Objectives:
This study aims to investigate the impact of a therapeutic horse riding (HR) intervention and an audiovisual (AV) intervention comprising exposure to equine rhythm and motion on ...developmental parameters of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Design:
The study design was a pretest/post-test.
Settings/Location:
The study took place in three locations across Ireland—St. Michael's Boys School in Mervue, Co Galway, The Hunt Museum in Limerick City, Co. Limerick, and Fettercairn Youth Horse Project in Tallaght, Co. Dublin.
Subjects:
Eighty-three children (6–14 years) with a primary diagnosis of DCD.
Interventions:
Children meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into three groups: HR, AV, and a control (C) group. Those in the intervention groups participated in eight 30 min HR lessons or AV screening sessions.
Outcome measures:
A Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) measured signs of depression. A Childhood Behavior CheckList (CBCL) determined any behavioral and emotional problems, while a Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) assessed the presence and extent of any social impairment. A GAITRite system provided an overall Functional Ambulation Performance (FAP) score (an automatic accumulated score of gait parameters, including gait speed, symmetry, distance, cadence, tension, support, and velocity), which was used to evaluate gait improvements.
Results:
Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a main effect of time on all variables. Bonferroni
post hoc
tests revealed that these effects were due to significant improvements in both HR and AV groups for CDI, CBCL, and SRS, and significant improvements in the HR group only for FAP.
Conclusions:
This study provides initial evidence to support the value of an equine AV perception intervention at improving developmental parameters in children with DCD and provides additional support for the benefits of therapeutic HR on social, emotional, behavioral, and gait variables in these children.
Objectives:
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the physical motion of a horse (riding therapy) combined with the audiovisual perception of this motion on a group of children ...with dyspraxia in terms of cognition, mood arousal, and gait variability.
Design:
The study design was a pretest/post-test.
Settings/location:
The study was conducted at the Fettercairn Youth Horse Project, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Dublin.
Subjects:
Forty (40) children ranging from 6 to 15 years of age with a primary diagnosis of dyspraxia were the study subjects.
Interventions:
Children meeting inclusion criteria participated in six 30-minute horse-riding sessions and two 30-minute audiovisual screening sessions.
Outcome measures:
A Standard Progressive Matrices test (also known as the Ravens test) was used to measure aspects of general intelligence. A Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) questionnaire was used to assess cognitive, affective, and behavioral signs of depression. A GAITRite Pressure Mapping System analyzed foot function and gait variability by measuring single and double support, cycle time, cadence, toe in/out, and stride length.
Results:
Significant improvements were evident on the Ravens test and the CDI by the end of the study period. The amount of both single and double support required while completing the walking task also was significantly reduced. Improvements were visible on toe in/out values, cycle time, and cadence. Changes in stride length did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
These findings support the theory that riding therapy and/or the perception of beat-based rhythms, as experienced by the rider on the horse, stimulates cognition, mood, and gait parameters. In addition, the data also pointed to the potential value of an audiovisual approach to equine therapy.
Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common type of primary bone malignancy in people and dogs. Our previous molecular comparisons of canine OSA against healthy bone resulted in the identification of ...differentially expressed protein-expressing genes (forkhead box protein O4 (
), interferon regulatory factor 8 (
), and lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (
)). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and H-scoring provided semi-quantitative assessment of nuclear and cytoplasmic staining alongside qualitative data to contextualise staining (
= 26 patients). FOXO4 was expressed predominantly in the cytoplasm with significantly lower nuclear H-scores. IRF8 H-scores ranged from 0 to 3 throughout the cohort in the nucleus and cytoplasm. LEF1 was expressed in all patients with significantly lower cytoplasmic staining compared to nuclear. No sex or anatomical location differences were observed. While reduced levels of FOXO4 might indicate malignancy, the weak or absent protein expression limits its primary use as diagnostic tumour marker. IRF8 and LEF1 have more potential for prognostic and diagnostic uses and facilitate further understanding of their roles within their respective molecular pathways, including Wnt/beta-catenin/LEF1 signalling and differential regulation of tumour suppressor genes. Deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in OSA are essential contributions towards the development of novel diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment options in human and veterinary medicine contexts.
The FRANC project (Forecasting Rainfall exploiting new data Assimilation techniques and Novel observations of Convection) has researched improvements in numerical weather prediction of convective ...rainfall via the reduction of initial condition uncertainty. This article provides an overview of the project’s achievements. We highlight new radar techniques: correcting for attenuation of the radar return; correction for beams that are over 90% blocked by trees or towers close to the radar; and direct assimilation of radar reflectivity and refractivity. We discuss the treatment of uncertainty in data assimilation: new methods for estimation of observation uncertainties with novel applications to Doppler radar winds, Atmospheric Motion Vectors, and satellite radiances; a new algorithm for implementation of spatially-correlated observation error statistics in operational data assimilation; and innovative treatment of moist processes in the background error covariance model. We present results indicating a link between the spatial predictability of convection and convective regimes, with potential to allow improved forecast interpretation. The research was carried out as a partnership between University researchers and the Met Office (UK). We discuss the benefits of this approach and the impact of our research, which has helped to improve operational forecasts for convective rainfall events.
The process development to the manufacturing route to (2S)-7-(4,4‘-bipiperidin-1-ylcarbonyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid hydrochloride (SB-214857-A, ...lotrafiban) is described. The starting point is the previously reported intermediate (2RS)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid methyl ester. The first stage is a lipase-catalysed resolution of the racemic ester to (2S)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid and subsequent iodination using a pyridine iodine monochloride complex to give (2S)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-7-iodo-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid. The unreacted (R)-enantiomer of the starting ester is recovered and recycled to the racemate by treatment with sodium methoxide. The next stage describes the palladium-catalysed aminocarbonylation of the aryl iodide with 4,4‘-pyridylpiperidine to give (2S)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-7-4-(4-pyridinyl)-1-piperidinylcarbonyl-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid dihydrate. The third stage is the hydrogenation of the pyridine subunit over palladium on charcoal to obtain the zwitterionic (2S)-7-(4,4‘-bipiperidin-1-ylcarbonyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid hexahydrate. The final stage is the formation of the hydrochloride salt to afford the drug substance.
A modified Knorr pyrrole reaction is described which may have practical benefits for the large-scale synthesis of SB-342219. The use of zinc to reduce a phenylhydrazone is replaced by the ...hydrogenation of the corresponding oxime to provide a common aminoketone intermediate. The modifications have practical benefit with respect to carrying out the reaction and isolating the product. A modified N-demethylation procedure is also described. The use of zinc to reduce an intermediate trichloroethylcarbamate is replaced with the aqueous hydrolysis of the corresponding 1-chloroethylcarbamate.
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