Recommendations for a core outcome set for measuring standing balance in adult populations: a consensus-based approach

Standing balance is imperative for mobility and avoiding falls. Use of an excessive number of standing balance measures has limited the synthesis of balance intervention data and hampered consistent clinical practice.To develop recommendations for a core outcome set (COS) of standing balance measures for research and practice among adults.A combination of scoping reviews, literature appraisal, anonymous voting and face-to-face meetings with fourteen invited experts from a range of disciplines with international recognition in balance measurement and falls prevention. Consensus was sought over three rounds using pre-established criteria.The scoping review identified 56 existing standing balance measures validated in adult populations with evidence of use in the past five years, and these were considered for inclusion in the COS.Fifteen measures were excluded after the first round of scoring and a further 36 after round two. Five measures were considered in round three. Two measures reached consensus for recommendation, and the expert panel recommended that at a minimum, either the Berg Balance Scale or Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test be used when measuring standing balance in adult populations.Inclusion of two measures in the COS may increase the feasibility of potential uptake, but poses challenges for data synthesis. Adoption of the standing balance COS does not constitute a comprehensive balance assessment for any population, and users should include additional validated measures as appropriate.The absence of a gold standard for measuring standing balance has contributed to the proliferation of outcome measures. These recommendations represent an important first step towards greater standardization in the assessment and measurement of this critical skill and will inform clinical research and practice internationally

Twilight zone observation network: a distributed observation network for sustained, real-time interrogation of the ocean’s twilight zone

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Thorrold, S. R., Adams, A., Bucklin, A., Buesseler, K., Fischer, G., Govindarajan, A., Hoagland, P., Jin, D., Lavery, A., Llopez, J., Madin, L., Omand, M., Renaud, P. G., Sosik, H. M., Wiebe, P., Yoerger, D. R., & Zhang, W. Twilight zone observation network: a distributed observation network for sustained, real-time interrogation of the Ocean’s Twilight Zone. Marine Technology Society Journal, 55(3), (2021): 92–93, https://doi.org/10.4031/MTSJ.55.3.46.The ocean's twilight zone (TZ) is a vast, globe-spanning region of the ocean. Home to myriad fishes and invertebrates, mid-water fishes alone may constitute 10 times more biomass than all current ocean wild-caught fisheries combined. Life in the TZ supports ocean food webs and plays a critical role in carbon capture and sequestration. Yet the ecological roles that mesopelagic animals play in the ocean remain enigmatic. This knowledge gap has stymied efforts to determine the effects that extraction of mesopelagic biomass by industrial fisheries, or alterations due to climate shifts, may have on ecosystem services provided by the open ocean. We propose to develop a scalable, distributed observation network to provide sustained interrogation of the TZ in the northwest Atlantic. The network will leverage a “tool-chest” of emerging and enabling technologies including autonomous, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and swarms of low-cost “smart” floats. Connectivity among in-water assets will allow rapid assimilation of data streams to inform adaptive sampling efforts. The TZ observation network will demonstrate a bold new step towards the goal of continuously observing vast regions of the deep ocean, significantly improving TZ biomass estimates and understanding of the TZ's role in supporting ocean food webs and sequestering carbon.This research is part of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ocean Twilight Zone Project, funded as part of The Audacious Project housed at TED

Structures of PI4KIIIβ complexes show simultaneous recruitment of Rab11 and its effectors

Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases (PI4Ks) and small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) are essential for processes that require expansion and remodeling of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P)-containing membranes, including cytokinesis, intracellular development of malarial pathogens, and replication of a wide range of RNA viruses. However, the structural basis for coordination of PI4K, GTPases and their effectors is unknown. Here, we describe structures of PI4KB (PI4KIIIβ) bound to the small GTPase Rab11a without and with the Rab11 effector protein FIP3. The Rab11-PI4KIIIβ interface is unique compared with known structures of Rab complexes, and does not involve switch regions used by GTPase effectors. Our data provide a mechanism for how PI4KIIIβ coordinates Rab11 and its effectors on PI4P-enriched membranes, and also provide strategies for the design of specific inhibitors that could potentially target plasmodial PI4KIIIβ to combat malaria

Oxysterol Binding Protein-dependent Activation of Sphingomyelin Synthesis in the Golgi Apparatus Requires Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase IIα

The study identifies a sterol- and oxysterol binding protein (OSBP)-regulated phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase that regulates ceramide transport protein (CERT) activity and sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis. RNA interference silencing experiments identify PI4KIIα; as the mediator of Golgi recruitment of CERT, providing a potential mechanism for coordinating assembly of SM and cholesterol in the Golgi or more distal compartments

Glioma imaging in Europe: A survey of 220 centres and recommendations for best clinical practice

Objectives: At a European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) Annual Meeting 2015 workshop, commonalities in practice, current controversies and technical hurdles in glioma MRI were discussed. We aimed to formulate guidance on MRI of glioma and determine its feasibility, by seeking information on glioma imaging practices from the European Neuroradiology community. Methods: Invitations to a structured survey were emailed to ESNR members (n=1,662) and associates (n=6,400), European national radiologists’ societies and distributed via social media. Results: Responses were received from 220 institutions (59% academic). Conventional imaging protocols generally include T2w, T2-FLAIR, DWI, and pre- and post-contrast T1w. Perfusion MRI is used widely (85.5%), while spectroscopy seems reserved for specific indications. Reasons for omitting advanced imaging modalities include lack of facility/software, time constraints and no requests. Early postoperative MRI is routinely carried out by 74% within 24–72 h, but only 17% report a percent measure of resection. For follow-up, most sites (60%) issue qualitative reports, while 27% report an assessment according to the RANO criteria. A minori

Chromogranin-A production and fragmentation in patients with Takayasu arteritis

BACKGROUND: Chromogranin-A (CgA) is a secretory protein processed into peptides that regulate angiogenesis and vascular cells activation, migration and proliferation. These processes may influence arterial inflammation and remodelling in Takayasu arteritis (TA). METHODS: Plasma levels of full-length CgA (CgA439), CgA fragments lacking the C-terminal region (CgA-FRs) and the N-terminal fragment, CgA1-76 (vasostatin-1, VS-1) were analysed in 42 patients with TA and 20 healthy age-matched controls. Vascular remodelling was longitudinally assessed by imaging. CgA peptides were related to markers of systemic and local inflammation, disease activity and vascular remodelling. RESULTS: Levels of CgA-FRs and VS-1 were increased in TA. Treatment with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and arterial hypertension partially accounted for CgA levels and high inter-patient variability. CgA439, CgA-FRs and VS-1 levels did not reflect disease activity or extent. Markers of systemic or local inflammation correlated with higher CgA-FRs and VS-1 in normotensive patients and with higher CgA439 in hypertensive patients. Treatment with non-biologic anti-rheumatic agents was associated with increased CgA-FRs and a distinctive regulation of CgA processing. Reduced blood levels of anti-angiogenic CgA peptides were associated with vascular remodelling in the groups of patients on PPIs and with arterial hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma levels of CgA fragments are markedly increased in TA as a consequence of disease- and therapy-related variables. Anti-angiogenic forms of CgA may limit vascular remodelling. Given the effect of the various CgA peptides, it is advisable to limit the therapeutic prescriptions that might influence CgA-derived peptide levels to clearly agreed medical indications until further data become available