Allogeneic B cell immunomodulatory therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an orphan neurodegenerative disease. Immune system dysregulation plays an essential role in ALS onset and progression. Our preclinical studies have shown that the administration of exogenous allogeneic B cells improves outcomes in murine models of skin and brain injury through a process termed pligodraxis, in which B cells adopt an immunoregulatory and neuroprotective phenotype in an injured environment.

Evaluating protein cross-linking as a therapeutic strategy to stabilize SOD1 variants in a mouse model of familial ALS.

Mutations in the gene encoding Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause a subset of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) cases. A shared effect of these mutations is that SOD1, which is normally a stable dimer, dissociates into toxic monomers that seed toxic aggregates. Considerable research effort has been devoted to developing compounds that stabilize the dimer of fALS SOD1 variants, but unfortunately, this has not yet resulted in a treatment.

A Hierarchical Model To Understand the Processing of Polysaccharides/Protein-Based Films in Ionic Liquids.

In recent years, biomaterials from abundant and renewable sources have shown potential in medicine and materials science alike. In this study, we combine theoretical modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, and several experimental techniques to understand the regeneration of cellulose/silk-, chitin/silk-, and chitosan/silk-based biocomposites after dissolution in ionic liquid and regeneration in water. We propose a novel theoretical model that correlates the composite's microscopic structure to its bulk properties.

Patient and program outcome assessment in pulmonary rehabilitation: an AACVPR statement.

Quantifying and analyzing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) results in the form of an outcome assessment are a means of evaluating patient performance and program effectiveness. Implementation of a structured outcome assessment is feasible and parallels many aspects of the traditional rehabilitation evaluation. This statement outlines key components to PR outcome evaluation in the context of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation PR Outcome Matrix and includes a discussion of some of the popular tools used to collect measurement data.

Measuring behavioral outcomes in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation: AN AACVPR STATEMENT.

Outcome measurement in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is required for optimal assessment of program quality, effectiveness of treatments, and evaluation of patient progress. Recent position statements from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Thoracic Society, and American College of Chest Physicians have provided state-of-the-art information on the importance of assessing performance and outcome measures for optimal program effectiveness. Such measures are also required for AACVPR program certification.

Validity and reliability of the North Carolina 6-minute cycle test.

Purpose: The purposes of this investigation were to determine (1) if the 6-minute cycle (6MC) test is a valid and reliable measure of physical performance in cardiac patients and (2) if physiologic responses to the 6-minute walk (6MW) and 6MC tests differ in men and women.

Methods: Subjects were 101 phase II cardiac rehabilitation patients aged 40 to 79 years. Each subject performed a maximal graded exercise test (MGXT), a 6MW test, and three 6MC tests on separate days.

The effects of short-term and long-term pulmonary rehabilitation on functional capacity, perceived dyspnea, and quality of life.

Study Objectives: The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to determine whether physical performance, quality of life, and dyspnea with activities of daily living improved following both short-term and long-term pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) across multiple hospital outpatient programs; (2) to examine the differences in these parameters between men and women; and (3) to determine what relationships existed between the psychosocial parameters and the results of the 6-min walk (6MW) test performance across programs.

Design: Non-experimental, prospective, and comparative.

Setting: Seven outpatient hospital PR programs from urban and rural settings across North Carolina.

Six-minute walk performance and quality of life comparisons in North Carolina cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Objective: The purposes of this study were (1). to determine if six-minute walk (6MW) performance improved after short-term cardiac rehabilitation (CR) across multiple outpatient programs; (2). to examine differences in 6MW performance by patient age, sex, and race; and (3).