Modular micro-physiological human tumor/tissue models based on decellularized tissue for improved preclinical testing.

High attrition rates associated with drug testing in 2D cell culture and animal models stress the need for improved modeling of human tumor tissues. In previous studies, our 3D models on a decellularized tissue matrix have shown better predictivity and higher chemoresistance. A single porcine intestine yields material for 150 3D models of breast, lung, colorectal cancer (CRC) or leukemia.

Pivotal role of PDK1 in megakaryocyte cytoskeletal dynamics and polarization during platelet biogenesis.

During thrombopoiesis, megakaryocytes (MKs) form proplatelets within the bone marrow (BM) and release platelets into BM sinusoids. Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) is required for Ca2+-dependent platelet activation, but its role in MK development and regulation of platelet production remained elusive. The present study explored the role of PDK1 in the regulation of MK maturation and polarization during thrombopoiesis using a MK/platelet-specific knockout approach.

Systematically controlling for the influence of age, sex, hertz and time post-whole-body vibration exposure on four measures of physical performance in community-dwelling older adults: a randomized cross-over study.

Though popular, there is little agreement on what whole-body vibration (WBV) parameters will optimize performance. This study aimed to clarify the effects of age, sex, hertz and time on four physical function indicators in community-dwelling older adults (N = 32). Participants were exposed to 2 min WBV per session at either 2 Hz or 26 Hz and outcome measures were recorded at 2, 20 and 40 min post-WBV.

Acute effects of whole-body vibration on lower extremity muscle performance in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relatively new form of exercise training that may influence muscle performance. This study investigated the acute effects of high- (26 Hz) and low- (2 Hz) frequency WBV on isometric muscle torque of the quadriceps and hamstrings in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Participants And Method: Fifteen individuals (mean age = 54.

Learning scientific and medical terminology with a mnemonic strategy using an illogical association technique.

For students pursuing careers in medical fields, knowledge of technical and medical terminology is prerequisite to being able to solve problems in their respective disciplines and professions. The Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology 350 Total Retention System, also known as Medical Terminology 350 (25), is a mnemonic instructional and learning strategy that combines mental imagery and keyword mnemonic elaboration processes to help students recall the scientific meaning of Greek and Latin word parts. High school students in Anatomy and Physiology classes at a career technology center were divided into experimental (Medical Terminology 350), control (rote memorization), or combination (Medical Terminology 350 and rote memorization) groups and completed pre- and posttests of standardized word recall tests.

ATLes: the strategic application of Web-based technology to address learning objectives and enhance classroom discussion in a veterinary pathology course.

A case-based program called ATLes (Adaptive Teaching and Learning Environments) was designed for use in a systemic pathology course and implemented over a four-year period. Second-year veterinary students working in small collaborative learning groups used the program prior to their weekly pathology laboratory. The goals of ATLes were to better address specific learning objectives in the course (notably the appreciation of pathophysiology), to solve previously identified problems associated with information overload and information sorting that commonly occur as part of discovery-based processes, and to enhance classroom discussion.

Dietary deficiencies and excesses: a sample of African American mothers and daughters eligible for nutrition assistance programs.

The purpose of the study detailed in this article was to identify nutritional excesses and deficiencies of selected dietary nutrients for a sample of low-income African American mothers and their daughters. Anthropometrics, physical activity questionnaires, food frequency questionnaires, and 24-hour food recalls were collected from a sample of 108 African American mothers and daughters (n = 42 and n = 66, respectively). Results revealed information regarding nutritional deficiencies and excesses that may be useful for modifying nutrition education and services offered through nutrition assistance programs designed for people earning low incomes and receiving financial assistance.

Student critical thinking is enhanced by developing exercise prescriptions using online learning modules.

Developing the ability to think critically is an important element of undergraduate physiology education and is influenced by many factors, including the learning environment, the social context of the learning environment, and the instructor's approach to teaching. In this work, we describe online learning modules (OLM) that were designed to promote higher-order critical thinking skills in students enrolled in an upper-division Exercise Testing and Prescription course. The OLM provided students with an online learning environment in which to review clinical physiological details from authentic patient case data and develop exercise prescriptions (ExRx), by requiring students to critically analyze authentic patient case histories and collaborate on computer-based learning activities.

[First all-Germany standardization of the brief form of the Gissen Complaints Questionnaire GBB-24].

At the end of 1994 a shortened version of the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24), was standardised using a sample of 2182 subjects aged 18 to 60 years, representative of the population of re-unified Germany (720 from East Germany, 1462 from West-Germany). The item norms are given for the whole group, while the scale norms are also subdivided according to gender, age (18-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 51-60 years) and place of residence (East/West). The dependence of physical complaints on age and gender has diminished significantly since 1975, whereas the factor structure and the internal consistency of the scales have changed only slightly.

Resting energy expenditures in Asian women measured by indirect calorimetry are lower than expenditures calculated from prediction equations.

Objective: Measured resting energy expenditure (REE) and REEs calculated using the Harris-Benedict equation, Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University (FAO/WHO/UNU) equations (FAO equations), and the Liu equation were compared in Asian women.

Design: REEs were measured using indirect calorimetry in the morning after an overnight fast and compared with REEs calculated using the Harris-Benedict equation, the FAO equations, and the Liu equation. Height, weight, and 3-day diet records were also obtained.

Modulation of NK cell cytolytic activity by macrophages in chronically exercise-stressed mice.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of moderate-intensity endurance training on basal natural killer (NK) cell cytolytic activity in murine splenocytes that were enriched for 1) NK1.1+ cells or 2) macrophages and NK1.1+ cells.

VersaClimbing elicits higher VO2max than does treadmill running or rowing ergometry.

Collegiate varsity oarswomen and coxswain (N = 11) completed maximal aerobic exercise tests on a treadmill, a rowing ergometer, and a simulated climbing machine. Successful completion of each test was evidenced by a plateau in oxygen consumption in response to increasing work rates. VO2max (l.

[Sick role and psychoimmunologic parameters during the course of treatment--a quantitative single case analysis of urticaria].

This empirical study investigates defined influences and central tendencies within the process of an inpatient treatment in a case of urticaria. The results demonstrate substantial correlations between the course of treatment and endocrinological as well as immunological data. Objective biological parameter and psychodynamic case description complement and enrich each other.

[Effect of patient markers and interview procedures on admission to therapy--a catamnestic study of the initial psychotherapeutic interview].

This investigation concerns the individual and institutional factors which play a role in the stratification of therapy and in the selection of patients. To this end, six to eight years after the initial interviews, a catamnestic investigation on one hundred patients was carried out at the Giessen Centre for Psychosomatic Medicine. Identified as variables with a potential for influencing the further career of the patient were individual attributes of the patient and characteristic features of the therapist-patient interaction during the initial interview.