Whole Spine Disc Degeneration Survey according to the Ages and Sex Using Pfirrmann Disc Degeneration Grades

OBJECTIVE: Pfirrmann disc grade is a useful scoring tool for evaluating disc degeneration, but normal values according to aging process has not been elucidated. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence and pattern of whole spine disc degeneration according to ages and gender differences. METHODS: Total 653 patients (336 male and 317 female patients, 48.1±58.7 years old) who took whole spine magnetic resonance images were enrolled in this study. There were 19 cases in their 2nd decades and 74 cases in 3rd decades, 141 cases in 4th decades, 129 cases in 5th decades, 139 cases in 6th decades, and 93 cases in 7th decades, 58 cases in over 8th decades. Pfirrmann disc grades were measured according to sex and ages by 2 neurosurgeons that were blind to this study. RESULTS: All spinal disc degeneration grades were correlated with ageing. The Pfirrmann disc grades of degeneration in all spine levels showed the statistically significant difference according to the ages (p < 0.001). The common Pfirrmann disc grades according to the ages were grade 3 among 2nd to 5th decades, and grade 4 was more common than 6th decades. The lower cervical level (C2–3 to C4–5) and lumbar level (L1–2 to L5–S1) were happened relatively early severe disc degeneration compared to other levels. The intersexual differences were increased after 6th decades. CONCLUSION: Disc degeneration is natural course after one’s 2nd decades. And its incidence and grade were increased with age, and more affected by sexual difference after 6th decades.

Three decades of reference evapotranspiration estimates for a tropical watershed in the eastern Amazon

ABSTRACT This study estimated the reference evapotranspiration rate (ETo) for the Itacaiúnas River Watershed (IRW), Eastern Amazonia, and measured the accuracy of eight empirical equations: Penman-Monteith (PM), Priestley-Taylor (PT), Hargreaves and Samani (HS), Camargo (CAM), Thornthwaite (TH), Hamon (HM), Kharrufa (KF) and Turc (TC) using monthly data from 1980 to 2013. In addition, it verifies the regional applicability to the IRW using a for the Marabá-PA station. The methods TC and PM (FAO56) presented the best results, which demonstrate that radiation and higher temperatures are the dominant drivers in the Evapotranspiration process, while relative humidity and wind speed have a much smaller impact. The temporal and spatial variability of ETo for IRW show has strong seasonality, increasing during the dry season and decreasing during the rainy season. The statistical analyses at 1% level of significance, indicates that there is no correlation of the residuals between the dry and rainy seasons, and test of the physical parameters such as mean temperature, solar radiation and relative air humidity explains the variations of ETo.

Mortalidad materna en las primeras décadas del siglo xx / Maternal Mortality during the early decades of 20th century

Objetivo: describir la mortalidad materna ocurrida entre 1910 y 1949. Métodos: investigación descriptiva y documental. Resultados: en las cuatro primeras décadas estudiadas de 1910 a 1949, la mortalidad materna en Cuba mostró un descenso de 51,0 por ciento, desde tasas de 493,4 por 100 000 nacidos vivos en la década 1910-1919 a tasas de 242,2 en la década de 1940-1949, en una época en la que no existían los antibióticos ni los bancos de sangre, ni tampoco se había generalizado la atención prenatal. Estas cifras no deben considerarse demasiado elevadas en aquellos años en un país subdesarrollado. El notable descenso de una década a otra, es testimonio de la lucha contra sus principales causas, llevada a cabo por profesores y discípulos, por el desarrollo obtenido por las mujeres, las facilidades del transporte, la disponibilidad de médicos, enfermeras y comadronas y el alcance obtenido por los medios masivos de comunicación como la radio y la prensa escrita. Se muestran los descensos obtenidos en las principales causas de muerte como la infección puerperal, las muertes por hemorragia y las debidas a eclampsia convulsiva y preclampsia. Conclusiones: el comportamiento de las cifras analizadas no es una simple coincidencia con la aplicación en Cuba de los nuevos cambios en la medicina en general, y en la atención materna en particular, sino también la influencia que tuvo en la salud el desarrollo económico y social de la nación

Objective: to describe cases of maternal deaths between 1910 and 1949. Methods: descriptive and documentary research. Results: in the first four decades surveyed from 1910 to 1949, maternal mortality in Cuba showed a decrease of 51.0 percent from rates of 493.4 per 100 000 live births from 1910 to 1919 at a rate of 242.2 during 1940-1949, at a time when there were no antibiotics or blood banks, nor was widespread prenatal care. These figures should not be considered as too high in those years in an underdeveloped country. The sharp decline during these decades is an evidence of the fight against the main causes, conducted by teachers and pupils, by the work achieved by women, the availability of doctors, nurses, midwives and means of transportation, and the extended scope of mass media such as radio and print media. The declines in the leading causes of death as puerperal infection, bleeding and deaths due to preeclampsia and convulsive eclampsia are shown in the study. Conclusions: the behavior of the data examined is not a mere coincidence with the implementation of the new changes in medical general practice in general in Cuba, and particularly maternal care, but also influence it had on the health and social-economic development of the whole nation

Age assessment from radiological cranial suture closure in fourth to seventh decades (A Jaipur based study).

Reasonably a correct estimation of age in important in Legal, Medical, Social and Administrative matters i.e. regularization of temporary employee, retirement from service or superannuation, re-employment in services, settlement of pension cases, distribution of old age pension, potency certification, for relaxation in imprisonment on the grounds of old age and good behavior of a prisoner, to provide senior citizen benefits etc. In the dead person the age estimation at the time of autopsy is done to help the Investigating Officer. In India and other countries the task of scientific confirmation of disputed age issue of civil and criminal nature is the domain of Forensic Expert. This study is done to determine the age of individual in the fourth decade to seventh decades by correlating radiological finding of various views of skull along with the other physical findings. Maximum Number of cases was in the age group of 51-55 yrs (17%). Female to male ratio was 1:2.2, 66% cases were urban and 34% were rural, 72% Hindu and 73% were from Middle class.

Intracranial Aneurysms during the First Three Decades

A retrospective review was performed of 33 patients aged under 30 with intracranial aneurysms; seven were between ten and nineteen years old, and 26 were in their twenties. Aneurysms were much more common in men, with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. Among the younger age group, the most frequent location was the internal carotid artery(71.4%), and in those in their twenties, the anterior communicating artery(61.5%). Compared with the overall patients with intracranial aneurysms, aneurysms of anterior communicating artery, internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery were more common among the younger patients, but middle cerebral artery and multiple aneurysms were rare in this age group. Angiographic vasospasms were observed in 8 patients, but symptomatic vasospasms were seen in only three, none of whom were in the younger age group. All patients underwent direct clipping of the aneurysmal neck. The surgical outcome was favorable in 91% of cases, and the mortality rate was 6.1%; the outcome was influenced by the patient's preoperative clinical status, but did not depend on their age or the timing of the operation.