Interrater Reliability of a Novel Goniometric Technique to Measure Scapular Protraction and Retraction.

Importance: Scapular protraction and retraction are often essential for occupational performance; however, clinical assessment of these movements is uniquely challenging.

Objective: To analyze the interrater reliability of a novel goniometric method to measure scapular protraction and retraction.

Design: An observational, descriptive design was implemented to evaluate interrater reliability between two experienced occupational therapists who were also certified hand therapists.

Dysregulation in Actin Cytoskeletal Organization Drives Increased Stiffness and Migratory Persistence in Polyploidal Giant Cancer Cells.

Polyploidal giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been observed by pathologists in patient tumor samples and are especially prominent in late stage, high grade disease or after chemotherapy. However, they are often overlooked due to their apparent dormancy. Recent research has shown PGCCs to be chemoresistant and express stem-like features, traits associated with disease progression and relapse.

Effect of Intermittent Energy Restriction on Flow Mediated Dilatation, a Measure of Endothelial Function: A Short Report.

Intermittent energy restriction is a popular alternative to daily energy restriction for weight loss; however, it is unknown if endothelial function, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is altered by periods of severe energy restriction. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of two consecutive very low energy intake days, which is the core component of the 5:2 intermittent energy restriction diet strategy, on endothelial function compared to consecutive ad libitum eating days. The secondary objective was to explore the effects of these dietary conditions on fasting glucose concentrations.

Weight-Loss Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intermittent Energy Restriction Trials Lasting a Minimum of 6 Months.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarise the effects of intermittent energy restriction on weight and biological markers in long term intervention studies of >6 months duration. An electronic search was performed using the MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases for intervention trials lasting 6 months or longer investigating the effects of intermittent energy restriction. A total of nine studies were identified as meeting the pre-specified criteria.

Lead optimization toward proof-of-concept tools for Huntington's disease within a 4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidine class of pan-JNK inhibitors.

Through medicinal chemistry lead optimization studies focused on calculated properties and guided by X-ray crystallography and computational modeling, potent pan-JNK inhibitors were identified that showed submicromolar activity in a cellular assay. Using in vitro ADME profiling data, 9t was identified as possessing favorable permeability and a low potential for efflux, but it was rapidly cleared in liver microsomal incubations. In a mouse pharmacokinetics study, compound 9t was brain-penetrant after oral dosing, but exposure was limited by high plasma clearance.

5-HT1B receptors modulate components of satiety in the rat: behavioural and pharmacological analyses of the selective serotonin1B agonist CP-94,253.

Rationale: 5-HT(1B) receptors are thought to be one of the receptor subtypes that mediate the inhibitory control of serotonin on food intake and satiety.

Objective: To use the selective 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist, CP-94,253 as a probe of 5-HT(1B) receptor function in feeding behaviour, and to confirm the pharmacological selectivity of CP-94,253-induced hypophagia with a range of antagonists.

Methods: Dose-response functions for CP-94,253 (0, 1.

Clinical trials in head injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major public health problem globally. In the United States the incidence of closed head injuries admitted to hospitals is conservatively estimated to be 200 per 100,000 population, and the incidence of penetrating head injury is estimated to be 12 per 100,000, the highest of any developed country in the world. This yields an approximate number of 500,000 new cases each year, a sizeable proportion of which demonstrate significant long-term disabilities.

Outcome measures for clinical trials involving traumatically brain-injured patients: report of a conference.

A conference was held in Houston, Texas, on October 8-9, 1991, to develop recommendations for outcome measures for clinical trials in traumatic brain injury. Participants, all experts in this area, discussed and agreed on treatments for patients with severe brain injury (Glasgow Coma Score [GCS] < or = 8) and moderate brain injury (GCS, 9-12). A parallel trial design was recommended rather than a factorial, sequential, or crossover design.