Kaempferol Isolated from Nelumbo nucifera Inhibits Lipid Accumulation and Increases Fatty Acid Oxidation Signaling in Adipocytes.

Stamens of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn have been used as a Chinese medicine due to its antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antiatherogenic activity. However, the effects of kaempferol, a main component of N. nucifera, on obesity are not fully understood.

Effects of soccer vs swim training on bone formation in sedentary middle-aged women.

Purpose: The present study examined the effects of 15 weeks of soccer training and two different swimming training protocols on bone turnover in sedentary middle-aged women.

Methods: Eighty-three premenopausal mildly hypertensive women [age: 45 ± 6 (± SD) years, height: 165 ± 6 cm, weight: 80.0 ± 14.

Bone Geometry, Volumetric Density, Microarchitecture, and Estimated Bone Strength Assessed by HR-pQCT in Adult Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

The primary goal of this cross-sectional in vivo study was to assess peripheral bone microarchitecture, bone strength, and bone remodeling in adult type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients with and without diabetic microvascular disease (MVD+ and MVD-, respectively) and to compare them with age-, gender-, and height-matched healthy control subjects (CoMVD+ and CoMVD-, respectively). The secondary goal was to assess differences in MVD- and MVD+ patients. Fifty-five patients with T1DM (MVD+ group: n = 29) were recruited from the Funen Diabetes Database.

Application of high resolution synchrotron micro-CT radiation in dental implant osseointegration.

The purpose of this study was to describe a refined method using high-resolution synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRmicro-CT) to evaluate osseointegration and peri-implant bone volume fraction after titanium dental implant insertion. SRmicro-CT is considered gold standard evaluating bone microarchitecture. Its high resolution, high contrast, and excellent high signal-to-noise-ratio all contribute to the highest spatial resolutions achievable today.

Accelerated tumor progression in mice lacking the ATP receptor P2X7.

The ATP receptor P2X7 (P2X7R or P2RX7) has a key role in inflammation and immunity, but its possible roles in cancer are not firmly established. In the present study, we investigated the effect of host genetic deletion of P2X7R in the mouse on the growth of B16 melanoma or CT26 colon carcinoma cells. Tumor size and metastatic dissemination were assessed by in vivo calliper and luciferase luminescence emission measurements along with postmortem examination.

Osteoblastic response to pectin nanocoating on titanium surfaces.

Osseointegration of titanium implants can be improved by organic and inorganic nanocoating of the surface. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of organic nanocoating of titanium surface with unmodified and modified pectin Rhamnogalacturonan-Is (RG-Is) isolated from potato and apple with respect to surface properties and osteogenic response in osteoblastic cells. Nanocoatings on titanium surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The P2X7 receptor: a key player in immune-mediated bone loss?

Inflammatory diseases are often multiorganic diseases with manifestations not related directly to the primary affected organ. They are often complicated by a generalized bone loss that subsequently leads to osteoporosis and bone fractures. The exact mechanism for the accompanying bone loss is not understood in full detail, but factors such as glucocorticoid treatment, immobilization, malnutrition, and insufficient intake of vitamin D play a role.

Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 predicts myocardial infarction in HIV-1-infected individuals.

Objectives: Biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and coagulation are associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, but their association and possible predictive value remain controversial among HIV-1-infected individuals. We sought to investigate the association of seven biomarkers with first-time myocardial infarction (MI) in an HIV-1-infected population.

Design: A matched case-control study of 54 cases and 54 controls.

Implementing a chronic disease self-management program into china: the happy life club™.

China is experiencing population aging, increased prevalence of chronic diseases, and reductions in the frequency of healthy lifestyle behaviors. In response to these significant transitions, China is implementing major reforms in health care services with a focus on strengthening primary health care. In this paper, we describe a 12-month diabetes management program, the Happy Life Club™ (HLC™), implemented in a primary health care setting in Beijing, that uses doctor and nurse health coaches trained in behavior change techniques and motivational interviewing (MI).

The effect of psychosocial support intervention on depression in patients with dementia and their family caregivers: an assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Background/aim: A three-component tailored psychosocial 12-month assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial to reduce depression in people with dementia (PWD) and carers was conducted.

Methods: A total of 230 home-dwelling dyads of PWD and their carers were randomized to usual care or intervention consisting of three components over 12 months. Primary outcomes were the difference between the baseline and 12-month score on the Cornell Scale of Depression in Dementia (CSDD) in the PWD and on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in the carers.

Carriers in mesenchymal stem cell osteoblast mineralization--state-of-the-art.

Purpose: Tissue engineering is a new way to regenerate bone tissue, where osteogenic capable cells combine with an appropriate scaffolding material. Our aim was in a Medline Search to evaluate osteoblast mineralization in vitro and in vivo including gene expressing combining mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and five different carriers, titanium, collagen, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid copolymer for purpose of a meta-or a descriptive analysis.

Materials And Methods: The search included the following MeSH words in different combinations-mesenchymal stem cells, alkaline phosphatase, bone regeneration, tissue engineering, drug carriers, tissue scaffolds, titanium, collagen, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphates and polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid copolymer.

Communication about life-sustaining therapy: insights from the Adaptive Leadership Framework.

Objective: Effective provider and caregiver communication is central to quality care during treatment for life-threatening illnesses. The study aim was to analyze communication patterns between providers and a parent of an infant with a life-threatening disease using the Adaptive Leadership Framework, which is an activity that involves mobilizing others to adapt to a difficult situation.

Method: A secondary analysis was conducted on one case using 23 interviews with providers and mother of an infant diagnosed with Hurler's syndrome.

Nanocoating of titanium implant surfaces with organic molecules. Polysaccharides including glycosaminoglycans.

Long-term stability of titanium implants are dependent on a variety of factors. Nanocoating with organic molecules is one of the method used to improve osseointegration. Nanoscale modification of titanium implants affects surface properties, such as hydrophilicity, biochemical bonding capacity and roughness.

Short-term teriparatide treatment does not affect NT-proBNP, a marker of cardiac disease.

Background: Teriparatide (Parathyroid hormone (PTH) 1-34) has been shown to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce the risk of vertebral fractures when given intermittently. In contrast primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with increased bone loss. Moreover an increased occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is seen in PHPT patients.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the P2X7 receptor gene are associated with post-menopausal bone loss and vertebral fractures.

The purinergic P2X7 receptor has a major role in the regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast activity and changes in receptor function may therefore affect bone mass in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine the association of non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the P2RX7 gene to bone mass and fracture incidence in post-menopausal women. A total of 1694 women (aged 45-58) participating in the Danish Osteoporosis Prevention Study were genotyped for 12 functional P2X7 receptor variants.

Lactobacillus paracasei Lp6 favors immune modulation induced by allergoid treatment in ragweed sensitized mice.

It has been hypothesized that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could be used as adjuvant for specific immunotherapy (SIT), as various studies conducted on humans and animals converge to define LAB as anti-Th2 modulators and Treg inducers. In the present study we evaluated the effects of LAB, in particular Lactobacillus paracasei Lp6 (Lp6), in a mouse model of ragweed (RW) allergy. Groups of Balb/c mice, experimentally sensitized towards ragweed, were treated by viable Lp6 or by RWallergoid with or without co-administration of Lp6.

Effects of anti-osteoporosis medications on fracture healing.

A number of fractures are complicated by impaired healing. This is prevalent in certain risk groups such as elderly, osteoporotics, postmenopausal women, and in people with malnutrition. At present, no pharmacologic treatments are available.

Psychological treatment of depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly inpatients with significant medical comorbidity: a meta-analysis.

Background: As it is uncertain whether psychological treatments for depressive symptoms are effective in elderly inpatients with significant medical comorbidity, we aimed to assess the treatment effectiveness not only on depressive symptoms but also on somatic symptoms in these inpatients.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies assessing the effects of psychological treatments in Chinese older inpatients with significant medical comorbidity based upon extensive searches of the most comprehensive computerized Chinese academic database.

Results: The overall effect size for depressive symptoms of twelve studies which compared psychological treatments with a care-as-usual control group was d = 0.

P2X7 receptor-deficient mice are susceptible to bone cancer pain.

The purinergic P2X7 receptor is implicated in both neuropathic and inflammatory pain, and has been suggested as a possible target in pain treatment. However, the specific role of the P2X7 receptor in bone cancer pain is unknown. We demonstrated that BALB/cJ P2X7 receptor knockout (P2X7R KO) mice were susceptible to bone cancer pain and moreover had an earlier onset of pain-related behaviours compared with cancer-bearing, wild-type mice.

Ageing and protein aggregation-mediated disorders: from invertebrates to mammals.

Late onset is a common hallmark character of numerous disorders including human neurodegenerative maladies such as Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Why these diseases manifest in aged individuals and why distinct disorders share strikingly similar emergence patterns were until recently unsolved enigmas. During the past decade, invertebrate-based studies indicated that the insulin/IGF signalling pathway (IIS) mechanistically links neurodegenerative-associated toxic protein aggregation and ageing; yet, until recently it was unclear whether this link is conserved from invertebrates to mammals.

Metabolic syndrome and the risk of vascular dementia: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Objective: The authors investigated the relationship of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components with incident dementia in a prospective population-based study with a 3.5-year follow-up.

Methods: A total of 2097 participants from a sample of 5632 subjects (65-84 years old) from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Ageing were evaluated.

A creatine-protein-carbohydrate supplement enhances responses to resistance training.

Purpose: Studies attributing gains in strength and lean body mass (LBM) to creatine monohydrate (CrM) during resistance exercise (RE) training have not assessed these changes alongside cellular and subcellular adaptations. Additionally, CrM-treated groups have seldom been compared with a group receiving a placebo similar in nitrogen and energy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a CrM-containing protein-carbohydrate (PRO-CHO) supplement in comparison with a supplement containing a similar amount of nitrogen and energy on body composition, muscle strength, fiber-specific hypertrophy, and contractile protein accrual during RE training.

Effects of whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy.

Purpose: Studies that have attributed gains in lean body mass to dietary supplementation during resistance exercise (RE) training have not reported these changes alongside adaptations at the cellular and subcellular levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two popular supplements--whey protein (WP) and creatine monohydrate (CrM) (both separately and in combination)--on body composition, muscle strength, fiber-specific hypertrophy (i.e.