Weak Magnetic Fields Enhance the Efficacy of Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: The clinical efficacy of radiation therapy is mechanistically linked to ionization-induced free radicals that cause cell and tissue injury through direct and indirect mechanisms. Free radical reaction dynamics are influenced by many factors and can be manipulated by static weak magnetic fields (WMF) that perturb singlet-triplet state interconversion. Our study exploits this phenomenon to directly increase ionizing radiation (IR) dose absorption in tumors by combining WMF with radiation therapy as a new and effective method to improve treatment.

Increased Utilization of Ambulatory Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy After Medicaid Expansion.

Objective: To determine if Medicaid expansion in 2014 improved utilization of ambulatory physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Design: Secondary data, pre-post analysis study using a difference in differences approach. The study compared utilization rates and likelihood of an ambulatory therapy visit for Medicaid ambulatory therapy patients in the pre-expansion (2012-2013) period and postexpansion (2014-2015) period.

Utilization of Ambulatory Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy by the United States Population, 2009-2013.

Purpose: The aging of the U.S. population and insurance reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 have been postulated to increase future demand for physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Disparities in Access to Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy for African Americans with Arthritis.

Background: Approximately, 10 million Americans have an outpatient physical therapy or occupational therapy visit per year. This population is largely Caucasian, insured, educated and middle or high income.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the existence of racial and/or ethnic disparities in patients with self-reported arthritis accessing office-based therapy services in the USA.

Structure of the physical therapy benefit in a typical Blue Cross Blue Shield preferred provider organization plan available in the individual insurance market in 2011.

Background: The Affordable Care Act of 2010 establishes American Health Benefit Exchanges. The benefit design of insurance plans in state health insurance exchanges will be based on the structure of existing small-employer-sponsored plans.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the structure of the physical therapy benefit in a typical Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) preferred provider organization (PPO) health insurance plan available in the individual insurance market in 2011.

Malpractice by physical therapists: descriptive analysis of reports in the National Practitioner Data Bank public use data file, 1991-2004.

As physical therapists increase autonomous practice, medical error becomes more important to public safety and public perceptions of the profession. The purpose of this study was to describe malpractice by physical therapists in the United States based on physical therapist malpractice reports in the National Practitioner Data Bank between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2004. A frequency analysis of data related to physical therapist malpractice reports was performed.

Long-term safety evaluation of a novel oxygen-coordinated niacin-bound chromium (III) complex.

Chromium (III) is an essential micronutrient required for normal protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as helps insulin metabolize fat, turn protein into muscle and convert sugar into energy. A broad spectrum of research investigations including in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of novel oxygen- coordinated niacin-bound chromium (III) complex (NBC) in promoting glucose-insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, cardioprotective ability and lean body mass. This study examined the long-term safety of NBC by orally administering either 0 or 25 ppm or the human equivalency dose of 1000 microg elemental chromium (III) as NBC per day for 52 consecutive weeks to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

The meanings of autonomy for physical therapy.

The purpose of this article is to explore the social context and meanings of autonomy to physical therapy. Professional autonomy is a social contract based on public trust in an occupation to meet a significant social need and to preserve individual autonomy. Professional autonomy includes control over the decisions and procedures related to one's work (technical autonomy) and control over the economic resources necessary to complete one's work (socioeconomic autonomy).

Presence of papillomavirus sequences in condylomatous lesions of the mamillae and in invasive carcinoma of the breast.

Background: Viruses including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human equivalent of murine mammary tumour virus (MMTV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) have been implicated in the aetiology of human breast cancer. We report the presence of HPV DNA sequences in areolar tissue and tumour tissue samples from female patients with breast carcinoma. The presence of virus in the areolar-nipple complex suggests to us a potential pathogenic mechanism.

Magnetic, electronic, and structural characterization of nonstoichiometric iron oxides at the nanoscale.

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of nonstoichiometric iron oxide nanocrystals prepared by decomposition of iron(II) and iron(0) precursors in the presence of organic solvents and capping groups. The highly uniform, crystalline, and monodisperse nanocrystals that were produced enabled a full structural and compositional survey by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The complex and metastable behavior of nonstoichiometric iron oxide (wüstite) at the nanoscale was studied by a combination of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic characterization.