chondrocytes isolated from good- versus bad-quality biopsies expressed higher levels of collagen II/I and aggrecan/versican and lower levels of MMP13 and ADAMTS5. They also exhibited reduced proliferation and enhanced cartilage-forming capacity.

Chondrocytes at the periphery of traumatic lesions better maintain properties of healthy cartilage compared to those isolated from the center, even when derived from bad-quality tissues harvested from highly inflamed joints. Future studies are necessary to investigate the change of functional properties of

chondrocytes over time.

Chondrocytes at the periphery of traumatic lesions better maintain properties of healthy cartilage compared to those isolated from the center, even when derived from bad-quality tissues harvested from highly inflamed joints. Future studies are necessary to investigate the change of functional properties of peripheral chondrocytes over time.

Prospective cohort.

To investigate whether intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) positive changes affect functional outcome after surgical intervention for myeloradiculopathy secondary to cervical compressive pathology (cervical compressive myelopathy).

Twenty-eight patients who underwent cervical spine surgery with IONM for compressive myeloradiculopathy were enrolled. During surgery motor-evoked potential (MEP) and somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) at baseline and before and after decompression were documented. A decrease in latency >10% or an increase in amplitude >50% was regarded as a “positive changes.” Patients were divided into subgroups based on IONM changes group A (those with positive changes) and group B (those with no change or deterioration). Nurick grade and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score were evaluated before and after surgery.

Nine patients (32.1%) showed improvement in MEP. The mean preoperative Nurick grade and mJOA score of group A and B were (2.55 ± 0.83 and 11.11 ± 1.65) and (2.47 ± 0.7 and 11.32 ± 1.24), respectively. The mean postoperative Nurick grade of groups A and B at 6 months was 1.55 ± 0.74 and 1.63 ± 0.46, respectively, and this difference was not significant. The mean postoperative mJOA score of groups A and B at 6 months was 14.3 ± 1.03 and 12.9 ± 0.98, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (

= .011). Spearman correlation coefficient showed significant positive correlation between the IONM change and the mJOA score at 6 months postoperatively (

= 0.47;

= .01).

Our study shows that impact of positive changes in MEP during IONM reflect in functional improvement at 6 months postoperatively in cervical compressive myelopathy patients.

Our study shows that impact of positive changes in MEP during IONM reflect in functional improvement at 6 months postoperatively in cervical compressive myelopathy patients.

Pain and symptom management is critical in ensuring quality of life for chronically ill older adults. However, while pain management and palliative care have steadily expanded in recent years, many underserved populations, such as rural older adults, experience barriers in accessing such specialty services, in part due to transportation issues. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the specific types of transportation-related barriers experienced by rural older adults in accessing pain and palliative care.

Studies were searched through the following 10 databases Abstracts in Social Gerontology, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX with Full Text, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Nursing & Allied Health Database, Sociological Abstracts, and PubMED. Studies were chosen for initial review if they were written in English, full text, included older adults in the sample, and examined pain/palliative care/hospice, rural areas, and transportation. A total of 174 abstracts were initially screened, 15 articles received full-text reviews and 8 met the inclusion criteria.

Findings of the 8 studies identified transportation-related issues as major access barrier to pain and palliative care among rural older adults specifically, lack of public transportation; lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles; lack of reliable drivers; high cost of transportation services; poor road conditions; and remoteness to the closest pain and palliative care service providers.

Results suggest that rural older adults have unique transportation needs due to the urban-centric location of pain and palliative care services. Implications for practice, policy and research with older adults are discussed.

Results suggest that rural older adults have unique transportation needs due to the urban-centric location of pain and palliative care services. Implications for practice, policy and research with older adults are discussed.This study examined whether (a) cancer patients in two cohorts reported greater subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in prevalence and severity than noncancer healthy controls; and (b) selected psychoneurological factors (fatigue, stress, and sleep disturbance) contribute to such differences. Data from 60 prechemotherapy cancer patients, 81 active-chemotherapy cancer patients, and 116 noncancer healthy controls were analyzed using hierarchical regressions. The prevalence rate of SCI was higher in the prechemotherapy cancer cohort (41.6%) and in the active-chemotherapy cancer cohort (46.9%) than in healthy controls (21.5%; p  less then  .001). SCI severity was also higher in two cancer cohorts than noncancer controls (p  less then  .001). PRI-724 chemical structure The two cancer cohorts were similar to each other in severity and prevalence of SCI. The two cancer cohorts experienced higher fatigue, stress, and sleep disturbance than healthy controls. After controlling for psychoneurological factors, however, the two cancer cohorts did not differ from healthy controls in experiencing SCI in prevalence and severity. Psychoneurological factors may be a major determinant of the higher prevalence and severity of SCI in cancer patients.

It was hypothesized that lip repair protocols in children with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) would affect development of bilabial consonants /m/ /b/ /p/. This study compared speech outcomes in 2 surgical groups.

A retrospective case note investigation.

UK Cleft Centre (2000-2009).

Forty-nine children with complete BCLP, of whom 26 had a 1-stage and 23 a 2-stage bilateral cleft lip repair.

One-stage cleft lip repair versus a 2-staged cleft lip repair.

Bilabial consonant production at 18 months, 3 and 5 years of age. Cleft Speech Characteristics (CSCs) at age 5.

At age 18 months, 81% of the 1-stage lip repair group and 4% of the 2-stage lip repair group produced bilabial consonants (

<·0001, Fisher test). At age 3 years, 81% of the 1-stage and 26% of the 2-stage lip repair groups produced bilabial consonants (

=·0133, Fisher test). At age 5 years, both groups had similar bilabial consonant production, but children in the 2-stage lip repair group had more frequent and severe CSCs (

= ·0037, χ

).