J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact

Long-term bed-rest is used to simulate the effect of spaceflight on the human body and test different kinds of countermeasures. The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) tested the efficacy of whole-body vibration in addition to high-load resisitance exercise in preventing bone loss during bed-rest. Here we present the protocol of the study and discuss its implementation. Twenty-four male subjects underwent 60-days of six-degree head down tilt bed-rest and were randomised to an inactive control group (CTR), a high-load resistive exercise group (RE) or a high-load resistive exercise with whole-body vibration group (RVE). Subsequent to events in the course of the study (e.g. subject withdrawal), 9 subjects participated in the CTR-group, 7 in the RVE-group and 8 (7 beyond bed-rest day-30) in the RE-group. Fluid intake, urine output and axiallary temperature increased during bed-rest (p or = .17). Body weight changes differed between groups (p < .0001) with decreases in the CTR-group, marginal decreases in the RE-group and the RVE-group displaying significant decreases in body-weight beyond bed-rest day-51 only. In light of events and experiences of the current study, recommendations on various aspects of bed-rest methodology are also discussed

Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Dose Recommendations for Posaconazole in Infants and Children.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the population pharmacokinetics of posaconazole in immunocompromised children, evaluate the influence of patient characteristics on posaconazole exposure and perform simulations to recommend optimal starting doses. METHODS: Posaconazole plasma concentrations from paediatric patients undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring were extracted from a tertiary paediatric hospital database. These were merged with covariates collected from electronic sources and case-note reviews. An allometrically scaled population-pharmacokinetic model was developed to investigate the effect of tablet and suspension relative bioavailability, nonlinear bioavailability of suspension, followed by a step-wise covariate model building exercise to identify other important sources of variability. RESULTS: A total of 338 posaconazole plasma concentrations samples were taken from 117 children aged 5 months to 18 years. A one-compartment model was used, with tablet apparent clearance standardised to a 70-kg individual of 15 L/h. Suspension was found to have decreasing bioavailability with increasing dose; the estimated suspension dose to yield half the tablet bioavailability was 99 mg/m2. Diarrhoea and proton pump inhibitors were also associated with reduced suspension bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest population-pharmacokinetic study to date in children, we have found similar covariate effects to those seen in adults, but low bioavailability of suspension in patients with diarrhoea or those taking concurrent proton pump inhibitors, which may in particular limit the use of posaconazole in these patients

Prevalence and incidence of iron deficiency in European community-dwelling older adults: an observational analysis of the DO-HEALTH trial

Background and aim Iron deficiency is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older adults. However, data on its prevalence and incidence among older adults is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and incidence of iron deficiency in European community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 70 years. Methods Secondary analysis of the DO-HEALTH trial, a 3-year clinical trial including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 70 years from Austria, France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. Iron deficiency was defined as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) > 28.1 nmol/L. Prevalence and incidence rate (IR) of iron deficiency per 100 person-years were examined overall and stratified by sex, age group, and country. Sensitivity analysis for three commonly used definitions of iron deficiency (ferritin  1.5) were also performed. Results Out of 2157 participants, 2141 had sTfR measured at baseline (mean age 74.9 years; 61.5% women). The prevalence of iron deficiency at baseline was 26.8%, and did not differ by sex, but by age (35.6% in age group ≥ 80, 29.3% in age group 75–79, 23.2% in age group 70–74); P  1.5. Occurrences of iron deficiency were observed with IR per 100 person-years of 9.2 (95% CI 8.3–10.1) and did not significantly differ by sex or age group. The highest IR per 100 person-years was observed in Austria (20.8, 95% CI 16.1–26.9), the lowest in Germany (6.1, 95% CI 4.7–8.0). Regarding the other definitions of iron deficiency, the IR per 100 person-years was 4.5 (95% CI 4.0–4.9) for ferritin  1.5. Conclusions Iron deficiency is frequent among relatively healthy European older adults, with people aged ≥ 80 years and residence in Austria and Portugal associated with the highest risk

The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts

Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups – including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems – www.predicts.org.uk). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015

Screening for gastrointestinal neoplasia: efficacy and cost of two different approaches in a clinical rehabilitation centre

Mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) can be reduced by screening of asymptomatic individuals and by removal of colorectal adenomas (CRA). It is still under debate which screening method should be used. In a clinical rehabilitation centre we compared two widely different approaches: faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) with subsequent endoscopy of test-positives in an unselected patient group, and primary sigmoidoscopy of asymptomatic persons between 50 and 60 years of age. Between January 1988 and October 1991 a FOBT was offered to all--symptomatic and asymptomatic--6,500 in-patients of a clinical rehabilitation centre and lower/upper GI-endoscopy was suggested to test-positives (study A). In the latter half of this period 1,166 persons without bowel symptoms and/or disease and aged 50-60 years were invited to a screening sigmoidoscopy (study B). In study A 95% of the patients (n = 6,234) returned a complete FOBT, which was positive in 186 (2.98%). 126 of these 186 patients (68%) accepted further investigation, and a total of 78 sigmoidoscopies, 78 colonoscopies and 47 gastroscopies were performed. Six patients in whom a malignancy was detected (1 gastric, 1 rectal and 4 colonic; all in a curable stage) underwent surgery. In 28 patients CRA were identified and removed by snare excision. In study B 658/1,166 asymptomatic in-patients accepted the screening sigmoidoscopy (56%). Rectosigmoid adenomas were identified in 153 (23%). One rectal cancer was found. Of these cases, 116 underwent an additional colonoscopy, disclosing proximal adenomas in 39 patients (33.6%). The cost of identifying one CRA-bearer was $1,436 in study A and$271 in study B (assuming: FOBT = $3.00; sigmoidoscopy =$63.00; colonoscopy = $135; gastroscopy =$108). In study A, the cost of identifying one patient with cancer would have been $5,435, if the cost of identifying one CRA-bearer was set to$271 as in study B. Screening for CRC was well-accepted in the health-orientated environment of a rehabilitation centre. The cost of identifying a CRA-bearer with screening sigmoidoscopy was about one-fifth of that using preselection with a FOBT. However, with FOBT a higher number of cancers was found. For the discovery of CRA, mass-screening with sigmoidoscopy of persons above the age of 50 years can be advised. For the detection of both CRA and CRC, screening with FOBT and subsequent endoscopy is an acceptable and cost-effective method

Acceptance and outcome of endoscopic screening for colonic neoplasia in patients undergoing clinical rehabilitation for gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases

Acceptance and outcome of endoscopic screening for colonic neoplasia in patients undergoing clinical rehabilitation for gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases. Armbrecht U, Manus B, Bragelmann R, Stockbrugger RW, Stolte M. Marbachtalklinik, Bad Kissingen. Our purpose was to study the acceptance and the outcome of endoscopic screening investigations of the colon in patients between 50 and 60 years of age in a clinical rehabilitation center. A total of 1,166 patients (m = 691, f = 475) entered the study. After guaiac testing all patients for fecal occult blood loss (FOBT), 667 patients (57%; m = 407, 61%; f = 260, 39%; n.s.) accepted a sigmoidoscopy. Of 658 (m = 403, f = 255) patients with complete investigation, 153 (23%) (m = 104, 26%; f = 49, 19%; n.s.) had a total of 272 neoplastic polyps, including 1 carcinoma. Adenomas = /> 10 mm were found exclusively in male patients (n = 25, p 10 mm were 2%/10% (p 10 mm. In 5 cases with positive FOBT sigmoidoscopy and complementary colonoscopy did not reveal any patholog

The patient after total gastrectomy

The patient after total gastrectomy] [Article in German] Armbrecht U. Marbachtalklinik, Bad Kissingen

Acceptance and outcome of endoscopic screening for colonic neoplasia in patients undergoing clinical rehabilitation for gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases

Acceptance and outcome of endoscopic screening for colonic neoplasia in patients undergoing clinical rehabilitation for gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases. Armbrecht U, Manus B, Bragelmann R, Stockbrugger RW, Stolte M. Marbachtalklinik, Bad Kissingen. Our purpose was to study the acceptance and the outcome of endoscopic screening investigations of the colon in patients between 50 and 60 years of age in a clinical rehabilitation center. A total of 1,166 patients (m = 691, f = 475) entered the study. After guaiac testing all patients for fecal occult blood loss (FOBT), 667 patients (57%; m = 407, 61%; f = 260, 39%; n.s.) accepted a sigmoidoscopy. Of 658 (m = 403, f = 255) patients with complete investigation, 153 (23%) (m = 104, 26%; f = 49, 19%; n.s.) had a total of 272 neoplastic polyps, including 1 carcinoma. Adenomas = /> 10 mm were found exclusively in male patients (n = 25, p 10 mm were 2%/10% (p 10 mm. In 5 cases with positive FOBT sigmoidoscopy and complementary colonoscopy did not reveal any patholog