Disturbance Of Balance Research Articles

Thromboembolic phenomena in patients with nephrotic syndrome: pathophysiology, risk factors, prophylaxis and treatment.

Thromboembolic events resulting from disturbances in the body's balance of thrombotic and antithrombotic abilities are among the most life-threatening complications of nephrotic syndrome. Certain causes of nephrotic syndrome leave the patient particularly susceptible to thromboembolism. The severity of proteinuria and degree of hypoalbuminaemia are other common predictors of risk. Timely initiation of prophylactic therapy can help prevent morbidity and mortality associated with this complication in patients with nephrotic syndrome. The duration of treatment and choice of therapeutic agent depends on several factors, including the degree of hypoalbuminaemia, risk factors for thrombosis and risk of bleeding. This article reviews current understanding of the pathophysiology and risk factors for thromboembolism associated with nephrotic syndrome, and summarises recommendations and strategies for preventing and treating thromboembolic events in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Mental Fatigue in Sport-From Impaired Performance to Increased Injury Risk.

The literature describing the effects of mental fatigue (MF) has grown tremendously. This is accompanied by identification of a host of performance-determining parameters affected by MF. MF results from prolonged cognitive effort and predominantly affects physical, technical, tactical, and perceptual-cognitive dimensions of sport, while physiological parameters (eg,heart rate, lactate) and physical aspects of maximal and supramaximal efforts are predominantly unaffected. The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of the parameters described in the literature as influenced by MF. By identifying the different parameters, we not only see how they affect the performance of athletes but also raise concerns about the potentially increased injury risk due to MF. Preliminary evidence suggests that subsequent disturbances in balance, motor skills, and decision-making processes could potentially increase the vulnerability to injury. An abundance of lab-based studies looked into the effects of MF on performance; however, many questions remain about the mechanisms of origin and neurophysiological causes of MF, and only small steps have been taken to translate this knowledge into practice. Thus, there is a need for more research into the underlying mechanisms of MF and the role of the brain, as well as more applied research with a high ecological validity that also takes into account the potential increased risk of injury due to MF.

Эколого-экономическая оценка эффективности технико-технологических решений для ресурсосберегающих технологий возделывания зерновых культур в Сибири

The article analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of grain cultivation in Siberia. The high energy intensity and poor execution of technological processes leading to their low efficiency and disturbance of the ecological balance have been revealed. It is necessary to improve the methodological approach and develop new mathematical models for the ecological and economic assessment of technological and technical solutions that reduce energy intensity as the main indicator with the predominant use of extensive technologies and reduce the anthropogenic load on the soil. Methodological and technical and technological solutions are proposed to assess the anthropogenic impact on the environment and reduce material costs in resource-saving technologies for the cultivation of grain crops in Siberia. The main economic indicators of the efficiency of cultivation of agricultural land are considered. The conditions of yield growth as a random variable and the main indicator of agricultural efficiency are shown. The rational structure of the three levels of technology intensity recommended for the conditions of the SFO is determined, and the model of mathematical expectation of full expenditures is substantiated. The functions of useful work and time losses are determined; the ration structure of technological processes of basic tillage is proposed. The prospects of using flexible tillage complexes are considered. For each specific case, an algorithm for the ecological and economic assessment of technological and technical solutions is proposed, taking into account the main economic indicators, including energy supply and the quality of the technological processes performed. To reduce energy intensity and improve the environmental situation, a rational structure of recommended levels of technology intensity for the conditions of the Siberian Federal District with an appropriate set of technical support for basic tillage processes is proposed.

Recent research progress on building C-N bonds via electrochemical NOx reduction.

The release of NOx species (such as nitrate, nitrite and nitric oxide) into water and the atmosphere due to human being's agricultural and industrial activities has caused a series of environmental problems, including accumulation of toxic pollutants that are dangerous to humans and animals, acid rain, the greenhouse effect and disturbance of the global nitrogen cycle balance. Electrosynthesis of organonitrogen compounds with NOx species as the nitrogen source offers a sustainable strategy to upgrade the waste NOx into value-added organic products under ambient conditions. The electrochemical reduction of NOx species can generate surface-adsorbed intermediates such as hydroxylamine, which are usually strong nucleophiles and can undergo nucleophilic attack to carbonyl groups to build C-N bonds and generate organonitrogen compounds such as amine, oxime, amide and amino acid. This mini-review summarizes the most recent progress in building C-N bonds via the in situ generation of nucleophilic intermediates from electrochemical NOx reduction, and highlights some important strategies in facilitating the reaction rates and selectivities towards the C-N coupling products. In particular, the preparation of high-performance electrocatalysts (e.g., nano-/atomic-scale catalysts, single-atom catalysts, alloy catalysts), selection of nucleophilic intermediates, novel design of reactors and understanding the surface adsorption process are highlighted. A few key challenges and knowledge gaps are discussed, and some promising research directions are also proposed for future advances in electrochemical C-N coupling.

The Effect of High Ambient Temperature on Acid-Base Balance and ‎Electrolyte Parameters in Rats

Exposure to high environmental temperature could lead to different heat-related illness as well as worsening some disease conditions. Thirty rats were used to determine the nature of the disturbances of the acid-base balance and electrolytes of blood serum after exposure to high ambient temperature. Twenty rats which formed the experimental group were exposed to sun for 30 minutes daily for two weeks, while the remaining rats served as the unexposed control group. The serum pH, serum HCO3- and electrolytes of both the groups in the first week and the second week were obtained using pH meter, back titration, flame photometry, mercurite titrimetric and spectro-photometry. Histopathology of the lungs and kidneys of rats from each group was carried out using basic histological technique. Results show decreased level of serum HCO3- and increased level of serum pH in the experimental group. In the second week there is significant difference in HCO3- levels (p<0.05). The serum pH in 1st and 2nd week did not show any significant difference in regard to change in the temperature. The findings also showed that high ambient temperature have significant effect on serum sodium (Na+), serum chloride (Cl-) and serum potassium levels (K) (p<0.05); but did not affect serum calcium (Ca+) level (p>0.05). There is glomerular degeneration, interstitial haemorrhage and tubular distension due to fluid retention in the kidney as revealed by the photomicrograph of the exposed rat kidneys. In the lungs of the exposed rat, there is mild interstitial haemorrhage and peribronchoilar epithelial shading. In conclusion, this study indicates that serum calcium is not significantly affected like in the case of serum sodium, chloride and potassium during heat stress and respiratory alkalosis is the predominant acid-base disorder in rats exposed to sun due the occurrence of hyperventilation in heat stress. This research provided some references of acid-base and electrolytes disorder in rats exposed to high ambient temperature.

Comorbidity of impulse control disorders and major depression in Parkinson’s disease with multiple stressogenic factors: An intensive multimodal complex therapy.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by symptoms that impact both motor and non-motor domains [1]. The disease causes a range of movement symptoms such as balance and gait control disturbance as well as tremor. PD with comorbid major depression and impulse control disorder (ICDs) associated with various stressors not only negatively influence the overall course of disease and treatment but also lead to disability. Whereas there is a well-established treatment guideline for PD, there is no common consent protocol for an effective depression and ICDs therapy in PD Patients.

Inflammation-Associated Cytotoxic Agents in Tumorigenesis.

Chronic inflammatory processes are related to all stages of tumorigenesis. As inflammation is closely associated with the activation and release of different cytotoxic agents, the interplay between cytotoxic agents and antagonizing principles is highlighted in this review to address the question of how tumor cells overcome the enhanced values of cytotoxic agents in tumors. In tumor cells, the enhanced formation of mitochondrial-derived reactive species and elevated values of iron ions and free heme are antagonized by an overexpression of enzymes and proteins, contributing to the antioxidative defense and maintenance of redox homeostasis. Through these mechanisms, tumor cells can even survive additional stress caused by radio- and chemotherapy. Through the secretion of active agents from tumor cells, immune cells are suppressed in the tumor microenvironment and an enhanced formation of extracellular matrix components is induced. Different oxidant- and protease-based cytotoxic agents are involved in tumor-mediated immunosuppression, tumor growth, tumor cell invasion, and metastasis. Considering the special metabolic conditions in tumors, the main focus here was directed on the disturbed balance between the cytotoxic agents and protective mechanisms in late-stage tumors. This knowledge is mandatory for the implementation of novel anti-cancerous therapeutic approaches.

Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Dizziness or Balance Disturbance in Korean Older Adults

Background: Food insecurity is defined as economic and social conditions that limit access to enough food to live a healthy life. The elderly are among the first to experience food insecurity, and we aim to investigate the association between food insecurity and dizziness, one of the most common complaints in geriatric health. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study used data from the eighth of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the 22,559 participants, 3002 participants over the age of 60 were studied. Food insecurity was assessed by asking 18 questions. The sum of the 18 questions was calculated and categorized into the food security group, the early stage of food insecurity group, and the food insecurity group. Then we analyzed differences in the prevalence of dizziness between the three groups.

Case Report of Compensated Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension due to Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Fistula

IntroductionDisorders of intracranial pressure, both Intracranial Hypertension (IH) and Cerebrospinal Fluid Hypotension (CSFH), are causes of headache and can impair quality of life and lead to various complications. These conditions can cause symptoms such as transient visual loss, tinnitus, gait and balance disturbances, but positional headache is the main symptom. In this report, we present the case of a patient who was diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) and later developed a change in the pain pattern, caused by traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Fistula.ObjectiveTo report the case of a patient diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), who had a good response to medical treatment for several years but experienced worsened headache and a change in pain pattern (becoming orthostatic) following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).ResultsFemale patient, 33 years old, obese, accompanied in an outpatient headache clinic in Joao Pessoa - PB. In 2018, she presented with a progressive holocranial headache that worsened with dorsal decubitus, accompanied by transient visual darkening. She was diagnosed with IIH after a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection and exclusion of other causes. Since then, she has been taking Topiramate and making lifestyle changes, such as regular physical activity, dietary changes, and weight loss, resulting in significant improvement of symptoms for a few years. In January 2023, she suffered a mild TBI (hit her head on a cabinet) and a few days later, she started experiencing intense and almost daily headaches, but different from the previous ones. Now, the pain worsened or appeared in upright position and was accompanied by clear, colorless, odorless, fluid and constant rhinorrhea in the right nostril, ear fullness, nausea, and occasional vomiting. At that time, she stopped the medication and had partial improvement of symptoms.After reporting these events during the follow-up appointment, she underwent investigation with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with cerebrospinal fluid flow study, which revealed a frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele through a bone defect in the cribriform plate. In a joint decision with the Neurosurgery team, it was opted not to correct the fistula and to proceed with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. She had a great improvement after the procedure, was discharged days later without symptoms.ConclusionTherefore, we report a case of a patient with secondary headache due to IIH that achieved good symptom control for several years. However, after a MTI injury, the headache recurred with a new pattern and was accompanied by new symptoms. She was diagnosed with a Cerebrospinal Fluid Fistula and Meningoencephalocele, and underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. She showed good progress and response to treatment.

Accelerometry in the Functional Assessment of Balance in People with Stroke: A Systematic Review.

Balance disturbances in people with lived experience of stroke affect activities of daily living and social participation, so assessing them is essential to know the level of functional independence. Accelerometers are electronic devices that allow kinematic variables of balance to be recorded and are a tool of great interest in the assessment of functional balance. To determine the validity and reliability of, as well as the most performed protocols using accelerometers in the functional assessment of balance in people with experience of stroke, a systematic search of articles published in the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the PEDro and the Virtual Health Library from Spain was performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. We used QUADAS-2 to assess the quality of the included studies. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, two studied reliability and validity, two studied reliability and four studied the validity of accelerometers in the assessment of balance in people with stroke. All studies indicated the kind of accelerometer, localization on the body, tests and outcome variables. The results indicate that accelerometers show excellent reliability values in the assessment of balance in people who had a prior stroke and disparate results in terms of validity. Triaxial accelerometers were most used, and the 4th and 5th lumbar and 1st and 2nd sacral vertebrae were the body areas most used for their placement.

Başkent Üniversitesi Bağlıca Kampüsü ağaçlandırma alanında karaçamlara zarar yapan Ips sexdentatus (Börner, 1776) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)'un ergin popülasyon gelişimi ve mücadelesine yönelik olarak feromon tuzak kullanım olanaklarının araştırılması

The six-toothed pine bark beetle, Ips sexdentatus (Börner, 1776) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is one of the important pests of Pinus and Picea species in the forests of Türkiye. Başkent University Bağlıca Campus was established in 1993 and approximately 5 million trees have been planted in the area to date, including those that have dried up. Pheromone traps were hung in campus for monitoring the adult population development, determining the flight activities of the insect and controlling it on IPM principles. The first adult emergence of I. sexdentatus in Bağlıca took place in the first half of April, the highest flight activity was in April. Ips sexdentatus produced three generations in the region. The highest numbers of adults caught in traps were 741 (27 July 2021) and 421 (25 April 2022), respectively. In the Bağlıca Campus, a total of over 19,000 insects were caught and eliminated. Almost 328 tC of carbon stock was preserved and prevented from being released into nature and at least 11.100 black pine trees were saved or 26.640 USD was contributed to the economy. Using pheromone traps for the control of I. sexdentatus is recommended as a sustainable method that protects biodiversity, without any disturbance of the ecological balance.

Low factor XIII levels and altered fibrinolysis in patients with multiple myeloma

BackgroundAcquired factor FXIII (FXIII) deficiency can be immune- or non-immune mediated and may cause severe bleeding symptoms. The incidence of acquired FXIII deficiency and its etiology in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are poorly understood. ObjectivesTo assess FXIII levels and the balance of fibrinolysis in newly diagnosed, untreated MM and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) patients. MethodsFXIII activity, mixing studies, FXIII-A2B2 antigen, total FXIII-B antigen were measured in platelet-poor plasma from 17 untreated MM patients, 33 untreated MGUS patients, and 30 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Besides routine laboratory measurements, the balance of coagulation and fibrinolysis was evaluated using quantitative fibrin monomer (FM) test, thrombin-antithrombin assay, α2-antiplasmin activity, plasmin-α2-antiplasmin (PAP) complex, D-dimer, plasmin generation assay, clot lysis assay, and ClotPro-TPA test. ResultsFXIII-A2B2 levels were significantly lower in MM patients compared to controls [median (IQR):14.6 (11.2–19.4) vs. 21.8 (17.1–26.4) mg/L, p = 0.0015], whereas total FXIII-B did not differ between groups. Decrease in FXIII activity was parallel to the decrease in FXIII-A2B2. An immune-mediated inhibitory mechanism was ruled out. Free/total FXIII-B was significantly higher in MM patients compared to MGUS and healthy controls, suggesting an etiology of FXIII-A consumption. In MM and MGUS patients, FM, D-dimer, and PAP complex were significantly elevated compared to controls, indicating hypercoagulability and ongoing fibrinolysis. ConclusionsLow FXIII levels due to consumption were observed in MM patients at diagnosis. Hypercoagulability and ongoing fibrinolysis were detected in MM and MGUS, indicating that a disturbed hemostasis balance is already present in the latter benign condition.

White Matter Hyperintensities on Post-Stroke Balance and Gait Recovery: A Prospective Cohort Study Protocol

Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are commonly associated with balance and gait disturbances. Little is known whether WMH may affect post-stroke balance and gait recovery. We aim to investigate the association of post-stroke balance and gait recovery with imaging marker of WMH on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: This prospective cohort study will enroll consecutive patients with first-ever ischemic hemisphere stroke, between September 2023 and December 2024. Clinical data will be collected on day 30 ± 3 and at 3 months after stroke onset. WMH on FLAIR are graded according to the modified Fazekas scale. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) will be acquired to evaluate functional and structural connectivity. The primary endpoint is balance recovery, defined as a Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke score of 32 or higher at 3 months. The secondary endpoint is gait recovery, assessed using the modified Fugl-Meyer Gait Assessment at 3 months. We will investigate the association of post-stroke balance and gait recovery with WMH severity as well as WMH-related functional and structural connectivity. Conclusion: The study may contribute to clarify the effect of WMH on post-stroke balance and gait disorder recovery.

Psycho-Social impact of Covid-2019 on Work-Life Balance of Health Care Workers in India:

Innumerable studies related to COVID-19 carried out across the globe have demonstrated that HCWs worked in stressful and difficult socio-economic environments and, therefore, had a disturbed work-life balance. However, negligible efforts have been made to analyze the factors that impacted it. In order to investigate this phenomenon, a cross-sectional study was undertaken utilizing data obtained directly from a sample of 799 healthcare workers (HCWs) employed in eight hospitals who were actively working throughout the period spanning from April 2020 to March 2022 within the COVID-19 pandemic. Five latent variables, namely, Psychological Stress (PS), Socio-Economic Impact (SEI), Interpersonal Relationships (IPRs), Government Intervention (GI) and Work-Life Balance (WLB), have been developed using a self-designed questionnaire with separate sections for each of them. A comprehensive structural model to determine the variables influencing WLB is estimated using PLS-SEM. The mediating role of IPR in the relationship between PS and WLB is investigated, and the moderating effect of two variables on WLB, 'Government intervention' and 'whether a worker is affected by COVID or not', has been examined. T-test and ANOVA techniques are also applied to examine the impact of these variables across different socio-demographic characteristics. Our findings indicate that variables PS and SEI negatively impact WLB whereas IPRs have positively impacted it. Government intervention, however, did not exhibit any significant impact on it. Further, IPRs partially mediated the relationship between PS and WLB. The role of government is completely non-significant in moderating the relationships of PS and SEI with WLB. A healthcare professional affected by COVID significantly moderated the mediating relationship between PS and IPR and the direct relationship between IPR and WLB. Subsequently, it favourably affected the WLB of HCWs. Our study recommends that the government and hospital authorities should strengthen the resilience-building interventions and expand their efforts to provide social support to HCWs at the hospital and community levels. Concerted actions must be taken to preserve HCWs' work-life balance amidst the challenging circumstances they face, especially during the pandemic.

Exonic trinucleotide repeat expansions in ZFHX3 cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 4: A poly-glycine disease

Autosomal-dominant ataxia with sensory and autonomic neuropathy is a highly specific combined phenotype that we described in two Swedish kindreds in 2014; its genetic cause had remained unknown. Here, we report the discovery of exonic GGC trinucleotide repeat expansions, encoding poly-glycine, in zinc finger homeobox 3 (ZFHX3) in these families. The expansions were identified in whole-genome datasets within genomic segments that all affected family members shared. Non-expanded alleles carried one or more interruptions within the repeat. We also found ZFHX3 repeat expansions in three additional families, all from the region of Skåne in southern Sweden. Individuals with expanded repeats developed balance and gait disturbances at 15 to 60 years of age and had sensory neuropathy and slow saccades. Anticipation was observed in all families and correlated with different repeat lengths determined through long-read sequencing in two family members. The most severely affected individuals had marked autonomic dysfunction, with severe orthostatism as the most disabling clinical feature. Neuropathology revealed p62-positive intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions in neurons of the central and enteric nervous system, as well as alpha-synuclein positivity. ZFHX3 is located within the 16q22 locus, to which spinocerebellar ataxia type 4 (SCA4) repeatedly had been mapped; the clinical phenotype in our families corresponded well with the unique phenotype described in SCA4, and the original SCA4 kindred originated from Sweden. ZFHX3 has known functions in neuronal development and differentiation n both the central and peripheral nervous system. Our findings demonstrate that SCA4 is caused by repeat expansions in ZFHX3.

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene: potential mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in severe COVID-19

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene is a rare condition that is characterized by ischemic damage and tissue death (gangrene) in the extremities. Recent reports have shed light on SPG in patients with severe COVID-19. This condition presents with symmetrical cyanosis of the extremities and common COVID-19 symptoms and what the most frightening is within a few days, cutaneous necrosis occurred and patients died. Skin biopsy results have shown the presence of microthrombi in small vessels. The formation of SPG in COVID-19 patients results from immunothrombosis, endothelial dysfunction, and procoagulant platelets, leading to a hypercoagulation state and microvascular thrombosis. Thrombotic microangiopathy, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and anticoagulant depletion promote the development of SPG in COVID-19. At the early stage, SPG patients with COVID-19 exhibit similar clinical manifestations. TMA causes early damage to microvasculature in SPG, and the shock state further exacerbates the ischemic injury due to local hypo-perfusion. The disturbed procoagulant-anticoagulant balance caused by DIC and anticoagulant depletion, combined with the pre-ischemic state brought on by TMA and shock, leads to the rapid formation of extensive microthrombi in the late stage of COVID-19 associated SPG. This review will delve into the clinical features, possible mechanisms, and potential therapeutic managements for COVID-19 associated SPG.

Ebf1 Is Involved in Primitive Myelopoiesis and Contributes in Leukemia Pathogenesis

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is caused by the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of a clonal population of myeloid progenitors. EBF1 is a key transcriptional factor in regulating hematopoiesis and has been linked to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the relationship between AML and EBF1 mutation has not yet been studied. Recent research has shown that deleting EBF1 results in myeloid-biased progenitors and decreased HSC quiescence and repopulation capacity. This suggests that EBF1 is involved in earlier hematopoiesis and has additional functions beyond B-cell committed development. Our clinical center conducted whole-exome sequencing on 231 cases of acute myeloid leukemia and identified four patients with an Ebf1 mutation. This corresponds to a mutation frequency of 1.73% and the mutations were identified as p.Q477H (c.1434G>T), p.S513P (c.1537T>C), p.C534F (c.1601GT), and p.P570A (c.1708C>G). Data from the cBioPortal database showed that AML patients with Ebf1 deep deleted mutation had shortened survival. To better understand the role of Ebf1 in AML pathogenesis, we generated an ebf1a-deficient zebrafish mutant. Further research showed that the ebf1a deficiency caused neutrophilia during primitive hematopoiesis. BrdU staining in Tg(coronin1a: GFP) labeled myeloid progenitors was significantly higher in ebf1a-deficient larvae than in wild-type larvae, indicating that ebf1a deficiency led to increased proliferating myeloid progenitors which would take responsibility for the neutrophilia in early-developing larvae. We conducted experiments using four RNA variants (p.Q477H, p.S513P, p.C534F, and p.P570A) injected into ebf1a deficiency zebrafish larvae to verify their pathogenicity. Our findings showed that while EBF1 p.Q477H and p.S513P caused a decrease in neutrophils, p.C534F resulted in neutrophilia, indicating that it might be a loss-of-function mutation. To further understand the mechanism, we introduced EBF1 p.C534F to AML cell culture, and CCk8 and cell cycle analysis showed increased proliferation rates and disturbed cell cycle balance, leading to increased proliferation of AML cells of EBF1-C534F mutation. The cells bearing this mutation showed a higher rate of proliferation, likely due to a disturbance in the balance of the cell cycle. These findings provide valuable insight into the potential pathogenetic mechanism of EBF1 p.C534F. Our investigation into the cause of ebf1 deficiency disrupting normal hematopoiesis led us to perform bulk RNA-sequencing with sorted myeloid-progenitors labeled by Tg:(coronin1a-GFP) in 30hpf zebrafish larvae. We found that leukocyte differentiation and myeloid cell cycle-related genes such as lyz, lygl1, coro1a, lcp1, cebpa, spi1b, mpx, irf8, il6, il34, etc were upregulated in ebf1a deficiency zebrafish. Additionally, anxa1c, anxa1b, Cish, and nlrc3l, which have been reported to suppress lymphoid proliferation but increase myeloid expansion, were down-regulated. Go enrichment analysis showed that the significant genes were associated with hematopoietic disorders including AML and MDS. To address the issue of disturbed cell cycle balance caused by EBF1 deficiency and loss-of-function mutation, we sought to suppress the G1-S transition via CDK inhibitor. We treated EBF1-C534F, EBF1-WT, and control AML cell culture with CDK4 inhibitor: AMG925. We were surprised to find that the CDK4 inhibitor sufficiently suppressed the proliferation and reversed the prolonged S phase caused by EBF1 mutation. We investigated the myeloid-bias function of Ebf1 deficiency and the potential pathogenesis of EBF1 mutations of AML from the development view and were surprised to find CDK inhibitors as a potential drug for EBF1-deficient AML patients.

Validation of the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (Tinetti Test) Scale in Russia for Stroke Patients

INTRODUCTION. Balance disturbances are frequent syndromes after a cerebral stroke (CS). The availability of a validated tool for balance and walking functions comprehensive assessments is very important part of real clinical practice, for rehabilitation diagnosis and individual medical rehabilitation plan.
 AIM. To determine the psychometric properties of the Motor Activity Performance Assessment Scale (Tinetti Test, TT) for measuring balance and walking in patients with ischemic stroke (IS).
 MATERIALS AND METHODS. 200 patients were included, 100 in the early (ERP) and 100 in the late (LRP) recovery periods of IS. The average age of patients was 55 [51; 57] years. The average of IS-duration were 99.3 ± 30.9 days (ERP) and 267.7 ± 27.8 days (LRP). Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients in two groups were comparable. The median and interquartile interval of TT were 20 [14; 24] points out of 28 possible. Content validity and intra-rater reliability were assessed by 10 clinicians. The test-retesting method was used to determine the intra-rater reliability. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Stand Up and Go for Time (TUG), and the 10-meter walk test (10MWT) were used for concurrent validation.
 RESULTS. Two-stage linguistic and cultural adaptation made it possible to construct a Russian-language version of TT that was tested in a pilot study of 30 patients. The subsequent study of the psychometric properties of TT demonstrated high level of content validity and internal consistency of TT (α-Kronbach: 0.74 for TT-Balance and 0.72 for TT-Gait). BBS data significantly correlated with TT-Balance scores (r = 0.73, p = 0.001), TUG showed a negative correlation with TT-Gait (r = −0.69, p = 0.02). Retest reliability ranged from 0.72 to 0.86. The Bland-Altman plot showed the loss of one data point for TT-total beyond 95 % CI.
 DISCUSSION. The Tinetti test indicates high substantive validity and internal consistency of the scales (the α-Kronbach for the balance and walking sections are 0.74 and 0.72, respectively), which is consistent with the data of foreign authors.
 CONCLUSION. The linguistic and cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Russian version of the Motor Activity Performance Assessment Scale demonstrated the validity and reliability of this test as a tool for balance and walking assessment in patients with IS.

Associations between white matter integrity and postural control in adults with traumatic brain injury.

Abnormalities of postural sway have been extensively reported in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the underlying neural correlates of balance disturbances in TBI remain to be elucidated. Studies in children with TBI have reported associations between the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and measures of white matter (WM) integrity with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in brain areas responsible for multisensory integration. This study seeks to replicate those associations in adults as well as explore relationships between DTI and the Limits of Stability (LOS) Test. Fifty-six participants (43±17 years old) with a history of TBI were tested 30 days to 5 years post-TBI. This study confirmed results in children for associations between the SOT and the medial lemniscus as well as middle cerebellar peduncle, and revealed additional associations with the posterior thalamic radiation. Additionally, this study found significant correlations between abnormal LOS scores and impaired WM integrity in the cingulum, corpus callosum, corticopontine and corticospinal tracts, fronto-occipital fasciculi, longitudinal fasciculi, medial lemniscus, optic tracts and thalamic radiations. Our findings indicate the involvement of a broad range of WM tracts in the control of posture, and demonstrate the impact of TBI on balance via disruptions to WM integrity.

Cancer Cachexia: New Insights and Future Directions

Cancer remains a major health problem and is associated with cachexia in up to 80% of cases, leading to decreased survival and quality of life. Cachexia involves complex metabolic disturbances in both protein and energy balance, muscle wasting phenomena, weight loss, systemic inflammation, overall decreased performance status, and tolerability to treatment. The clinical impact of cancer cachexia is very complex, with early detection of cachectic patients and identification of predictive biomarkers being two key factors for improving survival. Thus, a better understanding of the complexity of cancer cachexia phenomena and its main pathophysiological mechanism is much needed. Our review highlights the most important information about cancer cachexia, aiming to disseminate updated research findings about this highly deadly condition.