Recipient age as a determinant factor of patient and graft survival

Producción CientíficaBackground. Age of renal transplants has been related to death, alloimmune response and graft outcome. We reviewed the influence of patient age on transplant outcome in three cohorts of patients transplanted in Spain during the 1990s. Methods. Patient age was categorized into four groups (I, 18–40; II, 41–50; III, 51–60; and IV, > 60 years). Risks factors for acute rejection were evaluated by logistic regression adjusting for transplant centre and transplantation year, while a Cox proportional hazard model was employed for analysing patient and graft survival. Results. Older patients had a higher death rate (I, 3.5%; II, 7.7%; III, 13.2%; and IV, 16.9%; P<0.001), but a lower standardized mortality index (I, 7.6; II, 7.0; III, 5.8; and IV, 4.1; P = 0.0019). Older patients had the lowest risk of acute rejection [odds ratio (OR) 0.79 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66–0.97 for group II; OR 0.75 and 95% CI 0.62–0.91 for group III; OR 0.43 and 95% CI 0.33–0.56 for group IV). Death-censored graft survival was poorer in patients older than 60 years (relative risk 1.40; 95% CI 1.09–1.80), but this result was not explained by any combination of patient age with donor age, delayed graft function or immunosuppression. Conclusions. Patient age is a main determinant of transplant outcome. Although death rate is higher for older patients, standardized mortality was not. Thus, the efforts to reduce mortality should be also implemented in younger patients. Old patients have a low risk of acute rejection but a poorer death-censored graft survival. This last result was not explained by any controlled variable in our study

Risk Factor of Measles in Children Age 1-14 Years in Metro Pusat District Lampung Province 2013-2014

Background: Measles is a an acute disease caused by paramyxovirus. In Lampung province incidence rate (IR) of measles is 5,89 per 100,000 population and in Metro Pusat it still high (38,8%). Aim of this research is to know the risk factor of measles in children age 1-14 years in Metro Pusat District 2013-2014. Method: This research use cases control design, sample in this research was 102, consisting of 34 cases and 68 control. The sample collecting by taking all the clinical case, while control by neighborhood. Data collecting by questionnaire and observation home environment. Data were analyzed using univariat, bivariat, and multivariate analysis. Result: The results of research that measles associated with maternal occupation (OR 3.2; CI 95% 1,355-7,798), immunization status (OR 3,0; CI 95% 1,242-7,646), history of contact (OR 3.7; CI 95% 1,199-11,545), family income (OR 3,0; CI 95% 1,242-7,464), and density of occupancy (OR 3.3; CI 95% 1,348-8,277). Next the results of multivariate analysis that risk factor of measles is maternal occupation,giving breastfeeding, history of contact, family income, and the density of occupancy. Conclusion: Measles determinants is the history of contact. The advice can be given that this research should be done monitoring and activities counseling , information and education about measles, exclusive breastfeeding and providing vitamin A, then training cadres can move liveliness mother in posyandu activities, and Counseling to mother about treatment of child with measles

Age Optimal Information Gathering and Dissemination on Graphs

We consider the problem of timely exchange of updates between a central station and a set of ground terminals $V$, via a mobile agent that traverses across the ground terminals along a mobility graph $G = (V, E)$. We design the trajectory of the mobile agent to minimize peak and average age of information (AoI), two newly proposed metrics for measuring timeliness of information. We consider randomized trajectories, in which the mobile agent travels from terminal $i$ to terminal $j$ with probability $P_{i,j}$. For the information gathering problem, we show that a randomized trajectory is peak age optimal and factor-$8\mathcal{H}$ average age optimal, where $\mathcal{H}$ is the mixing time of the randomized trajectory on the mobility graph $G$. We also show that the average age minimization problem is NP-hard. For the information dissemination problem, we prove that the same randomized trajectory is factor-$O(\mathcal{H})$ peak and average age optimal. Moreover, we propose an age-based trajectory, which utilizes information about current age at terminals, and show that it is factor-$2$ average age optimal in a symmetric setting

Structural basis for complement factor H-linked age-related macular degeneration

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Nearly 50 million people worldwide suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which causes severe loss of central vision. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the gene for the complement regulator factor H (FH), which causes a Tyr-to-His substitution at position 402, is linked to approximately 50% of attributable risks for AMD. We present the crystal structure of the region of FH containing the polymorphic amino acid His402 in complex with an analogue of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that localize the complement regulator on the cell surface. The structure demonstrates direct coordination of ligand by the disease-associated polymorphic residue, providing a molecular explanation of the genetic observation. This glycan-binding site occupies the center of an extended interaction groove on the regulator's surface, implying multivalent binding of sulfated GAGs. This finding is confirmed by structure-based site-directed mutagenesis, nuclear magnetic resonance-monitored binding experiments performed for both H402 and Y402 variants with this and another model GAG, and analysis of an extended GAG-FH complex.B. Prosser is funded by the Wellcome Trust Structural Biology Training Program (075415/Z/04/Z). S. Johnson and P. Roversi were funded by grants to S.M. Lea from the Medical Research Council (MRC) of the United Kingdom (grants G0400389 and G0400775). D. Uhrin and P.N. Barlow were funded by the Wellcome Trust (078780/ Z/05/Z). S.J. Clark was funded by an MRC Doctoral Training Account (G78/7925), and R.B. Sim and A.J. Day were funded by MRC core funding to the MRC Immunochemistry Unit

Optimizing Age of Information in Wireless Networks with Perfect Channel State Information

Age of information (AoI), defined as the time elapsed since the last received update was generated, is a newly proposed metric to measure the timeliness of information updates in a network. We consider AoI minimization problem for a network with general interference constraints, and time varying channels. We propose two policies, namely, virtual-queue based policy and age-based policy when the channel state is available to the network scheduler at each time step. We prove that the virtual-queue based policy is nearly optimal, up to a constant additive factor, and the age-based policy is at-most factor 4 away from optimality. Comparing with our previous work, which derived age optimal policies when channel state information is not available to the scheduler, we demonstrate a 4 fold improvement in age due to the availability of channel state information

The italian version of the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC). Factor structure and reliability

The aims of the study were to investigate factor structure and reliability of the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC), originally validated by Rieffe et al. (2006), on an Italian population. A total sample of 1265 participants, ranging in age from 8 to 14 years, filled in the Italian version of the AQC and 160 children also completed the Youth Self Report (YSR), during school time. A sub-sample (N = 60) was retested after eight weeks for an assessment of the measure’s stability. The three-factor model reported good fit indices on the total sample, even though not all items loading on the Externally Oriented Thinking (EOT) factor appeared statistically relevant. Moreover, the model was only partially invariant across gender and age groups: analysis indicated developmental gender-specific differences on Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF) and EOT factors. Significant correlations were found between AQC scores and the YSR internalizing and externalizing symptomatology scales. In conclusion, the three-factor model was confirmed and some evidence emerged concerning its generalization to gender and age-group

Establishment of prophylactic enoxaparin dosing recommendations to achieve targeted anti-factor Xa concentrations in children with CHD

Background Enoxaparin may be used to prevent central venous catheter-related thrombosis in patients with CHD. We aimed to determine whether current enoxaparin dosing regimens effectively achieve anti-factor Xa concentrations within prophylactic goal ranges in this patient population. Methods We implemented a formal protocol aimed at reducing central venous catheter-related thrombosis in children with CHD in January, 2016. Standard empiric prophylactic enoxaparin dosing regimens were used – for example, 0.75 mg/kg/dose every 12 hours for patients <2 months of age and 0.5 mg/kg/dose every 12 hours for patients ⩾2 months of age – with anti-factor Xa goal range of 0.25–0.49 IU/ml. Patients <2 years of age who received enoxaparin and had at least one valid steady-state anti-factor Xa measurement between 25 January, 2016 and 31 August, 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Results During the study period, 47 patients had 186 anti-factor Xa concentrations measured, of which 20 (11%) were above and 112 (60%) were below the prophylactic goal range. Anti-factor Xa concentrations within the goal range were ultimately achieved in 31 patients. Median dose required to achieve anti-factor Xa concentrations within the prophylactic range was 0.89 mg/kg/dose (25, 75%: 0.75, 1.11) for patients <2 months (n=23 patients) and 0.79 mg/kg/dose (25, 75%: 0.62, 1.11) for patients ⩾2 months (n=8 patients). Conclusions Enoxaparin doses required to achieve prophylactic anti-factor Xa concentrations in young children with CHD were consistently higher than the currently recommended prophylactic dosing regimens. Further study is needed to determine whether dose titration to achieve prophylactic anti-factor Xa concentrations is effective in preventing central venous catheter-related thrombosis

The Italian version of the Thinking About Life Experiences Questionnaire and its relationship with gender, age, and life events on Facebook

The present study provided a cross-cultural validation of the Thinking About Life Experiences Scale-revised (TALE-R) in an Italian sample of Facebook users (n = 492; female = 378; male = 114; mean age 26.1) to test for replication and universality of the TALE-R three-factor model. Furthermore, it explored the interrelations among gender, age, the scores at the TALE-R and the frequency of posting textual/visual information about individuals' life events on Facebook. Results at exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis gave empirical support to both of a tripartite model for the functions of autobiographical memory (i.e., directive-behavior, social-bonding, and self-continuity) and measurement invariance of this three-factor model across gender and age. Further results at linear correlation and regression analyses showed that directive-behavior and self-continuity functions of autobiographical memory are significantly related to the ways people use Facebook for personal documentation. Age differences more than gender influence this association. Discussion and conclusion reported both theoretical and empirical implications of the findings of the study