dysfunction emerges only after repeated exposure. Similar to the results of Experiment 1, ketamine-treated subjects spent significantly more time with the male stimulus than saline-treated subjects. Chronic ketamine treatment also decreased the likelihood of leaving the male after mounts, without affecting any other measures of sexual behavior. Chronic ketamine had no effect on locomotion. In Experiment 3, female subjects received an injection of ketamine (10.0mg/kg) or saline and were tested for anxiety in an elevated plus maze test and for locomotion in an open field test. Acute ketamine had no effect on anxiety or locomotion. In Experiment 4, female subjects received an injection of ketamine (10.0mg/kg) or saline daily for 10days to investigate the possibility that anxiety emerges only after repeated exposure. Chronic ketamine exposure had no effect on any measure of anxiety. However, chronic ketamine exposure increased locomotion. The results from these experiments indicate that unlike other medications prescribed for depression, neither acute nor chronic ketamine treatment causes anxiety or disruption of sexual behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of six weeks yoga training on weight loss following step test, respiratory pressures, handgrip strength and handgrip endurance in young healthy subjects.

PubMed

Madanmohan; Mahadevan, Sivasubramaniyan K; Balakrishnan, Selvakumar; Gopalakrishnan, Maya; Prakash, E S

2008-01-01

The present study was designed to test whether yoga training of six weeks duration modulates sweating response to dynamic exercise and improves respiratory pressures, handgrip strength and handgrip endurance. Out of 46 healthy subjects (30 males and 16 females, aged 17-20 yr), 23 motivated subjects (15 male and 8 female) were given yoga training and the remaining 23 subjects served as controls. Weight loss following Harvard step test (an index of sweat loss), maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, 40 mm endurance, handgrip strength and handgrip endurance were determined before and after the six week study period. In the yoga group, weight loss in response to Harvard step test was 64 +/- 30 g after yoga training as compared to 161 +/- 133 g before the training and the difference was significant (n = 15 male subjects, P < 0.0001). In contrast, weight loss following step test was not significantly different in the control group at the end of the study period. Yoga training produced a marked increase in respiratory pressures and endurance in 40 mm Hg test in both male and female subjects (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates attenuation of the sweating response to step test by yoga training. Further, yoga training for a short period of six weeks can produce significant improvements in respiratory muscle strength and endurance.

Standard values of maximum tongue pressure taken using newly developed disposable tongue pressure measurement device.

PubMed

Utanohara, Yuri; Hayashi, Ryo; Yoshikawa, Mineka; Yoshida, Mitsuyoshi; Tsuga, Kazuhiro; Akagawa, Yasumasa

2008-09-01

It is clinically important to evaluate tongue function in terms of rehabilitation of swallowing and eating ability. We have developed a disposable tongue pressure measurement device designed for clinical use. In this study we used this device to determine standard values of maximum tongue pressure in adult Japanese. Eight hundred fifty-three subjects (408 male, 445 female; 20-79 years) were selected for this study. All participants had no history of dysphagia and maintained occlusal contact in the premolar and molar regions with their own teeth. A balloon-type disposable oral probe was used to measure tongue pressure by asking subjects to compress it onto the palate for 7 s with maximum voluntary effort. Values were recorded three times for each subject, and the mean values were defined as maximum tongue pressure. Although maximum tongue pressure was higher for males than for females in the 20-49-year age groups, there was no significant difference between males and females in the 50-79-year age groups. The maximum tongue pressure of the seventies age group was significantly lower than that of the twenties to fifties age groups. It may be concluded that maximum tongue pressures were reduced with primary aging. Males may become weaker with age at a faster rate than females; however, further decreases in strength were in parallel for male and female subjects.

Measuring the neck frequency response function of laryngectomy patients: Implications for the design of electrolarynx devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzner, Geoffrey S.; Kobler, James B.; Hillman, Robert E.

2003-08-01

Measurements of the neck frequency response function (NFRF), defined as the ratio of the spectrum of the estimated volume velocity that excites the vocal tract to the spectrum of the acceleration delivered to the neck wall, were made at three different positions on the necks of nine laryngectomized subjects (five males and four females) and four normal laryngeal speakers (two males and two females). A minishaker driven by broadband noise provided excitation to the necks of subjects as they configured their vocal tracts to mimic the production of the vowels /aye/, /æ/, and /I/. The sound pressure at the lips was measured with a microphone and an impedance head mounted on the shaker measured the acceleration. The neck wall passed low-frequency sound energy better than high-frequency sound energy, and thus the NFRF was accurately modeled as a low-pass filter. The NFRFs of the different subject groups (female laryngeal, male laryngeal speakers, laryngectomized males, and laryngectomized females) differed from each other in terms of corner frequency and gain, with both types of male subjects presenting NFRFs with larger overall gains. In addition, there was a notable amount of intersubject variability within groups. Because the NFRF is an estimate of how sound energy passes through the neck wall, these results should aid in the design of improved neck-type electrolarynx devices.

Total neuron numbers in CA1-4 sectors of the dog hippocampus.

PubMed

Rağbetli, Murat Cetin; Aydinlioğlu, Atif; Koyun, Necat; Yayici, Recep; Arslan, Kadir

2010-06-01

Early reports addressed morphological asymmetry in the cross-sectional width of the rat hippocampus. The present study was aimed at counting total number of neurons in CA1-4 sectors and the subiculum of the dog hippocampus as well as investigating possible left /right and male/female asymmetry. Adult mongrel dogs (8 female and 5 male) were assessed by the right and left pawedness and sacrificed by exsanguinations. In each hippocampus dissected, the total neuron numbers of CAs and subiculum were estimated by the physical fractioning method. Significant hemispheric asymmetries were found in the number of pyramidal cells of CA1, CA3/2, CA4 and the subiculum. Sex difference was also found in the subiculum, in favour of the males. Our study indicated a left dominant asymmetry in males and right dominancy in females as well as no functional asymmetry in specific regions of the dog hippocampus. Further investigations are necessary to verify the hypothesis that hippocampal morphological asymmetries in normal subjects are functionally related in memory or in cognitive skills.

Differences conception prospective students teacher about limit of function based gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usman, Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

2017-08-01

Gender is one of the interesting topics and has continuity to be explored in mathematics education research. The purpose of this study to explore difference on conceptions of students teaching program by gender. It specialized on conception of understanding, representating, and mental images about limit function. This research conducting qualitative explorative method approach. The subject consisted of one man and one woman from the group of highly skilled student and has gone through semester V. Based on data that had been analyzed proved that male student has an understanding about limit function shared by explaining this material using illustrations, while female student explained it through verbal explanation. Due to representating aspect, it revealed that both of male and female students have similarity such as using verbal explanation, graphs, symbols, and tables to representating about limit function. Analyzing Mental image aspect, researcher got that male student using word "to converge" to explained about limit function, while female student using word "to approach". So, there are differences conceptions about limit function between male and female student.

Comparisons of auditory brainstem response and sound level tolerance in tinnitus ears and non-tinnitus ears in unilateral tinnitus patients with normal audiograms

PubMed Central

An, Yong-Hwi; Kim, Dong Hyun; Yoon, Ji Eun; Yoon, Ji Hyang

2017-01-01

Objective Recently, “hidden hearing loss” with cochlear synaptopathy has been suggested as a potential pathophysiology of tinnitus in individuals with a normal hearing threshold. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects with tinnitus and normal audiograms show significantly reduced auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I amplitudes compared with control subjects, but normal wave V amplitudes, suggesting increased central auditory gain. We aimed to reconfirm the “hidden hearing loss” theory through a within-subject comparison of wave I and wave V amplitudes and uncomfortable loudness level (UCL), which might be decreased with increased central gain, in tinnitus ears (TEs) and non-tinnitus ears (NTEs). Subjects and methods Human subjects included 43 unilateral tinnitus patients (19 males, 24 females) with normal and symmetric hearing thresholds and 18 control subjects with normal audiograms. The amplitudes of wave I and V from the peak to the following trough were measured twice at 90 dB nHL and we separately assessed UCLs at 500 Hz and 3000 Hz pure tones in each TE and NTE. Results The within-subject comparison between TEs and NTEs showed no significant differences in wave I and wave V amplitude, or wave V/I ratio in both the male and female groups. Individual data revealed increased V/I amplitude ratios > mean + 2 SD in 3 TEs, but not in any control ears. We found no significant differences in UCL at 500 Hz or 3000 Hz between the TEs and NTEs, but the UCLs of both TEs and NTEs were lower than those of the control ears. Conclusions Our ABR data do not represent meaningful evidence supporting the hypothesis of cochlear synaptopathy with increased central gain in tinnitus subjects with normal audiograms. However, reduced sound level tolerance in both TEs and NTEs might reflect increased central gain consequent on hidden synaptopathy that was subsequently balanced between the ears by lateral olivocochlear efferents. PMID:29253030

Pharmacokinetic characteristics of telaprevir in healthy Korean male subjects and comparisons with Japanese.

PubMed

Choi, Yewon; Yoon, Seonghae; Matsumoto, Kyoko; Ohta, Yoshiyasu; Lee, SeungHwan; Yu, Kyung-Sang; Jang, In-Jin

2018-01-01

Telaprevir, a reversible selective inhibitor of viral protease and a potential blocker of viral replication, is indicated for the treatment of hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection. In this study, the pharmacokinetic profile, safety, and tolerability of telaprevir and the effect of food on telaprevir exposure were evaluated in healthy Korean subjects, and compared with data from a previous study in Japanese male subjects. The single ascending dose study was conducted in 3 dose-based groups (500, 750, and 1,250 mg, six subjects each) in a fasted state. In the multiple dose study, eight subjects in the fed state received 750 mg of telaprevir once on Day 1 and every 8 hours from Day 2 until the morning of Day 6. Serial blood samples for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected for up to 24 hours in the single ascending dose study and for 6 days in the multiple dose study. Individual pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a non-compartmental analysis method. Safety and tolerability profiles were evaluated throughout the study. Following multiple administrations of telaprevir, maximum plasma concentrations (C max ), area under the concentration-time curve (AUC 0-8 ), and C trough (concentration at 8 h after drug administration) increased by ~2.41-fold. Compared to fasted state values, mean C max and AUC 0-24 increased by 4.92- and 4.81-fold, respectively, after food intake. The C max and AUC inf of Korean subjects were 26%-34% higher than those of Japanese subjects; however, these differences were not clinically significant. All observed adverse events were mild and there was no discontinuation due to AEs. In conclusion, the telaprevir's pharmacokinetic characteristics were similar in Korean and Japanese subjects. Telaprevir was well tolerated in a single dose of up to 1,250 mg and in multiple doses of 750 mg.

Social Responsibility Personality Differences between Male and Female Communicators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hantz, Alan M.; Wright, Donald K.

A study was conducted to explore in what ways, if any, male public relations practitioners differ from their female counterparts in their level of social responsibility. Subjects were 105 public relations practitioners (60% female and 40% male) and 215 college students (71% female and 29% male), who completed the Berkowitz-Lutterman SRS Scale. The…

Is subjective hyperhidrosis assessment sufficient enough? prevalence of hyperhidrosis among young Polish adults.

PubMed

Stefaniak, Tomasz; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A; Proczko-Markuszewska, Monika; Idestal, Anette; Royton, Anders; Abi-Khalil, Christian

2013-10-01

The aim of this work was to assess the prevalence of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis among young Polish adults. Additionally, this work aimed at comparing the subjective and objective (gravimetric) method of hyperhidrosis assessment. Healthy medical students, volunteering to take part in this study, were included. The participants filled out a questionnaire assessing the occurrence and subjective intensity of hyperhidrosis in different areas of the body. Additionally, the students were subjected to gravimetric assessment in four localizations: the face, palms, axillae and abdomino-lumbar area. Two hundred and fifty-three students (102 males and 151 females, mean age 24.3 ± 3.21 years) were included in the study. Forty-two (16.7%) participants declared that they suffer from hyperhidrosis. Out of the 42 students declaring any type of hyperhidrosis, only 20 (47.6%) exceeded the gravimetric reference values. From among the students that exceeded the normative values for palmar hyperhidrosis, only 10 (55.6%) were aware of their hyperhidrosis. In the group of students that exceeded the normative values for axillary hyperhidrosis, 16 (39%) were aware of their hyperhidrosis. Subjectively declared hyperhidrosis incidence may significantly exceed the real-life occurrence of this disease. Basing studies solely on data gathered from questionnaires, may lead to false results. It is imperative, when assessing patients suffering from hyperhidrosis, to use both objective and subjective methods of evaluation. © 2013 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Sun-induced changes of stratum corneum hydration vary with age and gender in a normal Chinese population.

PubMed

Liu, Zhili; Song, Shunpeng; Luo, Wenhai; Elias, Peter M; Man, Mao-Qiang

2012-02-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that sun-induced alteration of epidermal permeability barrier function varies with gender and age. In the present study, we assess the stratum corneum (SC) hydration in sun-exposed males and females. A total of 168 subjects (84 males and 84 females) aged 19-75 years were enrolled. A multifunctional skin physiology monitor was used to measure SC hydration. In comparison with non-sun exposure, sun exposure does not cause a significant change in SC hydration in either young males or young females, whereas in aged females, a significant reduction of SC hydration is seen on the forehead and the dorsal hand of sun-exposed subjects. SC hydration on the canthus of both aged males and aged females is significantly lower than that of young subjects. Additionally, SC hydration on the dorsal hand of aged females is also significantly lower as compared with young females. Sun-induced reduction of SC hydration is more evident on the dorsal hand of aged females than that of males (P<0.001). Moreover, the SC rehydration capacity is significantly lower in sun-exposed aged females than in age-matched males. These results demonstrated that sun-induced changes of the SC hydration property vary with age and gender. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Cryolipolysis for Targeted Fat Reduction and Improved Appearance of the Enlarged Male Breast.

PubMed

Munavalli, Girish S; Panchaprateep, Ratchathorn

2015-09-01

Pseudogynecomastia refers to benign male breast enlargement due to excess subareolar fat. Standard treatment is surgical excision under general anesthesia, liposuction, or a combination of both. The safety and efficacy of cryolipolysis was investigated for nonsurgical treatment of pseudogynecomastia. Enrollment consisted of 21 males with pseudogynecomastia. Subjects received a first treatment consisting of a 60-minute cryolipolysis cycle, followed by a two-minute massage, and a second 60-minute cycle with 50% treatment area overlap. At 60 days of follow-up, subjects received a second 60-minute treatment. Safety was evaluated by monitoring side effects and adverse events. Efficacy was assessed by ultrasound, clinical photographs, and subject surveys. Surveys revealed that 95% of subjects reported improved visual appearance and 89% reported reduced embarrassment associated with pseudogynecomastia. Ultrasound showed mean fat layer reduction of 1.6 ± 1.2 mm. Blinded reviewers correctly identified 82% of baseline photographs. Side effects included mild discomfort during treatment and transient paresthesia and tenderness. One case of paradoxical hyperplasia (PH) occurred but likelihood of PH in the male breast is not believed to be greater than in any other treatment area. This study demonstrated feasibility of cryolipolysis for safe, effective, and well-tolerated nonsurgical treatment of pseudogynecomastia.

Radiographic Blind Test of Curvature of the Posterior Border of the Mandibular Ramus as a Morphological Indicator of Gender.

PubMed

Peregrina, Alejandro; Azer, Shereen S; Tao, Erin E; Johnston, William M

2016-12-01

Curvature of the posterior border of the mandibular ramus at the occlusal plane has been described as a morphological trait for males. Controversy over the accuracy of this method remains among researchers; studies employing similar methods report accuracy rates for successful gender identification ranging from 59% to 99%. This blind study assessed evaluators' ability to determine gender based on the presence or absence of curvature of the posterior margin of the mandibular ramus through panoramic radiographs. Randomly selected panoramic radiographs were obtained from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry for 413 adult male (M) and female (F) subjects. Two evaluators separately assigned ratings using a similar method to the Loth and Henenberg methodology to each subject on the right and left sides of mandibular rami. The ratings were based upon three criteria: (1) presence of curvature at the occlusal plane (M), (2) presence of curvature but not at the occlusal plane (F), and (3) lack of curvature (F). Pearson exact chi-squared test was used to evaluate the statistical strength of the ratings. The evaluators were only in agreement for both the right and left rami in roughly two-thirds (66.8%) of cases when there was no excessive tooth loss (ETL); however, the inter-observer agreement improved to 82.1% for those rami associated with ETL. Inter-observer agreement occurred in 72.9% of female rami and in only 64.4% of male rami. The results of this study indicated that assessment of posterior border curvature of  mandibular rami through panoramic radiographs was not a reliable indicator of gender and was further plagued by unacceptably high levels of inter-observer disagreement. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

A Novel Method for Studying the Pharmacokinetics of [14C]Umeclidinium After Application to the Axilla or Palm of Healthy Male Subjects

PubMed Central

Santos, LL; Hughes, SC; Pereira, AI; Young, GC; Hussey, E; Charlton, P; Baptiste‐Brown, S; Stuart, JS; Vincent, V; van Marle, SP; Schmith, VD

2016-01-01

Umeclidinium (UMEC), a long‐acting muscarinic antagonist approved for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was investigated for primary hyperhidrosis as topical therapy. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a single dose of [14C]UMEC applied to either unoccluded axilla (UA), occluded axilla (OA), or occluded palm (OP) of healthy males. After 8 h the formulation was removed. [14C]UMEC plasma concentrations (Cp) were quantified by accelerator mass spectrometry. Occlusion increased systemic exposure by 3.8‐fold. Due to UMEC absorption‐limited pharmacokinetics, Cp data from the OA were combined with intravenous data from a phase I study. The data were described by a two‐compartment population model with sequential zero and first‐order absorption and linear elimination. Simulated systemic exposure following q.d. doses to axilla was similar to the exposure from the inhaled therapy, suggesting that systemic safety following dermal administration can be bridged to the inhaled program, and offering the potential for a reduced number of studies and/or subjects. PMID:27304394

Sexual harassment and generalized workplace abuse among university employees: prevalence and mental health correlates.

PubMed Central

Richman, J A; Rospenda, K M; Nawyn, S J; Flaherty, J A; Fendrich, M; Drum, M L; Johnson, T P

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study hypothesized that interpersonal workplace stressors involving sexual harassment and generalized workplace abuse are highly prevalent and significantly linked with mental health outcomes including symptomatic distress, the use and abuse of alcohol, and other drug use. METHODS: Employees in 4 university occupational groups (faculty, student, clerical, and service workers; n = 2492) were surveyed by means of a mailed self-report instrument. Cross-tabular and ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses examined the prevalence of harassment and abuse and their association with mental health status. RESULTS: The data show high rates of harassment and abuse. Among faculty, females were subjected to higher rates; among clerical and service workers, males were subjected to higher rates. Male and female clerical and service workers experienced higher levels of particularly severe mistreatment. Generalized abuse was more prevalent than harassment for all groups. Both harassment and abuse were significantly linked to most mental health outcomes for men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonally abusive workplace dynamics constitute a significant public health problem that merits increased intervention and prevention strategies. PMID:10076485

How many sleep stages do we need for an efficient automatic insomnia diagnosis?

PubMed

Hamida, Sana Tmar-Ben; Glos, Martin; Penzel, Thomas; Ahmed, Beena

2016-08-01

Tools used by clinicians to diagnose and treat insomnia typically include sleep diaries and questionnaires. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) recordings are used when the initial diagnosis is uncertain due to the presence of other sleep disorders or when the treatment, either behavioral or pharmacologic, is unsuccessful. However, the analysis and the scoring of PSG data are time-consuming. To simplify the diagnosis process, in this paper we have proposed an efficient insomnia detection algorithm based on a central single electroencephalographic (EEG) channel (C3) using only deep sleep. We also analyzed several spectral and statistical EEG features of good sleeper controls and subjects suffering from insomnia in different sleep stages to identify the features that offered the best discrimination between the two groups. Our proposed algorithm was evaluated using EEG recordings from 19 patients diagnosed with primary insomnia (11 females, 8 males) and 16 matched control subjects (11 females, 5 males). The sensitivity of our algorithm is 92%, the specificity is 89.9%, the Cohen's kappa is 0.81 and the agreement is 91%, indicating the effectiveness of our proposed method.

[Screening of benign and malignant thyroid nodules in 5 196 physical examination population].

PubMed

Li, M H; Liu, J T

2018-02-23

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer in physical examination population in Tianjin, and report the outcome of ultrasonography in detection of thyroid nodules. Methods: Enrolled all of physical examination population in our hospital from Jan 1, 2014 to Dec 31, 2014 as our study subjects then the thyroid gland lesions were screened by ultrasound diagnostic technique. The risk assessment of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was assessed by ultrasonography and thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS), and the individuals were followed up for 1 year. Results: Among the 5 196 cases, the patients with thyroid nodules was 2 068 cases (39.80%). The thyroid nodules was 35.04% in male and 44.78% in female subjects, lower in females than in male cases ( P <0.001). 18 cases of thyroid cancer patients were detected (0.35%). The thyroid cancer rate were 0.34% and 0.36% in male and female respectively ( P >0.05). Thyroid nodules increased with age, but the thyroid cancer patients were mainly concentrated in the 30 to 39 years old group and 50 to 59 years old group. All of the thyroid cancer patients underwent surgical treatment, better differentiation thyroid papillary carcinoma (17 cases) in major, most were early stage cancer and micro-cancer, possessing relatively low risk of recurrence. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography and TI-RADS diagnosis of thyroid cancer was 72.22%, 98.94% and 98.85%. Conclusions: The detection rate of thyroid nodules in our population is close to 40%, and there are differences between sexes and ages. Ultrasonography and TI-RADS association is an efficient method to detect the nodules in thyroid.

Simulated altitude exposure assessment by hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calin, Mihaela Antonina; Macovei, Adrian; Miclos, Sorin; Parasca, Sorin Viorel; Savastru, Roxana; Hristea, Razvan

2017-05-01

Testing the human body's reaction to hypoxia (including the one generated by high altitude) is important in aeronautic medicine. This paper presents a method of monitoring blood oxygenation during experimental hypoxia using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and a spectral unmixing model based on a modified Beer-Lambert law. A total of 20 healthy volunteers (males) aged 25 to 60 years were included in this study. A line-scan HSI system was used to acquire images of the faces of the subjects. The method generated oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin distribution maps from the foreheads of the subjects at 5 and 10 min of hypoxia and after recovery in a high oxygen breathing mixture. The method also generated oxygen saturation maps that were validated using pulse oximetry. An interesting pattern of desaturation on the forehead was discovered during the study, showing one of the advantages of using HSI for skin oxygenation monitoring in hypoxic conditions. This could bring new insight into the physiological response to high altitude and may become a step forward in air crew testing.

Simulated altitude exposure assessment by hyperspectral imaging.

PubMed

Calin, Mihaela Antonina; Macovei, Adrian; Miclos, Sorin; Parasca, Sorin Viorel; Savastru, Roxana; Hristea, Razvan

2017-05-01

Testing the human body’s reaction to hypoxia (including the one generated by high altitude) is important in aeronautic medicine. This paper presents a method of monitoring blood oxygenation during experimental hypoxia using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and a spectral unmixing model based on a modified Beer–Lambert law. A total of 20 healthy volunteers (males) aged 25 to 60 years were included in this study. A line-scan HSI system was used to acquire images of the faces of the subjects. The method generated oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin distribution maps from the foreheads of the subjects at 5 and 10 min of hypoxia and after recovery in a high oxygen breathing mixture. The method also generated oxygen saturation maps that were validated using pulse oximetry. An interesting pattern of desaturation on the forehead was discovered during the study, showing one of the advantages of using HSI for skin oxygenation monitoring in hypoxic conditions. This could bring new insight into the physiological response to high altitude and may become a step forward in air crew testing.

Protein carbonyl: An oxidative stress marker in gingival crevicular fluid in healthy, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis subjects

PubMed Central

Pradeep, Avani R.; Ramchandraprasad, M. V.; Bajaj, Pavan; Rao, Nishanth S.; Agarwal, Esha

2013-01-01

Background: A defined role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tissue destruction that characterizes periodontitis has been described. Protein carbonyl (PC) is the most widely used biomarker for oxidative damage to proteins, and reflects cellular damage induced by multiple forms of ROS. The purpose of this study is to determine the presence of PC in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in healthy, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis (CP) subjects and to find an association, if any. Materials and Methods: A total number of 75 subjects (38 males and 37 females) were selected based on their clinical parameters into three groups: Group 1 (25 healthy subjects), Group 2 (25 gingivitis subjects), and Group 3 (25 CP subjects). GCF samples were collected to estimate the levels of PC. Results: The PC concentration in GCF was highest in subjects with CP as compared to gingivitis and healthy subjects and a significant association was observed between GCF PC levels and all periodontal parameters. Conclusion: There was an increase in PC levels in GCF as the disease process progressed from healthy to gingivitis and CP, suggesting a role for increased oxidative stress in CP. PMID:23853448

Sexual affordances, perceptual-motor invariance extraction and intentional nonlinear dynamics: sexually deviant and non-deviant patterns in male subjects.

PubMed

Renaud, Patrice; Goyette, Mathieu; Chartier, Sylvain; Zhornitski, Simon; Trottier, Dominique; Rouleau, Joanne-L; Proulx, Jean; Fedoroff, Paul; Bradford, John-P; Dassylva, Benoit; Bouchard, Stephane

2010-10-01

Sexual arousal and gaze behavior dynamics are used to characterize deviant sexual interests in male subjects. Pedophile patients and non-deviant subjects are immersed with virtual characters depicting relevant sexual features. Gaze behavior dynamics as indexed from correlation dimensions (D2) appears to be fractal in nature and significantly different from colored noise (surrogate data tests and recurrence plot analyses were performed). This perceptual-motor fractal dynamics parallels sexual arousal and differs from pedophiles to non-deviant subjects when critical sexual information is processed. Results are interpreted in terms of sexual affordance, perceptual invariance extraction and intentional nonlinear dynamics.

A novel effective method for the assessment of microvascular function in male patients with coronary artery disease: a pilot study using laser speckle contrast imaging

PubMed Central

Borges, J.P.; Lopes, G.O.; Verri, V.; Coelho, M.P.; Nascimento, P.M.C.; Kopiler, D.A.; Tibirica, E.

2016-01-01

Evaluation of microvascular endothelial function is essential for investigating the pathophysiology and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Although laser speckle contrast imaging technology is well accepted as a noninvasive methodology for assessing microvascular endothelial function, it has never been used to compare male patients with coronary artery disease with male age-matched healthy controls. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether laser speckle contrast imaging could be used to detect differences in the systemic microvascular functions of patients with established cardiovascular disease (n=61) and healthy age-matched subjects (n=24). Cutaneous blood flow was assessed in the skin of the forearm using laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of acetylcholine and post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. The maximum increase in skin blood flow induced by acetylcholine was significantly reduced in the cardiovascular disease patients compared with the control subjects (74 vs 116%; P<0.01). With regard to post-occlusive reactive hyperemia-induced vasodilation, the patients also presented reduced responses compared to the controls (0.42±0.15 vs 0.50±0.13 APU/mmHg; P=0.04). In conclusion, laser speckle contrast imaging can identify endothelial and microvascular dysfunctions in male individuals with cardiovascular disease. Thus, this technology appears to be an efficient non-invasive technique for evaluating systemic microvascular and endothelial functions, which could be valuable as a peripheral marker of atherothrombotic diseases in men. PMID:27599202

Effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on affective temperament, depression and body mass index in obesity.

PubMed

Borkowska, A; Bieliński, M; Szczęsny, W; Szwed, K; Tomaszewska, M; Kałwa, A; Lesiewska, N; Junik, R; Gołębiewski, M; Sikora, M; Tretyn, A; Akiskal, K; Akiskal, H

2015-09-15

Many studies show high prevalence of affective disorders in obese patients. Affective temperament is a subclinical manifestation of such conditions. The 5-HTT gene encoding the serotonin transporter may be involved in both mood and eating dysregulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene on affective temperament types, depressive symptoms and Body Mass Index (BMI) in obese patients. This study involved 390 patients (237 females, and 153 males) with obesity. The TEMPS-A questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were used to evaluate affective temperaments and prevalence of depression. DNA was obtained for serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) genotyping. In obese patients S/S genotype was associated with depressive and L/L with cyclothymic temperament. Subjects with L/L genotype presented significantly higher BMI and greater intensity of depressive symptoms in BDI and HDRS. Females scored higher in anxious and depressive, while males in hyperthymic, cyclothymic and irritable temperaments. Females scored higher in BDI (subjective depression) while males in HDRS (objective depression). TEMPS-A, BDI and HDRS are frequently used in studies on affective disorders. However, these methods do not examine all dimensions of mood and personality. In obese patients S allele of 5-HTTLPR was associated with development of depressive temperament while L allele corresponded with greater obesity and prevalence of depression. Different mechanisms may be involved in manifestation of depression in males and females with obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exaggerated acquisition and resistance to extinction of avoidance behavior in treated heroin-dependent males

PubMed Central

Sheynin, Jony; Moustafa, Ahmed A.; Beck, Kevin D.; Servatius, Richard J.; Casbolt, Peter A.; Haber, Paul; Elsayed, Mahmoud; Hogarth, Lee; Myers, Catherine E.

2015-01-01

Objective Addiction is often conceptualized as a behavioral strategy for avoiding negative experiences. In rodents, opioid intake has been associated with abnormal acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these findings would generalize to human opioid-dependent subjects. Method Adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for heroin-dependence and treated with opioid medication (n=27), and healthy controls (n=26), were recruited between March–October 2013 and given a computer-based task to assess avoidance behavior. On this task, subjects controlled a spaceship and could either gain points by shooting an enemy spaceship, or hide in safe areas to avoid on-screen aversive events. Results While groups did not differ on escape responding (hiding) during the aversive event, heroin-dependent males (but not females) made more avoidance responses during a warning signal that predicted the aversive event (ANOVA, sex × group interaction, p=0.007). This group was also slower to extinguish the avoidance response when the aversive event no longer followed the warning signal (p=0.011). This behavioral pattern resulted in reduced opportunity to obtain reward without reducing risk of punishment. Results suggest that differences in avoidance behavior cannot be easily explained by impaired task performance or by exaggerated motor activity in male patients. Conclusion This study provides evidence for abnormal acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior in opioid-dependent patients. Interestingly, data suggest abnormal avoidance is demonstrated only by male patients. Findings shed light on cognitive and behavioral manifestations of opioid addiction, and may facilitate development of therapeutic approaches to help affected individuals. PMID:27046310

Anisotropic bioelectrical impedance determination of subcutaneous fat thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández-Becerra, P. A. I.; Delgadillo-Holtfort, I.; Balleza-Ordaz, M.; Huerta-Franco, M. R.; Vargas-Luna, M.

2014-11-01

Preliminary results have shown that bioelectrical impedance measurements performed on different parts of the human body strongly depend upon the subcutaneous fat of the considered region. In this work, a method for the determination of subcutaneous fat thickness is explored. Within this method the measurement of the bioelectrical impedance response of the fat-muscle system, both along the direction defined by the muscle fibers and along the corresponding perpendicular direction, are performed. Measurements have been carried out on human female and male subjects of ages around 25 years old at the region of the biceps. Correlation has been performed with skinfold caliper measurements.

Acoustic analysis of normal Saudi adult voices.

PubMed

Malki, Khalid H; Al-Habib, Salman F; Hagr, Abulrahman A; Farahat, Mohamed M

2009-08-01

To determine the acoustic differences between Saudi adult male and female voices, and to compare the acoustic variables of the Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP) obtained from North American adults to a group of Saudi males and females. A cross-sectional survey of normal adult male and female voices was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between March 2007 and December 2008. Ninety-five Saudi subjects sustained the vowel /a/ 6 times, and the steady state portion of 3 samples was analyzed and compared with the samples of the KayPentax normative voice database. Significant differences were found between Saudi and North American KayPentax database groups. In the male subjects, 15 of 33 MDVP variables, and 10 of 33 variables in the female subjects were found to be significantly different from the KayPentax database. We conclude that the acoustical differences may reflect laryngeal anatomical or tissue differences between the Saudi and the KayPentax database.

A comparative study of trained and untrained rabindrasangeet singers.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Indranil; Kumar, Suman; Chattopadhyay, Durba

2012-12-01

This scientific paper proposes an analytic framework specifically for Rabindrasangeet singing that models the time-varying physical and expressive characteristics unique to an individual voice through a phonetogram analysis. The present study incorporates the most popular Rabindrasangeet into account for analysis to get an idea about the specific numerical data regarding the fundamental frequency, semitones, SPL range, and area as well as to give a precise guideline to those clients. While comparing the trained and untrained singers both males and females the F0 parameter is found to be louder in trained group. The mean semitone is always higher in females than in males and the trained male subjects have significantly higher SPL range than trained female subjects and trained females have higher SPL range than untrained female subjects. The enclosed area is larger in trained singers and more in females than males. Results of this study indicate differences between untrained and trained phonetograms. These differences can be attributed to greater natural capacities in trainedsubjects or a superior learned control over the voice mechanism.

Gender differences associated with orienting attentional networks in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Hu, Pan-Pan; Fan, Jin; Wang, Kai

2013-06-01

Selective attention is considered one of the main components of cognitive functioning. A number of studies have demonstrated gender differences in cognition. This study aimed to investigate the gender differences in selective attention in healthy subjects. The present experiment examined the gender differences associated with the efficiency of three attentional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control attention in 73 healthy subjects (38 males). All participants performed a modified version of the Attention Network Test (ANT). Females had higher orienting scores than males (t = 2.172, P < 0.05). Specifically, females were faster at covert orienting of attention to a spatially cued location. There were no gender differences between males and females in alerting (t = 0.813, P > 0.05) and executive control (t = 0.945, P > 0.05) attention networks. There was a significant gender difference between males and females associated with the orienting network. Enhanced orienting attention in females may function to motivate females to direct their attention to a spatially cued location.

Changes of the Carotid Artery Doppler Flow Velocity Pattern after Sublingual Nitroglycerin in Patients with Hypertension

PubMed Central

Jeong, Jin-Won; Park, Ock-Kyu; Park, Yang-Kyu; Tei, Chuwa; Tanaka, Nobuyuki

1998-01-01

Objective To evaluate the applicability of carotid Doppler echography for the assessment of changes of peripheral hemodynamics in the hypertensives. Subjects 28 hypertensives (17 males, 11 females), mean age of 64 yrs and 40 normal controls (24 males, 16 females) mean age of 49 yrs. Methods We recorded the right common carotid arterial Doppler flow velocity (BFV) pattern and measured the peak velocities of the percussion wave (P) and late rising tidal wave (T), the ratio of the two (P/T), the time interval between the two peaks corrected by heart rate (P-Tc), systolic flow velocity integral (FVI) and carotid artery diameter (CAD) before and after 0.4 mg dose of subligual nitroglycerin (NTG). Results 1) In hypertensives, the P wave velocity showed lower and P-Tc interval shorter than those of the normal controls at baseline. 2) After NTG, the P-Tc and P/T increased, but the T and FVI decreased significantly in both groups of subjects. 3) The P/T ratio was less significantly increased after NTG in the hypertensives than in the controls. These results suggest that NTG might have been involved in concomitant reduction and delay of the wave reflection from the peripheral vessels, preferentially in the normal subjects than in hypertensives. Concluson The carotid Doppler echography can be useful for the evaluation of the changes of hemodynamics in the peripheral vessel such as carotid artery in hypertensive subjects. PMID:9538627

Pattern of blood pressure and hypertension in adolescents in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

PubMed

Okpere, A N; Anochie, I C; Eke, F U

2013-01-01

The rate and prevalence of hypertension in children is increasing. Childhood hypertensionif untreated can lead to hypertension in adulthood with its consequent cardiovascular and renal complications. Early detection of paediatric hypertension may lead to improvement in cardiovascular health in adults. This study aims to determine the blood pressure (BP) pattern and prevalence of hypertension in asymptomatic secondary school children and factors associated with hypertension in these adolescents. A cross-sectional study of 820 adolescents selected from 12 secondary schools in Port Harcourt was conducted. BP was measured by the auscultatory method. The average of three readings was taken as the actual blood pressure. Hypertension was defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressures equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Data was analysed using SPSS version 17.0. Systolic and diastolic BP increased with age in all subjects. Male subjects had a higher systolic BP compared to females. Hypertension was seen in 26 (3.2%) subjects; 13 males and 13 females. The proportional prevalence was higher in the age group 15-17 years (3.9%); in those in social classes V (9.1%) and with family history of hypertension (3.6%), (p à 0.05 in all cases). It was however significantly higher in the obese subjects (p = 0.000). The prevalence of hypertension in adolescents in Port Harcourt is high and is strongly associated with obesity. We recommend blood pressure measurement as part of the school health programme in secondary schools.

Options for liferaft entry after helicopter ditching.

PubMed

Brooks, C J; Potter, P L; De Lange, D; Baranski, J V; Anderson, J

1998-08-01

Dry and wet evacuations were conducted by 24 male and 19 female subjects from the Nutec Super Puma Simulator into two different types of aviation liferaft. Dry evacuation on the windward side is the method of choice. The non-canopy raft is subjectively and objectively easier to enter both from the helicopter and the sea. The non-canopy raft is the raft of choice, the canopy raft needs a redesign to ensure that it always inflates the correct way and both rafts need a redesign of the painter anchor point. Aircrew should have special training in open water after traditional pool training. A helicopter ditching survival compass has been developed for training all who fly over water for a living.

Age-Period-Cohort approaches to back-calculation of cancer incidence rate

PubMed Central

Oh, Cheongeun; Holford, Theodore R.

2016-01-01

A compartment model for cancer incidence and mortality is developed in which healthy subjects may develop cancer, and subsequently die of cancer or another cause. In order to adequately represent the experience of a defined population, it is also necessary to allow for subjects who are diagnosed at death, as well as subjects who migrate and are subsequently lost to follow-up. Expressions are derived for the number of cancer deaths as a function of the number of incidence cases and vice versa, which allows for the use of mortality statistics to obtain estimates of incidence using survival information. In addition, the model can be used to obtain estimates of cancer prevalence, which is useful for health care planning. The method is illustrated using data on lung cancer among males in Connecticut. PMID:25715831

Why care about linear hair growth rates (LHGR)? a study using in vivo imaging and computer assisted image analysis after manual processing (CAIAMP) in unaffected male controls and men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL).

PubMed

Van Neste, Dominique

2014-01-01

The words "hair growth" frequently encompass many aspects other than just growth. Report on a validation method for precise non-invasive measurement of thickness together with linear hair growth rates of individual hair fibres. To verify the possible correlation between thickness and linear growth rate of scalp hair in male pattern hair loss as compared with healthy male controls. To document the process of validation of hair growth measurement from in vivo image capturing and manual processing, followed by computer assisted image analysis. We analysed 179 paired images obtained with the contrast-enhanced-phototrichogram method with exogen collection (CE-PTG-EC) in 13 healthy male controls and in 87 men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL). There was a global positive correlation between thickness and growth rate (ANOVA; p<0.0001) and a statistically significantly (ANOVA; p<0.0005) slower growth rate in MPHL as compared with equally thick hairs from controls. Finally, the growth rate recorded in the more severe patterns was significantly (ANOVA; P ≤ 0.001) reduced compared with equally thick hair from less severely affected MPHL or controls subjects. Reduced growth rate, together with thinning and shortening of the anagen phase duration in MPHL might contribute together to the global impression of decreased hair volume on the top of the head. Amongst other structural and functional parameters characterizing hair follicle regression, linear hair growth rate warrants further investigation, as it may be relevant in terms of self-perception of hair coverage, quantitative diagnosis and prognostic factor of the therapeutic response.

ASSET (Age/Sex Standardised Estimates of Treatment): A Research Model to Improve the Governance of Prescribing Funds in Italy

PubMed Central

Favato, Giampiero; Mariani, Paolo; Mills, Roger W.; Capone, Alessandro; Pelagatti, Matteo; Pieri, Vasco; Marcobelli, Alberico; Trotta, Maria G.; Zucchi, Alberto; Catapano, Alberico L.

2007-01-01

Background The primary objective of this study was to make the first step in the modelling of pharmaceutical demand in Italy, by deriving a weighted capitation model to account for demographic differences among general practices. The experimental model was called ASSET (Age/Sex Standardised Estimates of Treatment). Methods and Major Findings Individual prescription costs and demographic data referred to 3,175,691 Italian subjects and were collected directly from three Regional Health Authorities over the 12-month period between October 2004 and September 2005. The mean annual prescription cost per individual was similar for males (196.13 euro) and females (195.12 euro). After 65 years of age, the mean prescribing costs for males were significantly higher than females. On average, costs for a 75-year-old subject would be 12 times the costs for a 25–34 year-old subject if male, 8 times if female. Subjects over 65 years of age (22% of total population) accounted for 56% of total prescribing costs. The weightings explained approximately 90% of the evolution of total prescribing costs, in spite of the pricing and reimbursement turbulences affecting Italy in the 2000–2005 period. The ASSET weightings were able to explain only about 25% of the variation in prescribing costs among individuals. Conclusions If mainly idiosyncratic prescribing by general practitioners causes the unexplained variations, the introduction of capitation-based budgets would gradually move practices with high prescribing costs towards the national average. It is also possible, though, that the unexplained individual variation in prescribing costs is the result of differences in the clinical characteristics or socio-economic conditions of practice populations. If this is the case, capitation-based budgets may lead to unfair distribution of resources. The ASSET age/sex weightings should be used as a guide, not as the ultimate determinant, for an equitable allocation of prescribing resources to regional authorities and general practices. PMID:17611624

Gender differences in mental health literacy among Chinese-speaking Australians in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Lam, Angus Yuk Kit; Poon, Ada; Chow, Amy Yin Man

2012-03-01

This study attempted to understand gender differences in knowledge of mental illness, preference for professional help, and medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background. This study adopted a cluster convenience sampling method in which subjects were taken from the four major areas in cosmopolitan Melbourne where most Chinese people are living. A total of 200 Chinese-speaking Australians participated in the study. They were presented with two vignettes describing an individual with acute depression or acute schizophrenia and then questions were asked to assess their understanding of the conditions, preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. More female than male respondents could correctly identify the conditions in the two vignettes. Female participants also perceived medications to be relatively more harmful than their male counterparts. In contrast, there were significantly more males than females who adhered to traditional views on the causation of mental illness; had significantly higher percentages of endorsement of 'deal with it alone'; believed 'traditional Chinese medical doctor' and 'Chinese herbal medicines' to be helpful to the person in the schizophrenia vignette; and significantly endorsed 'psychiatric ward', 'electro-convulsive treatment', 'changing fungshui' and 'traditional Chinese worship' to be helpful for the persons in both vignettes. A combination of factors, which included age, duration of migration and traditional Chinese cultural values, were put forward to explain the above differences. Campaigns to improve the mental health literacy of Chinese-speaking Australians must take into account the gender differences between male and female Chinese-speaking Australians so that culturally relevant and gender-specific education programmes can be developed.

Smelling chemosensory signals of males in anxious versus nonanxious condition increases state anxiety of female subjects.

PubMed

Albrecht, Jessica; Demmel, Maria; Schöpf, Veronika; Kleemann, Anna Maria; Kopietz, Rainer; May, Johanna; Schreder, Tatjana; Zernecke, Rebekka; Brückmann, Hartmut; Wiesmann, Martin

2011-01-01

The hypothesis of this experiment was that humans in an anxious state compared with a nonanxious state are able to increase anxiety levels in other humans via their body odors. Specifically, we hypothesized that male chemosensory anxiety signals compared with neutral chemosignals increase state anxiety of female subjects. Thirteen male subjects participated in 2 different sweat donation sessions: chemosignals were collected during participation in a high rope course (anxiety condition) and in an ergometer workout (neutral condition). State and trait anxiety were evaluated in 20 female odor recipients using Spielberger's state-trait anxiety inventory in a double-blind design. Comparison of state anxiety of odor donors between control and anxiety condition differed significantly indicating that our model of anxiety induction successfully led to the expected change in emotion. Comparison of state anxiety of odor recipients showed a trend toward higher state anxiety in the anxiety condition compared with the neutral condition after 5 min of odor exposure. After 20 min of odor exposure, state anxiety of female subjects was significantly higher during the perception of sweat collected during the anxiety condition in comparison with the perception of sweat collected during the neutral condition. This experiment gives evidence that male anxiety chemosignals compared with neutral chemosignals are capable of inducing an increased state anxiety in female subjects.

The characteristics of bone turnover in the second decade in relation to age and puberty development in healthy Japanese male and female subjects--Japanese Population-based Osteoporosis Study.

PubMed

Matsukura, T; Kagamimori, S; Nishino, H; Yamagami, T; Iki, M; Kajita, E; Kagawa, Y; Yoneshima, H; Matsuzaki, T; Marumo, F

2003-01-01

There are few studies that clarify the characteristics of bone turnover in children and adolescents. Furthermore, little has been published on changes in urinary CrossLaps(TM) (CTx) in Japanese subjects. To investigate biochemical markers of bone turnover in subjects, in relation to age and puberty development. We measured serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase (B-Alp) and CTx in 1207 Japanese subjects aged 9-18 years. As an indicator of puberty development, the age that pubic hair appeared in males and menstruation started in females was obtained from questionnaires. B-Alp and CTx/Cr (creatinine) had high values before and just after the indicators and was lower thereafter, reaching a plateau in both genders. There was no significant difference in these values in males 5-6 years, or 7 years and more after the appearance of pubic hair. B-Alp and CTx/Cr values 7 years and more after menarche were significantly lower than those 5-6 years after menarche, however the differences were relatively small. Subjects in the second decade can be divided into three groups: 'before the appearance of pubic hair for males and menarche for females', 'up to and including 3-4 years after them' and '5-6 years and more after them'.

Bone density assessment for evaluation of gender differences in cervical vertebral maturation: A computed tomography study.

PubMed

Usha, K; Baskaranarayanan, Balashanmugam; Nagarajan, D; Selvarani, R; Vijjaykanth, M

2016-10-01

The cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method is a vital tool for assessing the biological maturation of the orthodontic patient to evaluate the amount of mandibular bone growth left. To assess and visualize the cervical vertebral morphology (bone density) of orthodontic patients of the age group 9,16,27 years. Twenty four subjects with age group of 9,16,27 who were randomly selected and subjected to 3d tomographic study to estimate the biological age of the orthodontic patients by analyzing c1 c2 and c3 vertebrae. The results showed that bone density of males is lesser than females in 9 and 16 years, whereas they have more bone density than females in 27 years. The study provides qualitative method of assessing the biological age of the patient by using images of cervical vertebrae by three dimensional approach. Hence it can be useful for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment plan.

Fully automatic bone age estimation from left hand MR images.

PubMed

Stern, Darko; Ebner, Thomas; Bischof, Horst; Grassegger, Sabine; Ehammer, Thomas; Urschler, Martin

2014-01-01

There has recently been an increased demand in bone age estimation (BAE) of living individuals and human remains in legal medicine applications. A severe drawback of established BAE techniques based on X-ray images is radiation exposure, since many countries prohibit scanning involving ionizing radiation without diagnostic reasons. We propose a completely automated method for BAE based on volumetric hand MRI images. On our database of 56 male caucasian subjects between 13 and 19 years, we are able to estimate the subjects age with a mean difference of 0.85 ± 0.58 years compared to the chronological age, which is in line with radiologist results using established radiographic methods. We see this work as a promising first step towards a novel MRI based bone age estimation system, with the key benefits of lacking exposure to ionizing radiation and higher accuracy due to exploitation of volumetric data.

Agreement between the methods: Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment and the nutritional assessment of the World Health Organization.

PubMed

Pimenta, Fabiana S; Oliveira, Cássia M; Hattori, Wallisen T; Teixeira, Kely R

2017-11-12

To assess the agreement between the results of the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment questionnaire, adapted for children and adolescents of the Brazilian population, and the nutritional status assessment method through growth curves and the classification of the World Health Organization in a pediatric hospital service. This was an analytical, quantitative, cross-sectional study. During the data collection period, the nutritional status of all patients from 0 to 12 years of age, admitted to the pediatric unit of a university hospital, was concomitantly assessed according to the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment and World Health Organization curves. To determine the assessment and agreement between these methods, the Kappa and Kendall coefficients were used, respectively, considering a significance level of 5%. Sixty-one children participated, with a predominance of males. It was observed that the highest frequency of equivalent results occurred among the group classified as well nourished, and that only the height/age variable showed a close agreement between the methods. Additionally, there was a good correlation only for the weight/height variable between the assessment tools used. Due to the low agreement between the methods, the combination of both may be beneficial for the nutritional assessment of pediatric patients, collaborating with the early diagnosis of nutritional alterations and facilitating the use of adequate dietary therapy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

Absence of diurnal variation of C-reactive protein concentrations in healthy human subjects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meier-Ewert, H. K.; Ridker, P. M.; Rifai, N.; Price, N.; Dinges, D. F.; Mullington, J. M.

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND: The concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) in otherwise healthy subjects has been shown to predict future risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. CRP is synthesized by the liver in response to interleukin-6, the serum concentration of which is subject to diurnal variation. METHODS: To examine the existence of a time-of-day effect for baseline CRP values, we determined CRP concentrations in hourly blood samples drawn from healthy subjects (10 males, 3 females; age range, 21-35 years) during a baseline day in a controlled environment (8 h of nighttime sleep). RESULTS: Overall CRP concentrations were low, with only three subjects having CRP concentrations >2 mg/L. Comparison of raw data showed stability of CRP concentrations throughout the 24 h studied. When compared with cutoff values of CRP quintile derived from population-based studies, misclassification of greater than one quintile did not occur as a result of diurnal variation in any of the subjects studied. Nonparametric ANOVA comparing different time points showed no significant differences for both raw and z-transformed data. Analysis for rhythmic diurnal variation using a method fitting a cosine curve to the group data was negative. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that baseline CRP concentrations are not subject to time-of-day variation and thus help to explain why CRP concentrations are a better predictor of vascular risk than interleukin-6. Determination of CRP for cardiovascular risk prediction may be performed without concern for diurnal variation.

RESPONSES OF MALE TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRDS TO VARIATION IN WITHIN-SONG AND BETWEEN-SONG VERSATILITY

PubMed Central

Botero, Carlos A.; Vehrencamp, Sandra L.

2007-01-01

Despite their large vocal repertoires and otherwise highly versatile singing style, male mockingbirds sometimes sing in a highly repetitive fashion. We conducted a playback experiment to determine the possible signal value of different syllable presentation patterns during simulated male intrusions in the Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) testing the hypothesis that more repetitive singing represents a stronger threat and generates a stronger aggressive response. Responses were measured in terms of approach and singing behavior and were analyzed using McGregor’s (1992) multivariate method. We also introduce the use of survival analysis for analyzing response variables for which subjects do not perform the behavior in question in at least one of the replicates (known as ‘right-censored variables’ in the statistical literature). As predicted by theory, experimental subjects responded more aggressively to songs composed of a single note than to variable ones. However, versatility at the between-song level had an opposite effect as high song switching rates generated stronger responses than low ones. Given the lack of a statistical interaction between within-song versatility and switching rate, we conclude that these two parameters may serve independent purposes and possibly transmit different information. We discuss the possibility that the signal value of variation in vocal versatility lies in the mediation of territorial conflicts, the attraction of female partners and/or the mediation of conflicts over access to reproductive females. PMID:18509510

Relationship between alcohol intake, body fat, and physical activity – a population-based study

PubMed Central

Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Crabb, David W.; Qi, Rong

2010-01-01

Objectives Aside from fat, ethanol is the macronutrient with the highest energy density. Whether the energy derived from ethanol affects the body composition and fat mass is debatable. We investigated the relationship between alcohol intake, body composition, and physical activity in the US population using the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Methods Ten thousand five hundred and fifty subjects met eligible criteria and constituted our study cohort. Estimated percent body fat and resting metabolic rate were calculated based on the sum of the skinfolds. Multivariate regression analyses were performed accounting for the study sampling weight. Results In both genders, moderate and hazardous alcohol drinkers were younger (p<0.05), had significantly lower BMI (P<0.01) and body weight (p<0.01) than controls, non drinkers. Those with hazardous alcohol consumption had significantly less physical activity compared to those with no alcohol use and moderate drinkers in both genders. Female had significantly higher percent body fat than males. In the multivariate linear regression analyses, the levels of alcohol consumption were found to be an independent predictor associated with lower percent body fat only in male subjects. Conclusions Our results showed that alcoholics are habitually less active and that alcohol drinking is an independent predictor of lower percent body fat especially in male alcoholics. PMID:20696406

Comparison of facial morphologies between adult Chinese and Houstonian Caucasian populations using three-dimensional imaging.

PubMed

Wirthlin, J; Kau, C H; English, J D; Pan, F; Zhou, H

2013-09-01

The objective of this study was to compare the facial morphologies of an adult Chinese population to a Houstonian white population. Three-dimensional (3D) images were acquired via a commercially available stereophotogrammetric camera system, 3dMDface™. Using the system, 100 subjects from a Houstonian population and 71 subjects from a Chinese population were photographed. A complex mathematical algorithm was performed to generate a composite facial average (one for males and one for females) for each subgroup. The computer-generated facial averages were then superimposed based on a previously validated superimposition method. The facial averages were evaluated for differences. Distinct facial differences were evident between the subgroups evaluated. These areas included the nasal tip, the peri-orbital area, the malar process, the labial region, the forehead, and the chin. Overall, the mean facial difference between the Chinese and Houstonian female averages was 2.73±2.20mm, while the difference between the Chinese and Houstonian males was 2.83±2.20mm. The percent similarity for the female population pairings and male population pairings were 10.45% and 12.13%, respectively. The average adult Chinese and Houstonian faces possess distinct differences. Different populations and ethnicities have different facial features and averages that should be considered in the planning of treatment. Copyright © 2013 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlation between frontal sinus dimensions and cephalometric indices: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Tehranchi, Azita; Motamedian, Saeed Reza; Saedi, Sara; Kabiri, Sattar; Shidfar, Shireen

2017-01-01

Objective: Growth prediction plays a significant role in accurate diagnosis and treatment planning of orthodontics patients. It was hypothesized that the unique pattern of pneumatization of the frontal sinus as a component of craniofacial structure would influence the skeletal growth pattern and may be used as a growth predictor. Materials and Methods: A total of 144 subjects (78 females and 66 males) with a mean age of 19.26 ± 4.66 years were included in this retrospective study. Posterior-anterior and lateral cephalograms (LCs) were used to measure the frontal sinus dimensions. The skeletal growth pattern and relations of craniofacial structures were analyzed on LC using variables for sagittal and vertical analyses. Correlation between the frontal sinus dimensions and cephalometric indices was assessed by the Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The SN-FH and SNA angles had significant associations with frontal sinus dimensions in all enrolled subjects (P < 0.05). In males, the SN-FH, sum of posterior angles, Pal-SN, and Jarabak index were significantly associated with the size of frontal sinus (P < 0.05). In females, the associations of SN-FH and gonial angles with frontal sinus dimensions were significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results show that larger size of frontal sinus was associated with reduced inclination of the anterior cranial base, increased anterior facial height (in males), and increased gonial angle (in females) in the study population. PMID:28435368

Sex Role and Dating Orientation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCabe, M. P.; Collins, J. K.

1979-01-01

Male and female subjects from three age groups completed questionnaires on sex roles and dating orientations. Males approached dating from both a psychoaffectional and psychobiological orientation, while females approached it from a psychoaffectional orientation. Significant differences were found in dating attitudes between male and female…

A putative human pheromone, androstadienone, increases cooperation between men.

PubMed

Huoviala, Paavo; Rantala, Markus J

2013-01-01

Androstadienone, a component of male sweat, has been suggested to function as a human pheromone, an airborne chemical signal causing specific responses in conspecifics. In earlier studies androstadienone has been reported to increase attraction, affect subjects' mood, cortisol levels and activate brain areas linked to social cognition, among other effects. However, the existing psychological evidence is still relatively scarce, especially regarding androstadienone's effects on male behaviour. The purpose of this study was to look for possible behavioural effects in male subjects by combining two previously distinct branches of research: human pheromone research and behavioural game theory of experimental economics. Forty male subjects participated in a mixed-model, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. The participants were exposed to either androstadienone or a control stimulus, and participated in ultimatum and dictator games, decision making tasks commonly used to measure cooperation and generosity quantitatively. Furthermore, we measured participants' salivary cortisol and testosterone levels during the experiment. Salivary testosterone levels were found to positively correlate with cooperative behaviour. After controlling for the effects of participants' baseline testosterone levels, androstadienone was found to increase cooperative behaviour in the decision making tasks. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that androstadienone directly affects behaviour in human males.

Quantitative evaluation of distortion in sketching under mono and dual axes whole body vibration.

PubMed

Bhiwapurkar, M K; Saran, V H; Harsha, S P

2011-01-01

Performance of sedentary activities such as reading and writing, in trains is known to be affected by the vibrations. An experimental study was therefore initiated to investigate the interference perceived in sketching task under low frequency random vibration in both mono and dual axes. Thirty healthy male subjects participated in the study. Random vibration stimuli were excited in various axes in frequency range of 1-20 Hz at magnitudes of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 m/s(2). The task required the subjects to sketch the given geometric figures such as circle, rectangle and triangle under vibration environment in two subject postures (sketch pad on lap and on table). Three performance methods were used to measure the effect of vibration stimuli and posture. They consisted of two specifically designed objective methods for percentage distortion measurement and one subjective method using Borg CR10 scale. The results revealed that the percentage distortion and difficulty in sketching increased with an increase in vibration magnitude and was found to be higher for vibration in Y- and Z-axis. Similar trend was observed for percentage distortion and difficulty in sketching for dual axes also. The perceived difficulty and impairment in sketching performance was greater while sketching on lap for X-axis, while the effect was just the reverse for other axes.

How Sexual Orientation and Physical Attractiveness Affect Impressions of Males.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elman, Donald; And Others

Stereotyped impressions of male homosexuals and the underlying importance of sexuality in social attraction and perceptions were investigated. Male (N=80) and female (N=80) college students responded to either an attractive or an unattractive photo of a male stimulus person, who was identified to half of the subjects as a homosexual. Compared to…

[Willingness on accepting the short-message-service and factors related to HIV/STD testing among male STD clinic clients].

PubMed

Meng, Xiaojun; Zou, Huachun; Jia, Tianjian; Zhu, Chen; Chen, Xin; Zhang, Xuan

2015-12-01

To understand the willingness on acceptance of a short-messageservice (SMS) program provided for HIV/STD testing and the related factors, among male clients at the STD clinics in China. Convenience sampling method was used to select study subjects at a STD clinic in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the subjects to collect the information on socio-demographic characteristics and willingness of acceptance to the SMS. A total of 368 SMS subjects were surveyed, in which 75.5% expressed the willingness of acceptance, while 57.2% and 38.1% of them wanted to receive the short message every 3 months or 6 months, respectively. 53.8% of the respondents showed their willingness to share the news with their sexual partners about SMS and 44.8% of them would do the same to their friends. Data from the Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that those who had received senior high school or above education (aOR=3.632, 95%CI: 1.939-6.715) , having homosexual behavior (aOR = 1.973, 95%CI: 1.234-8.358) or those having received AIDS related intervention service in the past year (aOR=9.416, 95%CI: 4.822-18.309) were more likely to accept the SMS. SMS seemed to be acceptable among the male STD clinic clients in Wuxi, suggesting that it is feasible to conduct the SMS as a strategy to improve the HIV/STDs testing program at the STD clinics in the future. Promotion of SMS should be strengthened and the provision of general AIDS intervention service at the STD clinics should be established in order to make more STD clinic clients understand this SMS.

"Pornographic binges" as a key characteristic of males seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behaviors: Qualitative and quantitative 10-week-long diary assessment.

PubMed

Wordecha, Małgorzata; Wilk, Mateusz; Kowalewska, Ewelina; Skorko, Maciej; Łapiński, Adam; Gola, Mateusz

2018-06-05

Background and aims Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSBs) are an important clinical and social issue. Despite the increasing number of studies, some of CSB's aspects remain under-investigated. Here, we explore the nature of CSB, such as binge pornography use and masturbation (PuM), and verify the correspondence between self-perceived factors leading to such behavior with its measures obtained in a diary assessment. Methods Semi-structuralized interviews with nine treatment-seeking males aged 22-37 years (M = 31.7, SD = 4.85) were followed by a questionnaire and a 10-week-long diary assessment, allowing us to acquire real-life daily patterns of CSB. Results Six out of nine subjects experienced binge (multiple hours or times a day) PuM. All subjects presented a high level of anxiety and perceived PuM as a way to regulate mood and stress. Data collected in the diary assessment uncovered a high diversity in the patterns of sexual behaviors (such as frequency of regular and binge PuM) and its correlates. Binge PuM was related to decreased mood and/or increased stress or anxiety. The causal relation between these correlates remains undetermined. Discussion and conclusions Binge PuM seems to be one of the most characteristic behavior among males who are seeking treatment for CSB and is related to the feeling of losing control over one's sexual activity. CSB individuals indicate a variety of binge triggers. Also, diary assessment data indicate that specific correlates of binge PuM (decreased mood, increased stress, and anxiety) differ between subjects. It suggests the existence of significant individual differences in binge PuM behaviors, and a need to study these differences, as it may help guide personalized treatment.

Visual-spatial ability is more important than motivation for novices in surgical simulator training: a preliminary study

PubMed Central

Hedman, Leif; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2016-01-01

Objectives To investigate whether surgical simulation performance and previous video gaming experience would correlate with higher motivation to further train a specific simulator task and whether visual-spatial ability would rank higher in importance to surgical performance than the above. It was also examined whether or not motivation would correlate with a preference to choose a surgical specialty in the future and if simulator training would increase the interest in choosing that same work field. Methods Motivation and general interest in surgery was measured pre- and post-training in 30 medical students at Karolinska Institutet who were tested in a laparoscopic surgical simulator in parallel with measurement of visual-spatial ability and self-estimated video gaming experience.  Correlations between simulator performance metrics, visual-spatial ability and motivation were statistically analyzed using regression analysis. Results A good result in the first simulator trial correlated with higher self-determination index (r =-0.46, p=0.05) in male students. Visual-spatial ability was the most important underlying factor followed by intrinsic motivation score and finally video gaming experience (p=0.02, p=0.05, p=0.11) regarding simulator performance in male students. Simulator training increased interest in surgery when studying all subjects (p=0.01), male subjects (p=0.02) as well as subjects with low video gaming experience (p=0.02). Conclusions This preliminary study highlights individual differences regarding the effect of simulator training on motivation that can be taken into account when designing simulator training curricula, although the sample size is quite small and findings should be interpreted carefully.  PMID:26897701

[Assessment of the validity and utility of the Beijing questionnaire as atool to evaluate for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

PubMed

Wang, X T; Gao, L M; Xu, W; Ding, X

2016-10-20

Objective: To test the Beijing questionnaire as a means of identifying patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome（OSAHS）. Method: The Beijing questionnaire is designed as an explorative tool consist of 11 questions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea, and is targeted toward key symptoms include snoring, apneas, daytime sleepiness, hypertension and overweight. 1 336 female participants living in communities of age≥40 years and 198 male adult subjects visting clinics were given questionnaires. Finally, 59 female and 198 male subjects underwent sleep studies after factor analysis,reliability check,internal consistency study. The correlation analysis was performed between the scores from the Beijing questionnaire and the apnea-hypopnea index from inlaboratory polysomnography.Receiver operating characteristics were constructed to determine optimal sensitivity and specificity. Twenty-four male subjects were recorded in the sleep laberatory again after operative. Result: Factor analysis reduced 11 questions of scale to four common factors as we have designed: snoring,apneas,other symptoms,risk factors. Cronbach's α coefficient of scale reached 0.7.There were an acceptable level of testretest reliability(r=0.619, P <0.01).The apnea hypopnea indices were significantly correlated with their Beijing questionnaire scores( P <0.01).For wemen,an Beijing questionnaire scroe of 19.5 provided a sensitivity of 74.3% and a specificity of 62.5%.For men,an Beijing questionnaire scroe of 22.5 provided a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 54.5%. And the postoperative Beijing questionnaire scroes changed with the apnea hypopnea indices. Conclusion: This questionnaire has a good validity and reliability and appears to be valid and sensitive to clinical change. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Pesticide exposure and subjective symptoms of cut-flower farmers

PubMed Central

Nagami, Hiroshi; Suenaga, Takajiro; Nakazaki, Mineko

2017-01-01

Sales of cut-flowers depend much on the outer appearance of the flowers. They are not intended to be used as foodstuffs; thus, pesticides are used more liberally for cut flower growing than for other agricultural products. Flower production is often carried out in greenhouses; therefore, pesticide exposure seems to reach not only the person spraying the pesticides, but also the non-spraying workers as well. In 2009, a special research project on pesticide poisoning, affiliated with the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine, developed a study that focused on cut-flower farmers’ exposure to pesticide, subsequent adverse symptoms experienced, and treatment modalities to relieve pesticide-related symptoms. In this group of farmers, the pesticide sprayers were almost entirely male, while the females did not do any spraying. The organophosphate metabolite level in the urine of the males was higher than that of the females. However, in the female group, a positive relation was found between average working times in the greenhouse, and urine concentration of dialkylphosphates. In 2 males of this group, the level of dimethylphosphate was detected at 1,000 times the median level. Their butyrylcholinesterase activity levels on the day of testing had declined to 64%, 72% of their average level of the proximate 4 years, respectively. Communication with these subjects regarding pesticide exposure and methods of prevention appeared to be an effective approach for reducing symptom severity. Among soil fumigants, chloropicrin and 1,3-dichloropropene were most often used. Difficulty breathing was one of the subjective symptoms associated with chloropicrin, as well as watery eyes, coughing, and runny nose. These symptoms were effectively suppressed by the preventative practice of wearing gas masks and goggles while using soil fumigants. It would be beneficial to strongly encourage use of suitable protective gear among farmers exposed to soil fumigants. PMID:28593011

Decreased frontal lobe phosphocreatine levels in methamphetamine users

PubMed Central

Sung, Young-Hoon; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A.; Shi, Xian-Feng; Kondo, Douglas G.; Lundberg, Kelly J.; McGlade, Erin C.; Hellem, Tracy L.; Huber, Rebekah S.; Fiedler, Kristen K.; Harrell, Renee E.; Nickerson, Bethany R.; Kim, Seong-Eun; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Renshaw, Perry F.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND Mitochondria-related mechanisms have been suggested to mediate methamphetamine (METH) toxicity. However, changes in brain energetics associated with highenergy phosphate metabolism have not been investigated in METH users. Phosphorus-31 (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to evaluate changes in mitochondrial high energy phosphates, including phosphocreatine (PCr) and β-nucleoside triphosphate (β-NTP, primarily ATP in brain) levels. We hypothesized that METH users would have decreased high-energy PCr levels in the frontal gray matter. METHODS Study participants consisted of 51 METH (age=32.8±6.7) and 23 healthy comparison (age=31.1±7.5) subjects. High-energy phosphate metabolite levels were compared between the groups and potential gender differences were explored. RESULTS METH users had lower ratios of PCr to total pool of exchangeable phosphate (PCr/TPP) in the frontal lobe as compared to the healthy subjects (p=0.001). The lower PCr levels in METH subjects were significantly associated with lifetime amount of METH use (p=0.003). A sub-analysis for gender differences revealed that female METH users, who had lower daily amounts (1.1±1.0 gram) of METH use than males (1.4±1.7 gram), had significantly lower PCr/TPP ratios than male METH users, controlling for the amount of METH use (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS The present findings suggest that METH compromises frontal lobe high-energy phosphate metabolism in a dose-responsive manner. Our findings also suggest that the abnormality in frontal lobe high-energy phosphate metabolism might be more prominent in female than in male METH users. This is significant as decreased PCr levels have been associated with depressive symptoms, and poor responses to antidepressant treatment have been reported in those with decreased PCr levels. PMID:23084413

Reduced Brain Cannabinoid Receptor Availability In Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Ranganathan, Mohini; Cortes, Jose; Radhakrishnan, Rajiv; Thurnauer, Halle; Planeta, Beata; Skosnik, Patrick; Gao, Hong; Labaree, David; Neumeister, Alexander; Pittman, Brian; Surti, Toral; Huang, Yiyun; Carson, Richard E.; D’Souza, Deepak Cyril

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Several lines of evidence suggest the presence of abnormalities in the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in schizophrenia (SCZ). However, there are limited in vivo measures of the eCB system in SCZ. METHODS Twenty five male SCZ subjects (SCZs), 18 antipsychotic treated [SCZ-MED] and 7 antipsychotic free [SCZ-UNMED]) were compared to 18 age- matched male healthy control subjects (HCs). Subjects underwent one Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan each with the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1R) selective radiotracer [11C]OMAR on the High Resolution Research Tomography (HRRT) scanner. Regional volume of distribution (VT) values were determined using kinetic modeling of PET data as a measure of CB1R availability. Group differences in mean composite [11C]OMAR VT values were compared between SCZs and HCs. Exploratory comparisons of CB1R availability within 15 brain regions were also conducted. All analyses were covaried for age and body mass index. RESULTS SCZs showed significantly (p =0.02) lower composite [11C]OMAR VT relative to HCs (~12% difference, effect size d= 0.73). [11C]OMAR VT was significantly (all ps <0.05) lower in SCZs in the amygdala, caudate, posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and insula. Composite [11C]OMAR VT was greater in HCs> SCZ-MED>SCZ-UNMED. Furthermore, composite [11C]OMAR VT was greater in HCs> SCZ smokers (n=11) > SCZ non-smokers (n=14). CONCLUSIONS CB1R availability is lower in males SCZs compared to HCs. Furthermore, antipsychotics and tobacco use may increase CB1R availability in this population. The findings of the study provide further evidence supporting the hypothesis that alterations in the eCB system might contribute to the pathophysiology of SCZ. PMID:26432420

Effects of early rearing conditions on problem-solving skill in captive male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Morimura, Naruki; Mori, Yusuke

2010-06-01

Early rearing conditions of captive chimpanzees characterize behavioral differences in tool use, response to novelty, and sexual and maternal competence later in life. Restricted rearing conditions during early life hinder the acquisition and execution of such behaviors, which characterize the daily life of animals. This study examined whether rearing conditions affect adult male chimpanzees' behavior skills used for solving a problem with acquired locomotion behavior. Subjects were 13 male residents of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Uto: 5 wild-born and 8 captive-born. A pretest assessed bed building and tool use abilities to verify behavioral differences between wild- and captive-born subjects, as earlier reports have described. Second, a banana-access test was conducted to investigate the problem-solving ability of climbing a bamboo pillar for accessing a banana, which might be the most efficient food access strategy for this setting. The test was repeated in a social setting. Results show that wild-born subjects were better able than captive-born subjects to use the provided materials for bed building and tool use. Results of the banana-access test show that wild-born subjects more frequently used a bamboo pillar for obtaining a banana with an efficient strategy than captive-born subjects did. Of the eight captive-born subjects, six avoided the bamboo pillars to get a banana and instead used, sometimes in a roundabout way, an iron pillar or fence. Results consistently underscored the adaptive and sophisticated skills of wild-born male chimpanzees in problem-solving tasks. The rearing conditions affected both the behavior acquisition and the execution of behaviors that had already been acquired. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Sex-specific mediation effect of the right fusiform face area volume on the association between variants in repeat length of AVPR1A RS3 and altruistic behavior in healthy adults.

PubMed

Wang, Junping; Qin, Wen; Liu, Feng; Liu, Bing; Zhou, Yuan; Jiang, Tianzi; Yu, Chunshui

2016-07-01

Microsatellite variants in the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A gene (AVPR1A) RS3 have been associated with normal social behaviors variation and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in a sex-specific manner. However, neural mechanisms underlying these associations remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that AVPR1A RS3 variants affect altruistic behavior by modulating the gray matter volume (GMV) of specific brain regions in a sex-specific manner. We investigated 278 young healthy adults using the Dictator Game to assess altruistic behavior. All subjects were genotyped and main effect of AVPR1A RS3 repeat polymorphisms and interaction of genotype-by-sex on the GMV were assessed in a voxel-wise manner. We observed that male subjects with relatively short repeats allocated less money to others and exhibited a significantly smaller GMV in the right fusiform face area (FFA) compared with male long homozygotes. In male subjects, the GMV of the right FFA exhibited a significant positive correlation with altruistic behavior. A mixed mediation and moderation analysis further revealed both a significant mediation effect of the GMV of the right FFA on the association between AVPR1A RS3 repeat polymorphisms and allocation sums and a significant moderation effect of sex (only in males) on the mediation effect. Post hoc analysis showed that the GMV of the right FFA was significantly smaller in male subjects carrying allele 426 than in non-426 carriers. These results suggest that the GMV of the right FFA may be a potential mediator whereby the genetic variants in AVPR1A RS3 affect altruistic behavior in healthy male subjects. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2700-2709, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Health appraisal for work adjustment of freshmen employees--information on health checkup just after entering the corporation and condition in the next fiscal year].

PubMed

Sugita, M; Fukui, T; Tatemichi, M; Minowa, H; Ikegami, Y; Miyawaki, Y; Ishizuka, Y; Izuno, T

1995-03-01

In 1990, 365 (males: 197, females: 168) freshmen employees at the headquarters of a large corporation were examined just after being hired in order to observe their health status. We collected (1) data of physical examinations and questionnaires for symptoms as an ordinary health checkup, (2) information on work adjustment, life patterns, and personal characteristics through interviews conducted by ten public health nurses, and (3) personal records, e.g. birth year. Statistical analyses revealed some notable findings as follows: (1) subjects with higher blood pressure had higher scores of extrovert personality among males, (2) female subjects with greater body mass index had higher scores in such manifestations of personal characteristics such as aggression and discontent with superiors, (3) higher scores of personal characteristics were noted among female subjects working in technical sections, (4) positive correlation between the scores of work adjustment and personal characteristics, (5) higher scores of undesirable life patterns among males and of work maladjustment among elder females, (6) unbalanced meal quality of subjects from rural areas, (7) higher mental tension among younger males from rural areas, and (8) higher scores of dependency and lower morale among younger female subjects. Information on health problems was collected over the 1.5 yrs that followed. More problems were detected among females than among males and among younger females than among elder females. Longitudinal analysis was carried out from just after entry into the company for approximately 1.5 yrs. Health problems in females could be predicted by the data on personal characteristics and work adjustment just after entry. Risk of health problems in male freshmen employees with hobbies and unhealthy drinking habits over the 1.5 yrs that followed was higher than in others. It was concluded that a health interview for freshmen employees by public health nurses is valuable for health care, obtaining information regarding work adjustment, life patterns, and personal characteristics.

Investigating Cognitive Rhythms as a New Modality for Continuous Authentication

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

authorship studies. One of the major accomplishments of this effort is the development and subsequent validation of software codes and methods that are...collection effort was financed by Co-PI Dr. Vir Phoha’s various grants. 3.1.1 Subject Population Characteristics  Gender : Male (569), female (427...participant: a) typing experience, b) age, c) gender , d) right- or left-handed, e) native language, f) business language, and g) average number of hours a

The "Overdrive" Mode in the "Complete Vocal Technique": A Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Sundberg, Johan; Bitelli, Maddalena; Holmberg, Annika; Laaksonen, Ville

2017-09-01

"Complete Vocal Technique," or CVT, is an internationally widespread method for teaching voice. It classifies voicing into four types, referred to as "vocal modes," one of which is called "Overdrive." The physiological correlates of these types are unclear. This study presents an attempt to analyze its voice source and formant frequency characteristics. A male and a female expert of CVT sang a set of "Overdrive" and falsetto tones on the syllable /pᴂ/. The voice source could be analyzed by inverse filtering in the case of the male subject. Results showed that subglottal pressure, measured as the oral pressure during /p/ occlusion, was low in falsetto and high in "Overdrive", and it was strongly correlated with each of the voice source parameters. These correlations could be described in terms of equations. The deviations from these equations of the different voice source parameters for the various voice samples suggested that "Overdrive" phonation was produced with stronger vocal fold adduction than the falsetto tones. Further, the subject was also found to tune the first formant to the second partial in "Overdrive" tones. The results support the conclusion that the method used, to compensate for the influence of subglottal pressure on the voice source, seems promising to use for analyses of other CVT vocal modes and also for other types of phonation. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applicability of the Tanaka-Johnston and Moyers mixed dentition analyses in Northeast Han Chinese.

PubMed

Sherpa, Jangbu; Sah, Gopal; Rong, Zeng; Wu, Lipeng

2015-06-01

To assess applicability of the Tanaka-Johnston and Moyers prediction methods in a Han ethnic group from Northeast China and to develop prediction equations for this same population. Cross-sectional study. Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Jiamusi University, Heilongjiang, China. A total of 130 subjects (65 male and 65 female) aged 16-21 years from a Han ethnic group of Northeast China were recruited from dental students and patients seeking orthodontic treatment. Ethnicity was verified by questionnaire. Mesio-distal tooth width was measured using Digital Vernier calipers. Predicted values were obtained from the Tanaka-Johnston and Moyers methods in both arches were compared with the actual measured widths. Based on regression analysis, prediction equations were developed. Tanaka-Johnston equations were not precise, except for the upper arch in males. However, the Moyers 85th percentile in the upper arch and 75th percentile in the lower arch predicted the sum precisely in males. For females, the Moyers 75th percentile predicted the sum precisely for the upper arch, but none of the Moyers percentiles predicted in the lower arch. Both the Tanaka-Johnston and Moyers method may not be applied universally without question. Hence, it may be safer to develop regression equations for specific populations. Validating studies must be conducted to confirm the precision of these newly developed regression equations.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Vertigo

PubMed Central

Yamanaka, Toshiaki; Fukuda, Takehiko; Shirota, Shiho; Sawai, Yachiyo; Murai, Takayuki; Fujita, Nobuya; Hosoi, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Objectives/Hypothesis Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition that increases the risk of coronary artery disease and cerebral infarction. We determined the prevalence of MetS in vertigo patients and clinically investigated the association between MetS and vertigo. Study Design Case-control study Methods The subjects were 333 patients, including 107 males and 226 females, who presented with vertigo as a primary symptom. MetS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation definition, which is based on waist circumference, blood serum levels, and blood pressure. Results MetS was detected in 53 (15.9%) of 333 vertigo patients, including 24 males (22.4%) and 29 females (12.8%); i.e., the frequency of MetS was significantly higher among the male patients than the female patients. The overall prevalence of MetS (15.9%) among vertigo patients did not differ from that observed among general adults in previous Japanese surveillance studies; however, MetS was significantly more common among the vertigo patients in males than general adult males. The prevalence of MetS was also examined in five types of vertigo, Concomitant MetS was noted in many males with vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and isolated vertigo of unknown etiology. Conclusion It was suggested that MetS is involved in the development of vertigo in males. MetS might be a risk factor for vascular vertigo such as VBI in males. The high frequency of MetS among males with vertigo of unknown etiology suggested that the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome is involved in this type of isolated vertigo. PMID:24312461

Gender preference and implications for screening colonoscopy: impact of endoscopy nurses.

PubMed

Chong, Vui Heng

2012-07-21

To assess the gender preferences, specifically the gender of the nursing staff (endoscopy assistants) and the impact on acceptance for screening colonoscopy (SC). Patients or relatives attending the clinics or health care workers working in a tertiary center were invited to participate in this questionnaire study. The questionnaire enquired on the general demographics (1) age, gender, ethnicity, education level, and employment status, previous history of colonoscopy, family or personal history of colonic pathologies, personal and family history of any cancers; (2) subjects were asked if they would go for an SC if they had appropriate indications (age over 50 years, family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), fecal occult blood positive, anemia especially iron deficiency anemia, bleeding per rectum with or without loss of appetite, weight loss and abdominal pain) with and without symptoms attributable to CRC; and (3) preferences for the gender of the endoscopists and assistants and whether they would still undergo SC even if their preferences were not met. Eighty-four point seven percent (470/550) completed questionnaire were analysed. More female subjects expressed gender preferences for the endoscopists [overall 70%; female (67.7%) and male (2.3%)] compared to male subjects [overall 62.8%; male (56%) and female (6.8%), P = 0.102]. Similarly, more female subjects expressed gender preferences for the assistants [overall 74.5%; female (73.4%) and male (1.1%)] compared to male subjects [overall 58%, male (49.3%) and female (8.7%), P < 0.001]. Overall, a third would decline an SC, despite having appropriate indications, if their preferences were not met. On univariate analysis, male gender, non-Malay ethnicity (Chinese and others) and previous colonoscopy experience were more likely to undergo an SC, even if their preferences were not met (all P < 0.05). Gender and previous experience [odds ratio (OR) 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-2.82, P < 0.05] with colonoscopy (OR 4.70, 95% CI 1.41-15.66, P < 0.05) remained significant on multivariate analysis. Genders preference for the endoscopy nurses/assistants is more common than for the endoscopist among women and has implications for the success of a screening colonoscopy program.

Dating violence victimization across the teen years: Abuse frequency, number of abusive partners, and age at first occurrence

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Prior longitudinal studies have shown high cumulative dating violence exposure rates among U.S adolescents, with 36 percent of males and 44 percent to 88 percent of females experiencing victimization across adolescence/young adulthood. Despite promising information characterizing adolescents’ dating violence experiences longitudinally, prior studies tended to concentrate on physical and sexual types of violence only, and did not report information on the number of times dating violence was experienced across multiple abusive partners. We used a method similar to the timeline follow-back interview to query adolescents about dating violence victimization from age 13 to 19—including dating violence types (physical, sexual, and psychological), frequency, age at first occurrence, and number of abusive partners. Methods A total of 730 subjects were randomly sampled from university registrar records and invited to complete an online survey, which utilized methods similar to the timeline follow-back interview, to retrospectively assess relationship histories and dating violence victimization from age 13 to 19 (eight questions adapted from widely-used surveys covering physical, sexual, and psychological abuse). Then, for each dating violence type, we asked about the number of occurrences, number of abusive partners, and age at first occurrence. Of 341 subjects who completed the survey, we included 297 (64 percent females; 36 percent males) who had a dating partner from age 13 to 19. Results Fully 64.7 percent of females and 61.7 percent of males reported dating violence victimization between age 13 and 19, with most experiencing multiple occurrences. More than one-third of abused females had two or more abusive partners: controlling behavior (35.6 percent); put downs/name calling (37.0); pressured sex (42.9); insults (44.3); slapped/hit (50.0); and threats (62.5). Males also had two or more abusive partners, as follows: controlling behavior (42.1 percent); insults (51.2); put downs (53.3); threats (55.6); and unwanted calls/texts/visits (60.7). Among abused females, 44.7 percent first experienced controlling behavior between age 13 and 15, whereas the majority (62.5 percent) first experienced pressured sex between age 16 and 17. Among males, for most abuse types, 16 percent to 30 percent of victimization began before age 15. Conclusions Our study adds information to a substantial, but still growing, body of literature about dating violence frequency, age of occurrence, and number of abusive partners among adolescents. PMID:22882898

Differences in gut microbiota associated with age, sex, and stool consistency in healthy Japanese subjects.

PubMed

Takagi, Tomohisa; Naito, Yuji; Inoue, Ryo; Kashiwagi, Saori; Uchiyama, Kazuhiko; Mizushima, Katsura; Tsuchiya, Saeko; Dohi, Osamu; Yoshida, Naohisa; Kamada, Kazuhiro; Ishikawa, Takeshi; Handa, Osamu; Konishi, Hideyuki; Okuda, Kayo; Tsujimoto, Yoshimasa; Ohnogi, Hiromu; Itoh, Yoshito

2018-06-20

Human gut microbiota is involved in host health and disease development. Investigations of age-related and sex-related alterations in gut microbiota are limited, and the association between stool consistency and gut microbiota has not been fully investigated. We investigated gut microbiota differences related to age, sex, and stool consistency in healthy Japanese subjects. Two-hundred and seventy-seven healthy Japanese subjects aged 20-89 years were enrolled. Fecal samples were obtained to analyze the gut microbiome. We evaluated the association between stool consistency [Bristol stool scale (BSS)] and gut microbiota. Although there were significant differences in the microbial structure between males and females, the α-diversity of gut microbiota showed no difference between males and females or among age groups. There were significant increases in genera Prevotella, Megamonas, Fusobacterium, and Megasphaera and Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, and Akkermansia in males and females, respectively. The ratio of hard stools (BSS types 1 and 2) was higher in females; the ratio of loose stools (BSS type 6) was higher in males. No younger male had BSS type 1 or type 2. Fusobacterium in males was significantly higher in the loose consistency group, and Oscillospira was significantly higher in the hard consistency group in males; Campylobacter, SMB53, and Turicibacter were significantly higher in the hard consistency group in females. Several changes in gut microbiota were associated with age and sex. Stool consistency and gut microbiota associations emphasized the importance of stool consistency assessments to understand intestinal function.

The prevalence of premature ejaculation and its clinical characteristics in Korean men according to different definitions.

PubMed

Lee, S W; Lee, J H; Sung, H H; Park, H J; Park, J K; Choi, S K; Kam, S C

2013-01-01

This study compared the prevalence of premature ejaculation (PE) diagnosed by the PE diagnostic tool (PEDT) score, self-reporting and stopwatch-recorded intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). It examined the characteristics of males diagnosed with PE by each criterion. A questionnaire survey enrolled 2081 subjects from March to October, 2010. Stopwatch-recorded IELT was measured in 1035 of the 2081 subjects. We aimed to determine whether PE has an influence on the frequency and satisfaction of sexual intercourse, the degree of libido/erectile function and the satisfaction. These factors were evaluated according to different definitions of PE to assess whether the definition used yielded differences in the data. The prevalence of PE, based on a PEDT score of ≥11, self-reporting and stopwatch-recorded IELT of ≤1 min was 11.3%, 19.5% and 3%, respectively. The prevalence of PE diagnoses based on PEDT score and self-reporting increased with age, but stopwatch-recorded IELT-based diagnoses did not. Males experiencing PE showed lower levels of libido, erectile function and frequency and satisfaction of sexual intercourse compared with non-PE males. PE males felt that they did not satisfy their partners in terms of the partners' sexual satisfaction and frequency of orgasm, in comparison with non-PE males. PE is a highly prevalent sexual dysfunction in males. Regardless of whether the PE diagnosis was made on the basis of self-reporting, PEDT score or stopwatch-recorded IELT, subjective symptoms were similar among PE males.

Longitudinal sex differences during landing in knee abduction in young athletes.

PubMed

Ford, Kevin R; Shapiro, Robert; Myer, Gregory D; Van Den Bogert, Antonie J; Hewett, Timothy E

2010-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether biomechanical and neuromuscular risk factors related to abnormal movement patterns increased in females, but not males, during the adolescent growth spurt. A total of 315 subjects participated in two testing sessions approximately 1 yr apart. Male and female subjects were classified on the basis of their maturation status as pubertal or postpubertal. Three trials of a drop vertical jump (DVJ) were collected. Maximum knee abduction angle and external moments were calculated during the DVJ deceleration phase using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Changes in knee abduction from the first to second year were compared among four subject groups (female pubertal, female postpubertal, male pubertal, and male postpubertal). There were no sex differences in peak knee abduction angle or moment during DVJ between pubertal males and females (P > 0.05). However, pubertal females increased peak abduction angle from first to second year (P < 0.001), whereas males demonstrated no similar change (P = 0.90) in the matched developmental stages. After puberty, the peak abduction angle and moment were greater in females relative to males (angle: female -9.3° ± 5.7°, male -3.6° ± 4.6°, P < 0.001; moment: female -21.9 ± 13.5 N·m, male -13.0 ± 12.0 N·m, P = 0.017). This study identified, through longitudinal analyses, that knee abduction angle was significantly increased in pubertal females during rapid adolescent growth, whereas males showed no similar change. In addition, knee abduction motion and moments were significantly greater for the subsequent year in young female athletes, after rapid adolescent growth, compared with males. The combination of longitudinal, sex, and maturational group differences indicates that early puberty seems to be a critical phase related to the divergence of increased anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors.

Brain activation by visual erotic stimuli in healthy middle aged males.

PubMed

Kim, S W; Sohn, D W; Cho, Y-H; Yang, W S; Lee, K-U; Juh, R; Ahn, K-J; Chung, Y-A; Han, S-I; Lee, K H; Lee, C U; Chae, J-H

2006-01-01

The objective of the present study was to identify brain centers, whose activity changes are related to erotic visual stimuli in healthy, heterosexual, middle aged males. Ten heterosexual, right-handed males with normal sexual function were entered into the present study (mean age 52 years, range 46-55). All potential subjects were screened over 1 h interview, and were encouraged to fill out questionnaires including the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory. All subjects with a history of sexual arousal disorder or erectile dysfunction were excluded. We performed functional brain magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in male volunteers when an alternatively combined erotic and nonerotic film was played for 14 min and 9 s. The major areas of activation associated with sexual arousal to visual stimuli were occipitotemporal area, anterior cingulate gyrus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, caudate nucleus. However, hypothalamus and thalamus were not activated. We suggest that the nonactivation of hypothalamus and thalamus in middle aged males may be responsible for the lesser physiological arousal in response to the erotic visual stimuli.

Differential modulation of the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine and cocaine by alprazolam and oxazepam in male and female rats.

PubMed

Spence, A L; Guerin, G F; Goeders, N E

2016-03-01

Drug users often combine benzodiazepines with psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine. However, very little research has been conducted on this type of polydrug use, particularly in female subjects. The present study was therefore designed to examine the effects of two benzodiazepines, alprazolam and oxazepam, on the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine and cocaine in both male and female rats. Rats were trained to discriminate methamphetamine (1.0 mg/kg, ip) or cocaine (10 mg/kg, ip) from saline using a two-lever operant, food-reinforced, drug discrimination design. Pretreatment with oxazepam (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, ip) significantly attenuated methamphetamine discrimination in both male and female rats. In contrast, however, the high dose of alprazolam (4 mg/kg, ip) actually augmented the subjective effects of lower doses of methamphetamine (0.125 and 0.25 mg/kg, ip). Oxazepam produced similar effects on the subjective effects of cocaine as with methamphetamine, significantly reducing cocaine discrimination in both male and female rats. However, neither the high nor low dose of alprazolam (2 and 4 mg/kg, ip) produced any apparent effect on cocaine discrimination. Finally, while similar results were observed in both male and female rats across these experiments, methamphetamine and cocaine discrimination were more sensitive to oxazepam in female subjects. The results of these experiments suggest that alprazolam and oxazepam can differentially affect the subjective effects of methamphetamine and cocaine. These results also demonstrate that alprazolam can differentially affect the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine and cocaine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drag and sprint performance of wheelchair basketball players.

PubMed

Coutts, K D

1994-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the wheelchair drag and maximal sprint performance abilities of wheelchair basketball players and to make comparisons between male and female players. A group of nine male and eight female wheelchair basketball players attending a national training camp consented to serve as subjects. Each subject completed six coast-down trials at speeds from a walking pace (1 to 1.5 m/s) to maximal for determining wheelchair drag and then performed four maximal sprint trials from a stationary start over the length (35 m) of the gymnasium floor. A portable computer that recorded the time to the nearest 0.001 second of each half revolution of a rear wheel was attached to the wheelchair of each subject. The drag force during the coast-down trials and the power output during the sprint trials were determined from the recorded data. Differences between the genders in a number of subject and trial variables were evaluated by t-tests using the 0.05 level of significance. There were no significant differences between the means of the male and female groups in age (27 vs. 28 yrs), wheelchair mass (12.0 vs. 11.61 kg), or regression predicted drag forces at speeds of 2 m/s (5.3 vs. 5.5 N) and 5 m/s (16.7 vs. 13.5 N). The male subjects were significantly heavier (78.3 vs. 59.1 kg) and had a higher tire pressure (123 vs. 94 psi). In the sprint trial results, the males exhibited a significantly higher maximal speed (4.75 vs. 4.08 m/s), higher peak acceleration (1.32 vs. 1.03 m/s/s), and a higher peak power output (530 vs. 264 w).

Analysis of algebraic reasoning ability of cognitive style perspectives on field dependent field independent and gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosita, N. T.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to analyse algebraic reasoning ability using the SOLO model as a theoretical framework to assess students’ algebraic reasoning abilities of Field Dependent cognitive (FD), Field Independent (FI) and Gender perspectives. The method of this study is a qualitative research. The instrument of this study is the researcher himself assisted with algebraic reasoning tests, the problems have been designed based on NCTM indicators and algebraic reasoning according to SOLO model. While the cognitive style of students is determined using Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT), as well as interviews on the subject as triangulation. The subjects are 15 female and 15 males of the sixth semester students of mathematics education, STKIP Sebelas April. The results of the qualitative data analysis is that most subjects are at the level of unistructural and multi-structural, subjects at the relational level have difficulty in forming a new linear pattern. While the subjects at the extended abstract level are able to meet all the indicators of algebraic reasoning ability even though some of the answers are not perfect yet. Subjects of FI tend to have higher algebraic reasoning abilities than of the subject of FD.

Different cutoffs of the reflux finding score for diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux disease should be used for different genders.

PubMed

Gao, Cheng-Kai; Li, Yan-Fei; Wang, Lu; Han, Xiao-Yan; Wu, Ting; Zeng, Fang-Fang; Li, Xiang-Ping

2018-05-31

To assess the differences in Reflux Finding Score (RFS) between the genders and determine the suitable RFS threshold for diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) in each gender. Asymptomatic volunteers and patients with LPRD, confirmed with an oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring system, were included. All study subjects underwent transnasal flexible fiber-optic video laryngoscopy. Reliability was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. The RFS cutoffs for determining the presence and absence of LPRD between the two genders were examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. One hundred seven asymptomatic volunteers and fifty-five LPRD patients were recruited. The mean RFS for LPRD subjects (9.4 ± 3.2) was significantly higher than that for control subjects (7.1 ± 2.6; p < 0.001). The mean RFS for asymptomatic females (6.1 ± 2.7) was significantly lower than that for males (7.7 ± 2.5; p < 0.001). The mean RFS for female subjects with LPRD (7.8 ± 2.6) was lower than that for males (11.0 ± 2.8; p < 0.001). According to ROC analysis, the best cutoffs were 9.0 for males and 6.0 for females. There was a significant difference in the RFS cutoff between the genders. For male subjects, we recommend a cutoff of 9.0 for diagnosing LPRD, and for female subjects, we recommend a cutoff of 6.0.

Variability in Hoffmann and tendon reflexes in healthy male subjects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Good, E.; Do, S.; Jaweed, M.

1992-01-01

There is a time dependent decrease in amplitude of H- and T-reflexes during Zero-G exposure and subsequently an increase in the amplitude of the H-reflex 2-4 hours after return to a 1-G environment. These alterations have been attributed to the adaptation of the human neurosensory system to gravity. The Hoffman reflex (H-reflex) is an acknowledged method to determine the integrity of the monosynaptic reflex arc. However deep tendon reflexes (DTR's or T-reflexes), elicited by striking the tendon also utilize the entire reflex arc. The objective of this study was to compare the variability in latency and amplitude of the two reflexes in healthy subjects. Methods: Nine healthy male subjects, 27-43 years in age, 161-175 cm in height plus 60-86 Kg in weight, underwent weekly testing for four weeks with a Dan-Tec EMG counterpoint EMG system. Subjects were studied prone and surface EMG electrodes were placed on the right and left soleus muscles. The H-reflex was obtained by stimulating the tibial nerve in the politeal fossa with a 0.2 msec square wave pulse delivered at 2 Hz until the maximum H-reflex was obtained. The T-reflex was invoked by tapping the achilles tendon with a self triggering reflex hammer connected to the EMG system. The latencies and amplitudes for the H- and T-reflexes were measured. Results: These data indicate that the amplitudes of these reflexes varied considerably. However, latencies to invoked responses were consistent. The latency of the T-reflex was approximately 3-5 msec longer than the H-reflex. Conclusion: The T-reflex is easily obtained, requires less time, and is more comfortable to perform. Qualitative data can be obtained by deploying self triggering, force plated reflex hammers both in the 1-G and Zero-G environment.

Comparison of different threshold values r for approximate entropy: application to investigate the heart rate variability between heart failure and healthy control groups.

PubMed

Liu, Chengyu; Liu, Changchun; Shao, Peng; Li, Liping; Sun, Xin; Wang, Xinpei; Liu, Feng

2011-02-01

Approximate entropy (ApEn) is widely accepted as a complexity measure of the heart rate variability (HRV) signal, but selecting the criteria for the threshold value r is controversial. This paper aims to verify whether Chon's method of forecasting the r(max) is an appropriate one for the HRV signal. The standard limb lead ECG signals of 120 subjects were recorded for 10 min in a supine position. The subjects were divided into two groups: the heart failure (22 females and 38 males, median age 62.4 ± 12.6) and healthy control group (33 females and 27 males, median age 51.5 ± 16.9). Three types of ApEn were calculated: the ApEn(0.2) using the recommended constant r = 0.2, the ApEn(chon) using Chon's method and the ApEn(max) using the true r(max). A Wilcoxon rank sum test showed that the ApEn(0.2) (p = 0.267) and the ApEn(max) (p = 0.813) had no statistical differences between the two groups, while the ApEn(chon) (p = 0.040) had. We generated a synthetic database to study the effect of two influential factors (the signal length N and the ratio of short- and long-term variability sd(1)/sd(2)) on the empirical formula in Chon's method (Chon et al 2009 IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag. 28 18-23). The results showed that the empirical formula proposed by Chon et al is a good method for analyzing the random signal, but not an appropriate tool for analyzing nonlinear signals, such as the logistic or HRV signals.

Dissociable Patterns in the Control of Emotional Interference in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and in Adults with Alcohol Dependence

PubMed Central

Marx, Ivo; Krause, John; Berger, Christoph; Häßler, Frank

2014-01-01

Objectives To effectively manage current task demands, attention must be focused on task-relevant information while task-irrelevant information is rejected. However, in everyday life, people must cope with emotions, which may interfere with actual task demands and may challenge functional attention allocation. Control of interfering emotions has been associated with the proper functioning of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). As DLPFC dysfunction is evident in subjects with ADHD and in subjects with alcohol dependence, the current study sought to examine the bottom-up effect of emotional distraction on task performance in both disorders. Methods Male adults with ADHD (n = 22), male adults with alcohol dependence (n = 16), and healthy controls (n = 30) performed an emotional working memory task (n-back task). In the background of the task, we presented neutral and negative stimuli that varied in emotional saliency. Results In both clinical groups, a working memory deficit was evident. Moreover, both clinical groups displayed deficient emotional interference control. The n-back performance of the controls was not affected by the emotional distractors, whereas that of subjects with ADHD deteriorated in the presence of low salient distractors, and that of alcoholics did not deteriorate until high salient distractors were presented. Subsequent to task performance, subjects with ADHD accurately recognized more distractors than did alcoholics and controls. In alcoholics, picture recognition accuracy was negatively associated with n-back performance, suggesting a functional association between the ability to suppress emotional distractors and successful task performance. In subjects with ADHD, performance accuracy was negatively associated with ADHD inattentive symptoms, suggesting that inattention contributes to the performance deficit. Conclusions Subjects with ADHD and alcoholics both display an emotional interference control deficit, which is especially pronounced in subjects with ADHD. Beyond dysfunctional attention allocation processes, a more general attention deficit seems to contribute to the more pronounced performance deficit pattern in ADHD. PMID:25265290

An investigation of the safety and pharmacokinetics of the novel TRPV1 antagonist XEN-D0501 in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Round, Patrick; Priestley, Anthony; Robinson, Jan

2011-01-01

AIMS XEN-D0501, a novel TRPV1 antagonist, is being developed to treat overactive bladder. This study investigated the safety and pharmacokinetics of repeat-dose XEN-D0501 in healthy subjects. METHODS The study was conducted in two parts. Part 1 was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover study in three cohorts of 12 young male subjects. Each subject received XEN-D0501 and placebo (in random order) twice daily for 13 days, with a final single dose on day 14. Doses of 1, 2.5 and 5 mg XEN-D0501 were investigated. Part 2 was an open-label, randomized, two-way crossover study in male and female subjects (45 to 65 years). Subjects received single doses of 5 mg XEN-D0501 under fasted and fed conditions in random order. Blood sampling and safety assessments were conducted throughout the study. RESULTS XEN-D0501 was rapidly absorbed (tmax generally 0.5–4 h post dose). XEN-D0501 exposure increased less than proportionally to dose over the range studied and exhibited minimal accumulation with twice daily dosing. Food had no clinically relevant effects on the pharmacokinetics of XEN-D0501. There were no severe or serious adverse events and all doses were well tolerated. A dose-related increase in body temperature was seen with XEN-D0501 which attenuated over time. Differences from placebo in mean maximum core body temperatures were 0.22°C, 0.5°C and 0.74°C following 1 mg, 2.5 mg and 5 mg twice daily XEN-D0501. The observed increase in body temperature was not considered to be of clinical concern. CONCLUSIONS XEN-D0501 appeared safe and well tolerated at doses up to 5 mg twice daily for 14 days in healthy subjects. PMID:21676011

Assessment of effects of differences in trunk posture during Fowler’s position on hemodynamics and cardiovascular regulation in older and younger subjects

PubMed Central

Kubota, Satoshi; Endo, Yutaka; Kubota, Mitsue; Shigemasa, Tomohiko

2017-01-01

Background Downward shifts in blood volume with changing position generally cause tachycardic responses. Age-related decreases in vagal nerve activity could contribute to orthostatic hypotension in older individuals. Fowler’s position is a reclined position with the back between 30° and 60°, used to facilitate breathing, eating, and other routine daily activities in frail and elderly patients. Objective This study examined whether stroke volume (SV) was higher and heart rate (HR) lower in Fowler’s position with an upright upper trunk than in Fowler’s position with the whole trunk upright in both older and younger subjects, based on the assumption that lower HR would result from reduced sympathetic activation in older individuals. Methods We assessed hemodynamics and HR variability from electrocardiography, noninvasive arterial pressure and impedance cardiography in 11 younger male subjects (age range, 20–22 years) and 11 older male subjects (age range, 64–79 years), using three positions: supine, or Fowler’s positions with either 30° of lower trunk inclination and 60° of upper trunk inclination (UT60) or 60° of whole trunk inclination (WT60). Comparisons were then made between age groups and between positions. Results Reductions in SV and tachycardic response were smaller with UT60 than with WT60, in both younger and older subjects. In addition, reduced tachycardic response with upright upper trunk appeared attributable to decreased vagal withdrawal in younger subjects and to reduced sympathetic activation in older subjects. Conclusion Our findings indicate that an upright upper trunk during Fowler’s position allowed maintenance of SV and inhibited tachycardic response compared to an upright whole trunk regardless of age, although the autonomic mechanisms underlying tachycardic responses differed between younger and older adults. An upright upper trunk in Fowler’s position might help to reduce orthostatic stress and facilitate routine activities and conversation in frail patients. PMID:28408809

Impact of Age and Sex on Response to Asthma Therapy

PubMed Central

Dunn, Ryan M.; Lehman, Erik; Chinchilli, Vernon M.; Martin, Richard J.; Boushey, Homer A.; Israel, Elliot; Kraft, Monica; Lazarus, Stephen C.; Lemanske, Robert F.; Lugogo, Njira L.; Peters, Stephen P.; Sorkness, Christine A.; Szefler, Stanley

2015-01-01

Rationale: Age and sex are associated with differences in asthma prevalence and morbidity. Objectives: To determine if age and sex associate with distinct phenotypes and a variable response to therapy in subjects with mild to moderate asthma. Methods: We used Asthma Clinical Research Network data to determine the impact of age and sex on phenotypes and treatment failures among subjects participating in 10 trials from 1993 to 2003. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 1,200 subjects were identified (median age, 30.4 yr; male, 520 [43.3%]; female, 680 [56.7%]) and analyzed. A higher proportion of subjects greater than or equal to 30 years old experienced treatment failures (17.3% vs. 10.3%; odds ratio [OR], 1.82; confidence interval [CI], 1.30–2.54; P < 0.001), and rates increased proportionally with increasing age older than 30 across the cohort (OR per yr, 1.02 [CI, 1.01–1.04]; OR per 5 yr, 1.13 [CI, 1.04–1.22]; P < 0.001). Lower lung function and longer duration of asthma were associated with a higher risk of treatment failures. A higher proportion of subjects greater than or equal to 30 years old receiving controller therapy experienced treatment failures. When stratified by specific therapy, treatment failures increased consistently for every year older than age 30 in subjects on inhaled corticosteroids (OR per year, 1.03; CI, 1.01–1.07). Females had a slightly higher FEV1 % predicted (84.5% vs. 81.1%; P < 0.001) but similar asthma control measures. There was not a statistically significant difference in treatment failures between females and males (15.2% vs. 11.7%; P = 0.088). Conclusions: Older age is associated with an increased risk of treatment failure, particularly in subjects taking inhaled corticosteroids. There was no significant difference in treatment failures between sexes. PMID:26068329

Volume measurements of individual muscles in human quadriceps femoris using atlas-based segmentation approaches.

PubMed

Le Troter, Arnaud; Fouré, Alexandre; Guye, Maxime; Confort-Gouny, Sylviane; Mattei, Jean-Pierre; Gondin, Julien; Salort-Campana, Emmanuelle; Bendahan, David

2016-04-01

Atlas-based segmentation is a powerful method for automatic structural segmentation of several sub-structures in many organs. However, such an approach has been very scarcely used in the context of muscle segmentation, and so far no study has assessed such a method for the automatic delineation of individual muscles of the quadriceps femoris (QF). In the present study, we have evaluated a fully automated multi-atlas method and a semi-automated single-atlas method for the segmentation and volume quantification of the four muscles of the QF and for the QF as a whole. The study was conducted in 32 young healthy males, using high-resolution magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the thigh. The multi-atlas-based segmentation method was conducted in 25 subjects. Different non-linear registration approaches based on free-form deformable (FFD) and symmetric diffeomorphic normalization algorithms (SyN) were assessed. Optimal parameters of two fusion methods, i.e., STAPLE and STEPS, were determined on the basis of the highest Dice similarity index (DSI) considering manual segmentation (MSeg) as the ground truth. Validation and reproducibility of this pipeline were determined using another MRI dataset recorded in seven healthy male subjects on the basis of additional metrics such as the muscle volume similarity values, intraclass coefficient, and coefficient of variation. Both non-linear registration methods (FFD and SyN) were also evaluated as part of a single-atlas strategy in order to assess longitudinal muscle volume measurements. The multi- and the single-atlas approaches were compared for the segmentation and the volume quantification of the four muscles of the QF and for the QF as a whole. Considering each muscle of the QF, the DSI of the multi-atlas-based approach was high 0.87 ± 0.11 and the best results were obtained with the combination of two deformation fields resulting from the SyN registration method and the STEPS fusion algorithm. The optimal variables for FFD and SyN registration methods were four templates and a kernel standard deviation ranging between 5 and 8. The segmentation process using a single-atlas-based method was more robust with DSI values higher than 0.9. From the vantage of muscle volume measurements, the multi-atlas-based strategy provided acceptable results regarding the QF muscle as a whole but highly variable results regarding individual muscle. On the contrary, the performance of the single-atlas-based pipeline for individual muscles was highly comparable to the MSeg, thereby indicating that this method would be adequate for longitudinal tracking of muscle volume changes in healthy subjects. In the present study, we demonstrated that both multi-atlas and single-atlas approaches were relevant for the segmentation of individual muscles of the QF in healthy subjects. Considering muscle volume measurements, the single-atlas method provided promising perspectives regarding longitudinal quantification of individual muscle volumes.

Persuader sex differences and peer pressure effects on attitudes toward drug abuse.

PubMed

Stone, C I; Shute, R E

1977-01-01

This experiment was performed to assess the effects of the experimental confederates' sex and contrived group peer pressure on the drug attitudes of male college students. Subjects were exposed to all-male or all-female groups of experimental confederates (ersuaders) who expressed either extremely pro-drug or anti-drug sentiments in a guided group discussion. A drug attitude survey encompassing four drug categories was administered immediately following the discussion. Significant differences were found between subjects in the anti-drug and pro-drug groups. The sex effect data indicated that the male subjects reported more liberal drug attitudes following exposure to female persuaders in both the anti-and pro-drug treatment conditions for the more socially acceptable drugs such as marijuana, hashish, and stimulants. Implications of these findings for possible prevention and intervention strategies and for further research are discussed.

Postorgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS) in 45 Dutch caucasian males: clinical characteristics and evidence for an immunogenic pathogenesis (Part 1).

PubMed

Waldinger, Marcel D; Meinardi, Marcus M H M; Zwinderman, Aeilko H; Schweitzer, Dave H

2011-04-01

Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a combination of local allergic symptoms and transient flu-like illness. In this study, the investigators propose five preliminary criteria to establish the diagnosis. To describe the clinical details in 45 males being suspected of having POIS and to test an immunogenic hypothesis as the underlying mechanism of their presentations. Forty-five males were studied according to standardized protocol, including neuropsychiatric and medical sexological evaluations; their complaints were categorized using their own words, and their self-perceived intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). Skin-prick testing with autologous diluted semen in 33 men were also performed. Clinical features of POIS including self-perceived IELTs and the results of skin-prick testing with autologous diluted seminal fluid. Of the 45 included men, 33 subjects consented with skin-prick testing. Of them, 29 (88%) men had a positive skin-prick test with their own (autologous) semen, and four had a negative test. In 87% of men, POIS symptoms started within 30 minutes after ejaculation. Complaints of POIS were categorized in seven clusters of symptoms, e.g., general, flu-like, head, eyes, nose, throat, and muscles. Local allergic reactions of eyes and nose were reported in 44% and 33% of subjects, a flu-like syndrome in 78% of subjects, exhaustion and concentration difficulties in 80% and 87% of subjects. Of all subjects, 58% had an atopic constitution. Lifelong premature ejaculation, defined as self-perceived IELT < 1 minute, was reported in 25 (56%) of subjects. The combination of allergic and systemic flu-like reactions post-ejaculation together with a positive skin-prick test in the majority of males underscores the hypothesis of an "immunogenic" etiology of POIS, e.g., that POIS is caused by Type-1 and Type-IV allergy to the males' own semen, as soon it is triggered by ejaculation. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

A hydrostatic weighing method using total lung capacity and a small tank.

PubMed Central

Warner, J G; Yeater, R; Sherwood, L; Weber, K

1986-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of a hydrostatic weighing method using total lung capacity (measuring vital capacity with a respirometer at the time of weighing) the prone position, and a small oblong tank. The validity of the method was established by comparing the TLC prone (tank) method against three hydrostatic weighing methods administered in a pool. The three methods included residual volume seated, TLC seated and TLC prone. Eighty male and female subjects were underwater weighed using each of the four methods. Validity coefficients for per cent body fat between the TLC prone (tank) method and the RV seated (pool), TLC seated (pool) and TLC prone (pool) methods were .98, .99 and .99, respectively. A randomised complete block ANOVA found significant differences between the RV seated (pool) method and each of the three TLC methods with respect to both body density and per cent body fat. The differences were negligible with respect to HW error. Reliability of the TLC prone (tank) method was established by weighing twenty subjects three different times with ten-minute time intervals between testing. Multiple correlations yielded reliability coefficients for body density and per cent body fat values of .99 and .99, respectively. It was concluded that the TLC prone (tank) method is valid, reliable and a favourable method of hydrostatic weighing. PMID:3697596

A hydrostatic weighing method using total lung capacity and a small tank.

PubMed

Warner, J G; Yeater, R; Sherwood, L; Weber, K

1986-03-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of a hydrostatic weighing method using total lung capacity (measuring vital capacity with a respirometer at the time of weighing) the prone position, and a small oblong tank. The validity of the method was established by comparing the TLC prone (tank) method against three hydrostatic weighing methods administered in a pool. The three methods included residual volume seated, TLC seated and TLC prone. Eighty male and female subjects were underwater weighed using each of the four methods. Validity coefficients for per cent body fat between the TLC prone (tank) method and the RV seated (pool), TLC seated (pool) and TLC prone (pool) methods were .98, .99 and .99, respectively. A randomised complete block ANOVA found significant differences between the RV seated (pool) method and each of the three TLC methods with respect to both body density and per cent body fat. The differences were negligible with respect to HW error. Reliability of the TLC prone (tank) method was established by weighing twenty subjects three different times with ten-minute time intervals between testing. Multiple correlations yielded reliability coefficients for body density and per cent body fat values of .99 and .99, respectively. It was concluded that the TLC prone (tank) method is valid, reliable and a favourable method of hydrostatic weighing.

Health-related behaviors associated with subjective sleep insufficiency in Japanese workers: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kageyama, Makoto; Odagiri, Keiichi; Mizuta, Isagi; Yamamoto, Makoto; Yamaga, Keiko; Hirano, Takako; Onoue, Kazue; Uehara, Akihiko

2017-03-28

Sleep disturbances are related to somatic and mental disorders, industrial accidents, absenteeism, and retirement because of disability. We aimed to identify health-related behaviors associated with subjective sleep insufficiency in Japanese workers. This cross-sectional study included 5,297 employees (mean age: 43.6±11.3 years; 4,039 men). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify health-related behaviors associated with subjective sleep insufficiency. Overall, 28.2% of participants experienced subjective sleep insufficiency. There was a significant difference between the genders in the proportion of participants with subjective sleep insufficiency (male: 26.4%; female: 34.3%; p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being a female or ≥40 years, experiencing a weight change of ≥3 kg during the preceding year, not exercising regularly, not walking quickly, and eating a late-evening or fourth meal were associated with subjective sleep insufficiency. After stratifying by gender, age ≥40 years, not exercising regularly, and eating a late-evening or fourth meal were significantly associated with subjective sleep insufficiency in both genders. Not walking quickly, experiencing a weight change, and eating quickly were positively associated with subjective sleep insufficiency only for males. Females who did not engage in physical activity were more likely to have experienced subjective sleep insufficiency, but this relationship was not observed in males. The results indicated that certain health-related behaviors, specifically not exercising regularly and nocturnal eating habits, were associated with subjective sleep insufficiency in a group of Japanese workers.

Changes in cardiopulmonary function in normal adults after the Rockport 1 mile walking test: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung; Lee, Hye-Young; Lee, Do-Youn; Nam, Chan-Woo

2015-08-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of cardiopulmonary function in normal adults after the Rockport 1 mile walking test. [Subjects and Methods] University students (13 males and 27 females) participated in this study. Before and after the Rockport 1 mile walking test, pulmonary function, respiratory pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake were measured. [Results] Significant improvements in forced vital capacity and maximal inspiratory pressure were observed after the Rockport 1 mile walking test in males, and significant improvements in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at 1 s, maximal inspiratory pressure, and maximal expiratory pressure were observed after the Rockport 1 mile walking test in females. However, the maximal oxygen uptake was not significantly different. [Conclusion] Our findings indicate that the Rockport 1 mile walking test changes cardiopulmonary function in males and females, and that it may improve cardiopulmonary function in middle-aged and older adults and provide basic data on cardiopulmonary endurance.

Changes in cardiopulmonary function in normal adults after the Rockport 1 mile walking test: a preliminary study

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyoung; Lee, Hye-Young; Lee, Do-Youn; Nam, Chan-Woo

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of cardiopulmonary function in normal adults after the Rockport 1 mile walking test. [Subjects and Methods] University students (13 males and 27 females) participated in this study. Before and after the Rockport 1 mile walking test, pulmonary function, respiratory pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake were measured. [Results] Significant improvements in forced vital capacity and maximal inspiratory pressure were observed after the Rockport 1 mile walking test in males, and significant improvements in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at 1 s, maximal inspiratory pressure, and maximal expiratory pressure were observed after the Rockport 1 mile walking test in females. However, the maximal oxygen uptake was not significantly different. [Conclusion] Our findings indicate that the Rockport 1 mile walking test changes cardiopulmonary function in males and females, and that it may improve cardiopulmonary function in middle-aged and older adults and provide basic data on cardiopulmonary endurance. PMID:26356048

[Evaluation of physical fitness levels in children and adolescents: establishing percentile charts for the central region of Peru].

PubMed

Bustamante, Alcibíades; Beunen, Gastón; Maia, José

2012-06-01

Construct percentile charts and physical fitness (PF) reference values stratified by age and sex of children and adolescents from Peru's central region. The sample was comprised of 7,843 subjects (4,155 females and 3,688 males) between the ages of 6 to 17 years old. Physical fitness was assessed using six tests developed by EUROFIT, FITNESSGRAM and AAPHERD. Percentile charts were developed separately for males and females using the LMS method calculated with LMSchartmaker software. Results. Males showed higher PF values with the exception of flexibility; a clear increase in PF with increasing age was verified. Inter-individual variability in both sexes is substantial. Charts and specific reference values by age and sex may be used for the assessment and interpretation of children's and adolescents' PF levels in Peru's central region. These findings may be of help to educators, public health professionals, parents, and policy-makers when assessing schools' physical education programs.

Serum ARCHITECT PIVKA-II reference interval in healthy Chinese adults: Sub-analysis from a prospective multicenter study.

PubMed

Yan, Cunling; Hu, Jian; Yang, Jia; Chen, Zhaoyun; Li, Huijun; Wei, Lianhua; Zhang, Wei; Xing, Hao; Sang, Guoyao; Wang, Xiaoqin; Han, Ruilin; Liu, Ping; Li, Zhihui; Li, Zhiyan; Huang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Li, Shunjun; Dai, Shuyang; Wang, Nianyue; Yang, Yongfeng; Ma, Li; Soh, Andrew; Beshiri, Agim; Shen, Feng; Yang, Tian; Fan, Zhuping; Zheng, Yijie; Chen, Wei

2018-04-01

Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) has been widely used as a biomarker for liver cancer diagnosis in Japan for decades. However, the reference intervals for serum ARCHITECT PIVKA-II have not been established in the Chinese population. Thus, this study aimed to measure serum PIVKA-II levels in healthy Chinese subjects. This is a sub-analysis from the prospective, cross-sectional and multicenter study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03047603). A total of 892 healthy participants (777 Han and 115 Uygur) with complete health checkup results were recruited from 7 regional centers in China. Serum PIVKA-II level was measured by ARCHITECT immunoassay. All 95% reference ranges were estimated by nonparametric method. The distribution of PIVKA-II values showed significant difference with ethnicity and sex, but not age. The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 13.62-40.38 mAU/ml in Han Chinese subjects and 15.16-53.74 mAU/ml in Uygur subjects. PIVKA-II level was significantly higher in males than in females (P < 0.001). The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 15.39-42.01 mAU/ml in Han males while 11.96-39.13 mAU/ml in Han females. The reference interval of serum PIVKA-II on the Architect platform was established in healthy Chinese adults. This will be valuable for future clinical and laboratory studies performed using the Architect analyzer. Different ethnic backgrounds and analytical methods underline the need for redefining the reference interval of analytes such as PIVKA-II, in central laboratories in different countries. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of self-cutters among male inmates: association with bulimia and dissociation.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Toshihiko; Yamaguchi, Akiko; Asami, Takeshi; Okada, Takayuki; Yoshikawa, Kazuo; Hirayasu, Yoshio

2005-06-01

It was examined whether bulimia and dissociation are common in male self-cutters, as has been found in female self-cutters. The subjects were 796 male inmates of a juvenile prison. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to assess self-cutting, histories of psychoactive substance use, problem behaviors, and traumatic life events in the subjects. The Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale and the Bulimia Investigatory Test of Edinburgh were also used. Subjects were divided into two groups: self-cutting and non-cutting. Questionnaire responses and dissociation and bulimia assessments were compared between the groups. Self-cutters began smoking (P < 0.001) and drinking (P < 0.001) earlier, and more frequently used illicit psychoactive drugs (P < 0.001), experienced childhood physical abuse (P < 0.001), and reported suicide attempts (P < 0.001), suicidal ideation (P < 0.001), and outward violence toward a person (P < 0.001) or object (P < 0.001) than non-cutters. Self-cutters also scored significantly higher on the bulimia (P < 0.001) and dissociation tests (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that suicide attempt (odds ratio, 4.311) and suicidal ideation (odds ratio, 2.336) could discriminate between male inmates with and without self-cutting. Male self-cutters showed 'multi-impulsive bulimic' tendencies resembling those of female self-cutters, although to a lesser extent. Clinical features of male as opposed to female self-cutters were influenced by gender differences.

Sex differences in white matter abnormalities after mild traumatic brain injury: localization and correlation with outcome.

PubMed

Fakhran, Saeed; Yaeger, Karl; Collins, Michael; Alhilali, Lea

2014-09-01

To evaluate sex differences in diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) white matter abnormalities after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and to compare associated clinical outcomes. The institutional review board approved this study, with waiver of informed consent. DTI in 69 patients with mTBI (47 male and 22 female patients) and 21 control subjects (10 male and 11 female subjects) with normal conventional magnetic resonance (MR) images were retrospectively reviewed. Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were generated as a measure of white matter integrity. Patients with mTBI underwent serial neurocognitive testing with Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). Correlation between sex, white matter FA values, ImPACT scores, and time to symptom resolution (TSR) were analyzed with multivariate analysis and TBSS. No significant difference in age was seen between males and females (control subjects, P = .3; patients with mTBI, P = .34). No significant difference was seen in initial ImPACT symptom scores (P = .33) between male and female patients with mTBI. Male patients with mTBI had significantly decreased FA values in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) bilaterally (mean FA, 0.425; 95% confidence interval: 0.375, 0.476) compared with female patients with mTBI and control subjects (P < .05), with a significantly longer TSR (P = .04). Multivariate analysis showed sex and UF FA values independently correlated with TSR longer than 3 months (adjusted odds ratios, 2.27 and 2.38; P = .04 and P < .001, respectively), but initial symptom severity did not (adjusted odds ratio, 1.15; P = .35). Relative sparing of the UF is seen in female compared with male patients after mTBI, with sex and UF FA values as stronger predictors of TSR than initial symptom severity.

Subjective response to combined noise and vibration during flight of a large twin-jet airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clevenson, S. A.

1976-01-01

A NASA twin-jet airplane was used to obtain controlled noise and vibration environments during flight while obtaining subjective responses from 13 passenger-subjects (6 females and 7 males). Subjective ratings of overall comfort, comfort when considering only vibration, and comfort when considering only noise were obtained during times of different vibration and noise environments. Passenger-subjects were able to distinguish and rate noise better than vibration. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in ratings of ride comfort due to both sex type and flight experience. Males rated flying discomfort much more severely than females when rating the overall ride and the ride when considering only the noise environment. Experienced passengers also rated the overall ride to be more uncomfortable than inexperienced passengers.

The relationship between oral health status and biological and psychosocial function in the bedridden elderly.

PubMed

Hanada, N; Tada, A

2001-01-01

The present study was conducted in order to determine what item of biological and psychosocial function is related to oral health status in the bedridden elderly. The subjects were 94 elderly individuals (30 males, 64 females) who had been admitted to a nursing home in Chiba city, Japan. We assessed the number of remaining teeth and the number of functional teeth as oral health status variables. Biological and psychosocial function levels were determined using the functional independence measure method developed by the State University of New York at Buffalo. More than 70% of subjects had less than ten remaining teeth. Almost all subjects needed prosthesis treatment. More than 50% of subjects had 27 or less functional teeth. Mann-Whitney U-test and logistic regression models showed that 'expression' was concerned with the number of remaining teeth and 'bladder management', 'locomotion', 'transfers' were related to the number of functional teeth. These data suggest close relation between oral health status and biological and psychosocial function levels in the bedridden elderly.

Associations of knee muscle force, bone malalignment, and knee-joint laxity with osteoarthritis in elderly people.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Kazumasa; Maeda, Misako

2017-03-01

[Purpose] From the viewpoint of prevention of knee osteoarthritis, the aim of this study was to verify how muscle strength and joint laxity are related to knee osteoarthritis. [Subjects and Methods] The study subjects consisted of 90 community-dwelling elderly people aged more than 60 years (22 males, 68 females). Femorotibial angle alignment, knee joint laxity, knee extensors and flexor muscle strengths were measured in all subjects. In addition, the subjects were divided into four groups based on the presence of laxity and knee joint deformation, and the muscle strength values were compared. [Results] There was no significant difference in knee extensor muscle strength among the four groups. However, there was significant weakness of the knee flexor muscle in the group with deformation and laxity was compared with the group without deformation and laxity. [Conclusion] Decreased knee flexor muscle strengths may be involved in knee joint deformation. The importance of muscle strength balance was also considered.

Effect of different head-neck-jaw postures on cervicocephalic kinesthetic sense

PubMed Central

Zafar, Hamayun; Alghadir, Ahmad H.; Iqbal, Zaheen A.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the effect of different induced head-neck-jaw postures on head-neck relocation error among healthy subjects. Methods: 30 healthy adult male subjects participated in this study. Cervicocephalic kinesthetic sense was measured while standing, habitual sitting, habitual sitting with clenched jaw and habitual sitting with forward head posture during right rotation, left rotation, flexion and extension using kinesthetic sensibility test. Results: Head-neck relocation error was least while standing, followed by habitual sitting, habitual sitting with forward head posture and habitual sitting with jaw clenched. However, there was no significant difference in error between different tested postures during all the movements. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to see the effect of different induced head-neck-jaw postures on head-neck position sense among healthy subjects. Assuming a posture for a short duration of time doesn’t affect head-neck relocation error in normal healthy subjects. PMID:29199196

Non-invasive determination of absolute lung resistivity in adults using electrical impedance tomography.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Patterson, Robert

2010-08-01

Lung resistivity is a physiological parameter that describes the electrical characteristics of the lungs. Lung composition changes due to changes in the lung tissues, fluid and air volume. Various diseases that can cause a change in lung composition may be monitored by measuring lung resistivity. Currently, there is no accepted non-invasive method to measure lung resistivity. In this study, we presented a method and framework to non-invasively determine lung resistivity using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). By comparing actual measurements from subjects with data from a 3D human thorax model, an EIT image can be reconstructed to show a resistivity difference between the model and the subject. By adjusting the lung resistivity in the model, the resistivity difference in the lung regions can be reduced to near zero. This resistivity value then is the estimation of the lung resistivity of the subject. Using the proposed method, the lung resistivities of four normal adult males (43 +/- 13 years, 78 +/- 10 kg) in the supine position at air volumes starting at functional residual capacity (FRC--end expiration) and increasing in 0.5 l steps to 1.5 l were studied. The averaged lung resistivity changes 12.59%, from 1406 Omega cm to 1583 Omega cm, following the inspiration of 1.5 l air from FRC. The coefficients of variation (CV) of precision for the four subjects are less than 10%. The experiment was repeated five times at each air volume on a subject to test the reproducibility. The CVs are less than 3%. The results show that it is feasible to determine absolute lung resistivity using an EIT-based method.

Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's disease: effects of gender, butyrylcholinesterase genotype and rivastigmine treatment

PubMed Central

Ferris, Steven; Nordberg, Agneta; Soininen, Hilkka; Darreh-Shori, Taher; Lane, Roger

2014-01-01

Objective Evaluate the influence of gender and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) genotype on incidence of progression to AD, rate of cognitive and functional decline, and response to rivastigmine treatment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. Methods This retrospective exploratory analysis from a 3–4 year, randomized, placebo-controlled study of rivastigmine in MCI subjects included participants who consented to pharmacogenetic testing. Results Of 1018 total patients, 490 (253 [52%] female) were successfully genotyped for BuChE. In subjects receiving placebo, the BuChE wt/wt genotype was associated with a statistically significantly higher rate of progression to AD and functional decline in women, compared with men with the BuChE wt/wt genotype. In subjects with a BuChE-K allele receiving placebo, incidence of progression to AD and rate of functional decline were not significantly different by gender, however cognitive decline was significantly faster in men. Statistically significant benefits of rivastigmine treatment on progression to AD, functional decline, ventricular volume expansion, whole brain atrophy and white matter loss were evident in female BuChE wt/wt. Conclusion Gender appears to differentially influence the type of decline in MCI subjects according to BuChE genotype, with more rapid progression of cognitive decline in male BuChE-K, and more rapid progression to AD and functional decline in female BuChE wt/wt. Cognitive decline in male BuChE-K and functional decline and progression to AD in female BuChE wt/wt were significantly attenuated by rivastigmine. Rivastigmine treatment also significantly reduced ventricular expansion, whole brain atrophy rate and white matter loss in female BuChE wt/wt, suggesting a possible disease-modifying effect. PMID:19617863

Gender Differences in the Effect of Tobacco Use on Brain Phosphocreatine Levels in Methamphetamine Dependent Subjects

PubMed Central

Sung, Young-Hoon; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A.; Kondo, Douglas G.; Shi, Xian-Feng; Lundberg, Kelly J.; Hellem, Tracy L.; Huber, Rebekah S.; McGlade, Erin C.; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Renshaw, Perry F.

2015-01-01

Background A high prevalence of tobacco smoking has been observed in methamphetamine users, but there have been no in vivo brain neurochemistry studies addressing gender effects of tobacco smoking in methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine addiction is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety in females. There is increasing evidence that selective analogues of nicotine, a principal active component of tobacco smoking, may improve depression and cognitive performance in animals and humans. Objectives To investigate the effects of tobacco smoking and gender on brain phosphocreatine (PCr) levels, a marker of brain energy metabolism reported to be reduced in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. Methods Thirty female and twenty-seven male methamphetamine-dependent subjects were evaluated with phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) to measure PCr levels within the pregenual anterior cingulate, which has been implicated in methamphetamine neurotoxicity. Results Analysis of covariance revealed that there were statistically significant slope (PCr versus lifetime amount of tobacco smoking) differences between female and male methamphetamine-dependent subjects (p=0.03). In females, there was also a statistically significant interaction between lifetime amounts of tobacco smoking and methamphetamine in regard to PCr levels (p=0.01), which suggests that tobacco smoking may have a more significant positive impact on brain PCr levels in heavy, as opposed to light to moderate, methamphetamine-dependent females. Conclusion These results indicate that tobacco smoking has gender-specific effects in terms of increased anterior cingulate high energy PCr levels in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. Cigarette smoking in methamphetamine-dependent women, particularly those with heavy methamphetamine use, may have a potentially protective effect upon neuronal metabolism. PMID:25871447

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection among TB patients in Port Harcourt Nigeria

PubMed Central

Erhabor, O; Jeremiah, Z A; Adias, T C; Okere, CE

2010-01-01

The joint statement by the American Thoracic Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends that all patients with tuberculosis (TB) undergo testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection after counseling. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HIV infection among 120 patients diagnosed with microbiologically proven TB aged 18 to 54 years with a mean age of 39.5 years (standard deviation 6.75). The subjects studied were 36 male (30%) and 84 females (70%). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods were used to screen for HIV infection among the subjects. Of the 120 TB patients tested 30 (25%) were positive for HIV infection. The prevalence of HIV was higher in females 24 (80%) compared to males 6 (20%) and among singles (66.7%) compared to married subjects (33.3%) (χ2 = 83.5 and χ2 = 126.2, respectively P = 0.001). HIV-1 was the predominant viral subtype. HIV prevalence was significantly higher in subjects in the 38–47 year and 28–37 year age groups (both 40%) followed by the 18–28 year age group (20%) (χ2 = 42.6, P = 0.05). The mean CD4 lymphocyte count of the HIV-infected TB subjects was significantly lower (195 ± 40.5 cells/μL) compared to the non-HIV infected (288 ± 35.25 cells/μL P = 0.01). This study has shown a high prevalence of HIV among TB patients. Reactivation of TB among people living with HIV can be reduced by TB preventive therapy and by universal access to antiretroviral therapy. PMID:22096379

Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 Gene Polymorphisms and Antisocial Personality Disorder: Association With Temperament and Psychopathy

PubMed Central

Basoglu, Cengiz; Oner, Ozgur; Ates, Alpay; Algul, Ayhan; Bez, Yasin; Cetin, Mesut; Herken, Hasan; Erdal, Mehmet Emin; Munir, Kerim M

2011-01-01

Objective The molecular genetic of personality disorders has been investigated in several studies; however, the association of antisocial behaviours with synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25) gene polymorphisms has not. This association is of interest as SNAP25 gene polymorphism has been associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and personality. Methods We compared the distribution of DdeI and MnlI polymorphisms in 91 young male offenders and in 38 sex-matched healthy control subjects. We also investigated the association of SNAP25 gene polymorphisms with severity of psychopathy and with temperament traits: novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence. Results The MnlI T/T and DdeI T/T genotypes were more frequently present in male subjects with antisocial personality disorder (APD) than in sex-matched healthy control subjects. The association was stronger when the frequency of both DdeI and MnlI T/T were taken into account. In the APD group, the genotype was not significantly associated with the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised scores, measuring the severity of psychopathy. However, the APD subjects with the MnlI T/T genotype had higher novelty seeking scores; whereas, subjects with the DdeI T/T genotype had lower reward dependence scores. Again, the association between genotype and novelty seeking was stronger when both DdeI and MnlI genotypes were taken into account. Conclusion DdeI and MnlI T/T genotypes may be a risk factor for antisocial behaviours. The association of the SNAP25 DdeI T/T and MnlI T/T genotypes with lower reward dependence and higher novelty seeking suggested that SNAP25 genotype might influence other personality disorders, as well. PMID:21756448

Childhood sexual history of 20 male pedophiles vs. 24 male healthy control subjects.

PubMed

Cohen, Lisa J; McGeoch, Pamela G; Gans, Sniezyna Watras; Nikiforov, Konstantin; Cullen, Ken; Galynker, Igor I

2002-11-01

Despite the widespread incidence of childhood sexual abuse, there is insufficient investigation into the childhood sexual history of perpetrators. In addition, there is little published on the specific similarities between childhood and adult sexual histories. The present study investigates the incidence of childhood sexual abuse in a carefully characterized sample of male pedophiles compared with a demographically similar control group. Concordance between and cognitive distortions about characteristics of childhood abuse and pedophilic behavior are also studied. Twenty men with pedophilia, heterosexual type were compared with 24 demographically similar, healthy male control subjects on a questionnaire specifically designed to assess childhood sexual history in pedophiles. Sixty percent of pedophiles compared with 4% of control subjects reported adult sexual advances as a child. Seventy-five percent of pedophiles and 22% of control subjects reported a first sexual encounter before age 14 years. About 60% concordance was found between acts experienced as a child and perpetrated as an adult. Finally, numerous inconsistencies throughout the questionnaire add preliminary support for the role of cognitive distortions with regard to childhood and adult sexual history. The present findings replicate the elevated rate of childhood sexual abuse found among pedophiles and are consistent with the notion of a causative relationship between early childhood abuse and later pedophilic behavior.

DNA repair phenotype and dietary antioxidant supplementation.

PubMed

Guarnieri, Serena; Loft, Steffen; Riso, Patrizia; Porrini, Marisa; Risom, Lotte; Poulsen, Henrik E; Dragsted, Lars O; Møller, Peter

2008-05-01

Phytochemicals may protect cellular DNA by direct antioxidant effect or modulation of the DNA repair activity. We investigated the repair activity towards oxidised DNA in human mononuclear blood cells (MNBC) in two placebo-controlled antioxidant intervention studies as follows: (1) well-nourished subjects who ingested 600 g fruits and vegetables, or tablets containing the equivalent amount of vitamins and minerals, for 24 d; (2) poorly nourished male smokers who ingested 500 mg vitamin C/d as slow- or plain-release formulations together with 182 mg vitamin E/d for 4 weeks. The mean baseline levels of DNA repair incisions were 65.2 (95 % CI 60.4, 70.0) and 86.1 (95 % CI 76.2, 99.9) among the male smokers and well-nourished subjects, respectively. The male smokers also had high baseline levels of oxidised guanines in MNBC. After supplementation, only the male smokers supplemented with slow-release vitamin C tablets had increased DNA repair activity (27 (95 % CI 12, 41) % higher incision activity). These subjects also benefited from the supplementation by reduced levels of oxidised guanines in MNBC. In conclusion, nutritional status, DNA repair activity and DNA damage are linked, and beneficial effects of antioxidants might only be observed among poorly nourished subjects with high levels of oxidised DNA damage and low repair activity.

Comparison of shoulder strength in males with and without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius.

PubMed

Kim, H A; Hwang, U J; Jung, S H; Ahn, S H; Kim, J H; Kwon, O Y

2017-11-01

This study was conducted in order to compare the strength of scapular elevator and shoulder abductor with and without restricted scapular elevation between male subjects with and without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius. In total, 15 male subjects with myofascial trigger points, and 15age- and weight-matched male subjects without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius. Each subject was measured in the strength of maximum isometric scapular elevation and shoulder abduction with and without restricted scapular elevation. Maximum isometric contractions were measured using the Smart KEMA strength measurement system. Independent t-tests were used to compare shoulder strength values between the myofascial trigger points and non- myofascial trigger points groups. The results showed that shoulder abductor strength in the group with myofascial trigger points (5.64kgf) was significantly lower than in the group without myofascial trigger points (11.96kgf) when scapular elevation was restricted (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the strength of the scapular elevator or shoulder abductor between groups (p>0.05). These findings suggest that decreased strength in the shoulder abductor with restricted scapular elevation should be considered in evaluating and treating individuals with myofascial trigger points of the upper trapezius. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis to hydrostatic weighing in male body builders.

PubMed

Volpe, Stella Lucia; Melanson, Edward L; Kline, Gregory

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was to compare bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to hydrostatic weighing (HW) in male weight lifters and body builders. Twenty-two male body builders and weight lifters, 23 +/- 3 years of age (mean +/- SD), were studied to determine the efficacy of BIA to HW in this population. Subjects were measured on two separate occasions, 6 weeks apart, for test-retest reliability purposes. Participants recorded 3-day dietary intakes and average work-out times and regimens between the two testing periods. Subjects were, on average, 75 +/- 8 kg of body weight and 175 +/- 7 cm tall. Validation results were as follows: constant error for HW-BIA = 0.128 +/- 3.7%, r for HW versus BIA = -0.294. Standard error of the estimate for BIA = 2.32% and the total error for BIA = 3.6%. Percent body fat was 7.8 +/- 1% from BIA and 8.5 +/- 2% from HW (P > 0.05). Subjects consumed 3,217 +/- 1,027 kcals; 1,848 +/- 768 kcals from carbohydrates; 604 +/- 300 kcals from protein; and 783 +/- 369 kcals from fat. Although work-outs differed among one another, within subject training did not vary. These results suggest that measurement of percent body fat in male body builders and weight trainers is equally as accurate using BIA or HW.

Altered spontaneous brain activity pattern in patients with late monocular blindness in middle-age using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a resting-state functional MRI study

PubMed Central

Li, Qing; Huang, Xin; Ye, Lei; Wei, Rong; Zhang, Ying; Zhong, Yu-Lin; Jiang, Nan; Shao, Yi

2016-01-01

Objective Previous reports have demonstrated significant brain activity changes in bilateral blindness, whereas brain activity changes in late monocular blindness (MB) at rest are not well studied. Our study aimed to investigate spontaneous brain activity in patients with late middle-aged MB using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method and their relationship with clinical features. Methods A total of 32 patients with MB (25 males and 7 females) and 32 healthy control (HC) subjects (25 males and 7 females), similar in age, sex, and education, were recruited for the study. All subjects were performed with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. The ALFF method was applied to evaluate spontaneous brain activity. The relationships between the ALFF signal values in different brain regions and clinical features in MB patients were investigated using correlation analysis. Results Compared with HCs, the MB patients had marked lower ALFF values in the left cerebellum anterior lobe, right parahippocampal gyrus, right cuneus, left precentral gyrus, and left paracentral lobule, but higher ALFF values in the right middle frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus. However, there was no linear correlation between the mean ALFF signal values in brain regions and clinical manifestations in MB patients. Conclusion There were abnormal spontaneous activities in many brain regions including vision and vision-related regions, which might indicate the neuropathologic mechanisms of vision loss in the MB patients. Meanwhile, these brain activity changes might be used as a useful clinical indicator for MB. PMID:27980398

A sex difference in the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity.

PubMed

Garcia-Falgueras, Alicia; Swaab, Dick F

2008-12-01

Transsexuality is an individual's unshakable conviction of belonging to the opposite sex, resulting in a request for sex-reassignment surgery. We have shown previously that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc) is female in size and neuron number in male-to-female transsexual people. In the present study we investigated the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus, which is composed of two subnuclei, namely interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH) 3 and 4. Post-mortem brain material was used from 42 subjects: 14 control males, 11 control females, 11 male-to-female transsexual people, 1 female-to-male transsexual subject and 5 non-transsexual subjects who were castrated because of prostate cancer. To identify and delineate the nuclei and determine their volume and shape we used three different stainings throughout the nuclei in every 15th section, i.e. thionin, neuropeptide Y and synaptophysin, using an image analysis system. The most pronounced differences were found in the INAH3 subnucleus. Its volume in thionin sections was 1.9 times larger in control males than in females (P < 0.013) and contained 2.3 times as many cells (P < 0.002). We showed for the first time that INAH3 volume and number of neurons of male-to-female transsexual people is similar to that of control females. The female-to-male transsexual subject had an INAH3 volume and number of neurons within the male control range, even though the treatment with testosterone had been stopped three years before death. The castrated men had an INAH3 volume and neuron number that was intermediate between males (volume and number of neurons P > 0.117) and females (volume P > 0.245 and number of neurons P > 0.341). There was no difference in INAH3 between pre-and post-menopausal women, either in the volume (P > 0.84) or in the number of neurons (P < 0.439), indicating that the feminization of the INAH3 of male-to-female transsexuals was not due to estrogen treatment. We propose that the sex reversal of the INAH3 in transsexual people is at least partly a marker of an early atypical sexual differentiation of the brain and that the changes in INAH3 and the BSTc may belong to a complex network that may structurally and functionally be related to gender identity.

Acculturation levels and personalizing orthognathic surgery for the Asian American patient.

PubMed

Sy, A A; Kim, W S; Chen, J; Shen, Y; Tao, C; Lee, J S

2016-10-01

This study was performed to investigate whether the level of acculturation among Asians living in the USA plays a significant role in their opinion of facial profiles. One hundred and ninety-eight Asian American subjects were asked to complete a pre-validated survey to measure their level of acculturation and to evaluate four sets of pictures that displayed a class II male, class II female, class III male, and class III female. Each set consisted of three lateral profile pictures: an initial unaltered photo, a picture simulating a flatter profile (orthodontic camouflage in class II; mandibular setback in class III), and a picture simulating a fuller profile (mandibular advancement in class II; maxillary advancement in class III). For the class II male, subjects who were more acculturated indicated that a flatter profile (orthodontic camouflage) was less attractive. For the class II female, higher acculturated subjects chose expansive treatment (mandibular advancement) as more aesthetic compared to the less acculturated subjects. Each of these scenarios had statistically significant odds ratios. In general, highly acculturated subjects preferred a fuller facial profile, while low acculturated subjects preferred a flatter facial profile appearance, except for the class III female profile, which did not follow this trend. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The G-Axis: a growth vector for the mandible.

PubMed

Braun, Stanley; Kittleson, Russell; Kim, Kyonghwan

2004-06-01

On the basis of the G-point, defined as the center of the largest circle that is tangent to the internal inferior, anterior, and lingual surfaces of the mandibular symphysis in the sagittal view, a growth axis and its direction are described for each gender from age six to 19.25 years. Incremental growth along the G-Axis, defined by Sella-G-point, is described by regression formulas with correlation coefficients of 0.673 for female subjects and 0.749 for male subjects. The vector (direction) of the growth axis, defined by the angle alpha ((G-Axis)-(S-N)) does not materially alter in the age range studied. At age six in female subjects the angle alpha is 67.16 degrees +/- 3.03 degrees and at age 19.25 it is 66.87 degrees +/- 3.03 degrees, whereas in male subjects it is 66.12 degrees +/- 4.00 degrees and 67.93 degrees +/- 4.00 degrees, respectively. These changes and gender differences are not clinically significant. The data is based on 444 serial lateral cephalograms of 24 female subjects and 24 male subjects. The G-Axis incremental growth change and its vector offer an improved means of quantifying complex mandibular growth in the sagittal plane by using cephalometric measurements relative to and correlated with other craniofacial structures.

Variations of high frequency parameter of heart rate variability following osteopathic manipulative treatment in healthy subjects compared to control group and sham therapy: randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Ruffini, Nuria; D'Alessandro, Giandomenico; Mariani, Nicolò; Pollastrelli, Alberto; Cardinali, Lucia; Cerritelli, Francesco

2015-01-01

Context: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) indicates how heart rate changes in response to inner and external stimuli. HRV is linked to health status and it is an indirect marker of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. Objective: To investigate the influence of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on cardiac autonomic modulation in healthy subjects, compared with sham therapy and control group. Methods: Sixty-six healthy subjects, both male and female, were included in the present 3-armed randomized placebo controlled within subject cross-over single blinded study. Participants were asymptomatic adults (26.7 ± 8.4 y, 51% male, BMI 18.5 ± 4.8), both smokers and non-smokers and not on medications. At enrollment subjects were randomized in three groups: A, B, C. Standardized structural evaluation followed by a patient need-based osteopathic treatment was performed in the first session of group A and in the second session of group B. Standardized evaluation followed by a protocoled sham treatment was provided in the second session of group A and in the first session of group B. No intervention was performed in the two sessions of group C, acting as a time-control. The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01908920. Main Outcomes Measures: HRV was calculated from electrocardiography before, during and after the intervention, for a total amount time of 25 min and considering frequency domain as well as linear and non-linear methods as outcome measures. Results: OMT engendered a statistically significant increase of parasympathetic activity, as shown by High Frequency power (p < 0.001), expressed in normalized and absolute unit, and possibly decrease of sympathetic activity, as revealed by Low Frequency power (p < 0.01); results also showed a reduction of Low Frequency/High Frequency ratio (p < 0.001) and Detrended fluctuation scaling exponent (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Findings suggested that OMT can influence ANS activity increasing parasympathetic function and decreasing sympathetic activity, compared to sham therapy and control group. PMID:26300719

Ischio-pubic index in adult black Malawians.

PubMed

Igbigbi, P S; Msamati, B C

2000-09-01

To determine the ischiopubic index in adult black Malawians. A retrospective study on patients investigated in two hospitals and skeletal specimens from the College of Medicine, University of Malawi. Radiographs of pelvis were collected from the archives of Queen Elizabeth Central and Seventh Day Adventist Hospitals in Blantyre city and available skeletal specimens from the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi. Antero-posterior x-ray films of pelvis of 255 adult subjects aged between 18 and 65 years were studied. The ischio-pubic index was used to determine the sex of the individuals. The mean ischio-pubic index of females was significantly greater than that of males (p<0.001). The mean length of female pubis was significantly longer than for males (p<0.001), and similarly the mean length of the ischium in males was significantly longer than that of females (p<0.001). Using the x-ray films, sex could be accurately assigned to 87.8% of males and 100% of females while with the skeletal bones, sex could be assigned to 92.3% males and 100% females. The ischio-pubic index was used to determine sex in adult black Malawians. We recommend this simple and less sophisticated method in medico-legal cases in Africa and other developing countries.