Theorizing How Art Gallery Interventions Impact People With Dementia and Their Caregivers.

Purpose Of Study: Dementia refers to a variety of diseases that are characterized by cognitive difficulties and an overall decline in daily living skills. Psychologically informed arts and health programs may be particularly beneficial ways of improving the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers. This study sought to better understand how programs at contemporary and traditional art galleries might play a role in the lives of people with dementia.

Cancer cell migration: integrated roles of matrix mechanics and transforming potential.

Significant progress has been achieved toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlie breast cancer progression; yet, much less is known about the associated cellular biophysical traits. To this end, we use time-lapsed confocal microscopy to investigate the interplay among cell motility, three-dimensional (3D) matrix stiffness, matrix architecture, and transforming potential in a mammary epithelial cell (MEC) cancer progression series. We use a well characterized breast cancer progression model where human-derived MCF10A MECs overexpress either ErbB2, 14-3-3ζ, or both ErbB2 and 14-3-3ζ, with empty vector as a control.

Cancer cell stiffness: integrated roles of three-dimensional matrix stiffness and transforming potential.

While significant advances have been made toward revealing the molecular mechanisms that influence breast cancer progression, much less is known about the associated cellular mechanical properties. To this end, we use particle-tracking microrheology to investigate the interplay among intracellular mechanics, three-dimensional matrix stiffness, and transforming potential in a mammary epithelial cell (MEC) cancer progression series. We use a well-characterized model system where human-derived MCF10A MECs overexpress either ErbB2, 14-3-3ζ, or both ErbB2 and 14-3-3ζ, with empty vector as a control.

The biomechanical integrin.

The integrin lies at the center of our efforts to understand mechanotransduction in the human body. Over the past two decades, a wealth of information has yielded important insights into integrin structure and functioning in biochemical pathways; however, relatively little emphasis has been placed on mechanics. In this article, we review the current knowledge base of integrin mechanobiology by examining the role of integrins in stabilizing tissue structure, the mechanisms of integrin force transfer, the process of cell migration, and the pathology of cancer.

Extracellular matrix stiffness and architecture govern intracellular rheology in cancer.

Little is known about the complex interplay between the extracellular mechanical environment and the mechanical properties that characterize the dynamic intracellular environment. To elucidate this relationship in cancer, we probe the intracellular environment using particle-tracking microrheology. In three-dimensional (3D) matrices, intracellular effective creep compliance of prostate cancer cells is shown to increase with increasing extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, whereas modulating ECM stiffness does not significantly affect the intracellular mechanical state when cells are attached to two-dimensional (2D) matrices.

Glucose transporter content and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle constructs engineered in vitro.

Engineered muscle may eventually be used as a treatment option for patients suffering from loss of muscle function. The metabolic and contractile function of engineered muscle has not been well described; therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to study glucose transporter content and glucose uptake in engineered skeletal muscle constructs called myooids. Glucose uptake by way of 2-deoxyglucose and GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 transporter protein content was measured in basal and insulin-stimulated myooids that were engineered from soleus muscles of female Sprague-Dawley rats.