Gender, mental health, physical health and retirement: A prospective study of 21,608 Australians aged 55-69 years.

Objectives: We examined retirement transitions by gender, and different associations between retirement, physical function and mental health.

Methods: Data for 21,608 participants aged 55-69 from the 45 and Up Study were used. Generalised estimating equations were used to investigate longitudinal associations between retirement with psychological distress (Kessler score, K10) and physical dysfunction across two time points, by gender separately.

Retirement-A Transition to a Healthier Lifestyle?: Evidence From a Large Australian Study.

Introduction: Population aging is associated with a rising burden of non-communicable disease, profoundly impacting health policy and practice. Adopting and adhering to healthy lifestyles in middle or older age can protect against morbidity and mortality. Retirement brings opportunities to reconfigure habitual lifestyles and establish new routines.

Stroke, Physical Function, and Death Over a 15-Year Period in Older Australian Women.

Background And Purpose: As populations age, an increasing number of older women are living with stroke. This study looks at long-term outcomes for women with stroke, comparing mortality rates for women with poor physical function (PF) and those with higher levels of function. The purpose is to understand not only how long women might live after a stroke, but also how long they live with physical disability.

Streamlined Hyperacute Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol Identifies Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator-Eligible Stroke Patients When Clinical Impression Is Stroke Mimic.

Background And Purpose: Stroke mimics (SM) challenge the initial assessment of patients presenting with possible acute ischemic stroke (AIS). When SM is considered likely, intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) may be withheld, risking an opportunity to treat AIS. Although computed tomography is routinely used for tPA decision making, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may diagnose AIS when SM is favored but not certain.

Conditional Survival and Predictors of Late Death in Patients With Ewing Sarcoma.

Purpose: Long-term survivors of Ewing sarcoma (EWS) are at considerable risk for future complications, including late relapse and death. Data on prognostic factors for late death in those who have survived beyond 5 years are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

Impact of Two Measures of Micrometastatic Disease on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Ewing Sarcoma: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Purpose: Flow cytometry and RT-PCR can detect occult Ewing sarcoma cells in the blood and bone marrow. These techniques were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of micrometastatic disease in Ewing sarcoma.

Experimental Design: Newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma were enrolled on two prospective multicenter studies.

Partner status and mental and physical health of independently living men aged 70 years and older.

Aim: To describe and compare the mental health and physical functioning of community-dwelling men aged 70 years and over who live alone, and those who live with their partner/spouse.

Method: Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the New South Wales 45 and Up Study. Mental health was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and physical health was measured using the Medical Outcome Short Form 36 physical functioning scale.

Identification of patient subgroups with markedly disparate rates of MYCN amplification in neuroblastoma: A report from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group project.

Background: MYCN gene amplification (MNA) is a hallmark of aggressive neuroblastoma. This study was performed to determine univariate and multivariate predictors of tumor MNA.

Methods: Data from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group were analyzed for a subset of 7102 patients with known MYCN status.

Transgenic mice with increased astrocyte expression of IL-6 show altered effects of acute ethanol on synaptic function.

A growing body of evidence has revealed that resident cells of the central nervous system (CNS), and particularly the glial cells, comprise a neuroimmune system that serves a number of functions in the normal CNS and during adverse conditions. Cells of the neuroimmune system regulate CNS functions through the production of signaling factors, referred to as neuroimmune factors. Recent studies show that ethanol can activate cells of the neuroimmune system, resulting in the elevated production of neuroimmune factors, including the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Nucleotide sequence analysis of Vietnamese highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus from 2013 to 2014 based on the NSP2 and ORF5 coding regions.

A total of 34 highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) strains isolated from Vietnam during 2013-2014 were sequenced and analyzed. A partial sequence of ORF1a corresponding to the nonstructural protein 2 (Nsp2) coding region and the full sequence of open reading frame 5 (ORF5) gene was used for the analysis. The HP-PRRSV strains were isolated from pig herds that had never been vaccinated for PRRSV.

Reperfusion Beyond 6 Hours Reduces Infarct Probability in Moderately Ischemic Brain Tissue.

Background And Purpose: We aimed to examine perfusion changes between 3 and 6 and 6 and 24 hours after stroke onset and their impact on tissue outcome.

Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients underwent perfusion magnetic resonance imaging at 3, 6, and 24 hours after stroke onset and follow-up fluid-attenuated inversion recovery at 1 month to assess tissue fate. Mean transit time prolongation maps (MTTp=MTT-[median MTT of contralateral hemisphere]) were obtained at 3 (MTTp3 h), 6 (MTTp6 h), and 24 hours (MTTp24 h).

Cryopreservation and recovery of human endometrial epithelial cells with high viability, purity, and functional fidelity.

Objective: To develop a protocol for cryopreservation and recovery of human endometrial epithelial cells (eECs) retaining molecular and functional characteristics of endometrial epithelium in vivo.

Design: In vitro study using human endometrial cells.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Synthetic Triterpenoid RTA dh404 (CDDO-dhTFEA) Ameliorates Acute Pancreatitis.

Objectives: Nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) is a ubiquitous transcriptional factor that regulates expression of cellular antioxidant and detoxifying molecules. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that administration of the Nrf2 activator (dh404) may attenuate acute pancreatitis.

Methods: Rats were treated with dh404 (1 mg/kg) 24 hours before induction of pancreatitis and for 3 days thereafter.

Multimodal Diagnostic Imaging for Hyperacute Stroke.

In April 2015, the American Roentgen Ray Society and the American Society of Neuroradiology cosponsored a unique program designed to evaluate the state of the art in the imaging work-up of acute stroke. This topic has grown in importance because of the recent randomized controlled trials demonstrating the clear efficacy of endovascular stroke treatment. The authors, who were participants in that symposium, will highlight the points of emphasis in this article.

Acute myocardial infarction does not affect functional characteristics of adipose-derived stem cells in rats, but reduces the number of stem cells in adipose tissue.

In most pre-clinical animal studies investigating stem cell therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the administered stem cells are isolated from healthy donors. In clinical practice, however, patients who suffer from AMI will receive autologous cells, for example using adipose-derived stem cells (ASC). During AMI, inflammation is induced and we hypothesized that this might affect characteristics of ASC.

Poor Sustained Virological Response in a Multicenter Real-Life Cohort of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin plus Telaprevir or Boceprevir.

Background: There are limited data analyzing the effectiveness of boceprevir (BOC) or telaprevir (TVR) in combination with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) in a real-life patient cohort.

Aims: In clinical trials, patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with BOC or TVR plus PEG-IFN and RBV achieved sustained virological response (SVR) rates of 70 %. However, it is not clear whether similar results can be realized in routine practice.

Online social networking and US poison control centers: Facebook as a means of information distribution.

Background: Online social networking services such as Facebook provide a novel medium for the dissemination of public health information by poison control centers in the United States. We performed a cross-sectional study of poison control center Facebook pages to describe and assess the use of this medium.

Methods: Facebook pages associated with poison control centers were identified during a continuous two-week period from December 24, 2012 to January 7, 2013.

Defining the ischemic penumbra using magnetic resonance oxygen metabolic index.

Background And Purpose: Penumbral biomarkers promise to individualize treatment windows in acute ischemic stroke. We used a novel magnetic resonance imaging approach that measures oxygen metabolic index (OMI), a parameter closely related to positron emission tomography-derived cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen utilization (CMRO2), to derive a pair of ischemic thresholds: (1) an irreversible-injury threshold that differentiates ischemic core from penumbra and (2) a reversible-injury threshold that differentiates penumbra from tissue not-at-risk for infarction.

Methods: Forty patients with acute ischemic stroke underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 3 time points after stroke onset: <4.

Treatment With Dimethyl Fumarate Attenuates Calcineurin Inhibitor-induced Nephrotoxicity.

Background: Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive drug which has been widely used to prevent rejection after organ transplantation. However, its therapeutic use is limited by nephrotoxicity, in part mediated by oxidative stress. The present study aims to investigate the protective effects of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) on CsA-induced nephrotoxicity by enhancing the antioxidant defense system.

Concurrent use of amphetamine stimulants and antidepressants by undergraduate students.

Undergraduate students were recruited to participate in an online survey to report their use of amphetamine stimulants and other drugs. Significant differences were found between students reporting (n=79; 4.0%) and not reporting (n=1,897; 96%) amphetamine-stimulant use in the past month - in terms of race/ethnicity, class standing, residence, health symptoms, self-health report - in addition to alcohol, tobacco, pain-reliever, and antidepressant use.

Pharmacological activation of Nrf2 pathway improves pancreatic islet isolation and transplantation.

Oxidative stress is a major cause of islet damage and loss during the islet isolation process. The Nrf2 pathway plays a critical role in protecting the cells against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an Nrf2 activator (dh404) on islet isolation and transplantation in a rodent model.

Salutary effect of pre-treatment with an Nrf2 inducer on ischemia reperfusion injury in the rat liver.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common phenomenon occurring during liver surgery, transplantation, and trauma. IRI causes oxidative stress which plays a critical role in causing organ damage. The Nrf2 is the master regulator of numerous genes, encoding antioxidant, detoxifying, and cytoprotective molecules.

Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1a by reactive oxygen species: new developments in an old debate.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) has been largely studied for its role in cell survival in hypoxic conditions. The regulation of HIF-1 is a complex process and involves a number of molecules and pathways. Among these mechanisms a direct regulatory role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on HIF-1 alpha subunit has received a great deal of attention and the existing body of literature includes many contradictory findings.