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Rationale & Objective: It is unclear whether the effect of canagliflozin on adverse kidney and cardiovascular events in those with diabetic kidney disease varies by age and sex. We assessed the effects of canagliflozin among age group categories and between sexes in the Canagliflozin and Renal Endpoints in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) study.Study Design: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Setting & Participants: Participants in the CREDENCE trial.Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to receive canagliflozin 100 mg/d or placebo.Outcomes: Primary composite outcome of kidney failure, doubling of serum creatinine concentration, or death due to kidney or cardiovascular disease. Prespecified secondary and safety outcomes were also analyzed. Outcomes were evaluated by age at baseline (Results: The mean age of the cohort was 63.0 ± 9.2 years, and 34% were female. Older age and female sex were independently associated with a lower risk of the composite of adverse kidney outcomes. There was no evidence that the effect of canagliflozin on the primary outcome (a composite of kidney failure, a doubling of serum creatinine concentration, or death from kidney or cardiovascular causes) differed between age groups (HRs, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.52-0.87], 0.63 [0.48-0.82], and 0.89 [0.61-1.29] for ages Limitations: This was a post hoc analysis with multiple comparisons.Conclusions: Canagliflozin consistently reduced the relative risk of kidney events in people with diabetic kidney disease in both sexes and across age subgroups. As a result of greater background risk, the absolute reduction in adverse kidney outcomes was greater in younger participants.Funding: This post hoc analysis of the CREDENCE trial was not funded. The CREDENCE study was sponsored by Janssen Research and Development and was conducted collaboratively by the sponsor, an academic-led steering committee, and an academic research organization, George Clinical.Trial Registration: The original CREDENCE trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT02065791.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin concentrations are lower in women than men. We examined whether age- and risk factor-related changes in cardiac troponin over the life course differ by sex and if the trajectory of cardiac troponin was informative in respect of cardiovascular outcomes in women and men in the general population. METHODS: In the Whitehall II cohort, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I concentrations were measured on 3 occasions over a 15-year period. Using linear mixed-effects models, the sex-specific trajectories of cardiac troponin were evaluated, and the relationship with conventional cardiovascular risk factors determined. Using multistate joint models, the association between sex-specific trajectories of cardiac troponin and a composite outcome of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death was evaluated. RESULTS: In 2142 women and 5151 men (mean, 58±7 and 57±7 years of age, respectively), there were 177 (8.3%) and 520 (10.1%) outcome events, respectively, during a median follow-up of 20.9 (25th to 75th percentile, 15.8–21.3) years. Cardiac troponin concentrations were persistently lower in women than in men (median baseline concentration: 2.4 [25th to 75th percentile, 1.7–3.6] ng/L versus 3.7 [25th to 75th percentile, 2.6–5.8] ng/L, respectively, P P interaction P interaction =0.008) and diabetes ( P interaction =0.003). During follow-up, cardiac troponin concentrations were associated to the outcome in both women and men (adjusted hazard ratio per 2-fold difference [95% CI, 1.34 (1.17–1.52) and 1.30 (1.21–1.40), respectively], P interaction = 0.752). The slope of cardiac troponin was significantly associated with the outcome in women, but not in men (adjusted hazard ratio [95% CI, 2.70 (1.01–7.33) and 1.31 (0.62–2.75), respectively], P interaction = 0.250). CONCLUSIONS: Trajectories of cardiac troponin differ between women and men in the general population, with differing associations to conventional risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes. Our findings highlight the importance of a sex-specific approach when serial cardiac troponin testing is applied for cardiovascular risk prediction.

Objectives: Over the past decades, China has seen a dramatic epidemic of overweight and obesity. However, the optimal period for interventions to prevent overweight/obesity in adulthood remains unclear, and little is known regarding the joint effect of sociodemographic factors on weight gain. We aimed to investigate the associations of weight gain with sociodemographic factors, including age, sex, educational level, and income. Study design: This was a longitudinal cohort study. Methods: This study included 121,865 participants aged 18–74 years from the Kailuan study who attended health examinations over the period 2006–2019. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were used to evaluate the associations of sociodemographic factors with body mass index (BMI) category transitions over two, six, and 10 years. Results: In the analysis of 10-year BMI changes, the youngest age group had the highest risks of shifting to higher BMI categories, with odds ratio of 2.42 (95% confidence interval 2.12–2.77) for a transition from underweight or normal weight to overweight or obesity and 2.85 (95% confidence interval 2.17–3.75) for a transition from overweight to obesity. Compared with baseline age, education level was less related to these changes, whereas gender and income were not significantly associated with these transitions. Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested reverse J-shaped associations of age with these transitions. Conclusions: The risk of weight gain in Chinese adults is age dependent, and clear public healthcare messaging is needed for young adults who are at the highest risk of weight gain.

Background Research assessing the relationship of physical activity and dementia is usually based on studies with individuals younger than 90 years of age. The primary aim of this study was to determine physical activity levels of cognitively normal and cognitively impaired adults older than 90 years of age (oldest-old). Our secondary aim was to assess if physical activity is associated with risk factors for dementia and brain pathology biomarkers. Methods Physical activity was assessed in cognitively normal (N = 49) and cognitively impaired (N = 12) oldest-old by trunk accelerometry for a 7-day period. We tested physical performance parameters and nutritional status as dementia risk factors, and brain pathology biomarkers. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations, correcting for age, sex and years of education. Results Cognitively normal oldest-old were on average active for a total duration of 45 (SD 27) minutes per day, while cognitively impaired oldest-old seemed less physically active with 33 (SD 21) minutes per day with a lower movement intensity. Higher active duration and lower sedentary duration were related to better nutritional status and better physical performance. Higher movement intensities were related to better nutritional status, better physical performance and less white matter hyperintensities. Longer maximum walking bout duration associated with more amyloid binding. Conclusion We found that cognitively impaired oldest-old are active at a lower movement intensity than cognitively normal oldest-old individuals. In the oldest-old, physical activity is related to physical parameters, nutritional status, and moderately to brain pathology biomarkers.

Maurolicus muelleri is a significant component of the marine ecosystem and has the potential to be a valuable fishery resource. However, in the Bay of Biscay, its primary biological traits remain unclear. This study presents data on the length distribution, age, growth, maturity ogive, spawning season, batch fecundity, and sex ratio for Maurolicus muelleri captured in the Bay of Biscay. The results showed that in spring, the adult spawners (ages of 1 and 2) were dominant in the catches, while in September, immature juveniles (age of 0) born in spring were mostly found. Using standard lengths as a basis, 50% of the fish were mature at 34.1 mm (both sexes combined), and the sex ratio, male to female, was 0.44:0.56. The proportion of females increased with length, and a 1:1 sex ratio was predicted at a standard length of 41.5 mm. The spawning season was allocated to at least between March and September, with a likely peak in May. The batch fecundity ranged from 114 to 919 oocytes/female, and increased with the weight and length of females. The results allowed us to interpret a life history strategy for this species, i.e., a high fecundity for females, which mostly participate in one or two reproductive seasons. Therefore, any possible exploitation of age 0 fish prior to spawning could lead to a decrease in the population from which recovery could be slow.

Given the current and future threats to Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), maintaining a sustainable ex situ population is crucial for the longevity of the species. Using Infrared Thermography (IRT), thermoregulation of Asian elephants at low ambient temperatures was examined. Thermal images were taken at 15 min intervals over 60–90-min observation periods, once weekly, during January and February 2022. A total of 374 images were examined from 10 Asian elephants, which varied from 1 to 56 years of age. Data from thermograms of the ear and body were interpreted in view of weight, age and behavior. Variability in surface temperature was found most frequently in the ears, occasionally presenting as thermal windows—areas with dense underlying blood supply that aid in heat exchange. Thermal windows occurred most frequently in the distal, then medial, regions of the ear. The pattern of appearance of thermal windows in the ear provides support that the increase of blood flow is utilized as a method of warming. This preliminary study provides key insight into Asian elephant thermoregulation, suggesting that the species may be more well-adapted to lower ambient temperatures than previously thought.

In the current meta-analysis, we examine the relation between age and workplace deviance, and find a small but significant negative correlation (ρ = −.124, k = 198). More importantly, we test several trait-based mechanisms to help explain this relation. Specifically, based on the neo-socioanalytical model of personality change, we hypothesized that those Big Five personality traits that change with age, HEXACO honesty-humility, and trait negative affect mediate this relation. These hypotheses were supported, as the Big Five traits conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism, as well as honesty-humility and trait negative affect simultaneously mediated the negative relation between age and workplace deviance. These findings highlight important underlying mechanisms for this relation and suggest several opportunities for organizations to reduce the occurrence of workplace deviance. Further theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and future research ideas are discussed.

Central giant cell granulomas (CGCG) are rare intraosseous osteolytic lesions of uncertain aetiology. Despite the benign nature of this neoplasia, the lesions can rapidly grow and become large, painful, invasive, and destructive. The identification of molecular drivers could help in the selection of targeted therapies for specific cases. TRPV4, KRAS and FGFR1 mutations have been associated with these lesions but no correlation between the mutations and patient features was observed so far. In this study, we analysed 17 CGCG cases of an Italian cohort and identified an interesting and significant (p=0.0021) correlation between FGFR1 mutations and age. In detail, FGFR1 mutations were observed frequently and exclusively in CGCG from young (18 years old) patients (4/5 lesions, 80%). Furthermore, the combination between ours and previously published data confirmed a significant difference in the frequency of FGFR1 mutations in CGCG from patients younger than 18 years at the time of diagnosis (9/23 lesions, 39%) when compared to older patients (1/31 lesions, 0.03%; p=0.0011), thus corroborating our observation in a cohort of 54 patients. FGFR1 variants in young CGCG patients could favour fast lesion growth, implying that they seek medical attention earlier. Our observation might help prioritise candidates for FGFR1 testing, thus opening treatment options with FGFR inhibitors.

The dicarbonyl compound methylglyoxal (MGO) is a major precursor in the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). MGO and AGEs are increased in subjects with diabetes and are associated with fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease. Previously, we have shown that plasma MGO concentrations rapidly increase in the postprandial phase, with a higher increase in individuals with type 2 diabetes. In current study, we investigated whether postprandial MGO formation in plasma and tissues originates from exogenous glucose and whether the increased plasma MGO concentration leads to a fast formation of MGO-derived AGEs. We performed a stable isotope-labelled oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 12 healthy males with universally labelled D(+)13C glucose. Analysis of plasma-labelled 13C3 MGO and glucose levels at 11 time-points during the OGTT revealed that the newly formed MGO during OGTT is completely derived from exogenous glucose. Moreover, a fast formation of protein-bound MGO-derived AGEs during the OGTT was observed. In accordance, ex-vivo incubation of MGO with plasma or albumin showed a rapid decrease in MGO and a fast increase in MGO-derived AGEs. In an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test in C57BL/6J mice, we confirmed that the formation of postprandial MGO is derived from exogenous glucose in plasma and also showed in tissues that MGO is increased and this is also from exogenous glucose. Collectively, increased formation of MGO during a glucose tolerance test arises from exogenous glucose both in plasma and in tissues, and this leads to a fast formation of MGO-derived AGEs.

It has been shown that the common Japanese conger, Conger myriaster, may spawn several times rather than once in its lifetime. However, knowledge of their spawning ecology, including the age at which they spawn, is limited. Therefore, in this experiment, we compared the annual changes in the gonadal development between the second and third year of rearing fish in order to determine how different ages of the common Japanese conger affect in gonadal development under rearing conditions. As in the second year of rearing, the GSI of both males and females in the third year of rearing reached a maximum during the summer when the water temperature was rising, and the egg diameter of the females was also maximum. However, in the third year of rearing, GSI was lower in most months than in the second year of rearing, and there were significant differences in March, May, and October. Egg diameter was significantly higher in the third year of rearing in May and June, and the maximum annual egg diameter was also higher in the third year of rearing. Although there were distinctive changes in oocyte diameter composition and oocyte maturity stage in each year of fish, it was not possible to determine whether maturity was more advanced in any of the year of fish. It is necessary to compare the two age groups by actually inducing maturation in the future.

Purpose:To investigate age-specific prevalence of disease subtypes and baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in Japanese patients with treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)., Methods:We reviewed the records of patients with treatment-naïve nAMD who underwent initial treatment in 14 institutions in Japan sometime during the period from 2006 to 2015. In patients in whom both eyes were treated, only the eye treated first was included for analysis. The patients were stratified by age for the analysis., Results:In total, 3096 eyes were included. The overall prevalence of subtypes was as follows: typical AMD, 52.6%; polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), 42.8%; retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP), 4.6%. The number of eyes in each age group was as follows: younger than 60 years, 199; 60s, 747; 70s, 1308; 80s, 784; 90 years or older, 58. The prevalence of typical AMD in each age group was 51.8%, 48.1%, 52.1%, 57.7%, and 55.2%, respectively. The prevalence of PCV was 46.7%, 49.1%, 44.7%, 34.4%, and 19.0%, respectively. The prevalence of RAP was 1.5%, 2.8%, 3.2%, 7.9%, and 25.9%, respectively. The prevalence of PCV decreased with age, whilst that of RAP increased. The prevalence of RAP was higher than that of PCV in patients aged 90 years or older. The mean baseline BCVA (logMAR) was 0.53. In each age group, the mean baseline BCVA was 0.35, 0.45, 0.54, 0.62, and 0.88, respectively. The mean logMAR BCVA at baseline significantly worsened with age (P < 0.001)., Conclusion:The prevalence of nAMD subtypes differed according to age in Japanese patients. The baseline BCVA worsened with age.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is marked not only by rapid surges in the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but also by remarkable recovery rates, as most adolescent-onset AUDs naturally resolve over time. Little is known about the differential vulnerability of adolescents and adults. Therefore, this study aimed to unravel the moderating role of age by comparing neural alcohol cue-reactivity, an important AUD biomarker, between low-to-high beer-drinking adolescent (n = 50, 16 to 18 years), and adult (n = 51, 30 to 35 years) males matched on drinking severity.METHODS: Associations between beer odor-induced brain activity and AUD diagnosis, severity of alcohol use-related problems, recent alcohol use, binge-drinking frequency, and task-induced craving were investigated across and between age groups in regions of interest thought to be central in alcohol cue-reactivity: the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and striatal subregions (nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen). These analyses were complemented by exploratory whole-brain analyses.RESULTS: Pre-task beer craving increased pre-to-post task in adolescents only. Individual differences in alcohol use, binge drinking, and craving did not relate to beer odor-induced activity. Although region-of-interest analyses did not reach significance, whole-brain analyses showed that adolescents with AUD, compared with adolescents without AUD and adults with AUD, had higher beer odor-induced activity in a large mesocorticolimbic cluster encompassing the right caudate, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, and the olfactory sulcus. Activity in the right caudate and putamen was positively associated with the severity of alcohol use-related problems in adolescents but negatively associated in adults.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a differential role of alcohol cue-reactivity in adolescents compared with adults with AUD and highlight the need for further studies investigating the role of age in the fundamental processes underlying the development of and recovery from of AUD.

The aim of the research was to determine the age-related hematological and biochemical parameters in Croatian white goats in a traditional Mediterranean production system. The 36 lactating Croatian white goats were divided into three groups with 12 goats each, according to age: group I (1-2 years old), group II (3-5 years) and group III (>5 years). The mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (334 g/L) and lymphocytes (73.71%), as well as the concentration of iron (Fe 25.17 μmol/L) in the blood were higher, while the concentration of urea (3.86 mmol/L) was lower in group I compared to group III. The results of the present study are the first published blood analysis (hematological and biochemical parameters) for the Croatian white goat breed, and can be useful for understanding the metabolism and health status of this breed of goats, which helps in their conservation, promotion and breeding improvement., Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi hematološke i biokemijske pokazatelje koza različite dobi, pasmine hrvatska bijela koza. Koze su uzgajane u tradicionalnom mediteranskom proizvodnom sustavu. Ukupno 36 koza u laktaciji podijeljeno je u tri skupine, svaka s po 12 koza, prema dobi: skupina I (dob 1-2 godine), skupina II (dob 3-5 godina) i skupina III (dob > 5 godina). Prosječna koncentracija hemoglobina u eritrocitima (334 g/l) i udio limfocita (73,71%), kao i koncentracija željeza (Fe 25,17 μmol/L) u krvi bile su više, dok je koncentracija uree (3,86 mmol/l) bila niža u skupini I u usporedbi sa skupinom III. Rezultati ovog istraživanja su prva objavljena analiza krvi (hematološki i biokemijski pokazatelji) za hrvatsku bijelu kozu. Utvrđene vrijednosti mogu biti korisne za razumijevanje metabolizma i zdravstvenog statusa ove pasmine koza, što pomaže u njezinom očuvanju, promociji i poboljšanju uzgoja.

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a real-world, population-scaled, school-based physical activity (PA) intervention that provided two to three additional physical education lessons per week to children aged 6 to 14 years in Slovenia. Methods More than 34,000 participants from over 200 schools were compared with a similar number of nonparticipants from the same schools. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the effects of differing levels of exposure to the intervention (i.e., from 1–5 years) on BMI in children with normal weight, overweight, or obesity at baseline. Results BMI was lower in the intervention group, irrespective of participation duration or baseline weight status. The difference in BMI increased with the program duration, with maximal effects being seen after 3 to 4 years of participation, and was consistently larger for children with obesity (peaking at 1.4 kg/m2 [95% CI: 1.0–1.9] for girls with obesity and peaking at 0.9 kg/m2 [95% CI: 0.6–1.3] for boys with obesity). The program started to become effective at reversing obesity after 3 years, whereas the lowest numbers needed to treat (NNTs) were observed after 5 years (NNTs = 17 for girls and 12 for boys). Conclusions The population-scaled, school-based PA intervention was effective in preventing and treating obesity. The effects were the greatest in children initially presenting with obesity, such that the program was able to benefit children needing support the most.

Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, and disease duration is associated with geriatric decline and functional disabilities. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association of diabetes duration with domain-specific cognitive impairment in elderly. Methods: A total of 3,142 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the period between 2011 and 2014 were included. We assessed cognitive function using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), the CERAD Word Learning (CERAD-WL) test, the CERAD Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR) test and animal fluency (AF) test. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and annual household income, we found that diabetes with a duration longer than 20 years were at 3.32-fold increased risk of DSST impairment (OR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.95 to 5.67), 1.72-fold increased risk of CERAD-WL impairment (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.62), and 1.76-fold increased risk of AF impairment (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.53), compared with those with no diabetes. Associations were generally stronger in women than in men. Participants with diabetes, who were diagnosed at 50–59 years old were at increased risk of DSST impairment, CERAD-WL impairment, CERAD-DR impairment, and AF impairment per 5 years longer duration of diabetes. Conclusion: Longer diabetes duration was associated with the increased risk of cognitive impairment, especially in processing speed and attention. The presence of chronic kidney disease was associated with the increased risk of DSST impairment.

Dysregulation of circulating lipids is a central element for the metabolic syndrome. However, it is not well established whether human subcutaneous adipose tissue is affected by or affect circulating lipids through epigenetic mechanisms. Hence, our aim was to investigate the association between circulating lipids and DNA methylation levels in human adipose tissue. DNA methylation and gene expression were analysed genome-wide in subcutaneous adipose tissue from two different cohorts, including 85 men and 93 women, respectively. Associations between DNA methylation and circulating levels of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol were analysed. Causal mediation analyses tested if adipose tissue DNA methylation mediates the effects of triglycerides on gene expression or insulin resistance. We found 115 novel associations between triglycerides and adipose tissue DNA methylation, e.g. in the promoter of RFS1, ARID2 and HOXA5 in the male cohort (P ≤ 1.1 × 10−7), and 63 associations, e.g. within the gene body of PTPRN2 and COL6A3 in the female cohort. We further connected these findings to altered mRNA expression levels in adipose tissue (e.g. HOXA5, IL11 and FAM45B). Interestingly, there was no overlap between methylation sites associated with triglycerides in men and the sites found in women, which points towards sex-specific effects of triglycerides on the epigenome. Finally, a causal mediation analysis provided support for adipose tissue DNA methylation as a partial mediating factor between circulating triglycerides and insulin resistance. This study identified novel epigenetic alterations in adipose tissue associated with circulating lipids. Identified epigenetic changes seem to mediate effects of triglycerides on insulin resistance.

Compulsive sexual behavior is a phenomenon characterized by a persistent failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges, resulting in repetitive sexual behavior that causes marked distress or impairment in personal, familial, social, educational, or occupational areas of functioning. Despite its major impact on mental health and quality of life, little is known about its internal structure and whether this phenomenon differs across genders, age groups, and risk status. By considering a large online sample (n = 3186; 68.3% males), ranging from 14 to 64 years old, compulsive sexual behavior was explored by means of network analysis. State-of-the-art analytical techniques were adopted to investigate the pattern of association among the different elements of compulsive sexual behavior, identify possible communities of nodes, pinpoint the most central nodes, and detect differences between males and females, among different age groups, as well as between individuals at low and high risk of developing a full-blown disorder. The analyses revealed that the network was characterized by three communities, namely Consequence, Preoccupation, and Perceived Dyscontrol, and that the most central node was related to (perceived) impulse dyscontrol. No substantial differences were found between males and females and across age. Failing to meet one’s own commitments and responsibilities was more central in individuals at high risk of developing a full-blown disorder than in those at low risk.

Purpose Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis can be treated with decompression surgery. A recent review reported that, after decompression surgery, 1.6–32.0% of patients develop postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis and may therefore be indicated for lumbar fusion surgery. The latter can be more challenging due to the altered anatomy and scar tissue. It remains unclear why some patients get recurrent neurological complaints due to postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis, though some associations have been suggested. This study explores the association between key demographic, biological and radiological factors and postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis after lumbar decompression. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients who had undergone lumbar spinal decompression surgery between January 2014 and December 2016 at one of two Spine Centres in the Netherlands or Switzerland and had a follow-up of two years. Patient characteristics, details of the surgical procedure and recurrent neurological complaints were retrieved from patient files. Preoperative MRI scans and conventional radiograms (CRs) of the lumbar spine were evaluated for multiple morphological characteristics. Postoperative spondylolisthesis was evaluated on postoperative MRI scans. For variables assessed on a whole patient basis, patients with and without postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis were compared. For variables assessed on the basis of the operated segment(s), surgical levels that did or did not develop postoperative spondylolisthesis were compared. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations with postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis. Results Seven hundred and sixteen patients with 1094 surgical levels were included in the analyses. (In total, 300 patients had undergone multilevel surgery.) ICCs for intraobserver and interobserver reliability of CR and MRI variables ranged between 0.81 and 0.99 and 0.67 and 0.97, respectively. In total, 66 of 716 included patients suffered from postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis (9.2%). Multivariable regression analyses of patient-basis variables showed that being female [odds ratio (OR) 1.2, 95%CI 1.07–3.09] was associated with postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis. Higher BMI (OR 0.93, 95%CI 0.88–0.99) was associated with a lower probability of having postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis. Multivariable regression analyses of surgical level-basis variables showed that levels with preoperative spondylolisthesis (OR 17.30, 95%CI 10.27–29.07) and the level of surgery, most importantly level L4L5 compared with levels L1L3 (OR 2.80, 95%CI 0.78–10.08), were associated with postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis; greater facet joint angles (i.e. less sagittal-oriented facets) were associated with a lower probability of postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.95–0.99). Conclusion Being female was associated with a higher probability of having postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis, while having a higher BMI was associated with a lower probability. When looking at factors related to postoperative symptomatic spondylolisthesis at the surgical level, preoperative spondylolisthesis, more sagittal orientated facet angles and surgical level (most significantly level L4L5 compared to levels L1L3) showed significant associations. These associations could be used as a basis for devising patient selection criteria, stratifying patients or performing subgroup analyses in future studies regarding decompression surgery with or without fusion.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. The objective of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy via the DN4 questionnaire in our diabetic patients and to identify the factors associated with diabetic neuropathy. We included 231 diabetic patients. The average age of the patients was 45.77 years, 67.1% of women, 36.8% type 1 diabetic and 63.2% type 2 diabetic, The average duration of diabetes evolution was 7, 21 years old. The average HbA1c was 10.4%. The prevalence of diabetic neuropathy in our study was 28.1%, it was more frequent in women, in unbalanced patients, and it was significantly correlated with age, type 1 diabetes, consumption of alcohol and duration of diabetes, in our study we found a significant association of diabetic neuropathy with age, duration of diabetes and alcohol consumption

Arterial walls stiffen with age, cardiovascular risk factors, and various vascular diseases, which may lead to less damping of the arterial blood flow pulse, subsequent microvascular damage, and enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS). However, the exact interplay between these processes is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relation between blood flow velocity pulsatility in the small lenticulostriate arteries and their supplying middle cerebral artery and the respective damping factor (DF), with the number of MRI-visible PVS in elderly subjects. Blood flow velocity waveforms were obtained in 45 subjects (median age [range]: 64 [48–81] years, 47% male) using 7T MRI. PVS were scored in the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CSO). Spearman correlation analyses were used to determine associations of the blood flow pulsatility and the DF, with PVS score, adjusted for age and sex. We found a significant association between a lower DF and a higher number of PVS in the BG ( rs = −0.352, P = 0.021), but not in the CSO. This finding supports the supposed pathophysiological mechanism in which excessive kinetic energy deposition leads to damage of small perforating arteries and contributes to the enlargement of PVS at the level of the BG, but possible other pathways might also be of influence.

Sleep patterns and problems vary in relation to internal (e.g., sex, age, circadian preference) and external (e.g., social structures) factors. The main aim of the present study was to describe habitual sleep patterns and chronic sleep problems in a population-based sample of Norwegian adults. During spring 2022, a sample of 1028 adults completed an online survey on sleep habits and problems. Response rate was 33.5%. The survey included the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire and items on circadian preference and chronic sleep problems. Mean workday sleep duration was 7:19 h (±199 min), and shorter in males (p = 0.035) and evening persons (p = 0.003). Short workday sleep duration (

OBJECTIVE: Kidney transplantation is one of the types of renal replacement therapy that can be performed in patients with end-stage renal disease. The power to perform activities that require the patient to maintain his life and health is called self-management power. Better health outcomes are inevitable in patients with high self-management power. In this study, we aimed to investigate the parameters affecting the self-management power in kidney transplant recipients.MATERIAL AND METHODS: All kidney transplant recipients who were followed up from the nephrology outpatient clinic and applied to the nephrology outpatient clinic between July 2022 and September 2022 were interviewed. Self-management power was assessed using the self-care agency scale. Parameters correlated with self-management power were evaluated by linear regression analysis.RESULTS: The study was conducted with 128 kidney transplant recipients. The mean age of the patients was 44.63±13.5 years. The mean self-management power score was 112.86±14.6. A correlation was found between self-management power and age, number of drugs used, time after transplantation, and number of chronic diseases. Age was found to be the strongest parameter affecting self-management power in the linear regression model.CONCLUSIONS: Both graft and patient survival can be improved with a good knowledge of the factors that affect self-management in kidney transplant recipients. Some demographic and clinical factors may affect the power of self-management. Although the success in kidney transplantation is mostly attributed to the transplantation center, it should be kept in mind that the self-management power of the patient can also contribute to this success, and approaches that can improve the sef-management power should be applied., AMAÇ: Böbrek nakli son dönem böbrek yetmezliği olan hastalarda yapılabilen renal replasman tedavisi türlerinden birisidir. Hastanın yaşamını ve sağlığını idame ettirmeyi gerektiren aktiviteleri yapabilme gücüne öz-yönetim gücü denir. Öz-yönetim gücü yüksek olan hastalarda daha iyi sağlık sonuçları olması kaçınılmazdır. Bu çalışmamızda böbrek nakli alıcılarında öz-yönetim gücünü etkileyen parametreleri araştırmayı amaçladık.GEREÇ VE YÖNTEM: Nefroloji polikliniğinden takipli ve Temmuz 2022 - Eylül 2022 tarihleri arasında nefroloji polikliniğine başvuran tüm böbrek nakli alıcıları ile görüşüldü. Öz-yönetim gücü öz-bakım ajansı ölçeği kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Öz-yönetim gücü ile korele bulunan parametreler lineer regresyon analizi ile değerlendirildi.BULGULAR: Çalışma 128 böbrek nakli alıcısı ile yapıldı. Hastaların ortalama yaşı 44.63±13.5 yıldı. Ortalama öz-yönetim gücü skoru 112.86±14.6 idi. Öz-yönetim gücü ile yaş, kullanılan ilaç sayısı, nakilden sonra geçen süre ve kronik hastalık sayısı arasında bir korelasyon saptandı. Lineer regresyon modelinde öz-yönetim gücünü etkileyen en güçlü parametre yaş olarak bulundu.SONUÇ: Böbrek nakli alıcılarında öz-yönetim gücünü etkileyen faktörlerin iyi bilinmesi ile hem greft hem de hasta sağkalımı iyileştirilebilir. Demografik ve klinik bazı faktörler öz-yönetim gücünü etkileyebilir. Böbrek naklinde başarı daha çok nakil merkezine atfedilse de hastanın öz-yönetim gücünün de bu başarıya katkı sağlayabileceği akılda tutulmalı ve öz-yönetim gücünü geliştirebilecek yaklaşımlar sergilenmelidir.

Educational gaps are increasingly salient as skills and knowledge gain prominence in digital societies. E-privacy management, namely, the ability to control the flow of information about the self, is an important asset nowadays, since a skillful use of digital technologies enables full participation in social life and limits the exposure to unwarranted algorithmic processes. We investigate whether and why education affects e-privacy management, and whether the educational gaps vary following a country’s degree of digitalization. We empirically test two sets of mechanisms, one derived from the digital divide and diffusion of innovations theories and the other from the reflexive modernization theory. The study employs Eurobarometer 87.1 data ( N = 21,177), collected in 2017 among representative samples from 28 European countries, and uses multilevel linear regression model. Findings suggest that the years spent in education positively affect e-privacy management, and that this effect is largely mediated by digital skills and Internet use, and to a lesser extent by a reflexive mind-set. The educational gap in e-privacy management narrows in more digitalized countries.

Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common malignancy of the skin, often occurring in older patients and in the head and neck area (cSCCHN). Age, life expectancy, and frailty are not taken into consideration by current guidelines. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of frailty and life expectancy on guideline deviation, treatment outcomes, and quality of life (QoL) after treatment in patients with cSCCHN. Methods: Patients with cSCCHN were prospectively included. A geriatric assessment was performed, including the Geriatric 8 (G8), Groningen Frailty Indicator, and Timed Up and Go test (TUG). The Lee index was used to predict a limited life expectancy, and the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 was used as a comorbidity index. QoL was assessed by the Basal and Squamous cell carcinoma Quality of Life (BaSQoL) questionnaire at three time points. Results: Seventy-seven patients with cSCCHN were included. Frail patients had significantly more high-risk tumours. Guideline deviation occurred in 7.8% and was more common in patients who were frail (G8), with high-risk tumours (≥T2), with a limited life expectancy or an increased TUG. Guideline deviation did not lead more often to progression of disease in our study. No predictors for post-operative complications were found. BaSQoL subscores were very low at each time point and did not change significantly with time in the total group. Frail patients reported more fear of recurrence or new tumours 3 months after treatment, and less concern about other people’s skin 6 months after treatment, compared to non-frail patients. Complication rate, gender, or guideline deviation did not affect any subscale scores. Conclusions: Assessment of frailty and life expectancy can guide physicians and patients in treatment decisions. Deviation from guidelines towards less aggressive treatment schedules can be considered in frail patients with a limited life expectancy, since it did not negatively affect short-term outcomes or QoL in patients with cSCCHN in our study. However, these results should be confirmed by other, larger prospective studies with a longer follow-up period.

Vitamin D is a steroid in character and a fat-soluble vitamin. It is produced primarily from cholesterol in the skin and is also taken up in a small amount in the diet. 25(OH)D3 levels are used as an indirect measure of vitamin D levels. Our aim was to investigate the variation in serum 25(OH)D3 levels of patients admitted to the hospital in and around Mardin based on gender, season, and age. 25(OH)D3 concentrations were evaluated at Mardin Training and Research Hospital between 01.01.2017 and 01.01.2020. Our study established subgroups according to gender, season, age, and 25(OH)D3 status. 25(OH)D3 concentration was measured using the chemiluminescence method. A significant decrease was observed in the 25(OH)D3 levels of female (13.62±11.53 ng/ml) patients compared to male patients (12.14±9.38 ng/ml).. A significant increase was detected in the summer and autumn seasons compared to winter and spring (p

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a profound impact on sleep and psychological well-being for individuals worldwide. This pre-registered investigation extends our prior study by tracking self-reported social jetlag (SJL), social sleep restriction (SSR), and perceived life stress from May 2020 through October 2021. Using web-based surveys, we collected self-reported sleep information with the Ultrashort Munich Chronotype Questionnaire at three additional timepoints (September 2020, February 2021 and October 2021). Further, we measured perceived life stress with the Perceived Stress Scale at two additional timepoints (February 2021 and October 2021). In a subsample of 181, predominantly female (87%), United States adults aged 19–89 years, we expanded our prior findings by showing that the precipitous drop in SJL during the pandemic first wave (May 2020), compared to pre-pandemic (February, 2020), rapidly rose with loosening social restrictions (September 2020), though never returned to pre-pandemic levels. This effect was greatest in young adults, but not associated with self-reported chronotype. Further, perceived life stress decreased across the pandemic, but was unrelated to SJL or SSR. These findings suggest that sleep schedules were sensitive to pandemic-related changes in social restrictions, especially in younger participants. We posit several possible mechanisms supporting these findings.

RESUMEN Los descriptores más usuales para caracterizar a las personas son la edad, el sexo, el aspecto físico, y los rasgos y características psicológicas y sociológicas deducibles de la apariencia. La hipótesis central es que el uso de estos descriptores varía tanto en función del grupo etario perceptor como de las personas percibidas. Específicamente, se analiza la importancia de la edad como categoría descriptiva, tanto en función de la edad de los sujetos perceptores como de la edad de los sujetos percibidos. Se comparan tres muestras: jóvenes, adultos y adultos-mayores. Estos sujetos deben describir libremente fotos de personas de diferente edad: niña, joven, adulto y anciana. Las respuestas fueron categorizadas según el tipo de descriptor uti lizado. Primero, se realiza un análisis interfotos al interior de cada grupo etario y, luego, un análisis comparativo entre los tres grupos etarios, señalando las coincidencias y disidencias. Las referencias a la edad y al sexo son las más frecuentes, pero el peso de cada una varía en función del grupo etario y de las fotos. Hay también diferencias notables en el uso de los descriptores sociológicos. Los descriptores psicológicos son más estables. Estos resultados muestran las diferencias representacionales entre los grupos etarios, lo cual tiene mucha im portancia desde el punto de vista de las relaciones intergeneracionales. ABSTRACT The most usual descriptors to characterize people are age, sex, physical aspect, and psycho-logical-sociological traits deduced from the appearance. The central hypothesis is that the use of these descriptors varies according to both the age of the group-perceptor and the age of people object of perception. Specifically, the analysis is focus on age as a descriptive cat-egory attending the age of the perceptor and the age of the perceived people. Three samples are compared: young people, adults and older adult, who had to describe four photos of people of different ages: little girl, young boy, adult man and elderly woman. First the com-parison is between the four photos inside each age-group; then the comparison is between the three age-groups. In all cases coincidences and differences were shown. As expected, age and sex are the most frequent references, but the weight of each one changes according to the age-group and the photos. Also, there are important differences concerning the use of sociological descriptors. Instead, psychological descriptors tend to be more stable. These results highlight the representational differences between age-groups, which is of great im-portance from the point of view of intergenerational relations.

Autori se u naknadnom komentaru osvrću na teorijske i metodološke nedostatke svoje ranije objavljene studije o dobi i biračkom ponašanju u Hrvatskoj. Na teorijskoj razini ističu nedovoljnu razrađenost konceptualnog okvira i izostanak smještanja studije u odnosu na druga relevantna istraživanja koja se bave političkom socijalizacijom, političkom identifikacijom i društveno-političkim rascjepima. Na metodološkoj razini ističu probleme nedovoljne transparentnosti u prezentaciji rezultata testova multikolinearnosti i faktorske analize te u koncipiranju međuodnosa, operacionalizaciji i mjerenju varijabli poput dobi, obrazovanja, autoritarnosti, konzervativizma i populizma. Skromno zaključujući kako njihov rad ipak pridonosi napretku razumijevanja odnosa dobi i biračkoga ponašanja, autori pozivaju na buduća longitudinalna istraživanja koja bi mogla više reći o eventualnoj promjeni u intenzitetu utjecaja rascjepa na dobne kohorte. Njihov znanstveni autodafe kojim priznaju nedovoljnu komparativnu utemeljenost prethodnog istraživanja, konceptualnu i empirijsku, sažet je u pluralizaciji odabrane naslovne metafore kojom se ti izgubljeni akademski dječaci vraćaju putu akademske zrelosti pa dijete u vremenu postaje djecom u vremenu, In their later commentary, the authors refer to the theoretical and methodological shortcomings of their previously published study on age and voting behavior in Croatia. At the theoretical level, they point out the insufficient elaboration of the conceptual framework and the lack of proper placement of the study in relation to other relevant research dealing with political socialization, political identification, and socio-political cleavages. At the methodological level, they emphasize the problems of insufficient transparency in the presentation of the results of multi-collinearity tests and factor analysis, and in the clear conceptualization of mutual relationship, operationalization, and measurement of the variables such as age, education, authoritarianism, conservatism and populism. Concluding modestly that their work nevertheless contributes to the progress of understanding the relationship between age and voting behavior, the authors call for future longitudinal research that could convey more about the eventual change in the intensity of influence of cleavages on the age cohorts. Their scientific auto-da-fé, in which they confess insufficient comparative grounding of their prior study, both conceptual and empirical, is summed up in the pluralization of the chosen title metaphor. In this way, these academic lost boys return to the path of academic maturity, and a child in time becomes children in time.

The prenatal environment may program health and disease susceptibility via epigenetic mechanisms. We evaluated associations of maternal trimester-specific intake of micronutrients with global DNA methylation (%5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylation (%5hmC) at birth in cord blood and tested for persistence into childhood. We quantified global %5mC and %5hmC in cord blood cells (n= 434) and in leukocytes collected in early (n= 108) and mid-childhood (n= 390) from children in Project Viva, a pre-birth cohort from Boston, MA. Validated food frequency questionnaires estimated maternal first- and second-trimester intakes of vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, betaine, choline, methionine, iron, and zinc. Mean (SD) cord blood %5mC and %5hmC was 5.62% (2.04) and 0.25% (0.15), respectively. Each μg increase in first-trimester B12intake was associated with 0.002 lower %5hmC in cord blood (95% CI: −0.005, −0.0003), and this association persisted in early childhood (β= −0.007; 95% CI: −0.01, −0.001) but not mid-childhood. Second-trimester iron (mg) was associated with 0.01 lower %5mC (95% CI: −0.02, −0.002) and 0.001 lower %5hmC (95% CI: −0.01, −0.00001) in cord blood only. Increased second-trimester zinc (mg) intake was associated with 0.003 greater %5hmC in early childhood (β= 0.003; 95% CI: 0.0004, 0.006). Second-trimester folate was positively associated with %5hmC in early childhood only (β= 0.08, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.16). Associations did not survive multiple testing adjustment; future replication is needed. Trimester-specific nutrients may impact various sensitive windows of epigenetic programming some with lasting effects in childhood. Further research is needed to understand the role of gene-specific epigenetic changes and how global DNA methylation measures relate to child health.

Supportive care (SC) is a multidimensional and person-centred approach to managing advanced CKD that engages the person and their caregivers in shared decision making from the outset. Rather than focusing on disease-specific therapies, SC is a collection of adjuvant interventions and adaptations to conventional treatments that can be used to improve the individual's quality of life. Recognizing that frailty, multi-morbidity and polypharmacy are more common among older people with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that people in this group tend to prioritize quality of life over survival as a goal of care, SC represents an important adjunct to disease-specific therapies in CKD management. This review provides an overview of SC in the older person with advanced CKD.Lay Summary Older people with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more likely to experience frailty and multiple other medical problems (comorbidity). This can result in impaired quality of life and reduced survival compared with younger adults with the same diagnosis. The benefits to be derived from kidney-specific treatments such as dialysis and transplantation are also less well-defined in older adults. Supportive care (SC) involves honest communication with the person about their disease, the treatments available to them and prognosis. Through shared decision making, the person and their doctor will try determine what is important to the person and address those aspects of disease that are contributing most to the person's suffering now, while also making plans for the future. This article provides an overview of SC principles in the older adult with advanced CKD.

Peyronie's disease (PD) has a huge impact on patients' physical and psychological wellbeing.To investigate whether patients' age has an impact on PD symptomatic burden at first presentation.Data from 129 consecutive heterosexual patients seeking first medical attention for PD at a single andrological tertiary-referral centre were collected. All patients completed the International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF) and the PD questionnaire (PDQ). Descriptive statistics were used to compare clinical features between younger (≤40years) and older (40 years) patients. Multivariable linear model assessed the impact of age, the degree of penile curvature and their impact on PDQ (total scores and its domains), after adjusting for PD duration and IIEF-erectile function domain scores.Of 129, 24 (18.6%) patients were ≤40 years old. Young patients presented with a less severe curvature than older patients (median [interquartile ranges] 20° [15-36] vs. 50° [40-80]; p = 0.04). However, younger age was associated with higher psychological and physical symptoms, PDQ-penile pain and PDQ-symptom bother scores (Coeff -0.11, -0.21 and -0.17, respectively) (all p 0.05). Moreover, the greater the degree of curvature, the higher the PDQ-psychological and physical symptoms and the PDQ-symptom bother scores (Coeff. 0.21 and 0.22, respectively; all p 0.05).Around one in five men seeking first medical help for PD is younger than 40 years at presentation in the real-life setting. PD-related distress varies according to patients' age, with younger men presenting with a greater risk of penile pain and symptom bother despite lower curvature.

Background: Widely used psychotropic medications for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may change the volumes of subcortical brain structures, and differently in children vs. adults. We measured subcortical volumes cross-sectionally in patients finely stratified for age taking various common classes of OCD drugs. Methods: The ENIGMA-OCD consortium sample (1081 medicated/1159 unmedicated OCD patients and 2057 healthy controls aged 6–65) was divided into six successive 6–10-year age-groups. Individual structural MRIs were parcellated automatically using FreeSurfer into 8 regions-of-interest (ROIs). ROI volumes were compared between unmedicated and medicated patients and controls, and between patients taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), tricyclics (TCs), antipsychotics (APs), or benzodiazepines (BZs) and unmedicated patients. Results: Compared to unmedicated patients, volumes of accumbens, caudate, and/or putamen were lower in children aged 6–13 and adults aged 50–65 with OCD taking SRIs (Cohen's d = −0.24 to −0.74). Volumes of putamen, pallidum (d = 0.18–0.40), and ventricles (d = 0.31–0.66) were greater in patients aged 20–29 receiving APs. Hippocampal volumes were smaller in patients aged 20 and older taking TCs and/or BZs (d = −0.27 to −1.31). Conclusions: Results suggest that TCs and BZs could potentially aggravate hippocampal atrophy of normal aging in older adults with OCD, whereas SRIs may reduce striatal volumes in young children and older adults. Similar to patients with psychotic disorders, OCD patients aged 20–29 may experience subcortical nuclear and ventricular hypertrophy in relation to APs. Although cross-sectional, present results suggest that commonly prescribed agents exert macroscopic effects on subcortical nuclei of unknown relation to therapeutic response.

Though the emerging live streaming industry has attracted growing attention, the dominant yanzhi category where streamers mostly interact with the audience through amateur talent shows and casual chats has not been widely investigated. To decode the mechanism behind the popularity of yanzhi streamers, this study draws on Dual Coding Theory (DCT) to posit that age estimated from a streamer’s face and voice can influence the level of viewer engagement. To validate our hypothesized relationships, 274 one-minute video records ahead of a viewer commenting or/and gifting were collected and analyzed via deep learning algorithms. Analytical results attest to the negative effects of both facial and vocal age on viewer engagement, while their interaction has a positive impact on viewer engagement.

This study aimed to determine the association between hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and Hb change, during early to mid-pregnancy with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This was a clinic-based retrospective cohort study of 1951 healthy pregnant women (18-45 years old) with a singleton gestation attending antenatal care at government health clinics. Hb concentration at first prenatal visit and each trimester was extracted from the antenatal cards. Hb changes from first prenatal visit to first and second trimester as well as from second to third trimester were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was used with adjustment for covariates. Women with GDM had significantly higher Hb concentrations (Hb 1) at first prenatal visit (< 12 weeks) compared with non-GDM women (11 center dot 91 g/dl v.11 center dot 74 g/dl). Hb 1 and Hb changes (Hb change 2) from first prenatal visit to the second trimester (23-27th weeks) were significantly associated with GDM risk, with an adjusted OR of 1 center dot 14 (95 % CI 1 center dot 01, 1 center dot 29) and 1 center dot 25 (95 % CI 1 center dot 05, 1 center dot 49), respectively. The significant associations between Hb 1 and Hb change 2 with the risk of GDM were found among non-Malays, overweight/obese and women aged 35 years and above. Women with higher Hb concentrations in early pregnancy were at higher risk of GDM, and such association was significant among women aged 35 years and above, non-Malays and overweight/obese. This raises a potential concern for elevated Fe status in early pregnancy as a risk factor of GDM among Fe-replete women.

Background Wall stiffness of the abdominal aorta is an important factor in the cardiovascular risk assessment. We investigated abdominal aortic wall stiffness divided in direct and cross-coupled stiffness components with respect to sex and age. Methods Thirty healthy adult males (n = 15) and females were recruited and divided into three age groups: young, middle aged and elderly. Pulsatile diameter changes were determined noninvasively by an echo-tracking system, and intra-aortic pressure was measured simultaneously. A mechanical model was used to compute stress and stiffness in circumferential and longitudinal directions. Results Circumferential stretch had a higher impact on longitudinal wall stress than longitudinal stretch had on circumferential wall stress. Furthermore, there were an age-related and sex-independent increase in circumferential and longitudinal direct and cross-coupled stiffnesses and a decrease in circumferential and longitudinal stretch of the abdominal aortic wall. For the young group, females had a stiffer wall compared to males, while the male aortic wall grew stiffer with age at a higher rate, reaching a similar level to that of the females in the elderly group. Conclusion Temporal changes in aortic stiffness suggest an age-related change in wall constituents that is expressed in terms of circumferential remodeling impacting longitudinal stress. These mechanisms may be active in the development of aortic tortuosity. We observed an age-dependent increase in circumferential and longitudinal stiffnesses as well as decrease in stretch. A possible mechanism related to the observed changes could act via chemical alterations of wall constituents and changes in the physical distribution of fibers. Furthermore, modeling of force distribution in the wall of the human abdominal aorta may contribute to a better understanding of elastin–collagen interactions during remodeling of the aortic wall.

Abstract This article contributes to the quality of life literature by investigating gender and age gaps in psycho-physiological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Specifically, we investigate whether women experienced higher levels of distress than men, and if such gap can be explained by a greater negative reaction of women in the experience of a negative COVID-19 related event, such as the illness or death of a relative. Moreover, we explore whether age moderated or amplified the effect of a negative event on distress among women and men. To do so we rely on an ad hoc survey carried out between April 2020 and June 2021 in Italy, the first European country to be hit by the pandemic. Our results indicate that subjects who experienced the hospitalization or, more so, the death of a family member during the pandemic were more exposed to psycho-psychological distress compared to subjects who were not directly touched by COVID-19. Moreover, our results show that while women were on average more likely to express feelings of distress than men in absence of evident stressors, this gap disappeared among subjects who experience the death of a relative. Furthermore, our results indicate that experiencing a negative COVID-19 related event led to an increase in distress among all respondents except older men, who appeared to be the most resilient to the manifestation of any sign of distress. These results speak to important age and gender differences in the feelings and externalization of grief in the Italian context.

Background Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be more susceptible to COVID-19 related poor outcomes, including thrombosis and death, due to the advanced age, the presence of comorbidities, and the disease and treatment-related immune deficiency. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of thrombosis and bleeding in patients with CLL affected by severe COVID-19. Methods This is a retrospective multicenter study conducted by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, including patients from 79 centers across 22 countries. Data collection was conducted between April and May 2021. The COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for SARS-CoV-2 on nasal or pharyngeal swabs. Severe cases of COVID-19 were defined by hospitalization and the need of oxygen or admission into ICU. Development and type of thrombotic events, presence and severity of bleeding complications were reported during treatment for COVID-19. Bleeding events were classified using ISTH definition. STROBE recommendations were used in order to enhance reporting. Results A total of 793 patients from 79 centers were included in the study with 593 being hospitalized (74.8%). Among these, 511 were defined as having severe COVID: 162 were admitted to the ICU while 349 received oxygen supplementation outside the ICU. Most patients (90.5%) were receiving thromboprophylaxis. During COVID-19 treatment, 11.1% developed a thromboembolic event, while 5.0% experienced bleeding. Thrombosis developed in 21.6% of patients who were not receiving thromboprophylaxis, in contrast to 10.6% of patients who were on thromboprophylaxis. Bleeding episodes were more frequent in patients receiving intermediate/therapeutic versus prophylactic doses of low-molecular-weight heparin (LWMH) (8.1% vs. 3.8%, respectively) and in elderly. In multivariate analysis, peak D-dimer level and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio were poor prognostic factors for thrombosis occurrence (OR = 1.022, 95%CI 1.007‒1.038 and OR = 1.025, 95%CI 1.001‒1.051, respectively), while thromboprophylaxis use was protective (OR = 0.199, 95%CI 0.061‒0.645). Age and LMWH intermediate/therapeutic dose administration were prognostic factors in multivariate model for bleeding (OR = 1.062, 95%CI 1.017–1.109 and OR = 2.438, 95%CI 1.023–5.813, respectively). Conclusions Patients with CLL affected by severe COVID-19 are at a high risk of thrombosis if thromboprophylaxis is not used, but also at increased risk of bleeding under the LMWH intermediate/therapeutic dose administration.

Two important and current trends in the domain of work are the aging workforce and the high and increasing requirement for work-related learning due to the rate of technological advancement and innovation. Together, they create a precarious situation, as many theories suggest a decline in motivation to learn as people age. This study investigates antecedents of motivation and intention to learn in older employees in the financial sector. Specifically, we research how learning motivation is affected by personal and job resources and how these translate into intentions to learn. Data was collected via a quantitative survey of 870 employees aged 50 or older. The data is analyzed by the means of structural equation modelling (SEM). The results show positive relationships between proactive personality and motivation (subjective task value and learning self-efficacy) and negative relationships between institutionalized negative age stereotypes and motivation. This, in turn, affects older employees’ intention to learn. Finally, in contrast to supervisor support, organizational support for professional development raised utility value in the respondents. The findings suggest that organizations might want to recruit employees who are high in pro-active personality. Also, trainings may be fruitful to educate against the negative stereotypes that often associate old age with an inability to learn. Finally, supervisors and trainers should explain the utility and interest of the learning activities since it makes employees motivated to learn.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of vaccination on age, mortality, and healthcare workers among patients followed in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. Methods: We examined age, gender, occupation, demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, hemogram, biochemistry parameters, coagulation tests, morbidity–mortality characteristics of 548 patients in Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital COVID-19 intensive care unit admitted between March and October 2021. In addition, the vaccination status of the patients and the type of vaccination were recorded via the Ministry of Health Vaccine Tracking System (VTS). Within the vaccine follow-up system, patients who received at least 2 doses of vaccine 4 weeks prior to study were considered vaccinated. Results: The data of 548 patients in the COVID-19 intensive care unit between March 2021 and October 2021 were analyzed. The mortality rate was 50.7% (n = 278). It was determined that 428 (78.1%) of the patients followed in the COVID-19 intensive care unit were not vaccinated. In terms of age distribution, the number of patients under the age of 65 was 357 (65.1%), while the number of patients aged 65 and over was 191 (34.9%). When mortality rates were compared based on vaccination status, the mortality rate in the unvaccinated group was found to be statistically significantly higher than in the vaccinated group (p < 0.05). Mortality rate in the vaccinated group was 12.5% whereas it was 61.4% in the unvaccinated group. Conclusions: Vaccination to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces intensive care unit admission and reduces mortality rates. Being unvaccinated increases hospitalization and mortality in intensive care units in addition to carrying risks for all age groups.

Purpose: To determine sex-related differences in oxygen consumption () recovery after high-intensity exercise during childhood and adolescence. Methods: Forty-two boys and 35 girls (10–17 y) performed a 60-second all-out test on a rowing ergometer. Postexercise recovery was analyzed from (1) the recovery time constant obtained from a biexponential model (τ1) and (2) excess postexercise oxygen consumption calculated over a period of 8 minutes (EPOC8) and until τ1 was reached (EPOCτ1). Multiplicative allometric modeling was used to assess the concurrent effects of body mass or lean body mass, and age on EPOC8 and EPOCτ1. Results: EPOC8 increased significantly more in boys from the age of 14 years. However, the sex difference was no longer significant when EPOC8 was analyzed using an allometric model including body mass + age or lean body mass + age. In addition, despite a greater increase in EPOCτ1 in boys from the age of 14 years, τ1 was not significantly different between sexes whatever age. Conclusion: While age and lean body mass accounted for the sex-related differences of EPOC during childhood and adolescence, no significant effect of age and sex was observed on the recovery time constant after high-intensity exercise.

The effects of sex on human facial morphology have been widely documented. Because sexual dimorphism is relevant to a variety of scientific and applied disciplines, it is imperative to have a complete and accurate account of how and where male and female faces differ. We apply a comprehensive facial phenotyping strategy to a large set of existing 3D facial surface images. We investigate facial sexual dimorphism in terms of size, shape, and shape variance. We also assess the ability to correctly assign sex based on shape, both for the whole face and for subregions. We applied a predefined data-driven segmentation to partition the 3D facial surfaces of 2446 adults into 63 hierarchically linked regions, ranging from global (whole face) to highly localized subparts. Each facial region was then analyzed with spatially dense geometric morphometrics. To describe the major modes of shape variation, principal components analysis was applied to the Procrustes aligned 3D points comprising each of the 63 facial regions. Both nonparametric and permutation-based statistics were then used to quantify the facial size and shape differences and visualizations were generated. Males were significantly larger than females for all 63 facial regions. Statistically significant sex differences in shape were also seen in all regions and the effects tended to be more pronounced for the upper lip and forehead, with more subtle changes emerging as the facial regions became more granular. Males also showed greater levels of shape variance, with the largest effect observed for the central forehead. Classification accuracy was highest for the full face (97%), while most facial regions showed an accuracy of 75% or greater. In summary, sex differences in both size and shape were present across every part of the face. By breaking the face into subparts, some shape differences emerged that were not apparent when analyzing the face as a whole. The increase in facial shape variance suggests possible evolutionary origins and may offer insights for understanding congenital facial malformations. Our classification results indicate that a high degree of accuracy is possible with only parts of the face, which may have implications for biometrics applications. ispartof: JOURNAL OF ANATOMY vol:243 issue:2 ispartof: location:England status: Published online

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate local control results and effective predictive factors in local control of extremity soft tissue sarcomas, retrospectively. Material and Method: 51 patients underwent postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital between October 2008-January 2022. Patients who underwent post-operative adjuvant RT were treated with 60-68 Gy in 2 phases from 2 Gy /day using conformal radiotherapy technique. IMA chemotherapy protocol was applied to 31.4% of the patients after radiotherapy. Results: The median follow up time was 46 months range (1-135). Recurrence was detected in 5 of the patients and the mean time of recurrence was 11.6 months (min: 3-max: 27). 10 patients developed metastasis at follow-up, the mean time until metastasis was 27 months (min: 18- max: 46). The mean overall survival (OS) was 103 (min:4-max:139) months and the OS of 2, 5 and 10 years were 93%, 65% and 60%, respectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) was 97 (min:4-max:139) months; 2, 5 and 10 years of DFS were 77%, 65% and 60%, respectively. The OS in patients aged ≥65 years old was significantly lower than in patients

Older age, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and obesity are known risk factors for liver-related events (LREs). We investigated the impacts of T2DM and obesity on LRE according to age in Japanese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).We performed a subanalysis of a retrospective cohort study (CLIONE in Asia), including 1395 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. The median follow-up was 4.6 years.The median age was 57 years, and 36.2% had T2DM. The median body mass index (BMI) was 27.4, and 28.5% were severely obese (BMI ≥ 30). During follow-up, 37 patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 58 patients developed LRE. In patients younger than 65 years, advanced fibrosis (hazard ratio [HR] 7.69, P 0.001) and T2DM (HR 3.37, P = 0.017) were HCC risk factors, and advanced fibrosis (HR 9.40, P 0.001) and T2DM (HR 2.51, P = 0.016) were LRE risk factors. In patients 65 years and older, advanced fibrosis (HR 4.24, P = 0.010) and obesity (HR 4.60, P = 0.006) were HCC risk factors, and advanced fibrosis (HR 4.22, P = 0.002) and obesity (HR 4.22, P = 0.002) were LRE risk factors.Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity contributed to LRE in younger and older patients, respectively, along with advanced fibrosis. Therefore, controlling T2DM in patients younger than 65 years and controlling weight in patients 65 years and older could prevent LRE. The development of age-dependent screening and management strategies is necessary for patients with NAFLD.

International audience; Introduction Odor imagery is known to be more difficult than any other modality of sensory imagery. Consequently, wide between-individuals variability can be found in odor imagery ability. Several studies have shown a positive relationship between olfactory performance and odor imagery ability. In the light of factors known to influence smelling ability, this study therefore investigated the effects of two factors - gender and age - known to influence smelling ability, on self-declared odor imagery ability in normosmic individuals. Methods Seven hundred and nine French participants were asked to complete the web version of the French Vividness of Olfactory Imagery Questionnaire (fVOIQ). General linear models were used to determine the contributions of gender and age to odor imagery vividness scores. Moreover, scores were compared between age intervals ranging from 18-30 years old to 60 + years old. Results Our findings reveal that at any age, men and women have the same odor imagery ability. Odor imagery ability in self-declared normosmic individuals improves with age until 50-60 years old, and beyond this point the often-reported age-related olfactory decay does not alter it. Conclusions These findings suggest a high contribution of daily olfactory experience to the development of this cognitive function, and a relationship with olfactory performance that appears less linear than hypothesized.

Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) are physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to underlying pathology. Their severity is often measured with sum scores on questionnaires; however, this may not adequately reflect FSS severity in subgroups of patients. We aimed to identify the items of the somatization section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview that best discriminate FSS severity levels, and to assess their functioning in sex and age subgroups. We applied the two-parameter logistic model to 19 items in a population-representative cohort of 962 participants. Subsequently, we examined differential item functioning (DIF). "Localized (muscle) weakness" was the most discriminative item of FSS severity. "Abdominal pain" consistently showed DIF by sex, with males reporting it at higher FSS severity. There was no consistent DIF by age, however, "Joint pain" showed poor discrimination of FSS severity in older adults. These findings could be helpful for the development of better assessment instruments for FSS, which can improve both future research and clinical care.

Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) are physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to underlying pathology. Their severity is often measured with sum scores on questionnaires; however, this may not adequately reflect FSS severity in subgroups of patients. We aimed to identify the items of the somatization section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview that best discriminate FSS severity levels, and to assess their functioning in sex and age subgroups. We applied the two-parameter logistic model to 19 items in a population-representative cohort of 962 participants. Subsequently, we examined differential item functioning (DIF). "Localized (muscle) weakness" was the most discriminative item of FSS severity. "Abdominal pain" consistently showed DIF by sex, with males reporting it at higher FSS severity. There was no consistent DIF by age, however, "Joint pain" showed poor discrimination of FSS severity in older adults. These findings could be helpful for the development of better assessment instruments for FSS, which can improve both future research and clinical care.

PurposeThe aim of this retrospective research is to compare frontal sinus dimensions in skeletal Class I, skeletal Class II, and skeletal Class III individuals and to evaluate the relationship of these dimensions with anterior skull base length and some cephalometric values.Materials and MethodsIn this research, we used lateral cephalometric radiographs of 60 people aged 17 to 25. In individuals with skeletal Class I malocclusion, skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular insufficiency, and skeletal Class III malocclusion due to mandibular excess, measurements of frontal sinus length and height as well as S-N, Co-A and Co-Gn lengths, ANB0, FMA0, SN-GoGn0 angles values were performed. The length between the highest point and the lowest point of the frontal sinus was calculated as the height of the frontal sinus, and the length between the most anterior and the most posterior points of the frontal sinus was calculated as the length of the frontal sinus.ResultsThe frontal sinus length and height were found to be higher in skeletal Class III individuals than in skeletal Class I and skeletal Class II individuals, however, there was no significant difference between skeletal Class I and Class II individuals.ConclusionThe increase in frontal sinus height and length correlated positively with the decrease in the ANB angle and the increase in the SN and Co-Gn lengths. The dimensions of the frontal sinus may be an indicator for the remaining mandibular growth potential.

Purpose The literature regarding the effect of power on negotiation strategies remains scattered and inconsistent. This study aims to propose that the effect of power on negotiation strategies is contingent on contextual variables but also on individual differences among negotiators. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that creativity moderates the effect of power such that low-power, as compared to high-power negotiators, use more collaborative and less competitive strategies and further report lower fixed-pie perception (i.e. perception of a counterpart’s goals and interests as diametrically opposite to one’s own goals and interests) when they can be creative. Moreover, the authors hypothesize that negotiators’ age buffers the moderated effect of power. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted two experiments and a cross-sectional field study. Participants in Studies 1 and 2 played a negotiation game in dyads. Study 1 manipulated power as status (manager vs employee), whereas Study 2 manipulated power as Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (i.e. power to exit the negotiation without a deal). Accordingly, participants in Study 2 had strong vs weak Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. In both studies, power was manipulated within dyads. Moreover, in both studies, the authors manipulated creativity (high vs low) between dyads. The chronological age of negotiators was measured in both studies and served as an additional moderator. Study 3 (preregistered) aimed to replicate the experiment results in the field. Findings Study 1 provided partial support for the hypothesis about collaborative strategies. Study 2 fully supported the hypothesis about the role of power and creativity on FPP and on collaboration (but not on competition). Study 3 did not support the power by creativity hypothesis. Interestingly, Studies 1 and 2 supported the power × creativity × age interaction hypothesis when predicting collaboration, while Study 3 supported the three-way interaction when predicting competition. Furthermore, Study 2 provided full support for the three-way interaction hypothesis when predicting FPP, while Study 3 provided partial support for this hypothesis. Altogether, the three studies largely replicated and complemented each other and revealed the robustness of the examined effects. Research limitations/implications The findings of this research extend the literature on power on the one hand and negotiation and conflict management on the other and shed light on the inconsistent results regarding the role of power in collaboration and competition (De Dreu, 1995; De Dreu and Van Kleef, 2004; Overbeck and Park, 2001; Overbeck et al., 2006). Additionally, this research reconciles the inconsistent literature on creativity, conflict management and prosocial behavior (Gino and Ariely, 2012; Gino and Wiltermuth, 2014; Wilson and Thompson, 2014). Finally, the findings touch upon the aging literature as well and shed light on the role of age on conflict management (for a review, see Beitler et al., 2018) and on the interconnection between age, power and creativity. Practical implications The findings are relevant to organizations characterized by power asymmetries (e.g. employee/manager) and inform practitioners about the main determinants of collaboration-based negotiations at work. Social implications The findings extend the literature on power on the one hand and negotiation and conflict management on the other and shed light on the inconsistent results regarding the role of power in collaboration and competition. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating the moderating role of creativity in the relationship between negotiation power and negotiation strategies. Moreover, the moderating role of participant age in such relationships has been, to date, largely uninvestigated.