Caffeinated cocktails: energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students.

Objectives: The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) is popular on college campuses in the United States. Limited research suggests that energy drink consumption lessens subjective intoxication in persons who also have consumed alcohol. This study examines the relationship between energy drink use, high-risk drinking behavior, and alcohol-related consequences.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of extended dosing of epoetin alfa in anemic patients who have chronic kidney disease and are not on dialysis.

Background And Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that epoetin alfa can be administered at extended intervals of up to 4 wk. This open-label, randomized study was performed to characterize the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of four dosing regimens of epoetin alfa administered subcutaneously in anemic patients who had chronic kidney disease and were not on dialysis.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Thirty-eight patients, enrolled from nine centers in the United States, were > or =18 yr of age and had hemoglobin <11.

A randomized study of extended dosing regimens for initiation of epoetin alfa treatment for anemia of chronic kidney disease.

Background And Objectives: Although epoetin alfa is commonly initiated weekly (QW) in anemic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, recent evidence indicates that it can be initiated every 2 wk (Q2W) and used in maintenance therapy every 4 wk (Q4W). This study examined the feasibility of initiating epoetin alfa Q4W in anemic CKD patients not receiving dialysis.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: This open-label study randomized subjects (1:2:2:2) to treatment with epoetin alfa 10,000 IU QW, 20,000 IU Q2W, 20,000 IU Q4W, or 40,000 IU Q4W for 16 wk.

Curcumin induces cell-arrest and apoptosis in association with the inhibition of constitutively active NF-kappaB and STAT3 pathways in Hodgkin's lymphoma cells.

Although treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) with a multi-drug approach has been very successful, its toxicity becomes evident after several years as secondary malignancies and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the current goal in HL treatment is to find new therapies that specifically target the deregulated signaling cascades, such as NF-kappaB and STAT3, which cause Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (H-RS) cell proliferation and resistance of apoptosis. Based on the above information, we investigated the capacity of curcumin to inhibit NF-kappaB and STAT3 in H-RS cells, characterizing the functional consequences.

Viewing professional wrestling on television and engaging in violent and other health risk behaviors.

Background: This study examined the relationships between watching wrestling on television (TV) and engaging in health risk behaviors among an older multi-state sample of adolescents.

Methods: In 2001, a random sample of 2,307 youth ages 16 to 20 years from 138 communities in 17 US states completed telephone surveys as part of the national evaluation of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program. The survey measured multiple health risk behaviors, including substance use, involvement in date fighting, other violent behaviors, and sexual risk behaviors.

Intranasal perfluorochemical spray for preferential brain cooling in sheep.

Introduction: Hypothermic brain protection has been linked to how rapidly cooling is initiated and how quickly and uniformly the therapeutic hypothermic zone (THZ) is reached. The nasopharyngeal (NP) approach is uniquely suited for preferential brain cooling due to anatomic proximity to the cerebral circulation, cavernous sinus, and carotid arteries. This study explores a novel NP cooling approach employing evaporative characteristics of aerosolized perfluorochemical (PFC).

Canadian Health Measures Survey: rationale, background and overview.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) was developed to address important data gaps and limitations in existing health information by collecting directly measured indicators of health and wellness on a representative sample of approximately 5,000 Canadians aged 6 to 79 years. The survey entails an in-home general health interview followed by a visit to a mobile clinic, where direct physical measures of health are taken (anthropometry, spirometry, blood pressure, fitness, physical activity, oral health examination, blood and urine specimens). Reference laboratories analyze biological specimens for indicators of general health, chronic disease, infectious disease and environmental biomarkers.

The importance and role of intracluster correlations in planning cluster trials.

There is increasing recognition of the critical role of intracluster correlations of health behavior outcomes in cluster intervention trials. This study examines the estimation, reporting, and use of intracluster correlations in planning cluster trials. We use an estimating equations approach to estimate the intracluster correlations corresponding to the multiple-time-point nested cross-sectional design.

A comparison of two bias-corrected covariance estimators for generalized estimating equations.

Mancl and DeRouen (2001, Biometrics57, 126-134) and Kauermann and Carroll (2001, JASA96, 1387-1398) proposed alternative bias-corrected covariance estimators for generalized estimating equations parameter estimates of regression models for marginal means. The finite sample properties of these estimators are compared to those of the uncorrected sandwich estimator that underestimates variances in small samples. Although the formula of Mancl and DeRouen generally overestimates variances, it often leads to coverage of 95% confidence intervals near the nominal level even in some situations with as few as 10 clusters.

Epoetin alfa once every 2 weeks is effective for initiation of treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease.

There are limited data suggesting that initiation of epoetin alfa at extended dosing intervals of every 2, 3, or 4 wk may be efficacious for treating anemia in patients who have chronic kidney disease and are not on dialysis (CKD-NOD). This open-label, multicenter, single-arm study investigated the efficacy of administration of 20,000 IU of epoetin alfa once every 2 wk as initiation therapy in these patients. Adults with CKD-NOD were eligible when they had hemoglobin (Hb) <11 g/dl, GFR of 10 to 60 ml/min per 1.

How ready are colleges for an environmental approach that utilizes campus/community coalitions?

While there is optimism about an environmental management approach that utilizes campus-community coalitions to reduce levels of high-risk drinking, the readiness of schools to implement such an approach is unknown. We surveyed 100 colleges regarding their readiness based on eight factors: existence of a task force to address alcohol use on campus; the inclusion of the college/university President; inclusion of a community representative; frequent meetings; external funding to address alcohol use; previous environmental training; changes implemented as a result of environmental training; and a plan to institute environmental training in the future. Having an alcohol task force or coalition (57%) was associated with participation by the president and/or community representative on the task force, having extramural funding to address high-risk drinking, training in environmental management, implementation of changes after the training, plans for future training, school size, Greek organizations on campus, and being a state university.

Comparison of subject-specific and population averaged models for count data from cluster-unit intervention trials.

Maximum likelihood estimation techniques for subject-specific (SS) generalized linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations for marginal or population-averaged (PA) models are often used for the analysis of cluster-unit intervention trials. Although both classes of procedures account for the presence of within-cluster correlations, the interpretations of fixed effects including intervention effect parameters differ in SS and PA models. Furthermore, closed-form mathematical expressions relating SS and PA parameters from the two respective approaches are generally lacking.

Correlation of tracheal smooth muscle function with structure and protein expression during early development.

With increased survival of premature infants, understanding the impact of development on airway function and structure is imperative. Airway smooth muscle plays a primary role in the modulation of airway function. The purpose of this study is to correlate the functional maturation of airway smooth muscle during the perinatal period with structural alterations at the cellular, ultrastructural, and molecular levels.

Date fighting experiences among college students: are they associated with other health-risk behaviors?

Objective: The authors examined the clustering of health-risk behaviors among college students who reported date fight involvement.

Participants And Methods: The authors administered a Web-based survey to a stratified random sample of 3,920 college students from 10 universities in North Carolina.

Results: Among men, 5.

Income inequality and mortality: a multilevel prospective study of 521 248 individuals in 50 US states.

Background: Some of the most consistent evidence in favour of an association between income inequality and health has been among US states. However, in multilevel studies of mortality, only two out of five studies have reported a positive relationship with income inequality after adjustment for the compositional characteristics of the state's inhabitants. In this study, we attempt to clarify these mixed results by analysing the relationship within age-sex groups and by applying a previously unused analytical method to a database that contains more deaths than any multilevel study to date.

Effects of perfluorochemical evaporative properties on oxygenation during partial liquid ventilation.

Background: The physical-chemical properties of perfluorochemical (PFC) liquids have been shown to influence physiological and cellular responses during partial liquid ventilation (PLV). The aim of this study is to compare the relationship between patho-physiological endpoints and the physical properties of three PFC liquids used in treating acute lung injury.

Methods: A total of 18 juvenile rabbits were randomized into conventional mechanical ventilation or PLV groups after lung saline lavages.

Effects of recombinant Clara cell secretory protein (rhCC10) on inflammatory-related matrix metalloproteinase activity in a preterm lamb model of neonatal respiratory distress.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that recombinant Clara cell secretory protein (rhCC10) instillation would foster improved lung function, acute structural preservation, and attenuation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in a surfactant-deficient, mechanically ventilated lung.

Design: Interventional laboratory study.

Setting: An academic medical research facility in the northeastern United States.

Correction of anemia with epoetin alfa in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Anemia, a common complication of chronic kidney disease, usually develops as a consequence of erythropoietin deficiency. Recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin alfa) is indicated for the correction of anemia associated with this condition. However, the optimal level of hemoglobin correction is not defined.

Pyridoxine does not prevent hyperbaric oxygen-induced seizures in rats.

Normobaric supplemental oxygen can prolong seizures not caused by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can cause seizures. The mechanism of hyperbaric oxygen-induced seizures is unknown.

Modeling adolescent drug-use patterns in cluster-unit trials with multiple sources of correlation using robust latent class regressions.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine variation in adolescent drug-use patterns by using latent class regression analysis and evaluate the properties of an estimating-equations approach under different cluster-unit trial designs.

Methods: A set of second-order estimating equations for latent class models under the cluster-unit trial design are proposed. This approach models the correlation within subclusters (drug-use behaviors), but ignores the correlation within clusters (communities).

The relationship between watching professional wrestling on television and engaging in date fighting among high school students.

Context: Previous research has found that exposure to violence in the home, community, and electronic media are associated with children's and adolescents' normative expectations concerning the use of violence and with other indicators of the violent behaviors by youth.

Objective: Our purpose with this study was to examine the relationships between the frequency that high school students reported watching wrestling on television and engaging in date fighting, weapon carrying, and other fighting behaviors.

Design: The initial analysis consisted of a cross-sectional study of a simple random sample of high school students, which was followed by a longitudinal analysis of these students over a 6- to 7-month period.

Cutting edge: interleukin 17 signals through a heteromeric receptor complex.

IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine produced primarily by a unique lineage of CD4 T cells that plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases. IL-17RA is a ubiquitously expressed receptor that is essential for IL-17 biologic activity. Despite widespread receptor expression, the activity of IL-17 is most classically defined by its ability to induce the expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other mediators by stromal cells.

Perfluorochemical liquids enhance delivery of superoxide dismutase to the lungs of juvenile rabbits.

Previous studies suggest acute lung injury (ALI) in premature newborns is associated with relative deficiency of antioxidant enzymes that may be ameliorated by recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD). Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are distributed homogeneously and support gas exchange in diseased lungs. We investigated whether PFCs could provide an effective delivery system for rhSOD.