Long term follow-up of health-related quality of life in young adults born very preterm or with a very low birth weight

Background\ud \ud The purpose was, first, to evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a cohort of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g.) or very preterm (< 32 weeks of gestation) children between ages 14 and 19, and second, to identify correlates of HRQL at age 19. \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud HRQL was assessed using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3). In order to explore correlates of HRQL, we performed a hierarchical regression analysis. \ud \ud Results\ud \ud Surviving VLBW children (n = 959) from a 1983 Dutch nation-wide cohort were eligible; 630 participated both at age 14 and 19; 54 at age 19 only. The mean HRQL score decreased from 0.87 to 0.86. The HRQL of 45% was stable, 25% were better and 30% were worse. A regression model showed internalizing problems were related most strongly to HRQL. \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud In the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, HRQL in Dutch VLBW children was stable at the group level but varied at the individual level. HRQL was negatively associated with internalizing problems and also with physical handicaps. Long-term follow-up studies on the impact of VLBW on HRQL are all the more called for, given the growing number of vulnerable infants surviving the neonatal period.\u

A biophysical model of dynamic balancing of excitation and inhibition in fast oscillatory large-scale networks

Over long timescales, neuronal dynamics can be robust to quite large perturbations, such as changes in white matter connectivity and grey matter structure through processes including learning, aging, development and certain disease processes. One possible explanation is that robust dynamics are facilitated by homeostatic mechanisms that can dynamically rebalance brain networks. In this study, we simulate a cortical brain network using the Wilson-Cowan neural mass model with conduction delays and noise, and use inhibitory synaptic plasticity (ISP) to dynamically achieve a spatially local balance between excitation and inhibition. Using MEG data from 55 subjects we find that ISP enables us to simultaneously achieve high correlation with multiple measures of functional connectivity, including amplitude envelope correlation and phase locking. Further, we find that ISP successfully achieves local E/I balance, and can consistently predict the functional connectivity computed from real MEG data, for a much wider range of model parameters than is possible with a model without ISP

Tussen koppen kiezen : Experimenteel onderzoek naar de effecten van inhoudelijke en thematische koppen in zakenbrieven

This study investigates the effects of thematic and topic sentence headings in business letters. In an experiment readers evaluated letters in which the headings were manipulated (no headings, thematic headings and topic sentence headings). The results show that letters with heading are valued higher than letters without headings. Topic sentence headings performed slightly better than thematic. No effect were found on retention of information

The charge of micro-particles in a low pressure spatial plasma afterglow

In this letter, we present charge measurements of micro-particles in the spatial afterglow (remote plasma) of an inductively coupled low pressure radiofrequency plasma. The particle afterglow charge of (-30 ± 7) e, being deducted from their acceleration in an externally applied electric field, is about three orders of magnitude lower compared to the typical charge expected in the bulk of such plasmas. This difference is explained by a relatively simplistic analytical model applying orbital motion limited theory in the afterglow region. From an application perspective, our results enable further understanding and development of in situ plasma-based particle contamination control for ultra-clean low pressure environments

Health-related quality of life for extremely low birth weight adolescents in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to compare health-related quality of life of 12- to 16-year-old adolescents born at an extremely low birth weight in regional cohorts from Ontario (Canada), Bavaria (Germany), and the Netherlands. METHODS. Patients were extremely low birth weight survivors from Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. Health-related quality of life was assessed with Health Utilities Index 3. Missing data were substituted by proxy reports. Differences in mean Health Utilities Index 3 scores were tested by using analysis of variance. Differences in the numbers of children with affected attributes were tested by using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS. Survival rates were similar; response rates varied between 71% and 90%. Significant differences in health-related quality of life were found between the cohorts, with Dutch children scoring highest on Health Utilities Index 3 and German children scoring lowest, independent of birth weight, gestational age, and cerebral palsy. Differences in mean utility scores were mainly attributable to differences in the cognition health attribute. Most of the results were corroborated by logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS. There were significant differences between the 3 cohorts in health-related quality of life, not related to differences in birth weight, gestational age, or cerebral palsy. Survival and response rates alone cannot explain these differences

Long term follow-up of health-related quality of life in young adults born very preterm or with a very low birth weight

Abstract Background The purpose was, first, to evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a cohort of very low birth weight (VLBW; Methods HRQL was assessed using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3). In order to explore correlates of HRQL, we performed a hierarchical regression analysis. Results Surviving VLBW children (n = 959) from a 1983 Dutch nation-wide cohort were eligible; 630 participated both at age 14 and 19; 54 at age 19 only. The mean HRQL score decreased from 0.87 to 0.86. The HRQL of 45% was stable, 25% were better and 30% were worse. A regression model showed internalizing problems were related most strongly to HRQL. Conclusions In the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, HRQL in Dutch VLBW children was stable at the group level but varied at the individual level. HRQL was negatively associated with internalizing problems and also with physical handicaps. Long-term follow-up studies on the impact of VLBW on HRQL are all the more called for, given the growing number of vulnerable infants surviving the neonatal period.</p

The charge of micro-particles in a low pressure spatial plasma afterglow

\u3cp\u3eIn this letter, we present charge measurements of micro-particles in the spatial afterglow (remote plasma) of an inductively coupled low pressure radiofrequency plasma. The particle afterglow charge of (-30 ± 7) e, being deducted from their acceleration in an externally applied electric field, is about three orders of magnitude lower compared to the typical charge expected in the bulk of such plasmas. This difference is explained by a relatively simplistic analytical model applying orbital motion limited theory in the afterglow region. From an application perspective, our results enable further understanding and development of in situ plasma-based particle contamination control for ultra-clean low pressure environments.\u3c/p\u3

Employment in adults with congenital heart disease

To evaluate job participation, career-related problems, and actual job problems in adults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) compared with adults with mild CHD and reference groups. Cross-sectional study. Patients were randomly selected from the archives of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. In total, 76 patients with complex CHD and 80 with mild CHD (age range, 17-32 years) completed a self-reported questionnaire on employment and handicaps, with reference data available (response rate, 70%). In the study groups, 45 (59%) of 76 patients with complex CHD had a paid job compared with 61 (76%) of 80 patients with mild CHD. Patients older than 25 years with complex CHD had significantly lower job participation (64%) than the general population (83%). Multiple logistic regression showed that type of CHD and level of education were significantly and independently related to job participation (odds ratio, 4.8; 99% confidence interval, 1.2-19.6; and odds ratio, 4.7; 99% confidence interval, 1.3-17.2, respectively). Of the 76 patients with complex CHD, 42 (55%) experienced disease-related career problems, in contrast to only 1 patient with mild CHD. Both CHD groups had more job-related mobility handicaps than did the reference group. However, in the mild CHD group, handicaps could be attributed to additional noncardiac diseases. Patients with complex CHD have reduced job participation compared with patients with mild CHD and the general population. Many receive disability benefits or experience career problems or job handicaps. Career counseling focusing on physical abilities and level of education may help prevent or reduce these job-related problem