Plasma Levels of Advanced Glycation Endproducts and Risk of Cardiovascular Events: Findings From 2 Prospective Cohorts.

Background Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in cohorts with and without diabetes. Data are lacking on prospective associations of various α-dicarbonyl-derived AGEs and incident CVD in the general population. We tested the hypothesis that major plasma AGEs are associated with new-onset CVD in 2 population-based cohorts of differing age and comorbidities.

Reference Standards for Cardiorespiratory Fitness by Cardiovascular Disease Category and Testing Modality: Data From FRIEND.

Background The importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for stratifying risk and guiding clinical decisions in patients with cardiovascular disease is well-established. To optimize the clinical value of cardiorespiratory fitness, normative reference standards are essential. The purpose of this report is to extend previous cardiorespiratory fitness normative standards by providing updated cardiorespiratory fitness reference standards according to cardiovascular disease category and testing modality.

Is There a Neurologist in the House? A Summary of the Current State of Neurovascular Rotations for Emergency Medicine Residents.

Objectives: Neurovascular and neurocritical care emergencies constitute a leading cause of morbidity/mortality. There has been great evolution in this field, including but not limited to extended time-window therapeutic interventions for acute ischemic stroke. The intent of this article is to evaluate the goals and future direction of clinical rotations in neurovascular and neurocritical care for emergency medicine (EM) residents.

Child and parental sleep in young children with epilepsy: A population-based case-control study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of parent-reported sleep problems in young children with epilepsy and their parents, and to compare findings with those in a non-epilepsy-related neurodisability (neurodevelopmental/neurological difficulties) group.

Method: Parents of young children (1-7 years) with epilepsy (n = 48 [91% ascertainment]) completed the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Parents (mothers and fathers) also completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Iowa Fatigue Scale (IFS) in relation to their own functioning.

Physical activity predicts reduced plasma amyloid in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Objective: Higher levels of physical activity (PA) reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Using longitudinal data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, we examined whether PA predicted plasma A levels and risk for cognitive decline 9-13 years later.

Methods: Linear and logistic regressions (controlling for APOE status, age, gender, body mass index, cardiovascular disease, brain white matter lesions, and cystatin C levels) tested associations between PA, A, and cognitive impairment in a sample of 149 cognitively normal older adults (mean age 83 years).

Altered Brain Connectivity in Early Postmenopausal Women with Subjective Cognitive Impairment.

Cognitive changes after menopause are a common complaint, especially as the loss of estradiol at menopause has been hypothesized to contribute to the higher rates of dementia in women. To explore the neural processes related to subjective cognitive complaints, this study examined resting state functional connectivity in 31 postmenopausal women (aged 50-60) in relationship to cognitive complaints following menopause. A cognitive complaint index was calculated using responses to a 120-item questionnaire.

Oscillation Phase Locking and Late ERP Components of Intracranial Hippocampal Recordings Correlate to Patient Performance in a Working Memory Task.

In working memory tasks, stimulus presentation induces a resetting of intracranial temporal lobe oscillations in multiple frequency bands. To further understand the functional relevance of this phenomenon, we investigated whether working memory performance depends on the phase precision of ongoing oscillations in the hippocampus. We recorded intra-hippocampal local field potentials in individuals performing a working memory task.

"Central vessel sign" on 3T FLAIR* MRI for the differentiation of multiple sclerosis from migraine.

Objective: The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) presently relies on radiographic assessments of imperfect specificity. Recent data using T2* methodology for the detection of the "central vessel sign" (CVS) in MS lesions suggests this novel MRI technique may distinguish MS from other disorders. Our aim was to determine if evaluation for CVS on 3T FLAIR* MRI differentiates MS from migraine.

Ikaros mediates the DNA methylation-independent silencing of MCJ/DNAJC15 gene expression in macrophages.

MCJ (DNAJC15) is a mitochondrial protein that regulates the mitochondrial metabolic status of macrophages and their response to inflammatory stimuli. CpG island methylation in cancer cells constitutes the only mechanism identified for the regulation of MCJ gene expression. However, whether DNA methylation or transcriptional regulation mechanisms are involved in the physiological control of this gene expression in non-tumor cells remains unknown.

Expression of the IL-11 Gene in Metastatic Cells Is Supported by Runx2-Smad and Runx2-cJun Complexes Induced by TGFβ1.

In tumor cells, two factors are abnormally increased that contribute to metastatic bone disease: Runx2, a transcription factor that promotes expression of metastasis related and osteolytic genes; and IL-11, a secreted osteolytic cytokine. Here, we addressed a compelling question: Does Runx2 regulate IL-11 gene expression? We find a positive correlation between Runx2, IL-11 and TGFβ1, a driver of the vicious cycle of metastatic bone disease, in prostate cancer (PC) cell lines representing early (LNCaP) and late (PC3) stage disease. Further, like Runx2 knockdown, IL-11 knockdown significantly reduced expression of several osteolytic factors.

Isoflurane suppresses early cortical activity.

Objective: Isoflurane and other volatile anesthetics are widely used in children to induce deep and reversible coma, but they may also exert neurotoxic actions. The effects of volatile anesthetics on the immature brain activity remain elusive, however.

Methods: The effects of isoflurane on spontaneous and sensory-evoked activity were explored using intracortical extracellular field potential and multiple unit recordings in the rat barrel cortex from birth to adulthood.