Abstract Objective; The aim of this study is to determine the reference values of serum Cystatin C (CysC) and CysC-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) on the 3(rd) and 30(th) day of life in comparison with serum creatinine (Cr) and Cr-based estimated GFR. Methods; This prospective study was performed on ...

The effects of long term participation in Scottish country dance (SCD) on body composition, functional ability, and balance in healthy older females were examined. Participants were grouped into dancers and physically active non-dancers (60-70 and 70-80 year olds for both groups). Physical activity, body composition (body mass index, skinfold thickness, ...

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), especially inducing hepatocellular carcinoma and immunosuppression of animals, poses a serious healthy and economic hazard to both humans and livestock. Animal studies have demonstrated that selenium (Se) provides anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic effects against AFB1. However, the effects of Se against AFB1-induced immunosuppression were rarely reported. To test ...

Life-span developmentalists have long been interested in the nature of and the contributing factors to successful aging. Using variable-oriented approaches, research has revealed critical insights into the intricacies of human development and successful aging. In the present study, we opted instead for a more subgroup-oriented approach and examined multiple-indicator information ...

Olfactory receptor (OR) expression is also present in the sperm cells and could mediate sperm chemotaxis. OR1D2 was the first OR expressed in the testis demonstrated to be involved in chemotaxis and to be expressed also in the nose with a similar behavior. Bourgeonal is the OR1D2 most potent known ...

OBJECTIVE: In several modern society duties individuals have to maintain their attention or vigilance over prolonged periods of time, even if the monitoring task is monotonous. The aim of our study was to obtain reference data on the 60-minute monotonous Siesta sustained attention test. METHODS: Normative data were gathered in ...

BACKGROUND: There are scarce studies of the long-term associations between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in midlife and phenotypic frailty in old age. METHODS: We studied healthy Caucasian men of high socioeconomic status (N = 514), who had participated in health checkups during the 1960s (the Helsinki Businessmen Study, Finland). In ...

Objectives.We investigated whether sustained attention performance and variability were associated with prefrailty and frailty in the older adult population.Method.A total of 4,317 participants aged 50 years and over from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) completed a comprehensive health assessment. Frailty was defined by low gait speed, low grip ...

To evaluate the relative contributions of basal and prandial components to total hyperglycemia in older and younger adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participant-level data were pooled from six randomized studies of 24 weeks or longer treatment with insulin glargine or an active comparator. Prospective, randomized Phase 3 or 4 controlled ...

In this work, we describe hydrogels, aerogels and films of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) functionalized with metal nanoparticles using silver as an example. The TEMPO process used to produce NFC generates negatively charged surface carboxylate groups that provide high binding capability to transition metal species such as Ag(+). The gelation of ...

The composition of the human gut microbiota is related to host health, and it is thought that dietary habits may play a role in shaping this composition. Here, we examined the population size and prevalence of six predominant bacterial genera and the species compositions of genus Bifidobacterium (g-Bifid) and Bacteroides ...

Background: Hereditary ataxias (HA) comprise a group of genetically heterogeneous rare diseases. As important public health problems to be monitored, this study analyses the morbimortality of HA in Spain. Methods: Data were extracted from the national death index (1981-2008), using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision code 334 ...

We collected population-based normative data for the DASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand ) and QuickDASH questionnaires in order to determine the co-morbidity to be expected in a group of patients. We also studied the correlation between the two scores. A total of 2000 DASH forms and 800 ...

Mechanical efficiency (ME) during stair-climbing measures ambulation ability. This study investigated the relationship between ME and age, anthropometric, functional walking, and balance parameters in 52 adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), age 13.5-23.3 yrs, who participated in an intervention study to improve walking. Measurements included ME, 6-min and 10-m walk tests ...

BACKGROUND: Weight loss and muscle wasting are common features reported in COPD patients and they are all related with systemic inflammation. In this study, the relationship between pulmonary functions and inflammatory and metabolic parameters in low weight COPD patients were investigated. METHODS: Fifty male COPD patients were grouped according to ...

Recent evidence suggests that there are age-related neurocognitive implications for fragile X premutation carriers, including deficits in executive function, and that such deficits are more common in male than female premutation carriers. The purpose of the current study is to examine one aspect of executive function, language dysfluencies, in a ...

BACKGROUND: Effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in reverting hematologic, skeletal, and visceral symptoms in Gaucher disease (GD) has been demonstrated, although, its efficacy in neurologic involvement is still debated. AIM: We evaluated the extent of neuro-cognitive dysfunction using brain stem evoked potential in GD3 patients, age-matched controls, and GD1 ...

AIM: The present cross-sectional study aimed at assessing muscle strength of hands, the dominant arm and legs in Spanish institutionalized elderly people according to sex, age and cognitive status. METHODS: A total of 153 elderly subjects (102 females, 51 males, mean age 83.6 ± 6.8 years) living in the region of Madrid ...

Pneumococcal infections in adults vary in severity and incidence is affected by childhood vaccination policy. Here, we try to define the host determinants and the interaction with specific serotypes that result in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) before an expected effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. A nationwide active surveillance was initiated ...

AIM: To assess the effect of moderate regular aerobic physical activity not associated to body weight changes on insulin resistance and the associated metabolic changes in general population. SUJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study in an adult population (n=101 sujects aged 30-70 years) with no personal history of disease ...

Abstract In this study the relationship between the digit ratio (2D:4D) and artistic gymnastics performance and competition level was investigated in a sample of Caucasian world-class female gymnasts (n = 145). The sample was divided into three competition events (compulsories, free work, final score). Within each event three performance groups (lowest, middle, ...

Evidence of a significant improvement of IFNB-1b in clinical severity in the older population with RRMS has not been established so far. The aim of this exploratory post hoc analysis of the 250 mcg IFNB-1b group of the BEYOND study is to compare the efficacy and safety of older versus ...

BACKGROUND: Allee effects may arise as the number of individuals decreases, thereby reducing opportunities for cooperation and constraining individual fitness, which can lead to population decrease and extinction. Obligate cooperative breeders rely on a minimum group size to subsist and are thus expected to be particularly susceptible to Allee effects. ...

The study, using mixed methodology, examined perceptions of risk associated with speeding in young rural people. Focus groups discussions (age range 16-24) in which speeding was identified as often being an involuntary driving behaviour, informed the development of a survey instrument. The survey was conducted with two groups of young ...

Abstract Recent years have seen huge interest in understanding how demographic factors mediate the evolution of social behavior in viscous populations. Here we study the impact of variation in group size on the evolution of helping and harming behavior. Although variation in group size influences the degree of relatedness and ...

BACKGROUND: The FEV3/FVC is not discussed in the ATS/ERS Guidelines for lung function interpretation in spite of narrow confidence limits of normal and its association with smoking. We sought to determine if a reduction in only the FEV3/FVC ratio was associated with physiologic changes compared to subjects with normal FEV1/FVC ...

PURPOSE:: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationships among orbital dimensions, globe diameter, and subject age. METHODS:: A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of 124 CT scans of subjects with no appreciable orbital or globe disease was performed by 1 observer (G.K.E.). Seventeen length measurements and 5 angle measurements ...

The information on incidence of the facial nerve canal dehiscence in chronic otitis media is important for surgeons. The purpose of this study is to disclose the histopathologic findings of facial nerve canal dehiscence in human temporal bones with chronic otitis media. We divided the human temporal bones into two ...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of shoulder ultrasound (US) detectable abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals of various ages and to correlate the US findings with clinical data. METHODS: 97 healthy subjects were enrolled in the present study. They were subgrouped according to their age, as follows: group I (20-29 years); group ...

The relationship between retirement and mortality is studied with a unique administrative data set covering the full population of Norway. A series of retirement policy changes in Norway reduced the retirement age for a group of workers but not for others. Difference-in-differences estimation based on monthly birth cohorts and treatment ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine maturity-related differences in anthropometry and body composition in Japanese youth within a single year. METHODS: Two hundred and ten Japanese youth aged from 13 to 13.99 years participated in this study. Their maturity status was assessed using a self-assessment of stage ...

We analyzed the distribution of 11 periodontitis-related bacterial species in dental plaque collected from 176 Japanese dogs divided into young (less than 2 years of age), middle-aged (2-7 years of age) and elderly (more than 8 years of age) groups using a polymerase chain reaction method. Clinical examination revealed that ...

OBJECTIVE: Dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system is thought to be involved in craniopharyngioma related hypothalamic obesity (CRHO). Increased parasympathetic activity and decreased sympathetic activity have been suggested. We aimed to study autonomic activity using heart rate variability (HRV) and biochemical measures in youth with CRHO compared to controls and ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Increased sputum neutrophilia has been observed in asthma, but also during normal aging in asthmatics and non-asthmatics. It remains unclear what constitutes "normal" neutrophil levels in different age groups. METHODS: We assessed the relationship between age and airway neutrophils using data derived from studies of 194 asthmatics ...

IMPORTANCE To improve the ability to develop treatments that prevent incipient Alzheimer disease (AD) from progressing to overt AD, it is important to understand the molecular basis of the earliest pathophysiological abnormalities and to determine how amyloid-β (Aβ) is involved very early in its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE To investigate 2 specific ...

BACKGROUND: Although socioeconomic mortality differences in Germany are well documented, trends in group-specific mortality and differences between the eastern and the western parts of the country remain unexplored. METHODS: Population and death counts by level of lifetime earnings (1995-1996 to 2007-2008) and broad occupational groups (1995-1996 to 2003-2004) for men ...

Objective: To determine the differences in albumin levels between donors and recipients with twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS). Methods: We included all consecutive monochorionic twins with TAPS with double survivors. Each twin pair was matched for gestational age at birth with 2 control monochorionic twin pairs unaffected by TAPS or twin-twin ...

Studies on the relationship between thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) within the reference range and coronary artery disease (CAD) have produced conflicting results. Furthermore, the effect of age on this relationship has never been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between TSH levels and CAD among ...

PURPOSE: To assess the range of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in a healthy group of young adults of South Asian origin; to investigate whether any dietary factors or personal characteristics were related to inter-subject variations in MPOD; and to compare the mean MPOD of the South Asian group with ...

To investigate the normal hepatic magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings choline/lipid2 (Cho/Lip2) associated with age and body mass index (BMI). A total of 58 single-voxel proton spectra of the liver were acquired at 3.0 T using the eight-channel phased array abdominal coil as the receiver coil. Consecutive stacks of breath-hold spectra ...

PURPOSE: Shock index (SI), the ratio of heart rate to systolic blood pressure, has found to outperform conventional vital signs as a predictor of shock. Although age-specific vital sign norms are recommended in screening for shock, there are no reported age- or sex-specific norms for SI. Our primary goal was ...

Older people with an intellectual disability (ID) have been shown to have similar to increased cardiovascular risks as compared to the general population. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), atherosclerosis distal from the aortic bifurcation, is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of PAD has not been investigated in ...

BACKGROUND: Conflicting evidence exists regarding age as a predictive factor in excess weight loss after bariatric surgery. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate differences in excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) 1 year after surgery in patients older and younger than 45 years. METHODS: Adult obese patients fulfilling selection criteria underwent ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate IQ and academic skills in adults who experienced an episode of moderate-to-severe infantile malnutrition and a healthy control group, all followed since childhood in the Barbados Nutrition Study. METHODS: IQ and academic skills were assessed in 77 previously malnourished adults (mean age = 38.4 years; 53% male) and 59 ...

In New Zealand, people unable to work due to an illness may be eligible for a means-tested benefit whereas injured people are eligible for a wide range of support including earnings-related compensation through the no-fault Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). The effect of this difference on socio-economic outcomes has not been ...

BACKGROUND: Loss of muscle mass due to prolonged bed rest decreases functional capacity and increases hospital morbidity and mortality in older adults. OBJECTIVE: To determine if HMB, a leucine metabolite, is capable of attenuating muscle decline in healthy older adults during complete bed rest. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group ...

Aim: The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a novel non-invasive marker of arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis. The aim of this work was to examine whether the CAVI value in patients with dyslipidaemia (DLP) is increased by the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking.Methods: A total ...

Many primates display within-species variation in social organization and mating system. Individuals of these species may be confronted with both the challenges of between-group competition to exclude same-sex competitors as well as within-group competition for mating opportunities. Free-ranging white-faced saki monkeys (Pithecia pithecia) live in both male-female pairs and small ...

For socially hibernating mammals, the effectiveness of huddling as a means of energy conservation should increase with group size. However, group size has only been linked to increased survival in a few hibernating species, and the relative importance of social structure versus winter conditions during hibernation remains uncertain. We studied ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between astigmatism and idiopathic congenital nystagmus (ICN) in infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed refractive errors in a cohort of 488 consecutive patients with ICN (group A) and further compared the results obtained with those of 488 age-matched controls with no nystagmus ...