Fall risk in people with MS: A Physiological Profile Assessment study.

INTRODUCTION: The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) is used in research and clinical practice for assessing fall risk. We compared PPA test performance between people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls, determined the fall-risk profile for people with MS and developed a reference database for people with MS. METHODS: For this study, 416 ambulant people with MS (51.5 ± 12.0 years) and 352 controls (52.8 ± 12.2 years) underwent the PPA (tests of contrast sensitivity, proprioception, quadriceps strength, reaction time and sway) with composite fall-risk scores computed from these measures. MS participants were followed prospectively for falls for 3 months. RESULTS: The MS participants performed significantly worse than controls in each PPA test. The average composite fall-risk score was also significantly elevated, indicating a "marked" fall risk when compared with controls. In total, 155 MS participants (37.3%) reported 2 + falls in the follow-up period. Frequent fallers performed significantly worse than non-frequent fallers in the contrast sensitivity, reaction time and sway tests and had higher PPA composite scores. CONCLUSIONS: In line with poor PPA test performances, falls incidence in people with MS was high. This study provides comprehensive reference data for the PPA measures for people with MS that could be used to inform future research and clinical practice

Detection and monitoring of cancers with biosensors in Vietnam

Biosensors are able to provide fast, accurate and reliable detec-tions and monitoring of cancer cells, as well as to determine the effectiveness of anticancer chemotherapy agents in cancer treatments. These have attracted a great attention of research communities, especially in the capabilities of detecting the path-ogens, viruses and cancer cells in narrow scale that the conven-tional apparatus and techniques do not have. This paper pre-sents technologies and applications of biosensors for detections of cancer cells and related diseases, with the focus on the cur-rent research and technology development about biosensors in Vietnam, a typical developing country with a very high number of patients diagnosed with cancers in recent years, but having a very low cancer survival rate. The role of biosensors in early detections of diseases, cancer screening, diagnosis and treat-ment, is more and more important; especially it is estimated that by 2020, 60-70% new cases of cancers and nearly 70% of cancer deaths will be in economically disadvantaged countries. The paper is also aimed to open channels for the potential R&D collaborations with partners in Vietnam in the areas of innovative design and development of biosensors in particular and medical technology devices in general

Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) position statement on exercise for people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis

Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common chronic and progressive neurological condition of the central nervous system, affects 26,000 Australian adults. Exercise training has beneficial effects on MS-related impairments including reduced muscular strength, poor aerobic capacity and impaired mobility, and in consequence can improve quality of life. This Position Statement provides evidence-based recommendations for exercise prescription and delivery of exercise training for people with MS with mild to moderate disability. Design and methods: Synthesis of published works within the field of exercise training in MS. Results: Exercise provides many benefits to people with MS. There is strong evidence that resistance and aerobic training, performed 2 to 3 times per week at a moderate intensity, are safe and can improve muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, balance, fatigue, functional capacity, mobility and quality of life in people with MS with mild to moderate disability (Expanded Disease Severity Scale (EDSS) ≤ 6.5). However, the evidence for those with severe disability (EDSS >6.5) is less clear. The effects of exercise on MS pathogenesis, central nervous structures and other outcomes such as depression and cognitive impairment, have not been adequately investigated. Effective exercise interventions to improve balance, joint contractures and reduce falls in people with MS are also urgently needed as well as investigations of long-term (≥1 year) effects of exercise training. Conclusions: Resistance and aerobic training exercises are effective to alleviate some characteristic signs and symptoms in MS and should be supplemented by balance exercise to prevent falls. Exercise training programs should be prescribed and delivered by qualified exercise professionals. It is important to recognise and accommodate exercise-associated complications such as fatigue and heat sensitivity

The effect of abdominal functional electrical stimulation on bowel function in multiple sclerosis: a cohort study

Background: Chronic constipation is prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis, with current treatments usually only partially effective. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of abdominal functional electrical stimulation to reduce whole gut and colonic transit times and improve bowel and bladder-related quality of life. Methods: A total of 23 people with multiple sclerosis who fulfilled the Rome III criteria for functional constipation applied abdominal functional electrical stimulation for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. Whole gut and colonic transit times and bowel and bladder-related quality of life were measured before and after the intervention period. Results: Whole gut (mean 81.3 (standard deviation 28.7) hours pre vs. 96.1 (standard deviation 53.6) hours post-intervention, P = 0.160) and colonic transit time (65.1 (31.4) vs. 74.8 (51.1) hours, P = 0.304) were unchanged following 6 weeks of abdominal functional electrical stimulation. There was a significant improvement in bowel (mean 1.78 (SD: 0.64) pre vs. 1.28 (SD: 0.54) post, P = 0.001) and bladder (50.6 (26.49) vs. 64.5 (21.92), p = 0.007) related quality of life after the intervention period. Conclusion: While abdominal functional electrical stimulation did not reduce whole gut and colonic transit times for people with multiple sclerosis, a significant improvement in bowel and bladder-related quality of life was reported

Dimerisation induced formation of the active site and the identification of three metal sites in EAL-phosphodiesterases

The bacterial second messenger cyclic di-3′,5′-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a key regulator of bacterial motility and virulence. As high levels of c-di-GMP are associated with the biofilm lifestyle, c-di-GMP hydrolysing phosphodiesterases (PDEs) have been identified as key targets to aid development of novel strategies to treat chronic infection by exploiting biofilm dispersal. We have studied the EAL signature motif-containing phosphodiesterase domains from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa proteins PA3825 (PA3825EAL) and PA1727 (MucREAL). Different dimerisation interfaces allow us to identify interface independent principles of enzyme regulation. Unlike previously characterised two-metal binding EAL-phosphodiesterases, PA3825EAL in complex with pGpG provides a model for a third metal site. The third metal is positioned to stabilise the negative charge of the 5′-phosphate, and thus three metals could be required for catalysis in analogy to other nucleases. This newly uncovered variation in metal coordination may provide a further level of bacterial PDE regulation

Measurement of the top quark mass using the matrix element technique in dilepton final states

We present a measurement of the top quark mass in pp¯ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data were collected by the D0 experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.7  fb−1. The matrix element technique is applied to tt¯ events in the final state containing leptons (electrons or muons) with high transverse momenta and at least two jets. The calibration of the jet energy scale determined in the lepton+jets final state of tt¯ decays is applied to jet energies. This correction provides a substantial reduction in systematic uncertainties. We obtain a top quark mass of mt=173.93±1.84  GeV

Combined Tevatron upper limit on gg->H->W+W- and constraints on the Higgs boson mass in fourth-generation fermion models

Report number: FERMILAB-PUB-10-125-EWe combine results from searches by the CDF and D0 collaborations for a standard model Higgs boson (H) in the process gg->H->W+W- in p=pbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV. With 4.8 fb-1 of integrated luminosity analyzed at CDF and 5.4 fb-1 at D0, the 95% Confidence Level upper limit on \sigma(gg->H) x B(H->W+W-) is 1.75 pb at m_H=120 GeV, 0.38 pb at m_H=165 GeV, and 0.83 pb at m_H=200 GeV. Assuming the presence of a fourth sequential generation of fermions with large masses, we exclude at the 95% Confidence Level a standard-model-like Higgs boson with a mass between 131 and 204 GeV.We combine results from searches by the CDF and D0 collaborations for a standard model Higgs boson (H) in the process gg→H→W+W- in pp̅ collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at √s=1.96  TeV. With 4.8  fb-1 of integrated luminosity analyzed at CDF and 5.4  fb-1 at D0, the 95% confidence level upper limit on σ(gg→H)×B(H→W+W-) is 1.75 pb at mH=120  GeV, 0.38 pb at mH=165  GeV, and 0.83 pb at mH=200  GeV. Assuming the presence of a fourth sequential generation of fermions with large masses, we exclude at the 95% confidence level a standard-model-like Higgs boson with a mass between 131 and 204 GeV.Peer reviewe

Quantitative correlation between promoter methylation and messenger RNA levels of the reduced folate carrier

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Methotrexate (MTX) uptake is mediated by the reduced folate carrier (RFC). Defective drug uptake in association with decreased RFC expression is a common mechanism of MTX resistance in many tumor types. Heavy promoter methylation was previously identified as a basis for the complete silencing of RFC in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, its role and prevalence in RFC transcription regulation are, however, not widely studied.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the current study, RFC promoter methylation was assessed using methylation specific PCR in a panel of malignant cell lines (n = 8), including MDA-MB-231, and M805, a MTX resistant cell line directly established from the specimen of a patient with malignant fibrohistocytoma, whom received multiple doses of MTX. A quantitative approach of real-time PCR for measuring the extent of RFC promoter methylation was developed, and was validated by direct bisulfite genomic sequencing. RFC mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and were related to the extent of promoter methylation in these cell lines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A partial promoter methylation and RFC mRNA down-regulation were observed in M805. Using the quantitative approach, a reverse correlation (correlation coefficient = -0.59, <it>p </it>< 0.05) was identified between the promoter methylation and RFC mRNA levels in this a panel of malignant cell lines.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study further suggests that promoter methylation is a potential basis for MTX resistance. The quantitative correlation identified in this study implies that promoter methylation is possibly a mechanism involved in the fine regulation of RFC transcription.</p