Simple nutritional intervention in patients with advanced cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, non-small cell lung cancers or mesothelioma and weight loss receiving chemotherapy: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Weight loss in patients with cancer is common and associated with a poorer survival and quality of life. Benefits from nutritional interventions are unclear. The present study assessed the effect of dietary advice and/or oral nutritional supplements on survival, nutritional endpoints and quality of life in patients with weight loss receiving palliative chemotherapy for gastrointestinal and non-small cell lung cancers or mesothelioma.

Forced expiratory volume in 1 second and cognitive aging in men.

Objectives: To evaluate forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1) , a measure of overall lung function), long-term average FEV(1) , and rate of decline in FEV(1) in relation to cognition and cognitive decline in older men.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Community-based population.

Cannabidiol potentiates Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) behavioural effects and alters THC pharmacokinetics during acute and chronic treatment in adolescent rats.

Rationale: The interactions between Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) during chronic treatment, and at equivalent doses, are not well characterised in animal models.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine whether the behavioural effects of THC, and blood and brain THC levels are affected by pre-treatment with equivalent CBD doses.

Methods: Adolescent rats were treated with ascending daily THC doses over 21 days (1 then 3 then 10 mg/kg).

Resilience and reduced c-Fos expression in P2X7 receptor knockout mice exposed to repeated forced swim test.

There is considerable evidence suggesting genetic factors play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, possibly by increasing susceptibility to repeated environmental stressors. Recent linkage studies have associated a polymorphism of the gene coding for the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) with both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Here we assessed whether P2X7 deletion affected the behavioural and neural response to repeated stress.

Combined treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia, including recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2: a case series.

The use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia has been investigated in only one previous study, with promising results. The aim of this study was to determine whether rhBMP-2 might improve the outcome of this disorder. We reviewed the medical records of five patients with a mean age of 7.

Relation between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and survival to age 85 years in men (from the VA normative aging study).

No previous researchers have sought to determine whether high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are associated with survival to 85 years of age in a prospective cohort of aging men. We selected 652 men (mean age 65 years) enrolled in the VA Normative Aging Study who had ≥ 1 HDL cholesterol level documented during the study and who were old enough on the date of HDL cholesterol measurement to reach 85 years of age by the end of follow-up (July 1, 2008). We categorized initial HDL cholesterol into < 40 mg/dl (reference group), 40 to 49 mg/dl, or ≥ 50 mg/dl.

The incremental value of self-reported mental health measures in predicting functional outcomes of veterans.

Research on patient-centered care supports use of patient/consumer self-report measures in monitoring health outcomes. This study examined the incremental value of self-report mental health measures relative to a clinician-rated measure in predicting functional outcomes among mental health service recipients. Participants (n = 446) completed the Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Veterans/Rand Short Form-36 at enrollment in the study (T1) and 3 months later (T2).

Traffic-related air pollution and cognitive function in a cohort of older men.

Background: Traffic-related particles induce oxidative stress and may exert adverse effects on central nervous system function, which could manifest as cognitive impairment.

Objective: We assessed the association between black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic-related air pollution, and cognition in older men.

Methods: A total of 680 men (mean ± SD, 71 ± 7 years of age) from the U.

Temporary screw epiphyseodesis of the distal tibia: a therapeutic option for ankle valgus in patients with hereditary multiple exostosis.

Background: Ankle valgus in multiple hereditary exostoses (HME) is frequently seen and may result in activity related pain, deformity, or even early degenerative arthritis. Standard treatment protocols do not exist. The effect of medial screw hemiepiphysedesis of the distal tibia to correct ankle valgus is evaluated in this patient population.

Short-term application of dexamethasone enhances bone morphogenetic protein-7-induced ectopic bone formation in vivo.

Background: Long-term administration of glucocorticoids may lead to bone loss and osteoporosis as reported in previous experimental and clinical studies. On the other hand, several in vitro studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone treatment induces proliferation and differentiation of human and murine osteoblast precursors. Thereby, a positive interaction of dexamethasone with the osteoinductive bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) is reported in vitro, but in vivo studies are still missing.

Anterior femoral epiphysiodesis for the treatment of fixed knee flexion deformity in spina bifida patients.

Background: Fixed knee flexion deformity is a common problem in spina bifida patients. Owing to interference with ambulation, this deformity may lead to anterior knee pain and progressive crouch gait. If conservative treatment fails, surgical procedures including supracondylar femoral extension osteotomy, joint distraction, and posterior capsulotomy have to be considered.

[Subtrochanteric renal cell carcinoma metastasis: implantation of a femoral head preserving prosthesis].

A 60-year-old man presented to our institution with a singular subtrochanteric renal cell carcinoma metastasis of the right femur. Tumor resection and implantation of a cemented femoral head preserving prosthesis was considered as the best treatment option to obtain a good hip joint function. After successful surgery (R0 resection) the patient was immediately mobilized with full weight-bearing.

Longitudinal changes in hearing sensitivity among men: the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study.

Over 35 years (1962-1996), participants of the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS), a study of healthy aging in men, completed up to eight audiometric assessments. This report describes the age-related hearing trajectories of screened men (n=953) aged 23 to 81 years at enrollment, estimates the typical rate of change per decade in hearing sensitivity, and compares longitudinal and cross-sectional estimates of change in hearing sensitivity. The men were followed 14 years on average.

Interleukin-33 is expressed in differentiated osteoblasts and blocks osteoclast formation from bone marrow precursor cells.

Since the hematopoetic system is located within the bone marrow, it is not surprising that recent evidence has demonstrated the existence of molecular interactions between bone and immune cells. While interleukin 1 (IL-1) and IL-18, two cytokines of the IL-1 family, have been shown to regulate differentiation and activity of bone cells, the role of IL-33, another IL-1 family member, has not been addressed yet. Since we observed that the expression of IL-33 increases during osteoblast differentiation, we analyzed its possible influence on bone formation and observed that IL-33 did not affect matrix mineralization but enhanced the expression of Tnfsf11, the gene encoding RANKL.

Cumulative lead exposure and age-related hearing loss: the VA Normative Aging Study.

Although lead has been associated with hearing loss in occupational settings and in children, little epidemiologic research has been conducted on the impact of cumulative lead exposure on age-related hearing loss in the general population. We determined whether bone lead levels, a marker of cumulative lead exposure, are associated with decreased hearing ability in 448 men from the Normative Aging Study, seen between 1962 and 1996 (2264 total observations). Air conduction hearing thresholds were measured at 0.

Energetic challenges unmask the role of ovarian hormones in orchestrating ingestive and sex behaviors.

Effects of ovarian hormones on sex and ingestive behavior are well studied, and yet, their role in diverting attention from food to sex has not been examined directly, possibly because these functions are masked under conditions of excessive food abundance typical of the laboratory. Female Syrian hamsters were either fed ad libitum or food-restricted to 75% of their ad libitum intake for 8days and then tested every day of the estrous cycle for their preference for males versus food, food hoarding and food intake in an apparatus designed to mimic aspects of their natural habitat. The food-restricted, but not the fed females, varied significantly over the estrous cycle in appetitive behaviors, which included their preference for males versus food and in the amount of food hoarded, with low food hoarding and high male preference on the night of ovulation.

Negative regulation of bone formation by the transmembrane Wnt antagonist Kremen-2.

Wnt signalling is a key pathway controlling bone formation in mice and humans. One of the regulators of this pathway is Dkk1, which antagonizes Wnt signalling through the formation of a ternary complex with the transmembrane receptors Krm1/2 and Lrp5/6, thereby blocking the induction of Wnt signalling by the latter ones. Here we show that Kremen-2 (Krm2) is predominantly expressed in bone, and that its osteoblast-specific over-expression in transgenic mice (Col1a1-Krm2) results in severe osteoporosis.

Bilateral brain regions associated with naming in older adults.

To determine structural brain correlates of naming abilities in older adults, we tested 24 individuals aged 56-79 on two confrontation-naming tests (the Boston Naming Test (BNT) and the Action Naming Test (ANT)), then collected from these individuals structural Magnetic-Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data. Overall, several regions showed that greater gray and white matter volume/integrity measures were associated with better task performance. Left peri-Sylvian language regions and their right-hemisphere counterparts, plus left mid-frontal gyrus correlated with accuracy and/or negatively with response time (RT) on the naming tests.

Tooth loss and periodontal disease predict poor cognitive function in older men.

Objectives: To determine whether rates of tooth loss, periodontal disease progression, and caries incidence predict cognitive decline in men.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Community-dwelling men enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study.

Pediatric oral health-related quality of life improvement after treatment of early childhood caries: a prospective multisite study.

Purpose: This study's purpose was to compare changes in parent-reported pediatric oral health-related quality of life between children with early childhood caries (ECC) and children who were caries-free; the ECC children received surgical dental intervention between baseline and follow-up.

Methods: A newly developed self-report instrument, the POQL, was administered to 501 parents of 2- to 8-year-old children (caries-free=315; ECC=186) in hospital dental clinics in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.

Do Health Behaviors Explain the Effect of Neuroticism on Mortality? Longitudinal Findings from the VA Normative Aging Study.

Studies have shown that higher levels of neuroticism are associated with greater risk of mortality. Yet what accounts for this association? One major theoretical position holds that persons higher in neuroticism engage in poorer health behaviors, such as smoking and excessive drinking, thus leading to earlier death. We tested this hypothesis using 30-year mortality in 1,788 men from the VA Normative Aging Study.

Effects of health status on word finding in aging.

Objectives: To evaluate effects of health status on word-finding difficulty in aging, adjusting for the known contributors of education, sex, and ethnicity.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Community.

Interaction of stress, lead burden, and age on cognition in older men: the VA Normative Aging Study.

Background: Low-level exposure to lead and to chronic stress may independently influence cognition. However, the modifying potential of psychosocial stress on the neurotoxicity of lead and their combined relationship to aging-associated decline have not been fully examined.

Objectives: We examined the cross-sectional interaction between stress and lead exposure on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores among 811 participants in the Normative Aging Study, a cohort of older U.

BMP-7-induced ectopic bone formation and fracture healing is impaired by systemic NSAID application in C57BL/6-mice.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known to potentially impair the fracture healing process. The aim of the present study was to determine if the impairment of bone healing by systemic NSAID application is, at least in part, due to an interaction of NSAIDs with the bone anabolic BMP-7 pathway. Therefore, we first analyzed fracture healing in control and diclofenac-treated mice, where we not only found a significant impairment of fracture healing due to diclofenac treatment as assessed by biomechanical testing and microCT imaging, but also found high coexpression of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) within the fracture callus of both groups.

Comparison of health outcomes for male seniors in the Veterans Health Administration and Medicare Advantage plans.

Objectives: To compare the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with the Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with regard to health outcomes.

Data Sources: The Medicare Health Outcome Survey, the 1999 Large Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees, and the Ambulatory Care Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003).

Study Design: A retrospective study.