Determination of Stromal Signatures in Breast Carcinoma

Many soft tissue tumors recapitulate features of normal connective tissue. We hypothesize that different types of fibroblastic tumors are representative of different populations of fibroblastic cells or different activation states of these cells. We examined two tumors with fibroblastic features, solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) and desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF), by DNA microarray analysis and found that they have very different expression profiles, including significant differences in their patterns of expression of extracellular matrix genes and growth factors. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization on a tissue microarray, we found that genes specific for these two tumors have mutually specific expression in the stroma of nonneoplastic tissues. We defined a set of 786 gene spots whose pattern of expression distinguishes SFT from DTF. In an analysis of DNA microarray gene expression data from 295 previously published breast carcinomas, we found that expression of this gene set defined two groups of breast carcinomas with significant differences in overall survival. One of the groups had a favorable outcome and was defined by the expression of DTF genes. The other group of tumors had a poor prognosis and showed variable expression of genes enriched for SFT type. Our findings suggest that the host stromal response varies significantly among carcinomas and that gene expression patterns characteristic of soft tissue tumors can be used to discover new markers for normal connective tissue cells

Interprofessional Education Workshop on Aging: Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration, Cultural Fluency, and Aging.

Interprofessional education is vital to prepare students in healthcare-related fields for future practice to improve participation in teams and enhance client/patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a half-day interprofessional education workshop on aging based on students’ self-rated confidence in working in interprofessional teams, with aging, and culturally diverse clients/patients. Students from eight healthcare-related disciplines at a private mid-western university attended an interprofessional workshop. Afterward, students completed a reflective survey to evaluate pre- and post-workshop perceptions about interprofessional collaboration and caring for aging and diverse clients/patients. Quantitative methods using paired sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant difference in students’ self-reported level of preparedness in the areas of interprofessional education, aging, and cultural fluency (P \u3c .001). In addition, qualitative methods were used to organize data into themes. Additional insights were gained to inform future workshops

State of the Literature for Physical Therapy Interventions for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. CIPN may result in various physical impairments, however, there is limited research-base specific to physical therapy (PT) interventions for CIPN. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the current state of research for PT interventions to help determine if sufficient evidence exists to begin formulation of a clinical practice guideline, and to identify possible PT interventions for patients with CIPN. METHODS: A scoping review was performed using the database Covidence to compile the articles. A bias assessment was performed on the articles relating to PT intervention. RESULTS: The literature search yielded a total of 18,951 articles between the year 2000 and April of 2020 investigating neuropathy in some aspect. Of this, abstract screening was completed for 3,479. 19 articles were reviewed in full for relevance to PT interventions and 10 were finally included and bias assessments were completed and 2 articles were found to be of high quality. One high quality study provided evidence that photobiomodulation (PBM) three times weekly for 6 weeks improved symptoms of CIPN, while PT including manual soft tissue mobilization along with a home exercise program (HEP) for stretching the lower extremity twice a day provided no further benefit. Another high quality study provided evidence that aerobically fit, younger, premenopausal, and healthy weight female patients respond more effectively to high intensity aerobic exercise programs than their counterparts for reduction of CIPN symptoms. Other studies were rated poor quality due to a combination of small sample sizes, poor/lack of randomization, high dropout rates, not controlling for similar background treatments, and inclusion of secondary analyses. CONCLUSION: The research suggests PT interventions for patients who develop CIPN should include: PBM (3x/week for 6 weeks) and higher intensity exercise training (50-60 minutes, 3x/week) to reduce CIPN symptoms. Additionally, age of the patient, type of cancer, menopause status and level of fitness are variables to consider before implementing these interventions. Further research is needed on this topic due to small sample sizes and poor quality of the research designs of many studies

Interprofessional education workshop on aging: Student perceptions of interprofessional collaboration, cultural fluency, and aging

Interprofessional education is vital to prepare students in healthcare-related fields for future practice to improve participation in teams and enhance client/patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a half-day interprofessional education workshop on aging based on students’ self-rated confidence in working in interprofessional teams, with aging, and culturally diverse clients/patients. Students from eight healthcare-related disciplines at a private mid-western university attended an interprofessional workshop. Afterward, students completed a reflective survey to evaluate pre- and post-workshop perceptions about interprofessional collaboration and caring for aging and diverse clients/patients. Quantitative methods using paired sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant difference in students’ self-reported level of preparedness in the areas of interprofessional education, aging, and cultural fluency (P \u3c .001). In addition, qualitative methods were used to organize data into themes. Additional insights were gained to inform future workshops

Interprofessional Education Workshop on Aging: Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration, Aging, and Cultural Fluency

Interprofessional education is vital to prepare students in healthcare-related fields for future practice to improve participation in teams and enhance client/patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a half-day interprofessional education workshop on aging based on students’ self-rated confidence in working in interprofessional teams, with aging, and culturally diverse clients/patients. Students from eight healthcare-related disciplines at a private mid-western university attended an interprofessional workshop. Afterward, students completed a reflective survey to evaluate pre- and post-workshop perceptions about interprofessional collaboration and caring for aging and diverse clients/patients. Quantitative methods using paired sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant difference in students’ self-reported level of preparedness in the areas of interprofessional education, aging, and cultural fluency (P \u3c .001). In addition, qualitative methods were used to organize data into themes. Additional insights were gained to inform future workshops

Environmental harshness mediates the relationship between aboveground and belowground communities in Antarctica

Linkages between aboveground and belowground communities are a key but globally under-researched component of responses to environmental change. Given the logistical complications to studying these relationships, much of our knowledge derives from laboratory experiments and localized field studies which have so far yielded inconsistent results. Because environmental factors may alter relationships between above- and belowground communities, there is a need for broad-scale field studies testing these interactions. The Antarctic Peninsula provides an ideal test setting, given the relatively simple communities both above- and belowground. The Peninsula is also experiencing rapid environmental changes, including alterations in species diversity and distribution both above- and belowground. Thus, an improved understanding of the broad-scale consequences of altered environments and vegetation communities for the soil microbiome is of high priority. To determine the nature and strength of the relationship between in situ plant and soil communities across a broad spatial scale and range of environmental conditions, we sampled soil communities at 9 locations (spanning 60–72°S along the Scotia Arc and Antarctic Peninsula) beneath the major aboveground habitats (moss, grass, lichen, algae and bare soil). We measured a comprehensive suite of soil physicochemical properties, microbial (bacterial and fungal) diversity and composition, and invertebrate abundance and community composition to determine the relationships between plant and soil communities. Our results suggest that, with increased environmental severity, plant cover types become more important for influencing the physicochemical soil environment, and therefore the soil microbial communities. Although we found site-specific relationships, broad-scale patterns reveal significant differences among bare soils and vegetated soils, particularly soils beneath grass and moss. This suggests that expansion of vegetation communities under current climate warming projections will be accompanied by shifts in the soil microbiome, with important implications for the ecosystem functioning with which they are associated