303 research outputs found
Developmental origins of midlife grip strength: findings from a birth cohort study
No full textBACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that the prenatal environment has long-term effects on adult grip strength, but little is known about the effects of the postnatal environment. We tested whether prepubertal growth, pubertal growth, or the development of motor and cognitive capabilities was associated with midlife muscle strength independently of other determinants of grip strength. METHODS: Handgrip strength and body size were measured in a representative British sample of 1406 men and 1444 women 53 years old with prospective childhood data. Normal regression models were used to examine the effects of birth weight, postnatal height and weight gain before 7 years and between 7 and 15 years, motor milestones and cognitive ability on grip strength at age 53, taking account of lifetime social class, current physical activity, and health status. RESULTS: Birth weight and prepubertal height gain were associated with midlife grip strength, independently of later weight and height gain and other determinants. Pubertal growth was also independently associated with midlife grip strength; for men weight gain during puberty was beneficial, whereas for women it was height gain. Those participants with earlier infant motor development had better midlife grip strength, which was partly confounded by the growth trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that components of prenatal, prepubertal, and pubertal growth have long-term effects on midlife grip strength. To the extent that these associations are modifiable, interventions in childhood that help to build muscle mass and strength, such as increased physical exercise, may have long-term beneficial effects on adult muscle strength and may help to prevent sarcopenia, disability, and frailty in later lif
Developmental origins of midlife physical performance: evidence from a British birth cohort
No full textThe authors hypothesized that 1) physical growth, as a marker of the early development of muscle fibers, and 2) advanced childhood motor and cognitive abilities, as markers of central nervous system development, would be positively related to midlife standing balance and chair rising, independently of later life experiences. They tested these hypotheses in a representative British sample of 1,374 men and 1,410 women aged 53 years in 1999 with prospective childhood measures of heights and weights, age at first standing and walking, cognitive ability, and motor coordination. Weight gain before age 7 years was positively related to adult performance in men but not women, independently of later body size, social class, physical activity, and health status. Attainment of motor milestones at the modal age and higher scores on tests of cognitive ability and motor coordination were associated with better performance, independently of other factors. This study is the first to show that childhood growth and development affect midlife performance; prevention of disability and frailty in later life may need to start earl
Host or pathogen-related factors in COVID-19 severity?
No full textLucy Okell and colleagues1 observed that the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently in marked decline in many countries. Okell and colleagues suggest two possible explanations for this decline, namely the effect of lockdowns, physical distancing, and other interventions; or, alternatively, herd immunity. After analysing trends in cumulative deaths over time in many European countries that went into lockdown at different stages of their epidemic, and data obtained from serology studies on the proportion of the population that had the infection previously, Okell and colleagues found few data to support an explanation that relies on herd immunity.
In the first explanation, there is a high risk of renewed transmission if interventions or behavioural modifications are relaxed. In the explanation regarding herd immunity, further declines in cases and deaths are to be expected even in the absence of interventions or behavioural modifications. We support Okell and colleagues for stating that identifying the most probable explanation is key to any future plans to lift physical distancing and travel restrictions. However, we would like to suggest a third explanation linked to changes in the pathogen, and hence in disease severity.Peer reviewe
From intervention to impact: modelling the potential mortality impact achievable by different long-lasting, insecticide-treated net delivery strategies.
No full textBACKGROUND: The current target of universal access to long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets (LLIN) is 80% coverage to reduce malaria deaths by 75% by 2015. So far, campaigns have been the main channel for large-scale delivery of LLINs, however the World Health Organization has recommended that equal priority should be given to delivery via routine antenatal care (ANC) and immunization systems (EPI) to target pregnant women and children from birth. These various channels of LLIN delivery are targeted to children of different ages. Since risk of mortality varies with child age and LLIN effectiveness declines with net age, it was hypothesized that the age at which a child receives a new LLIN, and therefore the delivery channel, is important in optimizing the health impact of a net. METHODS: A simple dynamic mathematical model was developed of delivery and impact of LLINs among children under five years of age and their household members, incorporating data on age-specific malaria death rates, net use by household structure, and net efficacy over time. RESULTS: The presented analysis finds that supplementing a universal mass campaign with extra ANC delivery would achieve a 1.4 times higher mortality reduction than campaign delivery alone, reflecting that children born in the years between campaigns would otherwise have access to old nets or no nets at an age of high risk. The relative advantage of supplementary ANC delivery is still present though smaller if malaria transmission levels are lower or if there is a strong mass effect achieved by mass campaigns. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that LLIN delivery policies must take into account the age of greatest malaria risk. Emphasis should be placed on supporting routine delivery of LLINs to young children as well as campaigns
Dual-calibrated fMRI measurement of absolute cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption and effective oxygen diffusivity
No full textDual-calibrated fMRI is a multi-parametric technique that allows for the quantification of the resting oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), the absolute rate of cerebral metabolic oxygen consumption (CMRO 2 ), cerebral vascular reactivity (CVR) and baseline perfusion (CBF). It combines measurements of arterial spin labelling (ASL) and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal changes during hypercapnic and hyperoxic gas challenges. Here we propose an extension to this methodology that permits the simultaneous quantification of the effective oxygen diffusivity of the capillary network (D C ). The effective oxygen diffusivity has the scope to be an informative biomarker and useful adjunct to CMRO 2 , potentially providing a non-invasive metric of microvascular health, which is known to be disturbed in a range of neurological diseases. We demonstrate the new method in a cohort of healthy volunteers (n = 19) both at rest and during visual stimulation. The effective oxygen diffusivity was found to be highly correlated with CMRO 2 during rest and activation, consistent with previous PET observations of a strong correlation between metabolic oxygen demand and effective diffusivity. The increase in effective diffusivity during functional activation was found to be consistent with previously reported increases in capillary blood volume, supporting the notion that measured oxygen diffusivity is sensitive to microvascular physiology
How typology allows for a new analysis of the verb phrase in Burmese
No full textInternational audienceBurmese has been studied by westerner scholars since 18e century. Recent works containing good description of the language (or part of the language) are Allott (1965), Okell (1969), Bernot (1980), Wheatley (1982), Bernot et al (2001), Allott &. Okell (2001). However comparison of the description made by these authors leads to different analysis of the verbal phrase. For instance the list of optional verbal morphemes (particles and auxiliaries) varies depending of the criteria used by the author for his analysis. Moreover, as in many Asian languages, groups of verbs not separated by connectors exist in Burmese. These verbal phrases composed by several verb roots have identical form in surface. However, they cannot be analyzed in the same way. They can correspond to lexical expressions, or compounds and be listed in dictionaries. The verbal phrase may be analyzed as a prototypical serial verbs construction (SVC), here is to say, part of one clause only which refers to a unique event. Third possibility : some of the verb roots can be grammaticalized and be considered as auxiliaries. Given the identical surface forms and the different under-laying structures, we look for a model allowing us to treat together phenomenon traditionally analyzed separately. Therefore, the notion of serial verbs construction (CVS) recently developed by Déchaine (1993), Durie (1997) or, Aikhenvald & Dixon (in press) among others help us to build the adequate frame for a more global approach of the VP in Burmese
Review of "The universal Burmese-English-Pali dictionary"
No full textStudents of Burmese in the English speaking world have been blessed with a new Burmese-English dictionary: The Universal Burmese-English-Pali Dictionary by U Hoke Sein (for details see References below). The preface reveals that we nearly missed it. The author's intention was to write a Burmese-Pali dictionary, a sequel to his Pali-Burmese dictionary, but the Ara-sahlciut Hsaya-daw (long may he flourish) seems to have provided the stimulus that led U Hoke Sein (HS) to insert an English gloss between the Burmese entry and the Pali equivalent (p.ja). The result is the present Burmese-English-Pali dictionary. Its author is a distinguished lawyer, and the dictionary took him 30 years to compile (p.1066). For its last seven years he worked at it full time (p.ja).Published versio
Potential Contribution of Sero-Epidemiological Analysis for Malaria Elimination: Historical and Current Perspectives
No full textEarly motherhood and mental health in midlife: a study of British and American cohorts.
No full textOBJECTIVES: Examine the relationship between early age at first birth and mental health among women in their fifties. METHODS: Analysis of data on women from a British 1946 birth cohort study and the U.S. Health and Retirement Study birth cohort of 1931-1941. RESULTS: In both samples a first birth before 21 years, compared to a later first birth, is associated with poorer mental health. The association between early first birth and poorer mental health persists in the British study even after controlling for early socioeconomic status, midlife socioeconomic status and midlife health. In the U.S. sample, the association becomes non-significant after controlling for educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Early age at first birth is associated with poorer mental health among women in their fifties in both studies, though the pattern of associations differs
The potential contribution of mass treatment to the control of plasmodium falciparum malaria
No full textMass treatment as a means to reducing P. falciparum malaria transmission was used during the first global malaria eradication campaign and is increasingly being considered for current control programmes. We used a previously developed mathematical transmission model to explore both the short and long-term impact of possible mass treatment strategies in different scenarios of endemic transmission. Mass treatment is predicted to provide a longer-term benefit in areas with lower malaria transmission, with reduced transmission levels for at least 2 years after mass treatment is ended in a scenario where the baseline slide-prevalence is 5%, compared to less than one year in a scenario with baseline slide-prevalence at 50%. However, repeated annual mass treatment at 80% coverage could achieve around 25% reduction in infectious bites in moderate-to-high transmission settings if sustained. Using vector control could reduce transmission to levels at which mass treatment has a longer-term impact. In a limited number of settings (which have isolated transmission in small populations of 1000–10,000 with low-to-medium levels of baseline transmission) we find that five closely spaced rounds of mass treatment combined with vector control could make at least temporary elimination a feasible goal. We also estimate the effects of using gametocytocidal treatments such as primaquine and of restricting treatment to parasite-positive individuals. In conclusion, mass treatment needs to be repeated or combined with other interventions for long-term impact in many endemic settings. The benefits of mass treatment need to be carefully weighed against the risks of increasing drug selection pressure
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