Should I stay or should I go? An exploratory study comparing wheelchair-adapted rowing at home vs. in community gyms.

Purpose: Wheelchair users experience many barriers to physical activity as affordable and accessible exercise equipment options are limited. Thus, the home-based adapted rower (aROW) and gym-based aROW were developed. The objectives were to determine: 1) wheelchair users' preferences, perspectives, facilitators, and barriers to using the home-based versus the gym-based aROW, 2) perceived usability of the home and gym aROWs, and 3) recommendations to adapt the aROW further for home and community use.

An unexpected transition to virtual care: family medicine residents' experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic led to rapid changes in both medical care and medical education, particularly involving the rapid substitution of virtual solutions for traditional face-to-face appointments. There is a need for research into the effects and impacts of such changes. The objective of this article investigates the perspectives of Family Medicine Residents in one university program in order to understand the impact of this transition to virtual care and learning.

Granzyme B in epithelial barrier dysfunction and related skin diseases.

The predominant function of the skin is to serve as a barrier-to protect against external insults and to prevent water loss. Junctional and structural proteins in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis, are critical to the integrity of the epidermal barrier as it balances ongoing outward migration, differentiation, and desquamation of keratinocytes in the epidermis. As such, epidermal barrier function is highly susceptible to upsurges of proteolytic activity in the stratum corneum and epidermis.

Pathological functions of granzyme B in inflammatory skin diseases.

Dysregulated skin immunity is a hallmark of many skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, autoimmune blistering diseases, and interface dermatitis. Current treatment options for the inflammatory skin diseases are limited and sometimes ineffective, therefore further understanding of pathomechanisms in the inflammatory skin conditions is necessary to develop new therapeutic alternatives. Recent studies suggest that the serine protease, granzyme B, is a key mediator in multiple inflammatory skin diseases, implying that strategies targeting granzyme B may be an attractive treatment option for such diseases.

Granzyme B inhibition reduces disease severity in autoimmune blistering diseases.

Pemphigoid diseases refer to a group of severe autoimmune skin blistering diseases characterized by subepidermal blistering and loss of dermal-epidermal adhesion induced by autoantibody and immune cell infiltrate at the dermal-epidermal junction and upper dermis. Here, we explore the role of the immune cell-secreted serine protease, granzyme B, in pemphigoid disease pathogenesis using three independent murine models. In all models, granzyme B knockout or topical pharmacological inhibition significantly reduces total blistering area compared to controls.

Evaluating the Measurement Properties of the ScanCourse, a Dual-Task Assessment of Visual Scanning.

Importance: The ScanCourse is used by occupational therapists to evaluate visual scanning ability during locomotion. Its measurement properties have not been examined.

Objective: To assess the interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the ScanCourse.

Proteases in Pemphigoid Diseases.

Pemphigoid diseases are a subgroup of autoimmune skin diseases characterized by widespread tense blisters. Standard of care typically involves immunosuppressive treatments, which may be insufficient and are often associated with significant adverse events. As such, a deeper understanding of the pathomechanism(s) of pemphigoid diseases is necessary in order to identify improved therapeutic approaches.

Population attributable fraction of leading non-communicable cardiovascular diseases due to leisure-time physical inactivity: a systematic review.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the methods used for estimating the population attributable fraction (PAF) to leisure-time physical inactivity (PI) of coronary artery diseases, hypertension and stroke in order to provide the best available estimate for PAF.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) were searched from inception to August 2018.

Evaluating the Measurement Properties of the ScanCourse, a Dual-Task Assessment of Visual Scanning.

Importance: The ScanCourse is used by occupational therapists to evaluate visual scanning ability during locomotion. Its measurement properties have not been examined.

Objective: To assess the interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the ScanCourse.

Goal satisfaction improves with individualized powered wheelchair skills training.

Purpose: To determine improvements in goal satisfaction following individualized mobility-related powered wheelchair skills training and whether changes in satisfaction are maintained 3 months post-training.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen powered wheelchair users, from two centres, who were randomized to the training intervention from a larger multicentre study, were included in this secondary analysis. The intervention consisted of five 30-min individualized Wheelchair Skills Training Program sessions.

Can the Otago falls prevention program be delivered by video? A feasibility study.

Objectives: We assessed the feasibility of delivering the Otago Exercise Programme (OEP) via an interactive DVD (ie, OEP-DVD) in combination with monthly physical therapist phone calls to older adults.

Design: This pre-post (baseline and 6-month follow-up) study included an intervention group (n=61) based in a rural location and a control group (n=21) based in a city.

Setting: Sechelt and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Agreement between Patient and Proxy Assessments of Quality of Life among Older Adults with Vascular Cognitive Impairment Using the EQ-5D-3L and ICECAP-O.

Background: The assessment of quality of life is critical in ascertaining the benefit of interventions aimed to reduce morbidity among individuals with cognitive impairment. However, the assessment of quality of life is challenging in this population due to the uncertain validity of patient responses as cognitive function declines. Hence, we examined the level of agreement between patient and proxy assessments of health related quality of life (HRQoL) and wellbeing based on the domains that comprise each of these constructs.

Mobility predicts change in older adults' health-related quality of life: evidence from a Vancouver falls prevention prospective cohort study.

Background: Older adults with mobility impairments are prone to reduced health related quality of life (HRQoL) is highly associated with mobility impairments. The consequences of falls have detrimental impact on mobility. Hence, ascertaining factors explaining variation among individuals' quality of life is critical for promoting healthy ageing, particularly among older fallers.

Mobility and cognition are associated with wellbeing and health related quality of life among older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Vancouver Falls Prevention Cohort.

Background: Ascertaining individuals' quality of life and wellbeing is essential in public health and clinical research. The impact of these two pressing geriatric syndromes--impaired mobility and cognitive function--on wellbeing and quality of life is not well examined. Hence, our objective was to identify key clinically relevant outcome measures of mobility and cognitive function that explain variation in wellbeing and health related quality of life (HRQoL) among community dwelling older adults.

Population attributable fraction of type 2 diabetes due to physical inactivity in adults: a systematic review.

Background: Physical inactivity is a global pandemic. The population attributable fraction (PAF) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with physical inactivity ranges from 3% to 40%. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the best estimate of PAF for T2DM attributable to physical inactivity and absence of sport participation or exercise for men and women.

Disruptions in brain networks of older fallers are associated with subsequent cognitive decline: a 12-month prospective exploratory study.

Cognitive impairment and impaired mobility are major public health concerns. There is growing recognition that impaired mobility is an early biomarker of cognitive impairment and dementia. The neural basis for this association is currently unclear.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases and their roles in phagosome maturation.

Phagosome maturation is a highly organized and sequential process that results in the formation of a microbicidal phagolysosome. This results in crucial contributions to innate and adaptive immunity through pathogen clearance and antigen presentation. Thus, it is important to understand the regulatory networks that control the extent and nature of phagosome maturation.

Self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume in older women.

Background: ageing is highly associated with neurodegeneration and atrophy of the brain. Evidence suggests that personality variables are risk factors for reduced brain volume. We examine whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume.

The independent contribution of executive functions to health related quality of life in older women.

Background: Cognition is a multidimensional construct and to our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the independent contribution of specific domains of cognition to health related quality of life. To determine whether executive functions are independently associated with health related quality of life assessed using Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) calculated from the EuroQol EQ-5D (EQ-5D) in older women after adjusting for known covariates, including global cognition. Therefore, we conducted a secondary analysis of community-dwelling older women aged 65-75 years who participated in a 12-month randomized controlled trial of resistance training.

Identification of a calcitriol-regulated Sp-1 site in the promoter of human CD14 using a combined western blotting electrophoresis mobility shift assay (WEMSA).

Calcitriol (1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)) induces the expression of CD14 in mononuclear phagocytes. The mechanisms accounting for this have been unclear since the promoter of CD14 does not contain a canonical vitamin D response element (VDRE). Calcitriol has been shown to regulate the activity of the transcription factor Sp-1 and our analysis of the proximal promoter of CD14 indicated the presence of four Sp-1-like binding sequences.

Leishmania donovani engages in regulatory interference by targeting macrophage protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1.

Protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites of monocytes and macrophages. These pathogens have evolved to invade the mammalian immune system and typically survive for long periods of time. Leishmania have developed a variety of remarkable strategies to prevent their elimination by both innate and acquired immune effector mechanisms.