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As a result of COVID-19 illness epidemic, a worldwide health emergency has been proclaimed. The educational sector, whose old systems have been replaced by online educational systems, was particularly impacted by the state of lockdown. Prolonged and frequent sitting in front of monitors, which, by maintaining the same posture for an extended period of time, causes cumulative trauma disorder. The purpose was to evaluate effect of four-week scapular strengthening exercises on neck disability and scapular position in subjects with rounded shoulders. In this experimental study, 30 college students between ages of 18 and 22 were enrolled. They were randomly divided into two groups, the Experimental group and the Control group, each having 15 participants. The experimental group received scapular strengthening exercises along with conventional treatment whereas the control group received conventional treatment only. Over the course of four weeks, both groups received training sessions three times a week. The neck impairment and scapular position were assessed before and after intervention. Both groups had made considerable improvements, although the experimental group experienced less pain and had a better scapular posture than the control group. Results demonstrated that the experimental group outperformed the control group statistically in terms of improvement in neck disability and rounded shoulder posture.

© 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology., Objective: To assess the repeatability and suitability for multicentre studies of MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MUNE), which involves modelling compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scans. Methods: Fifteen groups in 9 countries recorded CMAP scans twice, 1-2 weeks apart in healthy subjects from abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. The original MScanFit program (MScanFit-1) was compared with a revised version (MScanFit-2), designed to accommodate different muscles and recording conditions by setting the minimal motor unit size as a function of maximum CMAP. Results: Complete sets of 6 recordings were obtained from 148 subjects. CMAP amplitudes differed significantly between centres for all muscles, and the same was true for MScanFit-1 MUNE. With MScanFit-2, MUNE differed less between centres but remained significantly different for APB. Coefficients of variation between repeats were 18.0% for ADM, 16.8% for APB, and 12.1% for TA. Conclusions: It is recommended for multicentre studies to use MScanFit-2 for analysis. TA provided the least variable MUNE values between subjects and the most repeatable within subjects. Significance: MScanFit was primarily devised to model the discontinuities in CMAP scans in patients and is less suitable for healthy subjects with smooth scans., This study was financially supported by the Lundbeck Foundation, Aage & Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation, Dagmar Marshall's Foundation, Grosserer L. F. Foghts Foundation and The Jascha Foundation and FONDECYT N° 1201225

Cricket is one of the most popular international sports played worldwide. Ballistic six plyometric training improves throwing activity in throwing sports, improves rotator cuff muscular strength, and prevents and reduces the risk of shoulder injury associated with overhead pitching. Kinesiotaping is used in rehabilitation, as a treatment for sportsrelated injuries, and as a means of injury prevention. The objective of the study was to compare the combined effect of kinesiotaping with ‘ballistic six plyometric training’ and with ballistic six plyometric training alone on speed, accuracy, target and joint proprioception in fast bowlers with mild glenohumeral joint instability. Thirty male semiprofessional fast bowlers in the age group of 20-30 years were included in this study and randomly divided into two groups: group A and group B with 15 players in each group. Group A received kinesiotaping along with ballistic six plyometric training, whereas group B was only given ballistic six plyometric training. Both groups also performed conventional upper extremity workouts. All players were evaluated for bowling speed, accuracy, target and joint proprioception (internal rotation & external rotation) with a radar gun, cricket specific bowling accuracy test, no. of balls hit stump in an over and inclinometer, respectively. Both groups improved significantly at the end of week 8, however, group B showed significant difference for bowling speed, accuracy, target and joint proprioception (P

We aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of self-reported hyperthyroidism in patients with sarcoidosis.A national registry-based study investigating 3836 respondents to the Sarcoidosis Advanced Registry for Cures questionnaire in the period between June 2014 and August 2019 was conducted. This registry is generated from a web-based questionnaire that is self-reported by patients with sarcoidosis. We compared patients with sarcoidosis who had hyperthyroidism with those who did not. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to study the association between hyperthyroidism and different cardiac manifestations in patients with sarcoidosis.Three percent of the study respondents self-reported having hyperthyroidism and were generally middle-aged Caucasian women. Compared with patients without hyperthyroidism, patients with hyperthyroidism had more sarcoidosis-related comorbidities (59% vs 43%, P = .001) and more steroid-related comorbidities (56% vs 44%, P = .01), but there was no difference in the sarcoidosis-specific treatments they received, which included corticosteroids. Patients with hyperthyroidism reported sarcoidosis involvement of the heart (26.6% vs 14.9%, P = .005), kidneys (14.9% vs 8%, P = .033) and sinuses (17.7% vs 10.2%, P = .030) more frequently. Cardiac manifestations that were more frequently reported in patients with hyperthyroidism included atrial arrhythmias (11.3% vs 6.3%, P = .046), ventricular arrhythmias (17.2% vs 7.5%, P.001), congestive heart failure (10.4% vs 5%, P = .017), and heart block (9.4% vs 4.7%, P = .036).Hyperthyroidism is infrequent in patients with sarcoidosis but is potentially associated with different cardiac manifestations. We suggest considering routine screening for hyperthyroidism in patients with sarcoidosis, especially in those with cardiac involvement. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of identifying and treating hyperthyroidism in patients with sarcoidosis.

To compare the machine learning computed tomography (CT) quantification tool, Computer-Aided Lung Informatics for Pathology Evaluation and Ratings (CALIPER) to pulmonary function testing (PFT) in assessing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for patients undergoing treatment and determine the effects of limited (LD) and ultra-low dose (ULD) CT on CALIPER performance.Thirty-eight IPF patients underwent PFT and standard, LD, and ULD CT. CALIPER classified each CT voxel into either vessel-related structures (VRS), normal, reticular (R), honeycomb (HC) or ground-glass (GG) features. CALIPER-derived interstitial lung disease (ILD) extent represented the sum of GG, R and HC values. Repeated-measures correlation coefficient (ρTwenty patients completed 12 months of follow-up. CALIPER ILD correlated significantly with percent predicted (%) forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (%FEV1; p=0.004, ρCALIPER parameters correlate well with PFTs for evaluation of IPF in patients undergoing anti-fibrotic treatment without being influenced by dose variation. CALIPER may serve as a robust, objective adjunct to PFTs in assessing anti-fibrotic treatment related changes.

Mothers are the primary caregivers of a child. While caring for a special needs child, workload of caring increases by manifold and taking care of these children increases physical & mental overload. There is a dearth of studies that have objectively evaluated mental health and fitness of this group. To study status of physical fitness, mental health and associated factors in mothers of special needs children a cross-sectional survey done on 100 mothers of special needs children from special schools in the Gurugram District, Haryana, India. The Harvard Step test was used to evaluate cardiac fitness. Standard tests were used to evaluate different components of musculoskeletal fitness. Depression was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The Karl Pearson correlation test was used to identify correlations between mental health and fitness components and sociodemographic characteristics. Mean age and body mass index of mothers was 36.15±2.56 years and 27.4±3.25 kg/m2, respectively. 50% of the subjects were overweight, 89% scored poor in cardiopulmonary fitness, 63% had very poor muscle endurance, and 69% had average muscular flexibility. 81% of the mothers had symptoms of clinical depression. Inverse and significant correlation was present between depression and cardiorespiratory fitness (r=-0.197), strength (r=-0.242), and endurance (r=0.209). Income, total number of children and duration of care giving were inversely correlated with depression. Positive correlation was found between type of disability and depression. There was an overall decrement in cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness. Mental health was found to be poor with a large percentage of participants showing symptoms of depression.

Mortalin/mthsp70 (HSPA9) is a stress chaperone enriched in many cancers that has been implicated in carcinogenesis by promoting cell proliferation and survival. In this study, we examined the clinical relevance of mortalin upregulation in carcinogenesis. Consistent with high mortalin expression in various human tumors and cell lines, we found that mortalin overexpression increased the migration and invasiveness of breast cancer cells. Expression analyses revealed that proteins involved in focal adhesion, PI3K–Akt, and JAK–STAT signaling, all known to play key roles in cell migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), were upregulated in mortalin-expressing cancer cells. We further determined that expression levels of the mesenchymal markers vimentin (VIM), fibronectin (FN1), β-catenin (CTNNB1), CK14 (KRT14), and hnRNP-K were also increased upon mortalin overexpression, whereas the epithelial markers E-cadherin (CDH1), CK8 (KRT8), and CK18 (KRT18) were downregulated. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated and pharmacologic inhibition of mortalin suppressed the migration and invasive capacity of cancer cells and was associated with a diminished EMT gene signature. Taken together, these findings support a role for mortalin in the induction of EMT, prompting further investigation of its therapeutic value in metastatic disease models. Cancer Res; 76(9); 2754–65. ©2016 AACR.

Mortalin overexpression caused increase in MMP-2 and MMP-9.

Correlation of mortalin expression with cell migration capacity. Expression level of mortalin in different cancer cells as determined by Western blotting (A). Correlation of mortalin expression with migration potential of cancer cells as determined by wound-scratch assay (B). A549 showed highest level of mortalin expression and migration capacity.

Upreguation of mortalin in advanced grade, poorly differentiated and metastatic tumors.

Mortalin overexpressing cells showed increase in microfilaments.

Fold change in expression of genes in Mortalin-overexpressing MDA cells as compared to the control

Correlation of mortalin amplification with other genes involved in human carcinogenesis. (A) Network showing correlation of mortalin amplification in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (RCCC, TCGA database) with other genes is shown. (B) Amplification of mortalin locus showed tight association and mutual exclusiveness with FGF1 and p53, respectively.

Correlation of mortalin expression with cell migration capacity in normal human fibroblasts.

Supplementary Table 1 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Supplementary Table 6 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Supplementary Table 7 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Multiple, dissimilar genetic defects in cancers of the same origin contribute to heterogeneity in tumor phenotypes and therapeutic responses of patients, yet the associated molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show at the systems level that serous ovarian carcinoma is marked by the activation of interconnected modules associated with a specific gene set that was derived from three independent tumor-specific gene expression data sets. Network prediction algorithms combined with preestablished protein interaction networks and known functionalities affirmed the importance of genes associated with ovarian cancer as predictive biomarkers, besides “discovering” novel ones purely on the basis of interconnectivity, whose precise involvement remains to be investigated. Copy number alterations and aberrant epigenetic regulation were identified and validated as significant influences on gene expression. More importantly, three functional modules centering on c-Myc activation, altered retinoblastoma signaling, and p53/cell cycle/DNA damage repair pathways have been identified for their involvement in transformation-associated events. Further studies will assign significance to and aid the design of a panel of specific markers predictive of individual- and tumor-specific pathways. In the parlance of this emerging field, such networks of gene-hub interactions may define personalized therapeutic decisions. Cancer Res; 70(12); 4809–19. ©2010 AACR.

Supplementary Table 2 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Supplementary Figures 1-5 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Details of A4 Cell System from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Dataset 2 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Supplementary Tables 3-5 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer

Dataset 1 from Gene Expression: Protein Interaction Systems Network Modeling Identifies Transformation-Associated Molecules and Pathways in Ovarian Cancer