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BACKGROUND: Routinely collected health administrative data can be used to estimate the prevalence or incidence of dementia at a population level but can be inaccurate. This study aimed to examine the accuracy of hospital and death data for diagnosing dementia compared with a clinical diagnosis in community dwelling older men in Australia. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP) in Sydney, Australia. Of the 1705 men aged ≥70 years in the CHAMP study, 1400 had available linked administrative data records from 1 year prior to 1 year post the date of clinical dementia diagnosis. The primary outcome was the accuracy of dementia diagnosis using linked administrative data records compared to clinical dementia diagnosis. The linked data diagnosis was based on hospital and death records for the 1 year pre and post the clinical diagnosis. Clinical dementia diagnosis was a two-stage process with initial screening, followed by clinical assessment for those meeting a validated cut-off. A final clinical diagnosis of dementia based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) criteria was reached by a consensus panel. RESULTS: Administrative data identified 28 participants as having dementia, compared to 88 identified through clinical assessment. Administrative data had a sensitivity of 20% (95% CI: 13-30%, 18/88), specificity of 99% (95% CI: 99-100%, 1301/1312), positive predictive value (PPV) of 62% (95% CI: 44-77%), negative predictive value of 95% (95% CI: 94-95%), positive likelihood ratio of 24.4 (95% CI: 11.9-50.0) and negative likelihood ratio of 0.80 (0.72-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Administrative hospital and death data has limited accuracy for dementia diagnosis with poor sensitivity and PPV. The prevalence of dementia is likely underestimated using hospital and deaths data.

1. In vertebrates, thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in the regulation of growth, development, metabolism, photoperiodic responses and migration. Maternally transferred THs are important for normal early phase embryonic development when embryos are not able to produce endogenous THs. Previous studies have shown that variation in maternal THs within the physiological range can influence offspring phenotype. 2. Given the essential functions of maternal THs in development and metabolism, THs may be a mediator of life-history variation across species. 3. We tested the hypothesis that differences in life histories are associated with differences in maternal TH transfer across species. Using birds as a model, we specifically tested whether maternally transferred yolk THs covary with migratory status, developmental mode and traits related to pace-of-life (e.g. basal metabolic rate, maximum life span). 4. We collected un-incubated eggs (n = 1–21 eggs per species, median = 7) from 34 wild and captive bird species across 17 families and six orders to measure yolk THs [both triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)], compiled life-history trait data from the literature and used Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models to test our hypotheses. 5. Our models indicated that both concentrations and total amounts of the two main forms of THs (T3 and T4) were higher in the eggs of migratory species compared to resident species, and total amounts were higher in the eggs of precocial species, which have longer prenatal developmental periods, than in those of altricial species. However, maternal yolk THs did not show clear associations with pace-of-life-related traits, such as fecundity, basal metabolic rate or maximum life span. 6. We quantified interspecific variation in maternal yolk THs in birds, and our findings suggest higher maternal TH transfer is associated with the precocial mode of development and migratory status. Whether maternal THs represent a part of the me

Objective: To examine relationships between changing general practitioner after entering residential aged care and overall medicines prescribing (including polypharmacy) and that of psychotropic medicines in particular. Design: Retrospective data linkage study. Setting, participants: 45 and Up Study participants in New South Wales with dementia who were PBS concession card holders and entered permanent residential aged care during January 2010 ‒ June 2014 and were alive six months after entry. Main outcome measures: Inverse probability of treatment-weighted numbers of medicines dispensed to residents and proportions of residents dispensed antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants in the six months after residential care entry, by most frequent residential care GP category: usual (same as during two years preceding entry), known (another GP, but known to the resident), or new GP. Results: Of 2250 new residents with dementia (mean age, 84.1 years; SD, 7.0 years; 1236 women [55%]), 625 most frequently saw their usual GPs (28%), 645 saw known GPs (29%), and 980 saw new GPs (44%). The increase in mean number of dispensed medicines after residential care entry was larger for residents with new GPs (+1.6 medicines; 95% CI, 1.4‒1.9 medicines) than for those attended by their usual GPs (+0.7 medicines; 95% CI, 0.4‒1.1 medicines; adjusted rate ratio, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.59‒3.70). The odds of being dispensed antipsychotics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.18‒2.12) or benzodiazepines (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25‒2.30), but not antidepressants (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.98‒1.77), were also higher for the new GP group. Differences between the known and usual GP groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Increases in medicine use and rates of psychotropic dispensing were higher for people with dementia who changed GP when they entered residential care. Facilitating continuity of GP care for new residents and more structured transfer of GP care may prevent pot

© 2018 Author(s). We study in this work the growth and fabrication of top-down highly doped n + InAs(Si)/p + GaSb(Si) Esaki tunneling diodes on (001) GaAs substrates. A careful investigation on the highly mismatched GaSb/GaAs growth is first conducted by means of Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses. These results are expected to pave the way to methods for III-Sb buffer layer's integration with low threading dislocation (TD) densities. A comparison between AFM, XRD, defect revealing by chemical etching and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is then presented to calculate the precise TD density and its influence on the device structure. In the last part, we report on first operating sub-30 nm III-V vertical NW tunneling devices on (001) commercial GaAs substrates.

Background: Obese older adults have higher bone mineral density (BMD), but other characteristics of obesity may predispose these individuals to fracture. We aimed to compare clinical risk factors for incident fracture in obese and non-obese older men. Method(s): Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage were assessed at baseline by anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, respectively, in 1625 community-dwelling men aged >=70 years. Categories for non-obese and obese were <30 kg/m2and >=30 kg/m2 for BMI, and <30% and >=30% for body fat percentage. Sociodemographic, medical, physical function and blood biochemistry parameters were collected at baseline. Self-reported incident fractures of any type and cause (excluding pathological fractures and fractures of hands, fingers, feet, toes and the skull) were confirmed by radiographic reports and recorded up to 9 years. Hip fractures were followed for 14 years using data linkage. Result(s): Prevalence of obesity was 27% according to BMI and 44% according to body fat percentage. There were no differences in incidence of any fracture between non-obese and obese men by BMI (10.7 vs 9.3%, respectively; P > 0.05) or body fat percentage (10.2 vs 10.6%, respectively; P > 0.05). Significant interactions were observed demonstrating that dementia increased hazard for incident any and hip fracture in non-obese men (adjusted hazard ratio 7.08; 95% CI 3.27-15.36 and 8.36; 3.13-22.31, respectively) but not obese men. Past-year falls increased hazard for any fracture in obese men (2.86; 95% CI 1.60-5.10) but not non-obese men while higher luteinizing hormone concentrations reduced hazard for hip fracture in obese men (0.91; 0.85-0.97 per IU/L) but not non-obese men. Conclusion(s): In community-dwelling older men, obesity does not protect against incident fracture. Assessments of falls history and gonadotrophin levels, in addition to established clinical risk factors for fracture, may contribute to improvements in fracture

BACKGROUND: Weight loss increases fracture risk in older adults. We aimed to determine associations of 2-year body composition trajectories with subsequent falls and fractures in older men. METHOD(S): We measured appendicular lean mass (ALM) and total fat mass (FM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and Year 2 in 1,326 community-dwelling men aged >=70 and older. Body composition trajectories were determined from residuals of a linear regression of change in ALM on change in FM (higher values indicate maintenance of ALM over FM), and a categorical variable for change in ALM and FM (did not lose [>=-5% change] versus lost [<-5% change]). Bone mineral density (BMD), hand grip strength, and gait speed were assessed at Years 2 and 5. After Year 2, incident fractures (confirmed by radiographical reports) and falls were recorded for 6.8 years. RESULT(S): Compared with men who did not lose ALM or FM, men who did not lose ALM but lost FM, and men who lost both ALM and FM, had reduced falls (-24% and -34%, respectively; both p < .05). Men who lost ALM but did not lose FM had increased falls (incidence rate ratio = 1.73; 95% CI 1.37-2.18). ALM/FM change residuals were associated with improved lumbar spine BMD (B = 0.007; 95% CI 0.002-0.012 g/cm2 per SD increase) and gait speed (0.015; 0.001-0.029 m/s), and reduced hip fractures (hazard ratio = 0.68; 95% CI 0.47-0.99). CONCLUSION(S): Fracture risk may be increased in older men who lose higher ALM relative to FM. Weight loss interventions for obese older men should target maintenance of lean mass.Copyright © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.