Background There is growing interest in using perturbation-based balance training to improve the reactive response to common perturbations (eg, tripping and slipping). The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy of treadmill-based reactive balance training versus Tai Chi performed at, and among independent residents of, older adult senior housing. Methods Thirty-five residents from five senior housing facilities were allocated to either treadmill-based reactive balance training or Tai Chi training. Both interventions were performed three times per week for 4 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes. A battery of balance tests was performed at baseline, and again 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-training. The battery included six standard clinical tests of balance and mobility, and a test of reactive balance performance. Results At baseline, no significant between-group differences were found for any balance tests. After training, reactive balance training participants had better reactive balance than Tai Chi participants. Maximum trunk angle was 13.5° smaller among reactive balance training participants 1 week after training (p = .01), and a reactive balance rating was 24%–31% higher among reactive balance training participants 1 week to 6 months after training (p < .03). Clinical tests showed minimal differences between groups at any time point after training. Conclusion Trip-like reactive balance training performed at senior housing facilities resulted in better rapid balance responses compared with Tai Chi training.
Background Although researchers have documented the outcomes of various out‐of‐class activities for undergraduate students, less attention has been given to student perspectives on activity category and activity levels, particularly when considering demographics such as gender and race/ethnicity. Purpose/Hypothesis This study aims to create a more nuanced profile of engineering undergraduate engagement in out‐of‐class activities disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, and level of activity. As an exploratory study, its goal is to identify patterns that can be explored in the future. Design/Method A purposive sample of 649 engineering students from three institutions provided complete survey responses that were quantitatively analyzed using frequency tables, diverging bar charts, and calculated odds ratios. This study included an intentional focus on gender and racial/ethnic differences. Results Job and Sports were most commonly identified as the top out‐of‐class activity for engineering students. Select pre‐professional activities and activities related to the humanities, arts, environment, and civic life were identified less frequently as top activities. Significant differences in choice of top activity and level of activity were found when comparing students by gender and race/ethnicity. Conclusion A better understanding of engineering student engagement in out‐of‐class activities helps guide actions of program administrators and educators and the direction of future research exploring out‐of‐class engagement. Such opportunities can be shaped to improve engagement, particularly among underrepresented groups.
Tumor protein 53 (p53) regulates fundamental pathways of cellular growth and differentiation. Aberrant p53 expression in glioblastoma multiforme, a terminal brain cancer, has been associated with worse patient outcomes and decreased chemosensitivity. Therefore, correctly identifying p53 status in glioblastoma is of great clinical significance. p53 immunohistochemistry is used to detect pathological presence of the TP53 gene product. Here, we examined the relationship between p53 immunoreactivity and TP53 mutation status by DNA Sanger sequencing in adult glioblastoma. Of 41 histologically confirmed samples, 27 (66%) were immunopositive for a p53 mutation via immunohistochemistry. Utilizing gene sequencing, we identified only eight samples (20%) with TP53 functional mutations and one sample with a silent mutation. Therefore, a ≥10% p53 immunohistochemistry threshold for predicting TP53 functional mutation status in glioma is insufficient. Implementing this ≥10% threshold, we demonstrated a remarkably low positive-predictive value (30%). Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity with ≥10% p53 immunohistochemistry to predict TP53 functional mutation status were 100% and 42%, respectively. Our data suggests that unless reliable sequencing methodology is available for confirming TP53 status, raising the immunoreactivity threshold would increase positive and negative predictive values as well as the specificity without changing the sensitivity of the immunohistochemistry assay.
Yield losses due to defoliation may be reduced in corn (Zea mays L.) grown at narrow compared to wider row widths. However, the physiological mechanisms behind this response are unclear. A 2‐yr experiment was conducted with two hybrids, row widths (38 and 76 cm), and a combination of defoliation timings–intensities: undefoliated control, V7–100%, V14–50%, V14–100%, R2–50%, and R2–100%. Intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR, MJ m−2) was measured after defoliation at V8, VT, R2, and R5. Post‐defoliation reductions in IPAR were always associated with yield losses after V14–100% and R2–100% defoliations. Conversely, V7–100%, V14–50%, and R2–50% defoliations were not always associated with yield penalties, as a result of a leaf area recovery that allowed plants to reach 72 to 85% IPAR around VT/R1. Changes in grain yields were independent from changes in IPAR‐V8 following V7–100% defoliations, and IPAR at or after VT following V14–100% and R2–100% defoliations. We found no interactions between rows and IPAR‐VT, IPAR‐R2 or IPAR‐R5 for V7–100%, V14–50%, and R2–50% defoliations, implying that the change in grain yield per unit change in IPAR was the same for both rows at each IPAR stage. No evidence of two (IPAR‐VT × IPAR‐R2) and three‐way interactions (IPAR‐VT × IPAR‐R2 × IPAR‐R5) among IPAR stages was found. A simple model explaining >35% of the yield variability in defoliated corn stands, independently of row width, using IPAR between VT and R5 as predictors was fitted. Greater yields associated with narrow rows in corn‐defoliated stands may be related to better resource allocation but was not related to greater intercepted radiation in our study.
Parasitic weeds represent a major threat to agricultural production across the world. Little is known about which host genetic pathways determine compatibility for any host–parasitic plant interaction. We developed a quantitative assay to characterize the growth of the parasitic weed Phelipanche aegyptiaca on 46 mutant lines of the host plant Arabidopsis thaliana to identify host genes that are essential for susceptibility to the parasite. A. thaliana host plants with mutations in genes involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis/signaling or the negative regulation of plant immunity were less susceptible to P. aegyptiaca parasitization. In contrast, A. thaliana plants with a mutant allele of the putative immunity hub gene Pfd6 were more susceptible to parasitization. Additionally, quantitative PCR revealed that P. aegyptiaca parasitization leads to transcriptional reprograming of several hormone signaling pathways. While most tested A. thaliana lines were fully susceptible to P. aegyptiaca parasitization, this work revealed several host genes essential for full susceptibility or resistance to parasitism. Altering these pathways may be a viable approach for limiting host plant susceptibility to parasitism.
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