Relative Activity Levels Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude and practice of physiotherapists towards promotion of physically active lifestyles in patient management

BackgroundPhysiotherapists as primary health care practitioners are well placed in promoting physically active lifestyles, but their role and practice towards its promotion among patients in Nigeria has not been fully investigated. This study was therefore aimed at determining the knowledge, attitude and practice of Nigerian physiotherapists towards promotion of non-treatment physical activity among patients.MethodsThree hundred and eight practicing physiotherapists from various public and private hospitals in 14 states of Nigeria completed an adopted 20-item questionnaire, which collected information on physical activity promotion in physiotherapy practice.ResultRespondents with good knowledge and attitude towards physical activity promotion in patient management were 196(63.6%) and 292(94.8%) respectively. Only 111 (36%) of the respondents counselled more than 10 patients in the past one month on the benefits of adopting a more physically active lifestyle. Chi-square analysis showed a significant association between low practice of physical activity promotion in patient management with inadequate consultation time (ℵ2 = 3.36, p = 0.043), years of working experience of physiotherapists (ℵ2 = 11.37, p =0.023) and relative physical activity levels of physiotherapists (ℵ2 = 11.82, p = 0.037). The need for Physical activity recommendation guideline was supported by 287 (97%) respondents.ConclusionNigerian physiotherapists have good knowledge and attitude towards promotion of physically active lifestyle in their patients but do not counsel many of them, due to insufficient consultation time. Integrating brief counselling into usual treatment sessions is perceived as the most feasible form of physical activity promotion in patient management.

A Scalar Neural Code for Categories in Parietal Cortex: Representing Cognitive Variables as “More” or “Less”

In this issue, Fitzgerald et al. (2013) show that LIP neurons in monkeys encode categorically distinct task conditions using a scalar code. Activity scales up or down to encode different categories, with neurons maintaining proportional levels of activity in relation to one another.

Promoters maintain their relative activity levels under different growth conditions

Most genes change expression levels across conditions, but it is unclear which of these changes represents specific regulation and what determines their quantitative degree. Here, we accurately measured activities of ~900 S. cerevisiae and ~1800 E. coli promoters using fluorescent reporters. We show that in both organisms 60-90% of promoters change their expression between conditions by a constant global scaling factor that depends only on the conditions and not on the promoter's identity. Quantifying such global effects allows precise characterization of specific regulation-promoters deviating from the global scale line. These are organized into few functionally related groups that also adhere to scale lines and preserve their relative activities across conditions. Thus, only several scaling factors suffice to accurately describe genome-wide expression profiles across conditions. We present a parameter-free passive resource allocation model that quantitatively accounts for the global scaling factors. It suggests that many changes in expression across conditions result from global effects and not specific regulation, and provides means for quantitative interpretation of expression profiles.

Neocortical Correlates of Vibrotactile Detection in Humans

This study examined the cortical representation of vibrotactile detection in humans using event-related fMRI paired with psychophysics. Suprathreshold vibrotactile stimulation activated several areas, including primary (SI) and second somatosensory cortices (SII/PV). For threshold-level stimuli, poststimulus activity in contralateral and ipsilateral SII/PV was the best correlate of detection success. In these areas, evoked signals on hit trials were significantly greater than on missed trials in all participants, and the relative activity level across stimulation amplitudes matched perceptual performance. Activity in the anterior insula and superior temporal gyrus also correlated with hits and misses, suggesting that a "ventral stream" of somatosensory representations may play a crucial role in detection. In contrast, poststimulus activity in Area SI was not well correlated with perception and showed an overall negative response profile for threshold-level stimulation. A different correlate of detection success was, however, observed in SI. Activity in this representation immediately before stimulus onset predicted performance, a finding that was unique to SI. These findings emphasize the potential role of SII/PV in detection, the importance of state dynamics in SI for perception, and the possibility that changes in the temporal and spatial pattern of SI activity may be essential to the optimal representation of threshold-level stimuli for detection.

Genetic base of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh: fitness of plants for extreme conditions in northern margins of species range

Flowering time and vernalization requirement were studied in eight natural Karelian populations (KPs) of Arabidopsis thaliana. These KPs consisted of late-flowering plants with elevated expression of flowering repressor FLC and a reduced expression level of flowering activator SOC1 compared to the early-flowering ecotypes Dijon-M and Cvi-0. Despite variations in flowering time and the vernalization requirement among the KPs, two-week-old seedlings showed no changes in either the nucleotide sequence of the FRI gene or the relative expression levels of FRI and its target gene FLC that would be responsible for this variation. An analysis of abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and catabolism genes (NCED3 and CYP707A2) did not show significant differences between late-flowering KPs and the early-flowering ecotypes Dijon-M and Cvi-0. Cold treatment (4 degrees C for 24 h) induced the expression of not only NCED3, but also RD29B, a gene involved in the ABA-dependent cold-response pathway. The relative levels of cold activation of these genes were nearly equal in all genotypes under study. Thus, the ABA-dependent cold response pathway does not depend on FLC expression. The lack of significant differences between northern populations, as well as the ecotypes Dijon-M (Europe) and Cvi-0 (Cape Verde Islands), indicates that this pathway is not crucial for fitness to the northern environment.

Cell-type-specific modulation of neocortical activity by basal forebrain input

Activation of the cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) desynchronizes cortical activity and enhances sensory processing during arousal and attention. How the cholinergic input modulates the activity of different subtypes of cortical neurons remains unclear. Using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging of neurons in layers 1 and 2/3 of mouse visual cortex, we show that electrical stimulation of the BF bi-directionally modulates the activity of excitatory neurons as well as several subtypes of inhibitory interneurons. While glutamatergic activity contributed to the activation of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, the contribution of acetylcholine (ACh) was more complex. Excitatory and parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons were activated through muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) at low levels of cortical desynchronization and suppressed through nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) when cortical desynchronization was strong. In contrast, vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive (VIP+) and layer 1 interneurons were preferentially activated through nAChRs during strong cortical desynchronization. Thus, cholinergic input from the BF causes a significant shift in the relative activity levels of different subtypes of cortical neurons at increasing levels of cortical desynchronization.

Development of rapid and highly sensitive HSPA1A promoter-driven luciferase reporter system for assessing oxidative stress associated with low-dose photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a regulatory-approved modality for treating a variety of malignant tumors. It induces tumor tissue damage via photosensitizer-mediated oxidative cytotoxicity. The heat shock protein 70 (HSP70-1) is a stress protein encoded by the HSPA1A gene and is significantly induced by oxidative stress associated with PDT. The aim of this study was to identify the functional region of the HSPA1A promoter that responds to PDT-induced oxidative stress and uses the stress responsiveness of HSPA1A expression to establish a rapid and cost-effective photocytotoxic assessment bioassay to evaluate the photodynamic potential of photosensitizers. By constructing luciferase vectors with a variety of hspa1a promoter fractions and examining their relative luciferase activity, we demonstrated that the DNA sequence from -218 to +87 of the HSPA1A gene could be used as a functional promoter to detect the PDT-induced oxidative stress. The maximal relative luciferase activity level of HSPA1A (HSP70-1) induced by hypericin-PDT was nearly nine times that of the control. Our results suggest that the novel reporter gene assay using a functional region of the HSP70A1A promoter has significant advantages for the detection of photoactivity in terms of both speed and sensitivity, when compared with a cell viability test based on ATP quantification and ROS levels. Furthermore, phthalocyanine zinc and methylene blue both induced significantly elevated levels of relative luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner.

Conscious Correction of Scapular Orientation in Overhead Athletes Performing Selected Shoulder Rehabilitation Exercises: The Effect on Trapezius Muscle Activation Measured by Surface Electromyography

Controlled laboratory study. To assess the effect of conscious correction of scapular orientation on the activation of the 3 sections of the trapezius muscle during shoulder exercises in overhead athletes with scapular dyskinesis. Previous research has led to the recommendation of 4 exercises for training of the trapezius muscle: prone extension, sidelying external rotation, sidelying forward flexion, and prone horizontal abduction with external rotation. However, the extent to which conscious correction of scapular orientation impacts trapezius muscle activation levels during these exercises is unknown. Absolute (upper trapezius [UT], middle trapezius [MT], lower trapezius [LT]) and relative (UT/MT and UT/LT) muscle activation levels were determined with surface electromyography in 30 asymptomatic overhead athletes with scapular dyskinesis, during 4 selected exercises performed with and without conscious correction of scapular orientation. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to determine if a voluntary scapular orientation correction strategy influenced the activation levels of the different sections of the trapezius during each exercise. With conscious correction of scapular orientation, activation levels of the 3 sections of the trapezius muscle significantly increased during prone extension (mean ± SD difference: UT, 5.9% ± 8.6% maximal voluntary isometric contraction [MVIC]; MT, 13.8% ± 11.0% MVIC; LT, 9.8% ± 10.8% MVIC; P<.05) and sidelying external rotation (UT, 2.2% ± 4.4% MVIC; MT, 6.7% ± 10.6% MVIC; LT, 13.3% ± 24.4% MVIC; P<.05). There was no difference between conditions for sidelying forward flexion and prone horizontal abduction with external rotation. The UT/MT and UT/LT ratios were similar between conditions for all 4 exercises. Conscious correction of scapular orientation during the prone extension and sidelying external rotation exercises can be used to increase the activation level in the 3 sections of the trapezius in overhead athletes with scapular dyskinesis. Although lack of kinematic data limits the interpretation of the results, this study suggests that conscious correction of scapular orientation can be performed without altering the favorable UT/MT and UT/LT ratios that have been previously reported for these exercises.

Cloning and expression of genes related to the sucrose-metabolizing enzymes and carbohydrate changes in peach

To shed light on the relationship between sucrose metabolism and expression of genes related to sucrose-metabolizing enzymes, six genes encoding sucrose-metabolizing enzymes were isolated, and the levels of four main carbohydrates and related enzyme activities as well as the expression of these six genes were determined in fruits, leaves and phloem-enriched fraction throughout peach fruit development. Sucrose content in mature fruit ranked first followed by glucose, fructose and sorbitol in that order, while sorbitol was the highest and sucrose lowest in phloem-enriched fraction and leaves. Glucose and fructose had similar change patterns throughout fruit development. Cloning results reveal that the nucleotide sequences of the six genes have high similarity to corresponding genes isolated from other plants. In addition, the expression of these genes and the levels of related enzyme activities varied with tissue and stage of fruit development, suggesting a complexity in relationships between carbohydrates, enzymes activities and related gene expression. Sucrose phosphate synthase maybe a key enzyme involved in sucrose synthesis while sucrose synthase may mainly be responsible for sucrose synthesis in peach fruits at later stages of development. Further studies are needed to genetically and physiologically characterize these genes and enzymes in peach and to gain a better understanding of their functions and relationship with carbohydrate metabolism.

Balancing speed and accuracy of polyclonal T cell activation: a role for extracellular feedback

BackgroundExtracellular feedback is an abundant module of intercellular communication networks, yet a detailed understanding of its role is still lacking. Here, we study interactions between polyclonal activated T cells that are mediated by IL-2 extracellular feedback as a model system.ResultsUsing mathematical modeling we show that extracellular feedback can give rise to opposite outcomes: competition or cooperation between interacting T cells, depending on their relative levels of activation. Furthermore, the outcome of the interaction also depends on the relative timing of activation of the cells. A critical time window exists after which a cell that has been more strongly activated nevertheless cannot exclude an inferior competitor.ConclusionsIn a number of experimental studies of polyclonal T-cell systems, outcomes ranging from cooperation to competition as well as time dependent competition were observed. Our model suggests that extracellular feedback can contribute to these observed behaviors as it translates quantitative differences in T cells’ activation strength and in their relative activation time into qualitatively different outcomes. We propose extracellular feedback as a general mechanism that can balance speed and accuracy – choosing the most suitable responders out of a polyclonal population under the clock of an escalating threat.

Inflammation-induced shift in spinal GABAAsignaling is associated with a tyrosine kinase-dependent increase in GABAAcurrent density in nociceptive afferents

To account for benzodiazepine-induced spinal analgesia observed in association with an inflammation-induced shift in the influence of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist gabazine on nociceptive threshold, the present study was designed to determine whether persistent inflammation is associated with the upregulation of high-affinity GABA(A) receptors in primary afferents. The cell bodies of afferents innervating the glabrous skin of the rat hind paw were retrogradely labeled, acutely dissociated, and studied before and after the induction of persistent inflammation. A time-dependent increase in GABA(A) current density was observed that was more than twofold by 72 h after the initiation of inflammation. This increase in current density included both high- and low-affinity currents and was restricted to neurons in which GABA increased intracellular Ca(2+). No increases in GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNA or protein were detected in whole ganglia. In contrast, the increased current density was completely reversed by 20-min preincubation with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein and partially reversed with the Src kinase inhibitor PP2. Genistein reversal was partially blocked by the dynamin inhibitor peptide P4. Changes in nociceptive threshold following spinal administration of genistein and muscimol to inflamed rats indicated that the pronociceptive actions of muscimol observed in the presence of inflammation were reversed by genistein. These results suggest that persistent changes in relative levels of tyrosine kinase activity following inflammation provide not only a sensitive way to dynamically regulate spinal nociceptive signaling but a viable target for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of inflammatory pain.

Activity level of tectonic basins, western section of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, Turkey

We employed quantitative techniques to investigate tectonic activity levels and development stages of the Bolu, Yenicaga, Dortdivan, Cerkes, Ilgaz, and Tosya structural basins along the western portions of the main trace of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). Our methodology incorporates six morphometric indices: basin shape (basin elongation and compactness), hypsometric integral, mountain-front sinuosity, stream length gradient index, valley floor width-to-height ratio, and asymmetry factor, obtained from the digital elevation model of the region generated from 1/25,000-scale topographic maps. These indices are integrated within the framework of an analytical hierarchy process to provide relative activity level values of the individual basins. The new analyses indicate that the basins have contrasting tectonic activity characteristics. Judging from the applied indices, the relative increasing order of the tectonic basin activity is Dortdivan, Cerkes, Yenicaga, Ilgaz, Tosya, and Bolu. Among the basins located to the north of the NAFZ, the activity decreases eastwards, whereas to the south of this profound fault zone, it decreases towards the west.

Ethanol‐Induced Memory Impairment in a Discriminative Avoidance Task is State‐Dependent

A considerable amount of experimental evidence has demonstrated ethanol (EtOH) induced amnestic effects following EtOH administration during pretraining in a variety of tasks both in humans and in laboratory animals. Although the phenomenon of state-dependency is known to play a critical role in memory deficits induced by both pharmacological and nonpharmacological pretraining perturbations, the involvement of this phenomenon in EtOH-induced anterograde amnesia has been overlooked. This study aimed to investigate the role of state-dependency in EtOH-induced amnestic effects and its interactions with the well-known anxiolysis and locomotor alterations. Mice were treated with 1.2 or 2.4 g/kg EtOH before training and/or before testing in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task, an animal model that concomitantly evaluates learning, memory, anxiety-like behavior, and general activity. Whereas both doses of EtOH induced anxiolysis, the 1.2 g/kg dose enhanced locomotion while the 2.4 g/kg dose decreased it. In addition, the administration of 1.2 g/kg of this drug during pretraining caused memory impairment, which was counteracted by the pretest administration of the same dose, revealing the participation of the state-dependency. Conversely, the administration of 2.4 g/kg EtOH led to amnestic effects irrespective of the time of the administration (pretraining and/or pretest), eliminating the influence of state-dependency. Our data demonstrate that EtOH-induced memory deficits are critically related to state-dependency, which can also be affected by the dose range. These results indicate the possible participation of EtOH-induced modifications in anxiety and motor activity levels in relation to state-dependent memory deficits.

Tissue regulation of somitic colloid-like1 gene expression

Body skeletal muscles formation starts with somite differentiation, due to signals from surrounding tissues. Somite ventral portion forms the sclerotome while its dorsal fraction constitutes the dermamyotome, and later the dermatome and myotome. Relative levels of BMP activity have been proposed to control several aspects of somite development, namely the time and location of myogenesis within the somite. The fine-tuning of BMP activity is primarily achieved via negative regulation by diffusible BMP inhibitors, such as Noggin and Chordin, and on a secondary level by proteins cleaving these inhibitors, such as BMP1/Tolloid metalloprotease family members. Herein, we carefully described the somitic expression of colloid-like1, one of the chick BMP1/Tolloid homologues, and found that this gene is specifically expressed in the 10 most anterior somites, suggesting that it may be involved in neck muscle formation. By using in ovo microsurgery and tridimensional embryo tissue culture techniques we assessed the function of surrounding structures, neural tube, notochord, surface ectoderm and lateral plate mesoderm, on the maintenance of somitic colloid-like1 gene expression. We unveil that a signal coming from the neural tube is responsible for this expression and rule out the main candidate pathway, Wnt. By comparing the somitic colloid-like1 gene expression with that of related signaling partners, such as BMP4, Noggin and Chordin, we propose that colloid-like1 plays a role in the reinforcement of BMP4 activity in the medial portion of the 10 most anterior dermomyotomes, thus belonging to the molecular machinery controlling neck muscle development in the chick.

Effect of pine pollen on kidney mitochondria DNA deletion mutation in senile mice

To study the effect of pine pollen on Kidney Mitochondria DNA Deletion Mutation (mtDNA) in senile mice. Kunming senile mice were randomly divided into the pine pollen group, and the senile control group. And a young control group was randomly selected. Mouse in the pine pollen group were orally administered with pine pollen (750 mg x kg(-1)) daily. The young control group and the senile control group were orally administered with isometric 0.9% sodium chloride injection. After 60 days, deletion mutation of mtDNA were detected by PCR technology and photodensity scan. Relative level of MDA and activity of SOD in kidney tissues were detected. The senile control group showed significant increase in relative level and deletion mutation of mtDNA (P < 0.05). Compared with the senile control group, the pine pollen group showed decreased depletion of kidney mtDNA (P < 0.05). Pine pollen can decrease MDA volume and increase the activity of SOD significantly (P < 0.05). Pine pollen can inhibit deletion mutation of mtDNA in senile mice, suggesting that pine pollen can reduce oxidative damage of mtDNA and protect mtDNA. Accordingly, it provides a possible mechanism of anti-aging effect of pine pollen at the molecular level.

Development of stable HSPA1A promoter-driven luciferase reporter HepG2 cells for assessing the toxicity of organic pollutants present in air

HSPA1A (HSP70-1) is a highly inducible heat shock gene up-regulated in response to environmental stresses and pollutants. The aim of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the stable metabolically competent HepG2 cells containing a human HSPA1A promoter-driven luciferase reporter (HepG2-luciferase cells) for assessing the toxicity of organic pollutants present in air. The HepG2-luciferase cells were validated by heat shock treatment and testing three organic compounds (pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and formaldehyde) that are ubiquitous in the air. The maximal level of HSPA1A (HSP70-1) and relative luciferase activity induced by heat shock were over three and nine times the control level, respectively. Pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and formaldehyde all induced significantly elevated levels of relative luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Extractable organic matter (EOM) from urban traffic and coke oven emissions in ambient air were tested on the HepG2-luciferase cells. The traffic EOM induced significant increase in relative luciferase activity at concentrations of picogram per liter. The coke oven EOM produced a strong dose-dependent induction of relative luciferase activity up to six times the control value. Significant increases in relative luciferase activity were observed at concentrations that were as low, or lower than the concentrations that the tested organic pollutants decreased cell viability, and increased malondialdehyde concentration, Olive tail moment, and micronuclei frequency. Therefore, we conclude that the HepG2-luciferase cells are a valuable tool for rapid screening of the overall toxicity of organic pollutants present in air.

Cardiovascular and electrocortical markers of anger and motivation during a simulated driving task

The experience of anger may have consequences for the long-term health of the individual. The psychophysiological manifestation of anger can vary in response to the motivational context of anger provocation. The current study was designed to investigate how motivational context (challenge vs. threat) influenced the cardiovascular system and frontal EEG asymmetry. 29 male participants completed a simulated driving journey with a fixed time schedule. Anger was induced by exposing participants to traffic delays at an early (challenge) and later point (threat) on the simulated route. A number of dependent variables were recorded, including 32 channels of EEG, measures of cardiovascular impedance, blood pressure and fEMG activity from the corrugator supercilii. The results indicated that traffic delays significantly increased blood pressure, heart rate, TPR and corrugator activity whilst reducing the relative level of left frontal activation in the EEG. However, there was little evidence for a consistent distinction between the early (challenge) and late (threat) introduction of traffic delay. The consequences of these findings for capturing the cardiovascular and electrocortical responses to anger induction are discussed.

Hematological indicators of stress in longline-captured sharks

For many shark species, little information exists about the stress response to capture and release in commercial longline fisheries. Recent studies have used hematological profiling to assess the secondary stress response, but little is known about how, and to what degree, these indicators vary interspecifically. Moreover, there is little understanding of the extent to which the level of relative swimming activity (e.g., sluggish vs. active) or the general ecological classification (e.g., coastal vs. pelagic) correlates to the magnitude of the exercise-induced (capture-related) stress response. This study compared plasma electrolytes (Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+), metabolites (glucose and lactate), blood hematocrit, and heat shock protein (Hsp70) levels between 11 species of longline-captured sharks (n=164). Statistical comparison of hematological parameters revealed species-specific differences in response to longline capture, as well as differences by ecological classification. Taken together, the blood properties of longline-captured sharks appear to be useful indicators of interspecific variation in the secondary stress response to capture, and may prove useful in the future for predicting survivorship of longline-captured sharks where new technologies (i.e., pop-up satellite tags) can verify post-release mortality.

Abstract C58: The identification and characterization of prostate adenocarcinoma tumor-initiating cells

Abstract The phenotype of prostate adenocarcinoma tumor initiating cells, also called cancer stem cells, has not been determined for primary prostate tumors. Both multipotent progenitors and luminal progenitor cells, residing in the basal or luminal compartments respectively, can act as prostate cancer cells of origin. The phenotype of tumor initiating cells may be similar to the cancer cell of origin or to its differentiated progeny. We have analyzed the phenotype of tumor initiating cells in a mouse model of aggressive prostate cancer initiated by Probasin promoter-driven Cre (Pb-Cre) dependent deletion of Pten and TP53. Pten deletion results in the development of PIN/adenocarcinoma, while combined Pten/TP53 deletion results in more aggressive progression, associated with significant tumor heterogeneity. The heterogeneity associated with the Pb-Cre4 Pten−/−TP53−/− mouse model is manifested in tumors consisting primarily of adenocarcinoma with foci of basal squamous carcinoma. The cellular source of this heterogeneity is unknown but may result from transformation of multipotent progenitors, or alternatively, from independent transformations of committed progenitors to the basal and luminal lineages. The aim of this study was to interrogate the tumor initiating activity of the basal and luminal compartments in Pten−/−TP53−/− prostate tissue. In order to separate the basal and luminal lineages, we devised a fractionation scheme using markers preferentially expressed by either lineage. Lin−, EpCAM+ primary prostate tumor cells were labeled with CD49f and Prominin-1 (Prom-1) in order to differentiate basal and luminal populations respectively. Three distinct populations were identified: CD49fhi, Prom-1+ and CD49flo/− Prom-1−. The CD49fhi fraction was enriched for KRT5+ cells, while both the Prom-1+ and CD49flo/− Prom-1− fractions contained a mixture of KRT8+ and KRT5/KRT8 double positive cells. CD49fhi and Prom-1+ fractions possessed tumor initiating activity and generated serially transplantable primary tumors with distinct phenotypes. Tumors established from CD49fhi cells formed basal squamous tumors, while Prom-1+ derived tumors recapitulated the original prostate adenocarcinoma. No tumor initiation was observed from the CD49flo/−Prom-1− cells. Each cell fraction also exhibited distinct in vitro characteristics. Long term self renewal potential of each fraction was monitored in vitro using the sphere formation assay over six generations. CD49fhi cells demonstrated the highest level of SFU activity at Generation 1. However, the Prom-1+ fraction consistently demonstrated higher SFU activity over the long term (Gen 2 – Gen 6). Following castration, populations of CD49fhi, Prom-1+ and CD49flo/− Prom-1− cells were identified in Pten−/−TP53−/− prostate tissue. Interestingly, castration resistant Prom-1+ cells demonstrated tumor initiating activity and the highest relative level of SFU activity over six generations. Prom-1+ cells expressed known progenitor cell markers such as Bmi1 and Krt19. Transcriptome analyses of cell fractions isolated from tumors of untreated or castrated mice are ongoing. Our findings demonstrate that prostate adenocarcinoma tumor initiating cells reside in a population of self-renewing progenitors expressing a luminal and not a basal phenotype. In addition, Pten−/−TP53−/− adenocarcinoma tumor initiating cells survive as castration-resistant luminal progenitors. Citation Format: Paul G. Hynes, Wassim G. Abou-Kheir, Orla M. Casey, Lei Fang, Yen-Nien Liu, Heather Sheppard-Tillman, Philip Martin, Kathleen Kelly. The identification and characterization of prostate adenocarcinoma tumor-initiating cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2012 Feb 6-9; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(4 Suppl):Abstract nr C58.

A wrist tendon travel assessment of hand movements associated with industrial repetitive activities

To investigate slow and fast paced industrial activity hand repetitive movements associated with carpal tunnel syndrome where movements are evaluated based on finger and wrist tendon travel measurements. Nine healthy subjects were recruited for the study aged between 23 and 33 years. Participants mimicked an industrial repetitive task by performing the following activities: wrist flexion and extension task, palm open and close task; and pinch task. Each task was performed for a period of 5 minutes at a slow (0.33 Hz) and fast (1 Hz) pace for a duration of 3 minutes and 2 minutes respectively. Tendon displacement produced higher flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon travel when compared to the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons. The left hand mean (SD) tendon travel for the FDS tendon and FDP tendon were 11108 (5188) mm and 9244 (4328) mm while the right hand mean tendon travel (SD) for the FDS tendon and FDP tendon were 9225 (3441) mm and 7670 (2856) mm respectively. Of the three tasks mimicking an industrial repetitive activity, the wrist flexion and extension task produced the most tendon travel. The findings may be useful to researchers in classifying the level of strenuous activity in relation to tendon travel.