Evaluating the Predictive Impact of an Emergent Literacy Model on Dyslexia in Italian Children: A Four-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bigozzi, Lucia; Tarchi, Christian; Pezzica, Sara; Pinto, Giuliana

2016-01-01

The strong differences in manifestation, prevalence, and incidence in dyslexia across languages invite studies in specific writing systems. In particular, the question of the role played by emergent literacy in opaque and transparent writing systems remains a fraught one. This research project tested, through a 4-year prospective cohort study, an emergent literacy model for the analysis of the characteristics of future dyslexic children and normally reading peers in Italian, a transparent writing system. A cohort of 450 children was followed from the last year of kindergarten to the third grade in their reading acquisition process. Dyslexic children were individuated (Grade 3), and their performances in kindergarten in textual competence, phonological awareness, and conceptual knowledge of the writing system were compared with a matched group of normally reading peers. Results showed the predictive relevance of the conceptual knowledge of the writing system. The study's implications are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects with mini-implants retained mandibular overdentures. A 5-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsyad, Moustafa Abdou

2016-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction and prosthetic aspects during a 5-year prospective clinical study of mini dental implants (MDIs) retaining mandibular overdentures. This observational prospective clinical study was conducted on a group of completely edentulous patients (n = 28) with retention problems of conventional mandibular dentures. All patients received new maxillary and mandibular conventional dentures. A total of 112 MDIs (four per patient) were inserted using the flapless surgical approach and immediately loaded by the new mandibular dentures (overdentures). Patients indicated satisfaction with their prosthesis using a questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Patient satisfaction and prosthetic complications were recorded 6 months (T6 m ), 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 5 (T5) years after overdenture insertion. The patient satisfaction with eating (hard/soft) food (P teeth (n = 10), overdentures relines (n = 10), detachment of the metal housings (n = 9), and fracture of mandibular overdentures (n = 8). Mucositis, soreness, and decubitis ulcer under overdenture occurred most often at T6 m and decreased significantly with time (P = 0.002, 0.005, and 0.024, respectively). Within the limitations of this clinical study, patient satisfaction with mini-implant retained mandibular overdentures increased significantly with time. However, this treatment required a considerable amount of prosthetic maintenance and repair after 5 years of service. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A meta-analysis of four genome-wide association studies of survival to age 90 years or older

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Newman, Anne B; Walter, Stefan; Lunetta, Kathryn L

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) may yield insights into longevity. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of GWAS in Caucasians from four prospective cohort studies: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Framingham Heart S...

Accuracy of prognosis estimates by four palliative care teams: a prospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Costantini Massimo

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prognosis estimates are used to access services, but are often inaccurate. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of giving a prognosis range. Methods and measurements A prospective cohort study in four multi-professional palliative care teams in England collected data on 275 consecutive cancer referrals who died. Prognosis estimates (minimum – maximum at referral, patient characteristics, were recorded by staff, and later compared with actual survival. Results Minimum survival estimates ranged Conclusions Offering a prognosis range has higher levels of accuracy (about double than traditional estimates, but is still very often inaccurate, except very close to death. Where possible clinicians should discuss scenarios with patients, rather than giving a prognosis range.

Can Australian radiographers assess screening mammograms accurately? First stage results from a four year prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, S.; Warren-Forward, H.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Globally, the role of the radiographer is changing; some countries have developed advanced roles with specific scopes of practice. Other countries, like Australia, are in the process of this change. The aim of this research is to assess the diagnostic outcomes reported by the radiographers and compare them to those reported by current screen readers. Method: Six experienced radiographers were invited to participate in a prospective study conducted between 2010 and 2011. They were required to read 2000 mammograms each. Their results were compared with those of the radiologists. Statistical analysis of the results included overall cancer detection rates, recall rates, levels of agreement, kappa, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Results: A total of 9348 women were included in the study. The percentage of cancers detected by the radiographers ranged from 53% to 100% of the cancers detected by the radiologists. Radiologist recall rate ranged between 3.4% and 5.5% and the radiographers' range was 2.9%–9.8%. Level of agreement of the radiographers with the radiologists ranged from 90 to 96%. Conclusion: The potential for accuracy in screen reading by Australian radiographers is supported by the results of this study. Implementation of formal training is likely to result in an increase in the diagnostic accuracy of radiographers. - Highlights: • Radiographers prospectively read 2000 screening mammograms each. • These results support potential for accuracy in screen reading by radiographers. • Will advanced practice be introduced within BreastScreen Australia?.

A Longitudinal Study on Substance Use and Related Problems in Women in Opioid Maintenance Treatment from Pregnancy to Four Years after Giving Birth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingunn O. Lund

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background Women in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT have a past characterized by drug abuse, which is a challenging start for parenthood. Studies of mothers in OMT are typically limited to pregnancy and early infancy. Knowledge about how they cope with substance use and related problems in the years following birth is therefore important. The aims of the study were to examine changes in mothers’ substance use, psychological problems, and other challenges; from one to four years after their children were born, and describe kindergarten attendance and prevalence and type of child protective services involvement when the children were four years old. Method A four-year prospective cohort study of mothers in OMT. The European severity index was used to map substance use and related problems during the third trimester of pregnancy, one and four years after birth. Results At the four-year follow-up, use of illegal substances remained low (4% and use of legal substances (39% was similar to the one-year follow-up. The proportion of women with psychological problems was significantly higher than at one-year follow-up (69 vs. 39%, P = .009. At age four, most children (89% attended kindergarten, and the child protective services were following 73% of the families, mostly with voluntary measures. Conclusion Mothers in OMT cope well with substance use over time, given access to sufficient support. The findings imply that a preventive governmental strategy with close support of mother and child, have a positive impact contributing to making OMT and motherhood more compatible.

Prospect on nuclear energy and promotion strategy for next 50 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang Gun

1996-10-01

This book describes prospect for nuclear energy and promotion strategy for next 50 years, which has four part ; summary, prospect on nuclear energy for next 50 years with wealth, quality of the life and energy, available energy, future power and energy, nuclear power except as using energy, promotion strategy for nuclear energy for next 50 year with current situation and the rule of nuclear energy in the future, international situation and effect on environment, nuclear reactor and strategy for nuclear fuel cycle, international, institutional and social problems, using nuclear energy except power, precondition for international use of nuclear power, use of nuclear energy for extra field and conclusion.

Four-Year Itch

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Dennis

2017-01-01

Ohio's decision to let community colleges award four-year degrees is part of a growing national trend. When this article went to press, more than 90 community colleges across 19 states offered active four-year degree programs. Counting New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, which technically is a community college, but offers degrees as high…

Atomic prospects in four African states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1961-01-01

A preliminary assistance mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Ghana in March-April this year; members of the mission also visited three other African States: Dahomey, Liberia and Nigeria. As in the case of the six earlier Agency missions of this kind, the visits were made at the request of the Governments of these countries. The purpose was to study at first hand the prospects of atomic development in these countries, to advise the Governments on the broad formulation of atomic energy programs, and to determine how the Agency could assist in the carrying out of these programs

Health costs in anthroposophic therapy users: a two-year prospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willich Stefan N

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anthroposophic therapies (counselling, special medication, art, eurythmy movement, and rhythmical massage aim to stimulate long-term self-healing processes, which theoretically could lead to a reduction of healthcare use. In a prospective two-year cohort study, anthroposophic therapies were followed by a reduction of chronic disease symptoms and improvement of quality of life. The purpose of this analysis was to describe health costs in users of anthroposophic therapies. Methods 717 consecutive outpatients from 134 medical practices in Germany, starting anthroposophic therapies for chronic diseases, participated in a prospective cohort study. We analysed direct health costs (anthroposophic therapies, physician and dentist consultations, psychotherapy, medication, physiotherapy, ergotherapy, hospital treatment, rehabilitation and indirect costs (sick leave compensation in the pre-study year and the first two study years. Costs were calculated from resource utilisation, documented by patient self-reporting. Data were collected from January 1999 to April 2003. Results Total health costs in the first study year (bootstrap mean 3,297 Euro; 95% confidence interval 95%-CI 3,157 Euro to 3,923 Euro did not differ significantly from the pre-study year (3,186 Euro; 95%-CI 3,037 Euro to 3,711 Euro, whereas in the second year, costs (2,771 Euro; 95%-CI 2,647 Euro to 3,256 Euro were significantly reduced by 416 Euro (95%-CI 264 Euro to 960 Euro compared to the pre-study year. In each period hospitalisation and sick-leave together amounted to more than half of the total health costs. Anthroposophic therapies and medication amounted to 3%, 15%, and 8% of total health costs in the pre-study year, first year, and second study year, respectively. The cost reduction in the second year was largely accounted for by a decrease of inpatient hospitalisation, leading to a hospital cost reduction of 519 Euro (95%-CI 377 Euro to 904 Euro compared to the

Posterior Mandibular Residual Ridge Resorption in Patients with Overdentures Supported by Two or Four Endosseous Implants in a 10-year Prospective Comparative Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Marjolein H. M.; Wright, Paul S.; Meijer, Henny J. A.; Tymstra, Nynke

2010-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment with either two or four mandibular endosseous implants with an overdenture on mandibular posterior residual ridge resorption over a 10 year period Materials and Methods Sixty edentulous patients with residual mandibular height

Influence of Age on Clinical Performance of Mandibular Two-Implant Overdentures : A 10-Year Prospective Comparative Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeksema, Arie R.; Visser, Anita; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J. A.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective comparative study was to assess whether age has influence on peri-implant health in patients treated with mandibular two-implant overdentures during a 10-year evaluation period. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was carried out with two groups of

Report on the green paper on energy. Four years of European initiatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

In December 2000, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper on European Union energy policy. This brochure takes stock of the action undertaken in the following areas over the last four years:managing demand, diversifying internal energy sources,developing the internal energy market and the security of external supply. It presents: the Green Paper stakes, the progress made, the four political challenges, managing demand, diversifying European sources, the streamlined internal energy market, controlling external supply, future prospects for the Union, legislative developments and ten possibilities for economical energy use. (A.L.B.)

Report on the green paper on energy. Four years of European initiatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

In December 2000, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper on European Union energy policy. This brochure takes stock of the action undertaken in the following areas over the last four years:managing demand, diversifying internal energy sources,developing the internal energy market and the security of external supply. It presents: the Green Paper stakes, the progress made, the four political challenges, managing demand, diversifying European sources, the streamlined internal energy market, controlling external supply, future prospects for the Union, legislative developments and ten possibilities for economical energy use. (A.L.B.)

Incidence rate of falls and its risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to controls: Four years of the TOMORROW study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamoto, Kenji; Inui, Kentaro; Okano, Tadashi; Sugioka, Yuko; Tada, Masahiro; Koike, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Hiroaki

2017-01-01

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been recognized to experience falls frequently due to functional disabilities. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate factors influencing falls in patients with RA compared to controls. We compared the frequency of falls in 208 RA patients and 205 age- and sex-matched volunteers for four years and analyzed risk factors for falls in RA patients using multivariate regression analysis. No significant difference in the incidence rate of falls (/person-year) between patients with RA (median [interquartile range]: 0 [0, 0.5]) and controls (0 [0, 0.5]) was evident during four years. Logistic regression analysis identified age, sex, body mass index, history of falls, and lower limb implant at baseline as significant risk factors for falls. The highest quartile of anti-CCP antibody level (>300.6 U/ml) was the strongest predictor for multiple falls (odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-7.91, p = 0.029) among RA patients. During four years we could not observe the higher incidence rate of falls in RA patients compared to controls in our cohort. Subjects with a higher titer of anti-CCP antibody might be at higher risk of frequent falls among RA patients.

Can Australian radiographers assess screening mammograms accurately? Biennial follow-up from a four year prospective study and lesion analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, S.; Warren-Forward, H.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Globally, the role of the radiographer is changing; some countries have developed advanced roles with specific scopes of practice. Other countries, like Australia, are in the process of this change. This paper demonstrates the abilities of Australian radiographers in mammogram screen reading, highlighting some of their specific difficulties with different lesion types. Method: Six experienced radiographers participated in a prospective study, screen reading 2000 mammograms each between 2010 and 2011. This paper looks at the results of those same women at biennial re-screen. Analysis of the results included validation of normal results by negative follow-up screens and new cancers at biennial review; there is also analysis on the types of lesions detected and missed. Results: After biennial review, three cancers in 2013/2014 had been marked as abnormal by one radiographer two years prior, which increased her sensitivity from 64% to 85%. Sensitivity for the radiologists decreased from the assumed 100% to 95%. Radiographers appeared to be skilled in detection of calcifications and architectural distortions but had difficulty with non-specific densities. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential for Australian radiographers to enhance the accuracy of screen reading programs. - Highlights: • Radiographers have the potential to increase breast cancer detection rates. • Radiographers appear to be skilled at detecting calcifications. • Lesions commonly overlooked by radiographers could be targeted for training.

Describing medical student curiosity across a four year curriculum: An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternszus, Robert; Saroyan, Alenoush; Steinert, Yvonne

2017-04-01

Intellectual curiosity can be defined as a desire for knowledge that leads to exploratory behavior and consists of an inherent and stable trait (i.e. trait curiosity) and a variable context-dependent state (i.e. state curiosity). Although intellectual curiosity has been considered an important aspect of medical education and practice, its relationship to medical education has not been empirically investigated. The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe medical students' intellectual curiosity across a four-year undergraduate program. We employed a cross-sectional design in which medical students, across a four-year undergraduate program at McGill University, completed the Melbourne Curiosity Inventory as a measure of their state and trait intellectual curiosity. A Mixed Models ANOVA was used to compare students across year of training. Four hundred and two out of 751 students completed the inventory (53.5%). Trait curiosity was significantly higher than state curiosity (M = 64.5, SD = 8.5 versus M = 58.5, SD = 11.6) overall, and within each year of training. This study is the first to describe state and trait intellectual curiosity in undergraduate medical education. Findings suggest that medical students' state curiosity may not be optimally supported and highlight avenues for further research.

Injury incidence in a Spanish sub-elite professional football team: A prospective study during four consecutive seasons

OpenAIRE

Mallo Sainz, Javier; González Frutos, Pablo; Veiga Fernandez, Santiago; Navarro Cabello, Enrique

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the injury incidence and injury characteristics of a Spanish sub-elite professional football team during four consecutive seasons. A team was followed prospectively from the season 2003-2004 to 2006-2007 and individual player exposure and time loss injuries were recorded during all club training sessions and matches. A total of 313 time-loss injuries were recorded. The mean injury incidence was 10.9 injuries/1000 hours (5.2 injuries/1000 training hours...

Factors determining social participation in the first year after kidney transplantation : A prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Mei, Siirike F.; van Son, Willem J.; van Sonderen, Eric L. P.; de Jong, Paul E.; Groothoff, Johan W.; van den Heuvel, Wim J. A.

2007-01-01

Background. This study describes changes in social participation in the first year after kidney transplantation and examines the influence of clinical factors, health status, transplantation-related symptoms, and psychological characteristics on change in social participation. Methods. A prospective

Workplace bullying and sickness presenteeism: cross-sectional and prospective associations in a 2-year follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, Paul Maurice; Clausen, Thomas; Hansen, Åse Marie; Hogh, Annie

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate exposure to workplace bullying as a potential risk factor for sickness presenteeism (SP), i.e. working while ill. This study is based on data collected through self-reported questionnaires in a 2-year prospective study on employees in Denmark. At baseline, 3363 employees (45.7 % response rate) answered to a questionnaire on their psychosocial work environment and health status. After 2 years, 1664 of the respondents also completed a follow-up questionnaire (49.5 % of the total baseline respondents). After excluding participants with missing values, the final samples were composed of 2865 and 1331 participants in the cross-sectional and prospective analyses, respectively. Modified poisson regression analyses showed that frequent (i.e. daily or weekly) exposure to workplace bullying was associated with reporting 8 or more days of SP in the preceding year in both the cross-sectional and the prospective analysis, also when controlling for several confounders including health-related variables. However, the prospective relationship became non-significant after adjustment for baseline SP. This study provides indications of a significant relationship between exposure to frequent workplace bullying and SP, although causal connections could not be established. Methodological and theoretical considerations about study findings are provided, which could be of benefit to future studies examining the impact of being a target of workplace bullying on SP.

Cause of Sudden Cardiac Deaths on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Rao

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. Methods: The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. Results: A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127, followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58. Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78 was within few hours (6 hours after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8% cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6% cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD, and in 18 (51.5% cases in the right coronary artery (RCA. The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86% and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%. most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2% followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%. Conclusion: Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1. 

Reciprocal relations between body satisfaction and self-esteem: A large 13-year prospective study of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Wichstrøm, Lars; von Soest, Tilmann

2016-02-01

Previous research has demonstrated that body satisfaction and self-esteem are highly correlated in adolescence, but reasons are poorly understood. We tested three explanations: (i) the two constructs are actually one; (ii) the correlation is explained by a third factor; (iii) there are prospective relationships between body satisfaction and self-esteem. A population based sample of Norwegian adolescents (n = 3251) was examined four times over a 13-year period. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that body satisfaction and self-esteem were separate constructs and the correlation between them was not attenuated when adjusting for 3rd variables. Autoregressive cross-lagged analysis showed reciprocal relations between body satisfaction and self-esteem. The prospective relationship between body satisfaction during adolescence and self-esteem in late adolescence and emerging adulthood was stronger than at later stages. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A 5 year prospective study of patient-relevant outcomes after total knee replacement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nilsdotter, A-K; Toksvig-Larsen, S; Roos, E M

2008-01-01

men, mean age 71 (51-86) assigned for TKR at the Department of Orthopaedics at Lund University Hospital were included in the study. The self-administered questionnaires Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and SF-36 were mailed preoperatively and 6 months, 12 months and at 5 years......OBJECTIVE: To prospectively describe self-reported outcomes up to 5 years after total knee replacement (TKR) in Osteoarthritis (OA) and to study which patient-relevant factors may predict outcomes for pain and physical function (PF). METHODS: 102 consecutive patients with knee OA, 63 women and 39...... postoperatively. RESULTS: Response rate at 5 years was 86%. At 6 months significant improvement was seen in all KOOS and SF-36 scores (P

Relationship transitions and change in health behavior: A four-phase, twelve-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Josefsson, Kim; Elovainio, Marko; Stenholm, Sari; Kawachi, Ichiro; Kauppi, Maarit; Aalto, Ville; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi

2018-03-19

Extensive scientific evidence shows an association between involvement in social relationships and healthy lifestyle. Prospective studies with many participants and long follow-ups are needed to study the dynamics and change in social factors within individuals over time. Our aim was to determine whether a change in relationship status (single, married, divorced, widow, cohabiting) is followed by a change in health behavior (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body mass index). We used data from 81,925 healthy adults participating in the prospective longitudinal Finnish Public Sector Study in the period 2000-2013. We analyzed 327,700 person-observations from four data collection phases. Missing data were multiply imputed. A within-individual methodology was used to minimize the possibility of selection effects affecting the interpretation. All four health behaviors showed associations with relationship status. The effects were very similar and in the same direction in women and men, although there were gender differences in the magnitudes of the effects. The end of a relationship was followed by a decrease in body mass index, increased odds of being a smoker, increase in physical activity, and increase in alcohol consumption (widowed men). The effects were reverse when forming a new relationship. A change in relationship status is associated with a change in health behavior. The association is not explained by socioeconomic status, subjective health status, or anxiety level. People leaving or losing a relationship are at increased risk of unhealthy behavior (smoking and alcohol consumption), but at the same time they have a lower BMI and show higher physical activity compared to the time they were in a relationship. It is not clear if the cumulative health effect of these health behavior changes is positive or negative. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Four-year prospective study of STAPH-IDENT system and conventional method for reference identification of Staphylococcus, Stomatococcus, and Micrococcus spp..

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoden, D L; Miller, J M

1995-01-01

A 4-year prospective study compared the accuracy of the STAPH-IDENT system (bioMérieux Vitek, Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) with that of the reference procedure of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the identification of Staphylococcus species, Stomatococcus mucilaginosus, and Micrococcus species. The study compared the results from 1,106 cultures (500 eye cultures, 217 strains submitted for reference identification, and 389 known stock strains) representing 21 species of the family Micrococcaceae. The overall agreement of genus and species identifications was 81.1%. The percent agreement for the five most common clinical isolates was as follows: Staphylococcus epidermidis, 97.1% (517 isolates); Staphylococcus hominis, 82.5% (57 isolates); Staphylococcus aureus, 77.2% (162 isolates); Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 75.8% (61 isolates); and Staphylococcus warneri, 64.1% (39 isolates). The lowest percent agreement was with Staphylococcus cohnii (11.1%; (9 isolates). Of the 217 isolates sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for identification, 60.4% (131) were correctly identified by the STAPH-IDENT system. Of these, S. epidermidis accounted for 23.9%, S. aureus accounted for 15.6%, S. warneri accounted for 6.9%, Staphylococcus lugdunensis accounted for 6.5%, S. haemolyticus accounted for 5.5%, and S. hominis accounted for 4.1%. The STAPH-IDENT system did not perform adequately when dealing with commonly encountered organisms and is unsuitable for identifying uncommon isolates. PMID:7699074

Mandibular Overdentures Supported by 6-mm Dental Implants : A 1-Year Prospective Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulje, Felix; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Ter Meulen, Jan-Willem P.; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J. A.; Guljé, Felix

Background: The extremely resorbed edentulous mandible, with a bone height of 8 mm or less, is still a challenge in implant dentistry. Recently, dental implants of 6 mm in length have been developed. Purpose: The purpose of this 1-year prospective cohort study was to evaluate treatment outcome of

Esomeprazole use is independently associated with significant reduction of BMD: 1-year prospective comparative safety study of four proton pump inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahtiri, Elton; Islami, Hilmi; Hoxha, Rexhep; Qorraj-Bytyqi, Hasime; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Hoti, Kreshnik; Thaçi, Kujtim; Thaçi, Shpetim; Karakulak, Çağla

2016-09-01

Because of the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), their the use is increasing dramatically. The risk of adverse effects of short-term PPI therapy is low, but there are important safety concerns for potential adverse effects of prolonged PPI therapy. Findings from studies assessing the association between PPI use and bone mineral density (BMD) and/or fracture risk are contradictory. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess potential association of PPI treatment with the 12-month change in BMD of the lumbar spine, femur neck, and total hip. The study was performed in 200 PPI users and 50 PPI nonusers. Lumbar spine (L1-L4), femur neck, and total hip BMD were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the baseline and at 12 months. A total of 209 subjects completed the entire 12 months of the study and were included in the final analysis. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that at 12 months PPI use was associated with statistically significant reductions in femur neck and total hip T scores (Z = -2.764, p = 0.005 and Z = -3.281, p = 0.001, respectively). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that only esomeprazole added significantly to the prediction of total lumbar spine and femur neck T scores (p = 0.048 and p = 0.037, respectively). Compared with the baseline, 12 months of PPI treatment resulted in lower femur neck and total hip BMD T scores. Among the four PPIs studied, esomeprazole was independently associated with significant reduction of BMD, whereas omeprazole had no effects on BMD. Considering the widespread use of PPIs, BMD screening should be considered in the case of prolonged PPI use.

[Acute myocardial infarction in Djibouti: 2-year prospective study].

Science.gov (United States)

Maurin, O; Massoure, P L; de Regloix, S; Topin, F; Sbardella, F; Lamblin, G; Kaiser, E

2012-01-01

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a life-threatening emergency. In Africa, the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is leading to an epidemiological transition. No data have yet been reported about AMI in Djibouti. This study prospectively included all patients with acute coronary syndrome and persistent ST segment elevation admitted to the emergency department of Bouffard Military Hospital in Djibouti from January 2009 through December 2010. It analyzed their clinical data and management. The study included 35 patients. Their mean age was 52 ± 11 years [range: 29-76]. The sex ratio was 7.7 (men/women). Cardiovascular risk factors were: hypercholesterolemia (83%), tobacco use (60%), khat chewing (57%), diabetes (49%), hypertension (46%), and heredity (20%). AMI was anterior in 40% of cases. Fifteen patients (43%) arrived within 12 hours after the onset of symptoms (average 5 hours); thrombolysis was successful for 11 of them (73%). Seven patients (20%) died over the entire follow-up (11.3 ± 9 months), 5 within the first month. Mortality was significantly associated with diabetes (pDjibouti are 10 to 15 years younger than in Western countries. Their high level of cardiovascular risk is remarkable. Khat use did not significantly affect prognosis. The high mortality rate was similar to rates reported before the percutaneous coronary angioplasty era.

A cause of Sudden Cardiac Deaths on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Dinesh; Sood, Divya; Pathak, P; Dongre, Sudhir D

2014-01-01

Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127), followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58). Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78) was within few hours (6 hours) after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8%) cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6%) cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and in 18 (51.5%) cases in the right coronary artery (RCA). The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86%) and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%). most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2%) followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%). Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1.

Suicide in India: a four year retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanty, Sachidananda; Sahu, Geeta; Mohanty, Manoj Kumar; Patnaik, Manju

2007-05-01

Suicide is one of the ten leading causes of death in the world, accounting for more than a million deaths annually. The purpose of the study was to identify the risk groups. In the four-year period from January 2000 to December 2003, 588 suicide victims were autopsied. Information was obtained by interviewing the acquaintances of the victim, perusal of hospital records and the autopsy findings. All the cases were analyzed as to sex, age, and methods of suicide, seasonal variation, diurnal variation and other sociological aspects. The present study depicts a suicidal rate of 11.76 per 100,000 population. Males and females were almost equally the sufferers. The largest number of victims were found in the age group of 21-30 years. Hanging and poisoning constituted the two major modes of suicides (63%). Majority of the victims were mentally sound, married and were from rural background. Victims were mostly drawn from low socioeconomic status (48%). Less educated or illiterates were usually the victims. Suicidal note was detected in 5% of cases. Suicidal tendency and alcohol intake could not be encountered in most of the cases. Indoor incidence was almost double of the outdoor incidence, mostly seen in rainy season (43%) and occurred almost equally during day and night. Financial burden (37%) and marital disharmony (35%) were the principal reasons for the suicide.

Predicting Reading and Spelling Disorders: A 4-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bigozzi, Lucia; Tarchi, Christian; Caudek, Corrado; Pinto, Giuliana

2016-01-01

In this 4-year prospective cohort study, children with a reading and spelling disorder, children with a spelling impairment, and children without a reading and/or spelling disorder (control group) in a transparent orthography were identified in third grade, and their emergent literacy performances in kindergarten compared retrospectively. Six hundred and forty-two Italian children participated. This cohort was followed from the last year of kindergarten to third grade. In kindergarten, the children were assessed in phonological awareness, conceptual knowledge of writing systems and textual competence. In third grade, 18 children with a reading and spelling impairment and 13 children with a spelling impairment were identified. Overall, conceptual knowledge of the writing system was the only statistically significant predictor of the clinical samples. No differences were found between the two clinical samples.

Prospective SAH Study in Japan, 2005(Prospective SAH Study)

OpenAIRE

塩川, 芳昭; 栗田, 浩樹; 藤井, 清孝; Yoshiaki, SHIOKAWA; Hiroki, KURITA; Kiyotaka, FUJII; 杏林大学脳神経外科; 杏林大学脳神経外科; 北里大学脳神経外科; Department of Neurosurgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine; Department of Neurosurgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine

2009-01-01

To clarify current treatment status of ruptured cerebral aneurysms in Japan, a prospective multicenter observational study on the treatment results for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was conducted over calendar year 2005 and final 1-year outcomes were collected. Studied centers were selected from among institutes of committee member of Japanese stroke surgery organization or symposium of vasospasm in Japan. A total of 927 patients were enrolled in this study and treatment policies were le...

Postural changes in dental hygienists. Four-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, R M; Woodall, W R; Mahan, J M

1992-01-01

Numerous surveys identify the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints as a concern in dentistry. However, no longitudinal data exist to indicate whether postural changes occur as a result of practicing dental hygiene. The purpose of this preliminary, four-year longitudinal study was to investigate whether any postural changes developed during the hygienists' clinical education and/or during subsequent dental hygiene practice after one and/or two years. It was anticipated that the awkward positions and intense physical demands placed on hygienists might initiate musculoskeletal problems, but that no postural changes would occur over this short period of time. Nine of 10 dental hygienists in the graduating class of 1987 were surveyed for existing musculoskeletal complaints, and the subjects were photographed for a measurement of postural change. Responses from participants indicated an increase in musculoskeletal-related complaints in each of the six areas investigated. The photographic findings indicated that one of the nine hygienists showed an increase in forward head posture, a postural change.

Love Death-A Retrospective and Prospective Follow-Up Mortality Study Over 45 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Lena; Zedler, Barbara; Verhoff, Marcel A; Parzeller, Markus

2017-10-01

Although sexual activity can cause moderate stress, it can cause natural death in individuals with pre-existing illness. The aim of this study was to identify additional pre-existing health problems, sexual practices, and potential circumstances that may trigger fatal events. This medicolegal postmortem, retrospective, and prospective study is based on data of autopsies performed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University hospital, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Identification of pre-existing health problems, sexual practices, and potential circumstances than could trigger fatal events. From 1972 to 2016 (45 years) approximately 38,000 medicolegal autopsies were performed, of which 99 cases of natural death were connected to sexual activities (0.26%). Except for eight women, men represented most cases. The women's mean age was 45 years (median = 45) and the men's mean age was 57.2 years (median = 57). Causes of death were coronary heart disease (n = 28), myocardial infarction (n = 21) and reinfarction (n = 17), cerebral hemorrhage (n = 12), rupture of aortic aneurysms (n = 8), cardiomyopathy (n = 8), acute heart failure (n = 2), sudden cardiac arrest (n = 1), myocarditis (n = 1), and a combination of post myocardial infarction and cocaine intoxication (n = 1). Most cases showed increased heart weights and body mass indices. Death occurred mainly during the summer and spring and in the home of the deceased. If sexual partners were identified, 34 men died during or after sexual contact with a female prostitute, two cases at least two female prostitutes. Nine men died during or after sexual intercourse with their wife, in seven cases the sexual partner was a mistress, and in four cases the life partner. Five men died during homosexual contacts. Based on the situation 30 men were found in, death occurred during masturbation. Of the women, five died during intercourse with the life partner, two died during intercourse with a lover or

Prospect of future housing and risk of psychological distress at 1 year after an earthquake disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakaya, Naoki; Nakamura, Tomohiro; Tsuchiya, Naho; Narita, Akira; Tsuji, Ichiro; Hozawa, Atsushi; Tomita, Hiroaki

2016-04-01

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, many of the affected have been forced to live in temporary housing or at a relative's house. Special attention needs to be paid to the negative health impacts resulting from such changes in living conditions. This study examined the association between future housing prospects and the risk of psychological distress 1 year after the earthquake. In 2012, a questionnaire was completed by a cross-sectional study of people aged 20 years or older living in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi, northeastern Japan, an area that had been severely inundated by the tsunami. Future housing prospects post-earthquake were classified into four categories: already settled in permanent housing, moving to new housing, under consideration, or unable to make any plans. Psychological distress was evaluated using the Kessler 6 scale, defined as ≥5 points out of 24. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding factors. Of the 3614 individuals studied, subjects whose future housing was under consideration (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-2.7, P prospects were under consideration and those who were unable to make any future housing plans were at a higher risk of psychological distress 1 year after the earthquake disaster. © 2015 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2015 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

A one-year prospective study of refractory status epilepticus in Modena, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Giovannini, Giada; Monti, Giulia; Polisi, Michela M; Mirandola, Laura; Marudi, Andrea; Pinelli, Giovanni; Valzania, Franco; Girardis, Massimo; Nichelli, Paolo F; Meletti, Stefano

2015-08-01

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a particular critical condition characterized by seizures that continue despite the use of first- and second-line therapies and by high mortality. To date, only one prospective study investigated clinical features and prognostic factors in RSE. In this study, we performed a one-year prospective survey to identify clinical features, outcomes, and variables associated with the development of RSE in the adolescent and adult population of Modena, northern Italy. We observed 83 episodes of SE in 83 patients. In 31% of the cases, third-line therapy (anesthetic drug) was needed. Among this group, 14% resolved and were classified as RSE, while, in 17%, seizures recurred at withdrawal of anesthetics and were classified as super-RSE. The development of RSE/super-RSE was associated with a stuporous/comatose state at presentation and with the absence of a previous history of epilepsy. Refractory status epilepticus/super-refractory status epilepticus showed a worse outcome compared with responsive SE: 54% versus 21% for 30-day mortality; 19% versus 56% for a return to baseline condition. This prospective study confirms stupor/coma at onset as a relevant clinical factor associated with SE refractoriness. We observed a rate of RSE comparable with previous reports, with high mortality and morbidity. Mortality in the observed RSE was higher than in previous studies; this result is probably related to the low rate of a previous epilepsy history in our population that reflects a high incidence of acute symptomatic etiologies, especially the inclusion of patients with postanoxic SE who have a bad prognosis per se. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The HAPPY study (Holistic Approach to Pregnancy and the first Postpartum Year): design of a large prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Truijens, Sophie E M; Meems, Margreet; Kuppens, Simone M I; Broeren, Maarten A C; Nabbe, Karin C A M; Wijnen, Hennie A; Oei, S Guid; van Son, Maarten J M; Pop, Victor J M

2014-09-08

The HAPPY study is a large prospective longitudinal cohort study in which pregnant women (N ≈ 2,500) are followed during the entire pregnancy and the whole first year postpartum. The study collects a substantial amount of psychological and physiological data investigating all kinds of determinants that might interfere with general well-being during pregnancy and postpartum, with special attention to the effect of maternal mood, pregnancy-related somatic symptoms (including nausea and vomiting (NVP) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms), thyroid function, and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on pregnancy outcome of mother and foetus. During pregnancy, participants receive questionnaires at 12, 22 and 32 weeks of gestation. Apart from a previous obstetric history, demographic features, distress symptoms, and pregnancy-related somatic symptoms are assessed. Furthermore, obstetrical data of the obstetric record form and ultrasound data are collected during pregnancy. At 12 and 30 weeks, thyroid function is assessed by blood analysis of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), as well as HCG. Also, depression is assessed with special focus on the two key symptoms: depressed mood and anhedonia. After childbirth, cord blood, neonatal heel screening results and all obstetrical data with regard to start of labour, mode of delivery and complications are collected. Moreover, mothers receive questionnaires at one week, six weeks, four, eight, and twelve months postpartum, to investigate recovery after pregnancy and delivery, including postpartum mood changes, emotional distress, feeding and development of the newborn. The key strength of this large prospective cohort study is the holistic (multifactorial) approach on perinatal well-being combined with a longitudinal design with measurements during all trimesters of pregnancy and the whole first year postpartum, taking into account two physiological possible

Body-mass index and all-cause mortality: individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies in four continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Global BMI Mortality Collaboration; Di Angelantonio, Emanuele; Bhupathiraju, Shilpa; Wormser, David; Gao, Pei; Kaptoge, Stephen; Berrington de Gonzalez, Amy; Cairns, Benjamin; Huxley, Rachel; Jackson, Chandra; Joshy, Grace; Lewington, Sarah; Manson, JoAnn; Murphy, Neil; Patel, Alpa; Samet, Jonathan; Woodward, Mark; Zheng, Wei; Zhou, Maigen; Bansal, Narinder; Barricarte, Aurelio; Carter, Brian; Cerhan, James; Smith, George; Fang, Xianghua; Franco, Oscar; Green, Jane; Halsey, Jim; Hildebrand, Janet; Jung, Keum; Korda, Rosemary; McLerran, Dale; Moore, Steven; O'Keeffe, Linda; Paige, Ellie; Ramond, Anna; Reeves, Gillian; Rolland, Betsy; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Sattar, Naveed; Sofianopoulou, Eleni; Stevens, June; Thun, Michael; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Yang, Ling; Yun, Young; Willeit, Peter; Banks, Emily; Beral, Valerie; Chen, Zhengming; Gapstur, Susan; Gunter, Marc; Hartge, Patricia; Jee, Sun; Lam, Tai-Hing; Peto, Richard; Potter, John; Willett, Walter; Thompson, Simon; Danesh, John; Hu, Frank

2016-08-20

Overweight and obesity are increasing worldwide. To help assess their relevance to mortality in different populations we conducted individual-participant data meta-analyses of prospective studies of body-mass index (BMI), limiting confounding and reverse causality by restricting analyses to never-smokers and excluding pre-existing disease and the first 5 years of follow-up. Of 10 625 411 participants in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, and North America from 239 prospective studies (median follow-up 13·7 years, IQR 11·4-14·7), 3 951 455 people in 189 studies were never-smokers without chronic diseases at recruitment who survived 5 years, of whom 385 879 died. The primary analyses are of these deaths, and study, age, and sex adjusted hazard ratios (HRs), relative to BMI 22·5-continents. This finding supports strategies to combat the entire spectrum of excess adiposity in many populations. UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, US National Institutes of Health. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC-BY license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Shift work schedule and night work load: Effects on body mass index - a four-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchvold, Hogne Vikanes; Pallesen, Ståle; Waage, Siri; Bjorvatn, Bjørn

2018-05-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate changes in body mass index (BMI) between different work schedules and different average number of yearly night shifts over a four-year follow-up period. Methods A prospective study of Norwegian nurses (N=2965) with different work schedules was conducted: day only, two-shift rotation (day and evening shifts), three-shift rotation (day, evening and night shifts), night only, those who changed towards night shifts, and those who changed away from schedules containing night shifts. Paired student's t-tests were used to evaluate within subgroup changes in BMI. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate between groups effects on BMI when adjusting for BMI at baseline, sex, age, marital status, children living at home, and years since graduation. The same regression model was used to evaluate the effect of average number of yearly night shifts on BMI change. Results We found that night workers [mean difference (MD) 1.30 (95% CI 0.70-1.90)], two shift workers [MD 0.48 (95% CI 0.20-0.75)], three shift workers [MD 0.46 (95% CI 0.30-0.62)], and those who changed work schedule away from [MD 0.57 (95% CI 0.17-0.84)] or towards night work [MD 0.63 (95% CI 0.20-1.05)] all had significant BMI gain (Pnight workers had significantly larger BMI gain compared to day workers [B=0.89 (95% CI 0.06-1.72), Pnight shifts and BMI change using our multiple linear regression model. Conclusions After adjusting for possible confounders, we found that BMI increased significantly more among night workers compared to day workers.

A risk profile for identifying community-dwelling elderly with a highrisk of recurrent falling: results of a 3-year prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pluym, S.M.F.; Smit, J.H.; Tromp, A.M.; Stel, V.S.; Deeg, D.J.H.; Bouter, L.M.; Lips, P.T.A.M.

2007-01-01

Introduction: The aim of the prospective study reported here was to develop a risk profile that can be used to identify community-dwelling elderly at a high risk of recurrent falling. Materials and methods: The study was designed as a 3-year prospective cohort study. A total of 1365

Predicting remembering and forgetting of autobiographical memories in children and adults: a 4-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Patricia J; Larkina, Marina

2016-11-01

Preservation and loss to forgetting of autobiographical memories is a focus in both the adult and developmental literatures. In both, there are comparative arguments regarding rates of forgetting. Children are assumed to forget autobiographical memories more rapidly than adults, and younger children are assumed to forget more rapidly than older children. Yet few studies can directly inform these comparisons: few feature children and adults, and few prospectively track the survival of specific autobiographical memories over time. In a 4-year prospective study, we obtained autobiographical memories from children 4, 6, and 8 years, and adults. We tested recall of different subsets of the events after 1, 2, and 3 years. Accelerated rates of forgetting were apparent among all child groups relative to adults; within the child groups, 4- and 6-year-olds had accelerated forgetting relative to 8-year-olds. The differences were especially pronounced in open-ended recall. The thematic coherence of initial memory reports also was a significant predictor of the survival of specific memories. The pattern of findings is consistent with suggestions that the adult distribution of autobiographical memories is achieved as the quality of memory traces increases (here measured by thematic coherence) and the rate of forgetting decreases.

Predicting remembering and forgetting of autobiographical memories in children and adults: A 4-year prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Patricia J.; Larkina, Marina

2015-01-01

Preservation and loss to forgetting of autobiographical memories is a focus in both the adult and developmental literatures. In both, there are comparative arguments regarding rates of forgetting. Children are assumed to forget autobiographical memories more rapidly than adults, and younger children are assumed to forget more rapidly than older children. Yet few studies can directly inform these comparisons: few feature children and adults, and few prospectively track the survival of specific autobiographical memories over time. In a 4-year prospective study, we obtained autobiographical memories from children 4, 6, and 8 years, and adults. We tested recall of different subsets of the events after 1, 2, and 3 years. Accelerated rates of forgetting were apparent among all child groups relative to adults; within the child groups, 4- and 6-year-olds had accelerated forgetting relative to 8-year-olds. The differences were especially pronounced in open-ended recall. The thematic coherence of initial memory reports also was a significant predictor of the survival of specific memories. The pattern of findings is consistent with suggestions that the adult distribution of autobiographical memories is achieved as the quality of memory traces increases (here measured by thematic coherence) and the rate of forgetting decreases. PMID:26566236

INJURY INCIDENCE IN A SPANISH SUB-ELITE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY DURING FOUR CONSECUTIVE SEASONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Mallo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the injury incidence and injury characteristics of a Spanish sub-elite professional football team during four consecutive seasons. A team was followed prospectively from the season 2003-2004 to 2006-2007 and individual player exposure and time loss injuries were recorded during all club training sessions and matches. A total of 313 time-loss injuries were recorded. The mean injury incidence was 10.9 injuries/1000 hours (5.2 injuries/1000 training hours and 44.1 injuries/1000 match hours. The injury incidence during competitive matches was higher (p 28 days absence was 0.4 injuries/1000 hours. The thigh was the most commonly (35% injured region and caused 29% of all competitive match absence. Muscle injuries in the four main groups of the lower limbs (hamstrings, adductors, quadriceps and calf muscles caused 43% of competitive match unavailability. The results of this study show that the risk to sustain a major injury in the course of the season was low for sub- elite footballers in comparison to elite players. Thigh strains were the first cause of absence in competition due to injury.

A 5-year prospective observational study of the outcomes of international treatment guidelines for Crohn's disease.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Cullen, Garret

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Therapeutic strategies for patients with Crohn\\'s disease are based on American and European guidelines. High rates of corticosteroid dependency and low remission rates are identified as weaknesses of this therapy and as justification for early introduction of biologic agents (top-down treatment) in moderate\\/severe Crohn\\'s disease. We reviewed outcomes and corticosteroid-dependency rates of patients with moderate-to-severe disease who were treated according to the international guidelines. METHODS: Consecutive patients (102) newly diagnosed with Crohn\\'s disease in 2000-2002 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Severity of disease was scored using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI). Disease was classified by Montreal classification. Five-year follow-up data were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients had moderate\\/severe disease at diagnosis (HBI >8). Fifty-four (75%) had nonstricturing, nonpenetrating disease (B1). Sixty-four (89%) received corticosteroids, and 44 (61%) received immunomodulators. Twenty-one patients (29%) received infliximab. Thirty-nine patients (54%) required resection surgery. At a median of 5 years, 66 of 72 (92%) patients with moderate\\/severe disease were in remission (median HBI, 1). Twenty-five patients (35%) required neither surgery nor biologic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: When international treatment guidelines are strictly followed, Crohn\\'s disease patients can achieve high rates of remission and low rates of morbidity at 5 years. Indiscriminate use of biologic agents therefore is not appropriate for all patients with moderate-to-severe disease.

Immediate occlusal loading of implants in the partially edentate mandible: a prospective 1-year radiographic and 4-year clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostman, Pär-Olov; Hellman, Mats; Sennerby, Lars

2008-01-01

The purpose of the present prospective clinical study was to evaluate the radiographic and clinical outcome of immediately loaded implants in the partial edentulous mandible over a 4-year follow-up period using a modified surgical protocol, primary implant stability criteria, and splinting for inclusion. Patients in need of implant treatment in the partial edentate mandible were consecutively included in the study. The implant sites were underprepared to obtain maximal stability. Inclusion criteria for the study were torque of a least 30 Ncm before final seating of the implant and an ISQ greater than 60. A provisional fixed partial denture was delivered within 24 hours and a definitive fixed partial denture within 3 months. The patients were monitored with clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations for up to 4 years. Stability of the implants was measured with resonance frequency analysis at placement and after 6 months. Ninety-six patients were evaluated, and 77 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included. A total of 111 fixed partial dentures supported by 257 Brånemark System implants (77 turned and 180 TiUnite implants) were delivered. Four (1.6%) of the 257 implants did not osseointegrate, giving an overall survival rate of 98.4% after 4 years. Three turned (3.9%) implants and 1 oxidized implant (0.6%) failed after 4 to 13 months. The average marginal bone resorption was 0.7 mm (SD 0.78) during the first year in function. Turned implants showed an average bone loss of 0.5 mm (SD 0.8) and oxidized implants an average of 0.7 mm (SD 0.8). Resonance frequency analysis showed a mean implant stability quotient of 72.2 (SD 7.5) at placement and 72.5 (SD 5.7) after 6 months of loading. It is concluded that immediate loading of implants with firm primary stability in partially edentulous areas of the mandible appears to be a viable procedure with predictable outcome.

Direct Costs of Very Old Persons with Subsyndromal Depression: A 5-Year Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludvigsson, Mikael; Bernfort, Lars; Marcusson, Jan; Wressle, Ewa; Milberg, Anna

2018-03-15

This study aimed to compare, over a 5-year period, the prospective direct healthcare costs and service utilization of persons with subsyndromal depression (SSD) and non-depressive persons (ND), in a population of very old persons. A second aim was to develop a model that predicts direct healthcare costs in very old persons with SSD. A prospective population-based study was undertaken on 85-year-old persons in Sweden. Depressiveness was screened with the Geriatric Depression Scale at baseline and at 1-year follow-up, and the results were classified into ND, SSD, and syndromal depression. Data on individual healthcare costs and service use from a 5-year period were derived from national database registers. Direct costs were compared between categories using Mann-Whitney U tests, and a prediction model was identified with linear regression. For persons with SSD, the direct healthcare costs per month of survival exceeded those of persons with ND by a ratio 1.45 (€634 versus €436), a difference that was significant even after controlling for somatic multimorbidity. The final regression model consisted of five independent variables predicting direct healthcare costs: male sex, activities of daily living functions, loneliness, presence of SSD, and somatic multimorbidity. SSD among very old persons is associated with increased direct healthcare costs independently of somatic multimorbidity. The associations between SSD, somatic multimorbidity, and healthcare costs in the very old need to be analyzed further in order to better guide allocation of resources in health policy. Copyright © 2018 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lung protective mechanical ventilation and two year survival in patients with acute lung injury: prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Needham, Dale M; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Mendez-Tellez, Pedro A; Dinglas, Victor D; Sevransky, Jonathan E; Dennison Himmelfarb, Cheryl R; Desai, Sanjay V; Shanholtz, Carl; Brower, Roy G; Pronovost, Peter J

2012-04-05

To evaluate the association of volume limited and pressure limited (lung protective) mechanical ventilation with two year survival in patients with acute lung injury. Prospective cohort study. 13 intensive care units at four hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 485 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients with acute lung injury. Two year survival after onset of acute lung injury. 485 patients contributed data for 6240 eligible ventilator settings, as measured twice daily (median of eight eligible ventilator settings per patient; 41% of which adhered to lung protective ventilation). Of these patients, 311 (64%) died within two years. After adjusting for the total duration of ventilation and other relevant covariates, each additional ventilator setting adherent to lung protective ventilation was associated with a 3% decrease in the risk of mortality over two years (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 0.99, P=0.002). Compared with no adherence, the estimated absolute risk reduction in two year mortality for a prototypical patient with 50% adherence to lung protective ventilation was 4.0% (0.8% to 7.2%, P=0.012) and with 100% adherence was 7.8% (1.6% to 14.0%, P=0.011). Lung protective mechanical ventilation was associated with a substantial long term survival benefit for patients with acute lung injury. Greater use of lung protective ventilation in routine clinical practice could reduce long term mortality in patients with acute lung injury. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00300248.

Trajectories of health-related quality of life after stroke : results from a one-year prospective cohort study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Mierlo, Maria; van Heugten, Caroline; Post, Marcel W M; Hoekstra, Trynke; Visser-Meily, Anne

2018-01-01

PURPOSE: To identify trajectories of physical and psychosocial health-related quality of life (HRQoL) from two months to one-year post stroke and to determine the factors that are associated with trajectory membership. METHOD: Multicenter prospective cohort study in which 351 stroke patients were

Four years of DNA barcoding: current advances and prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Frézal, Lise; Leblois, Raphael

2008-09-01

Research using cytochrome c oxidase barcoding techniques on zoological specimens was initiated by Hebert et al. [Hebert, P.D.N., Ratnasingham, S., deWaard, J.R., 2003. Barcoding animal life: cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 divergences among closely related species. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 270, S96-S99]. By March 2004, the Consortium for the Barcode of Life started to promote the use of a standardized DNA barcoding approach, consisting of identifying a specimen as belonging to a certain animal species based on a single universal marker: the DNA barcode sequence. Over the last 4 years, this approach has become increasingly popular and advances as well as limitations have clearly emerged as increasing amounts of organisms have been studied. Our purpose is to briefly expose DNA Barcode of Life principles, pros and cons, relevance and universality. The initially proposed Barcode of life framework has greatly evolved, giving rise to a flexible description of DNA barcoding and a larger range of applications.

Impact of early adolescent externalizing problem behaviors on identity development in middle to late adolescence: a prospective 7-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Crocetti, Elisabetta; Klimstra, Theo A; Hale, William W; Koot, Hans M; Meeus, Wim

2013-11-01

Adolescents at-risk for problem behaviors can have more difficulties in developing a firm sense of personal identity. Hence the purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to scrutinize how externalizing problems in early adolescence impact identity development in middle to late adolescence. Participants were 443 (43.12% female) Dutch adolescents. Teachers rated their externalizing problem behaviors when participants were 11 or 12 years old and their identity formation was studied during five consecutive years (from 14 to 18 years of age). The sample was divided into four groups: boys and girls with a high versus a low-risk for externalizing problem behaviors. Participants completed a self-report measure of identity commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment. Multi-group Latent Growth Curve and profile stability analyses were used to evaluate identity development across adolescence. Findings indicated that high-risk boys and girls reported a less structured identity, with lower levels of commitment and higher levels of reconsideration of commitment. Since externalizing problems behaviors and lack of a coherent sense of identity might reinforce each other, early intervention for high-risk adolescents might foster positive youth development.

Schizophrenia and quality of life: a one-year follow-up in four EU countries.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: This article systematically monitors the quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia from seven different sites across four European countries: France, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. METHODS: A one-year prospective cohort study was carried out. Inclusion criteria for patients were: a clinical lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 (F20) diagnostic criteria for research, age between 18 and 65 years and at least one contact with mental health services in 1993. Data concerning QOL were recorded in seven sites from four countries: France, Portugal, Ireland and Spain, and were obtained using the Baker and Intagliata scale. At baseline, 339 patients answered the QOL questionnaire. At one-year follow-up, Spain could not participate, so only 263 patients were contacted and 219 agreed to take part. QOL was compared across centres by areas and according to a global index. QOL was correlated with presence of clinical and social problems, needs for care and interventions provided during the one-year follow-up. RESULTS: We did not find any link between gender and QOL. There were some significant differences between centres concerning many items. What is more, these differences were relative: in Lisbon where the lowest level of satisfaction was recorded, people were satisfied with food but highly dissatisfied with finances, whereas in St Etienne, where the highest level of satisfaction was recorded, people were less satisfied with food when they were more satisfied with finances. The evolution in one year among those respondents who took part in the follow-up (excluding the subjects from Granada) showed different patterns depending on the items. CONCLUSION: The four countries have different resources and patients live in rather different conditions. However, the main differences as far as their QOL is concerned very much depend on extra-psychiatric variables, principally marital status and income.

Prospective outcomes of injury study.

Science.gov (United States)

Derrett, S; Langley, J; Hokowhitu, B; Ameratunga, S; Hansen, P; Davie, G; Wyeth, E; Lilley, R

2009-10-01

In New Zealand (NZ), 20% of adults report a disability, of which one-third is caused by injury. No prospective epidemiological studies of predictors of disability following all-cause injury among New Zealanders have been undertaken. Internationally, studies have focused on a limited range of predictors or specific injuries. Although these studies provide useful insights, applicability to NZ is limited given the importance of NZ's unique macro-social factors, such as NZ's no-fault accident compensation and rehabilitation scheme, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). (1) To quantitatively determine the injury, rehabilitation, personal, social and economic factors leading to disability outcomes following injury in NZ. (2) To qualitatively explore experiences and perceptions of injury-related outcomes in face-to-face interviews with 15 Māori and 15 other New Zealanders, 6 and 12 months after injury. Four geographical regions within NZ. Prospective cohort study with telephone interviews 1, 4 and 12 months after injury. 2500 people (including 460 Māori), aged 18-64 years, randomly selected from ACC's entitlement claims register (people likely to be off work for at least 1 week or equivalent). Telephone interviews, electronic hospital and ACC injury data. Exposures include demographic, social, economic, work-related, health status, participation and/or environmental factors. Primary: disability (including WHODAS II) and health-related quality of life (including EQ-5D). Secondary: participation (paid and unpaid activities), life satisfaction and costs. Separate regression models will be developed for each of the outcomes. Repeated measures outcomes will be modelled using general estimating equation models and generalised linear mixed models.

Effect of breastfeeding on common pediatric infections: a 5-year prospective cohort study.

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Ardiç, Cüneyt; Yavuz, Erdinç

2018-04-01

The studies conducted revealed that breastfeeding duration has a reducing effect on common infectious diseases in the children during breastfeeding period. The aim of the present study was to address the association between breastfeeding duration and common infectious diseases in the children until 5 years of age to show long-term protective effects of the breast milk. The study included 411 infants who were born in Rize (Turkey) between January 2011 and December 2011. The present prospective-cohort study lasted for 5 years and 11 interviews were conducted with each mother of the infants during this period. The infants were divided into two groups as those who were breastfed more and less than 12 months and the association between breastfeeding and infections such as acute otitis media, acute gastroenteritis, acute respiratory tract infections and acute urinary system infections was investigated. Of 270 infants 193 (71.5%) were breastfed longer than 12 months and 77 (28.5%) were breastfed less than 12 months. Infants in the first group had less acute otitis media and acute gastroenteritis (n= 77, 28.52%) when compared with the infants breastfed less than 12 months during 5-year period (p <0.05). The present study detected that breastfeeding duration longer than 12 months significantly reduces the common childhood infections such as otitis media and gastroenteritis during the first 5 years of life. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

Immediate occlusal loading of NanoTite PREVAIL implants: a prospective 1-year clinical and radiographic study.

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Ostman, Pär-Olov; Wennerberg, Ann; Albrektsson, Tomas

2010-03-01

Recently, a new implant surface texture, featuring application of nanometer-scale calcium phosphate has been shown to enhance early bone fixation and formation in preclinical studies and in human histomorphometric studies, which may be beneficial in immediate loading situations. The purpose of the present prospective clinical study was to, during 1 year, clinically and radiographically evaluate a nanometer scale surface modified implant placed for immediate loading of fixed prostheses in both maxillary and mandibular regions. Thirty-five out of 38 patients who needed implant treatment and met inclusion criteria agreed to participate in the study and were consecutively enrolled. Surgical implant placement requirements consisted of a final torque of a least 25 Ncm prior to final seating and an implant stability quotient above 55. A total of 102 NanoTite PREVAIL (NTP) implants (BIOMET 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA) (66 maxillary and 36 mandibular) were placed by one investigator, and the majority of these were placed in posterior regions (65%) and in soft bone (69%). A total of 44 prosthetic constructions were evaluated consisting of 14 single-tooth restorations, 26 fixed partial dentures, and four complete fixed restorations. All provisional constructions were delivered within 1 hour, and the final constructions placed after 4 months. Implants were monitored for clinical and radiographic outcomes at follow-up examinations scheduled for 3, 6, and 12 months. Of the 102 study implants, one implant failed. The simple cumulative survival rate value at 1 year was 99.2%. The average marginal bone resorption was 0.37 mm (SD 0.39) during the first year in function. According to the success criteria of Albrektsson and Zarb, success grade 1 was found with 93% of the implants. Although limited to the short follow-up, immediate loading of NanoTite Prevail implants seems to be a viable option in implant rehabilitation, at least when a good initial fixation is achieved.

Hemorrhagic Complications of Percutaneous Cryoablation for Renal Tumors: Results from a 7-year Prospective Study

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Kakarala, Bharat; Frangakis, Constantine E.; Rodriguez, Ron; Georgiades, Christos S.

2016-01-01

PurposeCryoablation of renal tumors is assumed to have a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications compared to other ablative modalities. Our purpose was to establish the exact risk and to identify hemorrhagic risk factors.Materials and MethodsThis IRB approved, 7-year prospective study included 261 renal cryoablations. Procedures were under conscious sedation and CT guidance. Pre- and postablation CT was obtained, and hemorrhagic complications were CTCAE tabulated. Age, gender, tumor size, histology, and probes number were tested based on averages or proportions using their exact permutation distribution. “High-risk” subgroups (those exceeding the thresholds of all variables) were tested for each variable alone, and for all combinations of variable threshold values. We compared the subgroup with the best PPV using one variable, with the subgroup with the best PPV using all variables (McNemmar test).ResultsThe hemorrhagic complication rate was 3.5 %. Four patients required transfusions, two required emergent angiograms, one required both a transfusion and angiogram, and two required bladder irrigation for outlet obstruction. Perirenal space hemorrhage was more clinically significant than elsewhere. Univariate risks were tumor size >2 cm, number of probes >2, and malignant histology (P = 0.005, 0.002, and 0.033, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that patients >55 years with malignant tumors >2 cm requiring 2 or more probes yielded the highest PPV (7.5 %).ConclusionsAlthough older patients (>55 years old) with larger (>2 cm), malignant tumors have an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications, the low PPV does not support the routine use of embolization. Percutaneous cryoablation has a 3.5 % risk of significant hemorrhage, similar to that reported for other types of renal ablative modalities.

Hemorrhagic Complications of Percutaneous Cryoablation for Renal Tumors: Results from a 7-year Prospective Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kakarala, Bharat, E-mail: bkakara1@jhmi.edu, E-mail: bharat.kakarala@gmail.com [Johns Hopkins University, Vascular and Interventional Radiology (United States); Frangakis, Constantine E., E-mail: cfrangak@jhsph.edu [Johns Hopkins University, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health (United States); Rodriguez, Ron, E-mail: rodriguezr32@uthscsa.edu [University of Texas Health Science Center, Urologic Surgery (United States); Georgiades, Christos S., E-mail: g-christos@hotmail.com [Johns Hopkins University (United States)

2016-11-15

PurposeCryoablation of renal tumors is assumed to have a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications compared to other ablative modalities. Our purpose was to establish the exact risk and to identify hemorrhagic risk factors.Materials and MethodsThis IRB approved, 7-year prospective study included 261 renal cryoablations. Procedures were under conscious sedation and CT guidance. Pre- and postablation CT was obtained, and hemorrhagic complications were CTCAE tabulated. Age, gender, tumor size, histology, and probes number were tested based on averages or proportions using their exact permutation distribution. “High-risk” subgroups (those exceeding the thresholds of all variables) were tested for each variable alone, and for all combinations of variable threshold values. We compared the subgroup with the best PPV using one variable, with the subgroup with the best PPV using all variables (McNemmar test).ResultsThe hemorrhagic complication rate was 3.5 %. Four patients required transfusions, two required emergent angiograms, one required both a transfusion and angiogram, and two required bladder irrigation for outlet obstruction. Perirenal space hemorrhage was more clinically significant than elsewhere. Univariate risks were tumor size >2 cm, number of probes >2, and malignant histology (P = 0.005, 0.002, and 0.033, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that patients >55 years with malignant tumors >2 cm requiring 2 or more probes yielded the highest PPV (7.5 %).ConclusionsAlthough older patients (>55 years old) with larger (>2 cm), malignant tumors have an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications, the low PPV does not support the routine use of embolization. Percutaneous cryoablation has a 3.5 % risk of significant hemorrhage, similar to that reported for other types of renal ablative modalities.

Four years prospective study of the maxillofacial trauma at a tertiary center in Western Nepal

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Rajib Khadka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study was conducted to find the epidemiological characteristics of maxillofacial trauma in the Western region of Nepal. Materials and Methods: All the trauma patients attending the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery in 4 years period at a tertiary center in Western Nepal were included in the study. The incidence, prevalence, age and sex distribution, etiologies and types as well as seasonal and daily variation of maxillofacial trauma were studied. Results: Maxillofacial trauma with male (71.55% predominance was seen. Road traffic accidents (RTA, 46.5% were the most common cause, and 41.65% of fracture cases due to RTA were under the influence of alcohol. Accidents were more common on the rural roads (38.9%, and majorities (43.3% were due to motorcycle accidents. They were more common on Friday (36.7% and in winter seasons (51.2%. The mandible fractures (65.85% were more common than midface fractures (53.58% and 19.44% of the fractures were combined fractures. Parasymphysis in mandible (32.16% and zygoma (39.09% in midface were the most common type of fracture. Conclusion: The increased incidence of maxillofacial trauma following RTA under the influence of alcohol noted in this study reveals the need for formulating preventive measures in the Western region of Nepal. Need to aware people to avoid drink and drive proper traffic management, prevention of carrying excessive passengers, especially on the rooftop of vehicles on the highway and disposal of out of date vehicles and timely maintenance of faulty roads is a must.

Does early-life family income influence later dental pain experience? A prospective 14-year study.

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Ghorbani, Z; Peres, M A; Liu, P; Mejia, G C; Armfield, J M; Peres, K G

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between early-life family income and dental pain experience from childhood to early adulthood. Data came from a 14-year prospective study (1991/1992-2005/2006) carried out in South Australia, which included children and adolescents aged 4-17 years (N = 9875) at baseline. The outcome was dental pain experience obtained at baseline, 14 years later in adulthood and at a middle point of time. The main explanatory variable was early-life family income collected at baseline. The prevalence of dental pain was 22.8% at baseline, 19.3% at 'middle time' and 39.3% at follow up. The proportion of people classified as 'poor' at baseline was 27.7%. Being poor early in life was significantly associated with dental pain at 14-year follow up (odds ratio = 1.45; 95% confidence interval = 1.27-1.66). Early-life relative poverty is associated with more frequent dental pain across the 14-year follow up and may be a key exposure variable for later dental conditions. © 2017 Australian Dental Association.

Three year results of the Prospective Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy (PERK study

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Waring III George

1990-01-01

Full Text Available The Prospective Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy (PERK study is a nine-center clinical trial of a standardized technique of radial keratotomy in 435 patients who had simple myopia with a preoperative refractive error between -2.00 and -8.00 diopters (D. We report results for one eye of each patient. The surgical technique consisted of eight incisions using a diamond micrometer knife with the blade length determined by intraoperative ultrasonic pachymetry and the diameter of the central clear zone determined by the preoperative refractive error. At three years after surgery, 58% of eyes had refractive error within one diopter of emmetropia; 26% were undercorrected, and 16% were overcorrected by more than one diopter. Uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 76% of eyes. The operation was more effective in eyes with a preoperative refractive error between -2.00 and -4.37 diopters. Between one and three years after surgery, the refractive error changed by 1.00 diopter or more in 12% of eyes, indicating a lack of stability in some eyes.

Feasibility of a large cohort study in sub-Saharan Africa assessed through a four-country study

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Shona Dalal

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Large prospective epidemiologic studies are vital in determining disease etiology and forming national health policy. Yet, such studies do not exist in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA notwithstanding the growing burden of chronic diseases. Objective: We explored the feasibility of establishing a large-scale multicountry prospective study at five sites in four sub-Saharan countries. Design: Based on country-specific considerations of feasibility, Nigeria enrolled health care professionals, South Africa and Tanzania enrolled teachers, and Uganda enrolled village residents at one rural and one periurban site each. All sites used a 6-month follow-up period but different approaches for data collection, namely standardized questionnaires filled out by participants or face-to-face interviews. Results: We enrolled 1415 participants from five sites (range 200–489 with a median age of 41 years. Approximately half had access to clean-burning cooking fuel and 70% to piped drinking water, yet 92% had access to a mobile phone. The prevalence of chronic diseases was 49% among 45- to 54-year-olds and was dominated by hypertension (21.7% overall – ranging from 4.5 to 31.2% across sites – and a serious injury in the past 12 months (12.4% overall. About 80% of participants indicated willingness to provide blood samples. At 6-month follow-up, 68% completed a questionnaire (45 to 96% across sites with evidence that mobile phones were particularly useful. Conclusions: Our pilot study indicates that a large-scale prospective study in SSA is feasible, and the burden of chronic disease in SSA may already be substantial necessitating urgent etiologic research and primary prevention.

Test-Enhanced Learning in Competence-Based Predoctoral Orthodontics: A Four-Year Study.

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Freda, Nicolas M; Lipp, Mitchell J

2016-03-01

Dental educators intend to promote integration of knowledge, skills, and values toward professional competence. Studies report that retrieval, in the form of testing, results in better learning with retention than traditional studying. The aim of this study was to evaluate test-enhanced experiences on demonstrations of competence in diagnosis and management of malocclusion and skeletal problems. The study participants were all third-year dental students (2011 N=88, 2012 N=74, 2013 N=91, 2014 N=85) at New York University College of Dentistry. The 2013 and 2014 groups received the test-enhanced method emphasizing formative assessments with written and dialogic delayed feedback, while the 2011 and 2012 groups received the traditional approach emphasizing lectures and classroom exercises. The students received six two-hour sessions, spaced one week apart. At the final session, a summative assessment consisting of the same four cases was administered. Students constructed a problem list, treatment objectives, and a treatment plan for each case, scored according to the same criteria. Grades were based on the number of cases without critical errors: A=0 critical errors on four cases, A-=0 critical errors on three cases, B+=0 critical errors on two cases, B=0 critical errors on one case, F=critical errors on four cases. Performance grades were categorized as high quality (B+, A-, A) and low quality (F, B). The results showed that the test-enhanced groups demonstrated statistically significant benefits at 95% confidence intervals compared to the traditional groups when comparing low- and high-quality grades. These performance trends support the continued use of the test-enhanced approach.

Trajectories of Symptoms and Impairment for Pediatric Patients with Functional Abdominal Pain: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study

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Mulvaney, Shelagh; Lambert, E. Warren; Garber, Judy; Walker, Lynn S.

2006-01-01

Objective: This prospective study characterizes trajectories of symptoms and impairment in pediatric patients with abdominal pain not associated with identifiable organic disease. Method: The Children's Somatization Inventory and the Functional Disability Inventory were administered four times over 5 years to 132 patients (6-18 years old) seen in…

The impact of vegan diet on B-12 status in healthy omnivores: five-year prospective study.

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Mądry, Edyta; Lisowska, Aleksandra; Grebowiec, Philip; Walkowiak, Jarosław

2012-04-02

There are no long-term prospective studies assessing the impact of the vegan diet on vitamin B-12 (B-12) status. Many vegans take B-12 supplements irregularly or refuse to adopt them at all, considering them to be "unnatural" products. The use of B-12 fortified food may be an alternative. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the long-term effect of a vegan diet on serum B-12 concentrations in healthy omnivore adults, comparing the influence of natural products consumption and B-12 fortified food. A five year prospective study was carried out comprising 20 omnivore healthy adult subjects, who moved to strict vegan diet for 5 years. Ten volunteers followed vegan diet based entirely on natural products, while the remaining ten subjects consumed food fortified in B-12. In all subjects serum vitamin B-12 concentration was determined before and 6, 12, 24 and 60 months after the implementation of the diet. A significant decrease (p vegan diet. However, observed changes were in fact limited to the subgroup consuming exclusively natural products (p vegan diet is associated with the risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency. B-12 fortified products might constitute a valuable alternative in vegans refusing to take vitamin supplements.

Access to Four-Year Public Colleges and Degree Completion

OpenAIRE

Joshua Goodman; Michael Hurwitz; Jonathan Smith

2015-01-01

Does access to four-year colleges affect degree completion for students who would otherwise attend two-year colleges? Admission to Georgia’s four-year public sector requires minimum SAT scores. Regression discontinuity estimates show that access to this sector increases four-year college enrollment and college quality, largely by diverting students from two-year colleges. Access substantially increases bachelor’s degree completion rates for these relatively low-skilled students. SAT retaking ...

[An overview of neurometabolic diseases in Tunisia. a 3-year prospective study].

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Kraoua, I; Benrhouma, H; Rouissi, A; Youssef-Turki, I Ben; Zouari, B; Kaabachi, N; Gouider-Khouja, N

2009-01-01

Neurometabolic diseases are a large group of genetic diseases. In our country, the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to theses diseases is rather difficult. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of neurometabolic diseases in the hospital population, to describe the problems in diagnosing these conditions and difficulties encountered during patient care. Our goal was to propose guidelines for a practical diagnostic and therapeutic approach to neurometabolic disorders in our country. We have conducted a prospective study over a 3-year period including all patients diagnosed with "metabolic disease" and followed at the Child and Adolescent Neurology Department of the National Institute of Neurology of Tunis. One hundred and thirty-six patients were included (2.4% of our patients). Mean age was 7.3 +/- 5.1 years. Mean age at onset was 4.3 years. There was a high consanguinity rate. Respiratory chain defects were the most frequently suspected diseases (16.9%), followed by lysosomal diseases (8.8%). Chromatography, initially systematically prescribed, became targeted with a higher diagnostic efficacy. Metabolic diseases diagnosed as certain, represented 22% of the studied cases. This can be explained by the insufficiency of available laboratory tests of confirmation. The prescription of specific treatment was insufficient, even for confirmed pathologies (14.7%) because of the high cost of these therapies. The diagnostic approach has to be rational, targeted, multidisciplinar and conducted within a care network. Diagnostic priority should focus on treatable neurometabolic diseases. The establishment of a systematized registry and neonatal screening for the main treatable neurometabolic diseases constitute the final objective of our work to prepare for biochemical and genetic studies.

EVERREST prospective study: a 6-year prospective study to define the clinical and biological characteristics of pregnancies affected by severe early onset fetal growth restriction.

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Spencer, Rebecca; Ambler, Gareth; Brodszki, Jana; Diemert, Anke; Figueras, Francesc; Gratacós, Eduard; Hansson, Stefan R; Hecher, Kurt; Huertas-Ceballos, Angela; Marlow, Neil; Marsál, Karel; Morsing, Eva; Peebles, Donald; Rossi, Carlo; Sebire, Neil J; Timms, John F; David, Anna L

2017-01-23

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a serious obstetric condition for which there is currently no treatment. The EVERREST Prospective Study has been designed to characterise the natural history of pregnancies affected by severe early onset FGR and establish a well phenotyped bio-bank. The findings will provide up-to-date information for clinicians and patients and inform the design and conduct of the EVERREST Clinical Trial: a phase I/IIa trial to assess the safety and efficacy of maternal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene therapy in severe early onset FGR. Data and samples from the EVERREST Prospective Study will be used to identify ultrasound and/or biochemical markers of prognosis in pregnancies with an estimated fetal weight (EFW) economic impact; psychological impact; neonatal condition, progress and complications; and infant growth and neurodevelopment to 2 years of corrected age in surviving infants. Standardised longitudinal ultrasound measurements are performed, including: fetal biometry; uterine artery, umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, and ductus venosus Doppler velocimetry; and uterine artery and umbilical vein volume blood flow. Samples of maternal blood and urine, amniotic fluid (if amniocentesis performed), placenta, umbilical cord blood, and placental bed (if caesarean delivery performed) are collected for bio-banking. An initial analysis of maternal blood samples at enrolment is planned to identify biochemical markers that are predictors for fetal or neonatal death. The findings of the EVERREST Prospective Study will support the development of a novel therapy for severe early onset FGR by describing in detail the natural history of the disease and by identifying women whose pregnancies have the poorest outcomes, in whom a therapy might be most advantageous. The findings will also enable better counselling of couples with affected pregnancies, and provide a valuable resource for future research into the causes of FGR. NCT02097667

Injury Incidence in a Spanish Sub-Elite Professional Football Team: A Prospective Study During Four Consecutive Seasons

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Mallo, Javier; González, Pablo; Veiga, Santiago; Navarro, Enrique

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the injury incidence and injury characteristics of a Spanish sub-elite professional football team during four consecutive seasons. A team was followed prospectively from the season 2003-2004 to 2006-2007 and individual player exposure and time loss injuries were recorded during all club training sessions and matches. A total of 313 time-loss injuries were recorded. The mean injury incidence was 10.9 injuries/1000 hours (5.2 injuries/1000 training hours and 44.1 injuries/1000 match hours). The injury incidence during competitive matches was higher (p 28 days absence) was 0.4 injuries/1000 hours. The thigh was the most commonly (35%) injured region and caused 29% of all competitive match absence. Muscle injuries in the four main groups of the lower limbs (hamstrings, adductors, quadriceps and calf muscles) caused 43% of competitive match unavailability. The results of this study show that the risk to sustain a major injury in the course of the season was low for sub- elite footballers in comparison to elite players. Thigh strains were the first cause of absence in competition due to injury. Key points The incidence of major injuries (absence greater than 4 weeks) was lower in a Spanish sub-elite football team than in elite European teams. The risk of sustaining an injury was 2.5 fold higher (p < 0.001) in official than in friendly matches. Lower limb muscular (hamstrings, quadriceps, hip adductors and calf muscles) and joint (knee and ankle) injuries were the main causes of match unavailability. PMID:24149566

Three-year colonoscopy surveillance after polypectomy in Korea: a Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (KASID multicenter prospective study

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Won Seok Choi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Colonoscopic surveillance is currently recommended after polypectomy owing to the risk of newly developed colonic neoplasia. However, few studies have investigated colonoscopy surveillance in Asia. This multicenter and prospective study was undertaken to assess the incidence of advanced adenoma based on baseline adenoma findings at 3 years after colonoscopic polypectomy. Methods: A total of 1,323 patients undergoing colonoscopic polypectomy were prospectively assigned to 3-year colonoscopy surveillance at 11 tertiary endoscopic centers. Relative risks for advanced adenoma after 3 years were calculated according to baseline adenoma characteristics. Results: Among 1,323 patients enrolled, 387 patients (29.3% were followed up, and the mean follow-up interval was 31.0±9.8 months. The percentage of patients with advanced adenoma on baseline colonoscopy was higher in the surveillance group compared to the non-surveillance group (34.4% vs. 25.7%. Advanced adenoma recurrence was observed in 17 patients (4.4% at follow-up. The risk of advanced adenoma recurrence was 2 times greater in patients with baseline advanced adenoma than in those with baseline non-advanced adenoma, though the difference was not statistically significant (6.8% [9/133] vs. 3.1% [8/254], P=0.09. Advanced adenoma recurrence was observed only in males and in subjects aged ≥50 years. In contrast, adenoma recurrence was observed in 187 patients (48.3% at follow-up. Male sex, older age (≥50 years, and multiple adenomas (≥3 at baseline were independent risk factors for adenoma recurrence. Conclusions: A colonoscopy surveillance interval of 3 years in patients with baseline advanced adenoma can be considered appropriate.

Thymoglobulin induction in liver transplant recipients with a tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroid immunosuppressive regimen: a five-year randomized prospective study.

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Boillot, Olivier; Seket, Belhassen; Dumortier, Jérôme; Pittau, Gabriella; Boucaud, Catherine; Bouffard, Yves; Scoazec, Jean-Yves

2009-11-01

This randomized, comparative study assessed the long-term efficacy and tolerability of thymoglobulin (TMG) induction in 93 liver transplant patients with an initial regimen of tacrolimus (Tac), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and steroids. Forty-four patients were randomly allocated to the TMG+ group, and 49 patients were randomly allocated to the TMG- group. In both groups, Tac was given orally at the initial daily dose of 0.075 mg/kg twice daily, and MMF was given at the initial daily dose of 2 g/day. Steroid withdrawal was planned at 3 months after liver transplantation. The results were evaluated with respect to acute rejection incidence, patient and graft survival, graft function, and medical complications until 5 years or death for all patients. No significant differences were found between groups for the incidence of acute rejection at 5 years (11.4% versus 14.3%), 5-year patient survival (77.3% versus 87.8%), graft function, or postoperative renal function. One patient in the TMG- group underwent retransplantation. There was no difference between groups with respect to the incidence of medical complications, excepted for a higher rate of leukopenia in the TMG+ group, during the 5-year follow-up. In conclusion, the results of this prospective randomized study suggest that the addition of TMG to a triple immunosuppressive regimen (Tac, MMF, and steroids) did not modify the incidence of acute rejection episodes or long-term survival and was responsible for increased leukopenia rates.

Successful weight maintainers among young adults-A ten-year prospective population study.

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Kärkkäinen, Ulla; Mustelin, Linda; Raevuori, Anu; Kaprio, Jaakko; Keski-Rahkonen, Anna

2018-03-07

To assess factors associated with successful weight maintenance over ten years in a prospective general population sample of young adults. Our study comprised 2452 women and 2227 men born in 1975-1979 (mean age at baseline 24 years, attrition 27.1%). Weight maintenance was defined as weight maintained within ±5% of baseline body mass index (BMI). We examined the role of various sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in successful weight maintenance. Relatively few young adults were able to maintain their weight over ten years (28.6% of women vs. 23.0% of men); net weight loss was uncommon (7.5% and 3.8%). Most participants gained weight (mean annual weight gain was 0.9 kg in women and 1.0 kg in men). Among women, exercise was associated with successful weight maintenance, but having two or more children, frequent use of sweet drinks, irregular eating, history of dieting (intentional weight loss) and low life satisfaction were associated with weight gain. Among men, higher baseline BMI and higher education were associated with successful weight maintenance, whereas irregular eating, history of dieting and smoking were associated with weight gain. Only about a quarter of young adults were able to resist weight gain. Regular eating and having no history of dieting were associated with successful weight maintenance in young women and men. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased Cardiovascular Events and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: 1 Year Prospective Single Centre Study.

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Piero Ruscitti

Full Text Available Several studies showed the close relationship between Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA and cerebro-cardiovascular events (CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis during the course of RA and we evaluated the possible role of both traditional cardiovascular (CV and disease related risk factors to predict the occurrence of new CVEs and the onset of subclinical atherosclerosis.We designed a single centre, bias-adjusted, prospective, observational study to investigate, in a homogeneous subset of RA patients, the occurrence of new onset of CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the role of traditional CV and disease-related risk factors to predict the occurrence of new CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis.We enrolled 347 RA patients prospectively followed for 12 months. An increased percentage of patients experienced CVEs, developed subclinical atherosclerosis and was affected by systemic arterial hypertension (SAH, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (MS, at the end of follow up. Our analysis showed that the insurgence of both SAH and MS, during the follow up, the older age, the CVE familiarity and the lack of clinical response, were associated with a significantly increased risk to experience CVEs and to develop subclinical atherosclerosis.Our study quantifies the increased expected risk for CVEs in a cohort of RA patients prospectively followed for 1 year. The occurrence of both new CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients may be explained by inflammatory burden as well as traditional CV risk factors.

Four European energy futures. The next 50 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruggink, J.J.C.

2005-05-01

Scenario analysis articulates our hopes and fears for the future. It should help in understanding the nature of the driving events and forces affecting the future and the uncertainties determining their potential impacts. Two major events would dramatically change the urgency and direction of energy innovation in Europe: the arrival of a global peak in oil production and the failure of global climate change policies. The first part of this essay deals with the plausibility of such driving events. On the basis of a critical look at the arguments of the oil peak doomsayers and the environmental anti-globalists it is concluded that both events are plausible and would have major consequences for energy transitions in Europe. Accordingly, the future course of European energy transitions is described in four contrasting scenarios: FIREWALLED EUROPE - Oil production peaks in the period 2010-2020. No viable post-Kyoto climate change policy emerges. The European energy sector turns back to coal and nuclear in the next 50 years; FOSSIL TRADE - Oil production follows oil demand smoothly in the period 2010-2020. No viable post-Kyoto climate change policy emerges. The European energy sector continues business as usual in the next 50 years; SUSTAINABLE TRADE - Oil production peaks in the period 2010-2020. Post-Kyoto climate policies develop effectively. The European energy sector turns to large-scale trade in renewables in the next 50 years; and FENCELESS EUROPE - Oil production follows oil demand smoothly in the period 2010-2020. Post-Kyoto climate policies develop effectively. The European energy sector diversifies strongly keeping all options open for the next 50 years. The major part of this essay concerns the storylines for these four scenarios at the global level of socio-political landscapes, at the European level of energy regime transitions and at the national level for innovation systems. As the names of the scenarios suggest the-prospects for international trade in

Maxillary Overdentures Supported by Four Splinted Direct Metal Laser Sintering Implants: A 3-Year Prospective Clinical Study

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Francesco Mangano

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Nowadays, the advancements in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS technology allow the fabrication of titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate implant survival, complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss of DMLS implants used to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures. Materials and Methods. Over a 2-year period, 120 implants were placed in the maxilla of 30 patients (18 males, 12 females to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures (ODs. Each OD was supported by 4 implants splinted by a rigid cobalt-chrome bar. At each annual follow-up session, clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed. The outcome measures were implant failure, biological and prosthetic complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss (distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone-to-implant contact, DIB. Results. The 3-year implant survival rate was 97.4% (implant-based and 92.9% (patient-based. Three implants failed. The incidence of biological complication was 3.5% (implant-based and 7.1% (patient-based. The incidence of prosthetic complication was 17.8% (patient-based. No detrimental effects on marginal bone level were evidenced. Conclusions. The use of 4 DMLS titanium implants to support bar-retained maxillary ODs seems to represent a safe and successful procedure. Long-term clinical studies on a larger sample of patients are needed to confirm these results.

Maxillary overdentures supported by four splinted direct metal laser sintering implants: a 3-year prospective clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangano, Francesco; Luongo, Fabrizia; Shibli, Jamil Awad; Anil, Sukumaran; Mangano, Carlo

2014-01-01

Purpose. Nowadays, the advancements in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technology allow the fabrication of titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate implant survival, complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss of DMLS implants used to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures. Materials and Methods. Over a 2-year period, 120 implants were placed in the maxilla of 30 patients (18 males, 12 females) to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures (ODs). Each OD was supported by 4 implants splinted by a rigid cobalt-chrome bar. At each annual follow-up session, clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed. The outcome measures were implant failure, biological and prosthetic complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss (distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone-to-implant contact, DIB). Results. The 3-year implant survival rate was 97.4% (implant-based) and 92.9% (patient-based). Three implants failed. The incidence of biological complication was 3.5% (implant-based) and 7.1% (patient-based). The incidence of prosthetic complication was 17.8% (patient-based). No detrimental effects on marginal bone level were evidenced. Conclusions. The use of 4 DMLS titanium implants to support bar-retained maxillary ODs seems to represent a safe and successful procedure. Long-term clinical studies on a larger sample of patients are needed to confirm these results.

Sarcopenia as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Deterioration in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A 1-Year Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishiguchi, Shu; Yamada, Minoru; Shirooka, Hidehiko; Nozaki, Yuma; Fukutani, Naoto; Tashiro, Yuto; Hirata, Hinako; Yamaguchi, Moe; Tasaka, Seishiro; Matsushita, Tomofumi; Matsubara, Keisuke; Tsuboyama, Tadao; Aoyama, Tomoki

2016-04-01

The purpose of this 1-year prospective study was to determine whether sarcopenia is an independent risk factor of cognitive deterioration in community-dwelling older adults. One-year prospective study. Japanese community. A total of 131 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older participated in this study. We defined sarcopenia using the diagnostic algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, and the participants were classified into the sarcopenia and normal groups according to this definition. The participants' cognitive functions were assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) during pre- and postdata collection (after 1 year). The rate of change in pre- and post-MMSE scores during the follow-up term was significantly different between the 2 groups (normal group, -0.32 ± 8.39%; sarcopenia group, -5.86 ± 5.16%; P = .002). The analysis of covariance, adjusted for demographic data and the pre-MMSE scores, showed a significant change in the MMSE scores between the normal and sarcopenia group (F = 9.30, P = .003). Furthermore, in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the cognitive function was significantly more likely to deteriorate (defined as a loss of at least 2 points of MMSE) in the sarcopenia group during the follow-up term (odds ratio: 7.86, 95% confidence interval: 1.53-40.5). Sarcopenia was identified as an independent risk factor of cognitive deterioration in community-dwelling older adults during the 1-year study period. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT HEMORRHAGE AND NONSTEROIDALANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs – A 5-YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Skok

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Adverse effects of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs are a common cause of digestive tract hemorrhage.Study aims. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the percent of patients taking NSAIDs with upper digestive tract hemorrhage.Type of study. Prospective, analytical.Patients and methods. The study includes patients in which urgent endoscopic investigations of the upper digestive tract were carried out due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1998.Results. 3366 patients were investigated: 1222 women and 2144 men; the average age of our patients was 57.5 years (SD ± 17.1, a 2–97 year span. In 2905 patients (86.3% the source of bleeding was confirmed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Among our patients 55% were aged over 60 years, 26.7% were older than 80 years. Sequelae of peptic ulcer disease were the most significant cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, in 47.7% of our patients (1387/2905. In the last week prior to bleeding, 19% of patients (552/2905 were taking regularly NSAIDs, corticosteroids, salycilates or anticoagulant therapy at least in single daily dose. The majority of patients, 94.5%, were taking NSAIDs or salycilates. Among NSAIDs they were taking most often ketoprofen, diclofenac or naproxen/ naproxen natrium, less often ibuprofen, nabumeton, etodolac or piroxicam.Conclusions. Upper digestive tract hemorrhage is a serious complication of NSAIDs medication, particularly in older patients

Source-specific workplace social support and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: A 1-year prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Inoue, Akiomi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2016-08-01

This study investigated the prospective association between source-specific workplace social support and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in workers in Japan. We conducted a 1-year prospective cohort study with 1,487 men and 533 women aged 18-65 years. Participants worked at two manufacturing worksites in Japan and were free of major illness. We used multivariable linear regression analyses to evaluate the prospective association between supervisor and coworker support at baseline, and hs-CRP levels at follow-up. We conducted the analyses separately for men and women. For women, high supervisor support at baseline was significantly associated with lower hs-CRP levels at follow-up (β = -0.109, P support at baseline was not significantly associated with hs-CRP levels at follow-up. Associations between supervisor and coworker support and hs-CRP levels were not significant for men. Supervisor support may have beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in working women. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:676-684, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adult neurobehavioral outcome of hyperbilirubinemia in full term neonates-a 30 year prospective follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hokkanen, Laura; Launes, Jyrki; Michelsson, Katarina

2014-01-01

Background. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (HB) may cause severe neurological damage, but serious consequences are effectively controlled by phototherapy and blood exchange transfusion. HB is still a serious health problem in economically compromised parts of the world. The long term outcome has been regarded favorable based on epidemiological data, but has not been confirmed in prospective follow-up studies extending to adulthood. Methods. We studied the long term consequences of HB in a prospective birth cohort of 128 HB cases and 82 controls. The cases are part of a neonatal at-risk cohort (n = 1196) that has been followed up to 30 years of age. HB cases were newborns ≥ 2500 g birth weight and ≥ 37 weeks of gestation who had bilirubin concentrations > 340 µmol/l or required blood exchange transfusion. Subjects with HB were divided into subgroups based on the presence (affected HB) or absence (unaffected HB) of diagnosed neurobehavioral disorders in childhood, and compared with healthy controls. Subjects were seen at discharge, 5, 9 and 16 years of life and parent's and teacher's assessments were recorded. At 30 years they filled a questionnaire about academic and occupational achievement, life satisfaction, somatic and psychiatric symptoms including a ADHD self-rating score. Cognitive functioning was tested using ITPA, WISC, and reading and writing tests at 9 years of life. Results. Compared to controls, the odds for a child with HB having neurobehavioral symptoms at 9 years was elevated (OR = 4.68). Forty-five per cent of the HB group were affected by cognitive abnormalities in childhood and continued to experience problems in adulthood. This was apparent in academic achievement (p mathematics. Childhood symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity (p < 0.0001) and inattention (p < 0.02) were more common in HB groups, but in adulthood the symptoms were equal. The affected HB had lower scores in parameters reflecting life satisfaction, less controlled drinking, but

Changes in Pulmonary Function During the Early Years After Inpatient Rehabilitation in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury : A Prospective Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haisma, Janneke A.; de Groot, Sonja; Hopman, Maria T.; Bergen, Michael. P.; Stam, Henk J.; Bussmann, Johannes B.; Postma, K.

Objective: To describe changes in pulmonary function (PF) during the 5 years after inpatient rehabilitation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to study potential determinants of change. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Eight rehabilitation centers with specialized SCI units.

Four years after the JCO criticality accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumita, Kenji

2003-01-01

It has been about four years since the first criticality accident in Japan. The JCO accident site was not so far from this auditorium. I have been asked to give a short review of important results from the various technical investigations on the accident that have been performed during the past four years. I will also give a short introduction to the changes that have been made in the nuclear safety regulation systems of the Japanese Government. (author)

Post-fire hydrologic response in Central Portugal. A four years study at microplot scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Diana; Malvar, Maruxa; Martins, Martinho; Machado, Ana; Nunes, João; Keizer, Jacob

2014-05-01

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon in regions with a Mediterranean-type climate. However, their present-day widespread occurrence in southern Europe is unprecedented and strongly reflects human activity such as ignition, land-use changes, land abandonment and introduction of highly flammable plantations. Besides wildfires, post-fire management practices such as plowing, terracing, clearcutting and logging should also be considered, since their occurrence is getting increasingly common. And, in a long-term period these practices seem to be executed intercalated with repeated fire occurrences in the same site, sharing the impacts together with fire in an escalated degradational effect. In this sense, the work presented here concerns four years of runoff and erosion data at microplot scale after the wildfire, comparing different land management practices that occurred before the fire. Preliminary results indicate that in four years of monitoring, runoff is constantly higher in plowed sites than in the unplowed ones, with the exception of the first year. Regarding soil losses the plowed plots present always higher sediment rates than the unplowed ones. The comparison between two unplowed sites with different land uses, indicate higher runoff and erosion risk for pine comparatively to the eucalypt ones, however the reduced soil depth in the first can have an important role in these differences. Following these facts, the aim of the present work is to answer the following research questions: i) Do these four years of observations fit with the window of disturbance model presented by Prosser and Williams (1998). or the alternative version by Wittenberg and Inbar (2009)?; ii) Does pre-fire disturbances (wildfire, land use changes and land management practices) still have repercussions after wildfire?; In what sense does four years of intensive monitoring provides that one year couldn't provide?

Peyton's four-step approach for teaching complex spinal manipulation techniques - a prospective randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gradl-Dietsch, Gertraud; Lübke, Cavan; Horst, Klemens; Simon, Melanie; Modabber, Ali; Sönmez, Tolga T; Münker, Ralf; Nebelung, Sven; Knobe, Matthias

2016-11-03

The objectives of this prospective randomized trial were to assess the impact of Peyton's four-step approach on the acquisition of complex psychomotor skills and to examine the influence of gender on learning outcomes. We randomly assigned 95 third to fifth year medical students to an intervention group which received instructions according to Peyton (PG) or a control group, which received conventional teaching (CG). Both groups attended four sessions on the principles of manual therapy and specific manipulative and diagnostic techniques for the spine. We assessed differences in theoretical knowledge (multiple choice (MC) exam) and practical skills (Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE)) with respect to type of intervention and gender. Participants took a second OSPE 6 months after completion of the course. There were no differences between groups with respect to the MC exam. Students in the PG group scored significantly higher in the OSPE. Gender had no additional impact. Results of the second OSPE showed a significant decline in competency regardless of gender and type of intervention. Peyton's approach is superior to standard instruction for teaching complex spinal manipulation skills regardless of gender. Skills retention was equally low for both techniques.

The effect of a comprehensive injury audit program on injury incidence in ballet: a 3-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Nick; Nevill, Alan M; Brooks, John H M; Koutedakis, Yiannis; Wyon, Matthew A

2013-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether an intervention with individualized conditioning program based on injury history and functional movement screening would be effective in reducing ballet injury incidence. Prospective 3-year epidemiological study. Professional ballet company and its in-house medical facility. Dancers from a professional ballet company over the 3-year study period. Participant numbers ranged from 52 to 58 (year 1: 52; year 2: 58; year 3: 53). The intervention consisted of individual conditioning programs developed using injury history and functional movement screening. Analysis was undertaken of the all dancers who were present in the company during the study period. The significance of change in injuries over a 3-year period was determined using a Poisson distribution model. To determine whether individual conditioning programs resulted in a decrease in injury incidence over the study period. The injury count reduced significantly in years 2 and 3 (P ballet. The implementation of well-structured injury surveillance programs can impact on injury incidence through its influence on intervention programs.

Long-term weight regain after gastric bypass: a 5-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Magro, Daniéla Oliveira; Geloneze, Bruno; Delfini, Regis; Pareja, Bruna Contini; Callejas, Francisco; Pareja, José Carlos

2008-06-01

A certain weight gain occurs after obesity surgery compared to the lower weight usually observed between 18 and 24 months postsurgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate weight regain in patients submitted to gastric bypass over a 5-year follow-up period. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted on 782 obese patients of both genders. Only patients with at least 2 years of surgery were included. The percentage of excess body mass index (BMI) loss at 24, 36, 48, and 60 months postsurgery was compared to the measurements obtained at 18 months after surgery. Surgical therapeutic failure was also evaluated. Percent excess BMI loss was significant up to 18 months postsurgery (p < 0.001), with a mean difference in BMI of 1.06 kg/m2 compared to 12 months postsurgery. Percent BMI loss was no longer significant after 24 months, and weight regain became significant within 48 months after surgery (p < 0.01). Among the patients who presented weight regain, a mean 8% increase was observed within 60 months compared to the lowest weight obtained at 18 months after surgery. The percentage of surgical failure was higher in the superobese group at all times studied, reaching 18.8% at 48 months after surgery. Weight regain was observed within 24 months after surgery in approximately 50% of patients. Both weight regain and surgical failure were higher in the superobese group. Studies in regard to metabolic and hormonal mechanisms underlying weight regain might elucidate the causes of this finding.

Prospective clinical study of prosthetic treatment outcome of implantretained-removable-partial-denture during 5 year-follow-ups

OpenAIRE

Mehran Bahrami; Mohammed Hussein Mahmood Alsharbaty

2017-01-01

Background IRRPD offers patients the ability to upgrade their treatment planning to implant-supported-overdentures (ISOs) or implant-supported-fixed-prostheses (ISFPs) through insertion of more implants in the future after the loss of the remaining natural teeth. Aims The purpose of this prospective-clinical-study was to evaluate the success rate and treatment outcome of IRRPD for 15 patients, during at least 5-year-follow-ups after prosthetic rehabilitation with respect to implant ...

Two-year prospective study of major depressive disorder in HIV-infected men.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, J Hampton; Heaton, Robert K; Patterson, Thomas L; Wolfson, Tanya; Deutsch, Reena; Brown, Stephen J; Summers, J; Sciolla, A; Gutierrez, R; Ellis, Ronald J; Abramson, Ian; Hesselink, John R; McCutchan, J Allen; Grant, Igor

2008-06-01

The risks and factors contributing to major depressive episodes in HIV infection remain unclear. This 2-year prospective study compared cumulative rates and predictors of a major depressive episode in HIV-infected (HIV+) men (N=297) and uninfected (HIV-) risk-group controls (N=90). By design participants at entry were without current major depression, substance dependence or major anxiety disorder. Standardized neuromedical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, life events, and psychiatric assessments (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R) were conducted semi-annually for those with AIDS, and annually for all others. Lifetime prevalence of major depression or other psychiatric disorder did not differ at baseline between HIV+ men and controls. On a two-year follow-up those with symptomatic HIV disease were significantly more likely to experience a major depressive episode than were asymptomatic HIV+ individuals and HIV-controls (pdepression. After baseline disease stage and medical variables associated with HIV infection were controlled, a lifetime history of major depression, or of lifetime psychiatric comorbidity (two or more psychiatric disorders), predicted subsequent major depressive episode (pdepressive episode. Research cohort of men examined before era of widespread use of advanced anti-HIV therapies. Symptomatic HIV disease, but not HIV infection itself, increases intermediate-term risk of major depression. Prior psychiatric history most strongly predicted future vulnerability.

Body composition at birth and height at 2 years: A prospective cohort study among children in Jimma, Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

Admassu, B.; Wells, J. C. K.; Girma, T.; Andersen, G. S.; Owino, V.; Belachew, T.; Michaelsen, K. F.; Abera, M.; Wibaek, R.; Friis, H.; Kaestel, P.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight is associated with childhood stunting, but equivalent associations for birth body composition (BC) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess associations between birth BC and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) at 2 years of age. / METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using air-displacement plethysmography within 48 h of birth. Linear regression models were applied to study the relationship between BC at bi...

Sublingual immunotherapy in patients with house dust mite allergic rhinitis: prospective study of clinical outcomes over a two-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Soh, J Y; Thalayasingam, M; Ong, S; Loo, E X L; Shek, L P; Chao, S S

2016-03-01

Sublingual immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis sensitised to house dust mites is safe, but its efficacy is controversial and sublingual immunotherapy with Blomia tropicalis has not yet been studied. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite extract in children and adults with house dust mite allergic rhinitis over a period of two years. A prospective observational study was conducted of children and adults diagnosed with house dust mite allergic rhinitis who were treated with sublingual immunotherapy from 2008 to 2012. Total Nasal Symptom Scores, Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life scores and medication usage scores were assessed prospectively. Thirty-nine patients, comprising 24 children and 15 adults, were studied. Total Nasal Symptom Scores and Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life scores dropped significantly at three months into therapy, and continued to improve. Medication usage scores improved at one year into immunotherapy. Sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite extracts, including B tropicalis, is efficacious as a treatment for patients with house dust mite allergic rhinitis.

The effect of nurse education on the self-esteem and assertiveness of nursing students: A four-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

İlhan, Nesrin; Sukut, Özge; Akhan, Latife Utaş; Batmaz, Makbule

2016-04-01

The nurse education program affects many aspects of personal development. Nursing students gain skills in critical thinking and analysis and also develop communication and management skills. The four-year program may also have an effect on students' assertiveness and self-esteem. This study was conducted to determine the impact of the four-year higher nursing school educational program on students' self-esteem and assertiveness. Descriptive longitudinal design. The study took place at a Foundation University in Istanbul, Turkey over the period 2006-2010. The students' levels of self-esteem and assertiveness were assessed at the beginning and end of the first, second, third and fourth years of the program. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthropometric, clinical, and metabolic comparisons of the four Rotterdam PCOS phenotypes: A prospective study of PCOS women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kar, Sujata

2013-07-01

1. To study the distribution of various Rotterdam classified phenotypes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women, in our population. 2. To compare the four phenotypes with respect to anthropometric, clinical, and metabolic parameters. 3. To report the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome in these women. Private practice, Prospective cross-sectional comparative study. Women attending gynecology outpatient with the primary complains of irregular menses and/or infertility were evaluated. Each of them underwent detailed clinical examination, transvaginal sonography, and biochemical and hormonal assays. Four hundred and ten women with a clinical diagnosis of PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria were included in the study. The four phenotypes were 1) PCO complete, that is oligo/anovulation (O) + polycystic ovaries (P) + hyperandrogenism (H) 2) P + O, 3) P + H, and 4) O + H. All women were also evaluated for metabolic syndrome (American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI), modified Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III 2005 guidelines) and IR (homeostatic model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR)). Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18. Largest group was PCOS complete (65.6%) followed by P + O (22.2%); H + O (11.2%); and P + H (0.9%). Overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 35.07%. Hyperandrogenic phenotyptes; H + O (50%) and P + H + O (37.04%), had significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than normoandrogenic P + O phenotype (10%) (P ≤ 0.001). Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 (P = 0.0004; odds ratio (OR) = 3.07 (1.6574-5.7108, 95% CI)), waist circumference (WC) ≥ 80 cm (P = 0.001; OR = 3.68 (1.6807-8.0737, 95% CI)) and family history of diabetes (P = 0.019; OR 1.82 (1.1008-3.0194, 95% CI)), were strongly associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome. The overall prevalence of IR in PCOS women was 30.44% (HOMA-IR cutoff ≥ 3.8) and 34.94% (HOMA-IR cutoff ≥ 3.5). The prevalence of

A prospective randomised study of periprosthetic femoral bone remodeling using four different bearings in hybrid total hip arthroplasty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zerahn, Bo; Borgwardt, Lotte; Ribel-Madsen, Søren

2011-01-01

in all Gruen zones with the largest declines in group D. BMD changes in Gruen zones 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 correlated with height, and body weight. Advanced age was associated with an increase in bone loss in Gruen zones 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. A large stem size was associated with a decline in BMD in Gruen zones......Abstract: We performed a study to assess whether different bearing materials have an impact on femoral bone remodeling within the first four years after a hybrid total hip arthroplasty. 205 of 300 patients were available for 4 years follow-up after being randomly allocated to four prosthetic...... 1, 6, and 7.Bone remodeling after total hip arthroplasty may depend on the composition of bearing materials, but age, height, weight, and stem size are also related to changes in BMD....

Psychosocial predictors of the onset of anxiety disorders in women: Results from a prospective 3-year longitudinal study

Science.gov (United States)

Calkins, Amanda W.; Otto, Michael W.; Cohen, Lee S.; Soares, Claudio N.; Vitonis, Alison F.; Hearon, Bridget A.; Harlow, Bernard L.

2009-01-01

In a prospective, longitudinal, population-based study of 643 women participating in the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles we examined whether psychosocial variables predicted a new or recurrent onset of an anxiety disorder. Presence of anxiety disorders was assessed every six months over three years via structured clinical interviews. Among individuals who had a new episode of anxiety, we confirmed previous findings that history of anxiety, increased anxiety sensitivity (the fear of anxiety related sensations), and increased neuroticism were significant predictors. We also found trend level support for assertiveness as a predictor of anxiety onset. However, of these variables, only history of anxiety and anxiety sensitivity provided unique prediction. We did not find evidence for negative life events as a predictor of onset of anxiety either alone or in interaction with other variables in a diathesis-stress model. These findings from a prospective longitudinal study are discussed in relation to the potential role of such predictors in primary or relapse prevention efforts. PMID:19699609

A prospective epidemiological study of injuries in four English professional football clubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, R D; Fuller, C W

1999-06-01

To define the causes of injuries to players in English professional football during competition and training. Lost time injuries to professional and youth players were prospectively recorded by physiotherapists at four English League clubs over the period 1994 to 1997. Data recorded included information related to the injury, date and place of occurrence, type of activity, and extrinsic Playing factors. In all, 67% of all injuries occurred during competition. The overall injury frequency rate (IFR) was 8.5 injuries/1000 hours, with the IFR during competitions (27.7) being significantly (p IFRs for youth players were found to increase over the second half of the season, whereas they decreased for professional players. There were no significant differences in IFRs for professional and youth players during training. There were significantly (p 41%), sprains (20%), and contusions (20%) represented the major types of injury. The thigh (23%), the ankle (17%), knee (14%), and lower leg (13%) represented the major locations of injury, with significantly (p 41% of all injuries. The overall level of injury to professional footballers has been showed to be around 1000 times higher times higher than for industrial occupations generally regarded as high risk. The high level of muscle strains, in particular, indicates possible weakness in fitness training programmes and use of warming up and cooling down procedures by clubs and the need for benchmarking players' levels of fitness and performance. Increasing levels of injury to youth players as a season progresses emphasizes the importance of controlling the exposure of young players to high levels of competition.

Four Distinct Health Profiles in Older Patients With Cancer: Latent Class Analysis of the Prospective ELCAPA Cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrat, Emilie; Audureau, Etienne; Paillaud, Elena; Liuu, Evelyne; Tournigand, Christophe; Lagrange, Jean-Leon; Canoui-Poitrine, Florence; Caillet, Philippe; Bastuji-Garin, Sylvie

2016-12-01

Several studies have evaluated the independent prognostic value of impairments in single geriatric-assessment (GA) components in elderly cancer patients. None identified homogeneous subgroups. Our aims were to identify such subgroups based on combinations of GA components and to assess their associations with treatment decisions, admission, and death. We prospectively included 1,021 patients aged ≥70 years who had solid or hematologic malignancies and who underwent a GA in one of two French teaching hospitals. Two geriatricians independently selected candidate GA parameters for latent class analysis, which was then performed on the 821 cases without missing data. Age, gender, tumor site, metastatic status, and inpatient versus outpatient status were used as active covariates and predictors of class membership. Outcomes were cancer treatment decisions, overall 1-year mortality, and 6-month unscheduled admissions. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the overall population of 1,021 patients and on 375 newly enrolled patients. We identified four classes: relatively healthy (LC1, 28%), malnourished (LC2, 36%), cognitive and mood impaired (LC3, 15%), and globally impaired (LC4, 21%). Tumor site, metastatic status, age, and in/outpatient status independently predicted class membership (p LC4 was associated with 1-year mortality and palliative treatment compared to LC2 and LC3 (p ≤ .05). We identified four health profiles that may help physicians select cancer treatments and geriatric interventions. Researchers may find these profiles useful for stratifying patients in clinical trials. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Midlife muscle strength and human longevity up to age 100 years: a 44-year prospective study among a decedent cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Rantanen, Taina; Masaki, Kamal; He, Qimei; Ross, G Webster; Willcox, Bradley J; White, Lon

2012-06-01

We studied prospectively the midlife handgrip strength, living habits, and parents' longevity as predictors of length of life up to becoming a centenarian. The participants were 2,239 men from the Honolulu Heart Program/Honolulu-Asia Aging Study who were born before the end of June 1909 and who took part in baseline physical assessment in 1965-1968, when they were 56-68 years old. Deaths were followed until the end of June 2009 for 44 years with complete ascertainment. Longevity was categorized as centenarian (≥100 years, n = 47), nonagenarian (90-99 years, n = 545), octogenarian (80-89 years, n = 847), and ≤79 years (n = 801, reference). The average survival after baseline was 20.8 years (SD = 9.62). Compared with people who died at the age of ≤79 years, centenarians belonged 2.5 times (odds ratio (OR) = 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-5.10) more often to the highest third of grip strength in midlife, were never smokers (OR = 5.75 95% CI = 3.06-10.80), had participated in physical activity outside work (OR = 1.13 per daily hour, 95% CI = 1.02-1.25), and had a long-lived mother (≥80 vs. ≤60 years, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.06-5.01). Associations for nonagenarians and octogenarians were parallel, but weaker. Multivariate modeling showed that mother's longevity and offspring's grip strength operated through the same or overlapping pathway to longevity. High midlife grip strength and long-lived mother may indicate resilience to aging, which, combined with healthy lifestyle, increases the probability of extreme longevity.

The Pros and Cons of Two-Year Versus Four-Year Degrees.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbaniak, Anthony

1985-01-01

Reports results of a research survey conducted to determine what differences (job titles, income, relevance of courses, satisfaction, suitability) exist between two-year (Associate of Science) graduates and four-year (Bachelor of Science) graduates in business. Statistical tables are included. (CT)

Prospectively measured 10-year changes in health-related quality of life and comparison with cross-sectional estimates in a population-based cohort of adult women and men.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopman, Wilma M; Berger, Claudie; Joseph, Lawrence; Zhou, Wei; Prior, Jerilynn C; Towheed, Tanveer; Anastassiades, Tassos; Adachi, Jonathan D; Hanley, David A; Papadimitropoulos, Emmanuel A; Kirkland, Susan; Kaiser, Stephanie M; Josse, Robert G; Goltzman, David

2014-12-01

To prospectively assess changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over 10 years, by age and sex, and to compare measured within-person change to estimates of change based on cross-sectional data. Participants in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study completed the 36-item short form (SF-36) in 1995/1997 and 2005/2007. Mean within-person changes for domain and summary components were calculated for men and women separately, stratified by 10-year age groups. Projected changes based on published age- and sex-stratified cross-sectional data were also calculated. Mean differences between the two methods were then estimated, along with the 95 % credible intervals of the differences. Data were available for 5,569/9,423 (59.1 %) of the original cohort. Prospectively collected 10-year changes suggested that the four physically oriented domains declined in all but the youngest group of men and women, with declines in the elderly men exceeding 25 points. The four mentally oriented domains tended to improve over time, only showing substantial declines in vitality and role emotional in older women, and all four domains in older men. Cross-sectional estimates identified a similar pattern of change but with a smaller magnitude, particularly in men. Correspondence between the two methods was generally high. Changes in HRQOL may be minimal over much of the life span, but physically oriented HRQOL can decline substantially after middle age. Although clinically relevant declines were more evident in prospectively collected data, differences in 10-year age increments of cross-sectional data may be a reasonable proxy for longitudinal changes, at least in those under 65 years of age. Results provide additional insight into the natural progression of HRQOL in the general population.

Reduction in depressive symptoms in primary prevention ICD scheduled patients - One year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Amiaz, Revital; Asher, Elad; Rozen, Guy; Czerniak, Efrat; Levi, Linda; Weiser, Mark; Glikson, Michael

2017-09-01

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), have previously been associated with the onset of depression and anxiety. The aim of this one-year prospective study was to evaluate the rate of new onset psychopathological symptoms after elective ICD implantation. A total of 158 consecutive outpatients who were scheduled for an elective ICD implantation were diagnosed and screened based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HAM-D) and Anxiety (HAM-A). Patient's attitude toward the ICD device was evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Patients' mean age was 64±12.4years; 134 (85%) were men, with the majority of patients performing the procedure for reasons of 'primary prevention'. According to the MINI diagnosis at baseline, three (2%) patients suffered from major depressive disorder and ten (6%) from dysthymia. Significant improvement in HAM-D mean scores was found between baseline, three months and one year after implantation (6.50±6.4; 4.10±5.3 and 2.7±4.6, respectively F(2100)=16.42; pdepressive symptoms, while the overall mindset toward the ICD device was positive and improved during the one-year follow-up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new stratified risk assessment tool for whiplash injuries developed from a prospective observational study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasch, Helge; Kongsted, Alice; Qerama, Erisela

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES: An initial stratification of acute whiplash patients into seven risk-strata in relation to 1-year work disability as primary outcome is presented. DESIGN: The design was an observational prospective study of risk factors embedded in a randomised controlled study. SETTING: Acute whiplash...... patients from units, general practitioners in four Danish counties were referred to two research centres. PARTICIPANTS: During a 2-year inclusion period, acute consecutive whiplash-injured (age 18-70 years, rear-end or frontal-end car accident and WAD (whiplash-associated disorders) grades I-III, symptoms...... and examined by a study nurse after 5 days; 605 were completed after 1 year. A risk score which included items of initial neck pain/headache intensity, a number of non-painful complaints and active neck mobility was applied. The primary outcome parameter was 1-year work disability. RESULTS: The risk score...

Four-year prospective study of the respiratory effects of volcanic ash from Mt. St. Helens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buist, A.S.; Vollmer, W.M.; Johnson, L.R.; Bernstein, R.S.; McCamant, L.E.

1986-01-01

This report describes the 4-yr follow-up of 712 loggers exposed over an extended period to varying levels of fresh volcanic ash from the 1980 eruptions of Mt. St. Helens. Concerns related to the irritant effect the ash might have on the airways and also to its fibrogenic potential if exposures were intense and continued over many years. Our subjects were divided into 3 groups: high, low, and no exposure. Baseline testing was begun in June 1980, 1 month after the major eruption, and follow-up testing continued on an annual basis through 1984; 88% of the loggers have been tested at least 3 times. Analysis of lung function data showed that a significant, exposure-related decline in FEV1 occurred during the first year after the eruption. The decline was short-lived, however, and by 1984 the differences between exposure groups were no longer significant. Self-reported symptoms of cough, phlegm, and wheeze showed a similar pattern. No ash-related changes were seen in chest roentgenograms taken in 1980 and in 1984. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the inhaled ash caused mucus hypersecretion and/or airway inflammation that reversed when the exposure levels decreased. The ash levels to which the loggers were exposed were low compared with permissible occupational levels for nuisance dusts, but generally higher than the total suspended particulate levels permissible in ambient air

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Four prospective American studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, D J; Probstfield, J L; Garrison, R J; Neaton, J D; Castelli, W P; Knoke, J D; Jacobs, D R; Bangdiwala, S; Tyroler, H A

1989-01-01

The British Regional Heart Study (BRHS) reported in 1986 that much of the inverse relation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and incidence of coronary heart disease was eliminated by covariance adjustment. Using the proportional hazards model and adjusting for age, blood pressure, smoking, body mass index, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, we analyzed this relation separately in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Mortality Follow-up Study (LRCF) and Coronary Primary Prevention Trial (CPPT), and Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). In CPPT and MRFIT (both randomized trials in middle-age high-risk men), only the control groups were analyzed. A 1-mg/dl (0.026 mM) increment in HDLC was associated with a significant coronary heart disease risk decrement of 2% in men (FHS, CPPT, and MRFIT) and 3% in women (FHS). In LRCF, where only fatal outcomes were documented, a 1-mg/dl increment in HDLC was associated with significant 3.7% (men) and 4.7% (women) decrements in cardiovascular disease mortality rates. The 95% confidence intervals for these decrements in coronary heart and cardiovascular disease risk in the four studies overlapped considerably, and all contained the range 1.9-2.9%. HDLC levels were essentially unrelated to non-cardiovascular disease mortality. When differences in analytic methodology were eliminated, a consistent inverse relation of HDLC levels and coronary heart disease event rates was apparent in BRHS as well as in the four American studies.

Employment Outcome Ten Years after Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grauwmeijer, Erik; Heijenbrok-Kal, Majanka H; Haitsma, Ian K; Ribbers, Gerard M

2017-09-01

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the probability of employment and predictors of employment in patients with moderate- to- severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) over 10-year follow-up. One hundred nine patients (18-67 years) were included with follow-up measurements 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months and 10 years post-TBI. Potential predictors of employment probability included patient characteristics, injury severity factors, functional outcome measured at discharge from the hospital with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Barthel Index (BI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Functional Assessment Measure (FAM). Forty-eight patients (42%) completed the 10-year follow-up. Three months post-TBI, 12% were employed, which gradually, but significantly, increased to 57% after 2-years follow-up (p employed persons had less-severe TBI, shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), and higher scores on the GOS, BI, FIM, and FAM at hospital discharge than unemployed persons. No significant differences in age, sex, educational level, living with partner/family or not, pre-injury employment, professional category, psychiatric symptoms, or discharge destination were found. Longitudinal multivariable analysis showed that time, pre-injury employment, FAM, and LOS were independent predictors of employment probability. We concluded that employment probability 10 years after moderate or severe TBI is related to injury severity and pre-injury employment. Future studies on vocational rehabilitation should focus on modifiable factors and take into consideration the effects of national legislation and national labor market forces.

Thirty Years of Prospect Theory in Economics: A Review and Assessment

OpenAIRE

Nicholas C. Barberis

2013-01-01

In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, published a paper in Econometrica titled "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk." The paper presented a new model of risk attitudes called "prospect theory," which elegantly captured the experimental evidence on risk taking, including the documented violations of expected utility. More than 30 years later, prospect theory is still widely viewed as the best available description of how people evaluate risk in experimental settings. Howev...

Reduced Cardiovascular Mortality 10 Years after Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 for Four Years: Follow-Up Results of a Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial in Elderly Citizens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urban Alehagen

Full Text Available Selenium and coenzyme Q10 are important antioxidants in the body. As the intake of selenium is low in Europe, and the endogenous production of coenzyme Q10 decreases as age increases, an intervention trial using selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years was performed. As previously reported, the intervention was accompanied by reduced cardiovascular mortality. The objective of the present study was to analyze cardiovascular mortality for up to 10 years after intervention, to evaluate if mortality differed in subgroups differentiated by gender, diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD, and functional class.Four-hundred forty-three healthy elderly individuals were included from a rural municipality in Sweden. All cardiovascular mortality was registered, and no participant was lost to the follow-up. Based on death certificates and autopsy results mortality was registered.Significantly reduced cardiovascular mortality could be seen in those on selenium and coenzyme Q10 intervention. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated a reduced cardiovascular mortality risk in the active treatment group (HR: 0.51; 95%CI 0.36-0.74; P = 0.0003. The reduced mortality could be seen to persist during the 10-year period. Subgroup analysis showed positive effects in both genders. An equally positive risk reduction could be seen in those with ischemic heart disease (HR: 0.51; 95%CI 0.27-0.97; P = 0.04, but also in the different functional classes.In a 10-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants given four years of intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10, significantly reduced cardiovascular mortality was observed. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but persisted during the follow-up period. The mechanism explaining the persistency remains to be elucidated. Since this was a small study, the observations should be regarded as hypothesis-generating.

Habitual active transport, TV viewing and weight gain: a four year follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Ding; Sugiyama, Takemi; Owen, Neville

2012-01-01

To examine the associations of TV viewing time and domain-specific physical activity with weight change; to determine whether domain-specific physical activity moderates the potential association of TV viewing time with weight change. We used four-year longitudinal data (baseline: 2003-2004, follow-up: 2007-2008) on 969 adults from selected neighborhoods in Adelaide, Australia (Age: 48.6 ± 10.6 years, 61% females). Mixed models examined four-year weight change as the dependent variable, with TV viewing time, habitual transport and past week domain-specific physical activity at baseline as independent variables. On average, participants gained 1.6 kg over four years. TV viewing time at baseline was positively associated with weight gain at follow-up. Each additional hour of TV viewing was associated with 0.24-0.27 kg of extra weight gain. This relationship was not moderated by recent recall of transport, leisure-time, and occupational physical activity, but was moderated by habitual transport: an additional hour of TV viewing time at baseline was significantly associated with an extra weight gain of 0.65 kg at follow-up among those who were inactive in everyday transport; TV time was not significantly associated with weight change among those who were regularly active in transport. Habitual active transport may protect adults against risk of weight gain associated with prolonged TV viewing time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of vocational high schools in Indonesia: A comparison between four-year and three-year programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soenarto Soenarto

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The research aimed to gain insights into the quality of four-year program vocational high school (VHS in Indonesia compared to four-year program VHS. This research was conducted based on the school graduate standard, business sector and industrial sector (or Dunia Usaha dan Dunia Industri (DUDI – or the performance of the graduates and alumni (the graduates’ satisfaction. The research was conducted using Discrepancy Evaluation Model using 16 VHSs (eight four-year program VHSs and eight three-year program VHSs. The result shows that from the standpoint of the school, the graduates of the four-year program VHS are higher in quality than those of the three-year program VHS. The four-year program VHS graduates are more qualified in seven aspects: teamwork, discipline, tenacity, theoretical knowledge, confidence, creativity, and leadership. Meanwhile, using DUDI standpoint, the four-year program VHS graduates are also higher in quality than the three-year program VHS graduates. In addition, the four-year program VHS graduates are better in the quality of their discipline, tenacity, theoretical knowledge, practical skills, confidence, carefulness, creativity, and leadership. The four-year program VHS graduates have a higher level of satisfaction in terms of income than the three-year program VHS graduates. The higher quality of the four-year program VHS graduates has resulted from longer duration of the internship program (PKL that provides them with reliable experience and skills concerning work-related problem-solving activities.

Analyzing Four-Year Public University and Two-Year College Graduation Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Ober, David R.; Beekman, John A.; Pierce, Rebecca L.

2018-01-01

This paper examines the graduation rates between 2000 and 2015 of United States colleges and universities at the national, state, and institutional levels. This research focuses on two-year and four-year programs. Rates are investigated longitudinally along with variables that distinguish between public/private institutions, percentages of…

Effect of four additional physical education lessons on body composition in children aged 8-13 years - a prospective study during two school years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klakk, Heidi; Chinapaw, Mai; Heidemann, Malene

2013-01-01

Strategies for combating increasing childhood obesity is called for. School settings have been pointed out as potentially effective settings for prevention. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of four additional Physical Education (PE) lessons/week in primary schools on body...

Falls in advanced old age: recalled falls and prospective follow-up of over-90-year-olds in the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthews Fiona E

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The "oldest old" are now the fastest growing section of most western populations, yet there are scarcely any data concerning even the common problem of falls amongst the very old. Prospective data collection is encouraged as the most reliable method for researching older people's falls, though in clinical practice guidelines advise taking a history of any recalled falls. This study set out to inform service planning by describing the epidemiology of falls in advanced old age using both retrospectively and prospectively collected falls data. Methods Design: Re-survey of over-90-year-olds in a longitudinal cohort study – cross-sectional interview and intensive 12-month follow-up. Participants and setting: 90 women and 20 men participating in a population-based cohort (aged 91–105 years, in care-homes and community-dwelling recruited from representative general practices in Cambridge, UK Measurements: Prospective falls data were collected using fall calendars and telephone follow-up for one year after cross-sectional survey including fall history. Results 58% were reported to have fallen at least once in the previous year and 60% in the 1-year follow-up. The proportion reported to have fallen more than once was lower using retrospective recall of the past year than prospective reports gathered the following year (34% versus 45%, as were fall rates (1.6 and 2.8 falls/person-year respectively. Repeated falls in the past year were more highly predictive of falls during the following year – IRR 4.7, 95% CI 2.6–8.7 – than just one – IRR 3.6, 95% CI 2.0–6.3, using negative binomial regression. Only 1/5 reportedly did not fall during either the year before or after interview. Conclusion Fall rates in this representative sample of over-90-year-olds are even higher than previous reports from octogenarians. Recalled falls last year, particularly repeated falls, strongly predicted falls during follow-up. Similar proportions

Is blood pressure increased 19 years after intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth? A prospective follow-up study in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keijzer-Veen, M.G.; Finken, M.J.J.; Nauta, J.; Dekker, F.W.; Hille, E.T.M.; Frölich, M.; Wit, J.M.; Heijden, A.J. van der

2005-01-01

Objective. To determine whether intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a predisposing factor for high blood pressure (BP) in 19-year-olds who were born (very) preterm. Methods. A prospective follow-up study was conducted at age 19 in individuals who born preterm in the Netherlands in 1983.

The MS@Work study: a 3-year prospective observational study on factors involved with work participation in patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Hiele, Karin; van Gorp, Dennis A M; Heerings, Marco A P; van Lieshout, Irma; Jongen, Peter J; Reneman, Michiel F; van der Klink, Jac J L; Vosman, Frans; Middelkoop, Huub A M; Visser, Leo H

2015-08-12

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young and middle-aged adults. At this stage in life most people are in the midst of their working career. The majority of MS patients are unable to retain employment within 10 years from disease onset. Leading up to unemployment, many may experience a reduction in hours or work responsibilities and increased time missed from work. The MS@Work study examines various factors that may influence work participation in relapsing-remitting MS patients, including disease-related factors, the working environment and personal factors. The MS@Work study is a multicenter, 3-year prospective observational study on work participation in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. We aim to include 350 patients through 15-18 MS outpatient clinics in the Netherlands. Eligible participants are 18 years and older, and either currently employed or within three years since their last employment. At baseline and after 1, 2 and 3 years, the participants are asked to complete online questionnaires (including questions on work participation, work problems and accommodations, cognitive and physical ability, anxiety, depression, psychosocial stress, quality of life, fatigue, empathy, personality traits and coping strategies) and undergo cognitive and neurological examinations. After six months, patients are requested to only complete online questionnaires. Patient perspectives on maintaining and improving work participation and reasons to stop working are gathered through semi-structured interviews in a sub-group of patients. Prospective studies with long-term follow-up on work participation in MS are rare, or take into account a limited number of factors. The MS@Work study provides a 3-year follow-up on various factors that may influence work participation in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. We aim to identify factors that relate to job loss and to provide information about preventative measures for physicians

Nursing students' intentions to use research as a predictor of use one year post graduation: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsman, Henrietta; Wallin, Lars; Gustavsson, Petter; Rudman, Ann

2012-09-01

Graduating nursing students are expected to have acquired the necessary skills to provide research-based care to patients. However, recent studies have shown that new graduate nurses report their extent of research use as relatively low. Because behavior intention is a well-known predictor of subsequent behavior, this gives reasons to further investigate graduating nursing students' intentions to use research in clinical practice after undergraduate study. To investigate graduating nursing students' intentions to use research in clinical practice and, furthermore, to investigate whether intention in itself and as a mediating variable can predict subsequent research use behavior in clinical practice one year post graduation. A follow-up study was performed of graduating nursing students in their final semester of undergraduate study (2006) and at one year post graduation (2008). Data were collected within the larger national survey LANE (Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education). A sample of 1319 respondents was prospectively followed. Graduating nursing students' intentions to use research instrumentally were studied as a predictor of their subsequent instrumental research use one year post graduation. A statistical full mediation model was tested to evaluate the effects of intention and factors from undergraduate study on subsequent research use in daily care. Thirty-four percent of the nursing students intended to use research on more than half or almost every working shift in their future clinical practice. Intention showed a direct effect on research use behavior. In addition, significant indirect effects on research use were shown for capability beliefs (regarding practicing the principles of evidence-based practice) and perceived support for research use (from campus and clinical education), where intention acted as a mediating factor for those effects. Students rated a modest level of intention to use research evidence. Intentions close to graduation acted

Infant eczema, infant sleeping problems, and mental health at 10 years of age: the prospective birth cohort study LISAplus.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, J; Chen, C-M; Apfelbacher, C; Romanos, M; Lehmann, I; Herbarth, O; Schaaf, B; Kraemer, U; von Berg, A; Wichmann, H-E; Heinrich, J

2011-03-01

Cross-sectional studies suggest an association between eczema and mental health problems, possibly modified by sleeping problems, but prospective evidence is missing. We aimed to prospectively investigate the relationship between infant eczema (within first 2 years of age), infant sleeping problems (within first 2 years of age), and the risk of mental health problems at 10 years of age. Between 1997 and 1999, a population-based birth cohort was recruited in Munich, Leipzig, Wesel, and Bad Honnef, Germany, and followed until 10 years of age. Physician-diagnosed eczema, parent-reported sleeping problems, and known environmental risk factors for atopy were regularly assessed until 10 years of age. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (parent version) at 10 years of age. We applied logistic regression modeling adjusting for environmental and lifestyle factors, allergic comorbidity, and family history of eczema. From the original cohort of 3097 neonates, 1658 (54%) were followed until age 10, while 1578 (51%) were eligible for analysis. In the fully adjusted model, children with infant eczema were at increased risk of hyperactivity/inattention at 10 years of age [odds ratio (OR) 1.78; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-3.09]. Infant eczema with concurrent sleeping problems predicted emotional problems [OR 2.63; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.20-5.76] and conduct problems (OR 3.03; 95% CI 1.01-9.12) at 10 years of age. Infant eczema with concurrent sleeping problems appears to be a risk factor for the development of mental health problems. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Anthropometric, clinical, and metabolic comparisons of the four Rotterdam PCOS phenotypes: A prospective study of PCOS women

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Sujata Kar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: 1. To study the distribution of various Rotterdam classified phenotypes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS women, in our population. 2. To compare the four phenotypes with respect to anthropometric, clinical, and metabolic parameters. 3. To report the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR and metabolic syndrome in these women. Settings and Design: Private practice, Prospective cross-sectional comparative study. Materials and Methods: Women attending gynecology outpatient with the primary complains of irregular menses and/or infertility were evaluated. Each of them underwent detailed clinical examination, transvaginal sonography, and biochemical and hormonal assays. Four hundred and ten women with a clinical diagnosis of PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria were included in the study. The four phenotypes were 1 PCO complete, that is oligo/anovulation (O + polycystic ovaries (P + hyperandrogenism (H 2 P + O, 3 P + H, and 4 O + H. All women were also evaluated for metabolic syndrome (American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI, modified Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III 2005 guidelines and IR (homeostatic model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR. Statistical Analysis: Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 18. Results: Largest group was PCOS complete (65.6% followed by P + O (22.2%; H + O (11.2%; and P + H (0.9%. Overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 35.07%. Hyperandrogenic phenotyptes; H + O (50% and P + H + O (37.04%, had significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than normoandrogenic P + O phenotype (10% (P ≤ 0.001. Body mass index (BMI ≥ 25 (P = 0.0004; odds ratio (OR = 3.07 (1.6574-5.7108, 95% CI, waist circumference (WC ≥ 80 cm (P = 0.001; OR = 3.68 (1.6807-8.0737, 95% CI and family history of diabetes (P = 0.019; OR 1.82 (1.1008-3.0194, 95% CI, were strongly associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome. The overall prevalence of IR in PCOS women was 30.44% (HOMA-IR cutoff �

Workplace bullying as an antecedent of mental health problems: a five-year prospective and representative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Einarsen, Ståle; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland

2015-02-01

The present study investigates the proposed long-term relationship between exposure to workplace bullying and subsequent mental health in the form of anxiety and depression with a time lag of 5 years, exploring potential gender differences in these relationships. The study employs a prospective design with a 5-year time lag in a representative sample of the Norwegian workforce. A cohort of 1,613 employees reported on their exposure to workplace bullying and their symptoms of anxiety and depression at both measurement times. The results showed exposure to workplace bullying to be a significant predictor of mental health problems 5 years on, even after controlling for baseline mental health status, gender, age, job-change, job demands and job control, yet for men only. Baseline levels of mental health problems in terms of symptoms of anxiety and depression did not predict subsequent exposure to bullying at follow-up among women, but anxiety did in the case of men. Workplace bullying poses a serious long-term threat to the health and well-being of workers, at least for men. The results of the study pinpoint the need for mental health treatment as well as for preventive measures in relation to workplace bullying, and pinpoint the need for a gender perspective in these studies.

Overdentures in the edentulous mandible supported by implants and retained by a Dolder bar: a 5-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Heschl, Alexander; Payer, Michael; Clar, Volker; Stopper, Marlene; Wegscheider, Walther; Lorenzoni, Martin

2013-08-01

This prospective study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of XiVE® S plus implants (Dentsply Friadent, Mannheim, Germany) following conventional restoration with bar structures and overdentures in the edentulous mandible. A total of 39 patients were treated with four interforaminal implants (n = 156) splinted by a Dolder bar. Overdentures were attached to the bars after 3 months of healing. As primary outcome measures, clinical and radiological parameters were evaluated at the time of implant placement (baseline) and once a year (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years) after functional loading. Secondary outcome measures included (i) primary stability and surgical complications, as well as (ii) Periotest® (Medizintechnik Gulden, Modautal, Germany) values, implant survival, and prosthetic complications at baseline and follow-up. A total of 156 implants were placed. The vast majority (n = 149) were tightened to >30 Ncm, while torques in the range of 20-30 Ncm were obtained in the remaining cases (n = 7). Mean crestal bone levels around the implants were 0.41 mm at baseline and 1.04/1.20/1.34/1.45/1.44 mm after 1/2/3/4/5 years respectively. The mean values of the plaque, calculus, bleeding, and mucosal indices remained low throughout this period. The reported follow-up periods involved one implant loss after 3 months (survival rate: 99.4%) and one implant failure after 4 years (success rate: 98.4%). Prosthetic complications included factures of bars (n = 3) and denture teeth (n = 7). Prosthetic survival was 100%. Dolder bars to restore oral implants in the edentulous mandible appear to offer a high rate of implant survival, good stability of the peri-implant tissue, and a low rate of prosthetic complications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Moderate to severe injuries in football: a one-year prospective study of twenty-four female and male amateur teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Lion, Alexis; Theisen, Daniel; Windal, Thierry; Malisoux, Laurent; Nührenbörger, Christian; Huberty, Robert; Urhausen, Axel; Seil, Romain

2014-01-01

This study aimed to realize a prospective follow-up of the injuries occurring in female and male football players involved in the highest league in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. Data concerning anthropometric characteristics and football activities were gathered in 125 female and 243 male football players via questionnaires at the beginning of the study. Then, a follow-up of moderate to severe injuries (> 15 days of interruption in football practice) was performed throughout the season 2013-2014. Sixteen injuries (injury incidence = 0.7 injuries/1000 h of exposure) were observed in 13 female football players (10.4%). These injuries concerned mainly the knee (n = 7; 43.7%), with capsules and ligaments being the most often concerned tissues (n = 7; 43.7%). In male football players, 41 severe injuries (injury incidence = 0.6 injuries/1000 h of exposure) were observed in 36 players (14.8%). These injuries concerned mainly the thighs (n = 12; 29.3%) and the muscles and tendons were the most often concerned tissues (n = 18; 43.9%). Injuries in football are predominantly located at the lower limbs, particularly the knees in female football players. The predominant muscle and tendon lesions of the thighs occurring in males could reveal that physical preparation is insufficient or inadequate for a number of players. Regarding these results, it is necessary to implement an injury prevention strategy. The "FIFA 11+" programme could be used as the basic method, but should be personalized according to sex. The injury collection methodology could be optimized with the use of an electronic database, such as the Training and Injury Prevention Platform for Sports (TIPPS). Beside the systematic recording of injury data (as well as the training load) by the players or the medical staff, this system allows to share of important information between stakeholders, follow-up the players, provide risk factor warnings and increase the awareness of the injury problem.

Risk of deep venous thrombosis in elective neurosurgical procedures: a prospective, Doppler ultrasound-based study in children 12 years of age or younger.

Science.gov (United States)

Scherer, Andrea G; White, Ian K; Shaikh, Kashif A; Smith, Jodi L; Ackerman, Laurie L; Fulkerson, Daniel H

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) from deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is significant in neurosurgical patients. VTE is considered a leading cause of preventable hospital deaths and preventing DVT is a closely monitored quality metric, often tied to accreditation, hospital ratings, and reimbursement. Adult protocols include prophylaxis with anticoagulant medications. Children's hospitals may adopt adult protocols, although the incidence of DVT and the risk or efficacy of treatment is not well defined. The incidence of DVT in children is likely less than in adults, although there is very little prospectively collected information. Most consider the risk of DVT to be extremely low in children 12 years of age or younger. However, this consideration is based on tradition and retrospective reviews of trauma databases. In this study, the authors prospectively evaluated pediatric patients undergoing a variety of elective neurosurgical procedures and performed Doppler ultrasound studies before and after surgery. METHODS A total of 100 patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. All of the patients were between the ages of 1 month and 12 years and were undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures. The 91 patients who completed the protocol received a bilateral lower-extremity Doppler ultrasound examination within 48 hours prior to surgery. Patients did not receive either medical or mechanical DVT prophylaxis during or after surgery. The ultrasound examination was repeated within 72 hours after surgery. An independent, board-certified radiologist evaluated all sonograms. We prospectively collected data, including potential risk factors, details of surgery, and details of the clinical course. All patients were followed clinically for at least 1 year. RESULTS There was no clinical or ultrasound evidence of DVT or VTE in any of the 91 patients. There was no clinical evidence of VTE in the 9 patients who did not complete the protocol. CONCLUSIONS In this

Foot pronation is not associated with increased injury risk in novice runners wearing a neutral shoe : a 1-year prospective cohort study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nielsen, Rasmus Oestergaard; Buist, Ida; Parner, Erik Thorlund; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard; Sorensen, Henrik; Lind, Martin; Rasmussen, Sten

Objective To investigate if running distance to first running-related injury varies between foot postures in novice runners wearing neutral shoes. Design A 1-year epidemiological observational prospective cohort study. Setting Denmark. Participants A total of 927 novice runners equivalent to 1854

[Translation and Validation of the FOUR Scale for Children and its Use as Outcome Predictor: A Pilot Study].

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Sofia Simões; Meireles, Daniel; Pinto, Alexandra; Abecasis, Francisco

2017-09-29

The Full Outline of UnResponsiveness - FOUR scale has been previously validated to assess impaired consciousness in the adult population. The aim of this study is the translation into Portuguese and validation of the FOUR scale in the pediatric population. The study also compares the FOUR scale and Glasgow coma scale score ratings and the clinical outcome of patients hospitalized in Pediatric Intensive Care Units. This study prospectively rated patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Units with impaired consciousness during one year. Both scales were applied daily to patients by three types of examiners: intensivists, residents and nurses, from the moment of admission until clinical discharge. Neurological sequelae was evaluated using the King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury - KOSCHI. Twenty seven patients between one and 17 years of age were included. Both scales are reliable and inter-rater reliability was greater for the FOUR score. Glasgow coma scale showed a minimum score in eight evaluations, whereas the FOUR scale obtained the minimum score in only two of these evaluations. In both scales there was a strong association between the admission score and the patient's outcome (area under curve FOUR = 0.939, versus Glasgow coma scale = 0.925). The FOUR scale provides more neurological information than Glasgow coma scale in patients with impaired consciousness and has prognostic interest. The FOUR scale can be applied in patients admitted with impaired consciousness in Pediatric Intensive Care Units. We think that a multicenter study would be very beneficial for confirming and generalizing these results.

Gender variance in childhood and sexual orientation in adulthood: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Steensma, Thomas D; van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T

2013-11-01

Several retrospective and prospective studies have reported on the association between childhood gender variance and sexual orientation and gender discomfort in adulthood. In most of the retrospective studies, samples were drawn from the general population. The samples in the prospective studies consisted of clinically referred children. In understanding the extent to which the association applies for the general population, prospective studies using random samples are needed. This prospective study examined the association between childhood gender variance, and sexual orientation and gender discomfort in adulthood in the general population. In 1983, we measured childhood gender variance, in 406 boys and 473 girls. In 2007, sexual orientation and gender discomfort were assessed. Childhood gender variance was measured with two items from the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18. Sexual orientation was measured for four parameters of sexual orientation (attraction, fantasy, behavior, and identity). Gender discomfort was assessed by four questions (unhappiness and/or uncertainty about one's gender, wish or desire to be of the other gender, and consideration of living in the role of the other gender). For both men and women, the presence of childhood gender variance was associated with homosexuality for all four parameters of sexual orientation, but not with bisexuality. The report of adulthood homosexuality was 8 to 15 times higher for participants with a history of gender variance (10.2% to 12.2%), compared to participants without a history of gender variance (1.2% to 1.7%). The presence of childhood gender variance was not significantly associated with gender discomfort in adulthood. This study clearly showed a significant association between childhood gender variance and a homosexual sexual orientation in adulthood in the general population. In contrast to the findings in clinically referred gender-variant children, the presence of a homosexual sexual orientation in

Baseline data from a multicenter, 5-year, prospective cohort study of Japanese age-related macular degeneration: an AMD2000 report.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujikawa, Akitaka; Akagi-Kurashige, Yumiko; Yuzawa, Mitsuko; Ishibashi, Tatsuro; Nakanishi, Hideo; Nakatani, Eiji; Teramukai, Satoshi; Fukushima, Masanori; Yoshimura, Nagahisa

2018-03-01

To report research participants' baseline characteristics in the AMD2000 study, a prospective, multicenter, 5-year, observational cohort study of Japanese age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The characteristics were determined using multimodal imaging. Patients with AMD were recruited at 18 clinical sites in Japan between April 2006 and March 2009. Each patient underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (Landolt chart), indirect ophthalmoscopy, slit-lamp biomicroscopy with a contact lens, optical coherence tomography imaging, fundus photography, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography. Four hundred sixty participants (326 men [70.9%]) were included in the study. At enrollment, 131 eyes (28.5%) had hard drusen and 125 eyes (27.2%) had soft drusen in the macular area. A total of 455 eyes (98.9%) were diagnosed as having wet AMD, and 5 eyes (1.1%), as having dry AMD. Of the 455 eyes with wet AMD, 209 eyes (45.4%) had typical AMD, 228 eyes (49.6%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and 18 eyes (3.9%) had retinal angiomatous proliferation. The size of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was significantly smaller with indocyanine green angiography than with fluorescein angiography (P macular edema, older age, scar, extrafoveal macular edema, subfoveal CNV, large branching vascular network, and hard exudates. Japanese patients with AMD are predominantly male, lack drusen, and have a high rate of PCV.

The impact of a healthy lifestyle on Disability-Adjusted Life Years: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Anne M; Struijk, Ellen A; Fransen, Heidi P; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; de Wit, G Ardine; Boer, Jolanda M A; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Hoekstra, Jeljer; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Peeters, Petra H M; Beulens, Joline W J

2015-02-27

The association between single health behaviours and incidence of and premature mortality from major chronic diseases, including myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and cancer, has been demonstrated thoroughly. However, the association of several healthy behaviours with Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), which is a measure for total health combining Years Lost due to Disability and the Years of Life Lost due to premature mortality, has not been studied yet. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 33,066 healthy men and women aged 20 to 70 years recruited into the EPIC-NL study during 1993 to 1997. Participants' smoking status, BMI, physical activity, and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (excluding alcohol) were investigated separately and combined into a simple health behaviour score ranging from 0 to 4. Participants were followed until the end of 2007 for occurrence of and mortality from the most important chronic diseases. The association between lifestyle (separate lifestyle factors and a simple health behaviour score) and DALYs were adjusted for relevant confounders. After a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 6,647 disease incidences and 1,482 deaths were documented. Non-smoking, low BMI (BMI healthy lifestyle characteristics lived a minimum of 2 years longer in good health (DALYs: -2.13; 95% CI: -2.65 to -1.62) than persons with none. Due to our non-extinct cohort, the total number of DALYs, and consequently the estimates, is underestimated. Therefore, true lifetime health benefits of a healthy lifestyle will be even larger. Non-smoking, a low BMI, being physically active, and adherence to a Mediterranean diet were associated with a lower disease burden. Each additional healthy lifestyle factor contributed to a longer life in good health.

Cementless anatomical prosthesis for the treatment of 3-part and 4-part proximal humerus fractures: cadaver study and prospective clinical study with minimum 2 years followup

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obert Laurent

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional and radiological outcomes of a cementless, trauma-specific locked stem for 3- and 4-part proximal humeral fractures. Materials and methods: This study consisted of two parts: a cadaver study with 22 shoulders and a multicenter prospective clinical study of 23 fracture patients evaluated at least 2 years after treatment. In the cadaver study, the locked stem (HumelockTM, FX Solutions and its instrumentation were evaluated. In the clinical study, five senior surgeons at four different hospitals performed the surgical procedures. An independent surgeon evaluated the patients using clinical (Constant score, QuickDASH and radiological (X-rays, CT scans outcome measures. Results: The cadaver study allowed us to validate the height landmarks relative to the pectoralis major tendon. In the clinical study, at the review, abduction was 95° (60–160, forward flexion was 108° (70–160, external rotation (elbow at body was 34° (0–55, the QuickDASH was 31 (4.5–59, the overall Constant score was 54 (27–75, and the weighted Constant score was 76 (31.5–109. Discussion: This preliminary study of hemiarthroplasty (HA with a locked stem found results that were at least equivalent to published series. As all patients had at least a 2-year follow-up, integration of the locked stem did not cause any specific complications. These results suggest that it is possible to avoid using cement when hemiarthroplasty is performed for the humeral stem. This implant makes height adjustment and transosseous suturing of the tuberosities more reproducible.

Cognitive dysfunction improves in systemic lupus erythematosus: Results of a 10 years prospective study.

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Fulvia Ceccarelli

Full Text Available Cognitive impairment (CI has been described in 3-80% of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE patients but only short-term studies evaluated its over-time changes, suggesting that CI is usually a stable finding. We aimed at evaluating the changes of SLE-related CI in a 10-years prospective single center cohort study.We evaluated 43 patients (M/F 5/38; mean age = 45.7±10.1 years; mean disease duration = 230.8±74.3 months at baseline (T0 and after 10 years (T1. A test battery designed to detect fronto-subcortical dysfunction across five domains (memory, attention, abstract reasoning, executive and visuospatial function was administered. A global cognitive dysfunction score (GCD was obtained and associated with clinical and laboratory features.Prevalence of CI was 20.9% at T0 and 13.9% at T1 (P = NS. This impairment was prevalently mild at T0 (55.5% and mild or moderate at T1 (36.3% for both degrees. After 10 years, CI improved in 50% of patients, while 10% worsened. Impaired memory (P = 0.02, executive functions (P = 0.02 and abstract reasoning (P = 0.03 were associated with dyslipidemia at T0. Worsening of visuospatial functions was significantly associated with dyslipidemia and Lupus Anticoagulant (P = 0.04 for both parameters. Finally, GCD significantly correlated with chronic damage measured by SLICC/damage index at T0 (r = 0.3; P = 0.04 and T1 (r = 0.3; P = 0.03.For the first time, we assessed CI changes over 10-years in SLE. CI improved in the majority of the patients. Furthermore, we observed an improvement of the overall cognitive functions. These results could suggest that an appropriate management of the disease during the follow-up could be able to control SLE-related CI.

Empathetic attitudes of undergraduate paramedic and nursing students towards four medical conditions: a three-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Brett; Boyle, Malcolm; Fielder, Chris

2015-02-01

In the healthcare context empathy is the cognitive ability to understand a patient's perspectives and experiences and to convey that understanding back to the patient. Some medical conditions are frequently stigmatised or otherwise detrimentally stereotyped with patients often describing healthcare practitioners as intolerant, prejudiced and discriminatory. The purpose of this study was to find how a group of paramedic students and nursing/paramedic double-degree students regard these types of patients and to note any changes that may occur as those students continued through their education. The 11-questions, 6-point Likert scale version of the Medical Condition Regard Scale was used in this prospective cross-sectional longitudinal study. This study included paramedic students enrolled in first, second, third and fourth year of an undergraduate paramedic or paramedic/nursing program from Monash University. A total of 554 students participated. Statistically significant differences were found between double-degree and single-degree students (pintellectual disability and attempted suicide. No statistically significant results were found for acute mental illness. This study has demonstrated significant differences in empathy between paramedic and nursing/paramedic double-degree students in regard to patients with these complex medical conditions. Paramedic/nursing students generally showed a positive change in empathy towards these complex patients by their third year of study; however, they also showed some alarming drops in empathy between second and third year. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accelerated partial-breast irradiation using high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy: 12-year update of a prospective clinical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polgar, Csaba; Major, Tibor; Fodor, Janos; Sulyok, Zoltan; Somogyi, Andras; Loevey, Katalin; Nemeth, Gyoergy; Kasler, Miklos

2010-01-01

Background and purpose: To report the 12-year updated results of accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) using multicatheter interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT). Patients and methods: Forty-five prospectively selected patients with T1N0-N1mi, nonlobular breast cancer without the presence of an extensive intraductal component and with negative surgical margins were treated with APBI after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) using interstitial HDR BT. A total dose of 30.3 Gy (n = 8) and 36.4 Gy (n = 37) in seven fractions within 4 days was delivered to the tumour bed plus a 1-2 cm margin. The median follow-up time was 133 months for surviving patients. Local and regional control, disease-free (DFS), cancer-specific (CSS), and overall survival (OS), as well as late side effects, and cosmetic results were assessed. Results: Four (8.9%) ipsilateral breast tumour recurrences were observed, for a 5-, 10-, and 12-year actuarial rate of 4.4%, 9.3%, and 9.3%, respectively. A total of two regional nodal failures were observed for a 12-year actuarial rate of 4.4%. The 12-year DFS, CSS, and OS was 75.3%, 91.1%, and 88.9%, respectively. Grade 3 fibrosis was observed in one patient (2.2%). No patient developed grade 3 teleangiectasia. Fat necrosis requiring surgical intervention occurred in one woman (2.2%). Cosmetic results were rated excellent or good in 35 patients (77.8%). Conclusions: Twelve-year results with APBI using HDR multicatheter interstitial implants continue to demonstrate excellent long-term local tumour control, survival, and cosmetic results with a low-rate of late side effects.

Simultaneous vs. Successive Bilingualism among Preschool-Aged Children: A Study of Four-Year-Old Korean-English Bilinguals in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ah-Young; Park, Anne; Lust, Barbara

2018-01-01

The current study compares simultaneous vs. successive bilingualism through a mixed-method research design with four four-year-old Korean-English bilingual children who were born and raised in the USA. Two simultaneous bilinguals were exposed to Korean and English from birth, whereas two successive bilinguals were exposed to Korean from birth, but…

[Risk of death 4 years after a 1st cerebral infarction: prospective study in Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela].

Science.gov (United States)

Poni, E; Granero, R; Escobar, B

1995-12-01

Stroke, the 5th. cause of death in Venezuela, has been associated to cerebral infarction. However, there is little information concerning lethality factors. 33 atherothrombotic subtype stroke patients, 31 (96%) Latino and 2(4%) white, were admitted into a prospective study to analyze the role of 11 mortality risk factors for those patients. A mortality relative risk (RR) > 1.5 or Mortality RR for patients age 65 and over (RR = 2.95) and 4 year mortality RR for male patients (RR = 2.04) were clinically and statistically significant. History of high blood pressure was protective (RR = 0.62) probably due to good medical control. Cumulative mortality was higher than that of comparable studies, even from the first week of follow-up, reaching 67% at the 4th year.

Four years in / four years out : two university buildings 2000-2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovell, J. [Royal Inst. of British Architects, London (United Kingdom); Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design

2009-07-01

The University of Cambridge commissioned London-based Allies and Morrison to develop and design 2 new buildings for its Sidgwick campus, England. Two naturally ventilated buildings were completed and occupied in 2004. The Estate Management and Building Service at the University of Cambridge is now reviewing the actual energy performance of both buildings in terms of user comfort. The finding will be compared against original projections of the design team. The review will also compare actual running costs against projected costs and feedback from building users and facilities management. The approach taken by client and design team towards the life-time energy performance of the building was examined in terms of comfort and control and load management. A more complex system of sub-metering is now proposed for all new buildings. Post occupancy feedback data was used to evaluate the successes and failures of the project teams in terms of energy performance, thermal comfort and building management communication four years after completion. This paper noted that if viewed over 30 years, the initial construction budget of a building accounts for only a fraction of the true cost of a building. During its lifetime, primary expenditure will likely to be upon personnel costs; work performance and salaries, staff retention and absenteeism. Therefore, the success of a building must be seen in the context of its whole life and the comfort of its users. 14 refs., 9 figs.

Self-confidence and level of knowledge after cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in 14 to 18-year-old schoolchildren: A randomised-interventional controlled prospective study in secondary schools in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Wingen, Sabine; Schroeder, Daniel C; Ecker, Hannes; Steinhauser, Susanne; Altin, Sibel; Stock, Stephanie; Lechleuthner, Alex; Hohn, Andreas; Böttiger, Bernd W

2018-01-02

Education of schoolchildren in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a strategic goal for improvement of bystander CPR in society. The primary objective was to analyse the impact of CPR training on the resuscitation knowledge and self-confidence of secondary schoolchildren. In addition, independent predictors of improved CPR knowledge and self-confidence were investigated. Prospective, randomised-interventional controlled study. Four secondary schools in Germany. Four hundred and twenty-four schoolchildren aged from 14 to 18 years were included into the study. Fifty-one percent were female, and 33% had an immigrant background. The intervention group received a 90-min CPR training session, whereas controls had no intervention. Levels of knowledge and self-confidence in initiating CPR were analysed by a study questionnaire before (t0), 90 min after (t1) and 6 months after training (t2). Based on the evaluation of study questionnaires, the primary endpoint was to determine the development of resuscitation knowledge and self-confidence in initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation at survey time-points t0, t1 and t2. Schoolchildren in the intervention group (n=207) showed a significantly higher level of knowledge (P CPR training improves the level of knowledge and self-confidence in 14 to 18-year-old schoolchildren. Older schoolchildren are more likely to have increased self-confidence with respect to initiating CPR. Schoolchildren with an immigrant background showed a significantly lower increase in their level of knowledge and self-confidence compared with native children. Adaptation and simplification of teaching materials and further research on educational methods for CPR are urgently needed to enable a sustainable approach to teaching CPR, which also produces a long-lasting effect in the entire population.

Chronic Stress is Prospectively Associated with Sleep in Midlife Women: The SWAN Sleep Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Martica H; Casement, Melynda D; Troxel, Wendy M; Matthews, Karen A; Bromberger, Joyce T; Kravitz, Howard M; Krafty, Robert T; Buysse, Daniel J

2015-10-01

Evaluate whether levels of upsetting life events measured over a 9-y period prospectively predict subjective and objective sleep outcomes in midlife women. Prospective cohort study. Four sites across the United States. 330 women (46-57 y of age) enrolled in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Sleep Study. N/A. Upsetting life events were assessed annually for up to 9 y. Trajectory analysis applied to life events data quantitatively identified three distinct chronic stress groups: low stress, moderate stress, and high stress. Sleep was assessed by self-report and in-home polysomnography (PSG) during the ninth year of the study. Multivariate analyses tested the prospective association between chronic stress group and sleep, adjusting for race, baseline sleep complaints, marital status, body mass index, symptoms of depression, and acute life events at the time of the Sleep Study. Women characterized by high chronic stress had lower subjective sleep quality, were more likely to report insomnia, and exhibited increased PSG-assessed wake after sleep onset (WASO) relative to women with low to moderate chronic stress profiles. The effect of chronic stress group on WASO persisted in the subsample of participants without baseline sleep complaints. Chronic stress is prospectively associated with sleep disturbance in midlife women, even after adjusting for acute stressors at the time of the sleep study and other factors known to disrupt sleep. These results are consistent with current models of stress that emphasize the cumulative effect of stressors on health over time. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Chronic exposure to adverse psychosocial work factors and high psychological distress among white-collar workers: A 5-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndjaboue, Ruth; Brisson, Chantal; Talbot, Denis; Vézina, Michel

2017-03-01

Prospective studies which evaluated whether the effects of chronic exposure to psychosocial work factors on mental health persisted over time are scarce. For the first time, this study evaluated: 1) the effect of chronic exposure to effort-reward imbalance over 5years on the prevalence of high psychological distress among men and women, and 2) the persistence of this effect over time. Overall, 1747 white-collar workers from three public organizations participated in a prospective study. Psychological distress and effort-reward imbalance were measured using validated questionnaires at baseline, and at 3- and 5-year follow-ups. Prevalence ratios (PRs) of high psychological distress were estimated using log-binomial regression according to baseline and repeated exposure. Compared to unexposed workers, those with repeated exposure to effort-reward imbalance had a higher prevalence of high psychological distress. Workers exposed only at some time-points also had a higher prevalence. The deleterious effect of repeated exposure observed at the 3-year follow-up persisted at the 5-year follow-up among women (PR=2.48 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.97-3.11) and men (PR=1.91 95% CI 1.20-3.04). These effects were greater than those found using a single baseline measurement. The current study supported a deleterious effect of repeated exposure to effort-reward imbalance on psychological distress, and a lack of adaptation to these effects over time among men and women. Since psychological distress may later lead to severe mental problems, current results highlight the need to consider exposure to these adverse work factors in primary and secondary preventions aimed at reducing mental health problems at work. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Edentulous Patients with Two- vs Four-Locator-Retained Mandibular Overdentures: A Prospective, Randomized, Crossover Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Karbach, Julia; Hartmann, Sinsa; Jahn-Eimermacher, Antje; Wagner, Wilfried

2015-01-01

To compare the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a prospective, randomized crossover trial in patients with mandibular overdentures retained with two or four locators. In 30 patients with edentulous mandibles, four implants (ICX-plus implants [Medentis Medical]) were placed in the intraforaminal area. Eight weeks after transgingival healing, patients were randomly assigned to have two or four implants incorporated in the prosthesis. After 3 months, the retention concepts were switched. The patients with a two-implant-supported overdenture had four implants incorporated, whereas patients with a four-implant-supported overdenture had two retention locators taken out. After 3 more months, all four implants were retained in the implant-supported overdenture in every patient. To measure OHRQoL of the patients, the Oral Health Impact Profile 14, German version (OHIP-14 G), was used. A considerable increase in OHRQoL could be seen in all patients after the prosthesis was placed on the implants. Also, a statistically significant difference of OHRQoL could be seen in the OHIP-14 G scores between two-implant and four-implant overdentures. Patients had a higher OHRQoL after incorporation of four implants in the overdenture compared with only two implants. Patients with implant-retained overdentures had better OHRQoL compared with those with conventional dentures. The number of incorporated implants in the locator-retained overdenture also influenced the increase in OHRQoL, with four implants having a statistically significant advantage over two implants.

Evaluation of total alloplastic temporo-mandibular joint replacement with two different types of prostheses: A three-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Perez, L-M; Gonzalez-Perez-Somarriba, B; Centeno, G; Vallellano, C; Montes-Carmona, J-F

2016-11-01

Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) replacement has been used clinically for years. The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes achieved in patients with two different categories of TMJ prostheses. All patients who had a TMJ replacement (TMJR) implanted during the study period from 2006 through 2012 were included in this 3-year prospective study. All procedures were performed using the Biomet Microfixation TMJ Replacement System, and all involved replacing both the skull base component (glenoid fossa) and the mandibular condyle. Fifty-seven patients (38 females and 19 males), involving 75 TMJs with severe disease requiring reconstruction (39 unilateral, 18 bilateral) were operated on consecutively, and 68 stock prostheses and 7 custom-made prostheses were implanted. The mean age at surgery was 52.6±11.5 years in the stock group and 51.8±11.7 years in the custom-made group. In the stock group, after three years of TMJR, results showed a reduction in pain intensity from 6.4±1.4 to 1.6±1.2 (p<0.001), and an improvement in jaw opening from 2.7±0.9 cm to 4.2±0.7 cm (p<0.001). In the custom-made group, after three years of TMJR, results showed a reduction in pain intensity from 6.0±1.6 to 2.2±0.4 (p<0.001), and an improvement in jaw opening from 1.5±0.5 cm to 4.3±0.6 cm (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences between two groups were detected. The results of this three-year prospective study support the surgical placement of TMJ prostheses (stock prosthetic, and custom-made systems), and show that the approach is efficacious and safe, reduces pain, and improves maximum mouth opening movement, with few complications. As such, TMJR represents a viable technique and a stable long-term solution for cranio-mandibular reconstruction in patients with irreversible end-stage TMJ disease. Comparing stock and custom-made groups, no statistically significant differences were detected with respect to pain intensity reduction and maximum mouth opening

Sugammadex versus neostigmine in pediatric patients: a prospective randomized study

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Turhan Kara

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may cause postoperative residual curarization when they are used for reversal of neuromuscular blockade. Sugammadex reverses neuromuscular blockade by chemical encapsulation and is not associated with the side effects that may occur with the use of anticholinesterase agents. Because of increased outpatient surgical procedures postoperative residual curarization and rapid postoperative recovery have a greater importance in the pediatric patient population. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of sugammadex and neostigmine on reversing neuromuscular blockade in pediatric patients undergoing outpatient surgical procedures. Methods: 80 patients, aged 2-12 years, scheduled for outpatient surgery were enrolled in this randomized prospective study. Neuromuscular blockade was achieved with 0.6 mgkg−1 rocuronium and monitorized with train-of-four. Group RN (n = 40 received 0.03 mgkg−1 neostigmine, Group RS (n = 40 received 2 mgkg−1 sugammadex for reversal of rocuronium. Extubation time (time from the reversal of neuromuscular blockade to extubation, train-of-four ratio during this time, time to reach train-of-four > 0.9, and probable complications were recorded. Results: There was no significant difference between the patients' characteristics. Extubation time and time to reach train-of-four > 0.9 were significantly higher in Group RN (p = 0.001, p = 0.002. Train-of-four at the time of neostigmine/sugammadex injection in Group RN were significantly higher than in the RS group (p = 0.020. Extubation train-of-four ratio was significantly lower in Group RN (p = 0.002. Conclusion: Sugammadex provides safer extubation with a shorter recovery time than neostigmine in pediatric patients undergoing outpatient surgical procedures.

Maxillary Overdentures Supported by Anteriorly or Posteriorly Placed Implants Opposed by a Natural Dentition in the Mandible : A 1-Year Prospective Case Series Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slot, Jan; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J. A.

Background: For maxillary overdenture therapy, treatment guidelines are missing. There is a need for longitudinal studies. Purpose: The purpose of this 1-year prospective case series study was to assess the treatment outcome of maxillary overdentures supported by six dental implants opposed by

A Phenomenological Study: The Lived Experience of Former Foster Youth Attending a Four-Year College in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dora Yiu Lam

2010-01-01

This qualitative study examined the lived experience of eight individuals attending a four-year college who were all part of a campus support program for former foster youth. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explore the lived experiences of these unique college students that have gone through the foster care system.…

Stable glomerular filtration rate in normotensive IDDM patients with stable microalbuminuria. A 5-year prospective study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, E R; Feldt-Rasmussen, B; Hommel, E

1997-01-01

patients with persistent microalbuminuria (mean urinary albumin excretion [UAE] 84 mg/24 h [range 30-300]) were followed prospectively for 5 years of clinical examinations that included the measurement of GFR (51Cr-labeled EDTA clearance) at least once a year. The mean GFR at baseline was 120 +/- 18 ml x....... Out of 40 patients, 14 progressed to diabetic nephropathy (UAE > 300 mg/24 h). These patients had a significant reduction in GFR (mean -2.2 +/- 3.8 ml x min-1 x year-1; P = 0.05), while GFR remained stable in the remaining 26 patients with nonprogressive microalbuminuria (change in GFR 0.5 +/- 2.1 ml...

Psychopathological factors that can influence academic achievement in early adolescence: a three-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Voltas, Núria; Hernández-Martínez, Carmen; Aparicio, Estefania; Arija, Victoria; Canals, Josefa

2014-12-30

This three-phase prospective study investigated psychosocial factors predicting or associated with academic achievement. An initial sample of 1,514 school-age children was assessed with screening tools for emotional problems (Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders; Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version; Children's Depression Inventory). The following year, 562 subjects (risk group/without risk group) were re-assessed and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was assessed. Two years later, 242 subjects were followed, and their parents informed about their academic achievement. Results showed that early depression (phase 1 B = -.130, p = .001; phase 1 + phase 2 B = -.187, p anxiety symptoms (phase 1 + phase 2 B = -1.721, p = .018), and ADHD were predictors of lower academic achievement (phase 1 + phase 2 B = -3.415, p = .005). However, some anxiety symptoms can improve academic achievement (Social phobia B = .216, p = .018; Generalized anxiety B = .313, p academic achievement. We can conclude that in the transition period to adolescence, school-health professionals and teachers need to consider the emotional issues of students to avoid unwanted academic outcomes.

75 FR 81138 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-27

... [CMS-1510-CN2] RIN 0938-AP88 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for... ``Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in... Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification Requirements for Home...

76 FR 68525 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-04

... Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2012; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76, No... 0938-AQ30 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2012... sets forth updates to the home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) rates, including: the...

Progressive Incrementalism: U.S Foreign Economic Policy Over the Next Four Years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M. Curtis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available As we look ahead following last year’s U.S. presidential and congressional elections, Canadians — and Canadian business in particular — will want to have a better sense of the economic prospects, as well as the context, of U.S. foreign economic policy over the coming half-decade or so. For, notwithstanding all the talk, debates, op-ed articles, thinktank-pieces and even books in recent years suggesting or asserting the decline of American economic power, Canada’s ever-present integration and interdependence with our southern neighbour is both a reality and now, again, an important, medium-term asset. Over the coming four years and likely beyond, and once it has completed sorting out its “fiscal cliff” matter, the U.S. is positioned to be the source of increasing economic growth. The American economy has strengths: its high productivity and innovation compared to most other countries, massive piles of private sector cash leading to all sorts of investment potential, a devalued currency, and a relatively young workforce compared to the European Union, Japan, and even Canada. Therefore, although the U.S. economy continues to face large challenges related to fiscal imbalances, there are reasons to expect increasing economic growth over the medium term.

Job strain and loss of healthy life years between ages 50 and 75 by sex and occupational position: analyses of 64 934 individuals from four prospective cohort studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Westerlund, Hugo; Chungkham, Holendro S; Vahtera, Jussi; Rod, Naja H; Alexanderson, Kristina; Goldberg, Marcel; Kivimäki, Mika; Stenholm, Sari; Platts, Loretta G; Zins, Marie; Head, Jenny

2018-05-07

Poor psychosocial working conditions increase the likelihood of various types of morbidity and may substantially limit quality of life and possibilities to remain in paid work. To date, however, no studies to our knowledge have quantified the extent to which poor psychosocial working conditions reduce healthy or chronic disease-free life expectancy, which was the focus of this study. Data were derived from four cohorts with repeat data: the Finnish Public Sector Study (Finland), GAZEL (France), the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (Sweden) and Whitehall II (UK). Healthy (in good self-rated health) life expectancy (HLE) and chronic disease-free (free from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes) life expectancy (CDFLE) was calculated from age 50 to 75 based on 64 394 individuals with data on job strain (high demands in combination with low control) at baseline and health at baseline and follow-up. Multistate life table models showed that job strain was consistently related to shorter HLE (overall 1.7 years difference). The difference in HLE was more pronounced among men (2.0 years compared with 1.5 years for women) and participants in lower occupational positions (2.5 years among low-grade men compared with 1.7 years among high-grade men). Similar differences in HLE, although smaller, were observed among those in intermediate or high occupational positions. Job strain was additionally associated with shorter CDFLE, although this association was weaker and somewhat inconsistent. These findings suggest that individuals with job strain have a shorter health expectancy compared with those without job strain. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection: A nested case-control study in a three year prospective cohort.

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Khanafer, Nagham; Vanhems, Philippe; Barbut, Frédéric; Luxemburger, Christine

2017-04-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a serious medical condition that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Identification of risk factors associated with CDI and prompt recognition of patients at risk is key to successfully preventing CDI. A 3-year prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted in a French university hospital and a nested case-control study was performed to identify risk factors for CDI. Inpatients aged 18 years or older, suffering from diarrhea suspected to be related to CDI, were asked to participate. A total of 945 patients were included, of which 233 cases had a confirmed CDI. CDI infection was more common in men (58.4%) (P = 0.04) compared with patients with diarrhea not related to C. difficile. Previous hospitalization (P infection control issues. In future, these "high-risk" patients may benefit from novel agents being developed to prevent CDI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A longitudinal study of women’s memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum

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Takehara, Kenji; Noguchi, Makiko; Shimane, Takuya; Misago, Chizuru

2014-01-01

Background Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women’s memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Methods This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003. Data were collected using structured interviews and transcriptio...

International prospective observational study of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage: Does weekend admission affect outcome?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murray, Iain A.; Dalton, Harry R.; Stanley, Adrian J.

2017-01-01

Introduction Out of hours admissions have higher mortality for many conditions but upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage studies have produced variable outcomes. Methods Prospective study of 12 months consecutive admissions of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage from four international high volume...

Maternal consumption of coffee during pregnancy and stillbirth and infant death in first year of life: prospective study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wisborg, Kirsten; Kesmodel, Ulrik; Bech, Bodil Hammer

2003-01-01

pregnancy had an increased risk of stillbirth compared with women who did not drink coffee (odds ratio=3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 5.9). After adjustment for smoking habits and alcohol intake during pregnancy, the relative risk of stillbirth decreased slightly. Adjustment for parity, maternal age......Objective To study the association between coffee consumption during pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth and infant death in the first year of life. Design Prospective follow up study. Setting Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, 1989-96. Participants 18 478 singleton pregnancies in women...... with valid information about coffee consumption during pregnancy. Main outcome measures Stillbirth (delivery of a dead fetus at >28 weeks’ gestation) and infant death (death of a liveborn infant during the first year of life). Results Pregnant women who drank eight or more cups of coffee per day during...

Complications of ERCP: a prospective study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Merete; Matzen, Peter; Schulze, Svend

2004-01-01

included in this prospective study. Complications were assessed at the time of ERCP and by postal/telephone contact at 30-days after the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 1177 ERCPs were included in the analysis, of which 56.2% were therapeutic. The 30-day complication rate was 15.9%; the procedure...... occurred in relation to 5% of the ERCP procedures (3 deaths). Cardiorespiratory complications occurred in 2.3% (2 deaths). Dilated bile duct ( p = 0.0001), placement of stent ( p = 0.001), and use of more than 40 mg of hyoscine-N-butyl bromide ( p ... analysis. Risk of pancreatitis was increased with age under 40 years ( p = 0.0078), placement of stent ( p = 0.031), and a dilated bile duct ( p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study confirms that the complication rate of ERCP including therapeutic procedures is high. Cardiopulmonary complications...

Social class and gender patterning of insomnia symptoms and psychiatric distress: a 20-year prospective cohort study.

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Green, Michael J; Espie, Colin A; Benzeval, Michael

2014-05-25

Psychiatric distress and insomnia symptoms exhibit similar patterning by gender and socioeconomic position. Prospective evidence indicates a bi-directional relationship between psychiatric distress and insomnia symptoms so similarities in social patterning may not be coincidental. Treatment for insomnia can also improve distress outcomes. We investigate the extent to which the prospective patterning of distress over 20 years is associated with insomnia symptoms over that period. 999 respondents to the Twenty-07 Study had been followed for 20 years from approximately ages 36-57 (73.2% of the living baseline sample). Psychiatric distress was measured using the GHQ-12 at baseline and at 20-year follow-up. Gender and social class were ascertained at baseline. Insomnia symptoms were self-reported approximately every five years. Latent class analysis was used to classify patterns of insomnia symptoms over the 20 years. Structural Equation Models were used to assess how much of the social patterning of distress was associated with insomnia symptoms. Missing data was addressed with a combination of multiple-imputation and weighting. Patterns of insomnia symptoms over 20 years were classified as either healthy, episodic, developing or chronic. Respondents from a manual social class were more likely to experience episodic, developing or chronic patterns than those from non-manual occupations but this was mostly explained by baseline psychiatric distress. People in manual occupations experiencing psychiatric distress however were particularly likely to experience chronic patterns of insomnia symptoms. Women were more likely to experience a developing pattern than men, independent of baseline distress. Psychiatric distress was more persistent over the 20 years for those in manual social classes and this effect disappeared when adjusting for insomnia symptoms. Irrespective of baseline symptoms, women, and especially those in a manual social class, were more likely than men to

A 4-year prospective study of eating disorder NOS compared with full eating disorder syndromes.

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Agras, W Stewart; Crow, Scott; Mitchell, James E; Halmi, Katherine A; Bryson, Susan

2009-09-01

To examine the course of Eating Disorder NOS (EDNOS) compared with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Prospective study of 385 participants meeting DSM-IV criteria for AN, BN, BED, and EDNOS at three sites. Recruitment was from the community and specialty clinics. Participants were followed at 6-month intervals during a 4-year period using the Eating Disorder Examination as the primary assessment. EDNOS remitted significantly more quickly that AN or BN but not BED. There were no differences between EDNOS and full ED syndromes, or the subtypes of EDNOS, in time to relapse following first remission. Only 18% of the EDNOS group had never had or did not develop another ED diagnosis during the study; however, this group did not differ from the remaining EDNOS group. EDNOS appears to be a way station between full ED syndromes and recovery, and to a lesser extent from recovery or EDNOS status to a full ED. Implications for DSM-V are examined.

A four year prospective study of injuries in elite Ontario youth provincial and national soccer players during training and matchplay

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Mohib, Milad; Moser, Nicholas; Kim, Richard; Thillai, Maathavan; Gringmuth, Robert

2014-01-01

Introduction: With over 200 million amateur players worldwide, soccer is one of the most popular and internationally recognized sports today. By understanding how and why soccer injuries occur we hope to reduce prevalent injuries amongst elite soccer athletes. Methods: Via a prospective cohort, we examined both male and female soccer players eligible to train with the Ontario Soccer Association provincial program between the ages of 13 to 17 during the period of October 10, 2008 and April 20, 2012. Data collection occurred during all player exposures to potential injury. Exposures occurred at the Soccer Centre, Ontario Training grounds and various other venues on multiple playing surfaces. Results: A total number of 733 injuries were recorded. Muscle strain, pull or tightness was responsible for 45.6% of all injuries and ranked as the most prevalent injury. Discussion: As anticipated, the highest injury reported was muscular strain, which warrants more suitable preventive programs aimed at strengthening and properly warming up the players’ muscles. PMID:25550661

US independent to spend over $1bn in next three years. Case study: Anadarko

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

This special report draws together four articles connected with the current state of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry. The first looks at rapidly expanding demand for LNG in the Asia-Pacific region. Growth prospects for the industry are good with a tripling of output anticipated by the year 2015. The Tiga project, in Malaysia, part of an ambitious expansion programme, is set to enable Malaysia to challenge Indonesia as the world's leading LNG producer, and is described in the second report. Thirdly, the increasing size of bulk gas carriers, the most sophisticated merchant ships afloat, offer improved economic returns. Plans are underway for a vessel capable of carrying 160,000 cm of gas. The report concludes with a case study of the A3 company Anadarko's financial prospects. The US independent company is planning an ambitious capital expenditure programme of over $1bn in the next three years. (UK)

Peyton’s four-step approach for teaching complex spinal manipulation techniques – a prospective randomized trial

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Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The objectives of this prospective randomized trial were to assess the impact of Peyton’s four-step approach on the acquisition of complex psychomotor skills and to examine the influence of gender on learning outcomes. Methods We randomly assigned 95 third to fifth year medical students to an intervention group which received instructions according to Peyton (PG or a control group, which received conventional teaching (CG. Both groups attended four sessions on the principles of manual therapy and specific manipulative and diagnostic techniques for the spine. We assessed differences in theoretical knowledge (multiple choice (MC exam and practical skills (Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE with respect to type of intervention and gender. Participants took a second OSPE 6 months after completion of the course. Results There were no differences between groups with respect to the MC exam. Students in the PG group scored significantly higher in the OSPE. Gender had no additional impact. Results of the second OSPE showed a significant decline in competency regardless of gender and type of intervention. Conclusions Peyton’s approach is superior to standard instruction for teaching complex spinal manipulation skills regardless of gender. Skills retention was equally low for both techniques.

Lifestyle Risk Factors Increase the Risk of Hospitalization for Sciatica: Findings of Four Prospective Cohort Studies.

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Shiri, Rahman; Euro, Ulla; Heliövaara, Markku; Hirvensalo, Mirja; Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Kirsti; Karppinen, Jaro; Lahti, Jouni; Rahkonen, Ossi; Raitakari, Olli T; Solovieva, Svetlana; Yang, Xiaolin; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Lallukka, Tea

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of lifestyle risk factors on the risk of hospitalization for sciatica and to determine whether overweight or obesity modifies the effect of leisure-time physical activity on hospitalization for sciatica. We included 4 Finnish prospective cohort studies (Health 2000 Survey, Mobile Clinic Survey, Helsinki Health Study, and Young Finns Study) consisting of 34,589 participants and 1259 hospitalizations for sciatica during 12 to 30 years of follow-up. Sciatica was based on hospital discharge register data. We conducted a random-effects individual participant data meta-analysis. After adjustment for confounding factors, current smoking at baseline increased the risk of subsequent hospitalization for sciatica by 33% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13%-56%), whereas past smokers were no longer at increased risk. Obesity defined by body mass index increased the risk of hospitalization for sciatica by 36% (95% CI 7%-74%), and abdominal obesity defined by waist circumference increased the risk by 41% (95% CI 3%-93%). Walking or cycling to work reduced the risk of hospitalization for sciatica by 33% (95% CI 4%-53%), and the effect was independent of body weight and other leisure activities, while other types of leisure activities did not have a statistically significant effect. Smoking and obesity increase the risk of hospitalization for sciatica, whereas walking or cycling to work protects against hospitalization for sciatica. Walking and cycling can be recommended for the prevention of sciatica in the general population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aetiological patterns and management outcome of paediatric head trauma: one-year prospective study.

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Emejulu, J K C; Shokunbi, M T

2010-09-01

Trauma is the most common cause ofpaediatric deaths. In 75% ofpaediatric trauma deaths, head injury is responsible, and most are from falls. Recent reports from Nigeria, however, appear to indicate a predominance of road traffic accidents, instead of falls. To evaluate the aetiology of paediatric head trauma, management protocols and outcome from our Centre, in order to acquire a baseline data base and recommend measures to reduce childhood trauma. A prospective study of all paediatric head trauma cases presenting to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, for 12months from April 21, 2006 to April 20, 2007, was done and collated data subsequently analyzed. The paediatric age group was taken as = 15 years, and grading of head injury was with the Glasgow Coma Scale (3-15) and the modified scale for non-verbal children; while outcome was measured with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (1-5). Out of 334 patients treated within the period of study, 210 were head trauma cases. Of these, 52 were paediatric head trauma, representing 24.8% of all head trauma cases; and 19.2% (10 of 52) of them were aged 0-2 years. About 62% (32 of 52) were males. Falls and RTA were each responsible in 25 (48.1%) cases. Mild head injury occurred in 31 (59.6%), and 49 (94.2%) patients were evaluated by plain radiography. Treatment was conservative in 39 (75%) cases; with satisfactory outcome in 36 (69.2%), and a mortality rate of 15.4%. Road traffic injury, mostly from motorcycles, has become the major cause of morbidity and mortality amongst the paediatric age group, especially the male gender, and outcome from management is mostly satisfactory.

Stimulus-Elicited Connectivity Influences Resting-State Connectivity Years Later in Human Development: A Prospective Study.

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Gabard-Durnam, Laurel Joy; Gee, Dylan Grace; Goff, Bonnie; Flannery, Jessica; Telzer, Eva; Humphreys, Kathryn Leigh; Lumian, Daniel Stephen; Fareri, Dominic Stephen; Caldera, Christina; Tottenham, Nim

2016-04-27

Although the functional architecture of the brain is indexed by resting-state connectivity networks, little is currently known about the mechanisms through which these networks assemble into stable mature patterns. The current study posits and tests the long-term phasic molding hypothesis that resting-state networks are gradually shaped by recurring stimulus-elicited connectivity across development by examining how both stimulus-elicited and resting-state functional connections of the human brain emerge over development at the systems level. Using a sequential design following 4- to 18-year-olds over a 2 year period, we examined the predictive associations between stimulus-elicited and resting-state connectivity in amygdala-cortical circuitry as an exemplar case (given this network's protracted development across these ages). Age-related changes in amygdala functional connectivity converged on the same regions of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and inferior frontal gyrus when elicited by emotional stimuli and when measured at rest. Consistent with the long-term phasic molding hypothesis, prospective analyses for both connections showed that the magnitude of an individual's stimulus-elicited connectivity unidirectionally predicted resting-state functional connectivity 2 years later. For the amygdala-mPFC connection, only stimulus-elicited connectivity during childhood and the transition to adolescence shaped future resting-state connectivity, consistent with a sensitive period ending with adolescence for the amygdala-mPFC circuit. Together, these findings suggest that resting-state functional architecture may arise from phasic patterns of functional connectivity elicited by environmental stimuli over the course of development on the order of years. A fundamental issue in understanding the ontogeny of brain function is how resting-state (intrinsic) functional networks emerge and relate to stimulus-elicited functional connectivity. Here, we posit and test the long

Incidence and predictors of suicide attempts in DSM-IV major depressive disorder: a five-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Holma, K Mikael; Melartin, Tarja K; Haukka, Jari; Holma, Irina A K; Sokero, T Petteri; Isometsä, Erkki T

2010-07-01

Prospective long-term studies of risk factors for suicide attempts among patients with major depressive disorder have not investigated the course of illness and state at the time of the act. Therefore, the importance of state factors, particularly time spent in risk states, for overall risk remains unknown. In the Vantaa Depression Study, a longitudinal 5-year evaluation of psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder, prospective information on 249 patients (92.6%) was available. Time spent in depressive states and the timing of suicide attempts were investigated with life charts. During the follow-up assessment period, there were 106 suicide attempts per 1,018 patient-years. The incidence rate per 1,000 patient-years during major depressive episodes was 21-fold (N=332 [95% confidence interval [CI]=258.6-419.2]), and it was fourfold during partial remission (N=62 [95% CI=34.6-92.4]) compared with full remission (N=16 [95% CI=11.2-40.2]). In the Cox proportional hazards model, suicide attempts were predicted by the months spent in a major depressive episode (hazard ratio=7.74 [95% CI=3.40-17.6]) or in partial remission (hazard ratio=4.20 [95% CI=1.71-10.3]), history of suicide attempts (hazard ratio=4.39 [95% CI=1.78-10.8]), age (hazard ratio=0.94 [95% CI=0.91-0.98]), lack of a partner (hazard ratio=2.33 [95% CI=0.97-5.56]), and low perceived social support (hazard ratio=3.57 [95% CI=1.09-11.1]). The adjusted population attributable fraction of the time spent depressed for suicide attempts was 78%. Among patients with major depressive disorder, incidence of suicide attempts varies markedly depending on the level of depression, being highest during major depressive episodes. Although previous attempts and poor social support also indicate risk, the time spent depressed is likely the major factor determining overall long-term risk.

The differential prevalence of obesity and related behaviors in two vs. four-year colleges.

Science.gov (United States)

Laska, Melissa Nelson; Pasch, Keryn E.; Lust, Katherine; Story, Mary; Ehlinger, Ed

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether obesity prevalence and weight-related behaviors (e.g., diet, physical activity) differ among students enrolled in two-year community/technical colleges and those attending four-year colleges/universities. This information could inform the development of intervention strategies. Through an existing surveillance system of Minnesota post-secondary education institutions, survey data were collected from 16,539 students from 27 campuses (14 two-year college campuses, 13 four-year college/university campuses; 2007-2008), including self-reported physical activity, media use, dietary patterns, weight control behaviors, height and weight. Unadjusted analyses indicated that students enrolled in two-year colleges, particularly females, had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, lower levels of physical activity, more television viewing, higher intakes of soda, fast food, and diet pills compared to students attending four-year colleges (pstudents there were fewer differences between two-year and four-year colleges. Controlling for sociodemographic factors (e.g., race/ethnicity, age), most disparities in prevalence estimates remained, though many were attenuated. Overall, few young adults engage in weight-related behaviors consistent with national recommendations. Two-year college students may represent a particularly at-risk group. Disparities between two- and four-year college students exist beyond the sociodemographic differences in these populations. Effective weight-related interventions are needed for young adults, particularly females attending two-year colleges and all males attending post-secondary institutions. PMID:20966910

Independent and combined relationship of habitual unhealthy eating behaviors with depressive symptoms: A prospective study

OpenAIRE

Huang, Cong; Momma, Haruki; Cui, Yufei; Chujo, Masahiko; Otomo, Atsushi; Sugiyama, Shota; Ren, Zhongyu; Niu, Kaijun; Nagatomi, Ryoichi

2016-01-01

Background: Unhealthy eating has been found to be associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms. However, prospective evidence of the combined effects of unhealthy eating and depressive symptoms has not been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the prospective relationship between habitual unhealthy eating habits and depressive symptoms. Methods: A 2-year prospective cohort study of 376 Japanese adults aged 24–83 years without depressive symptoms at baseline was conducted. Infor...

Atherosclerosis across 4000 years of human history: the Horus study of four ancient populations.

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Thompson, Randall C; Allam, Adel H; Lombardi, Guido P; Wann, L Samuel; Sutherland, M Linda; Sutherland, James D; Soliman, Muhammad Al-Tohamy; Frohlich, Bruno; Mininberg, David T; Monge, Janet M; Vallodolid, Clide M; Cox, Samantha L; Abd el-Maksoud, Gomaa; Badr, Ibrahim; Miyamoto, Michael I; el-Halim Nur el-Din, Abd; Narula, Jagat; Finch, Caleb E; Thomas, Gregory S

2013-04-06

Atherosclerosis is thought to be a disease of modern human beings and related to contemporary lifestyles. However, its prevalence before the modern era is unknown. We aimed to evaluate preindustrial populations for atherosclerosis. We obtained whole body CT scans of 137 mummies from four different geographical regions or populations spanning more than 4000 years. Individuals from ancient Egypt, ancient Peru, the Ancestral Puebloans of southwest America, and the Unangan of the Aleutian Islands were imaged. Atherosclerosis was regarded as definite if a calcified plaque was seen in the wall of an artery and probable if calcifications were seen along the expected course of an artery. Probable or definite atherosclerosis was noted in 47 (34%) of 137 mummies and in all four geographical populations: 29 (38%) of 76 ancient Egyptians, 13 (25%) of 51 ancient Peruvians, two (40%) of five Ancestral Puebloans, and three (60%) of five Unangan hunter gatherers (p=NS). Atherosclerosis was present in the aorta in 28 (20%) mummies, iliac or femoral arteries in 25 (18%), popliteal or tibial arteries in 25 (18%), carotid arteries in 17 (12%), and coronary arteries in six (4%). Of the five vascular beds examined, atherosclerosis was present in one to two beds in 34 (25%) mummies, in three to four beds in 11 (8%), and in all five vascular beds in two (1%). Age at time of death was positively correlated with atherosclerosis (mean age at death was 43 [SD 10] years for mummies with atherosclerosis vs 32 [15] years for those without; phuman beings raises the possibility of a more basic predisposition to the disease. National Endowment for the Humanities, Paleocardiology Foundation, The National Bank of Egypt, Siemens, and St Luke's Hospital Foundation of Kansas City. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

External Beam Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation Using 32 Gy in 8 Twice-Daily Fractions: 5-Year Results of a Prospective Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pashtan, Itai M.; Recht, Abram; Ancukiewicz, Marek; Brachtel, Elena; Abi-Raad, Rita F.; D'Alessandro, Helen A.; Levy, Antonin; Wo, Jennifer Y.; Hirsch, Ariel E.; Kachnic, Lisa A.; Goldberg, Saveli; Specht, Michelle; Gadd, Michelle; Smith, Barbara L.; Powell, Simon N.; Taghian, Alphonse G.

2012-01-01

Purpose: External beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an increasingly popular technique for treatment of patients with early stage breast cancer following breast-conserving surgery. Here we present 5-year results of a prospective trial. Methods and Materials: From October 2003 through November 2005, 98 evaluable patients with stage I breast cancer were enrolled in the first dose step (32 Gy delivered in 8 twice-daily fractions) of a prospective, multi-institutional, dose escalation clinical trial of 3-dimensional conformal external beam APBI (3D-APBI). Median age was 61 years; median tumor size was 0.8 cm; 89% of tumors were estrogen receptor positive; 10% had a triple-negative phenotype; and 1% had a HER-2-positive subtype. Median follow-up was 71 months (range, 2-88 months; interquartile range, 64-75 months). Results: Five patients developed ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), for a 5-year actuarial IBTR rate of 5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1%-10%). Three of these cases occurred in patients with triple-negative disease and 2 in non-triple-negative patients, for 5-year actuarial IBTR rates of 33% (95% CI, 0%-57%) and 2% (95% CI, 0%-6%; P<.0001), respectively. On multivariable analysis, triple-negative phenotype was the only predictor of IBTR, with borderline statistical significance after adjusting for tumor grade (P=.0537). Conclusions: Overall outcomes were excellent, particularly for patients with estrogen receptor-positive disease. Patients in this study with triple-negative breast cancer had a significantly higher IBTR rate than patients with other receptor phenotypes when treated with 3D-APBI. Larger, prospective 3D-APBI clinical trials should continue to evaluate the effect of hormone receptor phenotype on IBTR rates.

External Beam Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation Using 32 Gy in 8 Twice-Daily Fractions: 5-Year Results of a Prospective Study

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Pashtan, Itai M. [Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Recht, Abram [Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Ancukiewicz, Marek [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Brachtel, Elena [Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Abi-Raad, Rita F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); D' Alessandro, Helen A. [Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Levy, Antonin; Wo, Jennifer Y. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Hirsch, Ariel E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Kachnic, Lisa A. [Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Goldberg, Saveli [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Specht, Michelle; Gadd, Michelle; Smith, Barbara L. [Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Powell, Simon N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Taghian, Alphonse G., E-mail: ataghian@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

2012-11-01

Purpose: External beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an increasingly popular technique for treatment of patients with early stage breast cancer following breast-conserving surgery. Here we present 5-year results of a prospective trial. Methods and Materials: From October 2003 through November 2005, 98 evaluable patients with stage I breast cancer were enrolled in the first dose step (32 Gy delivered in 8 twice-daily fractions) of a prospective, multi-institutional, dose escalation clinical trial of 3-dimensional conformal external beam APBI (3D-APBI). Median age was 61 years; median tumor size was 0.8 cm; 89% of tumors were estrogen receptor positive; 10% had a triple-negative phenotype; and 1% had a HER-2-positive subtype. Median follow-up was 71 months (range, 2-88 months; interquartile range, 64-75 months). Results: Five patients developed ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), for a 5-year actuarial IBTR rate of 5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1%-10%). Three of these cases occurred in patients with triple-negative disease and 2 in non-triple-negative patients, for 5-year actuarial IBTR rates of 33% (95% CI, 0%-57%) and 2% (95% CI, 0%-6%; P<.0001), respectively. On multivariable analysis, triple-negative phenotype was the only predictor of IBTR, with borderline statistical significance after adjusting for tumor grade (P=.0537). Conclusions: Overall outcomes were excellent, particularly for patients with estrogen receptor-positive disease. Patients in this study with triple-negative breast cancer had a significantly higher IBTR rate than patients with other receptor phenotypes when treated with 3D-APBI. Larger, prospective 3D-APBI clinical trials should continue to evaluate the effect of hormone receptor phenotype on IBTR rates.

Irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue 6 years after giardia infection: a controlled prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanevik, Kurt; Wensaas, Knut-Arne; Rortveit, Guri; Eide, Geir Egil; Mørch, Kristine; Langeland, Nina

2014-11-15

Functional gastrointestinal disorders and fatigue may follow acute infections. This study aimed to estimate the persistence, prevalence, and risk of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue 6 years after Giardia infection. We performed a controlled prospective study of a cohort of 1252 individuals who had laboratory-confirmed Giardia infection during a waterborne outbreak in 2004. In total, 748 cohort cases (exposed) and 878 matched controls responded to a postal questionnaire 6 years later (in 2010). Responses were compared to data from the same cohort 3 years before (in 2007). The prevalences of irritable bowel syndrome (39.4%) by Rome III criteria and chronic fatigue (30.8%) in the exposed group 6 years after giardiasis were significantly elevated compared with controls, with adjusted relative risks (RRs) of 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9-3.9) and 2.9 (95% CI, 2.3-3.4), respectively. In the exposed group, the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome decreased by 6.7% (RR, 0.85 [95% CI, .77-.93]), whereas the prevalence of chronic fatigue decreased by 15.3% from 3 to 6 years after Giardia infection (RR, 0.69 [95% CI, .62-.77]). Giardia exposure was a significant risk factor for persistence of both conditions, and increasing age was a risk factor for persisting chronic fatigue. Giardia infection in a nonendemic setting is associated with an increased risk for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue 6 years later. The prevalences of both conditions decrease over time, indicating that this intestinal protozoan parasite may elicit very long-term, but slowly self-limiting, complications. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

TVT versus TOT, 2-year prospective randomized study.

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Wadie, Bassem S; El-Hefnawy, Ahmed S; Elhefnawy, Ahmed S

2013-06-01

To evaluate in a comprehensive way TVT in comparison with TOT, the results of a single-center RCT are presented. Many studies addressed efficacy and safety of TVT and TOT. Women included were adults having predominant SUI with positive stress test. They were randomized to get either TVT (Gynecare(®)) or TOT (Aris(®)). All women were seen 1 week, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Seventy-one women completed 2-year follow-up. Median age was 47 (range 33-60 years). Mean ± SD BMI in TVT group was 34 ± 5 while in TOT group was 32 ± 5 kg/m(2). POP of any degree was seen in 50 % (35 women). At 1 year, pad test-negative women were 31 and 29 for TVT and TOT, respectively. At 2 years, figures became 28 in TVT group and 27 in TOT. At 1 year, UDI 6 and IIQ 7 decreased by 78.5 and 81 % for TVT and by 69 % and 75 % for TOT group. At 2 year, comparable percentages were 73 and 79 % for TVT and 69 and 82 % for TOT. Fifteen unique patients had adverse events, 10 of them had TOT. Both tapes have similar efficacy, regarding cure of incontinence. TVT is more effective, albeit insignificantly, than TOT at 2 years. However, serious adverse events were more frequent with TVT, yet TOT has more unique adverse events.

Familial pathways to early-onset suicide attempt: a 5.6-year prospective study.

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Brent, David A; Melhem, Nadine M; Oquendo, Maria; Burke, Ainsley; Birmaher, Boris; Stanley, Barbara; Biernesser, Candice; Keilp, John; Kolko, David; Ellis, Steve; Porta, Giovanna; Zelazny, Jamie; Iyengar, Satish; Mann, J John

2015-02-01

Suicide attempts are strong predictors of suicide, a leading cause of adolescent mortality. Suicide attempts are highly familial, although the mechanisms of familial transmission are not understood. Better delineation of these mechanisms could help frame potential targets for prevention. To examine the mechanisms and pathways by which suicidal behavior is transmitted from parent to child. In this prospective study conducted from July 15, 1997, through June 21, 2012, a total of 701 offspring aged 10 to 50 years (mean age, 17.7 years) of 334 clinically referred probands with mood disorders, 191 (57.2%) of whom had also made a suicide attempt, were followed up for a mean of 5.6 years. The primary outcome was a suicide attempt. Variables were examined at baseline, intermediate time points, and the time point proximal to the attempt. Participants were assessed by structured psychiatric assessments and self-report and by interview measures of domains hypothesized to be related to familial transmission (eg, mood disorder and impulsive aggression). Among the 701 offspring, 44 (6.3%) had made a suicide attempt before participating in the study, and 29 (4.1%) made an attempt during study follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that proband suicide attempt was a predictor of offspring suicide attempt (odds ratio [OR], 4.79; 95% CI, 1.75-13.07), even controlling for other salient offspring variables: baseline history of mood disorder (OR, 4.20; 95% CI, 1.37-12.86), baseline history of suicide attempt (OR, 5.69; 95% CI, 1.94-16.74), and mood disorder at the time point before the attempt (OR, 11.32; 95% CI, 2.29-56.00). Path analyses were consistent with these findings, revealing a direct effect of proband attempt on offspring suicide attempt, a strong effect of offspring mood disorder at each time point, and impulsive aggression as a precursor of mood disorder. Parental history of a suicide attempt conveys a nearly 5-fold increased odds of suicide attempt

Long term functioning in early onset psychosis: Two years prospective follow-up study

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Taha Ghada RA

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There were few studies on the outcome of schizophrenia in developing countries. Whether the outcome is similar to or different from developed world is still a point for research. The main aim of the current study was to know if patients with early onset non affective psychosis can behave and function properly after few years from start of the illness or not. Other aims included investigation of possible predictors and associated factors with remission and outcome. Method The study prospectively investigated a group of 56 patients with onset of psychosis during childhood or adolescence. Diagnosis made according to DSM-IV criteria and included; schizophrenia, psychotic disorder not otherwise specified and acute psychosis. Severity of psychosis was measured by PANSS. Measures of the outcome included; remission criteria of Andreasen et al 2005, the children's global assessment scale and educational level. Results Analysis of data was done for only 37 patients. Thirty patients diagnosed as schizophrenia and 7 with Psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. Mean duration of follow up was 38.4 +/- 16.9 months. At the end of the study, 6 patients (16.2% had one episode, 23(62.1% had multiple episodes and 8 (21.6% continuous course. Nineteen patients (51.4% achieved full remission, and only 11(29.7% achieved their average educational level for their age. Twenty seven percent of the sample had good outcome and 24.3% had poor outcome. Factors associated with non remission and poor outcome included gradual onset, low IQ, poor premorbid adjustment, negative symptoms at onset of the illness and poor adherence to drugs. Moreover, there was tendency of negative symptoms at illness start to predict poor outcome. Conclusion Some patients with early onset non affective psychosis can behave and function properly after few years from the start of the illness. Although remission is a difficult target in childhood psychosis, it is still achievable.

Prospect-EPIC Utrecht: study design and characteristics of the cohort population. European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

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Boker, L K; van Noord, P A; van der Schouw, Y T; Koot, N V; Bueno de Mesquita, H B; Riboli, E; Grobbee, D E; Peeters, P H

2001-01-01

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), which has been established in order to investigate the relations between nutrition and cancer, was initiated in 1990 and involves 10 European countries with heterogeneous dietary patterns and differing cancer incidence rates. This manuscript presents the design, recruitment and baseline characteristics of the Prospect-EPIC cohort co-ordinated in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The cohort is based on volunteers recruited among women participating in a regional breast cancer screening program. It comprises of 17,357 subjects aged 50-69 years at enrolment from Utrecht and vicinity, who have consented to participate in the study and its follow-up. Each participant filled out a general questionnaire and a food frequency questionnaire. Participants were also physically examined and have donated a blood sample. Participation rate was 34.5%. Blood samples were donated by most participants (97.5%) and detailed informed consents were obtained from 87.4% of participants. Mean age at enrolment was 57 years. Anthropometric, lifestyle and morbidity characteristics of the cohort population did not differ largely from those of similar study populations in The Netherlands. Based on the Prospect-EPIC population, we intend to conduct prospective total cohort, nested case-control or case-cohort studies, in order to investigate relations between consumption of certain food groups or nutrients and chronic diseases, including hormone dependant cancers such as breast, colon, endometrial and ovary cancers.

Immediate and early function of Brånemark System implants placed in the esthetic zone: a 1-year prospective clinical multicenter study.

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Maló, Paulo; Friberg, Bertil; Polizzi, Giovanni; Gualini, Federico; Vighagen, Torbjörn; Rangert, Bo

2003-01-01

Immediate/early implant function means great benefits for patients and therapists because treatment time and cost can be substantially reduced. This concept has become an accepted alternative for complete arch fixed restorations in the mandible, and clinical documentation is emerging for other indications. The purpose of this prospective clinical multicenter study was to evaluate the outcome of implants placed in incisor, canine, and premolar regions in maxillas or mandibles. Implants were loaded with provisional crowns and bridges on the same day or within a few days and were followed up for 1 year during function. Four centers treated 76 patients each in need of an implant-retained prosthesis in the anterior and premolar regions in the maxilla or mandible. A total of 116 titanium implants with machined surfaces (Brånemark System , Nobel Biocare AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) were placed: 74 in maxillas and 42 in mandibles. Eighty-seven prostheses were made, of which 63 were single crowns and 24 were bridges (supported by 53 splinted implants). Twenty-two implants in 14 patients were placed in fresh extraction sites. The goal with the preparation and insertion technique was to achieve good primary implant stability and a minimum implant insertion torque of 30 Ncm before the implant was completely seated. The occlusion was adjusted to eliminate direct contact with the provisional prostheses. After 6 months, the patients received their permanent prostheses. Sixty-seven patients were followed for 1 year. Five implants were lost in five patients, three in the maxilla and two in the mandible. Four of the lost implants were single-tooth replacements and one was splinted. The cumulative survival rate (CSR) was 95.7% for all implants after 1 year and 93.7% and 98.1% for single-tooth and splinted implants, respectively. There were no implant losses in the extraction sites. The CSR of 96% at 1 year indicates that immediate function of Brånemark System implants placed in incisor

Deliveries in maternity homes in Norway: results from a 2-year prospective study.

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Schmidt, Nina; Abelsen, Birgit; Øian, Pål

2002-08-01

The study aims to report the short-term outcome for the mothers and newborns for all pregnancies accepted for birth at maternity homes in Norway. A 2-year prospective study of all mothers in labor in maternity homes, i.e. all births including women and newborns transferred to hospital intra partum or the first week post partum. The study included 1275 women who started labor in the maternity homes in Norway; 1% of all births in Norway during this period. Of those who started labor in a maternity home, 1217 (95.5%) also delivered there while 58 (4.5%) women were transferred to hospital during labor. In the post partum period there were 57 (4.7%) transferrals of mother and baby. Nine women had a vacuum extraction, one had a forceps and three had a vaginal breech (1.1% operative vaginal births in the maternity homes). Five babies (0.4%) had an Apgar score below 7 at 5 min. There were two (0.2%) neonatal deaths; both babies were born with a serious group B streptococcal infection. Midwives and general practitioners working in the districts can identify a low-risk population (estimated at 35%) of all pregnant women in the catchment areas who can deliver safely at the maternity homes in Norway. Only 4.5% of those who started labor in the maternity homes had to be transferred to hospital during labor.

First-episode psychosis at the West Bologna Community Mental Health Centre: results of an 8-year prospective study.

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Tarricone, I; Mimmi, S; Paparelli, A; Rossi, E; Mori, E; Panigada, S; Carchia, G; Bandieri, V; Michetti, R; Minenna, G; Boydell, J; Morgan, C; Berardi, D

2012-11-01

Research mostly conducted in the UK and northern Europe has established that there are high rates of first-episode psychosis (FEP) in large cities and immigrant populations; moreover, psychosis has been found to be associated with cannabis use and early trauma. The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence rate of FEP and the distribution of several risk factors (e.g. age, ethnicity, substance abuse) in Bologna, Italy. The Bologna FEP (BoFEP) study is an 8-year prospective study. All FEP patients, 18-64 years old, consecutively referred to the West Bologna Community Mental Health Centre (CMHC) from 2002 to 2009 were evaluated. Sociodemographic information, migration history and clinical data were collected through an ad-hoc schedule. Psychiatric diagnoses were recorded using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment of Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). The overall incidence rate (IR) in the BoFEP study was 16.4 per 100 000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.9-18.9]. The incidence was higher in young people, men and migrants (MI). The IR of FEP found by the Bologna study is lower than that found by other European studies. However, as in other studies, the incidence was higher in certain groups. This heterogeneity has implications for policy and mental health service development, and for understanding the aetiology of psychosis.

Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction-Four Year Experience

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D. Rathore

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: To study the aetiology and frequency, sex incidence, age of presentation, management and outcome of neonatal intestinal obstruction. Material and Methods: This prospective study of 316 neonates with intestinal obstruction was conducted over a period of 4 years from November 2009 to October 2013 at single institute. These cases were managed by various surgical procedures. Their epidemiology, day of presentation, associated anomalies and outcomes were studied. Results: A total of 316 neonates (277 males and 39 females were operated for intestinal obstruction. 268(84.81% neonates presented in the 1st week of life. Imperforate anus occurred in 206 (65.19%.Small bowel atresia accounted for23 (7.27% cases while duodenal atresia was seen in19 (6.01% patients. Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and Malrotation each occurred in 14 (4.43% patients; Hirschsprung’s disease in 18(5.69%, Necrotising Enterocolitis in 12(3.79%, Meconium disease of newborn in 9(2.85% while colonic atresia was seen in one (0.3% patient. Colostomy was performed in 145(45.88%, Pouchostomy in 15(4.74% and Cutback anoplasty in 56(17.72% patients. Ramsted’s Pyloromyotomy in 13(4.11%% neonates, Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy in 1(0.3%,Kimura’s Duodenoduodenostomy in 19(6.01% ,End to Back anastomosis in 24(7.59% , End to End anastomosis in 7(2.21% , Multiple anastomosis in 2(0.6% , Enterotomy with irrigation in 7(2.21% , Ladd’s procedure in 14(4.43% , ,Single stage transanal pull through in 8(2.53% , Ileostomy in 2(0.6% , Single stage Abdominoperineal pull through in 2(0.6%, Levelling colostomy in 6(1.89% ,Peritoneal drain insertion under Local anaesthesia in 5(1.58% . Overall mortality was 13.60%. Conclusion: Intestinal Obstruction is the most common surgical emergency in neonatal period. Early and accurate diagnosis is paramount for proper patient management. The etiology, mode of presentation, morbidity and outcome of surgery of intestinal obstruction in

Prospective content in the friendship conversations of young adults.

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Young, Richard A; Marshall, Sheila K; Murray, John

2017-01-01

Prospection is cognitive processes that involve constructing, encoding, and remembering the future. Less is known about the how these processes are evident in the prospective content of conversations. This study sought to identify and describe evidence of the prospective content in the conversations of friends as they transition to adulthood. The present secondary content analysis of the videotaped conversations of 15 young adult friendship dyads (n = 30, 16 females, 14 males, mean age = 21.3 years) in Canada examined these conversations based the following characteristics of prospection: simulation, reasoning about counterfactuals, constructing multiple possible futures, and episodic memory of the past. Four categories of prospective content were evident in these conversations, these processes were used sparingly in all but one conversation, and relatively few of them were collaborative in that dyad partners did not appear to serve to augment, clarify, or disconfirm prospective content. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Traumatic dental injuries in a university hospital: a four-year retrospective study.

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Mahmoodi, Benjamin; Rahimi-Nedjat, Roman; Weusmann, Jens; Azaripour, Adriano; Walter, Christian; Willershausen, Brita

2015-11-04

Traumatic dental injuries present complex injuries of the dentoalveolar system. Aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and patterns of traumatic dental injuries in a University dental emergency service over four years. A retrospective investigation on all dental trauma patients presenting at the dental emergency service of the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany between 01/2010 and 12/2013 was conducted. Demographic data, the cause and type of trauma and the initial therapy were analyzed. Out of 16,301 patients, 1,305 patients (8 %; average age 14.7 years ±15.7; 60.1 % male, 39.9 % female) came due to trauma. 63.9 % of the traumas occurred on weekends. The most frequent reason for injuries was falls (54.6 %). No correlation could be found between the cause and the kind of trauma. In 48.6 % of the cases only one tooth was involved, in 33.5 % two. The permanent dentition was traumatized in 56.6 % of cases, the deciduous teeth in 41.1 %. The most frequently affected tooth was the central upper incisor (61.0 %). Hard-tissue injuries were significantly more frequent in the permanent dentition, while periodontal injuries were seen significantly more often in the deciduous dentition. Eight percent of all patients seeking help at the dental emergency service presented with trauma, meaning that dental traumatology is one of the major topics in emergencies. To improve the quality of care, further public education, expert knowledge among dental professionals and a well-structured emergency service are necessary.

Prospective clinical study of prosthetic treatment outcome of implantretained-removable-partial-denture during 5 year-follow-ups

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Mehran Bahrami

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background IRRPD offers patients the ability to upgrade their treatment planning to implant-supported-overdentures (ISOs or implant-supported-fixed-prostheses (ISFPs through insertion of more implants in the future after the loss of the remaining natural teeth. Aims The purpose of this prospective-clinical-study was to evaluate the success rate and treatment outcome of IRRPD for 15 patients, during at least 5-year-follow-ups after prosthetic rehabilitation with respect to implant mobility, peri-implant-marginal-bone-levels, and prosthetic complications. Methods 15 successive patients were attended the Department of Implantology and Prosthodontics in TUMS, and received Implant-Retained-Removable-Partial-Dentures (IRRPDs. Two standard-size-dental-implants (Implantium/Dentium system, internal hexagon, Seoul, South Korea were placed in distal-extension-areas for each patient. After the osseointegration period, all patients received IRRPDs using two Ball attachments. All the participated patients were followed-up at least for 5 years, and the survival rate of 30 implants was evaluated. The patients’ satisfaction of function, phonetics, and aesthetics was assessed by means of questionnaire. Results None of the studied patients reported any prosthetic complications during the follow-up-periods such as attachment loosening, metal housing loosening, or denture fracture. No implants failure was recorded, so that the cumulative-implant-survival rate was 100 per cent. The mean marginal-bone-resorption (MBR around the two implants was 0.9mm with a range of 0.5–1.4mm. Teeth aesthetics was judged as excellent or very good by 86.7 per cent of the patients, while phonetics and mastication were considered excellent or very good by 66.7 per cent and 73.3 per cent of the patients, respectively. Conclusion 15 patients received 30 implants for the fabrication of IRRPDs in the posterior-edentulous-sites. The IRRPDs were delivered to the patients by the same

Stability of DREEM in a Sample of Medical Students: A Prospective Study

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Muhamad Saiful Bahri Yusoff

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Over the last 15 year, DREEM was applied in various educational settings to appraise educational climate. So far, none of article reported its stability in Malaysian medical students. Objective. To determine stability of the DREEM to measure educational climate at different time and occasions using a sample of medical students. Methodology. A prospective cohort study was done on 196 first year medical students. It was administered to the medical students at four different intervals. The Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation analysis were applied to measure internal consistency and agreement level across the intervals. The analysis was done using SPSS 18. Result. A total of 186 (94.9% medical students responded completely to the DREEM inventory. The overall Cronbach's alpha value of the DREEM at the four measurements ranged between 0.91 and 0.94. The average Cronbach's alpha values of the five subscales ranged between 0.45 and 0.83. The ICC coefficient values for the DREEM total score was 0.67 and its subscales ranged between 0.51 and 0.62. Conclusion. This study supported satisfactory levels of stability and internal consistency of the DREEM to measure educational climate over multiple observations in a sample of Malaysian medical students. Continued research is required to optimise its psychometric credential across educational settings.

3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing Single Titanium Dental Implants: A Prospective Multicenter Study with 3 Years of Follow-Up.

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Tunchel, Samy; Blay, Alberto; Kolerman, Roni; Mijiritsky, Eitan; Shibli, Jamil Awad

2016-01-01

This prospective 3-year follow-up clinical study evaluated the survival and success rates of 3DP/AM titanium dental implants to support single implant-supported restorations. After 3 years of loading, clinical, radiographic, and prosthetic parameters were assessed; the implant survival and the implant-crown success were evaluated. Eighty-two patients (44 males, 38 females; age range 26-67 years) were enrolled in the present study. A total of 110 3DP/AM titanium dental implants (65 maxilla, 45 mandible) were installed: 75 in healed alveolar ridges and 35 in postextraction sockets. The prosthetic restorations included 110 single crowns (SCs). After 3 years of loading, six implants failed, for an overall implant survival rate of 94.5%; among the 104 surviving implant-supported restorations, 6 showed complications and were therefore considered unsuccessful, for an implant-crown success of 94.3%. The mean distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone-implant contact was 0.75 mm (±0.32) and 0.89 (±0.45) after 1 and 3 years of loading, respectively. 3DP/AM titanium dental implants seem to represent a successful clinical option for the rehabilitation of single-tooth gaps in both jaws, at least until 3-year period. Further, long-term clinical studies are needed to confirm the present results.

3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing Single Titanium Dental Implants: A Prospective Multicenter Study with 3 Years of Follow-Up

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Samy Tunchel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This prospective 3-year follow-up clinical study evaluated the survival and success rates of 3DP/AM titanium dental implants to support single implant-supported restorations. After 3 years of loading, clinical, radiographic, and prosthetic parameters were assessed; the implant survival and the implant-crown success were evaluated. Eighty-two patients (44 males, 38 females; age range 26–67 years were enrolled in the present study. A total of 110 3DP/AM titanium dental implants (65 maxilla, 45 mandible were installed: 75 in healed alveolar ridges and 35 in postextraction sockets. The prosthetic restorations included 110 single crowns (SCs. After 3 years of loading, six implants failed, for an overall implant survival rate of 94.5%; among the 104 surviving implant-supported restorations, 6 showed complications and were therefore considered unsuccessful, for an implant-crown success of 94.3%. The mean distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone-implant contact was 0.75 mm (±0.32 and 0.89 (±0.45 after 1 and 3 years of loading, respectively. 3DP/AM titanium dental implants seem to represent a successful clinical option for the rehabilitation of single-tooth gaps in both jaws, at least until 3-year period. Further, long-term clinical studies are needed to confirm the present results.

The impact of postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms on child development: a population-based, 2-year follow-up study.

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Garthus-Niegel, S; Ayers, S; Martini, J; von Soest, T; Eberhard-Gran, M

2017-01-01

Against the background of very limited evidence, the present study aimed to prospectively examine the impact of maternal postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on four important areas of child development, i.e. gross motor, fine motor, communication and social-emotional development. This study is part of the large, population-based Akershus Birth Cohort. Data from the hospital's birth record as well as questionnaire data from 8 weeks and 2 years postpartum were used (n = 1472). The domains of child development that were significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms were entered into regression analyses. Interaction analyses were run to test whether the influence of postpartum PTSD symptoms on child development was moderated by child sex or infant temperament. Postpartum PTSD symptoms had a prospective relationship with poor child social-emotional development 2 years later. This relationship remained significant even when adjusting for confounders such as maternal depression and anxiety or infant temperament. Both child sex and infant temperament moderated the association between maternal PTSD symptoms and child social-emotional development, i.e. with increasing maternal PTSD symptom load, boys and children with a difficult temperament were shown to have comparatively higher levels of social-emotional problems. Examining four different domains of child development, we found a prospective impact of postpartum PTSD symptoms on children's social-emotional development at 2 years of age. Our findings suggest that both boys and children with an early difficult temperament may be particularly susceptible to the adverse impact of postpartum PTSD symptoms. Additional studies are needed to further investigate the mechanisms at work.

Selective mutism: follow-up study 1 year after end of treatment.

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Oerbeck, Beate; Stein, Murray B; Pripp, Are H; Kristensen, Hanne

2015-07-01

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally considered the recommended approach for selective mutism (SM). Prospective follow-up studies of treated SM and predictors of outcome are scarce. We have developed a CBT home and school-based intervention for children with SM previously found to increase speech in a pilot efficacy study and in a randomized controlled treatment study. In the present report we provide outcome data 1 year after having completed the 6-month course of CBT for 24 children with SM, aged 3-9 years (mean age 6.5 years, 16 girls). Primary outcome measures were the teacher rated School Speech Questionnaire (SSQ) and diagnostic status. At follow-up, no significant decline was found on the SSQ scores. Age and severity of SM had a significant effect upon outcome, as measured by the SSQ. Eight children still fulfilled diagnostic criteria for SM, four were in remission, and 12 children were without diagnosis. Younger children improved more, as 78% of the children aged 3-5 years did not have SM, compared with 33% of children aged 6-9 years. Treatment gain was upheld at follow-up. Greater improvement in the younger children highlights the importance of an early intervention.

Enhancing life prospects of socially vulnerable youth through sport participation: a mixed methods study.

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Super, Sabina; Hermens, Niels; Verkooijen, Kirsten; Koelen, Maria

2014-07-09

Sport participation has been associated with improved life prospects such as academic performance and employability prospects. As such, promoting sport participation might be a way to increase life prospects, especially for socially vulnerable youth because they are less physically active than their peers. However, the evidence for the causal effect of sport participation on these outcomes is still limited and little is known about factors that play a role in this possible effect. The aim of this study is four-fold. First, the causal effect of sport participation on life prospects is studied and the underlying mechanisms of this relation are explored. Secondly, the life experiences of the youngsters in the sport context, that may contribute to skill development, are studied. Thirdly, social conditions for a positive effect are explored, as sport is likely to have a positive effect under specific conditions. Fourthly, this study aims to provide insights on the elements of successful partnerships between youth care organisations and local sport clubs. This protocol reports on a mixed method study. An intervention that aims to increase the sport participation of socially vulnerable youth, between 12-23 years old, is implemented in three regions of a Rotterdam youth care organisation. The youngsters in the two control regions receive care-as-usual. The main outcome variables, collected via questionnaires, are the life prospect, sense of coherence and self-regulation skills of the youngsters after 6 and 18 months of follow-up. The Motivational Climate Scale is administered to explore the social conditions for a positive effect and interviews are conducted with sport coaches to explore their role in skill development. Interviews with the youngsters are conducted to gain insight on the life experiences that may lead to skill development. The elements of successful partnerships are collected during interviews with youth care professionals, sport coaches and other

Enhancing life prospects of socially vulnerable youth through sport participation: a mixed methods study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Sport participation has been associated with improved life prospects such as academic performance and employability prospects. As such, promoting sport participation might be a way to increase life prospects, especially for socially vulnerable youth because they are less physically active than their peers. However, the evidence for the causal effect of sport participation on these outcomes is still limited and little is known about factors that play a role in this possible effect. The aim of this study is four-fold. First, the causal effect of sport participation on life prospects is studied and the underlying mechanisms of this relation are explored. Secondly, the life experiences of the youngsters in the sport context, that may contribute to skill development, are studied. Thirdly, social conditions for a positive effect are explored, as sport is likely to have a positive effect under specific conditions. Fourthly, this study aims to provide insights on the elements of successful partnerships between youth care organisations and local sport clubs. Methods and design This protocol reports on a mixed method study. An intervention that aims to increase the sport participation of socially vulnerable youth, between 12–23 years old, is implemented in three regions of a Rotterdam youth care organisation. The youngsters in the two control regions receive care-as-usual. The main outcome variables, collected via questionnaires, are the life prospect, sense of coherence and self-regulation skills of the youngsters after 6 and 18 months of follow-up. The Motivational Climate Scale is administered to explore the social conditions for a positive effect and interviews are conducted with sport coaches to explore their role in skill development. Interviews with the youngsters are conducted to gain insight on the life experiences that may lead to skill development. The elements of successful partnerships are collected during interviews with youth care professionals

10-year prospective cohort follow-up of immediately restored XiVE implants.

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Degidi, Marco; Nardi, Diego; Piattelli, Adriano

2016-06-01

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to assess the ten-year performance of the condensing thread, self-tapping apex and internal hexagonal connection XiVE implant supporting partial fixed prostheses placed with an immediate restoration approach. All patients received a fixed two- to four-unit partial provisional restoration supported by immediately loaded implants. The final gold alloy/ceramic restorations were cemented approximately 28 weeks after implant insertion. Marginal bone level, pocket probing depth and percentage of bleeding on probing, biological or technical complications and any other adverse events were measured annually up to ten years after surgery. The overall success and survival rates at implant level were evaluated following the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI) Pisa Consensus Conference criteria. Implant placement in post-extractive or healed sites, smoking and a history of periodontal treatment were evaluated to assess whether they had an influence on bone resorption or on implant survival. Of 114 patients, for a total of 284 implants, fulfilled all the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. 78 (27.5%) implants placed in 30 (26.3%) patients were lost to follow-up. Eight of 284 (2.8%) implants failed in 8 of 114 (7.0%) patients: one (12.5% of losses) due to failure to achieve osseointegration and seven (87.5% of losses) due to peri-implantitis. No cluster implant failures were assessed. The failure of the implant caused the failure of the prosthesis due to the strategic position of the implant in four patients. At the final ten-year follow-up, 121 (61.4%) implants exhibited a "full success" status with an optimal health condition, 21 (10.9%) implants scored a "satisfactory survival" condition, while 49 (25.49%) of the implants were classified as "compromised survival" status (Misch et al. 2008). Smoking was found to be statistically associated with "implant failure" (P = 0.010), while no association

Four-Year Cross-Lagged Associations between Physical and Mental Health in the Medical Outcomes Study.

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Hays, Ron D.; And Others

1994-01-01

Applied structural equation modeling to evaluation of cross-lagged panel models. Self-reports of physical and mental health at three time points spanning four-year interval were analyzed to illustrate cross-lagged analysis methodology. Data were analyzed from 856 patients with hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, or depression. Cross-lagged…

Childhood maltreatment preceding depressive disorder at age 18 years: A prospective Brazilian birth cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Erika Alejandra Giraldo; De Mola, Christian Loret; Wehrmeister, Fernando; Gonçalves, Helen; Kieling, Christian; Murray, Joseph

2017-08-01

Childhood maltreatment is linked with increased risk for mental illness in adolescence and adulthood. However, little evidence is available on whether different forms of maltreatment have specific effects, and no prospective studies in low- or middle-income countries have addressed this issue. Participants in a population-based, birth cohort study in Pelotas, Brazil (N=3715) self-reported exposure to maltreatment (emotional abuse, physical neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence) in confidential questionnaires at age 15 years, and were assessed for major depression in interviews at age 18 years, using the MINI. Confounding variables concerning family characteristics were measured in interviews with mothers in the perinatal period and at age 11 years. Females exposed to emotional abuse (OR=2.7; 95%CI=1.9, 3.8) and domestic violence (OR=1.9; 95%CI=1.2, 2.9) were at increased risk for depression after adjustment for confounders and other types of maltreatment. Females exposed to two or more forms of maltreatment were at particularly high risk for depression (OR=4.1; 95%Cl=2.8, 6.1) compared with females not exposed to maltreatment. In adjusted analyses, maltreatment was not associated with depression for males. Detailed information about maltreatment such as timing and frequency was not available, and 1534 individuals were not included in the analyses, who had poorer and less educated mothers. Emotional abuse and domestic violence are strong risk factors for major depression for females. Early intervention to prevent maltreatment and its consequences is critical, especially for girls exposed to poly-maltreatment. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparison of laser-welded titanium and conventional cast frameworks supported by implants in the partially edentulous jaw: a 3-year prospective multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jemt, T; Henry, P; Lindén, B; Naert, I; Weber, H; Bergström, C

2000-01-01

The purpose of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate and compare the clinical performance of laser-welded titanium fixed partial implant-supported prostheses with conventional cast frameworks. Forty-two partially edentulous patients were provided with Brånemark system implants and arranged into 2 groups. Group A was provided with a conventional cast framework with porcelain veneers in one side of the jaw and a laser-welded titanium framework with low-fusing porcelain on the other side. The patients in group B had an old implant prosthesis replaced by a titanium framework prosthesis. The patients were followed for 3 years after prosthesis placement. Clinical and radiographic data were collected and analyzed. Only one implant was lost, and all prostheses were still in function after 3 years. The 2 framework designs showed similar clinical performance with few clinical complications. Only one abutment screw (1%) and 9 porcelain tooth units (5%) fractured. Four prostheses experienced loose gold screws (6%). In group A, marginal bone loss was similar for both designs of prostheses, with a mean of 1.0 mm and 0.3 mm in the maxilla and mandible, respectively. No bone loss was observed on average in group B. No significant relationship (P > 0.05) was observed between marginal bone loss and placement of prosthesis margin or prosthesis design. The use of laser-welded titanium frameworks seems to present similar clinical performance to conventional cast frameworks in partial implant situations after 3 years.

Cardiovascular assessment of asymptomatic patients with juvenile-onset localized and systemic scleroderma: 10 years prospective observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Borowiec, A; Dabrowski, R; Wozniak, J; Jasek, S; Chwyczko, T; Kowalik, I; Musiej-Nowakowska, E; Szwed, H

2012-02-01

The aim of the present study was non-invasive evaluation of the cardiovascular system in asymptomatic young adult patients with juvenile localized scleroderma (JLS) and juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSS). A group of 34 consecutive children with scleroderma were prospectively observed in the study. The control group (CG) consisted of 20 healthy subjects. In each subject 12-lead electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, ECG Holter, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring examinations were performed at the baseline visit and after 10 years. Additionally, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations were measured after 10 years. Examinations were performed in 13 patients with JLS and 15 with JSS at the final visit. Two children had died (one from each group). Four patients were alive but refused the final visit. After 10 years, a higher prevalence of ventricular extrasystoles (p = 0.01) and an elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (JLS: p = 0.04, JSS: p = 0.03) were observed in both groups, but in comparison with the controls there was no significant difference at the final visit. In JLS patients more cases of left ventricle diastolic dysfunction, hypertension, and sinus tachycardia were diagnosed at the final visit (p ≤ 0.05). More atrioventricular block episodes in both groups of scleroderma patients were observed. Over the 10 years, arterial hypertension was diagnosed in three patients from the JLS group and in two with JSS. There were no significant differences in BNP concentrations at the final visit. The results of the present study show that juvenile scleroderma seems to be more benign than adult-onset disease. This observational study shows subclinical, not severe, cardiac abnormalities in adult patients with juvenile-onset disease.

DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen Lam

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Randomized, prospective trials involving multi-institutional collaboration have become a central part of clinical and translational research. However, data management and coordination of multi-center studies is a complex process that involves developing systems for data collection and quality control, tracking data queries and resolutions, as well as developing communication procedures. We describe DADOS-Prospective, an open-source Web-based application for collecting and managing prospective data on human subjects for clinical and translational trials. DADOS-Prospective not only permits users to create new clinical research forms (CRF and supports electronic signatures, but also offers the advantage of containing, in a single environment, raw research data in downloadable spreadsheet format, source documentation and regulatory files stored in PDF format, and audit trails. Results Feedback from formal and field usability tests was used to guide the design and development of DADOS-Prospective. To date, DADOS-Prospective has been implemented in five prospective clinical studies at our institution. Four of these studies are still in the CRF creation phase and one study has been entirely launched. Conclusion DADOS-Prospective has significant advantages over existing Web-based data collecting programs. At our institution, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for prospective clinical studies.

Involvement in Bullying and Suicide-Related Behavior at 11 Years: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Winsper, Catherine; Lereya, Tanya; Zanarini, Mary; Wolke, Dieter

2012-01-01

Objective: To study the prospective link between involvement in bullying (bully, victim, bully/victim), and subsequent suicide ideation and suicidal/self-injurious behavior, in preadolescent children in the United Kingdom. Method: A total of 6,043 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort were assessed to…

Predicting Outcome in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) Utilizing the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) Score.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeiler, F A; Lo, B W Y; Akoth, E; Silvaggio, J; Kaufmann, A M; Teitelbaum, J; West, M

2017-12-01

Existing scoring systems for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients fail to accurately predict patient outcome. Our goal was to prospectively study the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score as applied to newly admitted aneurysmal SAH patients. All adult patients presenting to Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg from January 2013 to July 2015 (2.5 year period) with aneurysmal SAH were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were followed up to 6 months. FOUR score was calculated upon admission, with repeat calculation at 7 and 14 days. The primary outcomes were: mortality, as well as dichotomized 1- and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) values. Sixty-four patients were included, with a mean age of 54.2 years (range 26-85 years). The mean FOUR score upon admission pre- and post-external ventricular drain (EVD) was 10.3 (range 0-16) and 11.1 (range 3-16), respectively. There was a statistically significant association between pre-EVD FOUR score (total, eye, respiratory and motor sub-scores) with mortality, 1-month GOS, and 6-month GOS/mRS (p FOUR scores were associated with mortality, 1-month GOS/mRS, and 6-month GOS/mRS (p FOUR scores were associated with 6-month GOS (p FOUR score was associated with the development of clinical vasospasm (p FOUR score at admission and day 7 post-SAH is associated with mortality, 1-month GOS/mRS, and 6-month GOS/mRS. The FOUR score at day 14 post-SAH is associated with 6-month GOS. The brainstem sub-score was not associated with 1- or 6-month primary outcomes.

A prospective study of the impact of opening a casino on gambling behaviours: 2- and 4-year follow-ups.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacques, Christian; Ladouceur, Robert

2006-10-01

It is widely believed that the rate of pathological gambling is related to the accessibility and availability of gambling activities. Few empirical studies have yet been conducted to evaluate this hypothesis. Using a longitudinal prospective design, the current study evaluates the impact of a casino in Canada's Hull, Quebec region. A random sample of respondents from Hull (experimental group) and from Quebec City (comparison group) completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and gambling- related questions before the opening of the Hull Casino (pretest), 1 year after the opening (posttest), and on follow-up at Years 2 and 4. Although, 1 year after the opening of the casino, we did observe an increase in playing casino games and in the maximum amount of money lost in 1 day's gambling, this trend was not maintained over time (2- and 4-year follow-ups). In the Hull cohort, the rate of at-risk and probable pathological gamblers and the number of criteria on the SOGS did not increase at the 2- and 4-year follow-ups. The residents' reluctance to open a local casino was generally stable over time following the casino's opening. The discussion raises different explanatory factors and focuses on the context of the Regional Exposure Model as a potentially more applicable measure of studying the expansion of gambling.

Prospective study of cognitive function in children receiving whole-brain radiotherapy and chemotherapy: 2-year results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Packer, R.J.; Sutton, L.N.; Atkins, T.E.; Radcliffe, J.; Bunin, G.R.; D'Angio, G.; Siegel, K.R.; Schut, L.

1989-01-01

As survival rates have risen for children with malignant primary brain tumors, so has the concern that many survivors have significant permanent cognitive deficits. Cranial irradiation (CRT) has been implicated as the major cause for cognitive dysfunction. To clarify the etiology, incidence, and severity of intellectual compromise in children with brain tumors after CRT, a prospective study was undertaken comparing the neuropsychological outcome in 18 consecutive children with malignant brain tumors treated with CRT to outcome in 14 children harboring brain tumors in similar sites in the nervous system who had not received CRT. Children with cortical or subcortical brain tumors were not eligible for study. Neuropsychological testing was performed after surgery prior to radiotherapy, after radiotherapy, and at 1- and 2-year intervals thereafter. Children who had received CRT had a mean full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) of 105 at diagnosis which fell to 91 by Year 2. Similar declines were noted in their performance intelligence quotient (IQ) and verbal IQ. After CRT, patients demonstrated a statistically significant decline from baseline in FSIQ (p less than 0.02) and verbal IQ (p less than 0.04). Children who had not received CRT did not demonstrate a fall in any cognitive parameter over time. The decline between baseline testing and testing performed at Year 2 in patients who had CRT was inversely correlated with age (p less than 0.02), as younger children demonstrated the greatest loss of intelligence. Children less than 7 years of age at diagnosis had a mean decline in FSIQ of 25 points 2 years posttreatment. No other clinical parameter correlated with the overall IQ or decline in IQ. After CRT, children demonstrated a wide range of dysfunction including deficits in fine motor, visual-motor, and visual-spatial skills and memory difficulties

Four years of HELAS

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, M.; Lühe, O. v. d.; Aerts, C.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Corbard, T.; Daszyńska-Daszkiewicz, J.; Di Mauro, M. P.; Gizon, L.; Jiménez-Reyes, S.; Monteiro, M. J. P. F. G.; Pallé, P. L.; Thompson, M. J.

2010-12-01

The European Coordination Action on HELio- and ASteroseismology (HELAS) has completed its fourth and final year of initial funding by the European Commission. Set up as a network which combines solar and stellar physics communities in the important and vigorously evolving field of seismology, HELAS has been able to coordinate the efforts of European astronomers with remarkable success. Four large international conferences including the HELAS-IV conference on Lanzarote as well as many workshops were organized with a substantial contribution from HELAS. About a dozen workshops, addressing specialized questions in global and local helioseismology and asteroseismology were entirely organized by HELAS. Data analysis tools to prepare the European communities for the upcoming influx of data from new missions have been prepared, tested and demonstrated. Lecture notes and outreach material have been assembled and prepared for general access. As a result, HELAS has an important impact on the scientific output of the astrophysics seismology communities and significantly increased the visibility of European research in this field. This paper summarizes the activities and accomplishments of HELAS.

[Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: long term results of five year long preventive intervention in 12-year old boys (ten year prospective study)].

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanov, V B; Aleksandov, A A; Shugaeva, E N; Perova, N V; Maslennikova, G Ia; Smirnova, S G; Olfer'ev, A M

2007-01-01

In a longitudinal cohort (prevention group, n=213, comparison group, n=163) of 10-year prospective follow-up we addressed efficacy of 5-year-long multifactor preventive intervention, conducted in a sample of population of 12 year old boys. Preventive intervention was carried out both at populational level and among persons with risk factors of development of cardiovascular diseases with the use of group, individual, and partly family approaches, and was directed at rationalization of nutrition, elevation of physical activity and prevention of harmful habits. During first 3 years of prevention we succeeded to achieve stable statistically significant lowering of mean levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and atherogeneity index, as well as to affect fatty component of body mass (skinfold thickness). Long term effect of 5-year long preventive intervention manifested as significantly lower level of systolic blood pressure, lower prevalence of low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, smaller increment of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and index of atherogeneity in the prevention group. These results evidence that prevention of main factors of risk of development of cardiovascular diseases (obesity, arterial hypertension, disorders of lipid composition of the blood, and low physical activity) in child and adolescent age in the period of active growth and development is feasible, effective, safe and is able to lead to decrease of levels of these factors in adults, but should last uninterruptedly until formation of stable habits of healthy life style.

Identification of heavy drinking in the 10-item AUDIT: Results from a prospective study among 18-21years old non-dependent German males.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuitunen-Paul, Sören; Pfab, Sioned; Garbusow, Maria; Heinz, Andreas; Kuitunen, Paula T; Manthey, Jakob; Nebe, Stephan; Smolka, Michael N; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich

2018-03-01

Alcohol consumption is pivotal for the subsequent development of alcohol use disorders (AUD). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a recommended AUD screening tool for prevention and primary care settings. The objectives of this study were to test how many participants with heavy drinking are unidentified by the AUDIT, if proportions of unidentified participants vary over time, and whether this unidentified risk group (URG) was clinically relevant in terms of drinking behavior reports and AUD risk factors, as well as future adverse outcomes, such as craving, dependence symptoms, or depression. Our prospective cohort study followed 164 German males aged 18-19years without an alcohol dependence diagnosis over 24months. Only men were included due to higher AUD prevalence and gender-specific differences in metabolism, drinking patterns, and progression to AUD. All participants were screened via telephone interview and answered questionnaires both in person and via internet. Heavy drinking was classified using the AUDIT consumption score (AUDIT-C≥4.50). Standardized AUD diagnoses and symptoms, as well as alcohol use-related outcome criteria were assessed via standardized Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), and self-report questionnaires. One in four participants (22-28% across all four follow-ups) reported heavy drinking but was unidentified by AUDIT total score (i.e. scoreAUDIT total scores, an additional classification according to AUDIT-C values did not prove useful. Combining AUDIT and AUDIT-C scores might not be sufficient for identifying AUD risk groups among young adult German males. There is an urgent need for a replication of our findings among female participants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two-year clinical performance of four adhesive strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salah Hasab Mahmoud

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To assess the clinical performance of four adhesive strategies; 3-step etch-and-rinse Adper Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (SM, 2-step etch-and-rinse (Adper Single Bond-2 [S2], 2-step self-etch Adper Scotchbond SE (SE and 1-step self-etch (Adper Single Bond Universal [SU]. Materials and Methods: Eighty cervical cavities exhibiting dentin carious lesions were used. Four adhesives from the same manufacturer (3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA representing different bonding strategies were used; SM (3-step etch-and-rinse, Adper S2 (2-step etch-and-rinse, SE (2-step self-etch and SU (1-step self-etch. Cavities were restored with a nanohybrid composite resin (Z-350XT - 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA, and clinically followed up for 24 months using the modified United States Public Health Service criteria. Results: The outcome of Wilcoxon signed rank test showed no significant difference among the groups for each adhesive material at different evaluation periods (P > 0.05. Furthermore, the Friedman test revealed that there was no significant difference between all materials in all evaluation criteria, except for marginal discoloration at 24-month evaluation period. At 24-month evaluation period, teeth restored with self-etch adhesives showed more marginal staining. Conclusions: The four bonding strategies used in the current study showed an acceptable 2-year clinical performance.

Clinical observed performance evaluation: a prospective study in final year students of surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Markey, G C

2010-06-24

We report a prospective study of clinical observed performance evaluation (COPE) for 197 medical students in the pre-qualification year of clinical education. Psychometric quality was the main endpoint. Students were assessed in groups of 5 in 40-min patient encounters, with each student the focus of evaluation for 8 min. Each student had a series of assessments in a 25-week teaching programme. Over time, several clinicians from a pool of 16 surgical consultants and registrars evaluated each student by direct observation. A structured rating form was used for assessment data. Variance component analysis (VCA), internal consistency and inter-rater agreement were used to estimate reliability. The predictive and convergent validity of COPE in relation to summative OSCE, long case, and overall final examination was estimated. Median number of COPE assessments per student was 7. Generalisability of a mean score over 7 COPE assessments was 0.66, equal to that of an 8 x 7.5 min station final OSCE. Internal consistency was 0.88-0.97 and inter-rater agreement 0.82. Significant correlations were observed with OSCE performance (R = 0.55 disattenuated) and long case (R = 0.47 disattenuated). Convergent validity was 0.81 by VCA. Overall final examination performance was linearly related to mean COPE score with standard error 3.7%. COPE permitted efficient serial assessment of a large cohort of final year students in a real world setting. Its psychometric quality compared well with conventional assessments and with other direct observation instruments as reported in the literature. Effect on learning, and translation to clinical care, are directions for future research.

75 FR 76293 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-08

... [CMS-1510-CN] RIN 0938-AP88 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for... Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification... effective as if they had been included in the Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate...

Burnout and psychiatric morbidity among medical students entering clinical training: a three year prospective questionnaire and interview-based study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Runeson Bo

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mental distress among medical students is often reported. Burnout has not been studied frequently and studies using interviewer-rated diagnoses as outcomes are rarely employed. The objective of this prospective study of medical students was to examine clinically significant psychiatric morbidity and burnout at 3rd year of medical school, considering personality and study conditions measured at 1st year. Methods Questionnaires were sent to 127 first year medical students who were then followed-up at 3rd year of medical school. Eighty-one of 3rd year respondents participated in a diagnostic interview. Personality (HP5-i and Performance-based self-esteem (PBSE-scale were assessed at first year, Study conditions (HESI, Burnout (OLBI, Depression (MDI at 1st and 3rd years. Diagnostic interviews (MINI were used at 3rd year to assess psychiatric morbidity. High and low burnout at 3rd year was defined by cluster analysis. Logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of high burnout and psychiatric morbidity, controlling for gender. Results 98 (77% responded on both occasions, 80 (63% of these were interviewed. High burnout was predicted by Impulsivity trait, Depressive symptoms at 1st year and Financial concerns at 1st year. When controlling for 3rd year study conditions, Impulsivity and concurrent Workload remained. Of the interviewed sample 21 (27% had a psychiatric diagnosis, 6 of whom had sought help. Unadjusted analyses showed that psychiatric morbidity was predicted by high Performance-based self-esteem, Disengagement and Depression at 1st year, only the later remained significant in the adjusted analysis. Conclusion Psychiatric morbidity is common in medical students but few seek help. Burnout has individual as well as environmental explanations and to avoid it, organisational as well as individual interventions may be needed. Early signs of depressive symptoms in medical students may be important to address. Students

Treatment of the calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff by ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle lavage. Two years prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo-González, Federico Del; Ramos-Álvarez, Juan José; Rodríguez-Fabián, Guillermo; González-Pérez, José; Calderón-Montero, Javier

2014-01-01

Summary Background: to evaluate the short and long term effectiveness of ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous needle lavage in calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff. To study the evolution of the size of calcifications and pain in the two years after treatment. Methods: study design: A 2 year longitudinal prospective study is carried out after applying the UGPL technique on a number of patients diagnosed with calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff. Clinical, ultrasound and radiology follow-up controls were performed, 3 months, 6 months, one year and two years after the treatment. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain. The degree and point of pain is selected on a 10 cm line, arranged horizontally or vertically. The “0” represents no pain and “10” represents worst pain. The population studied was made up of 121 patients that required our service as a result of suffering from a painful shoulder. Results: the pain (VAS) and the size of the calcification significantly decreased with the application of the technique (ptendinitis of the shoulder. The intervention is simple, cost-effective, does not require hospitalization, involves no complications, rehabilitation treatment is not required and it shows very few side effects without sequelae, significantly reducing the size of the calcification and pain in the majority of patients. PMID:25332939

Prospective Studies of Risk Factors Associated with Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Mortality in Elderly Women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Katrine Dragsbæk

and novel risk factors and their relation to ageing, disease, and mortality in elderly Danish women. The studies are epidemiological in their character and based on data from the Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor (PERF) study, a community-based cohort study on 5,855 elderly Danish women enrolled......The world’s population is ageing. With an increased life expectancy across the globe, more people will live into old age. Women outlive men averagely by four years, warranting an increased focus on healthy ageing in women. The demographic shift resulting in an increased fraction of elder...... individuals has given rise to concerns about whether the extra life years added are spent in good health or with disease conditions resulting in high impacts on health care systems, socioeconomic relations and on the individual level. The World Health Organization predicts the burden of non...

Effectiveness of influenza vaccination for children in Japan: Four-year observational study using a large-scale claims database.

Science.gov (United States)

Shibata, Natsumi; Kimura, Shinya; Hoshino, Takahiro; Takeuchi, Masato; Urushihara, Hisashi

2018-05-11

To date, few large-scale comparative effectiveness studies of influenza vaccination have been conducted in Japan, since marketing authorization for influenza vaccines in Japan has been granted based only on the results of seroconversion and safety in small-sized populations in clinical trial phases not on the vaccine effectiveness. We evaluated the clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccination for children aged 1-15 years in Japan throughout four influenza seasons from 2010 to 2014 in the real world setting. We conducted a cohort study using a large-scale claims database for employee health care insurance plans covering more than 3 million people, including enrollees and their dependents. Vaccination status was identified using plan records for the influenza vaccination subsidies. The effectiveness of influenza vaccination in preventing influenza and its complications was evaluated. To control confounding related to influenza vaccination, odds ratios (OR) were calculated by applying a doubly robust method using the propensity score for vaccination. Total study population throughout the four consecutive influenza seasons was over 116,000. Vaccination rate was higher in younger children and in the recent influenza seasons. Throughout the four seasons, the estimated ORs for influenza onset were statistically significant and ranged from 0.797 to 0.894 after doubly robust adjustment. On age stratification, significant ORs were observed in younger children. Additionally, ORs for influenza complication outcomes, such as pneumonia, hospitalization with influenza and respiratory tract diseases, were significantly reduced, except for hospitalization with influenza in the 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 seasons. We confirmed the clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccination in children aged 1-15 years from the 2010/2011 to 2013/2014 influenza seasons. Influenza vaccine significantly prevented the onset of influenza and was effective in reducing its secondary complications

Esthetic outcome and alterations of soft tissue around single implant crowns: a 2-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Ying-Xin; Shi, Jun-Yu; Zhuang, Long-Fei; Qiao, Shi-Chong; Xu, You-You; Lai, Hong-Chang

2015-08-01

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the esthetic outcome and alterations of peri-implant soft tissue using tissue-level implants. Furthermore, the influencing factors, including grafting and gingival biotype, of esthetic outcome of peri-implant soft tissue were also evaluated. Of 38 patients with single missing anterior tooth in maxilla were treated with a Straumann (®) Standard Plus SLA implant. Bone augmentation was performed in 24 patients. Follow-up was conducted at 12 and 24 months after definitive crowns placement. Esthetic outcome using the pink esthetic score/white esthetic score (PES/WES) and clinical parameters were evaluated. The mean PES/WES value at baseline, 1-year, and 2-year examination was 13.79, 14.87, and 14.96. Significant improvement was found between baseline and 1-year examination (P esthetic area. Favorable short-term esthetic outcome and stability of soft tissue around single implant crowns can be expected in patients with or without graft. However, graft procedures might have an unfavorable effect on the esthetic outcome. Gingival biotype can be considered as prognostic factor for esthetic outcome. RCTs with long-term follow-up are needed to provide evidence for the long-term stability of peri-implant soft tissue using tissue-level implant systems. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Changes in lipid indices and body composition one year after laparoscopic gastrectomy: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Soo Jin; Kim, Ji Young; Ha, Tae Kyung; Choi, Yun Young

2018-05-11

The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate changes in lipid indices associated with whole body composition during 1 year of follow-up after laparoscopic gastrectomy. Thirty-seven patients with benign and malignant gastric neoplasm who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy were prospectively enrolled. None of the patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Lipid indices and body composition were measured preoperatively and at six and 12 months after laparoscopic gastrectomy. Lipid indices included total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Body weight, fat and lean body mass (LBM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the change in fat and LBM in the trunk, arms and legs was compared. Body weight significantly decreased from 63.0 ± 11.1 kg preoperatively to 56.8 ± 10.6 kg 12 months after laparoscopic gastrectomy, with a mean of 7.1% (4.6 kg) weight loss. Fat and LBM loss contributed 68.4% (3.1 kg) and 30.1% (1.4 kg) of the total weight loss, respectively. In both the non-obese and obese groups, body weight, fat and LBM did not change significantly between 6 months and 12 months after gastrectomy. TC and LDL-C levels significantly decreased during the first six-month period and HDL-C significantly increased until 12 months after gastrectomy in the non-obese group. In the obese group, the degree of reduction in fat mass was significantly higher and the LBM/weight ratio significantly increased compared with the non-obese group. However, there was no significant change in lipid indices in the obese group. The TG level was significantly correlated with fat, especially with trunk fat. Gastrectomy resulted in improved lipid indices and a reduction in body weight, fat and LBM. The HDL-C significantly increased in the non-obese group for 1 year after gastrectomy and the reduction of TG level was positively correlated with fat

A meta-analysis of four genome-wide association studies of survival to age 90 years or older: the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Anne B; Walter, Stefan; Lunetta, Kathryn L; Garcia, Melissa E; Slagboom, P Eline; Christensen, Kaare; Arnold, Alice M; Aspelund, Thor; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Benjamin, Emelia J; Christiansen, Lene; D'Agostino, Ralph B; Fitzpatrick, Annette L; Franceschini, Nora; Glazer, Nicole L; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hofman, Albert; Kaplan, Robert; Karasik, David; Kelly-Hayes, Margaret; Kiel, Douglas P; Launer, Lenore J; Marciante, Kristin D; Massaro, Joseph M; Miljkovic, Iva; Nalls, Michael A; Hernandez, Dena; Psaty, Bruce M; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Rotter, Jerome; Seshadri, Sudha; Smith, Albert V; Taylor, Kent D; Tiemeier, Henning; Uh, Hae-Won; Uitterlinden, André G; Vaupel, James W; Walston, Jeremy; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Harris, Tamara B; Lumley, Thomas; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Murabito, Joanne M

2010-05-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) may yield insights into longevity. We performed a meta-analysis of GWAS in Caucasians from four prospective cohort studies: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and the Rotterdam Study participating in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium. Longevity was defined as survival to age 90 years or older (n = 1,836); the comparison group comprised cohort members who died between the ages of 55 and 80 years (n = 1,955). In a second discovery stage, additional genotyping was conducted in the Leiden Longevity Study cohort and the Danish 1905 cohort. There were 273 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associations with p < .0001, but none reached the prespecified significance level of 5 x 10(-8). Of the most significant SNPs, 24 were independent signals, and 16 of these SNPs were successfully genotyped in the second discovery stage, with one association for rs9664222, reaching 6.77 x 10(-7) for the combined meta-analysis of CHARGE and the stage 2 cohorts. The SNP lies in a region near MINPP1 (chromosome 10), a well-conserved gene involved in regulation of cellular proliferation. The minor allele was associated with lower odds of survival past age 90 (odds ratio = 0.82). Associations of interest in a homologue of the longevity assurance gene (LASS3) and PAPPA2 were not strengthened in the second stage. Survival studies of larger size or more extreme or specific phenotypes may support or refine these initial findings.

Workplace bullying and depressive symptoms: a prospective study among junior physicians in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Loerbroks, Adrian; Weigl, Matthias; Li, Jian; Glaser, Jürgen; Degen, Christiane; Angerer, Peter

2015-02-01

The relationship between workplace bullying and depression may be bi-directional. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the depressogenic effect of bullying may only become evident after reasonable periods of follow-up (i.e., >1 year). As prospective evidence remains sparse and inconsistent, we used data from a three-wave prospective study to disentangle this potentially bi-directional relationship. In 2004, 621 junior hospital physicians participated in a survey and were followed-up 1.2 years and 2.8 years later. Prospective analyses were restricted to participants with complete data at all assessments (n=507 or 82%). To measure workplace bullying, a description of bullying at work was provided followed by an item inquiring whether the respondent felt she/he had been exposed. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the state scale of the German Spielberger's State-Trait Depression Scales. Multivariate linear regression suggested that workplace bullying at baseline predicted increased depressive symptoms both after 1 year (b=1.43, p=0.01) and after 3 years of follow-up (b=1.58, p=0.01). Multivariate Poisson regression models revealed that the depressive symptom z-score at baseline was associated with an increased risk of bullying at the 3-year follow-up (relative risk [RR]=1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.13-1.97). This association was less pronounced after 1 year of follow-up (RR=1.19, 95% CI=0.90-1.59). Our study suggests bi-directional associations between depressive symptoms and victimization from bullying at the workplace. Future prospective studies are needed to examine underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formulating autism systemically: Part 2 - A 12-year prospective case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewerton, Nicky; Robson, Katrina; Crittenden, Patricia M

2017-07-01

This prospective case study illustrates the ideas on the developmental origins of some cases of autism that were described in Part 1 of this article. We explored and found support for several systemic hypotheses regarding the experience of 'Graeme' and his mother. Graeme's story is told prospectively from the age of 3 until 15. Three independent sources of information are reported: hypotheses from the literature and case review in Part 1 of this article, the school's experience, and observations from the assessments of attachment when Graeme was turning 6. These three streams of information are integrated here. The review of the literature and clinical cases gives us a wide-angle lens, empirically supporting our focus on danger in relationships. The school's experience describes working with a child with undiagnosed autism. The assessments of attachment both provide information about family members' psychological strategies for protection from danger and also include the mother's childhood history of family threat. Their synthesis permits us to construct a developmental history, from Graeme's mother's childhood history of being triangulated into her parents' hidden marital discord to it's repetition for Graeme in her own marriage. New observations included mum's postural/gestural communication to Graeme and her possible ambivalence about males. Strikingly, Graeme was a case study (Attachment & Family Therapy, ch. 6) before he was diagnosed with autism. That presentation focused on Graeme's feeling of rejection by his father. In the same book, an interpersonal formulation of autism was offered (ch. 3), but it was not connected to Graeme, showing that when one lacks crucial information, the clinical formulation is distorted. The crucial information in this case was the mother's psychological history. Our case suggests that filling the blind spot in the research on autism with information about family functioning over at least two generations might change the

Weighing in on risk factors for body dissatisfaction: a one-year prospective study of middle-adolescent girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtowicz, Amy E; von Ranson, Kristin M

2012-01-01

Body dissatisfaction is a common problem among adolescent girls that is linked to serious outcomes, including the development of eating disorders. This study tested to what degree five theorized risk factors (weight-related teasing, thin-ideal internalization, body mass index [BMI], self-esteem, and perfectionism) predicted prospective changes in body dissatisfaction. At baseline, 393 10th and 11th grade girls (M=15.8 years) completed questionnaires and had their height and weight measured. One year later, 316 participants' body dissatisfaction was reassessed (80.4% retention). Results suggested that self-esteem was the most potent risk factor, followed by BMI, when used to categorize girls into high- and low-risk groups for body dissatisfaction at follow-up. However, weight-related teasing, thin-ideal internalization, and perfectionism did not prove to be risk factors. These results suggest self-esteem and BMI are relevant variables for helping to identify middle-adolescent girls who may be at risk for subsequent increases in body dissatisfaction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sasang constitutional types for the risk prediction of metabolic syndrome: a 14-year longitudinal prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sunghee; Lee, Seung Ku; Kim, Jong Yeol; Cho, Namhan; Shin, Chol

2017-09-02

To examine whether the use of Sasang constitutional (SC) types, such as Tae-yang (TY), Tae-eum (TE), So-yang (SY), and So-eum (SE) types, increases the accuracy of risk prediction for metabolic syndrome. From 2001 to 2014, 3529 individuals aged 40 to 69 years participated in a longitudinal prospective cohort. The Cox proportional hazard model was utilized to predict the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. During the 14 year follow-up, 1591 incident events of metabolic syndrome were observed. Individuals with TE type had higher body mass indexes and waist circumferences than individuals with SY and SE types. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome was the highest among individuals with the TE type, followed by the SY type and the SE type. When the prediction risk models for incident metabolic syndrome were compared, the area under the curve for the model using SC types was significantly increased to 0.8173. Significant predictors for incident metabolic syndrome were different according to the SC types. For individuals with the TE type, the significant predictors were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking, drinking, fasting glucose level, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level. For Individuals with the SE type, the predictors were sex, smoking, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level, while the predictors in individuals with the SY type were age, sex, BMI, smoking, drinking, total cholesterol level, fasting glucose level, HDL cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level. In this prospective cohort study among 3529 individuals, we observed that utilizing the SC types significantly increased the accuracy of the risk prediction for the development of metabolic syndrome.

[The LORAS Project and quality assurance. In four years from input- to outcome-oriented financing in public health. 1: The LORAS Project].

Science.gov (United States)

Lenz, M J; Hochreutener, M A

2001-02-01

This series of three articles is a summary of the operations, findings and results of the hospital reform projects in the Canton of Zurich, termed LORAS. With the aid of the LORAS project within four years Zurich hospitals have been transformed. Whereas they used to adhere to input-oriented covering of deficits they now operate with outcome-oriented prospective financing of output. Part 1 describes the whole Project. Part 2 focuses on the development of outcome-measurement. Part 3 finally describes the implementation of the outcome-measurement in the canton of Zurich.

Alcohol consumption, smoking and development of visible age-related signs: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schou, Anne L; Mølbak, Marie-Louise; Schnor, Peter; Grønbæk, Morten; Tolstrup, Janne S

2017-12-01

Visible age-related signs indicate biological age, as individuals that appear old for their age are more likely to be at poor health, compared with people that appear their actual age. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alcohol and smoking are associated with four visible age-related signs (arcus corneae, xanthelasmata, earlobe crease and male pattern baldness). We used information from 11 613 individuals in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (1976-2003). Alcohol intake, smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were assessed prospectively and visible age-related signs were inspected during subsequent examinations. The risk of developing arcus corneae, earlobe crease and xanthelasmata increased stepwise with increased smoking as measured by pack-years. For alcohol consumption, a high intake was associated with the risk of developing arcus corneae and earlobe crease, but not xanthelasmata. High alcohol consumption and smoking predict development of visible age-related signs. This is the first prospective study to show that heavy alcohol use and smoking are associated with generally looking older than one's actual age. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Sexually transmitted diseases among adults who had been abused and neglected as children: a 30-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Helen W; Widom, Cathy S

2009-04-01

We examined associations between childhood abuse and neglect and the risk in adulthood for sexually transmitted diseases. In a prospective cohort design, we matched children aged 0 to 11 years with documented cases of abuse or neglect during 1967 to 1971 with a control group of children who had not been maltreated (754 participants in all) and followed them into adulthood. Information about lifetime history of sexually transmitted diseases was collected as part of a medical status examination when participants were approximately 41 years old. Childhood sexual abuse increased risk for any sexually transmitted disease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00, 3.77; P = .05) and more than 1 type of sexually transmitted disease (OR = 3.33; 95% CI = 1.33, 8.22; P = .01). Physical abuse increased risk for more than 1 type of sexually transmitted disease (OR = 3.61; 95% CI = 1.39, 9.38; P = .009). Our results provided the first prospective evidence that child physical and sexual abuse increases risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Early screening and interventions are needed to identify and prevent sexually transmitted diseases among child abuse victims.

The influence of duration of follow-up on the association between alcohol and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Naja Rod; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Johansen, Ditte

2005-01-01

PURPOSE: To investigate whether duration of follow-up influences the association between alcohol and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study with only baseline assessment of alcohol intake. METHODS: In a cohort of 14,223 men and women participating in the first investigation...... of the Copenhagen City Heart Study between 1976 and 1978 and followed until 2001, we assessed whether the association between alcohol and mortality was modified by duration of follow-up. The 24 years of follow-up were divided into four intervals, and Cox survival analyses were conducted separately for these four...... succeeding 6-year periods of follow-up. RESULTS: The authors found differences in the predictive values of alcohol and beverage-specific types of alcohol depending on duration of follow-up both in terms of all-cause mortality and death from coronary heart disease and cancer. The apparent protective effect...

A six-year prospective randomized study of a nano-hybrid and a conventional hybrid resin composite in Class II restorations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Dijken, Jan W V; Pallesen, Ulla

2013-01-01

The objective of this 6 year prospective randomized equivalence trial was to evaluate the long-term clinical performance of a new nano-hybrid resin composite (RC) in Class II restorations in an intraindividual comparison with its well-established conventional hybrid RC predecessor....

Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections: A Four-Year Surveillance Study (2009–2012)

OpenAIRE

Mirsoleymani, Seyed Reza; Salimi, Morteza; Shareghi Brojeni, Masoud; Ranjbar, Masoud; Mehtarpoor, Mojtaba

2014-01-01

The aims of this study were to assess the common bacterial microorganisms causing UTI and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in Bandar Abbas (Southern Iran) during a four-year period. In this retrospective study, samples with a colony count of ≥105 CFU/mL bacteria were considered positive; for these samples, the bacteria were identified, and the profile of antibiotic susceptibility was characterized. From the 19223 samples analyzed, 1513 (7.87%) were positive for bacterial infection. UTI...

The Korea Nurses' Health Study: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Oksoo; Ahn, Younjhin; Lee, Hea-Young; Jang, Hee Jung; Kim, Sue; Lee, Jung Eun; Jung, Heeja; Cho, Eunyoung; Lim, Joong-Yeon; Kim, Min-Ju; Willett, Walter C; Chavarro, Jorge E; Park, Hyun-Young

2017-08-01

The Korea Nurses' Health Study (KNHS) is a prospective cohort study of female nurses, focusing on the effects of occupational, environmental, and lifestyle risk factors on the health of Korean women. Female registered nurses aged 20-45 years and living in the Republic of Korea were invited to join the study, which began in July 2013. They were asked to complete a web-based baseline survey. The study protocols and questionnaires related to the KNHS are based on the Nurses' Health Study 3 (NHS3) in the United States, although they were modified to reflect the Korean lifestyle. Participants were asked about demographic, lifestyle factors, disease history, occupational exposure, reproductive factors, and dietary habits during their adolescence: Follow-up questionnaires were/will be completed at 6-8 month intervals after the baseline survey. If a participant became pregnant, she answered additional questionnaires containing pregnancy-related information. Among 157,569 eligible female nurses, 20,613 (13.1%) completed the web-based baseline questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 29.4 ± 5.9 years, and more than half of them were in their 20s. Eighty-eight percent of the participants had worked night shifts as a nurse (mean, 5.3 ± 4.3 nights per month). Approximately 80% of the participants had a body mass index below 23 kg/m 2 . Gastrointestinal diseases were the most prevalent health issues (25.9%). The findings from this prospective cohort study will help to identify the effects of lifestyle-related and occupational factors on reproductive health and development of chronic diseases in Korean women.

Video-EEG recording: a four-year clinical audit.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Rourke, K

2012-02-03

In the setting of a regional neurological unit without an epilepsy surgery service as in our case, video-EEG telemetry is undertaken for three main reasons; to investigate whether frequent paroxysmal events represent seizures when there is clinical doubt, to attempt anatomical localization of partial seizures when standard EEG is unhelpful, and to attempt to confirm that seizures are non-epileptic when this is suspected. A clinical audit of all telemetry performed over a four-year period was carried out, in order to determine the clinical utility of this aspect of the service and to determine means of improving effectiveness in the unit. Analysis of the data showed a high rate of negative studies with no attacks recorded. Of the positive studies approximately 50% showed non-epileptic attacks. Strategies for improving the rate of positive investigations are discussed.

Transapical aortic valve implantation in Rouen: four years' experience with the Edwards transcatheter prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Litzler, Pierre-Yves; Borz, Bogdan; Smail, Hassiba; Baste, Jean-Marc; Nafeh-Bizet, Catherine; Gay, Arnaud; Tron, Christophe; Godin, Matthieu; Caudron, Jerome; Hauville, Camille; Dacher, Jean-Nicolas; Cribier, Alain; Eltchaninoff, Hélène; Bessou, Jean-Paul

2012-03-01

The first French transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was performed in July 2007 in our department. To report 4-year outcomes of transapical implantation with the Edwards transcatheter bioprosthesis. We prospectively evaluated consecutive patients who underwent transapical implantation with an Edwards transcatheter bioprosthesis between July 2007 and October 2011. Patients were not suitable for conventional surgery (due to severe comorbidities) or transfemoral implantation (due to poor femoral access). Among 61 patients (59.0% men), mean logistic EuroSCORE was 27.5 ± 14.9% and mean age was 81.0 ± 6.8 years. Successful valve implantation was achieved in 59/61 patients (96.7%) of patients. The other two patients required conversion to conventional surgery due to prosthesis embolization and died. Six additional patients died in the postoperative period. Causes of perioperative death were two septic shocks (one of peritonitis), two multi-organ failure, one ventricular fibrillation and one respiratory insufficiency. Intraprocedural stroke was not observed in any patient. The actuarial survival rates at 1, 2 and 4 years were 73.8%, 67.2% and 41.0%. During this 4-year period, four patients died of cardiovascular events, but no impairment of transprosthesis gradient was observed. Our series of 61 patients who underwent transapical implantation of the Edwards transcatheter bioprosthesis shows satisfactory results, similar to other reports, considering the high level of severity of patients referred for this method. Transapical access is a reliable alternative method for patients that cannot benefit from a transfemoral approach. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Chronic Kidney Disease in Primary Care: Outcomes after Five Years in a Prospective Cohort Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Shardlow

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Chronic kidney disease (CKD is commonly managed in primary care, but most guidelines have a secondary care perspective emphasizing the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD and need for renal replacement therapy. In this prospective cohort study, we sought to study in detail the natural history of CKD in primary care to better inform the appropriate emphasis for future guidance.In this study, 1,741 people with CKD stage 3 were individually recruited from 32 primary care practices in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. Study visits were undertaken at baseline, year 1, and year 5. Binomial logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to model progression, CKD remission, and all-cause mortality. We used Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO criteria to define CKD progression and defined CKD remission as the absence of diagnostic criteria (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] >60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [uACR] <3 mg/mmol at any study visit. Participants were predominantly elderly (mean ± standard deviation (SD age 72.9 ± 9.0 y, with relatively mild reduction in GFR (mean ± SD eGFR 53.5 ± 11.8 mL/min/1,73 m2 and a low prevalence of albuminuria (16.9%. After 5 y, 247 participants (14.2% had died, most of cardiovascular causes. Only 4 (0.2% developed ESKD, but 308 (17.7% evidenced CKD progression by KDIGO criteria. Stable CKD was observed in 593 participants (34.1%, and 336 (19.3% met the criteria for remission. Remission at baseline and year 1 was associated with a high likelihood of remission at year 5 (odds ratio [OR] = 23.6, 95% CI 16.5-33.9 relative to participants with no remission at baseline and year 1 study visits. Multivariable analyses confirmed eGFR and albuminuria as key risk factors for predicting adverse as well as positive outcomes. Limitations of this study include reliance on GFR estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study (MDRD equation for

Predictors of sexual hookups: a theory-based, prospective study of first-year college women.

Science.gov (United States)

Fielder, Robyn L; Walsh, Jennifer L; Carey, Kate B; Carey, Michael P

2013-11-01

Hooking up, or engaging in sexual interactions outside of committed relationships, has become increasingly common among college students. This study sought to identify predictors of sexual hookup behavior among first-year college women using a prospective longitudinal design. We used problem behavior theory (Jessor, 1991) as an organizing conceptual framework and examined risk and protective factors for hooking up from three domains: personality, behavior, and perceived environment. Participants (N = 483, 67 % White) completed an initial baseline survey that assessed risk and protective factors, and nine monthly follow-up surveys that assessed the number of hookups involving performing oral sex, receiving oral sex, and vaginal sex. Over the course of the school year, 20 % of women engaged in at least one hookup involving receiving oral sex, 25 % engaged in at least one hookup involving performing oral sex, and 25 % engaged in at least one hookup involving vaginal sex. Using two-part modeling with logistic and negative binomial regression, we identified predictors of hooking up. Risk factors for sexual hookups included hookup intentions, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, pre-college hookups, alcohol use, marijuana use, social comparison orientation, and situational triggers for hookups. Protective factors against sexual hookups included subjective religiosity, self-esteem, religious service attendance, and having married parents. Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, hookup attitudes, depression, cigarette smoking, academic achievement, injunctive norms, parental connectedness, and being in a romantic relationship were not consistent predictors of sexual hookups. Future research on hookups should consider the array of individual and social factors that influence this behavior.

Motor Competence Is Associated with Physical Fitness in Four- to Six-Year-Old Preschool Children

Science.gov (United States)

Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Haga, Monika

2016-01-01

The health benefits of a physical active lifestyle and physical fitness from a young age are widely recognized as beneficial. This study examined the relationship between physical fitness and motor competence in children aged four- to six-years-old. A sample of 42 children (mean age 5.15 years, SD 0.56 year) participated in the study. To assess…

Treatment and violent behavior in persons with first episode psychosis during a 10-year prospective follow-up study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langeveld, Johannes; Bjørkly, Stål; Auestad, Bjørn

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: First episode psychosis (FEP) patients have an increased risk for violence and criminal activity prior to initial treatment. However, little is known about the prevalence of criminality and acts of violence many years after implementation of treatment for a first episode psychosis. AIM......: To assess the prevalence of criminal and violent behaviors during a 10-year follow-up period after the debut of a first psychosis episode, and to identify early predictors and concomitant risk factors of violent behavior. METHOD: A prospective design was used with comprehensive assessments of criminal...... follow-up period, 20% of subjects had been apprehended or incarcerated. At 10-year follow-up, 15% of subjects had exposed others to threats or violence during the year before assessment. Illegal drug use at baseline and five-year follow-up, and a longer duration of psychotic symptoms were found...

Physical workload, leisure-time physical activity, obesity and smoking as predictors of multisite musculoskeletal pain. A 2-year prospective study of kitchen workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Haukka, Eija; Ojajärvi, Anneli; Takala, Esa-Pekka; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Leino-Arjas, Päivi

2012-07-01

The aim of this prospective study was to examine the role of physical workload, leisure-time physical activity, obesity and smoking in predicting the occurrence and course of multisite musculoskeletal pain (MSP). Data on physical and psychosocial workload, lifestyle factors and MSP were based on questionnaire surveys of 385 Finnish female kitchen workers. MSP (defined as pain at three or more of seven sites) during the past 3 months was measured repeatedly at 3-month intervals over 2 years. Four different patterns (trajectories) in the course of MSP were identified. The authors analysed whether the determinants at baseline predicted the occurrence of MSP (1) at the 2-year follow-up and (2) over the total of nine measurements during the 2 years by exploiting the MSP trajectories. Logistic regression was used. High physical workload at baseline was an independent predictor of MSP at the 2-year follow-up (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.7 to 8.5) in a model allowing for age, psychosocial factors at work and lifestyle. High physical workload (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.0) and moderate (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.9) or low (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.7) physical activity predicted persistent MSP. Obesity (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 7.8) predicted an increased, and not being obese (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 12.7) a decreased, prevalence of MSP in models similarly including all covariates. Smoking had no effect. The results emphasise the importance of high physical workload, low to moderate physical activity and obesity as potential modifiable risk factors for the occurrence and course of MSP over time.

The clinical assessment study of the foot (CASF: study protocol for a prospective observational study of foot pain and foot osteoarthritis in the general population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Menz Hylton B

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA affects approximately 10% of adults aged over 60 years. The foot joint complex is commonly affected by OA, yet there is relatively little research into OA of the foot, compared with other frequently affected sites such as the knee and hand. Existing epidemiological studies of foot OA have focussed predominantly on the first metatarsophalangeal joint at the expense of other joints. This three-year prospective population-based observational cohort study will describe the prevalence of symptomatic radiographic foot OA, relate its occurrence to symptoms, examination findings and life-style-factors, describe the natural history of foot OA, and examine how it presents to, and is diagnosed and managed in primary care. Methods All adults aged 50 years and over registered with four general practices in North Staffordshire, UK, will be invited to participate in a postal Health Survey questionnaire. Respondents to the questionnaire who indicate that they have experienced foot pain in the preceding twelve months will be invited to attend a research clinic for a detailed clinical assessment. This assessment will consist of: clinical interview; physical examination; digital photography of both feet and ankles; plain x-rays of both feet, ankles and hands; ultrasound examination of the plantar fascia; anthropometric measurement; and a further self-complete questionnaire. Follow-up will be undertaken in consenting participants by postal questionnaire at 18 months (clinic attenders only and three years (clinic attenders and survey participants, and also by review of medical records. Discussion This three-year prospective epidemiological study will combine survey data, comprehensive clinical, x-ray and ultrasound assessment, and review of primary care records to identify radiographic phenotypes of foot OA in a population of community-dwelling older adults, and describe their impact on symptoms, function and

Family, peer, and neighborhood influences on academic achievement among African-American adolescents: one-year prospective effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, N A; Cauce, A M; Friedman, R J; Mason, C A

1996-06-01

Using a 1-year prospective design, this study examined the influence of family status variables (family income, parental education, family structure), parenting variables (maternal support and restrictive control), peer support, and neighborhood risk on the school performance of 120 African American junior high school students. In addition to main effects of these variables, neighborhood risk was examined as a moderator of the effects of parenting and peer support. Family status variables were not predictive of adolescent school performance as indexed by self-reported grade point average. Maternal support at Time 1 was prospectively related to adolescent grades at Time 2. Neighborhood risk was related to lower grades, while peer support predicted better grades in the prospective analyses. Neighborhood risk also moderated the effects of maternal restrictive control and peer support on adolescent grades in prospective analyses. These findings highlight the importance of an ecological approach to the problem of academic underachievement within the African American Community.

Facebook and body image concern in adolescent girls: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiggemann, Marika; Slater, Amy

2017-01-01

The primary aim of the study was to examine the relationship across time between Facebook use and body image concern in adolescent girls. A sample of 438 girls in the first two years (Years 8 and 9) of high school (aged 13-15 years) at Time 1 completed questionnaire measures of Facebook consumption and body image concerns, and again two years later (Time 2). Facebook involvement increased substantially over the two year time period. Body image concerns also increased. Number of Facebook friends was found to prospectively predict the observed increase in drive for thinness. On the other hand, internalization and body surveillance prospectively predicted the observed increase in number of Facebook friends. It was concluded that Facebook "friendships" represent a potent sociocultural force in the body image of adolescent girls. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:80-83). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prospective study establishing a management plan for impacted third molar in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

OpenAIRE

Yamagata, Kenji; Onizawa, Kojiro; Yanagawa, Toru; Takeuchi, Yasutoshi; Hasegawa, Yuichi; Chiba, Shigeru; Bukawa, Hiroki

2011-01-01

ObjectiveAlthough dental treatment before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is essential to prevent serious infections from oral sources, the best management plan for impacted third molar (ITM) is unclear.Study designThis study was planned to establish a management plan for ITM. Eighty-four candidates for HSCT therapy were consecutively enrolled in the prospective trial. The management plan, which was evidence based and prospectively decided, was to extract the symptomatic ITMs a...

The inter- and intra- generational transmission of family poverty and hardship (adversity: A prospective 30 year study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jake M Najman

Full Text Available Children exposed to family poverty have been found to have higher morbidity and mortality rates, poorer mental health and cognitive outcomes and reduced life chances across a wide range of life domains. There is, however, very little known about the extent to which poverty is experienced by children over their early life course, particularly in community samples. This study tracks changes in family poverty and the main factors that predict family poverty (adverse life experiences over a 30-year period since the birth of the study child.Data are from a prospective, longitudinal, birth cohort study conducted in Brisbane, Australia. Consecutive families were recruited at the mothers' first obstetrical visit at one of two major obstetrical hospitals in Brisbane. Data are available for 2087 families with complete data at the 30-year follow-up. Poverty was measured using family income at each time point (adjusted for inflation.Poverty affects about 20% of families at any time point. It is common for families to move in and out of poverty, as their circumstances are affected by such adversities as unemployment and marital breakdown. Over the period of the study about half the families in the study experienced poverty on at least one occasion. Only a very small minority of families experienced persistent poverty over the 30-year duration of the study. Logistic regressions with time lag show that family poverty predicts subsequent adversities and adverse events predict subsequent poverty.Experiences of poverty and adversity are common and may vary greatly over the child's early life course. In assessing the health consequences of poverty, it is important to distinguish the timing and chronicity of early life course experiences of poverty and adversity.

The inter- and intra- generational transmission of family poverty and hardship (adversity): A prospective 30 year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Najman, Jake M; Bor, William; Ahmadabadi, Zohre; Williams, Gail M; Alati, Rosa; Mamun, Abdullah A; Scott, James G; Clavarino, Alexandra M

2018-01-01

Children exposed to family poverty have been found to have higher morbidity and mortality rates, poorer mental health and cognitive outcomes and reduced life chances across a wide range of life domains. There is, however, very little known about the extent to which poverty is experienced by children over their early life course, particularly in community samples. This study tracks changes in family poverty and the main factors that predict family poverty (adverse life experiences) over a 30-year period since the birth of the study child. Data are from a prospective, longitudinal, birth cohort study conducted in Brisbane, Australia. Consecutive families were recruited at the mothers' first obstetrical visit at one of two major obstetrical hospitals in Brisbane. Data are available for 2087 families with complete data at the 30-year follow-up. Poverty was measured using family income at each time point (adjusted for inflation). Poverty affects about 20% of families at any time point. It is common for families to move in and out of poverty, as their circumstances are affected by such adversities as unemployment and marital breakdown. Over the period of the study about half the families in the study experienced poverty on at least one occasion. Only a very small minority of families experienced persistent poverty over the 30-year duration of the study. Logistic regressions with time lag show that family poverty predicts subsequent adversities and adverse events predict subsequent poverty. Experiences of poverty and adversity are common and may vary greatly over the child's early life course. In assessing the health consequences of poverty, it is important to distinguish the timing and chronicity of early life course experiences of poverty and adversity.

Telephone Encounters Predict Future High Financial Expenditures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A 3-Year Prospective Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Click, Benjamin; Anderson, Alyce M; Ramos Rivers, Claudia; Koutroubakis, Ioannis E; Hashash, Jana G; Dunn, Michael A; Schwartz, Marc; Swoger, Jason; Barrie, Arthur; Szigethy, Eva; Regueiro, Miguel; Schoen, Robert E; Binion, David G

2018-04-01

Telephone activity is essential in management of complex chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Telephone encounters logged in the electronic medical record have recently been proposed as a surrogate marker of disease activity and impending health care utilization; however, the association between telephone calls and financial expenditures has not been evaluated. We performed a 3-year prospective observational study of telephone encounters logged at a tertiary referral IBD center. We analyzed patient demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, clinical activity, and health care financial charges by telephone encounter frequency. Eight hundred one patients met inclusion criteria (52.3% female; mean age, 44.1 y), accounted for 12,669 telephone encounters, and accrued $70,513,449 in charges over 3 years. High telephone encounter frequency was associated with female gender (P=0.003), anxiety/depression (Pfinancial charges the following year after controlling for demographic, utilization, and medication covariates. Increased telephone encounters are associated with significantly higher health care utilization and financial expenditures. Increased call frequency is predictive of future health care spending. Telephone encounters are a useful tool to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration and large financial expense.

A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study of Overuse Running Injuries: The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study (TRAILS).

Science.gov (United States)

Messier, Stephen P; Martin, David F; Mihalko, Shannon L; Ip, Edward; DeVita, Paul; Cannon, D Wayne; Love, Monica; Beringer, Danielle; Saldana, Santiago; Fellin, Rebecca E; Seay, Joseph F

2018-05-01

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, noting flaws in previous running injury research, called for more rigorous prospective designs and comprehensive analyses to define the origin of running injuries. To determine the risk factors that differentiate recreational runners who remain uninjured from those diagnosed with an overuse running injury during a 2-year observational period. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Inclusion criteria were running a minimum of 5 miles per week and being injury free for at least the past 6 months. Data were collected at baseline on training, medical and injury histories, demographics, anthropometrics, strength, gait biomechanics, and psychosocial variables. Injuries occurring over the 2-year observation period were diagnosed by an orthopaedic surgeon on the basis of predetermined definitions. Of the 300 runners who entered the study, 199 (66%) sustained at least 1 injury, including 73% of women and 62% of men. Of the injured runners, 111 (56%) sustained injuries more than once. In bivariate analyses, significant ( P ≤ .05) factors at baseline that predicted injury were as follows: Short Form Health Survey-12 mental component score (lower mental health-related quality of life), Positive and Negative Affect Scale negative affect score (more negative emotions), sex (higher percentage of women were injured), and knee stiffness (greater stiffness was associated with injury); subsequently, knee stiffness was the lone significant predictor of injury (odds ratio = 1.18) in a multivariable analysis. Flexibility, quadriceps angle, arch height, rearfoot motion, strength, footwear, and previous injury were not significant risk factors for injury. The results of this study indicate the following: (1) among recreational runners, women sustain injuries at a higher rate than men; (2) greater knee stiffness, more common in runners with higher body weights (≥80 kg), significantly increases the odds of sustaining an overuse running

Prognostic factors for work ability in women with chronic low back pain consulting primary health care: a 2-year prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordeman, Lena; Gunnarsson, Ronny; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

2014-05-01

To investigate prognostic factors for future work ability in women with chronic low back pain (CLBP) consulting primary health care. A 2-year prospective longitudinal cohort study of female patients with CLBP within the primary health care was conducted. Patients were assessed at the first assessment and after 2 years. Prognostic factors for work ability (yes/no) were analyzed by multivariate regression. A total of 130 patients were included at first assessment. After 2 years, 123 patients (95%) were followed up. The 6-minute walk test, depression, and earlier work ability predicted work ability at the 2-year follow-up. A nomogram was constructed to assess the probability of future work ability. The 6-minute walk test, work ability, and depression predicted work ability for women with CLBP after 2 years.

Mercury accumulation and accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis: a population-based prospective 4-year follow-up study in men in eastern Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Salonen, J T; Seppänen, K; Lakka, T A; Salonen, R; Kaplan, G A

2000-02-01

Basic research and our previous studies have suggested that mercury exposure enhances lipid peroxidation and the risk of myocardial infarction, but there are no studies concerning the association between mercury accumulation and atherosclerosis. We therefore investigated whether high hair mercury content is associated with accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis, determined by ultrasonographic assessment of common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), in a prospective study among 1014 men aged 42-60 years. In a linear regression model adjusting for other atherosclerotic risk factors, high hair mercury content was one of the strongest predictors of the 4-year increase in the mean IMT (P2.81 microg/g (fifths) had an IMT increase of 0.105, 0.102, 0.113, 0.107 and 0.140 mm/4 years, respectively (P=0.041 for heterogeneity between groups). The IMT increase was 0.034 mm/4 years (31.9%) greater in the highest fifth than in the other fifths (P<0.05 for the difference). These findings suggest that mercury accumulation in the human body is associated with accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis.

Four-year-BS-position-paper.pdf | misc docs | academy | Indian ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; academy; misc docs; Four-year-BS-position-paper.pdf. 404! error. The page your are looking for can not be found! Please check the link or use the navigation bar at the top. YouTube; Twitter; Facebook; Blog. Academy News. IAS Logo. 29th Mid-year meeting. Posted on 19 January 2018. The 29th Mid-year meeting of ...

A novel rapid access testicular cancer clinic: prospective evaluation after one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, K; Davis, N F; Elamin, S; Ahern, P; Brady, C M; Sweeney, P

2016-02-01

Our institution has recently developed a rapid access outpatient clinic to investigate men with testicular lumps and/or pain suspicious for testicular cancer (TCa). To present our experience after 12 months. All referrals to the rapid access testicular clinic (RATC) clinic were prospectively analysed from 01/01/2013 to 01/01/2014. The primary outcome variable was incidence of TCa in the referred patient cohort. Secondary outcome variables were waiting times prior to clinical review and waiting times prior to radical orchidectomy in patients diagnosed with TCa. Seventy-four new patients were referred to the RATC during the 1-year period and the mean age was 34 (range 15-81 years). TCa was the most common diagnosis and was found in 18 (25 %) patients. Patients diagnosed with TCa underwent radical orchidectomy, a median of 3 (range 1-5) days after their initial GP referral. Patients requiring surgical intervention for benign scrotal pathology underwent their procedure a median of 32 (range 3-61) days after their initial referral. Of the 18 patients diagnosed with TCa, 9 (50 %) were diagnosed with a seminomatous germ cell tumour on histopathology. The RATC is a new initiative in Ireland that provides expedient and definitive treatment of patients with newly diagnosed TCa. Early treatment will ultimately improve long-term prognosis in this patient cohort.

2009-2012 State-ANDRA four-year contract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

Signed by State representatives and representatives of the French national Agency for radioactive waste management (ANDRA), this document defines for the four years to come several objectives for the action and the activities of the ANDRA considered as an industrial operator, as an innovating actor possessing a high level research capacity, as a public expert guaranteeing the radioactive waste management solutions, as an information and valorization centre for France and foreign countries. All these objectives are further detailed in appendix

SUICIDAL HANGING IN URBAN YOUTH : A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhola Kumar Singh

2015-02-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND : Suicide is among the top three causes of death among youth worldwide. Hanging is among the most common modes of suicide. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this prospective study is to determine the Suicidal hanging in urban youth and determine the prevalence of suicidal hanging in our community. METHODS : In this descriptive, prospective, cross sectional study, all patients who pres ented to the department of emergency medicine with suicidal hanging during this study period of 12 months from January 2010 - December 2011 in . were included. RESULTS : Total number of males in the study is 32 (64%, females in the study is 18(36%. Mean age of the you th was 22.50± 8.15(SD years, Male 18.50± 12.15(SD years, Females 20.50 ±5.25(SD years; predominantly the patients were in the age group of 22 - 26 years. Number of male smokers in the study was 26 (81.25% female smokers were 4(22.22%, number of m ale alcoholics were 27(84.37% whereas female alcoholics were 6(33.33%, number of patients with pallor in males were 16(50% whereas females with pallor were 12(66.66%, number of males with skin changes were 6(18.75% when compared to females who had 8(4 4.44% skin changes, number of males wit oedema were 4(12.5% and 6(33.33% of females had oedema, the mean weight among males were 48±8.34kgs when compared to females which was 42±6.56kgs. Most of the patients who attempted suicide had varied personality issues from mood disorders to psychosis. CONCLUSION : There is significant percentage of patients who attempt suicide by hanging

A One Year Prospective Study of Neurogenic Stuttering Following Stroke: Incidence and Co-Occurring Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Theys, C.; van Wieringen, A.; Sunaert, S.; Thijs, V.; De Nil, L. F.

2011-01-01

In this prospective study, data on incidence, stuttering characteristics, co-occurring speech disorders, and recovery of neurogenic stuttering in a large sample of stroke participants were assessed. Following stroke onset, 17 of 319 participants (5.3%; 95% CI, 3.2-8.3) met the criteria for neurogenic stuttering. Stuttering persisted in at least…

Elderly patient's mortality and morbidity following trochanteric fracture. A prospective study of 100 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Mnif, H; Koubaa, M; Zrig, M; Trabelsi, R; Abid, A

2009-11-01

Trochanteric fractures are a major source of mortality, morbidity and functional impairment in the elderly. Morbidity is closely related to the degree of instability and comminution and is substantially influenced by the quality of reduction and internal fixation. Advanced age and associated co-morbidities are two decisive factors of mortality secondary to trochanteric fracture. This prospective study examined the epidemiological profile of trochanteric fractures and assessed mortality and morbidity with the aim of establishing management guidelines and improving prevention strategies. One hundred patients were included; 60% were male. Mean age was 76 years (range, 60-96 yrs). One, or more than one, co-morbidities were present in 68% of cases. The fractures were caused by a simple fall in 90% of cases. Fractures were classified according to the criteria of Ramadier and the ones of Ender. Sixty-five percent of these fractures were unstable. A dynamic hip screw was systematically used as the standard means of internal fixation. Anatomic and functional results were analyzed in 82 patients (18 had died within the first year following fracture occurrence). Mean follow-up period was 24 months (range, 12-36 months). Bone healing was achieved in 96% of cases. There were numerous postoperative complications (four cases of thromboembolism, fourteen immobility-related complications, two infections, six secondary displacement combined to loss of fixation, four non-unions, and nine malunions). At 2 years follow-up, 28 patients had died. Mortality was strongly correlated with older age (over 90 years), associated co-morbidity and fracture instability. Good functional outcomes (72%) correlated with younger age (60-74 years), fracture stability, adequate reduction and internal fixation. In stable trochanteric fractures, osteosynthesis by dynamic screw-plate is more effective than alternative techniques (blade-plate, nail-plate, Ender nail or even trochanteric nail). In unstable

Incidence of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal Australians: an 11-year prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiqiang; Hoy, Wendy E; Si, Damin

2010-08-17

Diabetes is an important contributor to the health inequity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. This study aims to estimate incidence rates of diabetes and to assess its associations with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) among Aboriginal participants in a remote community. Six hundred and eighty six (686) Aboriginal Australians aged 20 to 74 years free from diabetes at baseline were followed for a median of 11 years. During the follow-up period, new diabetes cases were identified through hospital records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess relationships of the incidence rates of diabetes with IFG, IGT and body mass index (BMI). One hundred and twenty four (124) new diabetes cases were diagnosed during the follow up period. Incidence rates increased with increasing age, from 2.2 per 1000 person-years for those younger than 25 years to 39.9 per 1000 person-years for those 45-54 years. By age of 60 years, cumulative incidence rates were 49% for Aboriginal men and 70% for Aboriginal women. The rate ratio for developing diabetes in the presence of either IFG or IGT at baseline was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.5, 3.3), adjusting for age, sex and BMI. Rate ratios for developing diabetes were 2.2 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.5) for people who were overweight and 4.7 (95% CI: 3.0, 7.4) for people who were obese at baseline, with adjustment of age, sex and the presence of IFG/IGT. Diabetes incidence rates are high in Aboriginal people. The lifetime risk of developing diabetes among Aboriginal men is one in two, and among Aboriginal women is two in three. Baseline IFG, IGT and obesity are important predictors of diabetes.

Incidence of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal Australians: an 11-year prospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Zhiqiang

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Diabetes is an important contributor to the health inequity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. This study aims to estimate incidence rates of diabetes and to assess its associations with impaired fasting glucose (IFG and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT among Aboriginal participants in a remote community. Methods Six hundred and eighty six (686 Aboriginal Australians aged 20 to 74 years free from diabetes at baseline were followed for a median of 11 years. During the follow-up period, new diabetes cases were identified through hospital records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess relationships of the incidence rates of diabetes with IFG, IGT and body mass index (BMI. Results One hundred and twenty four (124 new diabetes cases were diagnosed during the follow up period. Incidence rates increased with increasing age, from 2.2 per 1000 person-years for those younger than 25 years to 39.9 per 1000 person-years for those 45-54 years. By age of 60 years, cumulative incidence rates were 49% for Aboriginal men and 70% for Aboriginal women. The rate ratio for developing diabetes in the presence of either IFG or IGT at baseline was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.5, 3.3, adjusting for age, sex and BMI. Rate ratios for developing diabetes were 2.2 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.5 for people who were overweight and 4.7 (95% CI: 3.0, 7.4 for people who were obese at baseline, with adjustment of age, sex and the presence of IFG/IGT. Conclusions Diabetes incidence rates are high in Aboriginal people. The lifetime risk of developing diabetes among Aboriginal men is one in two, and among Aboriginal women is two in three. Baseline IFG, IGT and obesity are important predictors of diabetes.

Does running with or without diet changes reduce fat mass in novice runners? A 1-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Rasmus O; Videbaek, Solvej; Hansen, Mette; Parner, Erik T; Rasmussen, Sten; Langberg, Henning

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore how average weekly running distance, combined with changes in diet habits and reasons to take up running, influence fat mass. Fat mass was assessed by bioelectrical impedance at baseline and after 12 months in 538 novice runners included in a 1-year observational prospective follow-up study. During follow-up, running distance for each participant was continuously measured by GPS while reasons to take up running and diet changes were assessed trough web-based questionnaires. Loss of fat mass was compared between runners covering an average of 5 km or more per week and those running shorter distances. Runners who took up running to lose weight and ran over 5 km per week in average over a one-year period combined with a diet change reduced fat mass by -5.58 kg (95% CI: -8.69; -2.46; Pdiet changes, the mean difference in fat mass between groups was 3.81 kg (95% CI: -5.96; -1.66; Pdiet. An average running distance of more than 5 km per week in runners who took up running to lose weight combined with a targeted diet change seems effective in reducing fat mass over a one-year period among novice runners. Still, randomized controlled trials are needed to better document the effects of self-selected diet changes.

Combined impact of healthy lifestyle factors on risk of atrial fibrillation: Prospective study in men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Susanna C; Drca, Nikola; Jensen-Urstad, Mats; Wolk, Alicja

2016-01-15

The combined impact of multiple lifestyle factors on risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We investigated the joint association of four modifiable lifestyle factors on incidence of AF in a prospective study of men and women. The study cohort comprised 39 300 men in the Cohort of Swedish Men and 33 090 women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort who were 45-83 years of age and free from atrial fibrillation at baseline. Healthy lifestyle was defined as body mass index healthy lifestyle factors, the multivariable relative risks (95% confidence interval) of AF were 0.83 (0.65-1.07) for one, 0.74 (0.58-0.94) for two, 0.62 (0.49-0.79) for three, and 0.50 (0.39-0.64) for four healthy lifestyle factors (P for trend healthy lifestyle factors combined were associated with a halving of the risk of AF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk factors in the onset of neck/shoulder pain in a prospective study of workers in industrial and service companies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, JH; Kaergaard, A.; Mikkelsen, S.

2003-01-01

AIMS: To quantify the relative contribution of work related physical factors, psychosocial workplace factors, and individual factors and aspects of somatisation to the onset of neck/shoulder pain. METHODS: Four year prospective cohort study of workers from industrial and service companies...... in Denmark. Participants were 3123 workers, previously enrolled in a cross sectional study, where objective measurement of physical workplace factors was used. Eligible participants were followed on three subsequent occasions with approximately one year intervals. Outcomes of interest were: new onset of neck...... subsequent neck/shoulder pain, and neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of distress, and physical and psychosocial workplace factors are predictors of onset of pain in the neck and/or shoulders, particularly pain with pressure tenderness in the muscles...

Parenting styles and body mass index: a systematic review of prospective studies among children.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokol, R L; Qin, B; Poti, J M

2017-03-01

Parenting style may be an important determinant of an individual's future weight status. However, reviews that evaluate the relationship between parenting style and weight-related outcomes have not focused on prospective studies. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase and PsychInfo for studies published between 1995 and 2016 that evaluated the prospective relationship between parenting style experienced in childhood and subsequent weight outcomes. We identified 11 prospective cohort studies. Among the eight studies that categorized parenting style into distinct groups (i.e. authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and neglectful), five provided evidence that authoritative parenting was associated with lower body mass index gains. Among the six highest quality studies, four suggested a protective role of authoritative parenting style against adverse weight-related outcomes. However, only one study controlled for a comprehensive set of confounders, and the small number of studies conducted within certain age groups precluded our ability to ascertain critical periods when parenting style is most strongly related to child weight. The present literature supports the idea that authoritative parenting may be protective against later overweight and obesity, although findings are mixed. More prospective cohort studies of longer durations, with more sophisticated methods that examine age-varying relationships, and that control for a comprehensive set of confounders, are needed. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Parenting styles and body mass index: A systematic review of prospective studies among children

Science.gov (United States)

Sokol, Rebeccah L; Qin, Bo; Poti, Jennifer M

2017-01-01

Background Parenting style may be an important determinant of an individual's future weight status. However, reviews that evaluate the relationship between parenting style and weight-related outcomes have not focused on prospective studies. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and PsychInfo for studies published between 1995-2016 that evaluated the prospective relationship between parenting style experienced in childhood and subsequent weight outcomes. Results We identified eleven prospective cohort studies. Among the eight studies that categorized parenting style into distinct groups (i.e. authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful), five provided evidence that authoritative parenting was associated with lower body mass index gains. Among the six highest quality studies, four suggested a protective role of authoritative parenting style against adverse weight-related outcomes. However, only one study controlled for a comprehensive set of confounders, and the small number of studies conducted within certain age groups precluded our ability to ascertain critical periods when parenting style is most strongly related to child weight. Conclusions The present literature supports the idea that authoritative parenting may be protective against later overweight and obesity, although findings are mixed. More prospective cohort studies of longer durations, with more sophisticated methods that examine age-varying relationships, and that control for a comprehensive set of confounders, are needed. PMID:28086262

Navigated versus conventional total knee arthroplasty: A prospective study at three years follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Hernández, C; Sanz-Sainz, M; Revenga-Giertych, C; Hernández-Vaquero, D; Fernández-Carreira, J M; Albareda-Albareda, J; Castillo-Palacios, A; Ranera-Garcia, M

2018-03-28

Computer-assisted surgery application in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has shown more accurate implant alignment compared with conventional instrumentation and is associated with more homogeneous alignment results. Although longer implant survival and superior clinical outcomes should be expected from navigated TKA, currently available evidence does not support this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to compare navigated TKA with conventional TKA regarding clinical and radiological outcomes after a 3-year follow-up under the hypothesis that navigated TKA would provide better outcomes than conventional TKA. In a prospective multicentre study, 119 patients underwent navigated TKA and 80 patients received conventional instrumentation. Patients were evaluated at the baseline and at postoperative months 3, 12, 24, and 36. Analysis included the American Knee Society Score (KSS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Short Form-12 (SF12) Health Survey, and radiographic assessment. All clinical scores improved significantly for all patients during the follow-up but were significantly better in the navigation group. The percentage of patients showing a mechanical axis between 3° of varus and 3° of valgus was significantly higher in the ATR group (93%) than in the conventional TKA group (71%) (P<.01). The use of computer-assisted surgery in TKA provides more accurate mechanical alignment and superior short-term functional outcomes compared to conventional TKA. Copyright © 2018 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Maternal Factors as Moderators or Mediators of PTSD Symptoms in Very Young Children: A Two-Year Prospective Study

OpenAIRE

Scheeringa, Michael S.; Myers, Leann; Putnam, Frank W.; Zeanah, Charles H.

2015-01-01

Research has suggested that parenting behaviors and other parental factors impact the long-term outcome of children’s posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In a sample of 62 children between the ages of one and six who experienced life-threatening traumas, PTSD was measured prospectively two years apart. Seven maternal factors were measured in a multi-method, multi-informant design. Both moderation and mediation models, with different theoretical and mechanism implications, were test...

High incidence of adrenal crisis in educated patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahner, Stefanie; Spinnler, Christina; Fassnacht, Martin; Burger-Stritt, Stephanie; Lang, Katharina; Milovanovic, Danijela; Beuschlein, Felix; Willenberg, Holger S; Quinkler, Marcus; Allolio, Bruno

2015-02-01

Adrenal crisis (AC) is a life-threatening complication of adrenal insufficiency (AI), which according to retrospective data represents a significant clinical complication. Here we aimed to prospectively assess incidence of AC and mortality associated with AC in patients with chronic AI. A total of 423 patients with AI (primary AI, n = 221; secondary AI, n = 202) were prospectively followed up for 2 years. Baseline assessment included a general questionnaire and detailed written instructions on glucocorticoid dose adaptation during stress. Patients received follow-up questionnaires every 6 months and were contacted by phone in case of reported adrenal crisis. A total of 423 data sets were available for baseline analysis, and 364 patients (86%) completed the whole study. Sixy-four AC in 767.5 patient-years were documented (8.3 crises per 100 patient-years). Precipitating causes were mainly gastrointestinal infection, fever, and emotional stress (20%, respectively) but also other stressful events (eg, major pain, surgery, strenuous physical activity, heat, pregnancy) or unexplained sudden onset of AC (7%) were documented. Patients with a previous AC were at higher risk of crisis (odds ratio 2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.5-5.5, P cases death was associated with AC (0.5 AC related deaths per 100 patient-years). Even in educated patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency, AC occurs in a substantial proportion of cases. Furthermore, we identified AC-associated mortality in approximately 6% of AC. Our findings further emphasize the need for improved management of AC in patients with chronic AI.

Prospective Study on Noninvasive Assessment of Intracranial Pressure in Traumatic Brain-Injured Patients: Comparison of Four Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardim, Danilo; Robba, Chiara; Donnelly, Joseph; Bohdanowicz, Michal; Schmidt, Bernhard; Damian, Maxwell; Varsos, Georgios V; Liu, Xiuyun; Cabeleira, Manuel; Frigieri, Gustavo; Cabella, Brenno; Smielewski, Peter; Mascarenhas, Sergio; Czosnyka, Marek

2016-04-15

Elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) may occur in many diseases, and therefore the ability to measure it noninvasively would be useful. Flow velocity signals from transcranial Doppler (TCD) have been used to estimate ICP; however, the relative accuracy of these methods is unclear. This study aimed to compare four previously described TCD-based methods with directly measured ICP in a prospective cohort of traumatic brain-injured patients. Noninvasive ICP (nICP) was obtained using the following methods: 1) a mathematical "black-box" model based on interaction between TCD and arterial blood pressure (nICP_BB); 2) based on diastolic flow velocity (nICP_FVd); 3) based on critical closing pressure (nICP_CrCP); and 4) based on TCD-derived pulsatility index (nICP_PI). In time domain, for recordings including spontaneous changes in ICP greater than 7 mm Hg, nICP_PI showed the best correlation with measured ICP (R = 0.61). Considering every TCD recording as an independent event, nICP_BB generally showed to be the best estimator of measured ICP (R = 0.39; p area under the curve [AUC] = 0.66; p AUC (0.70; p AUC = 0.64; p > 0.05). nICP_PI was not related to measured ICP using any of the above statistical indicators. We also introduced a new estimator (nICP_Av) based on the average of three methods (nICP_BB, nICP_FVd, and nICP_CrCP), which overall presented improved statistical indicators (R = 0.47; p AUC = 0.73; p < 0.05). nICP_PI appeared to reflect changes in ICP in time most accurately. nICP_BB was the best estimator for ICP "as a number." nICP_Av demonstrated to improve the accuracy of measured ICP estimation.

The Influence of Gestational Diabetes on Neurodevelopment of Children in the First Two Years of Life: A Prospective Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirong Cai

Full Text Available Analyze the relation of gestational diabetes and maternal blood glucose levels to early cognitive functions in the first two years of life.In a prospective Singaporean birth cohort study, pregnant women were screened for gestational diabetes at 26-28 weeks gestation using a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Four hundred and seventy three children (n = 74 and n = 399 born to mothers with and without gestational diabetes respectively underwent neurocognitive assessments at 6, 18, and/or 24 month, including electrophysiology during an attentional task and behavioral measures of attention, memory and cognition.Gestational diabetes is related to left hemisphere EPmax amplitude differences (oddball versus standard at both six (P = 0.039 and eighteen months (P = 0.039, with mean amplitudes suggesting offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes exhibit greater neuronal activity to standard stimuli and less to oddball stimuli. Associations between 2-hour maternal glucose levels and the difference in EPmax amplitude were marginal at 6 months [adjusted β = -0.19 (95% CI: -0.42 to +0.04 μV, P = 0.100] and significant at 18 months [adjusted β = -0.27 (95% CI: -0.49 to -0.06 μV, P = 0.014], and the EPmax amplitude difference (oddball-standard associated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and toddler Development-III cognitive score at 24 months [β = 0.598 (95% CI: 0.158 to 1.038, P = 0.008].Gestational diabetes and maternal blood glucose levels are associated with offspring neuronal activity during an attentional task at both six and eighteen months. Such electrophysiological differences are likely functionally important, having been previously linked to attention problems later in life.

Prospective cohort study showing persistent HSV-2 shedding in women with genital herpes 2 years after acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramchandani, Meena; Selke, Stacy; Magaret, Amalia; Barnum, Gail; Huang, Meei-Li Wu; Corey, Lawrence; Wald, Anna

2017-11-25

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a prevalent infection with great variability in clinical and virological manifestations among individuals. This prospective cohort study aims to evaluate the natural history of HSV-2 reactivation in the genital area in the same group of women over time. Eighteen immunocompetent HSV-2 seropositive women were evaluated for viral shedding for 70 consecutive days within a median of 8 months (range 1-24 months) of HSV-2 acquisition and again approximately 2.5 years later from the original study. Participants obtained daily swabs of genital secretions for HSV PCR and recorded genital symptoms. The viral shedding rate was 29% during the initial study and 19% in the follow-up study (32% reduction, P=0.019). Subclinical shedding rate also decreased from 24% to 13% (37% reduction, P=0.032), as did the rate of days with genital lesions from 22% to 15% (33% reduction, P=0.24). The mean copy number during viral shedding remained unchanged over time at 4.8 log 10 c/mL (SD=2.0 and 1.6 during each study, respectively, P=0.33). Women with high viral shedding rates in the past were likely to continue to have high shedding rates (r=0.63, P=0.005). Despite some reduction, high viral shedding rates persist in women with genital HSV-2 greater than 2 years after acquisition. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prognosis and continuity of child mental health problems from preschool to primary school: results of a four-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, Thomas; Postert, Christian; Müller, Jörg M; Furniss, Tilman

2012-08-01

In a four-year longitudinal study, changes in and continuity of behavioral and emotional problems were examined in 814 subjects from kindergarten to primary school. Mental health problems were assessed by means of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The distribution of the CBCL broadband groups revealed a high level of continuity of internalizing symptoms over the four-year period and a shift from externalizing symptoms at baseline towards a combination of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at follow-up. The presence of mental health problems at follow-up was correlated with gender (higher amongst boys), pre-existing mental health problems at baseline, and separation or divorce of the parents, but not with single-family status or the age and educational level of the mother. The increasing number of children with a combination of internalizing and externalizing symptoms demonstrates the increasing complexity of child mental health problems in the developmental span from preschool age to school age.

Prospective study of use of perioperative antimicrobial therapy in general surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Fennessy, Brendan G

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Perioperative antimicrobial therapy has demonstrated efficacy in reducing the rate of surgical site infections in clinical trials. With the emergence of antibiotic resistance, the risk of reaction, and the inevitable financial repercussions, use of prophylactic antibiotics is not a panacea, and their misuse may have considerable implications. The aim of this study was to assess the use of antibiotics in the perioperative period in both general and vascular surgery procedures. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken of 131 patients with a mean age of 43 years (range one month-88 years), of whom 68 (51%) were male, who underwent twenty-seven different general or vascular surgery procedures over a four-week period. Each patient was evaluated from the time of antibiotic commencement through their operative procedure until the treatment was discontinued. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients (54%) received ten antibiotics, with 71 (97%) of these uses being prophylactic. Of the 15 appendectomies performed for uncomplicated appendicitis, the mean number of prophylactic antibiotic doses was 5.3 (range 1-12). Where they were documented, written postoperative directives were not adhered to in 18\\/27 prescriptions (66%). CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated a lack of adherence to guidelines in the perioperative administration of antimicrobial agents. In addition, it calls attention to the economic implications of unnecessary prophylaxis.

In-situ infiltration performance of different permeable pavements in a employee used parking lot--A four-year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Kuldip; Kozak, Joseph; Hundal, Lakhwinder; Cox, Albert; Zhang, Heng; Granato, Thomas

2016-02-01

Permeable pavements are being adopted as a green solution in many parts of the world to manage urban stormwater quantity and quality. This paper reports on the measured in-situ infiltration performance over a four-year period since construction and use of three permeable parking sections (permeable pavers, permeable concrete and permeable asphalt) of an employee car parking lot. There was only a marginal decline in infiltration rates of all three pavements after one year of use. However, between years two to four, the infiltration rates declined significantly due to clogging of pores either by dry deposition of particles and/or shear stress of vehicles driving and degrading the permeable surfaces; during the last two years, a greater decline was also observed in driving areas of the parking lots compared to parking slots, where minimal wear and tear are expected. Maintenance strategies were employed to reclaim some of the lost infiltration rate of the permeable pavements to limited success. Despite this decline, the infiltration rates were still four to five times higher than average rainstorm intensity in the region. Thus, these permeable pavement parking lots may have significant ecological importance due to their ability to infiltrate rainwater quickly, reduce the runoff in the catchment area, and also dampen runoff peak flows that could otherwise enter the collection system for treatment in a combined sewer area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial work conditions and registered sickness absence : a 3-year prospective cohort study among office employees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelen, C. A. M.; Koopmans, P. C.; Bultmann, U.; Groothoff, J. W.; van der Klink, J. J. L.

2009-01-01

Purpose To investigate associations between a wide variety of psychosocial work conditions and sickness absence in a medium-sized company. Methods Prospective cohort study of 395 employees working in an insurance office. Self-reported psychosocial work conditions were measured by questionnaire in

Effect of compliance during periodontal maintenance therapy on levels of bacteria associated with periodontitis: A 6-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Fernando Oliveira; Vieira, Thaís Riberal; Cortelli, Sheila Cavalca; Cota, Luís Otávio Miranda; Costa, José Eustáquio; Aguiar, Maria Cássia Ferreira; Cortelli, José Roberto

2018-05-01

It is well established that regular compliance during periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT) maintains the stability of periodontal clinical parameters obtained after active periodontal therapy (APT). However, compliance during PMT has not yet been related to subgingival bacterial levels. Thus, this study followed individuals in PMT over 6 years and longitudinally evaluated the effects of compliance on periodontitis-associated bacterial levels and its relation to periodontal status. From a 6-year prospective cohort study with 212 individuals in PMT, 91 were determined to be eligible. From this total, 28 regular compliers (RC) were randomly selected and matched for age and sex with 28 irregular compliers (IC). Complete periodontal examination and microbiological samples were obtained 5 times: T1 (prior to APT), T2 (after APT), T3 (2 years), T4 (4 years), and T5 (6 years). Total bacteria counts and levels of Actinomyces naeslundii, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola were evaluated through quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RC had less tooth loss and better clinical and microbiological conditions over time when compared with IC. IC had higher total bacterial counts and higher levels of T. denticola. Moreover, among IC, total bacterial counts were positively associated with plaque index and bleeding on probing, while levels of A. naeslundii, T. forsythia, and T. denticola were negatively associated with clinical attachment loss (4 to 5 mm) among RC. Compliance positively influenced subgingival microbiota and contributed to stability of periodontal clinical status. Regular visits during PMT sustained microbiological benefits provided by APT over a 6-year period. © 2018 American Academy of Periodontology.

Prospective and Retrospective Studies of Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes: Methods and Results of Four Large-Scale Follow-Up Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstein, Dean R.; Johnson, Robert A.

This report compares the research methods, provider and patient characteristics, and outcome results from four large-scale followup studies of drug treatment during the 1990s: (1) the California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment (CALDATA); (2) Services Research Outcomes Study (SROS); (3) National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES);…

Prospective longitudinal evaluation of lung function during the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofhuis, Ward; Hanekamp, Manon N; Ijsselstijn, Hanneke; Nieuwhof, Eveline M; Hop, Wim C J; Tibboel, Dick; de Jongste, Johan C; Merkus, Peter J F M

2011-03-01

To collect longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to evaluate relationships between lung function and perinatal factors. Longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are lacking. Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Outpatient clinic of a tertiary level pediatric hospital. The cohort consisted of 64 infants; 33 received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for meconium aspiration syndrome, 14 for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, four for sepsis, six for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate, and seven for respiratory distress syndrome of infancy. Evaluation was at 6 mos and 12 mos; 39 infants were evaluated at both time points . None. Functional residual capacity and forced expiratory flow at functional residual capacity were measured and expressed as z score. Mean (sem) functional residual capacities in z score were 0.0 (0.2) and 0.2 (0.2) at 6 mos and 12 mos, respectively. Mean (sem) forced expiratory flow was significantly below average (z score = 0) (p capacity significantly above normal: mean (sem) z score = 1.2 (0.5). Infants treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have normal lung volumes and stable forced expiratory flows within normal range, although below average, within the first year of life. There is reason to believe, therefore, that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation either ameliorates the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation or somehow preserves lung function in the very ill neonate.

Thirteen-year prospective study between fish consumption, long-chain n-3 fatty acids intakes and cognitive function.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesse-Guyot, E; Péneau, S; Ferry, M; Jeandel, C; Hercberg, S; Galan, P

2011-02-01

Because of their structural, anti-inflammatory and antithrombic properties, long-chain n-3 fatty acids may be key factors in the aging process. We sought to elucidate the association between intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and/or fish and cognitive function evaluated 13 years after dietary assessment. Prospective population-based study. 3,294 adults from the SU.VI.MAX study (Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals study). MEASUREMENTS/STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Subjects underwent a standardized clinical examination which included cognitive tests and self-reported cognitive difficulties scale (2007-2009). Poor scores were defined using percentiles as cut-off. Dietary data were assessed through repeated 24-h dietary records. Odd ratio (OR), comparing the fourth (Q4) to the first quartile (Q1), of having a poor score were calculated using adjusted logistic regression. Self-reported cognitive difficulties were less frequent among subjects with higher intakes of total n-3 long chain fatty acids (OR = 0.72, CI 95%=0.56-0.92) and eicosapentaenoic acid (OR Q4 versus Q1 = 0.74, CI 95%=0.58-0.95), even after adjustment for depressive symptoms. A borderline significant association was also found with high fish consumption (OR Q4 versus Q1 = 0.80, CI 95%=0.63-1.01). Cognitive complaints, which may be an early indicator of cognitive decline, are less frequent among the elderly who have a high long-chain n-3 acids intake, as assessed 13 years earlier.

Botulinum Toxin Injection for Internal Rotation Contractures in Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. A Minimum 5-Year Prospective Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Duijnisveld, Bouke J; van Wijlen-Hempel, Marie S; Hogendoorn, Simone; de Boer, Kees S; Malessy, Martijn J A; Keurentjes, J Christiaan; Nagels, Jochem; Nelissen, Rob G H H

Brachial plexus birth palsy is frequently associated with internal rotation contractures of the shoulder as a result of muscle imbalance. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection in the subscapular (SC) muscle on external rotation and the need for tendon transfer for external rotation of the shoulder. A prospective comparative study was performed including 15 consecutive patients treated with BTX-A and a historic control group of 67 patients with mean age 30 months (SD 10). The BTX-A injection (2 IU/kg body weight) was performed immediately following MRI under general anesthesia in the SC muscle. Passive external rotation, the need for tendon transfer surgery, glenohumeral deformity, and muscle degeneration were evaluated. The hazard ratio for no relapse of internal rotation contracture after BTX-A injection compared with no BTX-A injection was calculated. In the BTX-A group, the passive external rotation in adduction increased from -1 degree (95% CI, -10 to 8) to 32 degrees (95% CI, 17-46) at 3 months and 6 patients were indicated for surgery compared with a decline from -2 degrees (95% CI, -7 to 3) to -11 degrees (95% CI, -17 to -6) in the control group with 66 indications for surgery. At 5 years of follow-up, 10 patients in the BTX-A group were indicated for surgery with a hazard ratio of 4.0 (95% CI, 1.9 to 8.4). BTX-A injection in the SC muscle of brachial plexus birth palsy patients can reduce internal rotation contractures and subsequently the need for tendon transfer surgery. At 5 years of follow-up a relapse was seen in 67% of the patients treated with BTX-A. Because at MRI less SC degeneration was found in the good responders on BTX-A treatment, this group seems to be the best target group. Further research is needed on patient selection for BTX-A injection including glenohumeral deformity, SC degeneration, as well as doses of BTX-A to be used. Level II-prospective comparative study.

Prospective longitudinal cohort study on cumulative 5-year delivery and adoption rates among 1338 couples initiating infertility treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinborg, A; Hougaard, C O; Andersen, A Nyboe

2009-01-01

occurred for 5.9% (48/817) of the women. Positive prognostic factors for delivery were male infertility, female age infertility and less than three previous treatment cycles. CONCLUSIONS A crude delivery rate of 69.4% in the total population 5 years after referral to tertiary......BACKGROUND The objective was to assess crude 5-year delivery rates after assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment, intrauterine inseminations (IUI), spontaneous conceptions (SC) and adoptions in a large infertile cohort. METHODS A prospective longitudinal survey comprised 1338 infertile...... couples starting public infertility programmes offering IUIs and three free ART cycles during 2000-2001. The cohort was cross-linked with the National Medical Birth Register to obtain delivery rates for all 1338 couples. More detailed data were available from 817 women responding to a 5-year follow...

Anthroposophic therapy for children with chronic disease: a two-year prospective cohort study in routine outpatient settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willich Stefan N

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many children with chronic disease use complementary therapies. Anthroposophic treatment for paediatric chronic disease is provided by physicians and differs from conventional treatment in the use of special therapies (art therapy, eurythmy movement exercises, rhythmical massage therapy and special medications. We studied clinical outcomes in children with chronic diseases under anthroposophic treatment in routine outpatient settings. Methods In conjunction with a health benefit program, consecutive outpatients starting anthroposophic treatment for any chronic disease participated in a prospective cohort study. Main outcome was disease severity (Disease and Symptom Scores, physicians' and caregivers' assessment on numerical rating scales 0–10. Disease Score was documented after 0, 6, and 12 months, Symptom Score after 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results A total of 435 patients were included. Mean age was 8.2 years (standard deviation 3.3, range 1.0–16.9 years. Most common indications were mental disorders (46.2% of patients; primarily hyperkinetic, emotional, and developmental disorders, respiratory disorders (14.0%, and neurological disorders (5.7%. Median disease duration at baseline was 3.0 years (interquartile range 1.0–5.0 years. The anthroposophic treatment modalities used were medications (69.2% of patients, eurythmy therapy (54.7%, art therapy (11.3%, and rhythmical massage therapy (6.7%. Median number of eurythmy/art/massage therapy sessions was 12 (interquartile range 10–20, median therapy duration was 118 days (interquartile range 78–189 days. From baseline to six-month follow-up, Disease Score improved by average 3.00 points (95% confidence interval 2.76–3.24 points, p Conclusion Children under anthroposophic treatment had long-term improvement of chronic disease symptoms. Although the pre-post design of the present study does not allow for conclusions about comparative effectiveness, study

The Prevalence of Ostomy-related Complications 1 Year After Ostomy Surgery: A Prospective, Descriptive, Clinical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsson, Eva; Fingren, Jeanette; Hallén, Anne-Marie; Petersén, Charlotta; Lindholm, Elisabet

2016-10-01

Despite advancements in the creation and care of stomas, ostomy and peristomal skin complications are common immediately following surgery as well as in the months and years thereafter. A prospective study to determine the prevalence of ostomy and peristomal skin complications and the influence of ostomy configuration on such complications was conducted 1 year after ostomy surgery among all patients at a university hospital in Sweden. All participants received regular (10 to 14 days post discharge, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year post surgery) ostomy follow-up care by a wound ostomy continence (WOC) nurse. All consecutive elective and emergency patients who had undergone surgery to create a colostomy (end colostomy), end ileostomy, or loop ileostomy were eligible to participate. Patients who were reoperated during their first year post-surgery, patients with a urostomy, and patients with double ostomies were excluded from the study. Patient data collected included age, gender, diagnosis, elective or emergency surgery, open or laparoscopic surgical procedure, presence of a colorectal surgeon specialist at surgery, type of ostomy (colostomy, end ileostomy, loop ileostomy), preoperative ostomy siting, counseling, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and radiation and/or chemotherapy status. Ostomies were evaluated by 4 WOC nurses as to stoma configuration, convexity use, patient self-sufficiency in stoma care, and complications. All 207 patients (53% women) who were eligible agreed to participate in the study. Patient median age was 70 years (range 19-94); 74% underwent elective surgery. Main diagnoses were colorectal cancer (62%) and inflammatory bowel disease (19%). Ostomy types were: colostomy (71%), end ileostomy (26%), and loop ileostomy (3%). One or more complications occurred in 35% of the patients (27% ostomy complications, 11% peristomal skin complications). A colostomy hernia was the most common surgical complication

Four-year follow-up study of pharmacological treatment in pathological gamblers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Oded; Dinur, Limor Klein; Dannon, Pinhas N

2013-01-01

In the past decade, we have witnessed the emergence of pharmacological treatments for pathological gambling with some success but many question marks. We aimed to explore pharmacological treatments that have been previously explored with some success, with the intent of comparing their efficacy and pave the way to larger placebo-controlled trials. In this study, we allocated 78 patients to 4 different types of psychotropic medications: naltrexone, topiramate, bupropion, and escitalopram. We treated patients for more than 2 years, with additional 2-year follow-ups without medication. The sample was evaluated using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Global Assessment of Functioning, and the Visual Analog Scale to measure general well-being before enrollment as well as at 1 month, 6 months, 24 months, and 48 months after beginning medication treatment. During the first 2 years of treatment, 34 patients dropped out, with one more dropping out during the additional 2 years of follow-up. Significant improvement on all rating scales was seen in all groups after 2 years, except HAMD in the group that received topiramate. We found the naltrexone-treated group of patients to have a statistically significant lower dropout rate compared with other groups, statistically significant lower HAMD scores in comparison to the group treated with bupropion, statistically significant lower Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score compared to the groups treated with escitalopram and topiramate, and significantly higher Visual Analog Scale scores compared to the groups treated with bupropion and topiramate. Pathological gambling is essentially a biopsychological disorder that may be attenuated provided that patients adhere to medication. In our study, among 4 medications with different mechanisms of action, naltrexone was found to be the most effective. Placebo-controlled studies involving large numbers of subjects are required before

The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study shows increased prevalence of primary recurrent headaches among adolescents over a four-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsena, Brit A; Dyb, Grete; Hagen, Knut; Stovner, Lars J; Holmen, Turid L; Zwart, John-Anker

2017-12-29

change significantly (79.4% versus 77.5%; OR: 0.89, 95%CI: 0.79-1.02, p = 0.09), whereas the prevalence of recurrent headaches increased from 30.3% in Young-HUNT 1 to 35.4% in Young-HUNT 2 (OR: 1.26, 95%CI: 1.09-1.46, p = 0.002). The prevalence of tension-type headache changed significantly from 19.0% to 21.9% (OR: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.02-1.42, p = 0.03). Also the prevalence of migraine tended to increase (7.5% versus 8.7%, OR: 1.18, 95%CI: 0.92-1.52, p = 0.18). The overall frequency of recurrent headache changed towards more monthly and less weekly headache. Conclusions This is the first large-scale population-based study among adolescents in Norway assessing changes in the prevalence of primary headaches over a four-year period of time. The overall prevalence of recurrent headaches increased significantly from Young-HUNT 1 to Young-HUNT 2. An increase was seen in all types of recurrent headaches and was significant for tension-type headache. Implications Earlier follow-up studies have examined changes in prevalence of recurrent headaches in young age, but the results are diverging. Our findings support the impression that the prevalence of recurrent headache among adolescents is increasing, and underlines the need for prospective designed studies with emphasis on prognosis and etiological factors.

Culture-proven early-onset neonatal sepsis in Arab states in the Gulf region: two-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammoud, Majeda S; Al-Taiar, Abdullah; Al-Abdi, Sameer Y; Bozaid, Hussain; Khan, Anwar; AlMuhairi, Laila M; Rehman, Moghis Ur

2017-02-01

To investigate the incidence and the pattern of causative organisms of culture-proven early-onset sepsis (EOS) in Arab states in the Gulf region. Five neonatal care units participated in this 2-year prospective study in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Data were collected prospectively using a standardized data collection form. EOS was defined as the growth of a single potentially pathogenic organism from blood or cerebrospinal fluid in infants within 72h of birth, with clinical and laboratory findings consistent with infection. Out of 67 474 live births, 102 cases of EOS occurred. The overall incidence of EOS was 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.2-1.8) per 1000 live-births, ranging from 2.64 per 1000 live-births in Kuwait to 0.40 per 1000 live-births in King Abdulaziz Hospital in Saudi Arabia. The most common causative organism of EOS was group B Streptococcus (GBS; 60.0%), followed by Escherichia coli (13%). The incidence of invasive GBS disease was 0.90 per 1000 live-births overall and ranged from 1.4 per 1000 live-births in Kuwait to 0.6 per 1000 live-births in Dubai Hospital. The incidence of EOS and the patterns of the causative organisms in the Arab states in the Gulf region are similar to those in developed countries before the era of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. Efforts should be made to improve intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis in the Arab state setting, which could avert large numbers of GBS infections. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Prospective study of injury in volleyball players: 6 year results.

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor, M F; Ezechieli, M; Classen, L; Kieffer, O; Miltner, O

2015-01-01

The volleyball game has a high complexity and thus entails a lot of strain to the players. Due to this high and different training and competition strain comprehensive and individual training plans should be developed with competing training objectives in order to prevent injuries. The aim of the study was to analyse prospectively over six seasons the acute and overuse injuries of a German male professional volleyball team. The study included 34 male national league players from season the 2007/08 to 2012/13. All players received a sport medicine examination and a functional diagnosis before each season. Based on the results the players received an individual training plan. The players suffered 186 injuries. The prevalence of acute injuries was 1.94 per player and overuse injuries 0.64 per player. The incidence of acute injuries was 3.3/1000 h volleyball and overuse injuries 1.08/1000 h volleyball. The largest number of injuries was found in the spine. The players had most likely minor injuries. The players had significantly fewer injuries in their second season (1.92) than in their first season (3.25; p= 0.004). It could be concluded that volleyball is a sport with a relative low prevalence of injuries compared to other team sports. The prevalence of injury is 2.58 per player. Due to an injury a player dropped out 16.91 days per season. An individual training program seems to reduce the incidence of injury.

Prospects for nuclear power in the Pacific Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swiss, M.

1983-01-01

Nuclear power for countries in the Pacific Basin were discussed. The countries involved were Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Mexico. Present nuclear power and prospects for nuclear power over the next four years were outlined, as well as the economics involved. (U.K.)

Four-year evaluation of workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride. A brief report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGrath, K.G.; Roach, D.; Zeiss, C.R.; Patterson, R.

1984-01-01

In a four-year clinical, immunologic, and environmental study of trimellitic anhydride (TMA) exposure in a single plant, 20 workers exposed to TMA powder were evaluated in 1979 and a total of 32 workers were evaluated from 1979 to 1983. Two distinct groups emerged before and after workplace control improvements were made in 1979. Seventeen of the original 20 workers were available for longitudinal study through 1983. Annual clinical evaluations and serum radioimmunoassays for total antibody binding and specific IgE binding to 125I TM-HSA (human serum albumin) were performed on all 32 workers. In 1979, six workers had antibody against TM-HSA, three had the late respiratory systemic syndrome, and two had TMA-induced allergic rhinitis or allergic rhinitis and asthma. One worker had antibody against TM-HSA without illness. Fifteen additional workers were evaluated longitudinally after institution of several workplace control measures. Four of these 15 workers had TMA exposure prior to environmental improvement and joined the study in 1982. The remaining 11 workers joined the study in 1982 and had at least two years of TMA exposure in the modified workplace. None of these 11 workers developed a TMA-induced immunologic syndrome or significant total or specific IgE antibody binding to 125I TM-HSA

The Influence of Wealth and Race in Four-Year College Attendance

OpenAIRE

Su Jin Jez

2008-01-01

College is increasingly essential for economic and social mobility. Current research devotes significant attention to race and socioeconomic factors in college access. Yet wealth’s role, as differentiated from income, is largely unexplored. Utilizing a nationally representative dataset, this study analyzes the role of wealth among students who attend four-year colleges. The hypothesis that wealth matters through the provision of differential habitus, social capital, and cultural capital tha...

Aging of monolithic zirconia dental prostheses: Protocol for a 5-year prospective clinical study using ex vivo analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Vinciane; Wulfman, Claudine P; Derbanne, Mathieu A; Dupont, Nathalie M; Le Goff, Stéphane O; Tang, Mie-Leng; Seidel, Laurence; Dewael, Thibaut Y; Vanheusden, Alain J; Mainjot, Amélie K

2016-12-15

Recent introduction of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) monolithic zirconia dental prostheses raises the issue of material low thermal degradation (LTD), a well-known problem with zirconia hip prostheses. This phenomenon could be accentuated by masticatory mechanical stress. Until now zirconia LTD process has only been studied in vitro . This work introduces an original protocol to evaluate LTD process of monolithic zirconia prostheses in the oral environment and to study their general clinical behavior, notably in terms of wear. 101 posterior monolithic zirconia tooth elements (molars and premolars) are included in a 5-year prospective clinical trial. On each element, several areas between 1 and 2 mm 2 (6 on molars, 4 on premolars) are determined on restoration surface: areas submitted or non-submitted to mastication mechanical stress, glazed or non-glazed. Before prosthesis placement, ex vivo analyses regarding LTD and wear are performed using Raman spectroscopy, SEM imagery and 3D laser profilometry. After placement, restorations are clinically evaluated following criteria of the World Dental Federation (FDI), complemented by the analysis of fracture clinical risk factors. Two independent examiners perform the evaluations. Clinical evaluation and ex vivo analyses are carried out after 6 months and then each year for up to 5 years. For clinicians and patients, the results of this trial will justify the use of monolithic zirconia restorations in dental practice. For researchers, the originality of a clinical study including ex vivo analyses of material aging will provide important data regarding zirconia properties.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02150226.

FDG PET during radiochemotherapy is predictive of outcome at 1 year in non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a prospective multicentre study (RTEP2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera, Pierre; Edet-Sanson, Agathe; Modzelewski, Romain; Mezzani-Saillard, Sandrine; Thureau, Sebastien; Dubray, Bernard; Menard, Jean-Francois; Meyer, Marc-Etienne; Jalali, Khadija; Bardet, Stephane; Lerouge, Delphine; Houzard, Claire; Mornex, Francoise; Olivier, Pierre; Faure, Guillaume; Rousseau, Caroline; Mahe, Marc-Andre; Gomez, Philippe; Brenot-Rossi, Isabelle; Salem, Naji

2014-01-01

To assess prospectively the prognostic value of FDG PET/CT during curative-intent radiotherapy (RT) with or without concomitant chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with histological proof of invasive localized NSCLC and evaluable tumour, and who were candidates for curative-intent radiochemotherapy (RCT) or RT were preincluded after providing written informed consent. Definitive inclusion was conditional upon significant FDG uptake before RT (PET 1 ). All included patients had a FDG PET/CT scan during RT (PET 2 , mean dose 43 Gy) and were evaluated by FDG PET/CT at 3 months and 1 year after RT. The main endpoint was death (from whatever cause) or tumour progression at 1 year. Of 77 patients preincluded, 52 were evaluable. Among the evaluable patients, 77 % received RT with induction chemotherapy and 73 % RT with concomitant chemotherapy. At 1 year, 40 patients (77 %) had died or had tumour progression. No statistically significant association was found between stage (IIIB vs. other), histology (squamous cell carcinoma vs. other), induction or concomitant chemotherapy, and death/tumour progression at 1 year. The SUV max in the PET 2 scan was the single variable predictive of death or tumour progression at 1 year (odds ratio 1.97, 95 % CI 1.25 - 3.09, p = 0.003) in multivariate analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85 (95 % CI 0.73 - 0.94, p -4 ). A SUV max value of 5.3 in the PET 2 scan yielded a sensitivity of 70 % and a specificity of 92 % for predicting tumour progression or death at 1 year. This prospective multicentre study demonstrated the prognostic value in terms of disease-free survival of SUV max assessed during the 5th week of curative-intent RT or RCT in NSCLC patients (NCT01261598; RTEP2 study). (orig.)

The association of serum 25-OH vitamin D with atopy, asthma, and lung function in a prospective study of Danish adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, B H; Skaaby, T; Husemoen, L L N

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Besides the important skeletal functions, it has been suggested that vitamin D is involved in the pathogenesis of allergy and asthma and related to lung function. However, previous studies are inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations of serum...... levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) with atopy, asthma, and lung function in a prospective study of Danish adults. METHODS: This study included 4999 adults aged 30-60 years in 1999-2001. Three thousand and thirty-two of those included at baseline also participated at a follow-up examination 5 years...... later, and 3727 answered a 10-year follow-up questionnaire. Serum levels of (25(OH)D) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at baseline. No information on use of vitamin D supplements was available. Specific IgE against four common antigens was measured. Information about doctor...

Adherence in patients in the first year after kidney transplantation and its impact on graft loss and mortality: a cross-sectional and prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Prihodova, Lucia; Nagyova, Iveta; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Majernikova, Maria; Roland, Robert; Groothoff, Johan W; van Dijk, Jitse P

2014-12-01

To explore the predictive value of adherence to their immunosuppressive medication in kidney transplant recipients in the first year after kidney transplantation as a determinant of graft loss and mortality up to 12 years (prospective analysis) and its association with sociodemographic and medical factors and social support (cross-sectional analysis). Poor adherence to their immunosuppressive medication in kidney transplant recipients remains the leading preventable cause of poor patient outcomes. Prospective and cross-sectional study. At baseline, 325 patients 3-12 months posttransplantation were invited to participate. Adherence was assessed using collateral reports - a combination of patients' self-evaluation and an estimate by their nephrologist. The patients provided sociodemographic and medical data and completed the End-Stage Renal Disease Symptom Checklist and Multidimensional scale of perceived social support. At follow-up (average 7·1 years), data on patients and graft survival were obtained. All data were collected from 2002-2013. Multinomial regression analysis and Cox regression were performed. A total of 297 patients (48·1 (12·8) years, 61·6% men) agreed to participate (response rate 91·4%); 67·4% were considered as fully adherent. Poor adherence was associated with higher risk of graft loss and mortality over 12 years. Female sex, higher education, higher perceived side effects of corticosteroids, better perceived cardiac and renal function and higher perceived family social support in the first year posttransplantation were associated with full adherence to immunosuppressive treatment. Patients with poor adherence to the immunosuppressive medication in the first year after kidney transplantation showed increased likelihood of graft loss and death over 12 years compared with the adherent patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social support and suicide in Japanese men and women - the Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-based prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Poudel-Tandukar, Kalpana; Nanri, Akiko; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Matsushita, Yumi; Takahashi, Yoshihiko; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2011-12-01

Although the important role of social support in mental health is acknowledged, no prospective study has yet examined the relation of social support to suicide. Here, we investigated the association between social support and suicide in a cohort of Japanese men and women. A total of 26,672 men and 29,865 women aged 40-69 years enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study in 1993-1994 completed a self-administered questionnaire which included four items of social support, and were followed for death through December 2005. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of suicidal death by social support index were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. A total of 180 suicidal deaths were recorded during an average of 12 years' follow-up. Men and women with the highest level of social support had a significantly decreased risk of suicide, with HRs (95% CI) for the highest versus lowest social support group of 0.56 (0.33-0.94) and 0.38 (0.16-0.89) in men and women, respectively. Esteem support and having four or more friends were associated with a lower risk of suicide in women [0.32 (0.13-0.77)] and in both sexes [men: 0.56 (0.36-0.88); women: 0.65 (0.32-1.30)], respectively, whereas confident support was not. These findings suggest that social support may be important for suicide prevention. Avoiding social isolation may decrease the incidence of suicide in men and women, and esteem support can provide additional benefit for women. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adherence in patients in the first year after kidney transplantation and its impact on graft loss and mortality : a cross-sectional and prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prihodova, Lucia; Nagyova, Iveta; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Majernikova, Maria; Roland, Robert; Groothoff, Johan W.; van Dijk, Jitse P.

2014-01-01

Aims. To explore the predictive value of adherence to their immunosuppressive medication in kidney transplant recipients in the first year after kidney transplantation as a determinant of graft loss and mortality up to 12 years (prospective analysis) and its association with sociodemographic and

Paediatric invasive pneumococcal disease on the island of Gran Canaria: 16-year prospective study (2001-2016).

Science.gov (United States)

Santana Hernández, Milagrosa; Aguiar-Santana, Ione Ahedey; Artiles Campelo, Fernando; Colino Gil, Elena

2017-11-24

To calculate the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the paediatric population of Gran Canaria (Spain), its clinical and epidemiological characteristics, serotype distribution, antibiotic resistance, and variations in these variables before and after the introduction of the PCV13 vaccine. Prospective hospital-based study including all patients (190) aged 0-14 years admitted with confirmed IPD between January 2001-May 2010 (152 cases) and June 2010-December 2016 (38 cases). Patients were divided into 3 age groups (5 years). Clinical symptoms were mutually-exclusively classified as meningitis, bacteraemic pneumonia, pleural effusion (PE), empyema or bacteraemia without a focus. Most cases occurred in boys (59.47%), during autumn-winter (65.79%), in children aged <2 years (55.79%) and with mean age increasing from the pre-PCV13 to the post-PCV13 period (2.5 vs 3.1 years). Incidence between periods reduced by 66.4% (p<0.001): from 13.1/100,000 to 4.4/100,000. PEs (3.9% vs 18.4%, p<0.005) and empyemas (1.5% vs 16.7%, p=NS) increased in the post-PCV13 period whereas all other symptoms decreased, although this was not statistically significant. Vaccine serotypes (77% vs 40.6%, p=0.000), particularly serotypes 19A (23.9% vs 12.5%) and 14 (14.2% vs 9.4%), as well as erythromycin resistance (57.2% vs 7.9%, p=0.000) decreased in the post-PCV13 period. IPD incidence, vaccine serotypes and erythromycin resistance decreased in the post-PCV13 period whereas PEs increased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Software Engineering Education through Open Source Projects: Four Years of Students' Perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papadopoulos, P.M.; Stamelos, I.G.; Meiszner, A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the results after four years of running of an instructional method that utilizes free/libre open source software (FLOSS) projects as tools for teaching software engineering in formal education. In the last four academic years, a total of 408 juniors majoring in Informatics (in a

Soccer injuries and recovery in dutch male amateur soccer players: Results of a prospective cohort study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beijsterveldt, A.M. van; Steffen, K.; Stubbe, J.H.; Frederiks, J.E.; Port, I.G.L. van de; Backx, F.J.G.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE:: To describe characteristics of outdoor soccer injury and recovery among Dutch soccer players. DESIGN:: Prospective cohort study. SETTING:: The 2009-2010 competitive season (33 weeks). PARTICIPANTS:: Four hundred fifty-six Dutch male soccer players of 23 amateur teams. MAIN OUTCOME

Health impact of E-cigarettes: a prospective 3.5-year study of regular daily users who have never smoked.

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Polosa, Riccardo; Cibella, Fabio; Caponnetto, Pasquale; Maglia, Marilena; Prosperini, Umberto; Russo, Cristina; Tashkin, Donald

2017-11-17

Although electronic cigarettes (ECs) are a much less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, there is concern as to whether long-term ECs use may cause risks to human health. We report health outcomes (blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, lung function, respiratory symptoms, exhaled breath nitric oxide [eNO], exhaled carbon monoxide [eCO], and high-resolution computed tomography [HRCT] of the lungs) from a prospective 3.5-year observational study of a cohort of nine daily EC users (mean age 29.7 (±6.1) years) who have never smoked and a reference group of twelve never smokers. No significant changes could be detected over the observation period from baseline in the EC users or between EC users and control subjects in any of the health outcomes investigated. Moreover, no pathological findings could be identified on HRCT of the lungs and no respiratory symptoms were consistently reported in the EC user group. Although it cannot be excluded that some harm may occur at later stages, this study did not demonstrate any health concerns associated with long-term use of EC in relatively young users who did not also smoke tobacco.

The South African Surgical Outcomes Study: A 7-day prospective ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To investigate the perioperative mortality and need for critical care admission in patients undergoing inpatient non-cardiac surgery in SA. Methods. A 7-day national, multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study of all patients ≥16 years of age undergoing inpatient noncardiac surgery between 19 and 26 May 2014 at ...

Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Borderline Personality Symptoms at 11-Years of Age: A Prospective Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wolke, Dieter; Schreier, Andrea; Zanarini, Mary C.; Winsper, Catherine

2012-01-01

Background: Abuse by adults has been reported as a potent predictor of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Unclear is whether victimisation by peers increases the risk of borderline personality symptoms. Method: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) prospective, longitudinal observation study of 6050 mothers and their…

Workplace social capital and the onset of major depressive episode among workers in Japan: a 3-year prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuraya, Asuka; Imamura, Kotaro; Inoue, Akiomi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Takahashi, Masaya; Totsuzaki, Takafumi; Kawakami, Norito

2017-06-01

This study examined the prospective association of workplace social capital (WSC) with major depressive episode (MDE) among Japanese employees. A 3-year prospective cohort study was conducted among 1058 employees from a private think-tank company who participated in a baseline survey; after excluding those with MDE in the past 12 months, 929 were followed up. WSC at baseline was measured using a 3-item scale. MDE was assessed at baseline and at follow-up every year, by using a web-based, self-administered version of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI) 3.0 depression section, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition: Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)/DSM-5 criteria. Cox discrete-time hazards analyses were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs, adjusting for covariates. A group with middle-level WSC scores had the lowest risk of MDE after being fully adjusted (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.84, p=0.02). The relationship between WSC and MDE was U-shaped, although a non-linear model fit better than a linear model, with only marginally statistical significance (p=0.06). Dichotomised and continuous variables of WSC scores were significantly and negatively associated with MDE (p=0.03 and pMDE in Japan. The slightly U-shaped relationship, that is, the group with high WSC having a small elevated risk of MDE, may reflect a dark side of WSC in a country with collectivity-oriented and hierarchy-oriented culture, such as Japan. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Using a Novel Hydroxyapatite-Coated Screw: Preliminary 1-Year Clinical and Radiographic Results of a 2-Year Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rappoport, Louis H; Luna, Ingrid Y; Joshua, Gita

2017-05-01

Proper diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain remains a clinical challenge. Dysfunction of the SIJ can produce pain in the lower back, buttocks, and extremities. Triangular titanium implants for minimally invasive surgical arthrodesis have been available for several years, with reputed high levels of success and patient satisfaction. This study reports on a novel hydroxyapatite-coated screw for surgical treatment of SIJ pain. Data were prospectively collected on 32 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive SIJ fusion with a novel hydroxyapatite-coated screw. Clinical assessments and radiographs were collected and evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Mean (standard deviation) patient age was 55.2 ± 10.7 years, and 62.5% were female. More patients (53.1%) underwent left versus right SIJ treatment, mean operative time was 42.6 ± 20.4 minutes, and estimated blood loss did not exceed 50 mL. Overnight hospital stay was required for 84% of patients, and the remaining patients needed a 2-day stay (16%). Mean preoperative visual analog scale back and leg pain scores decreased significantly by 12 months postoperatively (P sacroiliac joint pain. Future clinical studies with larger samples are warranted to assess long-term patient outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The course of skull deformation from birth to 5 years of age: a prospective cohort study.

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van Vlimmeren, Leo A; Engelbert, Raoul Hh; Pelsma, Maaike; Groenewoud, Hans Mm; Boere-Boonekamp, Magda M; der Sanden, Maria Wg Nijhuis-van

2017-01-01

In a continuation of a prospective longitudinal cohort study in a healthy population on the course of skull shape from birth to 24 months, at 5 years of age, 248 children participated in a follow-up assessment using plagiocephalometry (ODDI-oblique diameter difference index, CPI-cranio proportional index). Data from the original study sampled at birth, 7 weeks, 6, 12, and 24 months were used in two linear mixed models. (1) if deformational plagiocephaly (ODDI skull shape can be predicted at 5 years of age; (2) if positional preference occurs, ODDI is the highest at 7 weeks and decreases to a stable lowest value at 2 and 5 years of age; and (3) regarding brachycephaly, all children showed the highest CPI at 6 months of age with a gradual decrease over time. The course of skull deformation is favourable in most of the children in The Netherlands; at 5 years of age, brachycephaly is within the normal range for all children, whereas the severity of plagiocephaly is within the normal range in 80%, within the mild range in 19%, and within the moderate/severe range in 1%. Medical consumption may be reduced by providing early tailored counselling. What is Known: • Skull deformation prevalence increased after recommendations against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, little is known about the longitudinal course. • Paediatric physical therapy intervention between 2 and 6 months of age reduces deformational plagiocephaly at 6 and 12 months of age. What is New: • The course of skull deformation is favourable in most of the children in The Netherlands; at 5 years of age, deformational brachycephaly is within the normal range for all children, whereas the severity of deformational plagiocephaly is within the normal range in 80%, within the mild range in 19%, and within the moderate to severe range in only 1%. • Paediatric physical therapy intervention does not influence the long-term outcome; it only influences the earlier decrease of the severity of

Evolution of target organ damage and haemodynamic parameters over 4 years in patients with increased insulin resistance: the LOD-DIABETES prospective observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Marcos, Manuel Ángel; Recio-Rodríguez, José Ignacio; Patino-Alonso, María Carmen; Agudo-Conde, Cristina; Rodríguez-Sanchez, Emiliano; Maderuelo-Fernandez, Jose Angel; Gómez-Sánchez, Leticia; Gomez-Sanchez, Marta; García-Ortiz, Luís

2016-06-01

We prospectively examined the impact of type 2 diabetes compared with metabolic syndrome (MetS) on the development of vascular disease over 4 years as determined by anatomic and functional markers of vascular disease. By comparing the vascular outcomes of the 2 disorders, we seek to determine the independent effect of elevated glucose levels on vascular disease. 2 primary care centres in Salamanca, Spain. We performed a prospective observational study involving 112 patients (68 with type 2 diabetes and 44 with MetS) who were followed for 4 years. Measurements included blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), hs-c-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels. We also evaluated vascular, carotid intima media thickness (IMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle/brachial index, heart and renal target organ damage (TOD). The haemodynamic parameters were central (CAIx) and peripheral (PAIx) augmentation indices. In year 4, participants with type 2 diabetes had increased IMT thickness. These patients had more plaques and an IMT>0.90 mm. In participants with MetS, we only found an increase in the number of plaques. We found no changes in PWV, CAIx and PAIx. The patients with diabetes had a greater frequency of vascular TOD. There were no differences neither in renal nor cardiac percentage of TOD in the patients with MetS or diabetes mellitus type 2. This prospective study showed that the evolution of vascular TOD is different in participants with type 2 diabetes compared with those with MetS. While IMT and PWV increased in type 2 diabetes, these were not modified in MetS. The renal and cardiac TOD evolution, as well as the PAIx and CAIx, did not change in either group. NCT01065155; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Risk factors for late-onset generalized anxiety disorder: results from a 12-year prospective cohort (the ESPRIT study).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X; Norton, J; Carrière, I; Ritchie, K; Chaudieu, I; Ancelin, M-L

2015-03-31

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic and highly prevalent disorder associated with increased disability and mortality in the elderly. Treatment is difficult with low rate of full remission, thus highlighting the need to identify early predictors for prevention in elderly people. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize incident GAD predictors in elderly people. A total of 1711 individuals aged 65 years and above and free of GAD at baseline were randomly recruited from electoral rolls between 1999 and 2001 (the prospective ESPRIT study). The participants were examined at baseline and five times over 12 years. GAD and psychiatric comorbidity were diagnosed with a standardized psychiatric examination, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatry Interview on the basis of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) criteria and validated by a clinical panel. During the follow-up, 8.4% (95% confidence interval=7.1-9.7%) of the participants experienced incident GAD, 80% being first episodes; the incident rate being 10 per 1000 person-years. The principal predictors of late-onset incident GAD over 12 years derived from a multivariate Cox model were being female, recent adverse life events, having chronic physical (respiratory disorders, arrhythmia and heart failure, dyslipidemia, cognitive impairment) and mental (depression, phobia and past GAD) health disorders. Poverty, parental loss or separation and low affective support during childhood, as well as history of mental problems in parents were also significantly and independently associated with incident GAD. GAD appears as a multifactorial stress-related affective disorder resulting from both proximal and distal risk factors, some of them being potentially modifiable by health care intervention.

Perceived stress scores among Saudi students entering universities: a prospective study during the first year of university life.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Daghri, Nasser M; Al-Othman, Abdulaziz; Albanyan, Abdulmajeed; Al-Attas, Omar S; Alokail, Majed S; Sabico, Shaun; Chrousos, George P

2014-04-10

In this prospective study we wanted to determine whether perceived stress over time among students in the Preparatory Year of King Saud University (KSU) predisposes them to cardiometabolic abnormalities. A total of 110 apparently healthy Saudi students (35 men and 75 women enrolled during the 2010-2011 academic year) were included. Perceived stress was determined at baseline and 1 year later. Anthropometrics were obtained and morning fasting serum glucose, lipid profile and cortisol were measured at both times. Perceived stress was noted among 48.2% of subjects at baseline and was not significantly different after follow-up, with 45.4% scoring high. In men, the prevalence of perceived stress was 48.6% at baseline (13 out of 35) and 37.1% at follow-up (13 out of 35), while in women it was 48% at baseline and 49.3% at follow-up. Interestingly, significant improvements in the blood pressure and lipid profiles, with the exception of HDL-cholesterol, were observed in both men and women, while fasting glucose also improved in women. Serum cortisol was inversely associated to fasting glucose, and total- and LDL-cholesterol (p-values 0.007, 0.04 and 0.04, respectively). These data are opposite to findings in students entering Western universities, in whom increasing stress and a deteriorating cardiometabolic profile have been repeatedly noted. Perceived stress and morning cortisol levels among students of the Preparatory Year in KSU remained constant for both genders over time, yet an improved cardiometabolic profile was observed, suggesting good adaptation among our pre-college students in their first year of university life.

Mixture effects of 30 environmental contaminants on incident metabolic syndrome-A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lind, Lars; Salihovic, Samira; Lampa, Erik; Lind, P Monica

2017-10-01

Several cross-sectional studies have linked different environmental contaminants to the metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, mixture effects have not been investigated and no prospective studies exist regarding environmental contaminants and the MetS. To study mixture effects of contaminants on the risk of incident MetS in a prospective fashion. Our sample consisted of 452 subjects from the Prospective Study of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study (50% women, all aged 70years) free from the MetS at baseline, being followed for 10years. At baseline, 30 different environmental contaminants were measured; 6 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 3 organochlorine (OC) pesticides, one dioxin, one polybrominated diphenyl ether (all in plasma), 8 perfluoroalkyl substances (in plasma) and 11 metals (in whole blood). The MetS was defined by the ATPIII/NCEP criteria. Gradient boosted Classification and Regression Trees (CARTs) was used to evaluate potential synergistic and additive mixture effects on incident MetS. During 10-year follow-up, 92 incident cases of the MetS occurred. PCB126, PCB170, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and PCB118 levels were all associated with incident MetS in an additive fashion (OR 1.73 for a change from 10th to 90th percentile (95%CI 1.24-3.04) for PCB126, OR 0.63 (0.42-0.78) for PCB170, OR 1.44 (1.09-2.20) for HCB and OR 1.46 (1.13-2.43) for PCB118). No synergistic effects were found. A mixture of environmental contaminants, with PCB126, PCB170, HCB and PCB118 being the most important, showed associations with future development of the MetS in an additive fashion in this prospective study. Thus, mixture effects of environmental contaminants could contribute to the development of cardio-metabolic derangements. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Time to relapse and remission of bipolar disorder: findings from a 1-year prospective study in Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leelahanaj T

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Thawatchai Leelahanaj,1 Ronnachai Kongsakon,2 Somrak Choovanichvong,3 Sookjaroen Tangwongchai,4 Suchat Paholpak,5 Thoranin Kongsuk,6 Manit Srisurapanont7 For the Thai Bipolar Registry Study Group 1Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand; 2Department of Psychiatry, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 3Srithanya Hospital, Nonthaburi, Thailand; 4Department of Psychiatry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; 5Department of Psychiatry, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; 6Prasrimahabhodi Psychiatric Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; 7Department of Psychiatry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Background and methods: This study aimed to determine time to relapse and remission of mood episodes in Thai patients with bipolar disorder (BD. The Thai Bipolar Disorder Registry was a multicenter, prospective, naturalistic, observational study conducted in Thailand. Participants were adult inpatients or outpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders bipolar disorder. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder, current psychiatric comorbidity, mood relapse, and mood remission were determined by using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Relapse and remission were assessed every 2 months. Results: Of 424 BD participants, 404 (95.3% were BD I, and 258 (60.8% were female. At entry, 260 (61.3% had recovered, and 49 (11.6% were recovering. During 1-year follow-up (381.7 person-years, 92 participants (21.7% had 119 relapses or 0.31 (95% confidence interval 0.25–0.35 episodes per person-year. Among 119 relapses, 58 (48.7%, 39 (32.7%, and 21 (17.6% of them were depressive, hypomanic, and manic episodes, respectively. Using the Kaplan–Meier method, we found that 25% of the participants relapsed in 361 days. Of the 400 participants who reached remission, 113 (28.2% had mood relapses. Of 173 mood events accountable for remission analysis, the

[The LORAS project and quality assurance. In four years from input- to outcome-oriented financing in public health. 2: LORAS project outcome parts 1 & 98].

Science.gov (United States)

Lenz, M J; Hochreutener, M A

2001-04-01

This series of three articles is a summary of the operations, findings and results of the hospital reform projects in the Canton of Zurich, termed LORAS. With the aid of the LORAS project within four years Zurich hospitals have been transformed. Whereas they used to adhere to input-oriented covering of deficits they now operate with outcome-oriented prospective financing of output. Part 1 describes the whole project. Part 2 focuses on the development of outcome-measurement. Part 3 finally describes the implementation of the outcome-measurement in the canton of Zurich.

Program specific admission testing and dropout for sports science students: a prospective cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Neill, Lotte; Christensen, Mette Krogh; Vonsild, Maria Cecilie

2014-01-01

if admission strategy was also independently associated with dropout for sports science students in a university setting. The study design was a prospective cohort study with a 2 year follow-up. The population was 449 sports science students admitted to a university in the years 2002-2007. The analysis...

Immediate occlusal loading of NanoTite™ tapered implants: a prospective 1-year clinical and radiographic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Östman, Pär-Olov; Wennerberg, Ann; Ekestubbe, Annika; Albrektsson, Tomas

2013-12-01

During the last decade, high success rates have been reported for implants placed with immediate loading procedures, especially when bone quality and quantity provide good implant stability. In many of these studies, straight-walled implants with moderately rough surfaces were employed. Tapered implants are becoming increasingly more popular due to standardized drilling protocols and reports of high initial primary stability. The aim of the present prospective, single center clinical study was to evaluate surface topographical analysis and the clinical and radiographic outcomes of the NanoTite™ (BIOMET 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA) Tapered Implant when used for immediate loading of fixed prostheses and single-tooth restorations. Forty-two patients who needed implant treatment and met admission criteria agreed to participate in the study and were consecutively enrolled. Surgical implant placement requirements consisted of a final torque of a least 30 Ncm prior to final seating and an implant stability quotient above 55. A total of 139 NanoTite Tapered implants (112 maxillary and 27 mandibular) were placed by one investigator, and the majority of these implants (n = 77/55%) were placed in posterior regions, and in soft bone (n = 90/65%). A total of 57 prosthetic constructions were evaluated consisting of 20 single-tooth restorations, 30 fixed partial dentures, and 7 complete, fixed maxillary restorations. Radiographs were taken at baseline and at 12 months of follow-up. Of the 139 study implants, one implant failure was declared. The overall cumulative survival rate at 1 year is 99.4%. Mean marginal bone resorption is 1.01 mm (SD 0.85) during the first year of function. Although limited to the short follow-up, immediate loading of NanoTite Tapered implants seems to be a viable option in implant rehabilitation, when insertion torque of at least 30 Ncm is achieved. Further studies are needed to authenticate the finding of this study. © 2012 Wiley

Frequency, severity and risk factors for urinary and faecal incontinence at 4 years postpartum: a prospective cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Gartland, D; MacArthur, C; Woolhouse, H; McDonald, E; Brown, S J

2016-06-01

To investigate frequency, severity and risk factors for urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence 4 years after a first birth. Prospective pregnancy cohort study. Melbourne, Australia. A total of 1011 nulliparous women recruited in early pregnancy. Participants were followed up at 32 weeks of gestation; then at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and 4 years postpartum. Frequency and severity of urinary and faecal incontinence. At 4 years, 29.6% of women reported urinary incontinence and 7.1% reported faecal incontinence. Compared with women having only spontaneous vaginal births, women who delivered exclusively by caesarean section were less likely to have urinary incontinence at 4 years postpartum (adjusted odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.3-0.6). Women who reported urinary incontinence before or during the index pregnancy, and those experiencing symptoms in the first year postpartum had increased odds of incontinence at 4 years, with the highest odds (6-12 times higher) among women who had previously reported moderate or severe symptoms. The odds of reporting faecal incontinence at 4 years were two to six times higher for women experiencing symptoms in pregnancy, and around four to eight times higher for those with symptoms in the first year postpartum. Urinary and faecal incontinence are prevalent conditions 4 years after a first birth. Women reporting urinary or faecal incontinence during pregnancy had markedly higher odds of reporting symptoms at 4 years postpartum, suggesting a need for further investigation and elucidation of aetiological pathways involving nonbirth-related risk factors. Moderate/severe incontinence prevalent 4 years after first birth in population cohort. Prior symptoms are biggest predictor. © 2015 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Analyzing the Bitcoin Network: The First Four Years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias Lischke

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this explorative study, we examine the economy and transaction network of the decentralized digital currency Bitcoin during the first four years of its existence. The objective is to develop insights into the evolution of the Bitcoin economy during this period. For this, we establish and analyze a novel integrated dataset that enriches data from the Bitcoin blockchain with off-network data such as business categories and geo-locations. Our analyses reveal the major Bitcoin businesses and markets. Our results also give insights on the business distribution by countries and how businesses evolve over time. We also show that there is a gambling network that features many very small transactions. Furthermore, regional differences in the adoption and business distribution could be found. In the network analysis, the small world phenomenon is investigated and confirmed for several subgraphs of the Bitcoin network.

Modifiable risk factors predicting major depressive disorder at four year follow-up: a decision tree approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Batterham, Philip J; Christensen, Helen; Mackinnon, Andrew J

2009-11-22

Relative to physical health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, little is known about risk factors that predict the prevalence of depression. The present study investigates the expected effects of a reduction of these risks over time, using the decision tree method favoured in assessing cardiovascular disease risk. The PATH through Life cohort was used for the study, comprising 2,105 20-24 year olds, 2,323 40-44 year olds and 2,177 60-64 year olds sampled from the community in the Canberra region, Australia. A decision tree methodology was used to predict the presence of major depressive disorder after four years of follow-up. The decision tree was compared with a logistic regression analysis using ROC curves. The decision tree was found to distinguish and delineate a wide range of risk profiles. Previous depressive symptoms were most highly predictive of depression after four years, however, modifiable risk factors such as substance use and employment status played significant roles in assessing the risk of depression. The decision tree was found to have better sensitivity and specificity than a logistic regression using identical predictors. The decision tree method was useful in assessing the risk of major depressive disorder over four years. Application of the model to the development of a predictive tool for tailored interventions is discussed.

Modifiable risk factors predicting major depressive disorder at four year follow-up: a decision tree approach

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Christensen Helen

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Relative to physical health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, little is known about risk factors that predict the prevalence of depression. The present study investigates the expected effects of a reduction of these risks over time, using the decision tree method favoured in assessing cardiovascular disease risk. Methods The PATH through Life cohort was used for the study, comprising 2,105 20-24 year olds, 2,323 40-44 year olds and 2,177 60-64 year olds sampled from the community in the Canberra region, Australia. A decision tree methodology was used to predict the presence of major depressive disorder after four years of follow-up. The decision tree was compared with a logistic regression analysis using ROC curves. Results The decision tree was found to distinguish and delineate a wide range of risk profiles. Previous depressive symptoms were most highly predictive of depression after four years, however, modifiable risk factors such as substance use and employment status played significant roles in assessing the risk of depression. The decision tree was found to have better sensitivity and specificity than a logistic regression using identical predictors. Conclusion The decision tree method was useful in assessing the risk of major depressive disorder over four years. Application of the model to the development of a predictive tool for tailored interventions is discussed.

Biological and psychological predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder onset and chronicity. A one-year prospective study

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C. Gandubert

2016-06-01

Conclusions: This prospective study shows that peritraumatic psychological and biological markers are independent predictors of PTSD onset with specificities according to the stage of PTSD development; the psychological diathesis, i.e. peritraumatic distress and dissociation, being a better predictor of short-term dysfunction whereas biological diathesis was also predictive of development and maintenance of PTSD.

Stress Underestimation and Mental Health Outcomes in Male Japanese Workers: a 1-Year Prospective Study.

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Izawa, Shuhei; Nakamura-Taira, Nanako; Yamada, Kosuke Chris

2016-12-01

Being appropriately aware of the extent of stress experienced in daily life is essential in motivating stress management behaviours. Excessive stress underestimation obstructs this process, which is expected to exert adverse effects on health. We prospectively examined associations between stress underestimation and mental health outcomes in Japanese workers. Web-based surveys were conducted twice with an interval of 1 year on 2359 Japanese male workers. Participants were asked to complete survey items concerning stress underestimation, depressive symptoms, sickness absence, and antidepressant use. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high baseline levels of 'overgeneralization of stress' and 'insensitivity to stress' were significantly associated with new-onset depressive symptoms (OR = 2.66 [95 % CI, 1.54-4.59], p stress underestimation, including stress insensitivity and the overgeneralization of stress, could exert adverse effects on mental health.

Sustained favorable long-term outcome in the treatment of schizophrenia: a 3-year prospective observational study

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Ascher-Svanum Haya

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study of chronically ill patients with schizophrenia aimed to identify patients who achieve sustained favorable long-term outcome - when the outcome incorporates severity of symptoms, level of functioning, and use of acute care services - and to identify the best baseline predictors of achieving this sustained favorable long-term outcome. Methods Using data from the United States Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program (US-SCAP (N = 2327, a large 3-year prospective, multisite, observational study of individuals treated for schizophrenia in the US, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to group patients based upon baseline symptom severity. Symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS scores, level of functioning, and use of acute care services. Level of functioning reflected patient-reported productivity and clinician-rated occupational role functioning. Use of acute care services reflected self-reported psychiatric hospitalization and emergency service use. Change of health state was determined over the 3-year period. A patient was classified as having a sustained favorable long-term outcome if their health state values had the closest distance to the defined "best baseline cluster" at each point over the length of the study. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine baseline predictors of sustained favorable long-term outcome. Results At baseline, 5 distinct health state clusters were identified, ranging from "best" to "worst." Of 1635 patients with sufficient data, only 157 (10% experienced sustained favorable long-term outcome during the 2-years postbaseline. The baseline predictors associated with sustained favorable long-term outcome included better quality of life, more daily activities, patient-reported clearer thinking from medication, better global functioning, being employed, not being a victim of a crime, not having received individual therapy, and not

Optimal Cut-Offs of Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) to Identify Dysglycemia and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 15-Year Prospective Study in Chinese.

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Lee, C H; Shih, A Z L; Woo, Y C; Fong, C H Y; Leung, O Y; Janus, E; Cheung, B M Y; Lam, K S L

The optimal reference range of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in normal Chinese population has not been clearly defined. Here we address this issue using the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study (CRISPS), a prospective population-based cohort study with long-term follow-up. In this study, normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were defined according to the 1998 World Health Organization criteria. Dysglycemia referred to IFG, IGT or T2DM. This study comprised two parts. Part one was a cross-sectional study involving 2,649 Hong Kong Chinese subjects, aged 25-74 years, at baseline CRISPS-1 (1995-1996). The optimal HOMA-IR cut-offs for dysglycemia and T2DM were determined by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Part two was a prospective study involving 872 subjects who had persistent NGT at CRISPS-4 (2010-2012) after 15 years of follow-up. At baseline, the optimal HOMA-IR cut-offs to identify dysglyceia and T2DM were 1.37 (AUC = 0.735; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.713-0.758; Sensitivity [Se] = 65.6%, Specificity [Sp] = 71.3%] and 1.97 (AUC = 0.807; 95% CI = 0.777-0.886; Se = 65.5%, Sp = 82.9%) respectively. These cut-offs, derived from the cross-sectional study at baseline, corresponded closely to the 75th (1.44) and 90th (2.03) percentiles, respectively, of the HOMA-IR reference range derived from the prospective study of subjects with persistent NGT. HOMA-IR cut-offs, of 1.4 and 2.0, which discriminated dysglycemia and T2DM respectively from NGT in Southern Chinese, can be usefully employed as references in clinical research involving the assessment of insulin resistance.

Medial shoe-ground pressure and specific running injuries: A 1-year prospective cohort study.

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Brund, René B K; Rasmussen, Sten; Nielsen, Rasmus O; Kersting, Uwe G; Laessoe, Uffe; Voigt, Michael

2017-09-01

Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciopathy and medial tibial stress syndrome injuries (APM-injuries) account for approximately 25% of the total number of running injuries amongst recreational runners. Reports on the association between static foot pronation and APM-injuries are contradictory. Possibly, dynamic measures of pronation may display a stronger relationship with the risk of APM-injuries. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate if running distance until the first APM-injury was dependent on the foot balance during stance phase in recreational male runners. Prospective cohort study. Foot balance for both feet was measured during treadmill running at the fastest possible 5000-m running pace in 79 healthy recreational male runners. Foot balance was calculated by dividing the average of medial pressure with the average of lateral pressure. Foot balance was categorized into those which presented a higher lateral shod pressure (LP) than medial pressure, and those which presented a higher medial shod pressure (MP) than lateral pressure during the stance phase. A time-to-event model was used to compare differences in incidence between foot balance groups. Compared with the LP-group (n=59), the proportion of APM-injuries was greater in the MP-group (n=99) after 1500km of running, resulting in a cumulative risk difference of 16%-points (95% CI=3%-point; 28%-point, p=0.011). Runners displaying a more medial pressure during stance phase at baseline sustained a greater amount of APM-injuries compared to those displaying a lateral shod pressure during stance phase. Prospective studies including a greater amount of runners are needed to confirm this relationship. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Causes of anorexia in untreated hyperthyroidism: a prospective study.

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Dai, W X; Meng, X W

2000-05-01

Seventeen consecutive patients (mean (SD) 46 (11) years) with untreated hyperthyroidism and anorexia and 29 patients (35 (9) years) with untreated hyperthyroidism without anorexia were studied. The study was conducted at the thyroid clinic of the PUMC Hospital, Beijing, China from March to August 1997. The patients' ages, serum free calcium, liver function and emotional state, specifically the level of anxiety (using the self anxiety scale, Chinese version), were compared before and/or after antithyroid drug treatment in the two groups. This prospective study suggested that the causes of anorexia in untreated hyperthyroidism are complicated. Older age, abnormal liver function, and the level of anxiety are significantly related to anorexia in untreated hyperthyroidism, but hypercalcaemia was not confirmed to be related to anorexia in the study.

Male infertility after mesh hernia repair: A prospective study.

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Hallén, Magnus; Sandblom, Gabriel; Nordin, Pär; Gunnarsson, Ulf; Kvist, Ulrik; Westerdahl, Johan

2011-02-01

Several animal studies have raised concern about the risk for obstructive azoospermia owing to vasal fibrosis caused by the use of alloplastic mesh prosthesis in inguinal hernia repair. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of male infertility after bilateral mesh repair. In a prospective study, a questionnaire inquiring about involuntary childlessness, investigation for infertility and number of children was sent by mail to a group of 376 men aged 18-55 years, who had undergone bilateral mesh repair, identified in the Swedish Hernia Register (SHR). Questionnaires were also sent to 2 control groups, 1 consisting of 186 men from the SHR who had undergone bilateral repair without mesh, and 1 consisting of 383 men identified in the general population. The control group from the SHR was matched 2:1 for age and years elapsed since operation. The control group from the general population was matched 1:1 for age and marital status. The overall response rate was 525 of 945 (56%). Method of approach (anterior or posterior), type of mesh, and testicular status at the time of the repair had no significant impact on the answers to the questions. Nor did subgroup analysis of the men ≤40 years old reveal any significant differences. The results of this prospective study in men do not support the hypothesis that bilateral inguinal hernia repair with alloplastic mesh prosthesis causes male infertility at a significantly greater rate than those operated without mesh. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Four Years of Reports of Alcohol-Related Harm to Pediatricians in the Netherlands

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van Hoof, Joris Jasper; van Zanten, Eva; van der Lely, Nicolaas

2015-01-01

Over the four years of the study, the number of adolescents treated with alcohol-related harm increased significantly (from 297 in 2007 to 684 in 2010), up to a total of 1,616. The dominant reason for hospitalization was “alcohol intoxication” (in total 1,350; 88% of all cases). The gender ratio did

A new stratified risk assessment tool for whiplash injuries developed from a prospective observational study

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Kasch, Helge; Kongsted, Alice; Qerama, Erisela; Bach, Flemming W; Bendix, Tom; Jensen, Troels Staehelin

2013-01-01

Objectives An initial stratification of acute whiplash patients into seven risk-strata in relation to 1-year work disability as primary outcome is presented. Design The design was an observational prospective study of risk factors embedded in a randomised controlled study. Setting Acute whiplash patients from units, general practitioners in four Danish counties were referred to two research centres. Participants During a 2-year inclusion period, acute consecutive whiplash-injured (age 18–70 years, rear-end or frontal-end car accident and WAD (whiplash-associated disorders) grades I–III, symptoms within 72 h, examination prior to 10 days postinjury, capable of written/spoken Danish, without other injuries/fractures, pre-existing significant somatic/psychiatric disorder, drug/alcohol abuse and previous significant pain/headache). 688 (438 women and 250 men) participants were interviewed and examined by a study nurse after 5 days; 605 were completed after 1 year. A risk score which included items of initial neck pain/headache intensity, a number of non-painful complaints and active neck mobility was applied. The primary outcome parameter was 1-year work disability. Results The risk score and number of sick-listing days were related (Kruskal-Wallis, pwhiplash. Neck-mobility was a strong predictor in this study; however, it was a more inconsistent predictor in other studies. Conclusions Application of the risk assessment score and use of the risk strata system may be beneficial in future studies and may be considered as a valuable tool to assess return-to-work following injuries; however, further studies are needed. PMID:23370009

Hospitalization and survival in patients using epoprostenol for injection in the PROSPECT observational study.

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Frantz, Robert P; Schilz, Robert J; Chakinala, Murali M; Badesch, David B; Frost, Adaani E; McLaughlin, Vallerie V; Barst, Robyn J; Rosenberg, Daniel M; Miller, Dave P; Hartline, Brian K; Benton, Wade W; Farber, Harrison W

2015-02-01

Few studies have prospectively reported outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treated with epoprostenol in the modern-day era of oral therapy and combination treatments. The Registry to Prospectively Describe Use of Epoprostenol for Injection (Veletri, prolonged room temperature stable-epoprostenol [RTS-Epo]) in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PROSPECT) was established to prospectively describe the course of PAH in patients prescribed RTS-Epo. PROSPECT is a multicenter, US-based drug registry of primarily group 1 patients with PAH treated with RTS-Epo who were parenteral-naive or parenteral-transitioned at enrollment. Patients were followed until discontinuation of RTS-Epo, withdrawal, loss to follow-up, death, or end of study (maximum 1 year). One-year freedom from hospitalization (FH) and survival estimates were summarized by prostacyclin history (parenteral-naive or parenteral-transitioned), sex, and chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). A total of 336 patients were included. The overall 1-year FH estimate was 51.0% ± 2.8% and was lower in parenteral-naive patients than parenteral-transitioned patients (42.8% ± 4.3% vs 57.1% ± 3.7%, respectively; P = .002). FH estimates were lower in male patients than female patients (38.3% ± 5.9% vs 54.6% ± 3.2%, respectively; P < .015) and in patients with CRI than patients without CRI (17.0% ± 8.4% vs 53.7% ± 2.9%, respectively; P < .001). The overall 1-year survival estimate was 84.0% ± 2.1%. Survival was poorer in parenteral-naive patients, male patients, and patients with CRI. Risk of hospitalization and mortality remain high in patients with PAH. In particular, patients who are parenteral-naive at initiation of RTS-Epo therapy, male patients, and patients with CRI require close monitoring and aggressive clinical management.

Screening for Acromegaly in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Prospective Study (ACROCARP).

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Zoicas, F; Kleindienst, A; Mayr, B; Buchfelder, M; Megele, R; Schöfl, C

2016-07-01

Early diagnosis of acromegaly prevents irreversible comorbidities and facilitates surgical cure. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is common in acromegaly and patients have often undergone surgery for CTS prior to the diagnosis of acromegaly. We hypothesized that screening CTS-patients for acromegaly could facilitate active case-finding. We prospectively enrolled 196 patients [135 women, 56.9 (range 23-103) years] who presented with CTS for surgery. Patients were asked about 6 symptoms suggestive of acromegaly using a questionnaire calculating a symptom score (0-6 points), and insulin-like-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was measured. If IGF-1 was increased, IGF-1 measurement was repeated, and random growth hormone (GH) and/or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with assessment of GH-suppression were performed. The mean symptom score was 1.7±1.3 points. Three patients reported the maximal symptom score of 6 points, but none of them had an increased IGF-1. There was no correlation between the symptom score and IGF-1-SDS (standard deviation score) (r=0.026; p=0.71). Four patients had an IGF-1>2 SDS. In 2 patients acromegaly was ruled out using random GH and OGTT. One patient had normal IGF-1 and random GH at follow-up. One patient refused further diagnostics. In this prospective cohort of patients with CTS, the observed frequency of acromegaly was at most 0.51% (95% CI 0.03 to 2.83%). In this prospective study, none of the 196 patients with CTS had proven acromegaly. Thus, we see no evidence to justify general screening of patients with CTS for acromegaly. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Eating style, overeating and weight gain. A prospective 2-year follow-up study in a representative Dutch sample.

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van Strien, Tatjana; Herman, C Peter; Verheijden, Marieke W

2012-12-01

This study examined which individuals are particularly at risk for developing overweight and whether there are behavioral lifestyle factors that may attenuate this susceptibility. A prospective study with a 2-year follow-up was conducted in a sample representative of the general population of The Netherlands (n=590). Body mass change (self-reported) was assessed in relation to overeating and change in physical activity (both self-reported), dietary restraint, emotional eating, and external eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. There was a consistent main (suppressive) effect of increased physical activity on BMI change. Only emotional eating and external eating moderated the relation between overeating and body mass change. However, the interaction effect of external eating became borderline significant with Yes or No meaningful weight gain (weight gain >3%) as dependent variable. It was concluded that whilst increasing physical activity may attenuate weight gain, particularly high emotional eaters seem at risk for developing overweight, because overconsumption seems to be more strongly related to weight gain in people with high degrees of emotional eating. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of four designs of short implants placed in atrophic areas with reduced bone height: a three-year, retrospective, clinical and radiographic study.

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Lopez Torres, J A; Gehrke, S A; Calvo Guirado, J L; Aristazábal, L F R

2017-09-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate retrospectively the clinical and radiographic behaviour of four commercially-available short implants with different macrodesigns and microdesigns in areas in which the height of the bone was reduced. We took into account the success and survival, peri-implant crestal bone loss, and the level of probing at which the gum bled. Patients were included if they had been given one or more short implants (≤8.5mm long) in the posterior jaws at least three years earlier. Three hundred and ninety-one short implants were placed in 170 subjects, and were divided in four groups based on the brand of implant. The implants were evaluated one, two, and three years after they had been inserted. Short implants had a three-year survival and success rate of 90% in all groups, and bone loss was acceptable after three years with no significant differences between them. These results support the use of short implants as an effective and safe treatment. However, within the limitations of this study, the design of the implant does seem to influence the behaviour of peri-implant bone at the crestal level. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A longitudinal study of women's memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum.

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Takehara, Kenji; Noguchi, Makiko; Shimane, Takuya; Misago, Chizuru

2014-07-05

Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women's memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003. Data were collected using structured interviews and transcriptions from medical records. The childbirth experience was assessed using the Childbirth Experience Scale (CBE-Scale) at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. We obtained 584 (50.0%) valid responses from women who completed the survey at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Significant differences were observed in 16 out of 18 items on the CBE-Scale when responses were compared at both time points. Women who answered "yes" to any item on the CBE-Scale at the baseline survey tended to demonstrate a more precise recollection for that item 5 years after childbirth than those who answered "no" for the corresponding item. We conclude that women remember their childbirth experience clearly at 5 years after the childbirth.

Uranium project. Geochemistry prospection[Study of Uranium geochemical prospection in Uruguay]; Proyecto Uranio. Prospeccion geoquimica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, J

1983-07-01

Geochemistry studies the distribution of the chemicals elements in the terrestrial crust and its ways to migrate. The terminology used in this report is the following one: 1) Principles of the prospection geochemistry 2) Stages of the prospection geochemistry 3)utility of the prospection geochemistry 4) geochemistry of uranium 5) procedures used within the framework of uranium project 6) Average available 7) Selection of the zones of prospection geochemistry 8) Stages of the prospection, Sample preparation and analisis 9) Presentation of the results.

Depression and incident dementia. An 8-year population-based prospective study.

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Luppa, Melanie; Luck, Tobias; Ritschel, Franziska; Angermeyer, Matthias C; Villringer, Arno; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of depression (categorical diagnosis; major depression, MD) and depressive symptoms (dimensional diagnosis and symptom patterns) on incident dementia in the German general population. Within the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged (LEILA 75+), a representative sample of 1,265 individuals aged 75 years and older were interviewed every 1.5 years over 8 years (mean observation time 4.3 years; mean number of visits 4.2). Cox proportional hazards and binary logistic regressions were used to estimate the effect of baseline depression and depressive symptoms on incident dementia. The incidence of dementia was 48 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI) 45-51). Depressive symptoms (Hazard ratio HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05), and in particular mood-related symptoms (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14), showed a significant impact on the incidence of dementia only in univariate analysis, but not after adjustment for cognitive and functional impairment. MD showed only a significant impact on incidence of dementia in Cox proportional hazards regression, but not in binary logistic regression models. The present study using different diagnostic measures of depression on future dementia found no clear significant associations of depression and incident dementia. Further in-depth investigation would help to understand the nature of depression in the context of incident dementia.

Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among Portuguese nursing students: A longitudinal cohort study over four years of education.

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Teresa Conceição

Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that can colonize healthy people mainly in the anterior nares. The aim of the present study was to evaluate S. aureus nasal colonization over time among Portuguese nursing students, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA.In this longitudinal cohort study, we collected 280 nasal swabs from nursing students at 14 time points over four years of schooling (2012-2016. The isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, spa typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST, and SCCmec typing for MRSA. Among 47 students, 20 (43% carried methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA at admission, but none was colonized with MRSA. A total of 19 students (40% became colonized after exposure during the nursing training, out of which five carried MRSA. Overall, 39 students (83% had S. aureus detected at least once during the study period. Among the 97 MSSA isolates, most (65% belonged to four clones: PFGE A-ST30 (21%, B-ST72 (20%, C-ST508 (13%, and D-ST398 (11%. Three of the five MRSA carriers were colonized with the predominant clone circulating in Portuguese hospitals (ST22-IVh and two with ST3162-II. Colonization of nursing students was highly dynamic with continuous appearance of strains with distinct PFGE types in the same individual.A considerable proportion of students became colonized by S. aureus, including MRSA, during the nursing education, evidencing this population represents an important reservoir of S. aureus. Therefore, education on infection control measures in nursing schools is of major importance.

Perceived Stress Scores among Saudi Students Entering Universities: A Prospective Study during the First Year of University Life

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Al-Daghri, Nasser M.; Al-Othman, Abdulaziz; Albanyan, Abdulmajeed; Al-Attas, Omar S.; Alokail, Majed S.; Sabico, Shaun; Chrousos, George P.

2014-01-01

In this prospective study we wanted to determine whether perceived stress over time among students in the Preparatory Year of King Saud University (KSU) predisposes them to cardiometabolic abnormalities. A total of 110 apparently healthy Saudi students (35 men and 75 women enrolled during the 2010−2011 academic year) were included. Perceived stress was determined at baseline and 1 year later. Anthropometrics were obtained and morning fasting serum glucose, lipid profile and cortisol were measured at both times. Perceived stress was noted among 48.2% of subjects at baseline and was not significantly different after follow-up, with 45.4% scoring high. In men, the prevalence of perceived stress was 48.6% at baseline (13 out of 35) and 37.1% at follow-up (13 out of 35), while in women it was 48% at baseline and 49.3% at follow-up. Interestingly, significant improvements in the blood pressure and lipid profiles, with the exception of HDL-cholesterol, were observed in both men and women, while fasting glucose also improved in women. Serum cortisol was inversely associated to fasting glucose, and total- and LDL-cholesterol (p-values 0.007, 0.04 and 0.04, respectively). These data are opposite to findings in students entering Western universities, in whom increasing stress and a deteriorating cardiometabolic profile have been repeatedly noted. Perceived stress and morning cortisol levels among students of the Preparatory Year in KSU remained constant for both genders over time, yet an improved cardiometabolic profile was observed, suggesting good adaptation among our pre-college students in their first year of university life. PMID:24727357

[Visual outcomes four years after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery on highly myopic eyes [French version

Science.gov (United States)

Burazovitch, J; Naguzeswski, D; Beuste, T; Guillard, M

2017-09-01

To determine whether the visual outcomes of the refractive surgery technique, small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), are stable, effective, and predictable for high myopia over a four-year period. This is a retrospective study. The data were collected between March 2012 and July 2016. Two hundred and forty-eight patients participated in the study; that is, 496 eyes: 140 eyes of 70 patients (52 women/18 men) were classified in the highly myopic group (refraction measured in spherical equivalent [RMSE]>-6D), and 356 eyes of 178 patients (98 women/80 men) in the control group (RMSE≤-6D). Follow-up tests were conducted immediately post-operatively (D+1), after three months, after one year, and after four years. Refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), and best visual corrected acuity (BCVA) were measured. The highly myopic group (HMG) contained more women, and astigmatism was higher for this group than for the control group (CG). These are BCVA, refractive stability, the index of safety (SI: BCVA preoperatively D+1/BCVA postoperatively), and predictability (the percentage of eyes within±0.5 D of the target). In both groups, UCVA was better after the fourth year than it was immediately after the procedure (HMG: P=0.001; CG: P=0.001). Although it differed at one year (P=0.01), the groups' refractive stability tended to converge over four years (P=0.138). Both groups' SI was identical in the four follow-up tests (P=0.734 at D+1; P=0.07 at M+1; P=0.160 at M3 and Y1; and P=0.274 at Y4). For the HMG, SI stability was attained after three months (1.00±0.1); whereas it was attained after one month (0.91±0.11) for the CG. Four years after the surgery, we observed that 87 % of the operated eyes in the HMG were within 0.5 D of the target. SMILE is a good refractive surgery technique for treating high myopia. It yields stable, safe, effective, and predictable results over four years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A 3-Year Prospective Study of Parent–Child Communication in Early Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Relationship to Adherence and Glycemic Control

Science.gov (United States)

Rohan, Jennifer M.; Pendley, Jennifer Shroff; Delamater, Alan; Drotar, Dennis

2015-01-01

Objective To examine changes in parent–child communication patterns and their relation to glycemic control and treatment adherence using observational data in a 3-year prospective multisite study of youth with type 1 diabetes aged 9–11 years at baseline and their families (n = 217). Methods Adolescents and caregivers participated in a diabetes problem-solving discussion. Families were rated on negative and positive communication and interactions using the Interaction Behavior Code. Results Maternal and paternal negative communication decreased over time, whereas adolescent and maternal positive communication and positive reciprocity increased. Baseline preadolescent youth and maternal positive communication predicted adherence 3 years later. Changes in family communication did not predict changes in glycemic control or adherence. Conclusions During the transition to adolescence, family communication changed in unexpected and positive ways. Additionally, the relationship of baseline family communication to subsequent adherence suggests the need to assess family communication concerning diabetes-related management during preadolescence. PMID:24839292

Chewing efficiency, bite force and oral health-related quality of life with narrow diameter implants - a prospective clinical study: results after one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Enkling, Norbert; Saftig, Marcus; Worni, Andreas; Mericske-Stern, Regina; Schimmel, Martin

2017-04-01

This prospective study aimed to investigate the evolution of chewing efficiency, maximum voluntary bite force (MBF) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in edentulous patients treated with narrow diameter implants (NDIs) over the course of 1 year. Four NDIs (MDI ® , 3M ESPE, diameter 1.8 mm) were placed interforaminally in 20 edentulous patients. They were immediately loaded by converting the existing prosthesis into an implant overdenture. Participants were examined six times pre- and postoperatively [baseline (BL) to week 52 (w52)]. Chewing efficiency was evaluated with a colour-mixing ability test by evaluation of the standard deviation of hue (VOH, ViewGum©). MBF was measured using a digital force gauge. OHRQoL was determined with the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIPG49). Nonparametric Brunner-Langer models were applied for statistical testing. The study failed to demonstrate an effect on chewing efficiency. MBF increased continuously during the observation period (medians: MBF[N]@BL = 46.6 [iqr 50.1]; MBF[N]@w52 = 103.9 [iqr 76.0]; P = 0.002). OHRQoL increased steeply after implant loading and continued improving (medians: BL ∑OHIPG49 = 31 [iqr 40.0]; w4 ∑OHIPG49 = 11.5 [iqr 19.5]; w52 ∑OHIPG49 = 6 [iqr 13.0], P chewing instructions. Larger studies need to confirm a positive effect on chewing efficiency and develop long-term maintenance solutions if patients become frail because no easy downgrading approaches of one-piece titanium implants exist. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries among elite ballet and modern dancers: a 5-year prospective study.

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Liederbach, Marijeanne; Dilgen, Faye E; Rose, Donald J

2008-09-01

Ballet and modern dance are jump-intensive activities, but little is known about the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among dancers. Rigorous jump and balance training has been shown in some prospective studies to significantly reduce ACL injury rates among athletes. Dancers advance to the professional level only after having achieved virtuosic jump and balance technique. Therefore, dancers on the elite level may be at relatively low risk for ACL injury. Descriptive epidemiology study. Dance exposure, injuries, and injury conditions were systematically recorded at 4 dance organizations over 5 years. Select neuromuscular and psychometric variables were compared between and within ACL-injured and noninjured dancers. Of 298 dancers, 12 experienced an ACL injury over the 5-year period. The incidence of ACL injury was 0.009 per 1000 exposures. Landing from a jump onto 1 leg was the mechanism of injury in 92% of cases. Incidence was not statistically different between gender or dance groups, although women modern dancers had a 3 to 5 times greater relative risk than women ballet dancers and men dancers. No difference between ACL-injured and noninjured dancers emerged with regard to race, oral contraceptive use, or select musculoskeletal measures. Dancers suffer considerably fewer ACL injuries than athletes participating in team ball sports. The training dancers undertake to perfect lower extremity alignment, jump, and balance skills may serve to protect them against ACL injury. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries happened most often late in the day and season, suggesting an effect of fatigue.

A four-year, systems-wide intervention promoting interprofessional collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background A four-year action research study was conducted across the Australian Capital Territory health system to strengthen interprofessional collaboration (IPC) though multiple intervention activities. Methods We developed 272 substantial IPC intervention activities involving 2,407 face-to-face encounters with health system personnel. Staff attitudes toward IPC were surveyed yearly using Heinemann et al's Attitudes toward Health Care Teams and Parsell and Bligh's Readiness for Interprofessional Learning scales (RIPLS). At study's end staff assessed whether project goals were achieved. Results Of the improvement projects, 76 exhibited progress, and 57 made considerable gains in IPC. Educational workshops and feedback sessions were well received and stimulated interprofessional activities. Over time staff scores on Heinemann's Quality of Interprofessional Care subscale did not change significantly and scores on the Doctor Centrality subscale increased, contrary to predictions. Scores on the RIPLS subscales of Teamwork & Collaboration and Professional Identity did not alter. On average for the assessment items 33% of staff agreed that goals had been achieved, 10% disagreed, and 57% checked neutral. There was most agreement that the study had resulted in increased sharing of knowledge between professions and improved quality of patient care, and least agreement that between-professional rivalries had lessened and communication and trust between professions improved. Conclusions Our longitudinal interventional study of IPC involving multiple activities supporting increased IPC achieved many project-specific goals. However, improvements in attitudes over time were not demonstrated and neutral assessments predominated, highlighting the difficulties faced by studies targeting change at the systems level and over extended periods. PMID:22520869

Risk factors for children's receptive vocabulary development from four to eight years in the longitudinal study of Australian children.

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Catherine L Taylor

Full Text Available Receptive vocabulary develops rapidly in early childhood and builds the foundation for language acquisition and literacy. Variation in receptive vocabulary ability is associated with variation in children's school achievement, and low receptive vocabulary ability is a risk factor for under-achievement at school. In this study, bivariate and multivariate growth curve modelling was used to estimate trajectories of receptive vocabulary development in relation to a wide range of candidate child, maternal and family level influences on receptive vocabulary development from 4-8 years. The study sample comprised 4332 children from the first nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC. Predictors were modeled as risk variables with the lowest level of risk as the reference category. In the multivariate model, risks for receptive vocabulary delay at 4 years, in order of magnitude, were: Maternal Non- English Speaking Background (NESB, low school readiness, child not read to at home, four or more siblings, low family income, low birthweight, low maternal education, maternal mental health distress, low maternal parenting consistency, and high child temperament reactivity. None of these risks were associated with a lower rate of growth from 4-8 years. Instead, maternal NESB, low school readiness and maternal mental health distress were associated with a higher rate of growth, although not sufficient to close the receptive vocabulary gap for children with and without these risks at 8 years. Socio-economic area disadvantage, was not a risk for low receptive vocabulary ability at 4 years but was the only risk associated with a lower rate of growth in receptive vocabulary ability. At 8 years, the gap between children with and without socio-economic area disadvantage was equivalent to eight months of receptive vocabulary growth. These results are consistent with other studies that have shown that social gradients in children

Risk factors for children's receptive vocabulary development from four to eight years in the longitudinal study of Australian children.

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Taylor, Catherine L; Christensen, Daniel; Lawrence, David; Mitrou, Francis; Zubrick, Stephen R

2013-01-01

Receptive vocabulary develops rapidly in early childhood and builds the foundation for language acquisition and literacy. Variation in receptive vocabulary ability is associated with variation in children's school achievement, and low receptive vocabulary ability is a risk factor for under-achievement at school. In this study, bivariate and multivariate growth curve modelling was used to estimate trajectories of receptive vocabulary development in relation to a wide range of candidate child, maternal and family level influences on receptive vocabulary development from 4-8 years. The study sample comprised 4332 children from the first nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Predictors were modeled as risk variables with the lowest level of risk as the reference category. In the multivariate model, risks for receptive vocabulary delay at 4 years, in order of magnitude, were: Maternal Non- English Speaking Background (NESB), low school readiness, child not read to at home, four or more siblings, low family income, low birthweight, low maternal education, maternal mental health distress, low maternal parenting consistency, and high child temperament reactivity. None of these risks were associated with a lower rate of growth from 4-8 years. Instead, maternal NESB, low school readiness and maternal mental health distress were associated with a higher rate of growth, although not sufficient to close the receptive vocabulary gap for children with and without these risks at 8 years. Socio-economic area disadvantage, was not a risk for low receptive vocabulary ability at 4 years but was the only risk associated with a lower rate of growth in receptive vocabulary ability. At 8 years, the gap between children with and without socio-economic area disadvantage was equivalent to eight months of receptive vocabulary growth. These results are consistent with other studies that have shown that social gradients in children's developmental outcomes

Exposure to psychosocial job strain during pregnancy and odds of asthma and atopic dermatitis among 7-year old children – a prospective cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Ann Dyreborg; Schlünssen, Vivi; Christensen, Berit Hvass

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Few epidemiological studies have studied maternal stress exposure during pregnancy and odds of asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD) among offspring, and none have extended the focus to psychosocial job strain. The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal job strain...... during pregnancy and asthma as well as AD among 7-year-old children. METHODS: The study is based on the Danish National Birth Cohort and includes prospective data from 32 104 pregnancies. Job strain was assessed early in pregnancy by use of two questions on demands and control. We categorized...... regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusted for several covariates. RESULTS: Maternal exposure to self-reported high strain during pregnancy was associated with 15% higher odds of atopic dermatitis among 7-year-old children (OR adj1.15, 95% CI 1...

Finding Relevance, Competence, and Enjoyment: The Development of Domain Identification and Interest in First-Year Science Majors

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Ruff, Chloe

2016-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how first-year college students perceive their development of domain identification with, and interest in, their prospective science major during their initial year of college. Four themes emerged from the coding and analysis of interviews with eight first-year science students: Self-Definition…

Benefits of dental implants installed during ablative tumour surgery in oral cancer patients : a prospective 5-year clinical trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korfage, Anke; Schoen, Pieter J.; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Roodenburg, Jan L. N.; Vissink, Arjan; Reintsema, Harry

Objective This prospective study assessed treatment outcome and patient satisfaction of oral cancer patients with a mandibular overdenture on implants up to 5 years after treatment. Materials and methods At baseline, 50 consecutive edentulous oral cancer patients, in whom prosthetic problems were

Night Shift Work and Breast Cancer Incidence: Three Prospective Studies and Meta-analysis of Published Studies.

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Travis, Ruth C; Balkwill, Angela; Fensom, Georgina K; Appleby, Paul N; Reeves, Gillian K; Wang, Xiao-Si; Roddam, Andrew W; Gathani, Toral; Peto, Richard; Green, Jane; Key, Timothy J; Beral, Valerie

2016-12-01

It has been proposed that night shift work could increase breast cancer incidence. A 2007 World Health Organization review concluded, mainly from animal evidence, that shift work involving circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans. We therefore aimed to generate prospective epidemiological evidence on night shift work and breast cancer incidence. Overall, 522 246 Million Women Study, 22 559 EPIC-Oxford, and 251 045 UK Biobank participants answered questions on shift work and were followed for incident cancer. Cox regression yielded multivariable-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for night shift work vs no night shift work, and likelihood ratio tests for interaction were used to assess heterogeneity. Our meta-analyses combined these and relative risks from the seven previously published prospective studies (1.4 million women in total), using inverse-variance weighted averages of the study-specific log RRs. In the Million Women Study, EPIC-Oxford, and UK Biobank, respectively, 673, 28, and 67 women who reported night shift work developed breast cancer, and the RRs for any vs no night shift work were 1.00 (95% CI = 0.92 to 1.08), 1.07 (95% CI = 0.71 to 1.62), and 0.78 (95% CI = 0.61 to 1.00). In the Million Women Study, the RR for 20 or more years of night shift work was 1.00 (95% CI = 0.81 to 1.23), with no statistically significant heterogeneity by sleep patterns or breast cancer risk factors. Our meta-analysis of all 10 prospective studies included 4660 breast cancers in women reporting night shift work; compared with other women, the combined relative risks were 0.99 (95% CI = 0.95 to 1.03) for any night shift work, 1.01 (95% CI = 0.93 to 1.10) for 20 or more years of night shift work, and 1.00 (95% CI = 0.87 to 1.14) for 30 or more years. The totality of the prospective evidence shows that night shift work, including long-term shift work, has little or no effect on

Musculoskeletal health and work ability in physically demanding occupations: study protocol for a prospective field study on construction and health care workers.

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Lunde, Lars-Kristian; Koch, Markus; Knardahl, Stein; Wærsted, Morten; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Forsman, Mikael; Holtermann, Andreas; Veiersted, Kaj Bo

2014-10-16

Musculoskeletal disorders have a profound impact on individual health, sickness absence and early retirement, particularly in physically demanding occupations. Demographics are changing in the developed countries, towards increasing proportions of senior workers. These senior workers may have particular difficulties coping with physically demanding occupations while maintaining good health. Previous studies investigating the relationship between physical work demands and musculoskeletal disorders are mainly based on self-reported exposures and lack a prospective design. The aim of this paper is to describe the background and methods and discuss challenges for a field study examining physical demands in construction and health care work and their prospective associations with musculoskeletal disorders, work ability and sickness absence. This protocol describes a prospective cohort study on 1200 construction and health care workers. Participants will answer a baseline questionnaire concerning musculoskeletal complaints, general health, psychosocial and organizational factors at work, work demands, work ability and physical activity during leisure. A shorter questionnaire will be answered every 6th months for a total of two years, together with continuous sickness absence monitoring during this period. Analysis will prospectively consider associations between self-reported physical demands and musculoskeletal disorders, work ability and sickness absence. To obtain objective data on physical exposures, technical measurements will be collected from two subgroups of N = 300 (Group A) and N = 160 (Group B) during work and leisure. Both group A and B will be given a physical health examination, be tested for physical capacity and physical activity will be measured for four days. Additionally, muscle activity, ground reaction force, body positions and physical activity will be examined during one workday for Group B. Analysis of associations between objectively measured

Lifestyle factors and site-specific risk of hip fracture in community dwelling older women – a 13-year prospective population-based cohort study

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Määttä Mikko

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several risk factors are associated to hip fractures. It seems that different hip fracture types have different etiologies. In this study, we evaluated the lifestyle-related risk factors for cervical and trochanteric hip fractures in older women over a 13-year follow-up period. Methods The study design was a prospective, population-based study consisting of 1681 women (mean age 72 years. Seventy-three percent (n = 1222 participated in the baseline measurements, including medical history, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, and nutrition, along with body anthropometrics and functional mobility. Cox regression was used to identify the independent predictors of cervical and trochanteric hip fractures. Results During the follow-up, 49 cervical and 31 trochanteric fractures were recorded. The women with hip fractures were older, taller, and thinner than the women with no fractures (p  Conclusions Impaired functional mobility, physical inactivity, and low body mass may increase the risk for hip fractures with different effects at the cervical and trochanteric levels.

Twenty four year time trends in fats and cholesterol intake by adolescents. Warsaw Adolescents Study

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Charzewska Jadwiga

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine time trends (1982–2006 in total fat intake and changes in fatty acid structure intake in adolescents from Warsaw in view of increasing prevalence of obesity. Data come from four successive surveys randomly selected samples of adolescents (aged 11–15 years old, from Warsaw region. In total 9747 pupils have been examined, with response rate varying from 55% to 87% depending on year. Surveys were done always in the spring season of the year. Food intake was assessed by using 24 hours recall method of consumption by the pupils all products, including enriched, dishes and beverages as well as diet supplements, in the last 24 hours preceding the examination. The content of energy and nutrients was calculated by means of own computer softwares (DIET 2 and 4, taking into account successive revisions of the tables of food composition and nutritional values, as well as current Polish DRI. A significant decreasing trend was found in intake of total fat, of saturated fatty acids (SFA and cholesterol. The percentage of energy from total fat, also decreased both in boys (to 35,1% and girls (to 33,7%, what failed to reach the desired level below 30% of energy from fat which is recommended. Also significant decrease of SFA consumption was not satisfactory enough to approach the values <10% of energy recommended as was from 13% to 15%. Decreasing trends in fat intake was not in accordance with the trend in obesity prevalence in the adolescents as average BMI is going up. To stabilize the health-oriented changes especially in the diets of adolescents, further activity is desired from professionals working with prevention of adolescents obesity.

Morbidity and mortality in the antiphospholipid syndrome during a 10-year period: a multicentre prospective study of 1000 patients.

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Cervera, R; Serrano, R; Pons-Estel, G J; Ceberio-Hualde, L; Shoenfeld, Y; de Ramón, E; Buonaiuto, V; Jacobsen, S; Zeher, M M; Tarr, T; Tincani, A; Taglietti, M; Theodossiades, G; Nomikou, E; Galeazzi, M; Bellisai, F; Meroni, P L; Derksen, R H W M; de Groot, P G D; Baleva, M; Mosca, M; Bombardieri, S; Houssiau, F; Gris, J-C; Quéré, I; Hachulla, E; Vasconcelos, C; Fernández-Nebro, A; Haro, M; Amoura, Z; Miyara, M; Tektonidou, M; Espinosa, G; Bertolaccini, M L; Khamashta, M A

2015-06-01

To assess the prevalence of the main causes of morbi-mortality in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) during a 10-year-follow-up period and to compare the frequency of early manifestations with those that appeared later. In 1999, we started an observational study of 1000 APS patients from 13 European countries. All had medical histories documented when entered into the study and were followed prospectively during the ensuing 10 years. 53.1% of the patients had primary APS, 36.2% had APS associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and 10.7% APS associated with other diseases. Thrombotic events appeared in 166 (16.6%) patients during the first 5-year period and in 115 (14.4%) during the second 5-year period. The most common events were strokes, transient ischaemic attacks, deep vein thromboses and pulmonary embolism. 127 (15.5%) women became pregnant (188 pregnancies) and 72.9% of pregnancies succeeded in having one or more live births. The most common obstetric complication was early pregnancy loss (16.5% of the pregnancies). Intrauterine growth restriction (26.3% of the total live births) and prematurity (48.2%) were the most frequent fetal morbidities. 93 (9.3%) patients died and the most frequent causes of death were severe thrombosis (36.5%) and infections (26.9%). Nine (0.9%) cases of catastrophic APS occurred and 5 (55.6%) of them died. The survival probability at 10 years was 90.7%. Patients with APS still develop significant morbidity and mortality despite current treatment. It is imperative to increase the efforts in determining optimal prognostic markers and therapeutic measures to prevent these complications. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ten-year prospective follow-up study of the naturalistic course of dysthymic disorder and double depression.

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Klein, Daniel N; Shankman, Stewart A; Rose, Suzanne

2006-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the 10-year course and outcome of dysthymic disorder. The authors conducted a naturalistic, prospective, longitudinal follow-up of 97 adults with early-onset dysthymic disorder and 45 adults with nonchronic major depressive disorder selected from consecutive admissions to several outpatient facilities. Follow-up data were obtained for 90% of the cohort. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 30, 60, 90, and 120 months. Measures included the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The Kaplan-Meier estimated recovery rate from dysthymic disorder was 73.9%, with a median time to recovery of 52 months. Among patients who recovered, the estimated risk of relapse into another period of chronic depression was 71.4%. Chronic depressive relapses took a variety of forms and were not limited to dysthymia. Nonetheless, the distinction between chronic and nonchronic forms of depression was relatively stable over the follow-up period. Mixed-effects models indicated that patients with dysthymic disorder experienced a significantly slower rate of improvement in symptoms over time and exhibited significantly greater depression at the 10-year point, compared to patients with nonchronic major depression. Dysthymic disorder has a protracted course and is associated with a high risk of relapse. The nature of chronic depressive episodes varies over time within individuals, indicating that the various manifestations of chronic depression in DSM-IV do not represent distinct disorders. However, the distinction between chronic and nonchronic forms of depression is relatively stable and may provide a useful basis for subtyping in genetic and neurobiological research.

Understanding Contextual and Social Meaning in Typically Developing Finnish-Speaking Four- To Eight-Year-Old Children

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Loukusa Soile

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined the development of social-pragmatic comprehension in 170 Finnish four- to eight-year-old children. The children were asked to respond to socially and contextually demanding questions targeting their social-pragmatic language processing, and to explain their correct answers in order to elicit their awareness of how they had derived the answers from the context. The results showed that the number of correct answers increased especially between the ages of four and seven years. We found that questions demanding contextual processing without mind-reading were the easiest to understand, followed by questions demanding processing of feelings of others and false beliefs. The questions demanding understanding of relevant language use and processing of contextual factors including mental states and intentions were the most challenging for the children. Between four and five years of age there was a remarkable developmental phase in children’s ability to give proper explanations.

Parents' posttraumatic stress after burns in their school-aged child : A prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Egberts, Marthe R|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/412493616; van de Schoot, A.G.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304833207; Geenen, R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/087017571; Van Loey, Nancy E E

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study examined the course and potential predictors of parents' posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after burn injury in their child (Age 8 to 18 years). METHOD: One hundred eleven mothers and 91 fathers, representing 118 children, participated in the study. Within the

Acute Undifferentiated Febrile Illness in Rural Cambodia: A 3-Year Prospective Observational Study

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Mueller, Tara C.; Siv, Sovannaroth; Khim, Nimol; Kim, Saorin; Fleischmann, Erna; Ariey, Frédéric; Buchy, Philippe; Guillard, Bertrand; González, Iveth J.; Christophel, Eva-Maria; Abdur, Rashid; von Sonnenburg, Frank; Bell, David; Menard, Didier

2014-01-01

In the past decade, malaria control has been successfully implemented in Cambodia, leading to a substantial decrease in reported cases. Wide-spread use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has revealed a large burden of malaria-negative fever cases, for which no clinical management guidelines exist at peripheral level health facilities. As a first step towards developing such guidelines, a 3-year cross-sectional prospective observational study was designed to investigate the causes of acute malaria-negative febrile illness in Cambodia. From January 2008 to December 2010, 1193 febrile patients and 282 non-febrile individuals were recruited from three health centers in eastern and western Cambodia. Malaria RDTs and routine clinical examination were performed on site by health center staff. Venous samples and nasopharyngeal throat swabs were collected and analysed by molecular diagnostic tests. Blood cultures and blood smears were also taken from all febrile individuals. Molecular testing was applied for malaria parasites, Leptospira, Rickettsia, O. tsutsugamushi, Dengue- and Influenza virus. At least one pathogen was identified in 73.3% (874/1193) of febrile patient samples. Most frequent pathogens detected were P. vivax (33.4%), P. falciparum (26.5%), pathogenic Leptospira (9.4%), Influenza viruses (8.9%), Dengue viruses (6.3%), O. tsutsugamushi (3.9%), Rickettsia (0.2%), and P. knowlesi (0.1%). In the control group, a potential pathogen was identified in 40.4%, most commonly malaria parasites and Leptospira. Clinic-based diagnosis of malaria RDT-negative cases was poorly predictive for pathogen and appropriate treatment. Additional investigations are needed to understand their impact on clinical disease and epidemiology, and the possible role of therapies such as doxycycline, since many of these pathogens were seen in non-febrile subjects. PMID:24755844

Long-term health consequences of violence exposure in adolescence: a 26–year prospective study

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Olofsson Niclas

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Violence victimization represents a serious risk factor for health related symptoms, for both men and women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of violence exposure in late adolescence and early adulthood on adult health, physical as well as mental, using a long-term prospective population-based study, with a follow up of 9, 19, and 26 years. Methods The primary data source is a longitudinal panel from one of the longest running social science surveys in the world, the Swedish Level-of-Living surveys (LNU. We analyzed three cohorts, individuals aged 15–19 in 1974 and 1981, and individuals aged 18–19 in 1991 which were followed up 2000. Structured interviews on childhood, family relationships, life-events, living conditions, health history and status, working conditions, behavioral, psychosocial, and demographic variables were repeatedly used in all cohorts. Results Multivariate models of violence exposures in adolescence in the 1974–91 cohorts as predictors of adult health in 2000 are reported for both men and women. Women exposed to violence had raised odds ratios for ill health, measured as heavy illness burden, and poor self rated health, after controlling for possible confounders. No such associations were found for men. Conclusions This study’s findings provide additional empirical support for the importance of policies and practices to identify and prevent violence exposure in adolescence and young adulthood and to supply treatments for adolescence exposed to violence and above all the young women.

Prospective study of caffeine consumption and risk of Parkinson's disease in men and women.

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Ascherio, A; Zhang, S M; Hernán, M A; Kawachi, I; Colditz, G A; Speizer, F E; Willett, W C

2001-07-01

Results of case-control studies and of a prospective investigation in men suggest that consumption of coffee could protect against the risk of Parkinson's disease, but the active constituent is not clear. To address the hypothesis that caffeine is protective against Parkinson's disease, we examined the relationship of coffee and caffeine consumption to the risk of this disease among participants in two ongoing cohorts, the Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study (HPFS) and the Nurses' Health Study (NHS). The study population comprised 47,351 men and 88,565 women who were free of Parkinson's disease, stroke, or cancer at baseline. A comprehensive life style and dietary questionnaire was completed by the participants at baseline and updated every two to four years. During the follow-up (10 years in men, 16 years in women), we documented a total of 288 incident cases of Parkinson's disease. Among men, after adjustment for age and smoking, the relative risk of Parkinson's disease was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.23-0.78; p for trend coffee (p for trend = 0.004), caffeine from noncoffee sources (p for trend coffee. Among women, the relationship between caffeine or coffee intake and risk of Parkinson's disease was U-shaped, with the lowest risk observed at moderate intakes (1-3 cups of coffee/day, or the third quintile of caffeine consumption). These results support a possible protective effect of moderate doses of caffeine on risk of Parkinson's disease.

Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus in children ≤2 years of age hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections in the Russian Federation: a prospective, multicenter study

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Vladimir Tatochenko

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Vladimir Tatochenko1, Vasily Uchaikin2, Aleksandr Gorelov3, Konstantin Gudkov4, Andrew Campbell5, Gregory Schulz5, Rebecca Prahl5, Gerard Notario51Scientific Centre of Children’s Health, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Lomonosovskiy Prospect, Moscow, Russia; 2Russian State Medical University of Roszdrav, Moscow, Russia; 3Central Scientific Research Institution of Epidemiology, Moscow, Russia; 4Abbott Laboratories LLC, Khimki, Moscow, Russia; 5Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USABackground: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections among infants and young children, and is responsible for an estimated four million deaths per year globally. A monthly injection of palivizumab has been used for prophylaxis of serious RSV infections among high-risk children in 71 countries since 1998 and approval for use in the Russian Federation was obtained in February 2010. A recommendation for RSV prophylaxis in the Russian Federation would require knowledge of the prevalence and seasonality of RSV in that country.Methods: In a prospective, multicenter, epidemiological study of the prevalence, seasonality, and peak occurrence of RSV infection, children aged ≤2 years hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infections in three regions of the Russian Federation, from September 2008 through April 2009, were screened and tested for RSV using rapid immunochromatography of nasopharyngeal lavage. For subjects who were tested positive, hospitalization data were collected.Results: Of 519 children aged ≤2 years enrolled from September 11, 2008 through April 26, 2009, 197 tested positive for RSV (38.0%, 95% CI: 33.8, 42.3. The onset of the 2008–2009 RSV season in the Russian Federation occurred in late October 2008, similar to what is observed in other northern temperate zones. Peak activity occurred in early April 2009, when 62% of children enrolled tested positive for RSV.Conclusion: The prevalence

Percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy for chronic elbow tendinosis: a prospective study.

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Barnes, Darryl E; Beckley, James M; Smith, Jay

2015-01-01

Elbow tendinopathy is the most common cause of elbow pain affecting active populations. Surgical excision is reserved for patients with refractory symptoms. Percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy performed under local anesthesia also removes degenerated tissue and therefore provides an alternative treatment option to surgical excision. This investigation prospectively documented the safety and 1-year efficacy of ultrasonic percutaneous tenotomy performed by a single operator. Nineteen patients, aged 38 to 67 years, in whom >6 months of conservative management for medial (7) or lateral (12) elbow tendinopathy had failed were prospectively studied. All patients were treated with percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy of the elbow by a single operator. Visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the 11-item version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick DASH) index, and the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) were assessed by an independent observer before treatment and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment. No procedural complications occurred. Total treatment time was elbow tendinopathy up to 1 year after the procedure. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A spike at benefit exhaustion: Still possible after four years of unemployment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyk-Jensen, Stéphanie; Weatherall, Cecilie Dohlmann

European policymakers wonder whether the long-term unemployed can still find jobs if the benefit period is shortened. We investigate this question by analysing how long-term unemployed react to the threat of running out of unemployment insurance (UI) after receiving it for almost four years....... The empirical analysis is based on very precise administrative records of men’s unemployment spells. To identify the effect of UI exhaustion, we exploit a legislative change in the duration of benefits that progressively reduced UI entitlement from five to four years. Our results show a spike 3-6 months before...

Preliminary study of Songa-Wayaua geothermal prospect area using volcanostratigraphy and remote sensing analysis

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Asokawaty, Ribka; Nugroho, Indra; Satriana, Joshua; Hafidz, Muhamad; Suryantini

2017-12-01

Songa-Wayaua geothermal prospect area is located on Bacan Island, Northern Molluca Province. Geothermal systems in this area associated with three Quartenary volcanoes, such as Mt. Pele-pele, Mt. Lansa, and Mt. Bibinoi. Based on literature study, five surface manifestations such as hot springs and alteration occurred within this area. The active manifestations indicate that Songa-Wayaua area has potential geothermal resource. This study objective is to evaluate Songa-Wayaua geothermal system on preliminary study stage by using volcanostratigraphy and remote sensing analysis to delineate the boundary of geothermal system area. The result of this study showed that Songa-Wayaua prospect area has four heat sources potential (e.g. Pele-pele Hummock, Lansa Hummock, Songa Hummock, and Bibinoi Hummock), controlled by geological structure presented by Pele-pele Normal Fault, and had three places as the recharge and discharge area which are very fulfilling as a geothermal system.

How Many Samples and How Many Culture Media To Diagnose a Prosthetic Joint Infection: a Clinical and Microbiological Prospective Multicenter Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bémer, Pascale; Léger, Julie; Tandé, Didier; Plouzeau, Chloé; Valentin, Anne Sophie; Jolivet-Gougeon, Anne; Lemarié, Carole; Kempf, Marie; Héry-Arnaud, Geneviève; Bret, Laurent; Juvin, Marie Emmanuelle; Giraudeau, Bruno; Corvec, Stéphane; Burucoa, Christophe

2016-02-01

Although numerous perioperative samples and culture media are required to diagnose prosthetic joint infection (PJI), their exact number and types have not yet been definitely determined with a high level of proof. We conducted a prospective multicenter study to determine the minimal number of samples and culture media required for accurate diagnosis of PJI. Over a 2-year period, consecutive patients with clinical signs suggesting PJI were included, with five perioperative samples per patient. The bacteriological and PJI diagnosis criteria were assessed using a random selection of two, three, or four samples and compared with those obtained using the recommended five samples (references guidelines). The results obtained with two or three culture media were then compared with those obtained with five culture media for both criteria. The times-to-positivity of the different culture media were calculated. PJI was confirmed in 215/264 suspected cases, with a bacteriological criterion in 192 (89%). The PJI was monomicrobial (85%) or polymicrobial (15%). Percentages of agreement of 98.1% and 99.7%, respectively, for the bacteriological criterion and confirmed PJI diagnosis were obtained when four perioperative samples were considered. The highest percentages of agreement were obtained with the association of three culture media, a blood culture bottle, a chocolate agar plate, and Schaedler broth, incubated for 5, 7, and 14 days, respectively. This new procedure leads to significant cost saving. Our prospective multicenter study showed that four samples seeded on three culture media are sufficient for diagnosing PJI. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A five year prospective investigation of anterior pituitary function after traumatic brain injury: is hypopituitarism long-term after head trauma associated with autoimmunity?

Science.gov (United States)

Tanriverdi, Fatih; De Bellis, Annamaria; Ulutabanca, Halil; Bizzarro, Antonio; Sinisi, Antonio A; Bellastella, Giuseppe; Amoresano Paglionico, Vanda; Dalla Mora, Liliana; Selcuklu, Ahmed; Unluhizarci, Kursad; Casanueva, Felipe F; Kelestimur, Fahrettin

2013-08-15

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been recently recognized as a common cause of pituitary dysfunction. However, there are not sufficient numbers of prospective studies to understand the natural history of TBI induced hypopituitarism. The aim was to report the results of five years' prospective follow-up of anterior pituitary function in patients with mild, moderate and severe TBI. Moreover, we have prospectively investigated the associations between TBI induced hypopituitarism and presence of anti-hypothalamus antibodies (AHA) and anti-pituitary antibodies (APA). Twenty five patients (20 men, five women) were included who were prospectively evaluated 12 months and five years after TBI, and 17 of them also had a third-year evaluation. Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is the most common pituitary hormone deficit at one, three, and five years after TBI. Although most of the pituitary hormone deficiencies improve over time, there were substantial percentages of pituitary hormone deficiencies at the fifth year (28% GH, 4% adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], and 4% gonadotropin deficiencies). Pituitary dysfunction was significantly higher in strongly AHA- and APA-positive (titers ≥1/16) patients at the fifth year. In patients with mild and moderate TBI, ACTH and GH deficiencies may improve over time in a considerable number of patients but, although rarely, may also worsen over the five-year period. However in severe TBI, ACTH and GH status of the patients at the first year evaluation persisted at the fifth year. Therefore, screening pituitary function after TBI for five years is important, especially in patients with mild TBI. Moreover, close strong associations between the presence of high titers of APA and/or AHA and hypopituitarism at the fifth year were shown for the first time.

Improving adherence to healthy dietary patterns, genetic risk, and long term weight gain: gene-diet interaction analysis in two prospective cohort studies

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tiange; Heianza, Yoriko; Sun, Dianjianyi; Huang, Tao; Ma, Wenjie; Rimm, Eric B; Manson, JoAnn E; Hu, Frank B; Willett, Walter C

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To investigate whether improving adherence to healthy dietary patterns interacts with the genetic predisposition to obesity in relation to long term changes in body mass index and body weight. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Health professionals in the United States. Participants 8828 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 5218 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Exposure Genetic predisposition score was calculated on the basis of 77 variants associated with body mass index. Dietary patterns were assessed by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED). Main outcome measures Five repeated measurements of four year changes in body mass index and body weight over follow-up (1986 to 2006). Results During a 20 year follow-up, genetic association with change in body mass index was significantly attenuated with increasing adherence to the AHEI-2010 in the Nurses’ Health Study (P=0.001 for interaction) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (P=0.005 for interaction). In the combined cohorts, four year changes in body mass index per 10 risk allele increment were 0.07 (SE 0.02) among participants with decreased AHEI-2010 score and −0.01 (0.02) among those with increased AHEI-2010 score, corresponding to 0.16 (0.05) kg versus −0.02 (0.05) kg weight change every four years (Pdietary patterns could attenuate the genetic association with weight gain. Moreover, the beneficial effect of improved diet quality on weight management was particularly pronounced in people at high genetic risk for obesity. PMID:29321156

Arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff: prospective study of tendon healing after 70 years of age in 145 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Flurin, P-H; Hardy, P; Abadie, P; Boileau, P; Collin, P; Deranlot, J; Desmoineaux, P; Duport, M; Essig, J; Godenèche, A; Joudet, T; Kany, J; Sommaire, C; Thelu, C-E; Valenti, P

2013-12-01

The level of activity of patients older than 70 years is tending to increase, as are their expectations in terms of joint function recuperation. It has not been proven that rotator cuff repair healing is satisfactory in the elderly. The main hypothesis of this study was: repair of supraspinous lesions in patients older than 70 years is reliable in terms of both clinical results and healing. The secondary hypothesis was: tendon healing is significantly correlated with the Constant, ASES, and SST scores as well as with age, tendon retraction, and fatty infiltration. Multicenter prospective study on 145 patients older than 70 years, with 135 patients reviewed at 1 year (93%). The mean age was 73.9 years. Full-thickness tears of the supraspinatus extended at most to the upper third of the infraspinatus and retraction limited to Patte stages 1 and 2 were included. Clinical assessment was carried out in accordance with the Constant, ASES, and SST scores. Healing was evaluated with ultrasound. A significant improvement was noted in the Constant (44/76)+31.5 (P0.0001) scores at 1 year of follow-up. The healing rate was 89% with 15 re-tears, nine of which were stage 1 and six stage 2. The clinical result was not correlated with patient age (Constant, P=0.24; ASES, P=0.38; SST, P=0.83) nor with the retraction stage (Constant, P=0.71; ASES, P=0.35; SST, P=0.69) or the stage of fatty infiltration (P>0.7). Healing was correlated with the quality of the clinical result (Constant, P=0.02; ASES, P=0.03) and age (P=0.01) but was not correlated with retraction or the fatty infiltration stage (P>0.3). Arthroscopic repair significantly improves the clinical results, even in patients older than 70 years. The clinical results are not correlated with age (but deterioration of the result was not noted after 75 years) or frontal retraction (but the study only included retractions limited to stages 1 and 2). The healing rate is satisfactory, but this study is limited to small ruptures of

Opioids, antiepileptic and anticholinergic drugs and the risk of fractures in patients 65 years of age and older: a prospective population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nurminen, Janne; Puustinen, Juha; Piirtola, Maarit; Vahlberg, Tero; Lyles, Alan; Kivelä, Sirkka-Liisa

2013-05-01

in men, the concomitant use of two or more benzodiazepines or two or more antipsychotics is associated with an increased risk of fracture(s). Potential associations between the concomitant use of drugs with central nervous system effects and fracture risk have not been studied. the purpose was to describe the gender-specific risk of fractures in a population aged 65 years or over associated with the use of an opioid, antiepileptic or anticholinergic drug individually; or, their concomitant use with each other; or the concomitant use of one of these with a psychotropic drug. this study was part of a prospective, population-based study performed in Lieto, Finland. Information about fractures in 1,177 subjects (482 men and 695 women) was confirmed with radiology reports. at 3 years of follow-up, the concomitant use of an opioid with an antipsychotic was associated with an increased risk of fractures in men. During the 6-year follow-up, the concomitant use of an opioid with a benzodiazepine was also related to the risk of fractures for males. No significant associations were found for females. the concomitant use of an opioid with an antipsychotic, or with a benzodiazepine may increase the risk of fractures in men aged 65 years and older.

Pure Air`s Bailly scrubber: A four-year retrospective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manavi, G.B.; Vymazal, D.C. [Pure Air, Allentown, PA (United States); Sarkus, T.A. [Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

1997-12-31

Pure Air`s Advanced Flue Gas Desulfurization (AFGD) Clean Coal Project has completed four highly successful years of operation at NIPSCO`s Bailly Station. As part of their program, Pure Air has concluded a six-part study of system performance. This paper summarizes the results of the demonstration program, including AFGD performance on coals ranging from 2.0--2.4% sulfur. The paper highlights novel aspects of the Bailly facility, including pulverized limestone injection, air rotary sparger for oxidation, wastewater evaporation system and the production of PowerChip{reg_sign} gypsum. Operations and maintenance which have led to the facility`s notable 99.47% availability record are also discussed. A project company, Pure Air on the Lake Limited Partnership, owns the AFGD facility. Pure Air was the turn key contractor and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is the operator of the AFGD system.

A Prospective Observational Study

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: This was a prospective, questionnaire-based observational study. Printed questionnaires were distributed to the visitors of medical, surgical and neurosurgical ICU patients to determine awareness of basic infection control practices among visitors to an ICU. All the ICU staff, including nurses, doctors, consultant ...

Falls prediction in elderly people : A 1-year prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swanenburg, Jaap; de Bruin, Eling D.; Uebelhart, Daniel; Mulder, Theo

The aim of the present study was to determine whether force plate variables in single- and dual-task situations are able to predict the risk of multiple falls in a community-dwelling elderly population. Two hundred and seventy elderly persons (225 females, 45 males; age, 73 7 years) performed

Smoking, Alcohol, and Betel Quid and Oral Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Jiun Lin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to investigate the association between smoking, alcoholic consumption, and betel quid chewing with oral cancer in a prospective manner. All male patients age ≥18 years who visited our clinic received an oral mucosa inspection. Basic data including personal habits were also obtained. A multivariate logistic regression model was utilized to determine relevant risk factors for developing oral cavity cancer. A total of 10,657 participants were enrolled in this study. Abnormal findings were found in 514 participants (4.8%. Three hundred forty-four participants received biopsy, and 230 patients were proven to have oral cancer. The results of multivariate logistic regression found that those who smoked, consumed alcohol, and chewed betel quid on a regular basis were most likely to develop cancer (odds ratio: 46.87, 95% confidence interval: 31.84–69.00. Therefore, habitual cigarette smokers, alcohol consumers, and betel quid chewers have a higher risk of contracting oral cancer and should receive oral screening regularly so potential oral cancer can be detected as early as possible.

Beliefs of Applied Studio Faculty on Desirable Traits of Prospective Music Education Majors: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Royston, Natalie Steele; Springer, D. Gregory

2015-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the beliefs of applied music faculty on desirable traits of prospective music education majors. Researcher-designed surveys were sent electronically to applied music faculty at 12 National Association of Schools of Music-accredited institutions randomly selected from each of the four major divisions…

Association between lifestyle factors and quality-adjusted life years in the EPIC-NL cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Fransen, Heidi P; May, Anne M; Beulens, Joline W J; Struijk, Ellen A; de Wit, G Ardine; Boer, Jolanda M A; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; Hoekstra, Jeljer; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Peeters, Petra H M

2014-01-01

The aim of our study was to relate four modifiable lifestyle factors (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity and diet) to health expectancy, using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in a prospective cohort study. Data of the prospective EPIC-NL study were used, including 33,066 healthy men and women aged 20-70 years at baseline (1993-7), followed until 31-12-2007 for occurrence of disease and death. Smoking status, body mass index, physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (excluding alcohol) were investigated separately and combined into a healthy lifestyle score, ranging from 0 to 4. QALYs were used as summary measure of healthy life expectancy, combining a person's life expectancy with a weight for quality of life when having a chronic disease. For lifestyle factors analyzed separately the number of years living longer in good health varied from 0.12 year to 0.84 year, after adjusting for covariates. A combination of the four lifestyle factors was positively associated with higher QALYs (P-trend healthy lifestyle score of 4 compared to a score of 0 was associated with almost a 2 years longer life in good health (1.75 QALYs [95% CI 1.37, 2.14]).

Four-year follow-up study in a NF1 boy with a focal pontine hamartoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Parisi, Pasquale; Persechino, Severino; Paolino, Maria Chiara; Nicita, Francesco; Torrente, Isabella; Bozzao, Alessandro; Villa, Maria Pia

2013-02-11

Neurofibromatosis is a collective name for a group of genetic conditions in which benign tumours affect the nervous system. Type 1 is caused by a genetic mutation in the NF1 gene (OMIM 613113) and symptoms can vary dramatically between individuals, even within the same family. Some people have very mild skin changes, whereas others suffer severe medical complications. The condition usually appears in childhood and is diagnosed if two of the following are present: six or more café-au-lait patches larger than 1.5 cm in diameter, axillary or groin freckling, 2 or more Lisch nodules (small pigmented areas in the iris of the eye), 2 or more neurofibromas, optic pathway gliomas, bone dysplasia, and a first-degree family relative with Neurofibromatosis type 1. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal dominant, however, half of all NF1 cases are 'sporadic' and there is no family history. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an extremely variable condition whose morbidity and mortality is largely dictated by the occurrence of the many complications that may involve any of the body systems. We describe a family affected by NF1 in whom genetic molecular analysis identified the same mutation in the son and father. Routine MRI showed pontine focal lesions in the eight-year-old son, though not in the father. We performed a four years follow-up study and at follow-up pontine hamartoma size remained unchanged in the son, and the father showed still no brain lesions, confirming thus an intra-familial phenotype variability.

Four-year follow-up study in a NF1 Boy with a focal pontine hamartoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parisi Pasquale

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Neurofibromatosis is a collective name for a group of genetic conditions in which benign tumours affect the nervous system. Type 1 is caused by a genetic mutation in the NF1 gene (OMIM 613113 and symptoms can vary dramatically between individuals, even within the same family. Some people have very mild skin changes, whereas others suffer severe medical complications. The condition usually appears in childhood and is diagnosed if two of the following are present: six or more café-au-lait patches larger than 1.5 cm in diameter, axillary or groin freckling, 2 or more Lisch nodules (small pigmented areas in the iris of the eye, 2 or more neurofibromas, optic pathway gliomas, bone dysplasia, and a first-degree family relative with Neurofibromatosis type 1. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal dominant, however, half of all NF1 cases are ‘sporadic’ and there is no family history. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an extremely variable condition whose morbidity and mortality is largely dictated by the occurrence of the many complications that may involve any of the body systems. We describe a family affected by NF1 in whom genetic molecular analysis identified the same mutation in the son and father. Routine MRI showed pontine focal lesions in the eight-year-old son, though not in the father. We performed a four years follow-up study and at follow-up pontine hamartoma size remained unchanged in the son, and the father showed still no brain lesions, confirming thus an intra-familial phenotype variability.

Employment Trajectories After Spinal Cord Injury : Results From a 5-Year Prospective Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ferdiana, Astri; Post, Marcel W.; Hoekstra, Trynke; van der Woude, Luccas H.; van der Klink, Jac J.; Bultmann, Ute

Objectives: To identify different employment trajectories in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) after discharge from initial rehabilitation and to determine predictors of different trajectories from demographic, injury, functional, and psychological characteristics. Design: Prospective cohort

10-year survival rate and the incidence of peri-implant disease of 374 titanium dental implants with a SLA surface: a prospective cohort study in 177 fully and partially edentulous patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Velzen, F.J.J.; Ofec, R.; Schulten, E.A.J.M.; ten Bruggenkate, C.M.

2015-01-01

Purpose This prospective cohort study evaluates the 10-year survival and incidence of peri-implant disease at implant and patient level of sandblasted, large grid, and acid-etched titanium dental implants (Straumann, soft tissue level, SLA surface) in fully and partially edentulous patients.

Syndesmotic fixation in supination-external rotation ankle fractures: a prospective randomized study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakarinen, Harri J; Flinkkilä, Tapio E; Ohtonen, Pasi P; Hyvönen, Pekka H; Lakovaara, Martti T; Leppilahti, Juhana I; Ristiniemi, Jukka Y

2011-12-01

This study was designed to assess whether transfixion of an unstable syndesmosis is necessary in supination-external rotation (Lauge-Hansen SE/Weber B)-type ankle fractures. A prospective study of 140 patients with unilateral Lauge-Hansen supination-external rotation type 4 ankle fractures was done. After bony fixation, the 7.5-Nm standardized external rotation (ER) stress test for both ankles was performed under fluoroscopy. A positive stress examination was defined as a difference of more than 2 mm side-to-side in the tibiotalar or tibiofibular clear spaces on mortise radiographs. If the stress test was positive, the patient was randomized to either syndesmotic transfixion with 3.5-mm tricortical screws or no syndesmotic fixation. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Olerud-Molander scoring system, RAND 36-Item Health Survey, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure pain and function after a minimum 1-year of followup. Twenty four (17%) of 140 patients had positive standardized 7.5-Nm ER stress tests after malleolar fixation. The stress view was positive three times on tibiotalar clear space, seven on tibiofibular clear space, and 14 times on both tibiotalar and tibiofibular clear spaces. There was no significant difference between the two randomization groups with regards to Olerud-Molander functional score, VAS scale measuring pain and function, or RAND 36-Item Health Survey pain or physical function at 1 year. Relevant syndesmotic injuries are rare in supination-external rotation ankle fractures, and syndesmotic transfixion with a screw did not influence the functional outcome or pain after the 1-year followup compared with no fixation.

Low range of ankle dorsiflexion predisposes for patellar tendinopathy in junior elite basketball players: a 1-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Backman, Ludvig J; Danielson, Patrik

2011-12-01

Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is one of the most common reasons for sport-induced pain of the knee. Low ankle dorsiflexion range might predispose for PT because of load-bearing compensation in the patellar tendon. The purpose of this 1-year prospective study was to analyze if a low ankle dorsiflexion range increases the risk of developing PT for basketball players. Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Ninety junior elite basketball players were examined for different characteristics and potential risk factors for PT, including ankle dorsiflexion range in the dominant and nondominant leg. Data were collected over a 1-year period and follow-up, including reexamination, was made at the end of the year. Seventy-five players met the inclusion criteria. At the follow-up, 12 players (16.0%) had developed unilateral PT. These players were found to have had a significantly lower mean ankle dorsiflexion range at baseline than the healthy players, with a mean difference of -4.7° (P = .038) for the dominant limb and -5.1° (P = .024) for the nondominant limb. Complementary statistical analysis showed that players with dorsiflexion range less than 36.5° had a risk of 18.5% to 29.4% of developing PT within a year, as compared with 1.8% to 2.1% for players with dorsiflexion range greater than 36.5°. Limbs with a history of 2 or more ankle sprains had a slightly less mean ankle dorsiflexion range compared to those with 0 or 1 sprain (mean difference, -1.5° to -2.5°), although this was only statistically significant for nondominant legs. This study clearly shows that low ankle dorsiflexion range is a risk factor for developing PT in basketball players. In the studied material, an ankle dorsiflexion range of 36.5° was found to be the most appropriate cutoff point for prognostic screening. This might be useful information in identifying at-risk individuals in basketball teams and enabling preventive actions. A history of ankle sprains might contribute to reduced ankle

Reproducibility and Validity of Dietary Patterns Assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire Used in the 5-Year Follow-Up Survey of the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study

OpenAIRE

Nanri, Akiko; Shimazu, Taichi; Ishihara, Junko; Takachi, Ribeka; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2012-01-01

Background Analysis of dietary pattern is increasingly popular in nutritional epidemiology. However, few studies have examined the validity and reproducibility of dietary patterns. We assessed the reproducibility and validity of dietary patterns identified by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) used in the 5-year follow-up survey of the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study (JPHC Study). Methods The participants were a subsample (244 men and 254 women) from the JPHC Study. Princ...

Clinical and ultrasonographic features associated to response to intraarticular corticosteroid injection. A one year follow up prospective cohort study in knee osteoarthritis patient with joint effusion

Science.gov (United States)

Galisteo, Carlos; García-Manrique, María; Navarro, Noemí; Caixàs, Assumpta; Larrosa, Marta; Gratacós, Jordi

2018-01-01

Objectives Intraarticular injection is used for pain relief in knee osteoarthritis (OA), but there is not a well defined profile of patient who could get more benefit from it. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of pain relief at one year after corticosteroids intraarticular injection and to identify clinical factors associated to response in patients with knee osteoarthritis with joint effusion. Methods One-year prospective cohort study of patients with knee OA with joint effusion confirmed by ultrasound. An intraarticular injection was performed following a clinical protocol. Anthropometric measurements, laboratory parameters, clinical severity, ultrasound parameters and radiological severity were collected. Response regarding pain and presence of synovial fluid on ultrasound at one month and at one year were evaluated. Clinical responder were consider in subjects with enough improvement to carry out normal daily activities with pain VASeffusion. PMID:29351562

Fifteen-Year Prospective Analysis of Television Viewing and Adiposity in African American and Caucasian Men and Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-Yu Chen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available There are limited data from long-term prospective studies on the association between television (TV viewing and obesity. We investigated this association between TV viewing and body mass index (BMI and waist circumference (WST over 15 years on 3,269 participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA study. We used cross-lagged panel models at exam Years 5, 10, 15, and 20 over 15 years to assess the association between TV viewing and obesity. The cross-lagged effects of TV viewing on anthropometry were significant from exam Year 5 to Year 10 (B = 0.034 for BMI and 0.036 for WST. However, the cross-lagged effects of TV viewing at Years 10 and 15 on obesity at Years 15 and 20, respectively, were nonsignificant. The findings indicate that higher levels of TV viewing predicted higher BMI and WC in young adulthood, but this association was not observed as individuals aged over the following decade.

A 3-year prospective study of parent-child communication in early adolescents with type 1 diabetes: relationship to adherence and glycemic control.

Science.gov (United States)

Iskander, Jeannette M; Rohan, Jennifer M; Pendley, Jennifer Shroff; Delamater, Alan; Drotar, Dennis

2015-01-01

To examine changes in parent-child communication patterns and their relation to glycemic control and treatment adherence using observational data in a 3-year prospective multisite study of youth with type 1 diabetes aged 9-11 years at baseline and their families (n = 217). Adolescents and caregivers participated in a diabetes problem-solving discussion. Families were rated on negative and positive communication and interactions using the Interaction Behavior Code. Maternal and paternal negative communication decreased over time, whereas adolescent and maternal positive communication and positive reciprocity increased. Baseline preadolescent youth and maternal positive communication predicted adherence 3 years later. Changes in family communication did not predict changes in glycemic control or adherence. During the transition to adolescence, family communication changed in unexpected and positive ways. Additionally, the relationship of baseline family communication to subsequent adherence suggests the need to assess family communication concerning diabetes-related management during preadolescence. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fracture predictive ability of physical performance tests and history of falls in elderly women: a 10-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wihlborg, A; Englund, M; Åkesson, K; Gerdhem, P

2015-08-01

In a large cohort of elderly women followed for 10 years, we found that balance, gait speed, and self-reported history of fall independently predicted fracture. These clinical risk factors are easily evaluated and therefore advantageous in a clinical setting. They would improve fracture risk assessment and thereby also fracture prevention. The aim of this study was to identify additional risk factors for osteoporosis-related fracture by investigating the fracture predictive ability of physical performance tests and self-reported history of falls. In the population-based Osteoporosis Prospective Risk Assessment study (OPRA), 1044 women were recruited at the age of 75 and followed for 10 years. At inclusion, knee extension force, standing balance, gait speed, and bone mineral density (BMD) were examined. Falls the year before investigation was assessed by questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine fracture hazard ratios (HR) with BMD, history of fracture, BMI, smoking habits, bisphosphonate, vitamin D, glucocorticoid, and alcohol use as covariates. Continuous variables were standardized and HR shown for each standard deviation change. Of all women, 427 (41%) sustained at least one fracture during the 10-year follow-up. Failing the balance test had an HR of 1.98 (1.18-3.32) for hip fracture. Each standard deviation decrease in gait speed was associated with an HR of 1.37 (1.14-1.64) for hip fracture. Previous fall had an HR of 1.30 (1.03-1.65) for any fracture; 1.39 (1.08-1.79) for any osteoporosis-related fracture; and 1.60 (1.03-2.48) for distal forearm fracture. Knee extension force did not show fracture predictability. The balance test, gait speed test, and self-reported history of fall all hold independent fracture predictability. Consideration of these clinical risk factors for fracture would improve the fracture risk assessment and subsequently also fracture prevention.

Prospective Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Reflections on Teaching after Their First Teaching Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Yazgan-Sag, Gönül; Emre-Akdogan, Elçin; Argün, Ziya

2016-01-01

The aim of our study was to examine prospective secondary mathematics teachers' reflections about teaching after their first teaching experience. We carried out five interviews during the two semesters with four Turkish prospective secondary mathematics teachers. The data analysis suggests that prospective secondary mathematics teachers'…

Predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew, Rachel; Tiggemann, Marika; Clark, Levina

2016-03-01

This study aimed to investigate prospective predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls. In so doing, the modified acceptance model of intuitive eating was also examined longitudinally. A sample of 298 girls aged 12 to 16 years completed a questionnaire containing measures of body appreciation, potential predictors, and a range of health outcomes, at 2 time points separated by 1 year. Longitudinal change regression models showed that perceived body acceptance by others (positively), self-objectification and social comparison (negatively), and body appreciation (positively) prospectively predicted intuitive eating 1 year later, consistent with the acceptance model of intuitive eating. Perceived body acceptance by others was the only proposed predictor to prospectively predict an increase in body appreciation over time. Time 1 body appreciation prospectively predicted a decrease in dieting, alcohol, and cigarette use, and an increase in physical activity 1 year later. In particular, girls with low body appreciation were more likely than girls with high body appreciation to take up alcohol and cigarette use between time points. The results highlight body appreciation as an important target for interventions designed to prevent or delay the uptake of alcohol and cigarette consumption among girls. More broadly, they suggest that a positive body image can confer considerable benefit for adolescent girls. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Foresight beyond the very next event: Four-year-olds can link past and deferred future episodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan eRedshaw

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Previous experiments have demonstrated that by four years of age children can use information from a past episode to solve a problem for the very next future episode. However, it remained unclear whether four-year-olds can similarly use such information to solve a problem for a more removed future episode that is not of immediate concern. In the current study we introduced four-year-olds to problems in one room before taking them to another room and distracting them for 15 minutes. The children were then offered a choice of items to place into a bucket that was to be taken back to the first room when a five-minute sand-timer had completed a cycle. Across two conceptually distinct domains, the children placed the item that could solve the deferred future problem above chance level. This result demonstrates that by 48 months many children can recall a problem from the past and act in the present to solve that problem for a deferred future episode. We discuss implications for theories about the nature of episodic foresight.

A prospective, multicenter pilot study to investigate the feasibility and safety of a 1-year controlled exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Piringer, Gudrun; Fridrik, Michael; Fridrik, Alfred; Leiherer, Andreas; Zabernigg, August; Greil, Richard; Eisterer, Wolfgang; Tschmelitsch, Jörg; Lang, Alois; Frantal, Sophie; Burgstaller, Sonja; Gnant, Michael; Thaler, Josef

2018-04-01

Despite advances in adjuvant chemotherapy, 20-30% of patients in stages II-III colorectal cancer will eventually relapse. Observational studies showed a reduction in relapse rate, colon cancer-specific mortality, and overall mortality by physical activity. Results from prospective randomized interventional studies to confirm these observational data are lacking. The aims of this prospective single-arm multicenter pilot study are to evaluate feasibility and safety of exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients. The training was performed three times per week for 1 year and was increased gradually in three phases until reaching 18 metabolic equivalent task hours per week. Overall, 30 patients were included. The planned training intensity could be achieved in all three phases. Patients experienced a performance increase of median 35.5 watt, a weight-loss of a median of 3.0 kg, and a reduction in body fat content of median 1.0% during this exercise training. The analysis showed early study termination due to non-compliance in 10/30 patients (33.3%), disease progression in 4 patients (13.3%), and serious adverse events in 2 patients (6.7%). About half of patients (46.7%) completed the pilot study as planned. Biomarker analysis from 20 patients showed a non-significant reduction in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) levels, significant increases in adiponectin and leptin levels, and a non-significant increase in C-peptide levels. Exercise training is feasible in patients with colorectal cancer after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. The main problem encountered during the study was compliance. To improve compliance of exercise training, several measures were adapted for the upcoming prospective randomized ABCSG C08 Exercise II study.

A prospective, randomized multicenter study comparing APD and CAPD treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bro, S; Bjorner, J B; Tofte-Jensen, P

2000-01-01

, dialysis-related complications, dialysis-related expenses. RESULTS: The quality-of-life studies showed that significantly more time for work, family, and social activities was available to patients on APD compared to those on CAPD (p ...) treatment with respect to quality of life and clinical outcomes in relation to therapy costs. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized multicenter study. SETTING: Three Danish CAPD units. PATIENTS: Thirty-four adequately dialyzed patients with high or high-average peritoneal transport characteristics were included...... were assessed at baseline and after 6 months by the self-administered short-form SF-36 generic health survey questionnaire supplemented with disease- and treatment-specific questions. Therapy costs were compared by evaluating dialysis-related expenses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality-of-life parameters...

"Burnout in Medical Oncology Fellows: a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Brazilian Institutions".

Science.gov (United States)

Cubero, Daniel I G; Fumis, Renata Rego Lins; de Sá, Thiago Hérick; Dettino, Aldo; Costa, Felipe Osório; Van Eyll, Brigitte M R H Adam; Beato, Carlos; Peria, Fernanda Maris; Mota, Augusto; Altino, José; Azevedo, Sérgio Jobim; da Rocha Filho, Duílio Reis; Moura, Melba; Lessa, Álvaro Edson Ramos; Del Giglio, Auro

2016-09-01

Burnout syndrome is a common occurrence among oncologists. Doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology are exposed to similar risk factors; however, few data are available in this population. This study assessed the occurrence of burnout and associated factors among first-year residents at Brazilian institutions. The present prospective, multicenter, cohort study was conducted with doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology at Brazilian institutions affiliated with the public health system. The participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Lipp's Stress Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), upon admission to the program and 6 and 12 months later. Of 37 eligible residency programs in 2009, 11 (30.6 %) agreed to participate in the study. Fifty-four residents, representing 100 % of new admissions to the participating institutions, were included. Most of the participants met the criteria for severe burnout upon admission to the residency programs (emotional exhaustion in 49.0 % and depersonalization in 64.7 %). The scores on MBI domains emotional exhaustion and depersonalization increased significantly (p burnout increased to 88 % at the end of that first year. The present study found a high prevalence of burnout among doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology at Brazilian institutions. A large fraction of the participants met the criteria for burnout syndrome upon admission to the program, which suggests that the problem began during the course of the previous residency program in internal medicine.

Prognostic factors and outcome of treatment in Perthes' disease: a prospective study of 368 patients with five-year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiig, O; Terjesen, T; Svenningsen, S

2008-10-01

This nationwide prospective study was designed to determine prognostic factors and evaluate the outcome of different treatments of Perthes' disease. A total of 28 hospitals in Norway were instructed to report all new cases of Perthes' disease over a period of five years and 425 patients were reported and followed for five years. Of these, 368 with unilateral disease were included in the present study. The hips were classified radiologically according to a modified two-group Catterall classification and the lateral pillar classification. A total of 358 patients (97%) attended the five-year follow-up, when a modified three-group Stulberg classification was used as a radiological outcome measure. For patients over six years of age at diagnosis and with more than 50% necrosis of the femoral head (152 patients), the surgeons at the different hospitals had chosen one of three methods of treatment: physiotherapy (55 patients), the Scottish Rite abduction orthosis (26), and proximal femoral varus osteotomy (71). Of these hips, 146 (96%) were available for the five-year follow-up. The strongest predictor of outcome was femoral head involvement of more or less than 50% (odds ratio (OR) = 7.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.82 to 21.37), followed by age at diagnosis (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99) and the lateral pillar classification (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.98). In children over six years at diagnosis with more than 50% of femoral head necrosis, proximal femoral varus osteotomy gave a significantly better outcome than orthosis (p = 0.001) or physiotherapy (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the physiotherapy and orthosis groups (p = 0.36), and we found no difference in outcome after any of the treatments in children under six years (p = 0.73). We recommend proximal femoral varus osteotomy in children aged six years and over at the time of diagnosis with hips having more than 50% femoral head necrosis. The abduction orthosis should be abandoned in