Trends In Characteristics Research Articles

HyProCure for Flatfoot Deformity: A Clinical Characteristics Analysis in China.

Flatfoot is a common foot disorder involving progressive foot deformity of the three-dimensional structures of the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot. Currently, Chinese surgeons and patients favor subtalar arthroereisis (SA) due to its minimally invasive and low-damage characteristics. HyProCure device is widely used. However, there is limited analysis of large sample sizes. This study utilized statistical evaluation with a large sample size to analyze clinical characteristics trends of SA for flatfoot, including baseline indicators, selection of HyProCure size and surgical strategy, complications, and implant removal. This study will enhance the understanding of SA in China. A retrospective analysis of 732 patients (1008 ft) who underwent SA from June 2015 to June 2023, with 509 pediatric and adolescent patients (772 ft) and 223 adult patients (236 ft). Based on the patient's age, patients aged ≤ 18 were included in the children and adolescent group, while adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) patients aged > 18 were included in the adult group. General data was collected, including patient sex, age, side, body mass index (BMI), surgery date, HyproCure size, and surgical data, and trends were analyzed. Postoperative complications and HyProCure removal were collected as outcome measures during follow-up. The age of patients treated with SA was gradually getting younger, with male patients predominating, mainly concentrated in the 11-14 age group. HyProCure 7 has the highest usage rate. In the children and adolescent group, 288 ft (37.31%) only underwent SA. In the adult group, 18 ft (7.63%) only underwent SA. Complications include sinus tarsi pain, peroneal spasms, achilles tendon tension, and muscle strength decline. The complication rate in the children and adolescent group was 5.05%, while in the adult group it was 28.81%. Overall, it was 10.62%. The removal rate of HyProCure in the children and adolescent group is 1.04%, in the adult group is 15.25%, and overall is 4.37%. The trend in flatfoot treated with SA was towards children and adolescent male patients, and sinus tarsi pain was the most common complication after SA. The complication rate and removal rate in the children and adolescent group were lower than those in the adult group. HyProCure can be removed without additional adverse effects.

Socioeconomic Status and Age at Menarche in Türkiye.

The trend in declining age at menarche (AAM) largely continues while body size increases globally. The aim was to investigate trends in AAM, menstrual characteristics, and post-menarcheal anthropometric parameters in adolescents living in an urban area in Türkiye between 1999 and 2018. Female adolescent high school students in the Manisa region were asked about menarche and socioeconomic status (SES). There were 1017 girls in the first study (1999-2001) and 1304 (2016-2018) in the second study. Height and weight were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Adolescent girls were grouped into three socioeconomic status (SES) groups based on parental education and occupation, and all parameters were evaluated using SES. The mean ± standard deviation for AAM in the first period was 12.82 ± 1.07 years and 12.83 ± 0.9 years in the second. AAM did not differ between the two periods nor between SES groups in either period. Post-menarcheal height, weight, and BMI increased in the second period compared to the first study and across all SES groups (p < 0.05). The whole group AAM was similar in both periods, only 3 months earlier in the second period than in the first period. However, the AAM in girls with a post-menarcheal BMI indicating being overweight or obese was significantly earlier than that of those with a normal post-menarcheal BMI in both periods (p < 0.05). Despite changing sociodemographic characteristics and an increasing trend in height, weight, and BMI in all socioeconomic groups, no change was observed in mean AAM in an urban region of Western Türkiye over 18 years. While the inverse relationship between BMI and postmenarcheal BMI continued in both periods, the decline in AAM became more pronounced over the years in the presence of high postmenarcheal BMI.

Trends in epidemiological characteristics and etiologies of diarrheal disease in children under five: an ecological study based on Global Burden of Disease study 2021

Trends in epidemiological characteristics and etiologies of diarrheal disease in children under five: an ecological study based on Global Burden of Disease study 2021

Temporal Trends in Endovascular Therapy for Acute Stroke in the Era of Modern Mechanical Thrombectomy: the JR-NET4 Study.

This study aimed to examine nationwide trends in acute stroke endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) following five pivotal trials in 2015 that established it as the 'standard of care'. The Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Therapy 4 was a nationwide retrospective study registering consecutive patients who underwent neurointervention by specialists certified by the Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy at 166 centers from January 2015 to December 2019. We extracted patients who underwent EVT, and analyzed the annual trends in baseline characteristics, revascularization procedures and outcomes. A total of 13,090 patients (75.3±12.2 years, 5637 women) were included. Analyses revealed an annual increase in patient age and treatments beyond 6 hours after onset. However, there was an annual decline in premorbidly independent patients and those with large vessel occlusion. The frequency of stent-aspiration techniques and rate of successful reperfusions significantly increased from 19.9% to 51.0% and from 81.4% to 83.9%, respectively through the study period. Trends in patients achieving a favorable (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 at 30 days) or fatal outcome, or experiencing intracranial hemorrhagic complications remained unchanged. However, calendar time was associated with favorable outcomes after adjusting for clinical and treatment characteristics (odds ratio, 1.040; P = 0.015). During the study period, EVT indications expanded for patients with characteristics linked to worse outcomes. However, factors such as advancements in techniques, have led to modest but significant improvements in reperfusion status, leading to maintenance of the post-EVT clinical outcomes. URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; Unique identifier: UMIN000038869.

Institutions or ideology? Cross-party and cross-country analysis of factors contributing to the election of women to the European Parliament

Abstract The article examines the key factors influencing women’s electoral success in European Parliament (EP) elections. We present a new conceptual approach and a novel model that simultaneously incorporates trends in party characteristics, institutional and socio-economic factors and cross-country trends in women’s representation. The model provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationships between party-level and Member State-level factors and the election of women to the EP. The study is based on an original dataset of 450 observations on national political parties from all Member States, spanning four European elections from 2004 to 2019. Our results show that party characteristics such as incumbency rates, party size and ideological orientations (i.e. the party’s position on the GAL-TAN scale or its attitude towards European integration) play a key role in shaping women’s representation. This article provides novel insights into the unique features of Central and Eastern Europe, elucidating divergent patterns of women’s electoral prospects in conservative and progressive parties in Western democracies and Central and Eastern European post-communist EU Member States.

Socio-Demographic Factors of Children with Nephrotic Syndrome and Their Clinical Correlation

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a chronic kidney disease in children marked by variability in treatment response, potentially influenced by socio-demographic and clinical factors. In resource-limited settings such as Bangladesh, understanding these potential influences is crucial for tailored healthcare strategies. This study investigates the socio-demographic profile of children with nephrotic syndrome and its clinical correlation to treatment outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital over six months, involving 168 children with nephrotic syndrome selected through convenient purposive sampling. Data were collected via structured interviews, focusing on socio-demographic factors and clinical outcomes. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS, with chi-square tests used to examine associations between socio-demographic factors and treatment response. A p-value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 168 participants, 61.31% were male, and half were aged 4 to 7 years. Most participants (70.24%) resided in rural areas, with 64.88% belonging to the lower socio-economic class. In terms of treatment response, 48.81% achieved remission, 38.10% experienced a relapse, and 13.10% were resistant to treatment. Although trends were observed, such as higher relapse rates among male children and resistance in females, no statistically significant associations were found between socio-demographic factors and treatment outcomes. Conclusion: The study highlights observed trends in socio-demographic characteristics and treatment outcomes in children with nephrotic syndrome in Bangladesh; however, no significant associations were identified. These findings underscore the importance of larger, more comprehensive studies to further investigate these variables and support the development of tailored management approaches in resource-limited settings.

Temporal trends in mitral valve surgery in Denmark: changes in patient characteristics and outcomes from 1996 to 2021

Abstract Background Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Mitral valve surgery (MVS) is recommended in severe MR, which is the second most common cause of heart valve surgery in the Western world. Data on national practice patterns are lacking and are essential for the continuous epidemiologic surveillance of the disease. Purpose To investigate temporal trends in patient characteristics, incidence and mortality in patients undergoing MVS for MR in Denmark from 1996 to 2021. Methods Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified all patients ≥18 years undergoing MVS for MR. Patients operated due to infective endocarditis were excluded. The study population was grouped into one 6-year and four 5-year calendar bands and type of MVS (mitral valve repair, mechanical or biological valve replacement and transcatheter-edge-to-edge repair (TEER)). Temporal trends in patient characteristics were computed. Annual incidence rates were calculated while considering the total Danish population ≥18 years at risk. For one-year postoperative mortality analysis, the reverse Kaplan-Meier estimator and a multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis were used. Results We identified 7,813 patients (median age 67.3 years, 65.6% males) undergoing MVS. Over calendar time, burden of comorbidities decreased while median age increased, Table 1. From 1996 to 2021, a stepwise increase was seen in the overall incidence rate for MVS from 3.87 [95% CI 3.32-4.51] to 7.06 [95% CI 6.34-7.58] per 100,000 person-years (p&amp;lt;0.001). The incidence of mechanical valve replacement statistically significantly decreased (p&amp;lt;0.001), while the incidence of mitral valve repair (p=0.004), biological replacement (p≤0.001) and TEER statistically increased (p=0.015), Figure 1. For the overall study period, one-year mortality was 5.0% for mitral valve repair, 12.7% for mechanical valve replacement, 15.7% for biological valve replacement and 19.0% for TEER. Demographics and one-year mortality stratified by calendar period are shown in Table 1. In the mitral valve repair group, adjusted analysis showed a stepwise statistically significant decrease in one-year mortality with HR 0.30 (95% CI 0.17-0.53, p≤0.001) in 2017-2021 as compared to 1996-2001. In the remaining surgical groups, trends were towards decreasing one-year mortality over calendar periods but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion(s) In this Danish nationwide cohort study, we observed an increase in the incidence of overall mitral valve surgery from 1996 to 2021. The incidence of mechanical valve replacement decreased, while the incidence of mitral valve repair, biological replacement and TEER increased. Mortality rates significantly improved for mitral valve repair patients over calendar time. Continuous epidemiological surveillance of this patient group is required in an era of development in treatment guidelines, surgical methods and patient demographics.Table 1Figure 1

5.Y.2. Alcohol intoxication among adolescents in Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands

Abstract Excessive drinking behavior poses a significant risk to the health of adolescents and contributes to high social and health costs. It is also well-documented that engaging in risky drinking behavior at a young age increases the likelihood of developing alcohol use disorders and other mental health disorders later in life. Therefore, the timely development of adequate interventions to prevent and reduce such behavior is an important public health task. The initial step here is to gather comprehensive data on the phenomenon. Studying alcohol intoxication data among adolescents is an important source in this context. In the Netherlands, data on alcohol intoxication in adolescents have been routinely collected for several years, leading to a successful transmural framework aimed at supporting these young individuals and their parents. As countries are at varying stages in addressing this issue, the objective of this workshop is to facilitate mutual learning about effective prevention initiatives targeting problematic alcohol use in young people. The workshop will feature presentations from four studies representing three countries: Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Allegra Ferrari from Italy will discuss alcohol-related emergencies among adolescents admitted to an emergency department in Genoa, emphasizing the importance of urgent interventions to mitigate adolescent alcohol use. Hanna van Roozendaal from Belgium will present data from both retrospective and prospective studies on adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication in Antwerp hospitals, exploring the feasibility of follow-up interventions. Louise Pigeaud from the Netherlands will share data from a cohort of individuals under 18 years presented with acute alcohol intoxication symptoms at an emergency department between 2015-2023 to monitor trends in admission characteristics. Finally, Guido van Hal will focus more in depth on the differences and similarities in adolescents accessing emergency care for acute alcohol intoxication in Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands. The workshop will conclude with an open discussion on topics such as the necessary data to be registered for minors with acute alcohol intoxication, the most effective methods for preventing/reducing alcohol intoxication in these age groups, and the potential transferability of the successful Dutch transmural framework to other countries. Key messages • Acute alcohol intoxication and problematic alcohol use in minors can lead to significant alcohol-related issues in adulthood. • Collecting and analyzing high-quality data can facilitate the development of interventions aimed at reducing and preventing alcohol-related issues in adolescents.

Heterogeneity of metabolic phenotypes in adolescent boys with obesity due to excess calories

The aim of the study was to determine the heterogeneity of metabolic parameters in teenage boys diagnosed with “obesity due to excess calories” using cluster analysis. Materials and methods. One hundred and twenty-three randomly selected patients aged 14 to 17 years diagnosed with “obesity due to excess calories” were examined. The statistical analysis included descriptive and analytical methods, in particular aimed to identify clusters of biochemical indicators, including serum fasting glucose level, insulin level, total cholesterol level, low density lipoproteins (LDLP), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), high density lipoproteins (HDLP) and triglycerides. Results. Two clusters of observations have been identified. The first cluster consisted of 72 patients (58.5%) having fasting glucose levels slightly below average, insulin levels above average, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDLP and VLDL above average, and HDLP levels below average (“metabolically unhealthy” obesity). The second cluster included 51 teenagers (41.5%) who presented with opposite trends in metabolic characteristics (“metabolically healthy” obesity). The adolescents from the first cluster were slightly older, had higher body mass, body mass index (BMI) and z-BMI scores, and higher HOMA-IR scores. Arterial hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were diagnosed statistically significantly more frequently in adolescents from this cluster. Conclusion. Teenage boys with obesity are a heterogeneous group in terms of the values of major metabolic indicators.

The relevance of shock absorber friction on the total friction of a MacPherson suspension system during lateral manoeuvres

The friction potential of the suspension is typically considered to be invariant as the vertical dynamics of a vehicle are analysed. However, the current research on MacPherson suspensions indicates a strong dependence of the suspension friction on the present driving situation, which is primarily characterised by the wheel deflection relative to the chassis, and the tyre forces. Although it is well known that the shock absorber is generally subjected to side loads that can vary and initiate a certain amount of friction, the precise contribution of the shock absorber friction to the total suspension friction has yet to be investigated in detail. It is therefore essential to conduct a quantitative study on the importance of the shock absorber in the context of specific driving situations regarding the development of new, friction optimised shock absorber generations. The present study investigates the relationship between total suspension friction and the friction of the shock absorber, with a particular focus on the case of wheel lateral forces that aim to represent a simplified cornering manoeuvre of the vehicle. This is realised by using a multi-body simulation approach and a strain gauge application in order to estimate the side force at the shock absorber’s top mount. Subsequently, the shock absorber friction is determined using a test setup that considers the realistic load and mounting situation from the perspective of the MacPherson suspension subsystem. The combination of simulation and shock absorber friction measurement is sufficient to fully explain the characteristic friction trend on suspension (subsystem) level. The contribution of the shock absorber friction to the total suspension friction is determined to be a maximum of 80%, emphasising the importance of considering the side force at the shock absorber while aiming for suspension friction minimisation and ride comfort performance enhancement. On the other hand, the shock absorber’s contribution is also observed to be limited depending on the actual wheel force, indicating that the friction of the other components remains a crucial factor in the MacPherson suspension concept.

Venous Thromboembolism after Hospital Discharge: Temporal Trends in Baseline Characteristics, Prevention, Treatment, and 90-day Outcomes.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) after hospital discharge poses a serious health risk. Assessments of patient characteristics, prophylaxis, treatment, outcomes, and over time changes lack consistency. Data on 16,901 hospitalized patients in the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica registry (2003-2022) were analyzed to evaluate trends in baseline characteristics, prophylaxis, treatments, and 90-day outcomes among medical (6,218) and surgical (10,683) patient cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the risks of the composite of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) or recurrent VTE and major bleeding. The proportion of patients who presented with PE increased among medical (from 54 to 72%) and surgical patients (from 55 to 58%). Prophylaxis use increased in medical patients (from 53 to 71%), while decreasing in surgical patients (from 67 to 58%). Notably, the 90-day composite of fatal PE or recurrent VTE decreased in medical (from 3.9 to 1.8%) and surgical patients (from 2.9 to 1.2%; p < 0.001 for both). Conversely, major bleeding increased (3.1 to 4.5%) in medical patients (p = 0.008), with no change in surgical patients (from 2.5 to 2.4%). Risk-adjusted analysis showed a yearly decrease in the risk for the composite outcome (subhazard ratio [sHR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.98) in medical and surgical patients and an increase in the risk for major bleeding in medical patients only (sHR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01-1.07). Results were consistent after excluding coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Over 20 years, the composite of fatal PE or recurrent VTE within 90 days had significantly decreased in VTE patients after hospitalization for medical or surgical care. Medical patients, however, exhibited an increase in major bleeding.

Trends in Clinico-radiological and Laboratory Characteristics of All-cause Meningoencephalitis in Western Rajasthan

Trends in Clinico-radiological and Laboratory Characteristics of All-cause Meningoencephalitis in Western Rajasthan

Study on the multi-type drought propagation process and driving factors on the Tibetan Plateau

Drought propagation is a complex process that involves various components of the water cycle. Clarifying the pathways and mechanisms of propagation for various types of droughts is crucial. However, most current analyses of drought propagation focus on the relationship between just two types of drought, with limited research on multi-type drought propagation. This study elucidates the propagation pathways of multi-type drought on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) using extended convergent cross mapping (CCM) to determine the propagation time. Additionally, the CCM-based drought duration propagation index (CDDP) and drought intensity propagation index (CDIP) were constructed, and the driving factors of drought propagation were preliminarily explored using the geographic detector. The results indicate that between 1997 and 2017, drought propagation on the TP followed the sequence of meteorological drought, hydrological drought, and agricultural drought, with propagation times of 4.6 months, 4.9 months, and 4.2 months, respectively. Although the overall trends in multi-type drought propagation characteristics are relatively balanced, significant differences exist within individual basins, and neighboring regions exhibit heterogeneous drought propagation patterns. The key driving factors for different types of drought propagation vary, with natural factors and human activities significantly influencing the spatial distribution of drought propagation characteristics, with CDDP being particularly sensitive to these driving factors. This study further elucidates the processes and driving factors behind multi-type drought propagation, offering new research perspectives for understanding the mechanisms of drought propagation.

Trends in Epidemiologic Characteristics and Clinical Patterns of Vascular Access of Incident Hemodialysis Patients: Nationwide Cohort Study (2006-2019) in Korea

Trends in Epidemiologic Characteristics and Clinical Patterns of Vascular Access of Incident Hemodialysis Patients: Nationwide Cohort Study (2006-2019) in Korea

Quality Of Audit In Public Sector Organizations: Trends And Article Analysis

This study purpose to explore and analysis the "characteristics of audit quality" through two questions: 1. what are the publication trends of audit quality-themed articles based on research contributors, and 2. what are the developments in research related to audit quality up to the present. The study employs a systematic literature review using keywords that describe the article topic coverage to identify trends in audit quality characteristics. The sample consists of 26 articles from the database SCOPUS from 2011 to 2020 on audit quality. The results indicate that University Utara Malaysia's contributions dominate among institutional contributors to the articles, article contributions are predominantly from Indonesia by country, and contributions are dominated by the International Journal of Economics Research based on journal source. The final results related to audit quality show variability with appropriate testing. This research empirically contributes to the development of literature and aids in analyzing audit quality-related research.

Optimizing foaming agent concentration and recycled fine aggregate content to enhance mechanical and durable properties of foam concrete mixes

This research explores the impact of using recycled fine aggregates from construction and demolition wastes (CD-RFA) through the replacement of natural sand in proportion of 0 %, 10 %, 30 %, 50 %, 70 %, and 100 % for making foam concrete mixes. Protein based foaming agent was diluted with water in ratios of 1:20, 1:40 and 1:60. It was found that with the increase in the proportion of recycled fines, the porosity, sorptivity and water absorption of foam concrete mixes increases significantly. At the same time, a downward trend in the mechanical characteristics was noted. However, the obtained values of compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength of 22.35, 5.68 and 2.27 MPa were found to be well within the ACI 523 R 2014 recommended ranges of 8–22, 3–6.4 and 1–2.2 MPa, respectively. Hardened density, abrasion resistance, and resistance to sulphates and chlorides attack showed perceptible decline. The present study recommends the replacement of natural sand up to 50 % with CD-RFA. The foam concrete mix prepared using recycled fines will help clearance of a large quantities of CD wastes, thereby benefiting the environment and ecology.

The problem of quality of qualified professional teacher training in Turkey

The education system of Ukraine is at the stage of European integration changes and internal modernization processes. The characteristic trends of this period are the realization of one's own national experience, its comparison with European and world traditions, as well as the need to analyze and highlight the most effective progressive ideas and advanced concepts that exist in the world space, the possibility of their adaptation to the needs of national education. Therefore, institutions of higher education must train qualified teachers, creative, possessing a high level of pedagogical skills, realizing their own autonomy and capable of developing original solutions. The novelty of the problematics of the studied topic is that the problem of the quality of professional training of a qualified teacher in Turkey has not yet found a comprehensive reflection and systematic generalization in the Ukrainian scientific and pedagogical discourse. Therefore, the goal of the study was to formulate the problem of the quality of professional training of a qualified teacher in Turkey. To implement the goals and objectives of scientific research, the authors relied on the following materials and methods of scientific research: 1) theoretical – analysis of scientific databases, electronic repositories of institutions of higher education, scientific institutions and libraries where dissertation abstracts, scientific publications and other scientific works are stored; systematization and generalization of research results; 2) empirical – conversations, correspondence with Turkish scientists and university professors; pedagogical supervision. The authors formulated the problem of the quality of training of a qualified teacher, which is a widely discussed problem for many years in the world and in Turkey itself, which proves the need to rethink the definition and boundaries of the teaching profession. On the basis of the generalization and systematization of the obtained results, the authors formulated the concept of "qualified teacher" – this is a novice teacher who has successfully completed training on an accredited educational program of initial teacher training. Scientific and practical recommendations on the use of constructive ideas of the Turkish experience to improve the quality of teacher training in the system of continuous pedagogical education of Ukraine are substantiated

Trends in patient characteristics and mortality among Medicare patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a well-described risk factor for mortality, but few studies have examined secular trends in mortality over time for patients with PAD. We characterized trends in mortality in patients with PAD in recent years among Medicare patients. We used Medicare claims to identify patients with a new diagnosis code for PAD between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2018 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes. The primary outcome of interest was the 1-year all-cause age-adjusted mortality rate. Our secondary outcome was the 5-year all-cause mortality rate. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors which predict mortality at 1 year. We identified 4,373,644 patients with a new diagnosis code for PAD during the study period. Between 2006 and 2018, 1-year all-cause age-adjusted mortality declined from 12.6% to 9.9% (p < 0.001). One-year crude all-cause mortality also declined from 14.6% to 9.5% (p < 0.001). Similar results were observed for 5-year age-adjusted mortality rates (40.9% to 35.2%, p < 0.001). Factors associated with increased risk of death at 1 year included age ⩾ 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] 3.030; 95% CI 3.008-3.053) and congestive heart failure (HR 1.86; 95% CI 1.85-1.88). Patients who were regularly dispensed statins, ace-inhibitors, beta-blockers, antithrombotic agents, and anticoagulants all had lower mortality (range OR 0.36; CI 0.35-0.37 for statins to OR 0.60; CI 0.59-0.61 for anticoagulants; all p < 0.001). Among US Medicare patients diagnosed with PAD between 2006 and 2019, 1-year age-adjusted mortality declined by 2.7%. This decline in mortality among PAD patients occurred in the context of a younger mean age of diagnosis of PAD and improved cardiovascular prevention therapy.

Petrography and geochemistry of aplites from the Seridó Pegmatite Province, NE Brazil: Petrogenetic Implications

In the Seridó Pegmatite Province (SPP) there are thousands of granitic pegmatite intrusions, including unzoned and barren, and zoned and mineralized ones. The whole rock chemical analysis of pegmatite is usually unfeasible because of its large grain size. However, fine-grained aplites syn crystallized with pegmatites should allow them to be used as proxies to assess pegmatite melt differentiation. We selected 15 representative aplite occurrences within unzoned pegmatite intrusions, including 7 intrusions with the grayish muscovite-aplite type and 8 with the reddish magnetite-aplite type. We also used for new trace element analysis samples of medium-to coarse-grained facies of host unzoned pegmatites. These pegmatites occur as NE-SW and N-S dykes and sills intruding mica schist and paragneiss from the Seridó Belt. Both aplite types contain along with quartz and feldspars accessory apatite, zircon, monazite, and xenotime. Tourmaline, muscovite, and garnet occur in the grayish aplites, whereas biotite and opaque minerals occur in the reddish aplites. The grayish aplites are slightly to strong peraluminous, while the reddish aplites are slightly metaluminous to slightly peraluminous. The reddish aplites and their host pegmatites are enriched in Ba, Sr, U and Th, while the grayish aplites and their host pegmatites are enriched in B, Li and Cs. The K/Rb ratios of the aplites varies from 11 to 44 with similar ranges in both reddish and grayish aplites. Normalized to the average upper continental crust composition, both aplite types present positive anomalies of Rb, Pb, U, and Hf, and negative anomalies of Ba, Sr and Ti. K, Nb and Ta show variable enrichment and depletion. They usually show HREE enrichment in relation to LREE and negative Eu anomaly, but positive Eu anomaly and tetrad patterns occur in few samples. In the normative QAP diagram the aplites show a wide range of compositions with a trend from quartz-plagioclase-rich tonalite to quartz-poor K-feldspars-rich alkali granite. Such trend is inverted in relation to the characteristic trends of melt differentiation by crystal fractionation. The albite/K-feldspar ratio of aplites shows a wide distribution range that would be related to the compositional variety of the partially melted protoliths and/or the variation in melting rate during prograde anatexis. The trace element compositions of the medium-to coarse-grained facies of the unzoned pegmatites are very similar to those of the coexisting aplites. The obtained data using aplites as a proxy for their host pegmatites precludes a unique line of melt descent at the origin of the SPP aplites and unzoned pegmatites and thus strongly support an anatectic origin from different sources.

Trends in Patient Characteristics on the Japanese Waiting Lists for Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplantation. Are There no Eligibility or Ineligibility Criteria for Registration and Renewal?

BackgroundControversial issues in registering candidates for deceased-donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) comprise various factors, including age, life expectancy, and dialysis duration. We investigated patient characteristics on the waiting list and discussed suitable criteria in Japan, which has a long waiting period. MethodsThis study included 592 patients on the waiting list for DDKT at our institute between 1982 and 2023. We retrospectively reviewed patients’ medical charts and obtained their clinical information. Patient characteristics according to outcomes and eligibility criteria for applying for or renewing registration were investigated. No prisoners were used in the study, and the participants were neither coerced nor paid. ResultsApproximately 70%, 45%, and 14.5% of the registered patients were aged >60, >70, and 80 years, respectively. The number of patients aged ≥70 years gradually decreased over time. The median waiting periods of patients who underwent and interrupted DDKT were 13 and 7 years, respectively. Patients in their 70s with a >15-year dialysis period tended to have opportunities for DDKT. Living-donor kidney transplantation was performed in patients aged <60 years. Waiting patients were significantly younger and had a shorter dialysis duration. Advanced age at registration was associated with a significantly high risk of interruption. ConclusionsAdvanced age and longer dialysis periods were considered at registration because patients with these factors tended to experience interruptions despite the long waiting period and high cost. Although older patients can undergo DDKT, factors including surgical cost and risks are considered. Eligibility/ineligibility criteria should be established for DDKT waiting lists in Japan.