A backward cycling programme for people with Parkinson's disease: a feasibility and preliminary results study.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of backward cycling for people with Parkinson's disease. Secondary objectives were to assess changes in gait and balance following a 6-week program.

Design: A single-group prospective pre-test, post-test study with 1-month follow-up.

Evaluating clinical reasoning in first year DPT students using a script concordance test.

Background: A script concordance test (SCT) provides a series of clinical vignettes to assess clinical reasoning in uncertainty. Appraised throughout health education literature, SCTs are cognitive assessments of clinical reasoning, though their use in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) entry-level education has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to develop and explore the reliability and validity of a SCT for first year DPT students.

Floor-to-Stand Performance Among People Following Stroke.

Objectives: Studies have examined floor-to-stand performance in varied adult populations both quantitatively and qualitatively. Despite an elevated risk of falls and inability to independently return to stand after a fall, few have examined the ability to stand from the floor in patients recovering from stroke. There were 2 objectives of the study: to identify the relationships between floor-to-stand performance using a timed supine-to-stand test (TSS) and physical performance measures of gait, balance, and balance confidence among persons in the subacute phase after stroke; and to analyze descriptive strategies used in the completion of the TSS.

A Systematic Appraisal of Conflicts of Interest and Researcher Allegiance in Clinical Studies of Dry Needling for Musculoskeletal Pain Disorders.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and methods of conflicts of interest (COI) reporting in published dry needling (DN) studies and to determine the frequency of researcher allegiance (RA).

Methods: A pragmatic systematic search was undertaken to identify DN studies that were included in systematic reviews. Information regarding COI and RA were extracted from the full text of the published DN reports, and study authors were sent a survey inquiring about the presence of RA.

The meaning of regular participation in vigorous-intensity exercise among men with Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: To understand the meaning of regular participation in multiple types of vigorous-intensity exercise for those with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Materials And Methods: Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with eight male participants who engaged in at least two modes of vigorous-intensity exercise, including Rock Steady Boxing, about their experiences with exercise and the multifaceted role it played in their lives. Interview data were analyzed using systematic coding and organized into primary themes.

Does a Sway-Based Mobile Application Predict Future Falls in People With Parkinson Disease?

Objective: To determine whether Sway, a sway-based mobile application, predicts falls and to evaluate its discriminatory sensitivity and specificity relative to other clinical measures in identifying fallers in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD).

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Setting: Community.

Rate of Progression in Activity and Participation Outcomes in Exercisers with Parkinson's Disease: A Five-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Background: Rates of progression of motor symptoms and physical performance show declines between 2% and 7% annually in community samples with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effects of ongoing exercise behaviors on progression rates have not been considered.

Objective: The primary purpose of this prospective, longitudinal study was to examine the annual rates of progression in activity and participation measures over five years in community-based exercisers with PD.

Application of 21-gene recurrence score results and ASTRO suitability criteria in breast cancer patients treated with intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).

Background: American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) suitability criteria for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) were evaluated for prognostic and predictive benefit in IORT patients.

Methods: Outcomes of 184 patients completing IRB approved IORT protocol were retrospectively reviewed. Data included demographics, histopathology, RS, adjuvant therapy, locoregional (LRR) and distant recurrences (DR), and breast cancer-specific survival.

Scale Formation Under Blended Phosphate Treatment for a Utility With Lead Pipes.

US corrosion control practice often assumes that the orthophosphate component of blended phosphate corrosion inhibitors causes the formation of low-solubility lead-orthophosphate solids that control lead release into drinking water. This study identified the solids that formed on the interior surface of a lead service line and a galvanized steel pipe excavated from a system using a proprietary blended phosphate chemical. The scale was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy.

Epigenetic regulation of the miR142-3p/interleukin-6 circuit in glioblastoma.

Epigenetic regulation plays a critical role in glioblastoma (GBM) tumorigenesis. However, how microRNAs (miRNAs) and cytokines cooperate to regulate GBM tumor progression is still unclear. Here, we show that interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibits miR142-3p expression and promotes GBM propagation by inducing DNA methyltransferase 1-mediated hypermethylation of the miR142-3p promoter.

Survival of cancer stem cells under hypoxia and serum depletion via decrease in PP2A activity and activation of p38-MAPKAPK2-Hsp27.

Hypoxia and serum depletion are common features of solid tumors that occur upon antiangiogenesis, irradiation and chemotherapy across a wide variety of malignancies. Here we show that tumor cells expressing CD133, a marker for colorectal cancer initiating or stem cells, are enriched and survive under hypoxia and serum depletion conditions, whereas CD133- cells undergo apoptosis. CD133+ tumor cells increase cancer stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition properties.

Colon cancer stem cells resist antiangiogenesis therapy-induced apoptosis.

Antiangiogenesis is an efficient therapy for eliminating colon cancers, but because of recurrence it remains only palliative. We hypothesized that certain populations of tumor cells resist antiangiogenesis-induced apoptosis and explored the underlying mechanism. We demonstrated that the CD133(+) population of cells in colon cancer is resistant to anti-angiogenesis therapy.

The crosstalk of mTOR/S6K1 and Hedgehog pathways.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the most prevalent esophageal cancer type in the United States. The TNF-α/mTOR pathway is known to mediate the development of EAC. Additionally, aberrant activation of Gli1, downstream effector of the Hedgehog (HH) pathway, has been observed in EAC.

Pollination value of male bees: the specialist bee Peponapis pruinosa (Apidae) at summer squash (Cucurbita pepo).

Male bees can be abundant at flowers, particularly floral hosts of those bee species whose females are taxonomic pollen specialists (oligolecty). Contributions of male bees to host pollination are rarely studied directly despite their prevalence in a number of pollination guilds, including those of some crop plants. In this study, males of the oligolectic bee, Peponapis pruinosa Say, were shown to be effective pollinators of summer squash, Cucurbita pepo L.

Mesenchymal stem cells promote formation of colorectal tumors in mice.

Background & Aims: Tumor-initiating cells are a subset of tumor cells with the ability to form new tumors; however, they account for less than 0.001% of the cells in colorectal or other types of tumors. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) integrate into the colorectal tumor stroma; we investigated their involvement in tumor initiation.

Onset of diarrhea and pyrexia and time to detection of Salmonella enterica subsp enterica in feces in experimental studies of cattle, horses, goats, and sheep after infection per os.

Objective: To determine time to first detection of Salmonella organisms in feces of animals after experimental infection PO and times to onset of diarrhea and pyrexia to evaluate a common method for identifying nosocomial infections on the basis of time of admission and onset of clinical signs (ie, the 3-day criterion).

Design: Meta-analysis.

Sample Population: Cattle, horses, goats, and sheep experimentally infected PO with Salmonella enterica subsp enterica.

The Ndc80 complex uses a tripartite attachment point to couple microtubule depolymerization to chromosome movement.

In kinetochores, the Ndc80 complex couples the energy in a depolymerizing microtubule to perform the work of moving chromosomes. The complex directly binds microtubules using an unstructured, positively charged N-terminal tail located on Hec1/Ndc80. Hec1/Ndc80 also contains a calponin homology domain (CHD) that increases its affinity for microtubules in vitro, yet whether it is required in cells and how the tail and CHD work together are critical unanswered questions.

Nuclear EGFR is required for cisplatin resistance and DNA repair.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been shown to be able to translocate to the nucleus where it is involved in many cellular process including transcriptional regulation and DNA repair. Recently, it has been shown that the DNA damage-inducing agents ionizing radiation (IR) and cisplatin are able to induce EGFR nuclear localization, and this nuclear localization is correlated with increased DNA-PK activity, which plays an essential role in DNA double stranded repair. Here we sought to determine if there is a causal relationship between nuclear EGFR and DNA repair activity.

Radiofrequency-radiation exposure does not induce detectable leakage of albumin across the blood-brain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) consists of tight junctions between the endothelial cells that line the capillaries in the central nervous system. This structure protects the brain, and neurological damage could occur if it is compromised. Several publications by researchers at Lund University have reported alterations in the BBB after exposure to low-power 915 MHz energy.

Kinetochore attachments require an interaction between unstructured tails on microtubules and Ndc80(Hec1).

Kinetochore attachments to microtubules are tight enough to move chromosomes, yet the microtubules' plus ends must remain dynamic and reposition within the attachment pocket during depolymerization-coupled movement. Kinetochores are unable to bind microtubules after any of the four subunits of the Ndc80 complex are knocked down [2, 4]; however, because the Ndc80 complex has important structural roles [1-3], it is unclear whether it directly mediates kinetochore-microtubule attachments. The Ndc80(Hec1) subunit (Hec1) has a microtubule-binding site composed of both an unstructured N-terminal tail and a calponin homology domain [5-7].

Aurora B kinase and protein phosphatase 1 have opposing roles in modulating kinetochore assembly.

The outer kinetochore binds microtubules to control chromosome movement. Outer kinetochore assembly is restricted to mitosis, whereas the inner kinetochore remains tethered to centromeres throughout the cell cycle. The cues that regulate this transient assembly are unknown.

Suppression of pancreatic tumor progression by systemic delivery of a pancreatic-cancer-specific promoter driven Bik mutant.

Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive with extremely poor prognosis. Developing a pancreatic cancer specific promoter (PCSP) is one approach for pancreatic cancer gene therapy. We have modified the promoter of cholecystokinin type A receptor (CCKAR), named CCK/Mpd, which possesses a relatively high activity in pancreatic cancer cells as compared with normal cells.

Crossregulation of NF-kappaB by the APC/GSK-3beta/beta-catenin pathway.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) play an important role in the regulation of beta-catenin. Inhibition of or defects in their functions can lead to activation of beta-catenin. beta-catenin has been recently found to interact with and inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB).

HIP/RPL29 down-regulation accompanies terminal chondrocyte differentiation.

HIP is a heparin/heparan sulfate (Hp/HS) binding protein identical to ribosomal protein L29 that displays diverse biological functions. There is strong evidence that abnormal expression and quantitative deficiencies of essential molecules such as extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, transcription factors, and ribosomal proteins can seriously impair embryonic development. As observed for HS-bearing molecules, high levels of HIP/RPL29 are found in proliferating chondrocytic precursors and chondrocytes of developing growth plate.