The design of caring environments and the quality of life of older people

There has been little systematic research into the design of care environments for older people. This article reviews empirical studies from both the architectural and the psychological literature. It outlines the instruments that are currently available for measuring both the environment and the quality of life of older people, and it summarises the evidence on the layout of buildings, the sensory environment and the privacy of residents. The conclusion is drawn that all evidence-based design must be a compromise or dynamic and, as demands on the caring environment change over time, this compromise must be re-visited in the form of post-occupancy evaluation

Development and validation of a risk score for chronic kidney disease in HIV infection using prospective cohort data from the D:A:D study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue for HIV-positive individuals, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Development and implementation of a risk score model for CKD would allow comparison of the risks and benefits of adding potentially nephrotoxic antiretrovirals to a treatment regimen and would identify those at greatest risk of CKD. The aims of this study were to develop a simple, externally validated, and widely applicable long-term risk score model for CKD in HIV-positive individuals that can guide decision making in clinical practice

Association of the CCR5 gene with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) has been shown to be important in the recruitment of T-helper cells to the synovium, where they accumulate, drive the inflammatory process and the consequent synovitis and joint destruction. A 32 base-pair insertion/deletion variant (CCR5Δ32) within the gene leads to a frame shift and a nonfunctional receptor. CCR5Δ32 has been investigated for its association with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CCR5Δ32 is associated with JIA in an UK population. CCR5Δ32 was genotyped in JIA cases (n=1054) and healthy controls (n=3129) and genotype and allele frequencies were compared. A meta-analysis of our study combined with previously published studies was performed. CCR5Δ32 was significantly associated with protection from developing JIA, in this UK data set (P(trend)=0.006, odds ratio (OR) 0.79 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.66-0.94). The meta-analysis of all published case-control association studies confirmed the protective association with JIA (P=0.001 OR 0.82 95% CI: 0.73-0.93). CCR5Δ32 is a functional variant determining the number of receptors on the surface of T cells, and it is hypothesized that the level of CCR5 expression could influence the migration of proinflammatory T cells into the synovium and thus susceptibility to JIA

Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature

The present literature review is an attempt to gather and summarize the extent of our knowledge of the productivity trends and levels in the forest products sector. We consider single factor as well as total factor productivity definitions. The studies ?from around the world but mainly focusing on the Canadian and American forest product industries ?have been regrouped in sections: (1) general, (2) logging, (3) saw milling, lumber and wood products, and (4) pulp and paper studies.The report also synthesizes the findings of the studies along two lines: (1) the overall productivity growth trends in Canada and other countries and a comparison between forest products sectors in Canada and the United States; and (2) the determinants of productivity growth.Forestry, Forest Products, Logging, Wood Products, Primary Manufacturing, Primary Industries, Pulp and Paper, Paper Products, Forestry Industry, Canada, United States, Productivity, Productivity Growth

Religion in the lives of American adolescents

The purpose of the project is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.Summary of research findings on the influence of religion on the lives of U.S. adolescents.The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith, professor in the Department of Sociology, is based at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This four-year research project began in August 2001 and will continue until August 2006

Outcomes of ab interno trabeculectomy with the trabectome by degree of angle opening.

AimTo analyse ab interno trabeculectomy (AIT) with the trabectome and combined phacoemulsification with AIT (phaco-AIT) by Shaffer angle grade (SG).MethodsProspective study of AIT and phaco-AIT with narrow angles of SG≤2 versus open angles ≥3. Outcomes included intraocular pressure (IOP), medications, complications, secondary surgery and success (IOP <21 mm Hg and >20% reduction without further surgery). Exclusion criteria were missing preoperative data and <1 year follow-up.ResultsOf 671 included cases, at 1 year AIT SG≤2 (n=43) had an IOP reduction of 42% from 27.3±7.4 to 15.7±3.0 mm Hg (p<0.01) versus AIT SG≥3 (n=271) with an IOP reduction of 37% from 26.1±7.8 to 16.4±3.9 mm Hg (p<0.01). In phaco-AIT with SG≤2 (n=48), IOP was reduced 24% from 20.7±7.0 to 15.7±3.6 mm Hg (p<0.01) versus phaco-AIT with SG≥3 (n=309) with an IOP reduction of 25% from 22.6±6.4 to 17.0±3.4 mm Hg (p<0.01). There was no difference between SG≤2 and SG≥3 in reduction of IOP or medications, complications, secondary surgery and success rates (p>0.05).ConclusionsSG≤2 is not associated with worse outcomes in AIT or phaco-AIT

Association of the AFF3 gene and IL2/IL21 gene region with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Recent genetic studies have led to identification of numerous loci that are associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. The strategy of using information from these studies has facilitated the identification of novel juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) susceptibility loci, specifically, PTPN22 and IL2RA. Several novel autoimmune susceptibility loci have recently been identified, and we hypothesise that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within these genes may also be JIA susceptibility loci. Five SNPs within the genes AFF3, IL2/IL21, IL7R, CTLA4 and CD226, previously associated with multiple autoimmune diseases were genotyped, in a large data set of Caucasian JIA patients and controls, and tested for association with JIA. We identified two susceptibility loci for JIA, AFF3 and the IL2/IL21 region and additional weak evidence supporting an association with the CTLA4 and IL7R genes, which warrant further investigation. All results require validation in independent JIA data sets. Further characterisation of the specific causal variants will be required before functional studies can be performed