OBJECTIVES Modify the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) for 'fear of passive motion' beliefs. METHODS With permission, a 14-item modification, the TSK-PM (passive movement), was created. Test-retest reliability was tested first. Construct validity was tested in chronic whiplash patients by comparing the TSK-PM with the TSK, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and cervical ranges of motion. RE...

The Tight skin (Tsk) mutation is a duplication of the mouse fibrillin 1 (Fbn1) gene that results in a larger (418 kD) than normal (350 kD) protein; Tsk/+ mice display increased connective tissue, bone overgrowth, and lung emphysema. Lung emphysema, bone overgrowth, and vascular complications are the distinctive traits of mice with reduced Fbn1 gene expression and of Marfan syndrome (MFS) patien...

The apoAI mimetic 4F was designed to inhibit atherosclerosis by improving HDL. We reported that treating tight skin (Tsk(-/+)) mice, a model of systemic sclerosis (SSc), with 4F decreases inflammation and restores angiogenic potential in Tsk(-/+) hearts. Interferon regulating factor 5 (IRF5) is important in autoimmunity and apoptosis in immune cells. However, no studies were performed investiga...

In Xenopus, ectodermal patterning depends on a mediolateral gradient of BMP signaling, higher in the epidermis and lower in the neuroectoderm. Neural crest cells are specified at the border between the neural plate and the epidermis, at intermediate levels of BMP signaling. We recently described a novel secreted protein, Tsukushi (TSK), which works as a BMP antagonist during chick gastrulation....

Subjective thermal comfort plays a critical role in body temperature regulation since this represents the primary stimulus for behavioral thermoregulation. Although both core (Tc) and skin-surface (Tsk) temperatures are known afferent inputs to the thermoregulatory system, the relative contributions of Tc and Tsk to thermal comfort are unknown. We independently altered Tc and Tsk in human subje...

Despite the popularity and practical importance of fuzzy inference system (FIS), use an FIS model as n -ary aggregation function, which is characterized by both monotonicity boundary properties, yet to be established. This because research on ensuring that models satisfy property, i.e., monoton...

Mice carrying the Tight skin (Tsk) mutation harbor a genomic duplication within the fibrillin-1 (Fbn 1) gene that results in a larger than normal in-frame Fbn 1 transcript. In this study, the consequences of the Tsk mutation for fibrillin-containing microfibrils have been examined. Dermal fibroblasts from Tsk/+ mice synthesized and secreted both normal fibrillin (approximately 330 kD) and the m...

BACKGROUND The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) that was developed in 1990 is a 17 item scale originally developed to measure the fear of movement related to chronic lower back pain. OBJECTIVE To review the literature regarding TSK and neck pain, perceived disability and range of motion of the cervical spine. METHODS Medline, MANTIS, Index to Chiropractic Literature and CINAHL were search...

Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) is an autoimmune, connective tissue disorder that is characterized by impaired vascular function, increased oxidative stress, inflammation of internal organs, and impaired angiogenesis. Tight skin mice (Tsk(-/+)) have a defect in fibrillin-1, resulting in replication of many of the myocardial and vascular features seen in humans with SSc. D-4F is an apolipo...

The tight-skin (TSK/+) mouse, a genetic model for human systemic sclerosis (SSc), develops cutaneous fibrosis and autoantibodies against SSc-specific target autoantigens. Although molecular mechanisms explaining the development of fibrosis and autoimmunity in SSc patients or TSK/+ mice remain unknown, we recently demonstrated that SSc patients overexpress CD19, an important regulatory molecule ...