A systematic review with meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of meditative movement therapies (Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) was carried out. We screened Clinicaltrials.Gov, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus (through December 2010) and the reference sections of original studies for meditative movement therapies (MMT) in FMS. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing MMT to controls were analysed. Outcomes of efficacy were pain, sleep, fatigue, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Effects were summarized using standardized mean differences (SMD [95% confidence interval]). Outcomes of safety were drop out because of adverse events and serious adverse events. A total of 7 out of 117 studies with 362 subjects and a median of 12 sessions (range 8-24) were included. MMT reduced sleep disturbances (-0.61 [-0.95,-0.27]; 0.0004), fatigue (-0.66 [-0.99,-0.34];<0.0001), depression (-0.49 [-0.76,-0.22]; 0.0004) and limitations of HRQOL (-0.59 [-0.93,-0.24]; 0.0009), but not pain (-0.35 [-0.80, 0.11]; 0.14) compared to controls at final treatment. The significant effects on sleep disturbances (-0.52 [-0.97,-0.07]; 0.02) and HRQOL (-0.66 [-1.31,-0.01]; 0.05) could be maintained after a median of 4.5 (range 3-6) months. In subgroup analyses, only Yoga yielded significant effects on pain, fatigue, depression and HRQOL at final treatment. Drop out rate because of adverse events was 3.1%. No serious adverse events were reported. MMT are safe. Yoga had short-term beneficial effects on some key domains of FMS. There is a need for high-quality studies with larger sample sizes to confirm the results.

BACKGROUND In Europe, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women; 26.5 per cent of all new malignant diseases and 17.5 per cent of all cancer deaths are due to this type of cancer. In Germany, approximately every tenth woman is diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. OBJECTIVE In order to increase the quality of life of breast cancer patients, the European Society of Mastology (EUSOMA) requires the availability of, and an integration of qualified and specialized care into the interdisciplinary team. Thus, in Germany, a new type of job profile for 'breast nurse' as a qualified care specialist has to be established and has to be oriented towards the international standards of a breast care nurse (BCN). METHODS The Charité's Academy of Health--in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Breast Centre of the Charité--has offered a career advisory service curriculum for the BCN since 2006 in accordance with the EUSOMA guidelines. RESULTS In three courses, 45 BCNs have been trained. In the first refresher seminar in May 2009, the BCNs were given an opportunity to exchange with fellow BCNs their experiences. CONCLUSION We were able to set up a new curriculum to train nurses as BCNs as to improve the quality of care for breast cancer patients and to orientate the training towards the international standards of a BCN qualification.

The molecular mechanisms of the development of canine mammary tumors are still incompletely understood. In the present study we hypothesized that there is a malignant progression from normal gland to malignant carcinomas that is associated with a linear change in protein expression. To this end the proteome of canine normal mammary gland, adenomas, non-metastatic carcinomas and metastatic carcinomas was compared. Application of 2D-DIGE and MALDI-TOF-MS identified 48 proteins with significant changes (fold change >|1.5|; p < 0.05) in expression levels at the different stages of malignant progression. 42 of these followed three major stepwise but not linear expression patterns. 13 proteins showed the adenoma pattern characterized by a change in protein expression levels during progression from normal gland to adenomas which persisted on the same level at the subsequent stages of malignancy. Nine proteins followed the carcinoma pattern with an up- or down-regulation between adenomas and carcinomas. The majority of 20 proteins followed the metastasis pattern with a significant change of protein expression levels between non-metastatic and metastatic carcinomas. The present study therefore shows that differences in malignancy are associated with a stepwise but not linear change in protein expression levels what does not finally confirm or disapprove the existence of a malignant progression in canine mammary tumors. In addition, the acquisition of metastatic potential seems to be associated with the strongest changes in protein expression levels.

The fast, high yield synthesis and full characterization of Na[B(hfip)(4)](hfip: OC(H)(CF(3))(2)) from NaBH(4) and hexafluoroisopropanol (hfipH) is presented. By anion metathesis, five [B(hfip)(4)](-) salts with classical/functionalized ionic liquid (IL) cations with melting points between 0 ([C(6)MIM](+)[B(hfip)(4)](-)) and 113 °C ([C(4)MMorph](+)[B(hfip)(4)](-)) were prepared. Four of these qualify as ILs and one as room temperature IL (RTIL). The properties of the borate anion [B(hfip)(4)](-) and its aluminum analogue [Al(hfip)(4)](-) were compared based on the available structural information from XRD. Viscosities (10.3 (90 °C) to 855 (0 °C) mPa s(-1)) and conductivities (0.603 (30 °C) to 4.844 (90 °C) mS cm(-1)) were measured between 0 and 90 °C, and described by the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equations. The properties of the [B(hfip)(4)](-) ILs were analyzed in the context of the anion-dependent molecular volume V(m)-viscosity-/conductivity-correlations, also in comparison to ILs with [BF(4)](-)/[PF(6)](-),[N(CN)(2)](-),[Tf(2)N](-) and [Al(hfip)(4)](-) counterions. The viscosities and conductivities of [B(hfip)(4)](-) ILs are slightly inferior to [Al(hfip)(4)](-) ILs, similar to/better than all other anions given above. According to the Walden plots, the ionicity of the [B(hfip)(4)](-) ILs may at least be classified as "good". By sharp contrast to the [Al(hfip)(4)](-) ILs, the [B(hfip)(4)](-) ILs have good stability against humidity/water. Thus, handling of [B(hfip)(4)](-) ILs in an open laboratory atmosphere over hours and days is allowed and further facilitates the use of this new IL class.

Recent systematic reviews on psychological therapies of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) did not consider hypnosis/guided imagery (H/GI). Therefore we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of the efficacy of H/GI in FMS. We screened http://ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SCOPUS (through December 2010).(Quasi-) randomized controlled trials (CTs) comparing H/GI with controls were analyzed. Outcomes were pain, sleep, fatigue, depressed mood and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Effects were summarized using standardized mean differences (SMD). Six CTs with 239 subjects with a median of 9 (range 7-12) H/GI-sessions were analysed. The median number of patients in the H/GI groups was 20 (range 8-26). Three studies performed follow-ups. H/GI reduced pain compared to controls at final treatment (SMD -1.17 [95% CI -2.21,-0.13]; p = 0.03). H/GI did not reduce limitations of HRQOL at final treatment (SMD -0.90 [95% CI -2.55, 0.76]; p = 0.29) compared to controls. Effect sizes on fatigue, sleep and depressed mood at final treatment and follow-up and on pain and HRQOL at follow-up were not calculated because of limited data available. The significant effect on pain at final treatment was associated with low methodological and low treatment quality. Further studies with better treatment quality and adequate methodological quality assessing all key domains of FMS are necessary to clarify the efficacy of H/GI in FMS.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Shilajit is a multi-component natural occurring mineral substance used in Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine which originated in India. Its source can be traced to the mountainous regions, where the hilly tribes first identified its beneficial use. Shilajit is aptly referred to as 'rasayana'/'rasayanam' in Ayurveda and Siddha literature which means rejuvenator because it prevents ailment and enhances the quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS An attempt has been put forth to review shilajit pertaining to its origin, synonyms, varieties, physical properties, chemical constituents, therapeutic properties and important biological properties to affirm its rasayana property. All relevant information on shilajit was collected from classical texts including pharmacopoeias, formularies, etc. Moreover, select doctoral thesis from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar were also scanned. Published papers on shilajit were collected from important databases for biomedical sciences. Amongst, the various biological properties of shilajit, antioxidant activity and immuno-modulatory activity were focused as it is closely related to its rasayana potential. RESULTS This review finds that shilajit is used in twenty Sastric formulations and twenty-four proprietary drugs for extraneous indications. Even-though, there is a long history of use of shilajit in traditional Indian materia medica, shilajit unfortunately lacks scientific evaluation and systematic documentation. In vivo antioxidant activity of shilajit has been studied at an irrelevant dose and without using a positive control. The immuno-modulatory activity does not stand the test of critical assessment and currently may be considered as unproven. CONCLUSION Based on the earlier studies, the bioactivity of shilajit lacks substantial evidence. Nevertheless, further studies are imperative to overcome the lacuna in establishing the antioxidant property of shilajit and more specific assays are needed to vouch shilajit as an immuno-modulator which may be of use to establish its rasayana potential.

Insulin receptor (INSR) or insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling is speculated to be involved in mammary tumour development. Expression levels of members of the insulin receptor family (INSR, IGF1R, IGF2R, GHR) and their ligands IGF1and IGF2 were quantified in macro- and microdissected tissue samples of normal canine mammary gland, adenomas, carcinomas and their lymph node metastases to evaluate their potential impact on the carcinogenesis of canine mammary tumours. Normal mammary gland and adenomas had strong INSR expression, while carcinomas and metastases had significantly decreased expression. No differences were observed for IGF1R expression. IGF1, IGF2 and GHR mRNA expressions were strongly decreased in adenomas, carcinomas and metastases. INSR and IGF1R are therefore expressed in normal gland and adenomas and an increased stimulus by their ligands may be a proliferative stimulus in those tissues. However, decreased INSR expression carcinomas and their metastases render questionable its impact at late stages of carcinogenesis.

Mammary tumors are a major health threat to women and female dogs. In both, metastasis of the primary tumor to distant organs is the most common cause of tumor-related death. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of tumor metastasis are far from being understood, and it is still unknown why some human and canine carcinomas metastasize and others do not. Using 2D-DIGE and MALDI-TOF-MS we identified 21 proteins with significant changes (fold change >1.5; p < 0.05) in protein expression between metastasizing (n = 6) and nonmetastasizing (n = 6) canine mammary carcinomas. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to identify transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of protein expression. Up-regulated proteins in metastatic carcinomas included proliferating cell nuclear antigen, ferritin light chain, bomapin, tropomyosin 3, thioredoxin-containing domain C5, adenosin, ornithine aminotransferase, coronin 1A, RAN-binding protein 1,3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, and eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1. Down-regulated proteins in metastatic carcinomas included calretinin, myosin, light chain 2, peroxiredoxin 6, maspin, ibrinogen beta chain, vinculin, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1, tropomyosin 1, annexin A5, and Rho GTPase activating protein 1. Interestingly, 19 of these 21 proteins have been described with a malignancy-associated expression in human breast cancer and other human cancer types before. Further investigations are now necessary to test whether these markers are of prognostic value for canine mammary carcinomas and whether their expression is directly involved in canine mammary carcinogenesis or represent solely a secondary reactive phenotype.