Theory and practice of using cell strainers to sort Caenorhabditis elegans by size.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism widely used in basic, translational, and industrial research. C. elegans development is characterized by five morphologically distinct stages, including four larval stages and the adult stage.

Treatment preference changes after exposure to treatment in adults with chronic low back pain.

Background: Patients' pretreatment preferences can influence outcomes of nonpharmacologic treatments for musculoskeletal pain. Less is known about how patients' treatment preferences change following exposure to treatment.

Objective: To examine the effect of exposure to treatment and change in disability and pain on treatment preference ratings of two exercise-based treatments for people with chronic low back pain (LBP).

Motor skill training versus strength and flexibility exercise in people with chronic low back pain: Preplanned analysis of effects on kinematics during a functional activity.

Background: People with chronic low back pain display the altered movement pattern where the lumbar spine moves more readily into its available range of motion relative to other joints. A logical approach to treatment, therefore, would be to improve this pattern during functional activities.

Methods: 154 participants were randomized to receive 6 weeks of motor skill training or strength and flexibility exercise.

Consistent differences in lumbar spine alignment between low back pain subgroups and genders during clinical and functional activity sitting tests.

Background: Subgroups of people with low back pain display differences in their lumbar alignment during tests from a clinical examination. However, it is unknown if subgroups display the same patterns during a functional activity test and if gender influences subgroup-related differences.

Objectives: Test if differences in lumbar alignment between two LBP subgroups are 1) present during a functional activity test of preferred sitting and 2) independent of gender.

Effect of Motor Skill Training in Functional Activities vs Strength and Flexibility Exercise on Function in People With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent chronic pain in adults, and there is no optimal nonpharmacologic management. Exercise is recommended, but no specific exercise-based treatment has been found to be most effective.

Objective: To determine whether an exercise-based treatment of person-specific motor skill training (MST) in performance of functional activities is more effective in improving function than strength and flexibility exercise (SFE) immediately, 6 months, and 12 months following treatment.

A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing Treatment Preference of People With Chronic Low Back Pain.

Objective: To assess treatment preference and attributes of 2 exercise-based treatments for people with chronic low back pain (LBP).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Academic research setting.

Immediate Effects of a Single Session of Motor Skill Training on the Lumbar Movement Pattern During a Functional Activity in People With Low Back Pain: A Repeated-Measures Study.

Background: People with low back pain (LBP) may display an altered lumbar movement pattern of early lumbar motion compared to people with healthy backs. Modifying this movement pattern during a clinical test decreases pain. It is unknown whether similar effects would be seen during a functional activity.

Motor skill training in musculoskeletal pain: a case report in chronic low back pain.

Low back pain is a chronic condition that limits function. The chief reason individuals with low back pain seek care is difficulty performing functional activities. A novel approach to improving performance of painful and limited functional activities is motor skill training, defined as challenging practice of activities to learn or relearn a skill.

Type II Endometrial Cancer Overexpresses NILCO: A Preliminary Evaluation.

Objective: The expression of NILCO molecules (Notch, IL-1, and leptin crosstalk outcome) and the association with obesity were investigated in types I and II endometrial cancer (EmCa). Additionally, the involvement of NILCO in leptin-induced invasiveness of EmCa cells was investigated.

Methods: The expression of NILCO mRNAs and proteins were analyzed in EmCa from African-American ( = 29) and Chinese patients (tissue array, = 120 cases).

Nanoparticle-linked antagonist for leptin signaling inhibition in breast cancer.

Aim: To develop a leptin peptide receptor antagonist linked to nanoparticles and determine its effect on viability of breast cancer cells.

Methods: The leptin antagonist, LPrA2, was coupled EDAC [1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide] to iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP-LPrA2) to increase its efficacy. IONP-LPrA2 conjugation was confirmed by Western blot and nanoparticle tracking analysis.

Leptin-induced transphosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor increases Notch and stimulates endothelial cell angiogenic transformation.

Leptin increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), and Notch expression in cancer cells, and transphosphorylates VEGFR-2 in endothelial cells. However, the mechanisms involved in leptin's actions in endothelial cells are not completely known. Here we investigated whether a leptin-VEGFR-Notch axis is involved in these leptin's actions.

Leptin's Pro-Angiogenic Signature in Breast Cancer.

Obesity is linked to increased incidence of breast cancer. The precise causes and mechanisms of these morbid relationships are unknown. Contradictory data on leptin angiogenic actions have been published.

Obesity induced a leptin-Notch signaling axis in breast cancer.

To investigate whether obesity induces a leptin-Notch signaling axis in breast cancer (BC), leptin-induced Notch was determined in human MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 and mouse E0771 cells and in E0771-BC hosted by syngeneic lean and diet-induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6J female mice. Lean and DIO mice were treated for 3 weeks with leptin inhibitor (PEG-LPrA2) 1 week after the inoculation of E0771 cells. Leptin induced Notch1, 3 and 4 in BC cells, but Notch2 expression showed opposite pattern in MCF-7 compared to MDA-MB231 cells.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in rosacea.

Background: Rosacea is a common chronic disease of unclear pathogenesis, characterised by inflammation and vascular abnormalities of the facial skin and ocular surface. Recognising that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is vasoactive and has inflammatory activities, the expression of this molecule and its receptors, VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2, in rosacea was investigated.

Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded sections of skin obtained from 20 patients with rosacea were immunostained to detect expression of VEGF, VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2, using an indirect methodology incorporating antigen retrieval.

Storage temperatures of out-of-hospital medications.

Objectives: To determine whether temperatures inside drug boxes used in the out-of-hospital setting are within the U.S. Pharmacopeia recommendations for "controlled room temperature," which is defined as a temperature maintained between 15 degrees C and 30 degrees C with a mean kinetic temperature less than 25 degrees C, and to determine whether time-temperature indicator labels can reliably monitor mean kinetic temperatures.

Operating characteristics of six response distortion indicators for the personality assessment inventory.

The characteristics of six different indicators of response distortion on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) were evaluated by having college students complete the PAI under positive impression management, malingering, and honest responding conditions. The six indicators were the PAI Positive Impression (PIM) and Negative Impression (NIM) scales, the Malingering and Defensiveness Indexes, and two discriminant functions, one developed by Cashel and the other by Rogers. Protocols of students asked to malinger were compared with those of actual clinical patients, while protocols of students asked to manage their impression in a positive direction were compared with those of students asked to respond honestly.

Body contouring surgery after weight reduction.

I reviewed the cases of 50 consecutive patients who had a total of 75 plastic surgery procedures after weight reduction. The average weight loss was 126 lb. There were 28 women and 22 men.

Microvascular procedures in reconstructive surgery.

The application of microvascular technics to problems in reconstructive surgery has enabled the surgeon to revascularize ischemic digits, replant amputated digits, and to transfer directly composite tissue from one area of the body to another for reconstructive purposes. The success of these procedures is directly dependent upon the ability to perform and maintain patent microvascular anastomoses. Representative cases are reported including the revascularization of an incompletely amputated digit, the replantation of an amputated thumb, the direct transfer of a toe to replace a missing thumb, and the transfer of a groin flap to cover a lower extremity defect.

Congenital giant nevi: clinical and pathological considerations.

A clinical and pathological review of 67 cases of congenital giant nevi and of 5 cases of malignant transformation in congenital giant nevi brings out the following. 1. The lesions should be regarded as premalignant.