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BackgroundBone and muscle are closely linked anatomically, biochemically, and metabolically. Acute exercise affects both bone and muscle, implying a crosstalk between the two systems. However, how these two systems communicate is still largely unknown. We will explore the role of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) in this crosstalk. ucOC is involved in glucose metabolism and has a potential role in muscle maintenance and metabolism. ObjectiveThe proposed trial will determine if circulating ucOC levels in older adults at baseline and following acute exercise are associated with parameters of muscle function and if the ucOC response to exercise varies between older adults with low muscle quality and those with normal or high muscle quality. MethodsA total of 54 men and women aged 60 years or older with no history of diabetes and warfarin and vitamin K use will be recruited. Screening tests will be performed, including those for functional, anthropometric, and clinical presentation. On the basis of muscle quality, a combined equation of lean mass (leg appendicular skeletal muscle mass in kg) and strength (leg press; one-repetition maximum), participants will be stratified into a high or low muscle function group and randomized into the controlled crossover acute intervention. Three visits will be performed approximately 7 days apart, and acute aerobic exercise, acute resistance exercise, and a control session (rest) will be completed in any order. Our primary outcome for this study is the effect of acute exercise on ucOC in older adults with low muscle function and those with high muscle function. ResultsThe trial is active and ongoing. Recruitment began in February 2018, and 38 participants have completed the study as of May 26, 2019. ConclusionsThis study will provide novel insights into bone and muscle crosstalk in older adults, potentially identifying new clinical biomarkers and mechanistic targets for drug treatments for sarcopenia and other related musculoskeletal conditions. Trial RegistrationAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618001756213; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375925. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/18777

BACKGROUND: Residual disease following cytoreductive surgery in patients with ovarian cancer has been associated with poorer survival outcomes compared with no residual disease. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the impact of varying levels of residual disease status on survival outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer who have undergone primary cytoreductive surgery or interval cytoreductive surgery in the setting of new therapies for this disease. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases (January 2011 - July 2020) and grey literature, bibliographic and key conference proceedings, were searched for eligible studies. Fixed and random-effects meta-analyses compared progression and survival by residual disease level across studies. Heterogeneity between comparisons was explored via type of surgery, disease stage, and type of adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Of 2832 database and 16 supplementary search articles screened, 50 studies were selected; most were observational studies. The meta-analysis showed that median progression-free survival and overall survival decreased progressively with increasing residual disease (residual disease categories of 0 cm, > 0-1 cm and > 1 cm). Compared with no residual disease, hazard ratios (HR) for disease progression increased with increasing residual disease category (1.75 [95% confidence interval: 1.42, 2.16] for residual disease > 0-1 cm and 2.14 [1.34, 3.39] for residual disease > 1 cm), and also for reduced survival (HR versus no residual disease, 1.75 [ 1.62, 1.90] for residual disease > 0-1 cm and 2.32 [1.97, 2.72] for residual disease > 1 cm). All comparisons were significant (p

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Private Partners Scientific Board (PPSB) encompasses members from industry, biotechnology, diagnostic, and non-profit organizations that have until recently been managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and provided financial and scientific support to ADNI programs. In this article, we review some of the major activities undertaken by the PPSB, focusing on those supporting the most recently completed National Institute on Aging grant, ADNI3, and the impact it has had on streamlining biomarker discovery and validation in Alzheimer's disease. We also provide a perspective on the gaps that may be filled with future PPSB activities as part of ADNI4 and beyond. HIGHLIGHTS: The Private Partners Scientific board (PPSB) continues to play a key role in enabling several Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) activities. PPSB working groups have led landscape assessments to provide valuable feedback on new technologies, platforms, and methods that may be taken up by ADNI in current or future iterations.