Subjects Age Range Research Articles

Assessment the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in 15 to 45 years old women

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in incidence and the first genital cancer in women around the world, which 95% of them are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The risk of cervical cancer increases 10-12 time in women with HPV infection. This study aim to evaluate the prevalence of high-risk HPV infections among 15-45 years old women. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 92 normal women who admitted at Semnan hygiene center and has 15-45 years old. Cervical samples were collected using Cytobrush cell collector and consequently DNA extraction was performed using commercial DNA extraction kit. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was done using HPV (GP5, GP6) universal primers accompanied by positive and negative control in each PCR run. In order to extracted DNA template quality control, actin gene used as housekeeping gene. Results: In this investigation, study subjects age range found to be 15-45 with mean of 30±0.9 years old. HPV infection was not found in patient group. Thus, further approach in order to HPV16 and HPV18 types detection, was not performed. However, other studies represented low to moderate prevalence for HPV in some regions of Iran. Conclusion: Cervical cancer is one the major health concern and the fourth most common cancer around the world. This cancer is more common in developing countries than developed countries due to lack of screening program. Regard to possible high prevalence rate of HPV virus and its association with cervical cancer, we suggest further determination of the HPV prevalence as well as planning in large-scale vaccination in high risk group. K e y w o r ds: Human Papilloma Virus, Cervical cancer, Prevalence, HPV18

Assessment the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in 15 to 45 years old women

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in incidence and the first genital cancer in women around the world, which 95% of them are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The risk of cervical cancer increases 10-12 time in women with HPV infection. This study aim to evaluate the prevalence of high-risk HPV infections among 15-45 years old women. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 92 normal women who admitted at Semnan hygiene center and has 15-45 years old. Cervical samples were collected using Cytobrush cell collector and consequently DNA extraction was performed using commercial DNA extraction kit. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was done using HPV (GP5, GP6) universal primers accompanied by positive and negative control in each PCR run. In order to extracted DNA template quality control, actin gene used as housekeeping gene. Results: In this investigation, study subjects age range found to be 15-45 with mean of 30±0.9 years old. HPV infection was not found in patient group. Thus, further approach in order to HPV16 and HPV18 types detection, was not performed. However, other studies represented low to moderate prevalence for HPV in some regions of Iran. Conclusion: Cervical cancer is one the major health concern and the fourth most common cancer around the world. This cancer is more common in developing countries than developed countries due to lack of screening program. Regard to possible high prevalence rate of HPV virus and its association with cervical cancer, we suggest further determination of the HPV prevalence as well as planning in large-scale vaccination in high risk group. K e y w o r ds: Human Papilloma Virus, Cervical cancer, Prevalence, HPV18

Effect of Achievement Motivation on Personality Traits of Students

An objective of the study: To investigate the effect of achievement motivation on personality traits (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) students. Hypothesis: There is no significant difference in the high and low achievement motivation students in relation to their personality traits (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism). Sample: The sample size of the study is 100 belongings to Aurangabad, which includes college student. Scrutiny test is applied on students divided for 50 high achievement motivation students and 50 low achievement motivation students. The age range of subjects is 18-25 years. Tools deo-mohan achievement scale. Personality Traits Inventory (NEOPI): This test is developed and standardized by Costa and McCrae for measuring personality characteristics (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism). Variable Independent variable Types of achievement motivation: i) High ii) Low Dependent Variable personality traits (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) Conclusions 1. High achievement motivation students had significantly high Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Agreeableness than the low achievement motivation students.2. Low achievement motivation students had significantly high Neuroticism than the high achievement motivation students.

Corpus Callosotomy for Intractable Epilepsy Revisited: The Children's Hospital of Michigan Series.

Corpus callosotomy is a palliative procedure performed to reduce the severity of drug-resistant epilepsy. The authors assessed its efficacy on different seizure types in 20 subjects (age range 5-19 years); 8 with active vagus nerve stimulator. Fifteen had complete callosotomy, 3 had anterior 2/3, and 2 had anterior 2/3 followed later by complete callosotomy. Ten had endoscopic approach. In all, 65% had ≥ 50% reduction of generalized seizures leading to falls (atonic, tonic, myoclonic); 35% became seizure-free (follow-up period: 6 months to 9 years; mean 3 years). Seizure outcome distribution was better for generalized than for partial seizures ( P = .003). Endoscopic approach was as effective as transcranial approach. Seven subjects who failed vagus nerve stimulator therapy responded with ≥50% seizure reduction. Corpus callosotomy is an effective treatment for intractable generalized epilepsy leading to falls with significant seizure reduction or even elimination of seizures, in the majority of children.

Preexisting Immunity, Not Frailty Phenotype, Predicts Influenza Postvaccination Titers among Older Veterans.

Both preexisting immunity to influenza and age have been shown to be correlates of influenza vaccine responses. Frailty, an indicator of functional impairment in older adults, was also shown in one study to predict lower influenza vaccine responses among nonveterans. In the current study, we aimed to determine the associations between frailty, preexisting immunity, and immune responses to influenza vaccine among older veterans. We studied 117 subjects (age range, 62 to 95 years [median age, 81 years]), divided into three cohorts based on the Fried frailty test, i.e., nonfrail (NF) (n = 23 [median age, 68 years]), prefrail (n = 50 [median age, 80 years]), and frail (n = 44 [median age, 82 years]), during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 influenza seasons. Subjects received the seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, and baseline and postvaccination samples were obtained. Anti-influenza humoral immunity, as measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization assays, was measured for influenza B, A(H1N1)pdm09, and A(H3N2) viruses. Postvaccination titers were not different between frail and NF subjects overall in this older subset of veterans. However, preexisting HI titers were strongly correlated with postvaccination titers among all functional status groups. When microneutralization titers were compared, the association between preexisting immunity and vaccine responses varied by frailty status, with the strongest correlation being observed for the NF group. In conclusion, preexisting immunity rather than frailty appeared to predict postvaccination titers in this older veteran cohort.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in Azar cohort population in Northwest of Iran

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are considered as major public health problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of MSDs in Azar cohort population in northwest of Iran. Azar cohort study is a state level of a national cohort project (PERSIAN) which began in 2014. All adults over 35 years old in Khamene city in East Azarbaijan province were recruited for the pilot phase of the Azar cohort. For the purpose of the current study, a total of 952 subjects age range of 35-70 who completed the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Disease (COPCORD) questionnaire as supplementary were included. 299 subjects had MSDs and were introduced to the rheumatologist, only 237 of them referred for further assessment. 33.4% of subjects had MSDs within the past 7 days. The most frequent complaint was pain and the most common sites of complaints were knee, lumbar spine, and shoulder, respectively. Osteoarthritis was the most common rheumatic disease (53.2%) and the knee was the most common region affected (47.7%) followed by low back pain (28.2%). Osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis were present in 56.1 and 51.8% of females and 46.6 and 38.4% of males, respectively. Furthermore, low back pain was present in 32.9% of males and 26.2% of females. Peri-arthritis was more prevalent in males (12.3%), whilst fibromyalgia, psychologic pain, and heel spur were prevalent among females (9.1, 5.1, and 1.2%, respectively). Rheumatoid arthritis was observed in 1.4% of males and 1.8% of females, respectively. Prevalence of MSDs is very high in this area. Therefore, it calls for action by heath officials and professionals to plan for appropriate programs of prevention and management of MSDs in society.

Elevated adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ in articular cartilage are associated with cartilage and bone lesions in early osteoarthritis: A preliminary study.

To evaluate adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ of articular cartilage in symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) patients and asymptomatic volunteers, and to determine their association with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based structural abnormalities in cartilage and bone. A total of 24 subjects (age range: 50-68 years; 12 female) were enrolled, including 12 early OA patients and 12 volunteers with normal joint function. Patients and volunteers underwent 3T MRI. T2 , adiabatic T1ρ , and T2ρ relaxation times of knee articular cartilage were measured. Proton density (PD)- and T1 -weighted MR image series were also obtained and separately evaluated for morphological changes using the MRI OA Knee Scoring (MOAKS) system. Comparisons using the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test were performed after dividing the study participants according to physical symptoms as determined by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score or presence of cartilage lesions, bone marrow lesions, or osteophytes. Elevated adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ relaxation times of articular cartilage were associated with cartilage loss (P = 0.024-0.047), physical symptoms (0.0068-0.035), and osteophytes (0.0039-0.027). Elevated adiabatic T1ρ was also associated with bone marrow lesions (0.033). Preliminary data suggest that elevated adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ of cartilage are associated with morphological abnormalities of cartilage and bone, and thus may be applicable for in vivo OA research and diagnostics. 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:678-689.

Clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of MODY cases with digenic and oligogenic inheritance as defined by targeted next-generation sequencing

The diagnosis of MODY should be verified by molecular genetic analysis. Recently the introduction of next-generation sequencing, allowing simultaneous analysis of several candidate genes, greatly facilitates the diagnosis of monogenic diseases including MODY. In addition, the simultaneous analysis of several candidate genes allows to identify cases with digenic and oligogenic inheritance. In this work we present the first description of MODY cases with digenic and oligogenic inheritance in our country.Aim — to characterize MODY cases with digenic and oligogenic inheritance as defined by targeted next-generation sequencing.Material and methods. 256 subjects (age range, 0.3—25 yrs; males, n=149, females, n=107) were included in the study. The patients fulfilled the following MODY criteria: diabetes or intermediate hyperglycemia, absence of β-cell autoimmunity (ICA, GAD, IA2, IAA antibodies), preserved C-peptide secretion. Molecular genetic analysis was performed by next-generation sequencing using custom Ion Ampliseq gene panel and PGM semiconductor sequencer (Ion Torrent). All mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Results. 10 patients (8 probands, 1 sibling and 1 parent) showed digenic inheritance of MODY: 3 patients with combination of mutations in 2 candidate genes of MODY, 7 — in a candidate genes of MODY and another gene, associated with diabetes mellitus. In 1 case (sibling) showed oligogenic inheritance (mutations in GCK, HNF4A and INSR genes). Seven of the identified mutations were not previously described.Conclusion. Next-generation sequencing is useful in identifying of MODY cases with digenic and oligogenic inheritance, which is extremely important with potentially modifying effect on the phenotype.

Pharmacokinetic Characterization of Piperaquine in Nigerian Healthy Volunteers after Co-administration with a Commercial Brand of Moringa Tea

This 2-phase cross-over drug–herb interaction study investigated the effect of co-administration of tea prepared from the commercial product of Moringa oleifera on the pharmacokinetic parameters of piperaquine. Fourteen healthy subjects were recruited for this study, but ten subjects (age range, 22–30 years) completed the study. Blood samples were collected from the subjects at the Obafemi Awolowo University (Ile Ife, Nigeria) and the bio-analysis took place in the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Laboratory (TDM) of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile Ife, Nigeria, between January 2016 and October 2016. In the first phase of the study, each of the subjects received three tablets of Dihydroartemisin- Piperaquine (DHA/PQ) combination (artelad® containing DHA/PQP, 40/320 mg). After a washout period of three months, each of the subjects received 25g freshly prepared Moringa tea twice daily for 5 days and on the sixth day, received Moringa tea concurrently with three tablets of DHA/PQ combination. The plasma concentrations of PQ were determined using a validated HPLC method. The results showed a 23.8% significant decrease (P=0. 01) in the Cmax of PQ and a 5.8% decrease in the AUC after co-administration with Moringa Tea. The Tmax also increased by 61%, while the half-life increased by 12.2%. There was no difference in the clearance and C28. The geometric mean ratio showed that there is no significant difference in the disposition of PQ with Moringa Tea. The study showed wide variability in PQ pharmacokinetics following a single oral dose. The effects of concurrent administration of Moringa oleifera tea did not significantly influence the PQ plasma exposure but delayed its absorption.

Experimental determination of rupture pressure and stress of adventitia of human middle cerebral arteries.

Background Intracranial arterial dissections might be attributed to the particular biomechanical properties of their specific layers. Also, knowledge of adventitia properties would be crucial in the context of intracranial balloon angioplasty. Aims The purpose of this work was to determine the rupture pressure of separated adventitia and compare it to intact cerebral arterial segments. Methods Brain specimens were harvested from 14 autopsy subjects (age range from 23 to 86 years). Pressure-inflation tests were conducted on proximal segments of middle cerebral arteries and separated adventitia layers from contralateral arteries to assess the rupture pressure values. Results The averaged rupture pressure of adventitia layers was 1.41 SD 0.25 atm (1072 SD 190 mmHg), whereas for intact arterial segments it was 2.32 SD 0.70 atm (1763 SD 532 mmHg) and diminished with age according to nonlinear regression trends. The difference beetween the aformentioned rupture pressures was positively correlated with rupture pressure of intact arterial segments ( R2 = 0.88; p < 0.001). Conclusions The obtained experimental results indicate a leading role of adventitia in building arterial strength under supraphysiological pressure conditions. The greater the rupture pressure of complete cerebral arteries, the smaller the contribution of adventitia in overall wall resistance.

Children with dorsal midbrain syndrome as a result of pineal tumors

Dorsal midbrain syndrome (also known as Parinaud syndrome and pretectal syndrome) is a well-known complication of tumors of the pineal region. However, there are few reports regarding outcomes, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to report the ophthalmic outcomes in a group of children with pineal tumors treated at a single institution. The medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with pineal region tumors and evaluated at our ophthalmology clinic were studied retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were used to assess rate of dorsal midbrain syndrome, defined as one or more of the following: limitation of upgaze, pupillary light-near dissociation, and convergence retraction nystagmus. Treatment outcomes were recorded. A total of 35 subjects (age range, 5months to 20years) were included, 18 (51%) of whom were found to have dorsal midbrain syndrome. Of those 18, 16 patients (89%) had limitation of upgaze, 15 (83%) had pupillary light-near dissociation, and 9 (50%) had convergence-retraction nystagmus. Convergence insufficiency was noted in 5 patients (28%); exotropia (either intermittent or constant), in 9 (50%). Improvement in dorsal midbrain syndrome findings following treatment was seen in 7 of 17 patients (41%), but only 2 (12%) experienced complete resolution. Treatment consisted of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. In our study cohort of children with pineal tumors have a high incidence of dorsal midbrain syndrome. Most cases had residual findings after treatment.

ALBA Screening Instrument (ASI): A brief screening tool for Lewy Body Dementia

BackgroundEarly detection of neurodegenerative diseases is essential for treatment and proper care of these patients. Screening tools available today are effective for several types of dementia. However, there is no one specific for Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). ObjectivesThe aim of this paper is to present a tool for early detection of LBD, accessible even for non-medical staff. MethodsWe stratified subjects (MMSE>20) into four groups: health controls (HC), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), LBD and other dementias (Alzheimer and vascular). All subjects (age range 50–90) were examined with a comprehensive neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric evaluation, as well as neuroimaging to differentiate diagnosis between groups, fulfilling corresponding criteria. Both neurologists and neuropsychologists were blind to the performance on clinical evaluations and ASI, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the instrument were determined to differentiate LBD from other groups. ResultsWe evaluated 427 subjects, 91 HC, 140 with MCI and 196 with dementia. In the dementia group, 75 were diagnosed with LBD and 121 with other dementias. ASI total score was 12.7±0.4 for LBD, 2.9±0.2 for HC, 5±0.7 for MCI, and 5.4±2.6 for other causes of dementia. ROC curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 93.6% stands, with 9 as the cutoff with better test performance compared against other groups. ConclusionASI is a brief screening tool for LBD with high sensitivity and specificity and useful even for non-medical staff.

The prevalence of self-perceived halitosis among a sample of young Saudi females residing in Abha - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of self-perceived halitosis among a group of young Saudi female patients residing in Abha- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This is a cross sectional observational study, an electronic questionnaire was formulated using Google Forms Application, which included 30 questions enquiring factors under investigation. 373 young females residing in Abha responded to the questionnaire. Age range of subjects was (18-45 years). Results: 51.3% of study participants reported self-perceived halitosis, 82.2% of those felt it the most after waking up. 71.9% of those who reported self-perceived halitosis discovered the problem by themselves, 19.6% were told by family or friends, 87% of them never visited a dentist to be diagnosed, 80.9% reported trying to solve the issue without referring to a dentist and 19.1% received a dentist prescribed treatment for halitosis. Conclusions: The prevalence of self-perceived halitosis in our study population is higher than other populations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dental health care seeking behavior needs to be focused upon, as less than a quarter of the study participants consulted a dentist regarding their halitosis complaint. Further studies are needed to correlate the factors investigated in this study with self-perceived halitosis.

Gender differences in the structural connectome of the teenage brain revealed by generalized q-sampling MRI.

The question of whether there are biological differences between male and female brains is a fraught one, and political positions and prior expectations seem to have a strong influence on the interpretation of scientific data in this field. This question is relevant to issues of gender differences in the prevalence of psychiatric conditions, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, dyslexia, depression, and eating disorders. Understanding how gender influences vulnerability to these conditions is significant. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides a non-invasive method to investigate brain microstructure and the integrity of anatomical connectivity. Generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) has been proposed to characterize complicated fiber patterns and distinguish fiber orientations, providing an opportunity for more accurate, higher-order descriptions through the water diffusion process. Therefore, we aimed to investigate differences in the brain's structural network between teenage males and females using GQI. This study included 59 (i.e., 33 males and 26 females) age- and education-matched subjects (age range: 13 to 14 years). The structural connectome was obtained by graph theoretical and network-based statistical (NBS) analyses. Our findings show that teenage male brains exhibit better intrahemispheric communication, and teenage female brains exhibit better interhemispheric communication. Our results also suggest that the network organization of teenage male brains is more local, more segregated, and more similar to small-world networks than teenage female brains. We conclude that the use of an MRI study with a GQI-based structural connectomic approach like ours presents novel insights into network-based systems of the brain and provides a new piece of the puzzle regarding gender differences.

The influence of KIR gene presence/absence polymorphisms on the development of periodontal disease in smokers and non-smokers.

IntroductionPeriodontal diseases are highly prevalent inflammatory, multifactorial diseases. Smoking is one of the most important environmental risk factors for the development and severity of periodontal disease. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily and play an essential role in the regulation of NK cell activity, allowing natural killer (NK) cells to sense and respond to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of KIR gene presence/absence polymorphisms on the development of periodontal disease in smokers and non-smokers.Material and methodsThis study enrolled 400 Caucasian subjects (age range 25-69 years) from the West Pomeranian region of Poland. The subjects were categorized into four subgroups (smoking and non-smoking patients with periodontal disease; smoking and non-smoking subjects without periodontal disease – control subjects).ResultsThe differences of KIR gene frequencies between non-smoking patients and non-smoking control subjects as well as smoking patients and control subjects were not statistically significant. In multivariate regression analysis advanced age of patients and smoking were independent factors associated with increased frequency of periodontal disease.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the main factor associated with increased risk of periodontal disease is smoking, whereas KIR presence/absence polymorphism is not a significant factor involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

The Relationship between Mental Health and Depression among Science Faulty Students

Objective of the study: To find out the relationship among depression on mental health among science faculty students. Hypotheses: 1. Low depress college students will significantly high mental health than the high depress science faculty students. 2. There will be negative correlationship between mental health and depression among science faculty students. Sample: The effective sample consisted of 80 subjects, among 40 subjects were Low depress and 40 subjects were high depress science faculty students from Aurangabad (Maharashtra). The age range of subjects where 20-24 years (Mean 20.75, SD 3.26). And Simple random sampling was used. Variable: Independent variable- Depression a) High b) Low Dependent Variable: Mental Health Tools: Mental Health Inventory (MHI): Mental health inventory constructed by Dr. Jagdish and Dr. A K Srivastav. 2. Depression Scale: Depression Scale construct by Dr. Shamim Karim and Dr. Rama tiwari. Conclusions: 1.Low depresses science faculty students had significantly high mental health than the high depress science faculty students. 2. Negative Correlation between depression and mental health among science faculty students.

Abstract 12960: Differential Pulse Arrival Time: A Novel Approach to Continuous Cuff-less Blood Pressure Monitoring

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) is a continuous and dynamic physiologic variable. The sphygmomanometer has forced clinicians to rely on singular snapshots of BP to make clinical decisions about BP control. Ambulatory cuff-based BP monitoring has demonstrated superiority over the conventional, single-point office-based cuff measurement and has unveiled the important concept of nocturnal BP dipping; however, it is plagued by poor compliance leading to limited use. Thus, there is an unmet need for an unobtrusive continuous ambulatory BP monitor. Current methods for continuous, non-invasive ambulatory BP monitoring include the use of vascular unloading and pulse transit time. However, both of these techniques have limitations. We therefore propose a novel method—differential pulse arrival time (DPAT)—to continuously estimate BP non-invasively. We hypothesized that continuous DPAT-derived BP correlates well with cuff-based measurement of BP at rest and during a cold-pressor maneuver. Methods: Normotensive subjects were fitted with a DPAT device and a Finapres Nova ambulatory BP monitor. Each subject underwent a standardized protocol consisting of 2 minutes at rest, 2 minutes cold pressor at 40 o F, and 2 minutes at rest. The raw data from the DPAT device was then time-matched and compared with the Finapres BP trend. Results: Over 100 million DPAT data points were collected from 12 normotensive subjects (age range 20-50). DPAT correlated with Finapres blood pressures with a correlation coefficient of 0.8 and there was no evidence of bias on Bland-Altman plot. (Figure 1). The root mean square error for the predicted blood pressure was ±4.76 mmHg for systolic BP and ±4.03 mmHg for diastolic BP. Conclusions: Differential pulse arrival time obtained by an optical-sensor based system is a viable approach to monitoring continuous BP in normotensives. Future studies in elderly, hypertensive individuals are warranted.

Frailty has a stronger association with inflammation than age in older veterans.

BackgroundUpregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines has not only been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older adults but also has been linked to frailty. In the current study we aimed to compare the relative relationship of age and frailty on inflammation and thrombosis in older veterans.ResultsWe analyzed 117 subjects (age range 62–95 years; median 81) divided into 3 cohorts: non-frail, pre-frail and frail based on the Fried phenotype of frailty. Serum inflammatory markers were determined using commercially available ELISA kits. Frail and pre-frail (PF) subjects had higher levels than non-frail (NF) subjects of IL-6 (NF vs. PF: p = 0.002; NF vs. F: p < 0.001), TNFR1 (NF vs. F: p = 0.012), TNFRII (NF vs. F: 0.002; NF vs. PF: p = 0.005) and inflammatory index: = 0.333*log(IL-6) + 0.666*log(sTNFR1) (NF vs. F: p = 0.009; NF vs. PF: p < 0.001). Frailty status explained a greater percent of variability in markers of inflammation than age: IL-6 (12 % vs. 0.3 %), TNFR1 (5 % vs. 4 %), TNFR2 (11 % vs. 6 %), inflammatory index (16 % vs. 8 %). Aging was significantly associated with higher fibrinogen (p = 0.04) and D-dimer levels (p = 0.01) but only among NF subjects.ConclusionIn conclusion, these data suggest that among older veterans, frailty status has a stronger association with inflammation and the inflammatory index than age does. Larger studies, in more diverse populations are needed to confirm these findings.

Age-related changes in sleep EEG are attenuated in highly intelligent individuals

Impaired sleep is a frequent complaint in ageing and a risk factor for many diseases. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG delta power reflects neural plasticity and, in line with age-related cognitive decline, decreases with age. Individuals with higher general intelligence are less affected by age-related cognitive decline or other disorders and have longer lifespans. We investigated the correlation between age and EEG power in 159 healthy human subjects (age range: 17–69 years), and compared an average (IQ<120; N=87) with a high (IQ≥120; N=72) intelligence subgroup. We found less age-related decrease in all-night relative NREM sleep EEG delta power in the high intelligence subgroup. Our results suggest that highly intelligent individuals are less affected by the sleep-related effects of biological ageing, and therefore potentially less at risk for age-related cognitive deficits and other diseases.

Fully Automatic System for Accurate Localisation and Analysis of Cephalometric Landmarks in Lateral Cephalograms

Cephalometric tracing is a standard analysis tool for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a fully automatic landmark annotation (FALA) system for finding cephalometric landmarks in lateral cephalograms and its application to the classification of skeletal malformations. Digital cephalograms of 400 subjects (age range: 7–76 years) were available. All cephalograms had been manually traced by two experienced orthodontists with 19 cephalometric landmarks, and eight clinical parameters had been calculated for each subject. A FALA system to locate the 19 landmarks in lateral cephalograms was developed. The system was evaluated via comparison to the manual tracings, and the automatically located landmarks were used for classification of the clinical parameters. The system achieved an average point-to-point error of 1.2 mm, and 84.7% of landmarks were located within the clinically accepted precision range of 2.0 mm. The automatic landmark localisation performance was within the inter-observer variability between two clinical experts. The automatic classification achieved an average classification accuracy of 83.4% which was comparable to an experienced orthodontist. The FALA system rapidly and accurately locates and analyses cephalometric landmarks in lateral cephalograms, and has the potential to significantly improve the clinical work flow in orthodontic treatment.