The New Building on the Block

Members of the Building Committee relied on the expertise and input from faculty and staff to use the building\u27s design and architecture to enhance the School of Law\u27s sense of community

The agrin gene codes for a family of basal lamina proteins that differ in function and distribution

We isolated two cDNAs that encode isoforms of agrin, the basal lamina protein that mediates the motor neuron-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors on muscle fibers at the neuromuscular junction. Both proteins are the result of alternative splicing of the product of the agrin gene, but, unlike agrin, they are inactive in standard acetylcholine receptor aggregation assays. They lack one (agrin-related protein 1) or two (agrin-related protein 2) regions in agrin that are required for its activity. Expression studies provide evidence that both proteins are present in the nervous system and muscle and that, in muscle, myofibers and Schwann cells synthesize the agrin-related proteins while the axon terminals of motor neurons are the sole source of agrin

Mouthguards for contact sports: current state of use

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityTraumatic dental injury (TDI) is a public health problem that affects millions of individuals each year. Contact sports and sports-related activities such as boxing, basketball, and bicycling are the number one cause for TDI’s. The most common TDI’s resulting from sporting accidents are soft tissue laceration, tooth fracture, luxation and avulsion. Some individuals are more at risk than others in sustaining a TDI due to various predisposing factors. Individuals are at greater risk of dental trauma if they have protruding teeth, insufficient lip closure, and/or teeth that have received restorative dental treatment. Adolescents and teenagers are known to be most affected by TDI’s because they are the subset of the population most involved in contact sports and other physical activities. Mouthguards were developed to prevent the occurrence and severity of these dental injuries. There are three different types of mouthguards currently in use. They are the stock, mouth-formed, and custom-made mouthguards. Stock and mouth-formed mouthguards are the least recommended by dental professionals, yet in combination are worn the most because of their affordability and ease of use. Custom-made mouthguards are the most accepted mouthguards by the dental community because they are the most adapted to the particular individual, and are associated with the lowest number of TDI’s out of the three types of mouthguards. Users of mouthguards are nearly three times less likely to sustain a TDI while participating in a sport, compared to non-users. Unfortunately, many active individuals do not utilize mouthguards. Non-users of mouthguards associate wearing of mouthguards with undesirable effects, such as breathing difficulties and speech impairment. The side-effects of mouthguards can be so prevalent that they can potentially cause impairment in ones playing ability. In hopes of increasing the number of mouthguard users, researchers and manufactures have continually found new ways to eliminate the negative side-effects of mouthguards, while enhancing their protective function. Researchers have found mouthguards made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) to have the lowest report of wearer opposition. EVA materials are soft and durable, but more importantly, can be tailored to satisfy the needs of the individual. Also, certain materials and designs can be incorporated into the EVA material to better the mouthguards protective function. For instance, past experiments have shown the placement of compliant materials, such as Sorbothane, in between two sheets of EVA material will significantly enhance the mouthguards protective capability. However, the joining of multiple materials may result in thicker and less comfortable mouthguards. More recent mouthguard trials have focused on limiting the thickness of mouthguards, while achieving the same level of protection seen in mouthguards made from multiple materials. Researchers have found the insertion of air cells within the EVA material to be useful technique in minimizing the overall thickness of mouthguards, while preserving the mouthguards protective function. In continuing to meet the high demands of athletes and active individuals, researchers and manufactures must develop newer mouthguards by exploring the effectiveness of other materials, as well as finding alternative methods in which mouthguards can be made

Enhancing Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Heart Failure Through Simple Prognostication Tools: A Comparison of the Surprise Question, the Number of Previous Heart Failure Hospitalizations, and the Seattle Heart Failure Model for Predicting 1-Year Survival

Background: Score-based survival prediction in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) is complicated. Easy-to-use prognostication tools could inform clinical decision-making and palliative care delivery. Objective: To compare the prognostic utility of the Seattle HF model (SHFM), the surprise question (SQ), and the number of HF hospitalizations (NoH) within the last 12 months for predicting 1-year survival in patients with advanced HF. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of advanced HF patients, predominantly with reduced ejection fraction. Primary outcome was the prognostic discrimination of SHFM, SQ (“Would you be surprised if this patient were to die within 1 year?”) answered by HF cardiologists, and NoH, assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Optimal cut-offs were calculated using Youden’s index (SHFM: <86% predicted 1-year survival; NoH ≥ 2). Results: Of 535 subjects, 82 (15.3%) had died after 1-year of follow-up. SHFM, SQ, and NoH yielded a similar area under the ROC curve [SHFM: 0.65 (0.60–0.71 95% CI); SQ: 0.58 (0.54–0.63 95% CI); NoH: 0.56 (0.50–0.62 95% CI)] and similar sensitivity [SHFM: 0.76 (0.65–0.84 95% CI); SQ: 0.84 (0.74–0.91 95% CI); NoH: 0.56 (0.45–0.67 95% CI)]. As compared to SHFM, SQ had lower specificity [SQ: 0.33 (0.28–0.37 95% CI) vs. SHFM: 0.55 (0.50–0.60 95% CI)] while NoH had similar specificity [0.56 (0.51–0.61 95% CI)]. SQ combined with NoH showed significantly higher specificity [0.68 (0.64–0.73 95% CI)]. Conclusion: SQ and NoH yielded comparable utility to SHFM for 1-year survival prediction among advanced HF patients, are easy-to-use and could inform bedside decision-making

Physical activity participation and the association with work-related upper quadrant disorders (WRUQDs): A systematic review

Background: Workers of various occupations often report Work Related Upper Quadrant Disorders (WRUQDs). Research has shown that associative factors for WRUQDs include psychosocial and environmental elements, gender and physical activity levels. To date no review has investigated whether physical activity participation is associated to the incidence or may predict the development of WRUQDs. Objective: To determine whether physical activity participation is associated with and/or predicts the development of Work Related Upper Quadrant Disorders (WRUQDs) Methods: A systematic review was conducted including searches of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE and CINAHL from inception to March 31st 2017. Quantitative studies including any outcome measure of physical activity participation and its association with and/or prediction to WRUQDs were included. One reviewer conducted the search and two reviewers independently assessed eligibility and completed methodological quality assessment using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Data was analysed narratively. Results: Eight studies were eligible for inclusion in the final review. The quality of these ranged from moderate to high quality. Three studies reported nil statistical difference between physical activity participation and the risk of developing WRUQD. Three studies reported a negative and one study reported a positive association between physical activity participation and WRUQDs. One study reported that little or no physical exercise participation was a risk factor WRUQD. Conclusion: There is limited evidence for a negative association between physical activity participation and WRUQDs development. However this was not a consistent finding across all studies included. Further research is indicated in standardising diagnostic criteria and physical activity participation measurement in this patient population

Humboldt Lumberjack, October 29, 1947

The student newspaper of Humboldt State Universityhttps://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/studentnewspaper/1332/thumbnail.jp

Building Campaign Update

Three alums have spearheaded the new building effort and the law school community has happily followed their lead. Although groundbreaking is slated for October and $7.5 million has been pledged, there is still much to be done. You can help