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The Journals of Gerontology. Series A,... Aug 2017We aimed to identify the hierarchy of rates of decline in 16 physical functioning measures in U.S. and English samples, using a systematic and integrative coordinated... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
We aimed to identify the hierarchy of rates of decline in 16 physical functioning measures in U.S. and English samples, using a systematic and integrative coordinated data analysis approach.
METHODS
The U.S. sample consisted of 13,612 Health and Retirement Study participants, and the English sample consisted of 5,301 English Longitudinal Study of Ageing participants. Functional loss was ascertained using self-reported difficulties performing 6 activities of daily living and 10 mobility tasks. The variables were standardized, rates of decline were computed, and mean rates of decline were ranked. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to compare rates of decline between studies.
RESULTS
In both studies, the rates of decline followed a similar pattern; difficulty with eating was the activity that showed the slowest decline and climbing several flights of stairs and stooping, kneeling, or crouching the fastest declines. There were statistical differences in the speed of decline in all 16 measures between countries. American women had steeper declines in 10 of the measures than English women. Similar differences were found between American and English men.
CONCLUSIONS
Reporting difficulties climbing several flights of stairs without resting, and stooping, kneeling, or crouching are the first indicators of functional loss reported in both populations.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aging; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Disability Evaluation; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Mobility Limitation; Self Report; Statistics, Nonparametric; United Kingdom; United States
PubMed: 27753610
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glw209 -
Noro Psikiyatri Arsivi Sep 2020Olfactory impairment and cognitive impairment are common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Olfactory impairment may be present even many years before the...
INTRODUCTION
Olfactory impairment and cognitive impairment are common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Olfactory impairment may be present even many years before the main symptoms of the disease develop. The associations between olfactory loss and cognition in PD are evaluated in this study.
METHODS
31 patients with PD and 31 healthy subjects were included in this study. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr Scale (H&Y Scale) were administered to all subjects. Butanol threshold test and Sniffin'Sticks test were used to assess olfaction. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT) were used to assess cognition.
RESULTS
The Sniffin'Sticks test scores were significantly lower in the Parkinson group in comparison to the control group (p<0.001). The rate of anosmia was 90% in the PD group while this rate was found to be 54.8% in control group (p=0.005). A significant correlation was found between butanol test scores and stoop 5 and 5 errors. Significant correlations were found between the Sniffin'Sticks scores and MMSE scores (p=0.047) and orientation (p=0.041) and language (p=0.003) functions of the MMSE test. Worse olfaction was associated with worse memory.
CONCLUSIONS
In PD, olfactory impairment correlates with cognitive impairment and olfactory tests may be used to predict the likelihood of developing dementia in this patient population.
PubMed: 32952424
DOI: 10.29399/npa.23070 -
Journal of Global Oncology Apr 2016Fertility preservation in the cancer setting, known as oncofertility, is a field that requires cross-disciplinary interaction between physicians, basic scientists,...
Fertility preservation in the cancer setting, known as oncofertility, is a field that requires cross-disciplinary interaction between physicians, basic scientists, clinical researchers, ethicists, lawyers, educators, and religious leaders. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Oncofertility Consortium (OC) was formed to be a scientifically grounded, transparent, and altruistic resource, both intellectual and monetary, for building this new field of practice capable of addressing the unique needs of young patients with cancer. The OC has expanded its attention to include other nonmalignant conditions that can threaten fertility, and the work of the OC now extends around the globe, involving partners who together have created a community of shared effort, resources, and practices. The OC creates materials that are translated, disseminated, and amended by all participants in the field, and local programs of excellence have developed worldwide to accelerate the pace and improve the quality of oncofertility research and practice. Here we review the global oncofertility programs and the capacity building activities that strengthen these research and clinical programs, ultimately improving patient care.
PubMed: 27284576
DOI: 10.1200/JGO.2015.000307 -
Physical Review Letters Mar 2016We investigate the influence of curvature and topology on crystalline dimpled patterns on the surface of generic elastic bilayers. Our numerical analysis predicts that...
We investigate the influence of curvature and topology on crystalline dimpled patterns on the surface of generic elastic bilayers. Our numerical analysis predicts that the total number of defects created by adiabatic compression exhibits universal quadratic scaling for spherical, ellipsoidal, and toroidal surfaces over a wide range of system sizes. However, both the localization of individual defects and the orientation of defect chains depend strongly on the local Gaussian curvature and its gradients across a surface. Our results imply that curvature and topology can be utilized to pattern defects in elastic materials, thus promising improved control over hierarchical bending, buckling, or folding processes. Generally, this study suggests that bilayer systems provide an inexpensive yet valuable experimental test bed for exploring the effects of geometrically induced forces on assemblies of topological charges.
PubMed: 27015484
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.104301 -
Science Advances Jun 2022Ratchet transport systems are widespread in physics and biology; however, the effect of the dispersing medium in the collective dynamics of these out-of-equilibrium...
Ratchet transport systems are widespread in physics and biology; however, the effect of the dispersing medium in the collective dynamics of these out-of-equilibrium systems has been often overlooked. We show that, in a traveling wave magnetic ratchet, long-range hydrodynamic interactions (HIs) produce a series of remarkable phenomena on the transport and assembly of interacting Brownian particles. We demonstrate that HIs induce the resynchronization with the traveling wave that emerges as a "speed-up" effect, characterized by a net raise of the translational speed, which doubles that of single particles. When competing with dipolar forces and the underlying substrate symmetry, HIs promote the formation of clusters that grow perpendicular to the driving direction. We support our findings both with Langevin dynamics and with a theoretical model that accounts for the fluid-mediated interactions. Our work illustrates the role of the dispersing medium on the dynamics of driven colloidal matter and unveils the growing process and cluster morphologies above a periodic substrate.
PubMed: 35675407
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4546 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2022This paper presents a plantar pressure sensor system (P2S2) integrated in the insoles of shoes to detect thirteen commonly used human movements including walking,...
This paper presents a plantar pressure sensor system (P2S2) integrated in the insoles of shoes to detect thirteen commonly used human movements including walking, stooping left and right, pulling a cart backward, squatting, descending, ascending stairs, running, and falling (front, back, right, left). Six force sensitive resistors (FSR) sensors were positioned on critical pressure points on the insoles to capture the electrical signature of pressure change in the various movements. A total of 34 adult participants were tested with the P2S2. The pressure data were collected and processed using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for input to the multiple machine learning (ML) algorithms, including k-NN, neural network and Support-Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. The ML models were trained using four-fold cross-validation. Each fold kept subject data independent from other folds. The model proved effective with an accuracy of 86%, showing a promising result in predicting human movements using the P2S2 integrated in shoes.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Machine Learning; Movement; Pressure; Shoes; Walking
PubMed: 35408358
DOI: 10.3390/s22072743 -
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related... Feb 2015Experimental disruption of the labrum has been shown to compromise its sealing function and alter cartilage lubrication. However, it is not known whether pathological...
BACKGROUND
Experimental disruption of the labrum has been shown to compromise its sealing function and alter cartilage lubrication. However, it is not known whether pathological changes to the labrum secondary to femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) have a similar impact on labral function.
QUESTIONS/PURPOSES
Does damage to the labrum occurring in association with abnormal femoral morphology affect the labral seal?
METHODS
Using 10 fresh cadaveric specimens (mean age 50 years, ±8), we measured the capacity of the central compartment of the hip (the iliofemoral joint) to maintain a seal during fluid infusion, which may help elucidate the function of the labrum during weightbearing. Specimens with and without abnormal femoral morphology (six normal-appearing specimens and four whose geometry suggested cam-type FAI) were tested in postures observed during functional activities, including simulations of normal gait, stooping, and pivoting. Each specimen with FAI morphology exhibited secondary damage of the labrum and the adjacent chondral surface, whereas specimens of normal morphology were undamaged.
RESULTS
Average peak central compartment pressure was reduced during pivoting for specimens with the presence of labral damage secondary to FAI. When placed in pivoting positions, hips with FAI maintained lower fluid pressures within the central compartment compared with intact specimens (15±3 versus 42±8 kPa, respectively; effect size: 1.08 [-0.36 to 2.31]; p=0.007). No differences in peak pressure were observed between groups (FAI versus normal) for postures simulating either gait (21±6 versus 22±4 kPa; p=0.902) or stooping (9±2 versus 8±3 kPa; p=0.775) with the numbers available.
CONCLUSIONS
The acetabular seal, quantified by the maximum intraarticular pressure, was reduced during pivoting; however, the seal was maintained during simulated gait and stooping.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Because degeneration is progressive with repetitive impingement, loss of the labral seal starts to be seen during pivoting and may progress from there, but in this small-sample cadaver study that evaluated specimens in middle adulthood, the seal remains intact during simulated gait and stooping. Our study suggests that labral damage secondary to cam-type FAI may reduce the ability of the labral to provide an adequate seal of the central compartment of the hip during loading; however, the extent to which this is affected requires further investigation.
Topics: Acetabulum; Adult; Female; Femoracetabular Impingement; Gait; Hip Joint; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Movement; Stress, Mechanical
PubMed: 24989124
DOI: 10.1007/s11999-014-3760-1 -
PloS One 2021To investigate if lumbar and lower limb kinematics or kinetics are different between groups with and without a history of LBP during lifting. Secondly, to investigate... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
PURPOSE
To investigate if lumbar and lower limb kinematics or kinetics are different between groups with and without a history of LBP during lifting. Secondly, to investigate relationships between biomechanical variables and pain ramp during repeated lifting.
METHODS
21 LBP and 20 noLBP participants completed a 100-lift task, where lumbar and lower limb kinematics and kinetics were measured during lifting, with a simultaneous report of LBP intensity every 10 lifts. Lifts were performed in a laboratory setting, limiting ecological validity.
RESULTS
The LBP group used a different lifting technique to the noLBP group at the beginning of the task (slower and more squat-like). Kinetic differences at the beginning included less peak lumbar external anterior shear force and greater peak knee power demonstrated by the LBP group. However, at the end of the task, both groups lifted with a much more similar technique that could be classified as more stoop-like and faster. Peak knee power remained greater in the LBP group throughout and was the only kinetic difference between groups at the end of the lifting task. While both groups lifted using a more comparable technique at the end, the LBP group still demonstrated a tendency to perform a slower and more squat-like lift throughout the task. Only one of 21 variables (pelvic tilt at box lift-off), was associated with pain ramp in the LBP group. Conclusions: Workers with a history of LBP, lift with a style that is slower and more squat-like than workers without any history of LBP. Common assumptions that LBP is associated with lumbar kinematics or kinetics such as greater lumbar flexion or greater forces were not observed in this study, raising questions about the current paradigm around 'safe lifting'.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Female; Humans; Kinetics; Knee Joint; Lifting; Lumbosacral Region; Male; Models, Biological; Posture; Range of Motion, Articular
PubMed: 34288926
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254241 -
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related... Feb 2013Hypothesized risk factors for fracture of ceramic liners include impingement, edge-loading, and cup malpositioning. These risk factors are similar to those for...
BACKGROUND
Hypothesized risk factors for fracture of ceramic liners include impingement, edge-loading, and cup malpositioning. These risk factors are similar to those for generation of stripe wear. However, it is unclear whether the biomechanical conditions contributing to stripe wear generation also increase the risk for ceramic liner fracture
QUESTIONS/PURPOSES
We asked whether (1) head stripe wear propensity; and (2) cup orientation would correlate with alumina liner fracture risk for instances of normal and elevated body weight.
METHODS
An eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) model was developed to investigate these mechanisms. Liner fracture risk for 36-mm alumina bearings was studied by simulating two fracture-prone motions: stooping and squatting. Twenty-five distinct cup orientations were considered with variants of both acetabular inclination and anteversion. Four separate body mass indices were considered: normal (25 kg/m(2)) and three levels of obesity (33, 42, and 50 kg/m(2)). Material properties were modified to simulate alumina with and without the presence of dispersed microflaws. The model was validated by corroboration with two previously published ceramic liner fracture studies.
RESULTS
Of 200 XFEM simulations with flaw-free alumina, fracture occurred in eight instances, all of them involving obesity. Each of these occurred with cups in ≤ 37° inclination and in 0° anteversion. For 200 corresponding simulations with microflawed alumina, fracture propensity was greatest for cups with higher (edge loading-associated) scraping wear. Fracture risk was greatest for cups with lower inclination (average 42° for fractured cases versus 48° for nonfractured cases) and lower anteversion (9° versus 20°).
CONCLUSIONS
Fracture propensity for 36-mm liners was elevated for cups with decreased anteversion and/or inclination and under conditions of patient obesity.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Factors causing stripe wear, including obesity and cup malpositioning, also involve increased risk of ceramic liner fracture and merit heightened concern.
Topics: Acetabulum; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; Ceramics; Computer Simulation; Equipment Failure Analysis; Hip Prosthesis; Humans; Models, Theoretical; Obesity; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Risk Factors
PubMed: 23008021
DOI: 10.1007/s11999-012-2562-6 -
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2020Sarcopenia is an age-related geriatric syndrome and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. Although there is preponderance of studies on sarcopenia in community...
OBJECTIVES
Sarcopenia is an age-related geriatric syndrome and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. Although there is preponderance of studies on sarcopenia in community setting, few studies focused on the oldest old. We investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling oldest old and examined the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors of sarcopenia. We also investigated the association between sarcopenia and disability in activities of daily living (ADL) and physical function among the oldest old.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Urban community in Beijing, China.
PARTICIPANTS
664 community-dwelling older adults aged 80 years or older.
METHODS
The presence of sarcopenia and the relationship between sarcopenia and physical function and disability were examined in 582 adults aged 80 years and older. we used the backward stepwise logistic regression model to explore socio-demographic and lifestyle correlates of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was assessed by an algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS).
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 26.6% (female 21.7%; male 33.3%). Age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06 - 1.22), body mass index (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73 - 0.89), and Mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) scores (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64 - 0.96) were independently associated with sarcopenia. The Odds of disability in ADL was approximately two times greater in oldest old with sarcopenia than those without. Sarcopenia was associated with poor lower extremity strength. Oldest old with sarcopenia have higher odds to reported difficulty in stooping, kneeing, or crouching, carrying weights over 5 kilograms, and walking 400 meters.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
We found over a quartile of the community-dwelling oldest old in China had sarcopenia. Older age, lower BMI, and worse nutritional status were significantly associated with the presence of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was independently associated with disability and poor physical function.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disability Evaluation; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Hand Strength; Humans; Independent Living; Male; Prevalence; Sarcopenia
PubMed: 32115617
DOI: 10.1007/s12603-020-1325-4