Availability of prostate cancer exercise rehabilitation resources and practice patterns in Belgium: Results of a cross-sectional study.

Exercise is recommended for prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy. The goal of the study was to assess the availability of hospital-based rehabilitation resources and national practice patterns for PCa in Belgium. A questionnaire was conducted with rehabilitation physical therapists in all Belgian hospital with urology and rehabilitation departments. Practice patterns were compared with the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. PCa prevalence data were obtained from the Belgian Cancer Registry and attitude of physicians towards physical activity was documented. We included 98 Belgian hospitals. Only 25% of the PCa population had access to PCa-specific programmes. The occupancy rate of PCa-specific rehabilitation slots was 69%. The main perceived barriers to organise PCa-specific rehabilitation were existence of general programmes (40%) and low referrals (18%). All PCa programmes consisted of aerobic and resistance exercise and 62% included flexibility. Minimal criteria for frequency and duration per session were followed in 83%. The majority (89%) of physicians believed in the positive effects of supervised exercise programmes. The majority of PCa programmes follow the evidence-based guidelines except for flexibility exercises. The minority of PCa patients has access to specific programmes, although not all treatment slots are occupied.

Neural plate- and neural tube-forming potential of isolated epiblast areas in avian embryos.

Formation, shaping, and bending of the neural plate and closure of the neural groove are complex processes resulting in formation of the neural tube. Two experiments were performed using avian embryos as model systems to examine these events. First, we transected blastoderms near the level of Hensen's node to determine the potential of prenodal neural plate to form neural tube in isolation from primitive streak regression. Our results demonstrate that shaping and bending of the prenodal neural plate occur under these conditions, but neural groove closure is inhibited. Second, we isolated various areas of postnodal epiblasts to determine their potential to form neural plate. Our results suggest that the area of the postnodal epiblast that can form neural plate consists of paired tracts lying adjacent to the definitive primitive streak and extending caudally at least 1 mm from its cranial end.

Connecting cords and morphogenetic movements in the quail blastoderm.

Connecting cords are elongated telophase bridges persisting between separating daughter cells. We have studied them with Scanning Electron Microscopy in the upper cell layer of the quail blastoderm where a high mitotic activity accompanied by interkinetic nuclear migration coincides with morphogenetic movements. The predominant orientation of the connecting cords is parallel to the direction of the morphogenetic movements.