Happiness, Health and Well-Being in a Life Course Perspective : Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis of Sequences of Subjective Indicators

MEXT-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities (2014-2018)Forming a Social Well-being Research Consortium in AsiaSubjective information has recently made a remarkable breakthrough into quantitative data collection and analysis in demography. Seen as a complement to hard statistics, the new perspective it opens seems promising. In the study of life-event histories, pioneering sociologists have developed the qualitative analysis of turning-points based on qualitative life-course narratives; we here present quantitative surveys which recorded factual individual life-event histories together with perceptions of subjective well-being, self-rated health indicators and financial situation over the life course. The interest of this approach is to explore variations in the subjective indicators along individual life courses rather than their absolute level at any point in time; and to confront facts and perceptions in order to better grasp the interpretation of social, familial, health transitions that take place along the life course. We here present how demographers collect such data and how they validate the subjective information against factual data. Some examples of the analysis of individual histories of subjective well-being are then presented and discussed

Laboratory and Clinical Predictors of Disease Progression following Initiation of Combination Therapy in HIV-Infected Adults in Thailand

Background: Data on determinants of long-term disease progression in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are limited in low and middle-income settings. Methods: Effects of current CD4 count, viral load and haemoglobin and diagnosis of AIDS-defining events (ADEs) after start of combination ART (cART) on death and new ADEs were assessed using Poisson regression, in patient aged ≥18 years within a multi-centre cohort in Thailand. Results: Among 1,572 patients, median follow-up from cART initiation was 4.4 (IQR 3.6–6.3) years. The analysis of death was based on 60 events during 6,573 person-years; 30/50 (60%) deaths with underlying cause ascertained were attributable to infections. Analysis of new ADE included 192 events during 5,865 person-years; TB and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia were the most commonly presented first new ADE (35% and 20% of cases, respectively). In multivariable analyses, low current CD4 count after starting cART was the strongest predictor of death and of new ADE. Even at CD4 above 200 cells/mm3, survival improved steadily with CD4, with mortality rare at ≥500 cells/mm3 (rate 1.1 per 1,000 person-years). Haemoglobin had a strong independent effect, while viral load was weakly predictive with poorer prognosis only observed at ≥100,000 copies/ml. Mortality risk increased following diagnosis of ADEs during cART. The decline in mortality rate with duration on cART (from 21.3 per 1,000 person-years within first 6 months to 4.7 per 1,000 person-years at ≥36 months) was accounted for by current CD4 count. Conclusions: Patients with low CD4 count or haemoglobin require more intensive diagnostic and treatment of underlying causes. Maintaining CD4≥500 cells/mm3 minimizes mortality. However, patient monitoring could potentially be relaxed at high CD4 count if resources are limited. Optimal ART monitoring strategies in low-income settings remain a research priority. Better understanding of the aetiology of anaemia in patients on ART could guide prevention and treatment

La situation de l’épidémie VIH/Sida en 2013

Dans son bilan pour l'année 2012, l'ONUSIDA estime à 35,3 millions le nombre de personnes infectées par le VIH dans le monde, avec 2,3 millions de nouvelles infections et 1,6 million de décès dans l'année. L'Afrique sub-saharienne est de loin la région du monde la plus touchée (25 millions de personnes infectées), suivie par l'Asie du Sud et du Sud-Est (4,8 millions). Le poids de l'épidémie dans un pays s'exprime par la proportion de personnes infectées dans l'ensemble de la population adulte (ou prévalence). Elle varie fortement d'un pays à l'autre, le maximum étant atteint en Afrique australe : plus de 20 % de la population adulte dans certains pays

Conformation of the Poly(ethylene Glycol) Chains in DiPEGylated Hemoglobin Specifically Probed by SANS: Correlation with PEG Length and in Vivo Efficiency

Cell-free hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers have long been proposed as blood substitutes but their clinical use remains tricky due to problems of inefficiency and/or toxicity. Conjugation of Hb with the biocompatible polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) greatly improved their performance. However, physiological data suggested a polymer molecular weight (Mw) threshold of about 10 kDa, beyond which the grafting of two PEG chains no longer improves efficiency and nontoxicity of diPEG/Hb conjugates. We used small-angle neutron scattering and contrast variation, which are the only techniques able to probe separately the conformation of PEG chains and Hb protein within the complex, to investigate the role of PEG chain conformation in diPEGylated Hb conjugates as a function of the polymer Mw. We found out that the structure of Hb tetramer is not modified by the polymer grafting. Similarly, with a constant grafting of two chains per protein, there is no significant change of the Gaussian conformation between free and grafted PEG below ∼10 kDa, the complex being well described by the “dumbbell” model. However, beyond that threshold, the radius of gyration of grafted PEG is significantly smaller than that of the free polymer, showing a compaction of the PEG chains, either in the “dumbbell” model or in the “shroud” one. In the latter model, the polymer may be wrapped on the surface of the protein spreading a protective “shielding” effect over a larger fraction of the protein. Both proposed models are in good agreement with the physiological data reported in the literature

A Viable Population of the European Red Squirrel in an Urban Park

<div><p>Whether urban parks can maintain viable and self-sustaining populations over the long term is questionable. In highly urbanized landscapes, urban parks could play a role in biodiversity conservation by providing habitat and resources to native species. However, populations inhabiting urban parks are usually small and isolated, leading to increased demographic stochasticity and genetic drift, with expected negative consequences on their viability. Here, we investigated a European red squirrel population located in an urban park close to Paris, France (Parc de Sceaux; 184 ha) to assess its viability. Using mitochondrial D-loop sequences and 13 microsatellite loci, we showed that the population presented high levels of genetic variation and no evidence of inbreeding. The size of the population was estimated at 100–120 individuals based on the comparison of two census techniques, Distance Sampling and Capture-Mark-Recapture. The estimated heterozygosity level and population size were integrated in a Population Viability Analysis to project the likelihood of the population's persistence over time. Results indicate that the red squirrel population of this urban park can be viable on the long term (i.e. 20 years) for a range of realistic demographic parameters (juvenile survival at least >40%) and immigration rates (at least one immigration event every two years). This study highlights that urban parks can be potential suitable refuges for the red squirrel, a locally threatened species across western European countries, provided that ecological corridors are maintained.</p></div

Map of the Parc de Sceaux showing the distribution of line transects, traps, and woody areas suitable to red squirrels.

<p>Map of the Parc de Sceaux showing the distribution of line transects, traps, and woody areas suitable to red squirrels.</p

Results of simulations run for the population viability analysis of red squirrels population of the Parc de Sceaux.

<p>Results of simulations run for the population viability analysis of red squirrels population of the Parc de Sceaux.</p

Results of the genetic diversity analyses obtained per locus for the red squirrel populations.

<p>Results of the genetic diversity analyses obtained per locus for the red squirrel populations.</p