Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on pain, function, and descending inhibition in people with non-specific chronic low-back pain: a study protocol for a randomized crossover trial.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a significant public health problem, is very prevalent, and is often characterized by the persistence of symptoms. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may benefit people with chronic LBP because it can activate descending inhibitory pathways and inhibit central excitability. However, previous studies that have investigated the effects of TENS on pain in people with LBP have failed to use proper intensities of current, and the timing of the assessment of pain was not performed during the peak of the analgesic response or functional activities.

Association of diabetes mellitus with dementia- and non-dementia-related mortality amongst women: a secondary competing risks analysis of the California Teachers Study.

Background And Purpose: The prevalence of dementia is rapidly increasing. Attempts to further understand modifiable risk factors such as diabetes mellitus (DM) are urgently needed to inform public health policies for prevention. Thus, the objective of the current study was to assess the relationship between DM and risk of dementia and non-dementia mortality amongst women in the California Teachers Study prospective cohort.

National Benchmarks to Understand How Doctor of Physical Therapy Learners From Minoritized Race and Ethnicity Groups Perceive Their Physical Therapist Education Program.

Objective: The demographic homogeneity of the physical therapist workforce and its educational pathway may undermine the profession's potential to improve the health of society. Building academic environments that support the development of all learners is fundamental to building a workforce to meet societal health care needs. The Benchmarking in Physical Therapy Education study uses the Physical Therapy Graduation Questionnaire to comprehensively assess learner perceptions of the physical therapist academic environment.

The Effect of Chronic Altitude Exposure on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Outcomes in the SPIROMICS Cohort: An Observational Cohort Study.

Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have airflow obstruction and maldistribution of ventilation. For those living at high altitude, any gas exchange abnormality is compounded by reduced partial pressures of inspired oxygen. Does residence at higher altitude exposure affect COPD outcomes, including lung function, imaging characteristics, symptoms, health status, functional exercise capacity, exacerbations, and mortality? From the SPIROMICS (Subpopulation and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study) cohort, we identified individuals with COPD living below 1,000 ft (305 m) elevation ( = 1,367) versus above 4,000 ft (1,219 m) elevation ( = 288).

White matter tract integrity in isolated oral clefts: relationship to cognition and reading skills.

Children with isolated cleft of the lip and/or palate (iCL/P) have been shown to be at risk for impaired reading ability. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed subtle morphological and functional abnormalities correlated to cognition and reading ability. However, the integrity of white matter tracts and their potential relationship to reading performance in iCL/P is under-studied.

Fatal Vertebral Artery Dissection Following Self-Manipulation of the Cervical Spine.

Cervical spine manipulation is a known risk factor for vertebral artery dissection. In this report, we present a case of fatal vertebral artery dissection that occurred as the result of self-manipulation of the cervical spine. The decedent was a 40-year-old man with no significant past medical history.

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide/pH interaction and its association with mortality among patients mechanically ventilated in the emergency department.

Objectives: There is currently conflicting data as to the effects of hypercapnia on clinical outcomes among mechanically ventilated patients in the emergency department (ED). These conflicting results may be explained by the degree of acidosis. We sought to test the hypothesis that hypercapnia is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and decreased ventilator-free days at lower pH, but associated with decreased in-hospital mortality and increased ventilator-free days at higher pH, among patients requiring mechanical ventilation in the emergency department (ED).

Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins protect human airway epithelial ciliated cells from oxidative damage.

Apical cilia on epithelial cells defend the lung by propelling pathogens and particulates out of the respiratory airways. Ciliated cells produce ATP that powers cilia beating by densely grouping mitochondria just beneath the apical membrane. However, this efficient localization comes at a cost because electrons leaked during oxidative phosphorylation react with molecular oxygen to form superoxide, and thus, the cluster of mitochondria creates a hotspot for oxidant production.

The Interdisciplinary Doula Project: Innovations in Nursing Clinical Education.

People giving birth report overwhelmingly positive experiences with nursing students acting as doulas. However, no programs report on improving diversity among students, pregnant people, and curricula. This article describes the Interdisciplinary Doula Project, a program to enhance diverse perspectives and clinical skills of university students.

A model for stimulation of enzyme activity by a competitive inhibitor based on the interaction of terazosin and phosphoglycerate kinase 1.

The drug terazosin (TZ) binds to and can enhance the activity of the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and can increase ATP levels. That finding prompted studies of TZ in Parkinson's disease (PD) in which decreased neuronal energy metabolism is a hallmark feature. TZ was neuroprotective in cell-based and animal PD models and in large epidemiological studies of humans.

The Association Between State Characteristics and Latinx People's Treated Hypertension in Established and New Latinx Destination States: A Multilevel Analysis.

This study sought to quantify the contributions of state-level factors including income inequality, state's legislature political control, and Medicaid expansion in new and established Latinx destination states on Latinx individuals' treated hypertension. Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 7524 Latinx adults nested within 39 states. Overall, 70% reported being pharmacologically treated for hypertension, and 66% resided in established destination states.

A splice acceptor variant in RGS6 associated with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and cataracts disproportionately promotes expression of a subset of RGS6 isoforms.

Intellectual disability (ID) is associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, suggesting a common underlying genetic factor. Importantly, altered signaling and/or expression of regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is associated with ID and numerous psychiatric disorders. RGS6 is highly conserved and undergoes complex alternative mRNA splicing producing ~36 protein isoforms with high sequence similarity historically necessitating a global approach in functional studies.

Stress integration by an ascending adrenergic-melanocortin circuit.

Stress is thought to be an important contributing factor for eating disorders; however, neural substrates underlying the complex relationship between stress and appetite are not fully understood. Using in vivo recordings from awake behaving mice, we show that various acute stressors activate catecholaminergic nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) projections in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH). Remarkably, the resulting adrenergic tone inhibits MC4R-expressing neurons (PVH), which are known for their role in feeding suppression.

Firearm exposure and safety training of rural Iowa youth.

Purpose: Our objective was to investigate rural adolescents' use of firearms and whether they had received firearm training.

Methods: 2019 Iowa FFA Leadership Conference attendees were surveyed. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed.

High-Throughput GPCRome Screen of Pollutants Reveals the Activity of Polychlorinated Biphenyls at Melatonin and Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptors.

Exposure to environmental pollutants is linked to numerous toxic outcomes, warranting concern about the effect of pollutants on human health. To assess the threat of pollutant exposure, it is essential to understand their biological activity. Unfortunately, gaps remain for many pollutants' specific biological activity and molecular targets.

Mitochondrial Dynamics, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease.

Mitochondria undergo repeated cycles of fusion and fission that regulate their size and shape by a process known as mitochondrial dynamics. Numerous studies have revealed the importance of this process in maintaining mitochondrial health and cellular homeostasis, particularly in highly metabolically active tissues such as skeletal muscle and the heart. Here, we review the literature on the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders.

Recent advances in understanding the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases have expanded the opportunities for neurotherapeutics targeting mitochondria to alleviate symptoms and slow disease progression. In this review, we offer a historical account of advances in mitochondrial biology and neurodegenerative disease. Additionally, we summarize current knowledge of the normal physiology of mitochondria and the pathogenesis of mitochondrial dysfunction, the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease, current therapeutics and recent therapeutic advances, as well as future directions for neurotherapeutics targeting mitochondrial function.

ATF4 expression in thermogenic adipocytes is required for cold-induced thermogenesis in mice via FGF21-independent mechanisms.

In brown adipose tissue (BAT), short-term cold exposure induces the activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), and its downstream target fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Induction of ATF4 in BAT in response to mitochondrial stress is required for thermoregulation, partially by increasing FGF21 expression. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that Atf4 and Fgf21 induction in BAT are both required for BAT thermogenesis under physiological stress by generating mice selectively lacking either Atf4 (ATF4 BKO) or Fgf21 (FGF21 BKO) in UCP1-expressing adipocytes.

Repeat thrombectomy after large vessel re-occlusion: a propensity score matched analysis of technical and clinical outcomes.

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains the standard of care for acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, the safety and efficacy of repeat thrombectomy (rEVT) in recurrent LVO remains unclear. This study uses a large real-world patient cohort to study technical and clinical outcomes after rEVT.

The impact of emergency medicine residents on clinical productivity.

Context: Faculty productivity is of interest for hospital and university administrators as pressure is placed on them by government and private payors. Further, the effect of trainees on clinical productivity is of personal interest to physicians because their performance evaluations and earning potential are often tied to their productivity. Several groups have utilized creative methodology to study the effect of learners on emergency department (ED) productivity, but they were faced with multiple confounding variables for which it was difficult to adjust.

Revolutionizing cancer treatment: comprehensive insights into immunotherapeutic strategies.

Cancer, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of aberrant cells, underscores the imperative for innovative therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy has emerged as a pivotal constituent in cancer treatment, offering improved prognostic outcomes for a substantial patient cohort. Noteworthy for its precision, immunotherapy encompasses strategies such as adoptive cell therapy and checkpoint inhibitors, orchestrating the immune system to recognize and selectively target malignant cells.