408 research outputs found

    Oral pathology at Averbuch (40DV60) : implications for health status

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    An examination of the permanent dentition of 304 individuals from the Averbuch (40DV60) skeletal series from Tennessee was undertaken to establish a profile of oral pathology in this Mississippian period population. The variables chosen for study include caries, enamel hypoplasia, alveolar resorption, and periapical and periodontal abscesses. These markers were chosen as a measure of adaptive efficiency because they are indicative of overall levels of health and disease. The results of the study revealed caries rates at Averbuch at high percentages, showing 77% of the individuals from this skeletal sample had one or more carious lesions, surpassing the 17% average frequency rate for Mississippian groups. Results of the analysis of hypoplasias in the permanent adult dentition of the Averbuch sample also reveal high frequencies for this defect, with a total of 87% of the individuals possessing one or more hypoplasias. Alveolar resorption is in evidence in 39% of the individuals, while periapical and periodontal abscesses are present in 19% of the sample. These results show that the population from Averbuch was adaptively disadvantaged, and the heavy biological stress loads are recorded on the dental and oral hard tissues

    Understanding the Relationship between Genetic Markers and Skeletal Remains: Implications for Forensic Anthropology and Phenotype-Genotype Studies

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    Human identification techniques have been a leading tool to hold perpetrators accountable, give families closure, and reconstruct faces on skulls. This project is a pilot study to critically examine three disciplines that fall under the human identification umbrella: forensic anthropology, forensic genetics, and forensic art. Current facial research in genetics focuses on data from living individuals where specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence specific regions of the face have been found. This study assesses the translation of these same regions to craniometric dimensions (inter-landmark distances) of the underlying skull itself. The goal of this project is to provide information regarding the correlation of craniometric measurements and SNPs, as well as encourage interdisciplinary work within the forensic sciences. We examined a selection of candidate SNPs currently identified in the literature to determine if there were correlations between inter-landmark distances and those SNPs within the same individual. A series of 98 craniometric landmarks were collected from 17 documented skulls from the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection using a 3D Microscribe digitizer. Criteria for inclusion in this study included European American ancestry, the presence of intact skulls, and presence of associated donor blood cards collected at the time of body donation. Using these blood samples, DNA from each individual was extracted, amplified, and sequenced through Next Generation Sequencing for the specific chosen SNPs. Afterward, bioinformatics tests were applied to observe the presence or absence of the major or minor alleles in the specific locations on the genome. After determining the presence or absence of an SNP (minor allele), a set of statistical tests were performed including: Spearman’s correlation between the craniometric measurements and the individual’s genetic data variables; two-way hierarchical clustering and Bootstrap Forest modelling between variables that demonstrated significant correlation; a principal component analysis was performed on the craniometric data (inter- landmark measurements) and genetic data (SNP presence/absence) in order to check the homogeneity of each data set; and finally, a pair-wise Procrustes analysis was completed on the correlation of the two data sets as different groups. The results indicate a correlation in various degrees between the targeted craniofacial regions and the targeted SNPs. There were 11 SNPs that showed significant correlation (p \u3c0.05). However, the correlations were not as expected and showed some interesting results. By group level there was no significant correlation, however, there was correlation at the individual level. While some SNPs affected the soft tissues only, others showed correlations with the skull (hard tissue), a finding that had not been previously known. By combining craniometric and DNA analyses to leverage genotype-phenotype associations, there is great potential to expand the discourse of current facial approximation and to, thereby, provide new investigative tools for human identification in forensic anthropology

    Crevice Interments Deconstructed

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    The discovery of two well preserved human crania in a crevice overlooking a spring fed creek near Austin, Texas, led to medico legal, archeological, and bioanthropological investigations aimed at understanding the context and biological affinity of the crania. Archeological excavations uncovered no evidence that the crania were interred in the crevice during prehistoric times. Skeletal analysis showed they were of Native American ancestry. Radiocarbon dating indicated they are contemporary to one another and probably date to the seventh or eighth century A.D. Measured stable isotopic rations of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) and nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N) derived from human bone collagen samples from the crania are not consistent with other burial populations from the region, having higher nitrogen values than all other comparative samples. The crania also showed polish from repeated handling and several of the molars in one cranium had been glued in place. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest the crania were removed from an unknown locality outside the Central Texas region, kept in a private collection, and placed in the crevice recently

    Indigenous University Student Persistence: : Supports, Obstacles, and Recommendations

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    The tumultuous history of Indigenous education in Canada has negatively affected the persistence of Indigenous peoples at university. The research goals of this study were to identify the key supports and obstacles related to Indigenous university student persistence and to make recommendations as to how to improve levels of persistence. Combining interview, survey, and database information with 527 Indigenous students revealed that the strongest factors related to persistence were (a) social engagement, including good relationships with faculty and students, and support services provided by the Indigenous gathering place for Indigenous students on campus; (b) cognitive, such as academic support at university, learning effectively on their own, and hands-on teaching; (c) physical, including insufficient financial support and availability of affordable housing and child care; and (d) cultural, including connections with Indigenous faculty and culture. Age, home location, and parental education were not found to be related to persistence. Keywords: Indigenous, Aboriginal, persistence, university, graduation, Indigenous student experience, CanadaL’histoire tumultueuse de l’éducation des Autochtones au Canada a eu un impact négatif sur la persistance des populations autochtones à l’université. Cette recherche avait pour but d’identifier les principaux soutiens et obstacles liés à la persévérance des étudiants autochtones à l’université et de formuler des recommandations. Des entretiens, des enquêtes et des bases de données convergentes de 527 étudiants autochtones révèlent que les facteurs les plus importants liés à la persévérance sont : a) sociaux – notamment les bonnes relations avec le corps enseignant et les étudiants ainsi que les services fournis par le lieu de rassemblement des Autochtones sur le campus ; b) cognitifs – comme le soutien scolaire à l’université, l’apprentissage efficace personnel et l’enseignement pratique ; c) physiques – dont l’insuffisance de soutien financier, de logement abordable et de services de garde d’enfants ; et d) culturels – principalement en lien avec le nombre d’enseignants autochtones et la culture. L’âge, le lieu de résidence et le niveau d’éducation des parents ne semblent pas associés à la persistance. Mots-clés : autochtones, premières nations, persistance, université, diplomation, expérience des étudiants autochtones, Canad

    What are frail older people prepared to endure to achieve improved mobility following hip fracture? A Discrete Choice Experiment

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    Publisher's version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Objective: To investigate the preferences of frail older people for individualised multidisciplinary rehabilitation to promote recovery from a hip fracture. Design: Discrete Choice Experiment. Setting: Acute and Rehabilitation Hospitals in Adelaide, South Australia. Subjects: Eighty-seven patients with recent hip fracture (16 living in residential care facilities prior to fracture). Methods: Patients providing informed consent (or consenting family carer proxies in cases where patients were unable to provide informed consent (n = 10)) participated in a face to face interview following surgery to repair a fractured hip to assess their preferences for different configurations of rehabilitation programs. Results: Overall, participants expressed a strong preference for improvements in mobility and a willingness to participate in rehabilitation programs involving moderate pain and effort. However, negative preferences were observed for extremely painful interventions involving high levels of effort (2 h per day for 2 months). Subgroup analysis revealed consistently similar preferences according to place of residence (residential care vs community). Conclusions: Improvements in mobility are highly valued by frail older people recovering from hip fracture, including those living in residential care. Further research should be directed towards achieving greater equity in access to rehabilitation services for the wide spectrum of patients attending hospital with hip fractures. Key words: discrete choice experiment; hip fracture; older people; residential care; rehabilitation

    Individual nutrition therapy and exercise regime: A controlled trial of injured, vulnerable elderly (INTERACTIVE trial)

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    Trial registration Australian Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12607000017426.Background Proximal femoral fractures are amongst the most devastating consequences of osteoporosis and injurious accidental falls with 25–35% of patients dying in the first year post-fracture. Effective rehabilitation strategies are evolving however, despite established associations between nutrition, mobility, strength and strength-related functional outcomes; there has been only one small study with older adults immediately following fragility fracture where a combination of both exercise and nutrition have been provided. The aim of the INTERACTIVE trial is to establish whether a six month, individualised exercise and nutrition program commencing within fourteen days of surgery for proximal femur fracture, results in clinically and statistically significant improvements in physical function, body composition and quality of life at an acceptable level of cost and resource use and without increasing the burden of caregivers. Methods and Design This randomised controlled trial will be performed across two sites, a 500 bed acute hospital in Adelaide, South Australia and a 250 bed acute hospital in Sydney, New South Wales. Four hundred and sixty community-dwelling older adults aged > 70 will be recruited after suffering a proximal femoral fracture and followed into the community over a 12-month period. Participants allocated to the intervention group will receive a six month individualised care plan combining resistance training and nutrition therapy commencing within 14 days post-surgery. Outcomes will be assessed by an individual masked to treatment allocation at six and 12 months. To determine differences between the groups at the primary end-point (six months), ANCOVA or logistic regression will be used with models adjusted according to potential confounders. Discussion The INTERACTIVE trial is among the first to combine nutrition and exercise therapy as an early intervention to address the serious consequence of rapid deconditioning and weight loss and subsequent ability to regain pre-morbid function in older patients post proximal femoral fracture. The results of this trial will guide the development of more effective rehabilitation programs, which may ultimately lead to reduced health care costs, and improvements in mobility, independence and quality of life for proximal femoral fracture sufferers

    Cost-effectiveness of individualized nutrition and exercise therapy for rehabilitation following hip fracture

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    OBJECTIVE: To undertake a cost-utility analysis of the Individual Nutrition Therapy and Exercise Regime: A Controlled Trial of Injured, Vulnerable Elderly (INTERACTIVE) trial. DESIGN: Cost-utility analysis of a randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS: A total of 175 patients following a hip fracture were allocated to receive either alternate weekly visits from a physical therapist and dietitian (intervention group), or social visits for 6 months (control group). METHODS: Costs for utilization of hospitals, health and community services were compared with quality-adjusted life years gained, calculated from responses to the Assessment of Quality of Life instrument. RESULTS: There were minimal differences in mean costs between the intervention (AUD45,331standarddeviation(SD):AUD 45,331 standard deviation (SD): AUD 23,012) and the control group (AUD44,764SD:AUD 44,764 SD: AUD 20,712, p = 0.868), but a slightly higher mean gain in quality-adjusted life years in the intervention group (0.155, SD: 0.132) compared with the control group (0.139, SD: 0.149, p = 0.470). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $AUD 28,350 per quality-adjusted life year gained, which is below the implied cost-effectiveness threshold utilized by regulatory authorities in Australia. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive 6-month programme of therapy from dietitians and physical therapists could be provided at a relatively low additional cost in this group of frail older adults, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicates likely cost-effectiveness, although there was a very high level of uncertainty in the findings

    Walking aid use after discharge following hip fracture is rarely reviewed and often inappropriate: an observational study

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    Copyright © Australian Physiotherapy Association 2010 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND). For non-commercial purposes, lets others distribute and copy the article, and to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), as long as they credit the author(s) and provided they do not alter or modify the article.Questions What walking aid prescription occurs at discharge after hip fracture? What changes in walking aid use occur in the following six months? Who initiates changes in walking aids and why? Design Prospective longitudinal observational study. Participants 95 community-dwelling older adults who had undergone surgical treatment of a hip fracture. Outcome measures Range of walking aids prescribed at discharge and participants’ recall of advice about progression were recorded. Progression of walking aids was observed fortnightly over 6 months. With any change in walking aid use, an independent physiotherapist determined if it was appropriate and participants reported the reason for the change. Results Most participants were discharged from their final inpatient setting with a wheeled frame (92%). Eighty-two (86%) participants were not aware of any goals set by the physiotherapist for the first 6 months and 89 (94%) stated that a review time had not been set. Despite this, 78 (82%) participants changed their walking aid, on average 8 weeks (SD 6) after discharge. However, 32% of those who changed their walking aids were using an inappropriate aid or using it incorrectly. Six months after discharge, 40% of participants had not returned to using their pre-morbid indoor aid and 50% their outdoor aid. Conclusion A review of walking aid by a physiotherapist is rare within six months after discharge following hip fracture. Most patients make their own decision about what walking aid is most appropriate. This has safety implications in a group at high risk of falls

    Calculating singlet excited states: comparison with fast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy of coumarins

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    In contrast to the ground state, the calculation of the infrared (IR) spectroscopy of molecular singlet excited states represents a substantial challenge. Here we use the structural IR fingerprint of the singlet excited states of a range of coumarin dyes to assess the accuracy of density functional theory based methods for the calculation of excited state IR spectroscopy. It is shown that excited state Kohn-Sham density functional theory provides a high level of accuracy and represents an alternative approach to time-dependent density functional theory for simulating the IR spectroscopy of the singlet excited states
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