Effect of Doxycycline on Aneurysm Growth Among Patients With Small Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Abdominal aortic aneurysms affect more than 3% of US older adults.

Objective: To test whether doxycycline reduces the growth of abdominal aortic aneurysm over 2 years as measured by maximum transverse diameter.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Parallel, 2-group, randomized clinical trial that was conducted at 22 US clinical centers between May 2013 and January 2017, and enrolled patients 50 years or older with small (3.

Testosterone concentrations and risk of cardiovascular events in androgen-deficient men with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Background: Whether androgen deficiency among men increases the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events or is merely a disease marker remains a subject of intense scientific interest.

Objectives: Among male subjects in the AIM-HIGH Trial with metabolic syndrome and low baseline levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol who were randomized to niacin or placebo plus simvastatin, we examined the relationship between low baseline testosterone (T) concentrations and subsequent CV outcomes during a mean 3-year follow-up.

Methods: In this post hoc analysis of men with available baseline plasma T concentrations, we examined the relationship between clinical/demographic characteristics and T concentrations both as a continuous and dichotomous variable (<300 ng/dL ["low T"] vs.

Effect of a Multicomponent Home-Based Physical Therapy Intervention on Ambulation After Hip Fracture in Older Adults: The CAP Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Disability persists after hip fracture in older persons. Current rehabilitation may not be sufficient to restore ability to walk in the community.

Objective: To compare a multicomponent home-based physical therapy intervention (training) with an active control on ability to walk in the community.

Cardiovascular outcomes during extended follow-up of the AIM-HIGH trial cohort.

Background: Epidemiologic studies have shown that low levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and elevated triglycerides are independent predictors of cardiovascular (CV) events, though randomized trials of HDL-C-raising therapies to reduce clinical events have been largely disappointing. The Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIM-HIGH) trial failed to show that extended release niacin (ERN) reduced CV events in patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia who were on statin-based therapy.

Objective: We sought to determine whether extended follow-up of AIM-HIGH participants changed these null results.

Relationship between lipoprotein subfraction cholesterol and residual risk for cardiovascular outcomes: A post hoc analysis of the AIM-HIGH trial.

Background: The AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes) trial failed to demonstrate incremental clinical benefit of extended-release niacin (ERN) in 3414 statin-treated patients with established cardiovascular (CV) disease who had low baseline levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as compared to placebo. A previous secondary analysis suggested that ERN provided outcome benefits in ERN-treated patients with high triglycerides (TGs; >200 mg/dL) and very low HDL-C (<32 mg/dL) at baseline. The current analysis sought to ascertain how changes in TG-enriched lipoproteins and HDL subfractions impact residual risk in the comparator treatment arms.

The Effect of Extended Release Niacin on Markers of Mineral Metabolism in CKD.

Background And Objectives: Niacin downregulates intestinal sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 2b expression and reduces intestinal phosphate transport. Short-term studies have suggested that niacin lowers serum phosphate concentrations in patients with CKD and ESRD. However, the long-term effects of niacin on serum phosphate and other mineral markers are unknown.

Metabolic syndrome cluster does not provide incremental prognostic information in patients with stable cardiovascular disease: A post hoc analysis of the AIM-HIGH trial.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a well-known risk factor for the development of cardiovascular (CV) disease; yet, controversy persists whether it adds incremental prognostic value in patients with established CV disease.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine if MS is associated with worse CV outcomes in patients with established CV disease treated intensively with statins.

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes trial, in which patients with established CV disease and atherogenic dyslipidemia (n = 3414) were randomly assigned to receive extended release niacin or placebo during a mean 36-month follow-up, to assess whether the presence of MS or the number of MS components contributed to CV outcomes.

Effects of Extended-Release Niacin Added to Simvastatin/Ezetimibe on Glucose and Insulin Values in AIM-HIGH.

Background: Niacin is an antidyslipidemic agent that may cause blood sugar elevation in patients with diabetes, but its effects on glucose and insulin values in nondiabetic statin-treated subjects with cardiovascular disease and at high risk for diabetes are less well known.

Methods: This was a prespecified, intent-to-treat analysis of the Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic syndrome with low high-density lipoprotein/high triglycerides: Impact on Global Health outcomes trial which randomized 3,414 participants at 92 centers in the US and Canada to extended-release niacin (ERN) plus simvastatin/ezetimibe (ERN) or simvastatin/ezetimibe plus placebo (Placebo). Baseline and annual fasting glucose and insulin values were measured.

Non-invasive Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Clinical Trial (N-TA(3)CT): Design of a Phase IIb, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of doxycycline for the reduction of growth of small abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Objectives: The Non-Invasive Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Clinical Trial (N-TA(3)CT) is a Phase IIb randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, testing doxycycline (100mg bid) for inhibition of growth in the greatest transverse, orthogonal diameter of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

Methods: We will enroll 258 patients, ≥55years of age who have AAA, men: 3.5-5.

The coronavirus nucleocapsid is a multifunctional protein.

The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) is a structural protein that forms complexes with genomic RNA, interacts with the viral membrane protein during virion assembly and plays a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of virus transcription and assembly. Recent studies have confirmed that N is a multifunctional protein. The aim of this review is to highlight the properties and functions of the N protein, with specific reference to (i) the topology; (ii) the intracellular localization and (iii) the functions of the protein.

Measuring the impact of practice-based research networks on member dentists in the Collaboration on Networked Dental and Oral Health Research, CONDOR.

Objectives: The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research funded three practice-based research networks (PBRNs), NW-PRECEDENT, PEARL and DPBRN to conduct studies relevant to practicing general dentists. These PBRNs collaborated to develop a questionnaire to assess the impact of network participation on changes in practice patterns. This report presents results from the initial administration of the questionnaire.

Information-seeking behaviors of dental practitioners in three practice-based research networks.

Research on the information-seeking behaviors of dental practitioners is scarce. Knowledge of dentists' informationseeking behaviors should advance the translational gap between clinical dental research and dental practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the self-reported information-seeking behaviors of dentists in three dental practice-based research networks (PBRNs).

The role of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus accessory proteins in virus pathogenesis.

A respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, termed the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), was first reported in China in late 2002. The subsequent efficient human-to-human transmission of this virus eventually affected more than 30 countries worldwide, resulting in a mortality rate of ~10% of infected individuals. The spread of the virus was ultimately controlled by isolation of infected individuals and there has been no infections reported since April 2004.

Niacin in patients with low HDL cholesterol levels receiving intensive statin therapy.

Background: In patients with established cardiovascular disease, residual cardiovascular risk persists despite the achievement of target low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels with statin therapy. It is unclear whether extended-release niacin added to simvastatin to raise low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is superior to simvastatin alone in reducing such residual risk.

Methods: We randomly assigned eligible patients to receive extended-release niacin, 1500 to 2000 mg per day, or matching placebo.

Early coevolution of adhesive but not antiadhesive tenascin-R ligand-receptor pairs in vertebrates: a phylogenetic study.

Axon growth inhibitory CNS matrix proteins, such as tenascin-R (TN-R), have been supposed to contribute to the poor regenerative capacity of adult mammalian CNS. With regard to TN-R function in low vertebrates capable of CNS regeneration, questions of particular interest concern the (co)evolution of ligand-receptor pairs and cellular response mechanisms associated with axon growth inhibition and oligodendrocyte differentiation. We address here these questions in a series of comparative in vivo and in vitro analyses using TN-R proteins purified from different vertebrates (from fish to human).

Lessons from the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation trials.

Atrial fibrillation predisposes to left atrial thrombus formation and carries a sixfold increased risk for stroke. Antithrombotic therapies are the mainstay for stroke prevention. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-sponsored Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (SPAF) studies assessed the value of warfarin, aspirin, and their combination for preventing stroke in six multicenter trials involving 3950 participants.

Immunogenicity of a new purified fusion protein vaccine to respiratory syncytial virus: a multi-center trial in children with cystic fibrosis.

A third generation, purified fusion protein (PFP-3) vaccine was developed to prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in high-risk groups. A phase II, multi-center, adjuvant-controlled trial was performed in RSV seropositive children with cystic fibrosis (CF); 151 received the adjuvant-control and 143 received the vaccine. Details of the vaccine-induced immune response are presented.

Impact of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation with different balloon volumes on cardiac performance in humans.

Intra-aortic balloon (IAB) counterpulsation can augment the cardiac output. However, the effect of different IAB volumes on cardiac performance has not been adequately evaluated in humans. Eighty-two patients (52 males [63%]; mean age, 65 +/- 12 years; mean body surface area [BSA], 1.