Characteristics of stepping over an obstacle in community dwelling older adults under dual-task conditions.

Previous research suggests that older adults may have difficulty attending to simultaneous tasks. This study was conducted to determine how concurrent performance of a secondary cognitive task influences walking and stepping over an obstacle in community dwelling older adults. Twenty-one men and women with a mean age of 73.

Economic evaluation of folate supplementation during methotrexate treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine cost-effectiveness of folic or folinic acid supplementation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who started methotrexate (MTX) treatment.

Methods: An economic evaluation, performed alongside a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial with followup of 48 weeks. Patients started MTX with placebo (n = 137), folic acid (n = 133), or folinic acid (n = 141).

Insulin receptor substrate-2-dependent interleukin-4 signaling in macrophages is impaired in two models of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We have shown previously that hyperinsulinemia inhibits interferon-alpha-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-induced serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1. Here we report that chronic insulin and high glucose synergistically inhibit interleukin (IL)-4-dependent activation of PI3-kinase in macrophages via the mTOR pathway. Resident peritoneal macrophages (PerMPhis) from diabetic (db/db) mice showed a 44% reduction in IRS-2-associated PI3-kinase activity stimulated by IL-4 compared with PerMPhis from heterozygote (db/+) control mice.

Macrophage hypo-responsiveness to interferon-gamma in aged mice is associated with impaired signaling through Jak-STAT.

Since macrophages (Mphis) are a first line of defense against pathogens, and are involved in both innate and adaptive immunity, understanding the impact of aging on Mphi function is important. In the past studies, we and others have shown that aging decreases Mphi responsiveness to classical activating signals (e.g.

Treatment of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis with anterior debridement and fusion followed by delayed posterior spinal fusion.

Study Design: Case series.

Objectives: The results of surgical treatment of osteomyelitis with anterior debridement and fusion followed by delayed posterior stabilization and fusion are presented.

Methods: Forty-two patients with vertebral osteomyelitis are presented.

Primary and secondary brain tumors at MR imaging: bicentric intraindividual crossover comparison of gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety of and compare the enhancement characteristics of gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance; Bracco Imaging, Milan, Italy) with those of a standard gadolinium chelate (gadopentetate dimeglumine, Magnevist; Schering, Berlin, Germany) in primary and secondary brain tumors on the basis of qualitative and quantitative parameters, on an intraindiviual basis.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-seven patients with either high-grade glioma or metastases were enrolled in a bicentric intraindividual crossover study to compare lesion enhancement with doses of 0.1 mmol per kilogram of body weight of 0.

Anogenital injuries in adolescents after consensual sexual intercourse.

Objectives: To compare the types and locations of anogenital injuries occurring in adolescent females (13-17 years old) after consensual and nonconsensual sexual intercourse.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective, matched case-control study to assess anogenital injuries in female adolescents presenting to a free-standing nurse examiner clinic during a four-year study period. Adolescents were selected for inclusion in the study if they reported consensual sexual intercourse (CSI) and agreed to a medical-legal examination.

Maximum strength-power-performance relationships in collegiate throwers.

Presently the degree to which peak force influences power production or explosive performance such as strength training movements or throwing (shot-put and weight-throw) is unclear. This study describes the relationships between a measure of maximum strength, isometric peak force (IPF), dynamic peak force (PF), peak power (PP), the 1-repetition movement power snatch (SN), and throwing ability over an 8-week training period. Five male and 6 female (n = 11) well-trained collegiate throwers participated.

Effectiveness of the SurePath liquid-based Pap test in automated screening and in detection of HSIL.

We have shown that SurePath when compared to conventional Paps fails to increase HSIL detection. In this study, assessment of test performance characteristics for the FocalPoint showed that sensitivity was 96% when manual screening was used as the "gold standard." When cervical biopsy, however, was used as the "gold standard" FocalPoint sensitivity decreased to 93%, which was the same as manual screening.

Adult age differences in temporal and item memory.

Three experiments tested whether the relationship between age differences in temporal and item memory depends on the degree to which the item memory measure relies on memory for context. The authors predicted a stronger relationship of temporal memory to free recall than to recognition memory. Results showed that age differences in temporal memory could be eliminated after controlling for free recall but not recognition memory performance.

Examining the locus of age effects on complex span tasks.

To investigate the locus of age effects on complex span tasks, the authors evaluated the contributions of working memory functions and processing speed. Age differences were found in measures of storage capacity, language processing speed, and lower level speed. Statistically controlling for each of these in hierarchical regressions substantially reduced, but did not eliminate, the complex span age effect.

Decreased quality of life in adult patients with growth hormone deficiency compared with general populations using the new, validated, self-weighted questionnaire, questions on life satisfaction hypopituitarism module.

To develop reference ranges for the Questions on Life Satisfaction Hypopituitarism Module (QLS-H), a new quality of life questionnaire for patients with hypopituitarism, data from 8177 adults were collected in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States QLS-H scores declined with age, were lower in females than males, and differed significantly among countries. From these reference ranges we derived equations for z-scores, which adjust for age, gender, and country. QLS-H results from 957 adults with GH deficiency (GHD) participating in clinical trials were analyzed.

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in schizophrenia: the role of working memory.

Schizophrenia typically results in reduced performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). In the current study, we used a variety of approaches to examine the role of working memory (WM) in this deficit. One approach was to examine patterns of perseverative and non-perseverative errors.

Variation in sepsis care: a wake-up call.

There is important variation in the care of critically ill patients. While some of this variability is appropriate, and represents individually titrated care, residual variation indicates over- and under-use of precious resources and is clearly concerning. Recent advances in critical care medicine provide "road maps" to standardize care and use evidence-based medicine to improve patient outcomes.

On the issue of early and aggressive treatment in grade 2 gliomas.

Purpose: To study the effects of surgery and timing of radiotherapy on patient survival in grade 2 gliomas.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-nine patients with diffuse astrocytomas, oligoastrocytomas, and oligodendrogliomas, World Health Organization grade 2, treated between 1982 and 2000 were identified. The impact of treatment given and clinical parameters were studied in univariate- and multivariate survival analyses.

MR detectability and appearance of small experimental intracranial hematomas at 1.5 T and 0.5 T. A 6-7-month follow-up study.

Purpose: To investigate the detectability and appearance of small experimental intracranial hemorrhages on MR at 0.5 T and 1.5 T in a long-term follow-up.

N-nitroso compounds in the gastrointestinal tract of rats and in the feces of mice with induced colitis or fed hot dogs or beef.

Because colonic N-nitroso compounds (NOC) may be a cause of colon cancer, we determined total NOC levels by Walters' method in the gastrointestinal tract and feces of rodents: (i) feces of C57BL mice fed chow and semi-purified diets contained 3.2 +/- 0.4 and 0.

Impact of abdominal visceral fat, growth hormone, fitness, and insulin on lipids and lipoproteins in older adults.

We examined the relationship between abdominal visceral fat (AVF) and plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins in 19 females (F) (not on estrogen) and 31 males (M) over the age of 60 (age = 66.8 years). In addition, the effects of growth hormone (GH) release, fitness (Vo(2) peak), insulin, and glucose concentrations (both fasting and in response to an oral glucose tolerance test) on lipids were examined.

Demonstration of new technology MEMS and liquid crystal adaptive optics on bright astronomical objects and satellites.

We present here results using two novel adaptive optic elements, an electro-static membrane mirror, and a dual frequency nematic liquid crystal. These devices have the advantage of low cost, low power consumption, and compact size. Possible applications of the devices are astronomical adaptive optics, laser beam control, laser cavity mode control, and real time holography.

Loss of compartmentalization causes misregulation of lysine biosynthesis in peroxisome-deficient yeast cells.

To characterize the metabolic role of peroxisomes in yeast cells under physiological conditions, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of published microarray data. Previous studies of yeast peroxisomes have mainly been focused on the function of peroxisomes under extreme conditions, such as growth on oleate or methanol as the sole carbon source, and may therefore not be representative of the normal physiological role of yeast peroxisomes. Surprisingly, our analysis of the microarray data reveals that the only pathway responding to peroxisome deficiency in mid-log phase is lysine biosynthesis, whereas classical peroxisomal pathways such as beta-oxidation are unaffected.

Growth hormone release during acute and chronic aerobic and resistance exercise: recent findings.

Exercise is a potent physiological stimulus for growth hormone (GH) secretion, and both aerobic and resistance exercise result in significant, acute increases in GH secretion. Contrary to previous suggestions that exercise-induced GH release requires that a "threshold" intensity be attained, recent research from our laboratory has shown that regardless of age or gender, there is a linear relationship between the magnitude of the acute increase in GH release and exercise intensity. The magnitude of GH release is greater in young women than in young men and is reduced by 4-7-fold in older individuals compared with younger individuals.

Working memory and schizophrenia: evidence for slowed encoding.

Previous studies have found impairments in working memory in individuals with schizophrenia, but have not identified the underlying information processing deficit. Because schizophrenia is associated with slowed cognitive processing, deficits on working memory tests may be due to decreased speed of encoding rather than an inability to maintain information over time. This hypothesis was examined using a Delayed Match to Sample (DMTS) Test.

IGF-I does not affect the net increase in GH release in response to arginine.

Arginine stimulates growth hormone (GH) secretion, possibly by inhibiting hypothalamic somatostatin (SS) release. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) inhibits GH secretion via effects at the pituitary and/or hypothalamus. We hypothesized that if the dominant action of IGF-I is to suppress GH release at the level of the pituitary, then the arginine-induced net increase in GH concentration would be unaffected by an IGF-I infusion.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a psoriasis care instruction programme with dithranol compared with UVB phototherapy and inpatient dithranol treatment.

Background: This study was part of a large national cost-effectiveness analysis, and was funded by the National Fund for Investigational Medicine of the Health Care Insurance Board.

Objective: To compare the costs of treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis by dithranol short contact therapy in a care instruction programme (short contact therapy) with ultraviolet B phototherapy (UVB) and inpatient dithranol treatment (inpatient treatment), and relate these costs to treatment effectiveness.

Methods: An open randomized controlled multicentre study was performed.