Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation induces muscle irradiation to the lower limbs - A cross-sectional study with healthy individuals.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) in promoting muscle irradiation to the lower limbs and to relate these findings with muscle activation during the sit-to-stand task. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy women were recruited via convenience sampling and submitted to four PNF patterns: upper limb pattern with flexion-abduction-external rotation (UL), lower limb pattern with flexion-adduction-external rotation with knee flexion (lower limb pattern 1 [LL1]), lower limb pattern with flexion-abduction-internal rotation with knee flexion (lower limb pattern 2 [LL2]), and lifting to the right. Electromyography was recorded from the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and soleus during the PNF patterns and during the sit-to-stand task. RESULTS: The most recruited muscles during the sit-to-stand task were the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and soleus (p < 0.05). Lifting to the right induced the greatest activation of the gluteus maximus (p < 0.001). Lifting to the right and LL2 were better than UL at recruiting the gluteus medius (p < 0.05). Lifting to the right and LL1 were better than UL at recruiting the vastus medialis and lateralis (p < 0.05; p < 0.05). and Lower limb pattern 1 and 2 were better than UL at recruiting the soleus muscle (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PNF can be used to induce muscle irradiation to maintain or improve muscle activity to the muscles recruited during the sit-to-stand task. The best PNF pattern for inducing muscle irradiation to muscles recruited during the sit-to-stand task are lifting to the right, LL2, and LL1.

Dual FISH analysis of benign and malignant tumors of the salivary glands and paranasal sinuses.

To date, the underlying genomic changes in benign and malignant tumors of salivary-gland and paranasal-sinus origin are poorly understood. This is due in part to the low incidence of these tumors and the enormous histological variety of tumors within this head and neck region. We examined 58 of these tumors (14 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 9 adenocarcinomas, 5 cylindrical carcinomas, 11 pleomorphic adenomas, and 19 inverted papillomas) by dual fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with centromere-specific probes on six chromosomes (3, 7, 9, 11, 17, and 18) for numerical changes. In adenoid cystic carcinomas, monosomy of chromosome 17 and polysomy of chromosomes 3, 9 and 11 were most frequently encountered. In adenocarcinomas, monosomy of chromosome 17 and polysomy of chromosomes 7 and 11 were most frequent. In cylindrical cell carcinomas, polysomy of chromosomes 7, 9, 11 and 17 was present in the majority of tumors. Disomy is rare, even in benign tumors. Polysomy is more frequent in malignant tumors than in benign. Tetrasomy is found almost only in malignant tumors. In summary, the occurrence of polysomy might reflect a step towards malignancy in tumors of the salivary glands and paranasal mucosa. Polysomy of chromosome 11 could be defined as typical for all investigated histological types of malignant tumor in this region of the head and neck.

Human chondrocytes differentially express matrix modulators during in vitro expansion for tissue engineering.

Cartilage tissue engineering plays an important role in the generation of grafts for reconstructive surgery. In cultured chondrocytes, the dedifferentiation of cells seems unavoidable for multiplication. Dedifferentiated cells produce matrix of less quality, and the molecular basis is still not well understood. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the expression of matrix modulators in human chondrocytes during expansion. Human chondrocytes were isolated from septal cartilage (n=32) and held in primary cell culture. Cells were harvested after 1, 6 and 21 days. The differentiation of cells using light microscopy, the expression patterns of various proteins (MMPs, BMPs, and TIMPs) using immunohistochemistry, and the expression of distinct genes using microarray technique, were investigated. The chondrocytes showed strong in vitro proliferation. After 6 and 21 days, BMP-5 and -8 were up-regulated, BMP-2 was down-regulated and BMP-6 was inactivated. Other BMPs were not expressed. The expression of MMP-2, -3 and -13 was up-regulated from day 1 to 21, and MMP-12 and -20 were down-regulated. Other MMPs were not expressed. TIMP-1 was up-regulated and TIMP-3 was down-regulated during expansion. Differential expression of matrix modulators might influence the matrix composition of engineered cartilage. Improving the basic knowledge in this area may ultimately help clinicians to identify and proactively intervene in an attempt to prevent bioartificial cartilage from losing stability.

What does it mean to decriminalize marijuana? A cross-national empirical examination.

Although frequently discussed as a singular policy, there is tremendous variation in the laws and regulations surrounding so-called decriminalization policies adopted by Western countries, with many jurisdictions adopting depenalization policies rather than policies that actually change the criminal status of cannabis possession offences. This paper provides a discussion of the liberalization policies being adopted in Western countries, highlighting distinct elements about particular policies that are important for proper analysis and interpretation of the policies. It then discusses some of the environmental factors that also shape these policies, and hence influence their potential impact, using data from the U.S.A. as a particular example. The results clearly show that researchers should be careful conducting intra- or international comparisons of policies because important aspects of these policies are frequently ignored.

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor induces VEGF in human external auditory canal cholesteatoma cell culture.

Human external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) is not often seen in otolaryngology. Some authors have noted circulatory disorders of the local blood vessels as the etiologic factor for establishing EACC. Diminished oxygen supply results in the attempt to establish angiogenesis. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are the most important angiogenic factors in this process. In a recent study we described strong expression of VEGF and HGF in EACC. All EACC and normal AMS cell cultures were obtained from 5 patients undergoing surgery and used at passage 3. After 16 to 72 h of incubation with 20 ng/ml HGF/SF, the expression of the VEGF protein in the supernants of the HGF/SF-treated and untreated culture was analyzed. EACC-culture cells showed a stronger baseline expression of VEGF. After 72 h of incubation with 20 ng/ml HGF/SF of HGF/SF, the expression of VEGF in normal keratinocytes was 173.4 pg/ml. The expression level of VEGF in the EACC culture was 275.73 pg/ml. We observed a 2.5-fold induction of VEGF in EACC after 72 h, which started with 1.5-fold baseline VEGF concentrations of normal keratinocytes. Our analysis showed that, in the EACC culture, VEGF was elevated after treatment with HGF/SF. HGF/SF appears to activate cellular pathways inducing release of VEGF. After purification, no fibroblasts were present in our EACC culture so as to exclude possible paracrine effects by fibroblasts.

External auditory canal cholesteatoma: analysis of the integrity of the tissue structure.

Metalloproteinases have been characterised as "destroying bulldozers" in the extracellular matrix permitting normal remodelling and contributing to pathological tissue destruction. The opposing system is established by the Cadherin-beta-catenin system, which assures the integrity of the tissue. The EACC is an extremely rare disease in the field of Otolaryngology and its incidence is estimated about 1 per 1000 new otologic patients. The aim of this study is to characterise the balance between metalloproteinases and beta-catenin in EACC tissue. Twelve specimens were obtained during surgical removal of the EACC. The EACC- and AMS-specimens were immunostained with antibodies for beta-catenin, MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively. Immunostaining for gelatinases was increased in all layers of the EACC. However, the normal auditory meatal skin presented moderate immunostaining. In the EACC specimens, the basal layers of the matrix were positive for beta-catenin. The suprabasal layers showed diminished or negative immunostaining for beta-catenin. In all layers the AMS was homogeneously positive for beta-catenin. Metalloproteinases can modulate the balance between cellular growth and apoptosis through cleavage of non-matrix, cell-surface substrates, such as the E-Cadherin-beta-catenin system. Furthermore, this balance guarantees the integrity of the tissue. Unbalanced conditions such as described in EACC, result in unregulated desquamation and accumulation of dead keratinocytes, invasive and defective growth into adjacent tissue, and loss of growth control. Generating synthetic inhibitors of metalloproteinases for therapeutic use in EACC and other defective diseases with unbalanced tissue conditions seems useful.

Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity in primary head and neck cancer and corresponding metastases detected by dual-FISH.

Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity, which can be defined as both intersample and intrasample heterogeneity, is still a poorly understood phenomenon in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with presumed implications on tumor behavior and even prognosis. We analyzed 89 tumor specimen from 37 HNSCC patients by fluorescence in situ hybridization (dual-FISH) using specific DNA probes binding to centromeric sites of 6 chromosomes to investigate intratumoral heterogeneity. A derivation from disomy in at least 1/6 chromosomes was detected in 88/89 (99%) specimen. In 33% of these samples, a change in ploidy could be suspected. Intrasample heterogeneity was detected in 68/89 (76%). Intrasample heterogeneity was more pronounced in primary tumors than in metastatic tumors. Analysis of the intersample heterogeneity revealed notable differences between the 6 chromosomes with the highest discordance detected for chromosome 3 (46%) and the lowest for chromosome 11 (27%). Following our results, it seems important to us to underline that intratumoral heterogeneity exists as intra- and sample heterogeneity in HNSCC. Altogether, trisomic cells were significantly more frequent in primary tumors than in metastases (p=0.01) while, in turn, monosomic cells were significantly more frequent in metastases (p=0.029). In individual cases the extent of discordance between corresponding samples made a common clonal precursor unlikely. In these cases, the synchronous development of a primary tumor and a carcinoma of unknown primary ('CUP syndrome'), otherwise undetected, should be considered.

A mathematical model of human atrioventricular nodal function incorporating concealed conduction.

This work develops a mathematical model for the atrioventricular (AV) node in the human heart, based on recordings of electrical activity in the atria (the upper chambers of the heart) and the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). Intracardiac recordings of the atrial and ventricular activities were recorded from one patient with atrial flutter and one with atrial fibrillation. During these arrhythmias, not all beats in the atria are conducted to the ventricles. Some are blocked (concealed). However, the blocked beats can affect the properties of the AV node. The activation times of the atrial events were regarded as inputs to a mathematical model of conduction in the AV node, including a representation of AV nodal concealment. The model output was compared to the recorded ventricular response to search for and identify the best possible parameter combinations of the model. Good agreement between the distribution of interbeat intervals in the model and data for durations of 5 min was achieved. A model of AV nodal behavior during atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation could potentially help to understand the relative roles of atrial input activity and intrinsic AV nodal properties in determining the ventricular response.