Decreased Anticipatory Postural Adjustments During Gait Initiation Acutely Postconcussion.

Objective: To investigate anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during the transitional movement task of gait initiation (GI) in individuals acutely after a concussion.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: University research center.

Mechanisms of cardioprotection via modulation of the immune response.

Both morbidity and mortality as a result of cardiovascular disease remain significant worldwide and account for approximately 31% of annual deaths in the US. Current research is focused on novel therapeutic strategies to protect the heart during and after ischemic events and from subsequent adverse myocardial remodeling. After cardiac insult, the immune system is activated and plays an essential role in the beginning, development, and resolution of the healing cascade.

RARα/RXR synergism potentiates retinoid responsiveness in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines.

Retinoids, natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, induce cellular changes by activating nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR). Although the ability of retinoids to govern gene expression is exploited clinically for cancer therapeutics, the full benefit of retinoid-based strategies is unrealized due to detrimental side effects. Delineating the receptors that prompt cellular outcomes is critical to advancing retinoid-based approaches.

Distal and proximal promoters co-regulate pqsR expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The ubiquitous bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in immunocompromised individuals. P. aeruginosa virulence is controlled partly by intercellular communication, and the transcription factor PqsR is a necessary component in the P.

New 2-Aminothiazoline derivatives lower blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) via I-imidazoline and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors activation.

2-Aminothiazolines share an isosteric relationship with imidazolines and oxazolines with antihypertensive activity mainly mediated by the imidazoline I-receptor. In the present work, we have prepared five aminothiazolines, following a previously described synthetic pathway. Aminothiazolines derived from dicyclopropylmethylamine (ATZ1) and cyclohexylamine (3) are unprecedented in the literature.

Designed Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Anthranilyl-CoA Synthetase PqsA Block Quinolone Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses three interconnected intercellular signaling systems regulated by the transcription factors LasR, RhlR, and MvfR (PqsR), which mediate bacterial cell-cell communication via small-molecule natural products and control the production of a variety of virulence factors. The MvfR system is activated by and controls the biosynthesis of the quinolone quorum sensing factors HHQ and PQS. A key step in the biosynthesis of these quinolones is catalyzed by the anthranilyl-CoA synthetase PqsA.

Antibiotic Misuse in Hospital, Outpatient, and Long-Term Care Settings.

Antibiotic misuse is common in the United States, but the causes of antibiotic misuse may differ from one health care setting to another. In this commentary, we describe the factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions in hospital, outpatient, and long-term care settings, along with specific measures that can help prevent antibiotic misuse.

Simvastatin inhibits CD44 fragmentation in chondrocytes.

In human osteoarthritic chondrocytes, the hyaluronan receptor CD44 undergoes proteolytic cleavage at the cell surface. CD44 cleavage is thought to require transit of CD44 into cholesterol-rich lipid rafts. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether statins exert a protective effect on articular chondrocytes due to diminution of cholesterol.

CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of HAS2 in rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes demonstrates the requirement of hyaluronan for aggrecan retention.

Hyaluronan (HA) plays an essential role in cartilage where it functions to retain aggrecan. Previous studies have suggested that aggrecan is anchored indirectly to the plasma membrane of chondrocytes via its binding to cell-associated HA. However, reagents used to test these observations such as hyaluronidase and HA oligosaccharides are short term and may have side activities that complicate interpretation.

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Trauma Patients: Different Criteria, Different Rates.

Background: No consensus exists regarding the definition of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Even within a single institution, inconsistent diagnostic criteria result in conflicting rates of VAP. As a Level 1 trauma center participating in the Trauma Quality Improvement Project (TQIP) and the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), our institution showed inconsistencies in VAP rates depending on which criteria was applied.

Improving quality and outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting procedures.

The evolution in the approach, clinical care and outcomes of ischemic heart disease, has been dramatic over the past decade. Optimizing medical therapy initially and throughout the care delivery process has been transformative. The addition of new physiologic data to the traditional anatomic framework for diagnosis and therapy of more extensive stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) enables quality and outcomes improvements in this patient population overall and in the patient subsets of acute coronary syndrome and SIHD.

Mobile Telestroke During Ambulance Transport Is Feasible in a Rural EMS Setting: The iTREAT Study.

Background: The use of telemedicine in the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke, or telestroke, is a well-accepted method of practice improving geographic disparities in timely access to neurological expertise. We propose that mobile telestroke assessment during ambulance transport is feasible using low-cost, widely available technology.

Materials And Methods: We designed a platform including a tablet-based end point, high-speed modem with commercial wireless access, external antennae, and portable mounting apparatus.

Risks go beyond the violence: Association between intimate partner violence, mental illness, and substance abuse among females admitted to a rural Level I trauma center.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant cause of intentional injury among women but remains underrecognized, and its relationship to other risk factors for all-cause injury remains poorly defined. This study aimed to assess IPV and its association with alcohol abuse, illicit substance use, selected mental illnesses, and other risk factors for injury.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of prospectively collected data among adult females admitted to a rural, Level I trauma center.

Recent research on Gulf War illness and other health problems in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War: Effects of toxicant exposures during deployment.

Veterans of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield - the 1991 Gulf War (GW) - are a unique population who returned from theater with multiple health complaints and disorders. Studies in the U.S.

Late gastrointestinal tissue effects after hypofractionated radiation therapy of the pancreas.

Background: To consolidate literature reports of serious late gastrointestinal toxicities after hypofractionated radiation treatment of pancreatic cancer and attempt to derive normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) parameters using the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman model.

Methods: Published reports of late grade 3 or greater gastrointestinal toxicity after hypofractionated treatment of pancreatic cancer were reviewed. The biologically equivalent dose in 1.

Radiotherapy associated with improved survival for high-grade sarcoma of the extremity.

Background: The impact of radiotherapy on local control in limb-preserving surgery for high-risk sarcoma has been well studied. However, the impact of the use and timing of radiation therapy on survival is unclear.

Methods: From 1988 to 2010, patients with Stage III extremity sarcoma were identified within the SEER registry and cohorts were created using propensity score matching between irradiated and non-irradiated groups.

Permissive Hypotension: Potentially Harmful in the Elderly? A National Trauma Data Bank Analysis.

Permissive hypotension is a component of damage control resuscitation that aims to provide a directed, controlled resuscitation, while countering the "lethal triad." This principle has not been specifically studied in elderly (ELD) trauma patients (≥55 years). Given the ELD population's lack of physiologic reserve and risk of inadequate perfusion with "normal" blood pressures, we hypothesized that utilized a permissive hypotension strategy in ELD trauma patients would result in worse outcomes compared with younger patients (18-54 years).

Performance of digital screening mammography in a population-based cohort of black and white women.

Purpose: There is scarce information on whether digital screening mammography performance differs between black and white women.

Methods: We examined 256,470 digital screening mammograms performed from 2005 to 2010 among 31,654 black and 133,152 white Carolina Mammography Registry participants aged ≥40 years. We compared recall rate, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV1) between black and white women, adjusting for potential confounders using random effects logistic regression.

Self-Management and Transition Readiness Assessment: Concurrent, Predictive and Discriminant Validation of the STARx Questionnaire.

Introduction: The STARx Questionnaire was designed with patient and provider input, to measure self-management and transition skills in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic health conditions. With proven reliability and an empirically-based factor structure, the self-report STARx Questionnaire requires further validation to demonstrate its clinical and research utility. In this study we examine the concurrent, predictive, and discriminant validity of the STARx Questionnaire.

ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ORGANISMS CAUSING URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN PATIENTS PRESENTING AT KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL, NAIROBI.

Background: Changes in susceptibility patterns of bacterial pathogens isolated from urinary tract infections emphasize the need for regional surveillance to generate information that can be used in management of patients. Knowledge on the current status of antimicrobial resistance in uropathogens, and the prevalence of expanding spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in the isolates will guide policy formulations and encourage prudent use of antimicrobials.

Objective: Identify bacterial pathogens causing UTI and determine the association between the pathogens isolated from patients attending KNH.