Disability type influences heart rate response during power wheelchair sport.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of disability type on exercise response during power wheelchair competition. The secondary purpose was to determine the extent to which heart rate responses during competition meet cardiorespiratory fitness training intensities for the general population.

Methods: Forty-eight athletes who had cerebral palsy (CP, N = 31), spinal cord injury (SCI, N = 10), or muscular dystrophy (MD, N = 7), and were competing in the 2003 Power Soccer National Tournament, volunteered to participate.

Effects of plants genetically modified for insect resistance on nontarget organisms.

Insect resistance, based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins, is the second most widely used trait (after herbicide resistance) in commercial genetically modified (GM) crops. Other modifications for insect resistance, such as proteinase inhibitors and lectins, are also being used in many experimental crops. The extensive testing on nontarget plant-feeding insects and beneficial species that has accompanied the long-term and wide-scale use of Bt plants has not detected significant adverse effects.

Lem3p is essential for the uptake and potency of alkylphosphocholine drugs, edelfosine and miltefosine.

The alkylphosphocholine class of drugs, including edelfosine and miltefosine, has recently shown promise in the treatment of protozoal and fungal diseases, most notably, leishmaniasis. One of the major barriers to successful treatment of these infections is the development of drug resistance. To understand better the mechanisms underlying the development of drug resistance, we performed a combined mutant selection and screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, designed to identify genes that confer resistance to the alkylphosphocholine drugs by inhibiting their transport across the plasma membrane.

Prey-mediated effects of the protease inhibitor aprotinin on the predatory carabid beetle Nebria brevicollis.

To investigate the potential non-target impacts of transgenic pest-resistant plants, prey-mediated impacts of a protease inhibitor (PI) on the predatory carabid, Nebria brevicollis, were investigated. The PI used was aprotinin, a serine PI of mammalian origin with insecticidal properties when incorporated in artificial diet or expressed in transgenic plants. Field-collected N.

In vivo Responses of Honey Bee Midgut Proteases to Two Protease Inhibitors from Potato.

Potato protease inhibitors, POT-1 and POT-2, were fed to newly emerged adult honey bees in cages at different doses in either sugar syrup (0.2 or 0.01% w:v) or pollen food (1 or 0.

Essential role of PDK1 in regulating cell size and development in mice.

PDK1 functions as a master kinase, phosphorylating and activating PKB/Akt, S6K and RSK. To learn more about the roles of PDK1, we generated mice that either lack PDK1 or possess PDK1 hypomorphic alleles, expressing only approximately 10% of the normal level of PDK1. PDK1(-/-) embryos die at embryonic day 9.

Avidin expressed in transgenic tobacco leaves confers resistance to two noctuid pests, Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura.

Fertile transgenic tobacco plants with leaves expressing avidin in the vacuole have been produced and shown to halt growth and cause mortality in larvae of two noctuid lepidopterans, Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. Late first instar H. armigera larvae and neonate (< 12-h-old) S.

The expression of a mammalian proteinase inhibitor, bovine spleen trypsin inhibitor in tobacco and its effects on Helicoverpa armigera larvae.

The cDNA for bovine spleen trypsin inhibitor (SI), a homologue of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), including the natural mammalian presequence was expressed in tobacco using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Stable expression required the N-terminal targeting signal presequence although subcellular localization was not proven. SI was found to exist as two forms, one coinciding with authentic BPTI on western blots and the second marginally larger due to retention of the C-terminal peptide.

Effects of visual impairment on stroke parameters in Paralympic swimmers.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between degree of vision and stroking parameters in male and female Paralympic swimmers with visual impairment during the 50- and 100-m freestyle events.

Methods: A video analysis was conducted at the 1996 Paralympic Games in which swimmers competed in three groups based on degree of impairment (S11, S12, and S13; S11 least amount of vision). A video camera placed 25 m from the start, perpendicular to the swimming direction, recorded the performance of each swimmer during the clean swim phase.

Effects of time, temperature, and honey on Nosema apis (Microsporidia: Nosematidae), a parasite of the honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Newly emerged adult bees were fed with Nosema apis spores subjected to various treatments, and their longevity, proportions of bees infected, and spores per bee recorded. Spores lost viability after 1, 3, or 6 months in active manuka or multifloral honey, after 3 days in multifloral honey, and after 21 days in water or sugar syrup at 33 degrees C. Air-dried spores lost viability after 3 or 5 days at 40 degrees, 45 degrees, or 49 degrees C.

An assessment of wrist splint and glove use on wheeling kinematics.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether glove and/or splint use could effectively reduce hyperextension at the wrist during wheelchair propulsion, thus potentially reducing the conditions predisposing to median nerve dysfunction, and to evaluate the overall effects of these interventions on wheeling mechanics. DESIGN: This investigation used a randomized experimental design. BACKGROUND: The upper extremities are used for weight bearing and propulsion by individuals who are wheelchair dependent.

NBD-labeled phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine are internalized by transbilayer transport across the yeast plasma membrane.

The internalization and distribution of fluorescent analogs of phosphatidylcholine (M-C6-NBD-PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (M-C6-NBD-PE) were studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. At normal growth temperatures, M-C6-NBD-PC was internalized predominantly to the vacuole and degraded. M-C6-NBD-PE was internalized to the nuclear envelope/ER and mitochondria, was not transported to the vacuole, and was not degraded.

Loss of Drs2p does not abolish transfer of fluorescence-labeled phospholipids across the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast DRS2 gene, which is required for growth at 23 degreesC or below, encodes a member of a P-type ATPase subgroup reported to transport aminophospholipids between the leaflets of the plasma membrane. Here, we evaluated the potential role of Drs2p in phospholipid transport. When examined by fluorescence microscopy, a drs2 null mutant showed no defect in the uptake or distribution of fluorescent-labeled 1-palmitoyl-2[6-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl (NBD))aminocaproyl]phosphatidylserine) or 1-myristoyl-2[6-NBD-aminocaproyl]phosphatidylethanolamine.

The ribosomal RNA gene region of Nosema apis (Microspora): DNA sequence for small and large subunit rRNA genes and evidence of a large tandem repeat unit size.

The ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene region of the microsporidium, Nosema apis, has been examined. A new method for extracting microsporidian genomic DNA from infected host tissue is described. Complete DNA sequence data are presented for the small subunit gene (1242 bp), the internal transcribed space (33 bp), and the large subunit gene (2481 bp to a putative termination point).

The effects of surface anaesthesia on the autonomic dysreflexia response during functional electrical stimulation.

Recently, increases in blood pressure (BP) and concomitant bradycardia, suggestive of autonomic dysreflexia (AD), have been documented during functional electrical stimulation (FES) in individuals with a high spinal cord injury (SCI). If uncontrolled, this response could preclude the safe use of FES among such individuals. FES induced pain is partly related to stimulation of skin nociceptors.

Active serum vitamin D levels are inversely correlated with coronary calcification.

Background: Arterial calcification is a common feature of atherosclerosis, occurring in >90% of angiographically significant lesions. Recent evidence from this and other studies suggests that development of atherosclerotic calcification is similar to osteogenesis; thus, we undertook the current investigation on the potential role of osteoregulatory factors in arterial calcification.

Methods And Results: We studied two human populations (173 subjects) at high and moderate risk for coronary heart disease and assessed them for associations between vascular calcification and serum levels of the osteoregulatory molecules osteocalcin, parathyroid hormone, and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-vitamin D).

Use of nucleotide sequence data to identify a microsporidian pathogen of Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera, Pieridae).

Nucleotide sequence was determined for a portion of genomic DNA which spans the V4 variable region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of an unidentified microsporidium from the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae (174 base pairs). Comparison with equivalent sequence data obtained here for two other microsporidian species, Nosema bombycis (240 base pairs) and Nosema bombi (200 base pairs), and from the GenBank database for 11 other microsporidian species suggests that the unidentified species from P. rapae is most closely related to some Vairimorpha species.

DNA probes for two Microsporidia, Nosema bombycis and Nosema costelytrae.

Two DNA fragments which hybridize specifically with DNA of Nosema bombycis and Nosema costelytrae, respectively, were obtained from genomic DNA of each microsporidian species and sequenced. Neither fragment hybridized with genomic DNA from four other microsporidian isolates tested: Nosema apis, Vairimorpha sp. from cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), and two isolates of Vavraia oncoperae, one from New Zealand grass grubs, Costelytrae zealandica, and another from porina caterpillars, Wiseana spp.

Echocardiographic assessment of the cardiac anatomy in patients with multifocal atrial tachycardia: a comparison with atrial fibrillation.

Although multifocal atrial tachycardia (MAT) has been recognized since 1968, few data exist on its associated anatomic correlates. Using echocardiography, the authors describe the cardiac anatomy observed in hospitalized patients with MAT. Because MAT closely resembles atrial fibrillation (AF), these echocardiographic data are compared with those from an age- and sex-matched population with AF.

Patient exposure to ionising radiation in the intensive care unit due to portable chest radiography.

The chest X-ray is the most commonly performed radiological examination in the intensive care unit. We used TLDs to measure the radiation exposure in 30 ICU patients due to portable chest radiography. The mean number of CXR was 3 (range 1-11).

Modelling the integration of myocardial regional perfusion and function.

The purpose of the study is to describe a method for the investigation of myocardial kinetics (wall motion or wall thickening) to define myocardial perfusion characteristics further. The data are myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomographic images gated in eight time bins, following the administration of a 99Tcm-labelled perfusion agent. Wall motion is defined by the phase and amplitude of the centripetal motion of the first moment of the myocardial count rate density distribution along a radius originating in the centre of the left ventricular cavity.

Reading comprehension instruction: summarization and self-monitoring training for students with learning disabilities.

Forty-five middle-school students with learning disabilities were randomly assigned to one of three reading-comprehension training conditions: (a) summarization training, (b) summarization training with a self-monitoring component, or (c) traditional instruction. All students were interviewed before and after training regarding the strategies they typically employ during reading comprehension; during one training session, "think aloud" protocols were collected. Results indicated that students with learning disabilities trained in summarization procedures performed statistically higher on all dependent measures.

Dynamic performance assessment of selected sport shoes on impact forces.

Few investigators have evaluated the performance characteristics of non-running sport shoes. The purpose of this study was to assess the dynamic performance characteristics of four different shoe models during landings. Five male subjects performed 25 voluntary hanging drop landings (60 cm) onto a force platform (1000 Hz) for each of four shoe conditions (C1 and C2 = basketball shoe, C3 = running shoe, C4 = volleyball shoe).