A Critical Review of the Sacroiliac Joint

The purpose of this independent study is to provide information regarding the anatomy, function, and evaluation of the sacroiliac joint. Primary emphasis was given to the relevance of anatomy and function of this complex and unique joint. Arthrokinematics of the jOint were discussed relevant to functional movements. Evaluation of the sacroiliac joint continues to be questioned regarding reliability of clinical models, and future research in this area is encouraged

Native American Women\u27s Health Care Concerns in Comparison to Health Care Providers

This investigation sought to determine if differences exist between Native American women and health care provider\u27s perceptions of Native American women’s health care concerns. Understanding of this culture’s concerns may enhance future care and treatment of Native American women and help in the development of culturally based health care. A convenience sample of 36 Native American women and 32 health care providers, age 21-81, was obtained from an upper midwestern Indian reservation and the surrounding communities. Informed consents were obtained. A self-administered three-part questionnaire was given to each participant to complete on perceptions of health care concerts for Native American women and their cultural values. Parts I and II, demographic data and a scale for health care concerns was developed by the researcher. Part III was a scale on cultural values originally developed by G.W. Renwick and S. H. Rhinesmith and adapted by the researcher for the purpose of this study. MANOVA results revealed no statistical significance for health care concerns between the two groups. Mean scores showed that both groups believed diabetes, alcohol abuse, and abuse/violence are top priority concerns. When cultural values group differences were assessed to determine differences between groups, MANOVA resuts were significant (Wilks’ criterion =.69; 6(9,55) = 2.7b; p^.01). Further t-test analysis showed that Native American women believe the needs of tne family come before individual needs, whereas health care providers felt the needs of the ■individual come before the needs of the family. The largest difference existed in the issue ot\u27 eye contact, the mean for Native American women being M-2.31 and health care provider’s mean being M*=1.4A. Comments from both groups indicated the need for more heath education, better doctors, and more effective communication to help improve health care. Areas of concern, conflicting perspectives, and agreement were indentified. This information could be valuable in olanning culturally based health education and care. Implications for further research include replicating this study using a larger random sample from different Indian reservations, determining if health care providers who have more contact with Native American women have greater understanding of their health concerns, and investigating whether health care perceptions and cultural values are influenced by gender

Thermal and Kinetic Analyses of the Pyrolysis of a Northern Great Plains Lignite

The pyrolysis of Indian Head lignitic coal in argon, carbon monoxide and hydrogen was studied to obtain a kinetic model of the process and to determine heat effects . A Du Pont 910 differential scanning calorimeter and a Du Pont 951 therm ogravim etric analyzer were utilized to measure heat effects and weight loss respectively. N eith er the s in g le - r e a c t io n nor the d is tr ib u te d a c t iv a tio n energy p y r o ly s is models generated k in e tic parameters o f general valu e, although both models p red icted p y r o ly s is weight loss adequately. A procedure to determine the heat o f p y r o ly s is was d evised , re q u irin g the c o l l e c t i o n and ma n ip u la tio n o f c o a l, char, blank and c e l l c a lib r a t io n c a l o r i metry thermograms and a p y r o ly s is mass thermogram fo r each heat o f p y r o ly s is determ ination. The heat o f p y r o ly s is in an in e rt atmosphere was determined to be exothermic in the range o f 70 to 110 j/ g over a range o f 350 to 550 C. L ig n ite subjected to 400 psig atmospheres o f carbon monoxide and hydrogen e x h ib ite d thermograms with d is t in c t exothermic c h a r a c te r is tic s above 460 C, which were not observed under in e r t atmospheric co n d itio n s. P y r o ly t ic heat e f f e c t s had l i t t l e in flu en ce on the in te rn a l heat balance o f the U n iver s i t y o f North Dakota Energy Research Center\u27s fixed-bed slagging gasifier. No d e f i n i t i v e heat o f p y r o ly is valu e was determined under any con d ition . However, with experim ental refinem ents, c h a r a c t e r is tic heats o f p y r o ly s is o f d i f f e r e n t coals may be d e f i n i t i v e l y measured. A lso, i t is suggested that d i f f e r e n t i a l ca lo rim e try and mass thermograms, used in tandem, may be o f value in determ ining v o l a t i l e mass tr a n s fe r rates, which would be o f b e n e fit in c o a l p y r o ly is modeling

High sensitivity analysis of phenylthiohydantoin amino acid derivatives by electrospray mass spectrometry

A new methodology has been developed for high sensitivity electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analyses of phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) amino acid derivatives. Key components of the methodology are the use of a solvent system consisting of methanol/dichloromethane (1:1 v/v) containing 5-mM lithium triflate, a stainless steel electrode having a relatively large surface area, and a microscale electrospray nozzle that provides for stable electrospray at flow rates in the range of 100–500 nL/min. A linear response for the absolute signal intensity of the protonated molecule was observed for a number of derivatives over the concentration range of 50–1000 fmol/μL. For all except the arginine derivative, there was a decrease in the signal intensity with increasing flow rate with 100–300 nL/min being optimum. Collision induced dissociation (CID) product ion spectra were obtained for 21 derivatives including carboxymethyl cysteine and dehydrothreonine. Leucine and isoleucine can be distinquished on the basis of their CID product ion spectra. A subfemtomole detection limit was demonstrated for the phenylalanine PTH derivative in a selected reaction monitoring (SRM) experiment. Samples from an automated Edman microsequencer run have been analyzed using the new technique and compared to results obtained by conventional high-performance liquid chromatography analysis with UV detection. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using mass spectrometry to identify and quantitate the products generated by automated protein microsequencing using standard Edman degradation chemistry

Cloning of the Complete Gene for Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a widely used tumor marker, especially in the surveillance of colonic cancer patients. Although CEA is also present in some normal tissues, it is apparently expressed at higher levels in tumorous tissues than in corresponding normal tissues. As a first step toward analyzing the regulation of expression of CEA at the transcriptional level, we have isolated and characterized a cosmid clone (cosCEA1), which contains the entire coding region of the CEA gene. A close correlation exists between the exon and deduced immunoglobulin-like domain borders. We have determined a cluster of transcriptional starts for CEA and the closely related nonspecific cross-reacting antigen (NCA) gene and have sequenced their putative promoters. Regions of sequence homology are found as far as approximately 500 nucleotides upstream from the translational starts of these genes, but farther upstream they diverge completely. In both cases we were unable to find classic TATA or CAAT boxes at their expected positions. To characterize the CEA and NCA promoters, we carried out transient transfection assays with promoter-indicator gene constructs in the CEA-producing adenocarcinoma cell line SW403, as well as in nonproducing HeLa cells. A CEA gene promoter construct, containing approximately 400 nucleotides upstream from the translational start, showed nine times higher activity in the SW403 than in the HeLa cell line. This indicates that cis-acting sequences which convey cell type-specific expression of the CEA gene are contained within this region

Effects of Walking Poles on Posture and Gait

INTRODUCTION: Walking poles have become increasingly popular not only as a tool for exercising, but also as an assistive device. Physical Therapists use them to assist patients with balance during ambulation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to look at the effects of walking poles on gait speed and posture. METHODS: This study included 60 community ambulators between 21-74 years old (19 males and 41 females), seen for a single session. Participants were fitted for walking poles and given a 3-minute warm-up period to become comfortable with them. A 10 Meter Walk Test (10 MWT) was performed with and without walking poles. Additionally, pictures were taken standing in front of a posture grid and while walking on instrumented walkway (GAITRite) with and without walking poles. Participants completed a walking pole survey at the end of the session. RESULTS: It was found that walking poles do not significantly change gait speed or posture during a single session. Forty-three percent (43%) of the participants perceived improvement in posture with use of walking poles, though only 11.7% of participants posture was found to improve by researchers. Gait speed decreased slightly overall with the use of walking poles during the 10 MWT and GAITRite, but was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Walking poles do not significantly change gait speed or posture in community ambulators with in this single session study, though many participants perceived improved posture. Only a few participants had ever used walking poles prior to the study and only a short practice session was allotted. Future studies could explore the effects of walking poles on posture and gait after a longer period of practice with the poles (i.e, 6 weeks). Also, future studies could compare effects of walking pole and other assistive devices (i.e., cane)

The Human Pregnancy-Specific Glycoprotein Genes are Tightly Linked on the Long Arm of Chromosome 19 and are Coordinately Expressed

The pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) genes encode a group of proteins which are found in large amounts in placenta and maternal serum. In situ hybridization analyses of metaphase chromosomes reveal that all the human pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) genes are located on the long arm of chromosome 19 (19q13.2–13.3), overlapping the region containing the closely-related carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene subgroup. Higher resolution analyses indicate that the PSG genes are closely linked within an 800kb SacII restriction endonuclease fragment. This has been confirmed through restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequence analyses of isolated genomic clones, which show that at least some of these genes are located in very close proximity. Further, these studies have helped to identify a new member of the PSG gene sub-family (PSG7). DNA/RNA hybridization analyses, using gene-specific oligonucleotide probes based on published sequences, showed that five from six PSG genes tested are coordinately transcribed in the placenta. Due to the close proximity of these genes and their coordinated expression pattern, common transcriptional regulatory elements may exist

Carcinoembryonic Antigen Gene Family

The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene family belongs to the immunoglobulin supergene family and can be divided into two main subgroups based on sequence comparisons. In humans it is clustered on the long arm of chromosome 19 and consists of approximately 20 genes. The CEA subgroup genes code for CEA and its classical crossreacting antigens, which are mainly membrane-bound, whereas the other subgroup genes encode the pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSG), which are secreted. Splice variants of individual genes and differential post-translational modifications of the resulting proteins, e.g., by glycosylation, indicate a high complexity in the number of putative CEA-related molecules. So far, only a limited number of CEA-related antigens in humans have been unequivocally assigned to a specific gene. Rodent CEA-related genes reveal a high sequence divergence and, in part, a completely different domain organization than the human CEA gene family, making it difficult to determine individual gene counterparts. However, rodent CEA-related genes can be assigned to human subgroups based on similarity of expression patterns, which is characteristic for the subgroups. Various functions have been determined for members of the CEA subgroup in vitro, including cell adhesion, bacterial binding, an accessory role for collagen binding or ecto-ATPases activity. Based on all that is known so far on its biology, the clinical outlook for the CEA family has been reassessed

Tumor Immunotherapy Using Gene-Modified Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Loaded into Synthetic Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are appealing as gene therapy cell vehicles given their ease of expansion and transduction. However, MSCs exhibit immunomodulatory and proangiogenic properties that may pose a risk in their use in anticancer therapy. For this reason, we looked for a strategy to confine MSCs to a determined location, compatible with a clinical application. Human MSCs genetically modified to express luciferase (MSCluc), seeded in a synthetic extracellular matrix (sECM) scaffold (sentinel scaffold) and injected subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice, persisted for more than 40 days, as assessed by bioluminescence imaging in vivo. MSCs modified to express a bispecific α-carcinoembryonic antigen (αCEA)/αCD3 diabody (MSCdAb) and seeded in an sECM scaffold (therapeutic scaffolds) supported the release of functional diabody into the bloodstream at detectable levels for at least 6 weeks after implantation. Furthermore, when therapeutic scaffolds were implanted into CEA-positive human colon cancer xenograft-bearing mice and human T lymphocytes were subsequently transferred, circulating αCEA/αCD3 diabody activated T cells and promoted tumor cell lysis. Reduction of tumor growth in MSCdAb-treated mice was statistically significant compared with animals that only received MSCluc. In summary, we report here for the first time that human MSCs genetically engineered to secrete a bispecific diabody, seeded in an sECM scaffold and implanted in a location distant from the primary tumor, induce an effective antitumor response and tumor regression