Harmful cleats of football boots: a biomechanical evaluation.

Background: Football players wear boots of varying cleat designs with some preferring the bladed cleats while others opting for the conventional studded cleats. The current study compares biomechanically the boots with differing cleat designs and their effect on feet, if any.

Methods: Twenty-nine healthy male volunteers were recruited from amateur football teams.

The modified Bose method for the endovascular treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenoses using the Enterprise stent.

Background: Balloon dilatation and deployment of a self-expanding stent is a safe treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses. The significant recurrence rate might be related to the high radial force of the Wingspan stent.

Objective: To evaluate the procedural safety and stenosis recurrence rate by the use of a stent with reduced radial force (Enterprise).

Human tryptase cleaves pro-nerve growth factor (pro-NGF): hints of local, mast cell-dependent regulation of NGF/pro-NGF action.

Several factors regulate nerve growth factor (NGF), which is formed from pro-NGF by intracellular and extracellular enzymatic cleavage. The close proximity between mast cells expressing the protease tryptase and NGF-producing smooth muscle-like peritubular cells in the testes of infertile patients led us to examine whether tryptase is among those factors. Human peritubular cells express functional tryptase receptors (PAR-2).

Parents' experiences of expanded newborn screening evaluations.

Objective: Abnormal results of newborn screening for common metabolic diseases are known to create substantial distress for parents. We explored parents' perceptions during diagnostic evaluations for newer disorders that are less well understood.

Methods: Thirty families completed 48 open-ended interviews before and/or after parents received confirmatory test results for their infants.

Do neurologists in Germany adhere to the national Parkinson's disease guideline?

Implementation of guidelines can improve clinical practice. The aim in this study was to investigate whether neurologists in Germany adhered to the national Parkinson's disease guideline. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 60 neurologists.

Differential glomerular proteome analysis of two murine nephropathy models at onset of albuminuria.

Purpose: Early stages of various entities of progressive kidney diseases are commonly characterized by development of glomerular hypertrophy and albuminuria. The purpose of the present study was to identify protein biomarker candidates for these glomerular alterations.

Experimental Design: Quantitative differences in the glomerular proteomes of two unrelated murine nephropathy models in the defined stage of glomerular hypertrophy at onset of albuminuria were identified by 2-D DIGE and MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis.

Medicare Advantage in the era of health reform: progress in leveling the playing field.

Payments to private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have exceeded Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) costs since those payments were increased by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). Payments to MA plans in 2010 exceeded average costs in FFS Medicare nationally by 8.9 percent, a total of $8.

Dynamic proteome signatures in gametes, embryos and their maternal environment.

Comprehensive molecular analysis at the level of proteins represents a technically demanding, but indispensable, task since several post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms disable a valid prediction of quantitative protein expression profiles from transcriptome analysis. In crucial steps of gamete and early embryo development, de novo transcription is silenced, meaning that almost all macromolecular events take place at the level of proteins. In this review, we describe selected examples of dynamic proteome signatures addressing capacitation of spermatozoa, in vitro maturation of oocytes, effect of oestrous cycle on oviduct epithelial cells and embryo-induced alterations to the maternal environment.

The ecoresponsive genome of Daphnia pulex.

We describe the draft genome of the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex, which is only 200 megabases and contains at least 30,907 genes. The high gene count is a consequence of an elevated rate of gene duplication resulting in tandem gene clusters. More than a third of Daphnia's genes have no detectable homologs in any other available proteome, and the most amplified gene families are specific to the Daphnia lineage.

Attack or retreat: contrasted defensive tactics used by Cyprian honeybee colonies under attack from hornets.

This study describes the tactics used by Cyprian honeybees (Apis mellifera cypria) to defend their colonies against hornet (Vespa orientalis orientalis) attacks. We use simulated hornet attacks and a combination of video recordings and image analysis to reveal, for the first time, contrasted intra-subspecies defensive tactics that operate at the colony level during predation. In some colonies, when attacked, the numbers of guards at the hive entrance increases rapidly to attack, engulf, and kill invading hornets.

Laparoscopic organ-sparing resection of von Hippel-Lindau disease-associated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are a characteristic feature of the tumor syndromes multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) and von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). With VHL, about 10% of the patients exhibit PNETs by age 40 years. Metastatic potential is high if the tumors have grown to >3 cm in diameter.

The effect of varying footwear configurations on the peroneus longus muscle function following inversion.

Background: The ankle is one of the most commonly injured joints with inversion injury affecting its lateral ligament complex being the commonest of all. Shoes are one of the known risk factors for such an injury.

Objective: This study seeks to examine the impact of varying shoe configurations on the protective function of the peroneus longus muscle during unanticipated foot inversion.

Proteomic characterization of archaeal ribosomes reveals the presence of novel archaeal-specific ribosomal proteins.

Protein synthesis occurs in macromolecular particles called ribosomes. All ribosomes are composed of RNA and proteins. While the protein composition of bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes has been well-characterized, a systematic analysis of archaeal ribosomes has been lacking.

Objective assessment of the alterations in wrist mobility with the fastrak(®) system following dorsal capsulodesis.

The treatment for scapholunate dissociation is challenging and its management is varied depending on type, severity and duration of injury, and surgeon's preferred technique. This study aimed to objectively assess the variations in the range and patterns of wrist movements using the Fastrak(®) system in patients having undergone Blatt's dorsal capsulodesis (BDC). The wrist movements were successively measured between the operated and unoperated wrists, while the patients performed set tasks.

Differences in foot pressures between Caucasians and Indians.

Background: Indians are the largest single ethnic minority group in the United Kingdom and form more than one million of the current population. No studies have investigated foot pressure differences between Caucasians and Indians.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the in-shoe pressure differences in Caucasians and Indians using the Pedar(®)-m (Novel GmbH, Germany).

Bovine endometrial metallopeptidases MMP14 and MMP2 and the metallopeptidase inhibitor TIMP2 participate in maternal preparation of pregnancy.

Early embryonic development is critically dependent on both maternal preparation and embryonic signalling of pregnancy. Matrix metallopeptidases (MMP) contribute to spatial and temporal matrix remodeling in the bovine endometrium. In this study we observed distinct changes in expression of MMP2, MMP14, and the metallopeptidase inhibitor TIMP2 between different phases of the estrous cycle indicating an endocrine regulation.

The comprehensive care project: measuring physician performance in ambulatory practice.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, reliability, and validity of comprehensively assessing physician-level performance in ambulatory practice.

Data Sources/study Setting: Ambulatory-based general internists in 13 states participated in the assessment.

Study Design: We assessed physician-level performance, adjusted for patient factors, on 46 individual measures, an overall composite measure, and composite measures for chronic, acute, and preventive care.

Repeatability of the Pedar-X in-shoe pressure measuring system.

Background: The Pedar-X is one of the newer versions of in-shoe pressure measuring devices and the current study aimed to assess the repeatability of this device.

Methods: Twenty-seven healthy male volunteers were recruited and requested to walk on a 26-feet walkway wearing appropriate sized standardised off-the-shelf neutral running shoes (Donnay International). The Pedar-X insole was sandwiched between the foot and the shoe.

Current yardsticks may be inadequate for measuring quality improvements from the medical home.

Health reform legislation grants authority for patient-centered medical home pilot projects to test changes in the way primary care is provided. There is concern that using a measurement tool to qualify medical homes that is solely based on the presence or absence of "system elements" may miss the point conceptually and lead physicians astray in attempts to transform their entire practices. To find out whether and how practice characteristics explain health care quality, we examined risk-adjusted composite measures of quality for common chronic and acute care conditions and preventive care from 202 general internists working primarily in small primary care office settings.

Where have all the general internists gone?

Background: A shortage of primary care physicians is expected, due in part to decreasing numbers of physicians entering general internal medicine (GIM). Practicing general internists may contribute to the shortage by leaving internal medicine (IM) for other careers in and out of medicine.

Objective: To better understand mid-career attrition in IM.

A method to calculate the centre of the ankle joint: a comparison with the Vicon Plug-in-Gait model.

Background: In gait analysis, calculation of the ankle joint centre is a difficult task. The conventional way to calculate the ankle joint centre is using the Vicon Plug-in-Gait model. The present study proposes a new model, which calculates the joint centre from two markers positioned over the medial and lateral malleoli (i.

In vivo chemoresistance of prostate cancer in metronomic cyclophosphamide therapy.

A human prostate cancer (PC3) xenograft model was established which reflects acquired in vivo resistance towards metronomic cyclophosphamide (CPA) treatment. Cell cultures of two in vivo resistant PC3 tumors were established which maintain chemoresistant phenotypes upon xenografting into mice. A comparative proteome analysis of the two resistant cell lines PC3-D3 and -D4 versus the non-resistant parental PC3 cell line by 2D-DIGE approach followed by MALDI-TOF-TOF analysis revealed a total of 25 differently expressed proteins.

Medicare Advantage reforms: comparing House and Senate bills.

The Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which enables Medicare beneficiaries to enjoy private health plan coverage, is a major element of the current health care reform discussion on Capitol Hill--in large part because payments to MA plans in 2009 are expected to run at least $11 billion more than traditional Medicare would have cost. While the pending Senate and House bills both endeavor to reduce these extra MA payments, their approaches are different. The bills also differ on other aspects of reforming the MA program, such as plans' allowable geographic areas, their risk-adjustment systems and reporting requirements, their potential bonuses for achieving high-quality care and providing good management, and their beneficiary protections.

Foot pressure differences in men and women.

Background: Women and men are anatomically and physiologically different in a number of ways. Anthropometric studies have shown considerable differences in the foot bones of both genders. These differences could potentially mean different foot pressures in men and women.

Antigenic characteristics of rhinovirus chimeras designed in silico for enhanced presentation of HIV-1 gp41 epitopes [corrected].

The development of an effective AIDS vaccine remains the most promising long-term strategy to combat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS. Here, we report favorable antigenic characteristics of vaccine candidates isolated from a combinatorial library of human rhinoviruses displaying the ELDKWA epitope of the gp41 glycoprotein of HIV-1. The design principles of this library emerged from the application of molecular modeling calculations in conjunction with our knowledge of previously obtained ELDKWA-displaying chimeras, including knowledge of a chimera with one of the best 2F5-binding characteristics obtained to date.