The parameters of gait analysis related to ambulatory and balance functions in hemiplegic stroke patients: a gait analysis study

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader The parameters of gait analysis related to ambulatory and balance functions in hemiplegic stroke patients: a gait analysis study Via Latest Results for BMC Neurology Abstract Background Ambulatory and balance functions are important for maintaining general health in humans. Gait analysis allows clinicians and researchers to identify the parameters to be focused on when assessing balance and ambulatory functions. In this study, we performed gait analysis with pressure sensors to identify the gait-analysis parameters related to balance and ambulatory functions in hemiplegic stroke patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 102 patients with hemiplegic stroke who underwent gait analysis. Correlations between various temporospatial parameters in the gait analysis and the motor and balance functions assessed using functional ambulation category, modified Barthel index, and Berg balance scale were analyzed. Results Gait speed/height and the lower-limb stance-phase time/height were the only temporal and spatial parameters, respectively, that showed a statistical correlation with motor and balance functions. Conclusions Measurements of walking speed and stance-phase time of the unaffected lower limb can allow clinicians to easily assess the ambulatory and balance functions of hemiplegic stroke patients. Rehabilitative treatment focusing on increasing gait speed and shortening the stance-phase time of the unaffected side may improve the ambulatory and balance functions in these patients. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Self-efficacy beliefs mediate the association between pain intensity and pain interference in acute/subacute whiplash-associated disorders

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Self-efficacy beliefs mediate the association between pain intensity and pain interference in acute/subacute whiplash-associated disorders Via Latest Results for European Spine Journal Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether a set of pre-accident demographic, accident-related, post-accident treatment and psychosocial factors assessed in people with acute/subacute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) mediate the association between pain intensity and: (1) pain interference and (2) expectations of recovery, using Bayesian networks (BNs) analyses. This study also explored the potential mediating pathways (if any) between different psychosocial factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of 173 participants with acute/subacute WAD. Pain intensity, pain interference, pessimism, expectations of recovery, pain catastrophizing, and self-efficacy beliefs were assessed. BN analyses were conducted to analyse the mediating effects of psychological factors on the association between pain intensity and pain-related outcomes. Results The results revealed that self-efficacy beliefs partially mediated the association between pain intensity and pain interference. Kinesiophobia partially mediated the association between self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing. Psychological factors did not mediate the association between pain intensity and expectations of recovery. Conclusion These results indicate that individuals with acute/subacute WAD may present with lesser pain interference associated with a determined pain intensity value when they show greater self-efficacy beliefs. As the cross-sectional nature of this study limits firm conclusions on the causal impact, researchers are encouraged to investigate the role that patient's self-efficacy beliefs play in the transition to chronic WAD via longitudinal study designs. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Cancer cell-intrinsic STING is associated with CD8 + T-cell infiltration and might serve as a potential immunotherapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Cancer cell-intrinsic STING is associated with CD8 + T-cell infiltration and might serve as a potential immunotherapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma Via Latest Results for Clinical and Translational Oncology Abstract Purpose The activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway triggers the antitumor immunity by CD8 + T cells. However, the differentiated antitumor effects of STING activation in different cell types is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the expression and potential prognostic value of cancer cell-intrinsic STING in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and whether STING could be a potential immunotherapeutic target of HCC was then evaluated. Methods We separately assessed the expression of STING in cancer cells and infiltrating immune cells in HCC tissues. The independent clinicopathological factors associated with survival outcomes were evaluated by the multivariable analysis. The HCC orthotopic mice model were used to confirm the immunotherapeutic effects of STING agonists, and CD8 + T-cell infiltration level was analyzed through immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Results The expression of cancer cell-intrinsic STING was significantly reduced in HCC compared with adjacent tissues. Patients with low levels of cancer cell-intrinsic STING expression was associated with increased tumor volume (P = 0.009), higher serum AFP levels (P = 0.028), and decreased CD8 + T-cell infiltration (P = 0.002). Low levels of cancer cell-intrinsic STING expression indicated a poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that low levels of cancer cell-intrinsic STING expression was an independent prognostic factor. Additionally, cancer cell-intrinsic STING expression was positively related with CD8 + T-cell infiltration levels in HCC patients (r = 0.308; P = 0.001). When mice with orthotopic HCC tumors treated with STING agonists, tumor growth was significantly reduced with enhanced levels of CD8 + T-cell infiltration. Conclusion Cancer cell-intrinsic STING might affect HCC tumor progression through enhancing CD8 + T-cell infiltration and can be an immunotherapeutic target for HCC. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Effects of a high-volume static stretching programme on plantar-flexor muscle strength and architecture

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of a high-volume static stretching programme on plantar-flexor muscle strength and architecture Via Latest Results for European Journal of Applied Physiology Abstract Purpose Static stretching (SS) is performed in various settings, but there is no consensus about the effects of SS programmes on changes in muscle morphofunction. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a high-volume SS programme on muscle strength and architecture. Methods Sixteen healthy young male adults participated, and the dominant leg was defined as the intervention side, with the non-dominant leg as the control side. Stretching exercises were performed two times per week (6 sets of 5 min, totally 30 min per session,) for 5-week using a stretching board under the supervision of the research team. Before and after SS intervention programme, plantar-flexor strength (maximum voluntary isometric contraction, MVC-ISO; maximum voluntary concentric contraction, MVC-CON) and architecture (muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length) were measured via dynamometer and ultrasound, respectively. Results Following the SS-training programme, significant increases were observed for stretching side in MVIC-ISO at neutral ankle position (p = 0.02, d = 0.31, Δ = 6.4 ± 9.9%) and MVC-CON at 120°/s (p = 0.02, d = 0.30, Δ = 7.8 ± 9.1%), with no significant change on the control side. There was no significant change in any measure of muscle architecture for both intervention and control sides. Conclusion Five-week high-volume SS induced positive changes on some measures of muscle strength but not hypertrophy of plantar-flexor muscles. Even with a volume much greater than already tested, the low strain offered by the SS per set seems be insufficient to induce architectural changes on skeletal muscle. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Deep venous thrombosis and abortion: an unusual clinical manifestation of severe form of pectus excavatum

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Deep venous thrombosis and abortion: an unusual clinical manifestation of severe form of pectus excavatum Via Latest Results for General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Abstract Pectus excavatum is a chest wall malformation with a strong psychological and aesthetic impact. Rarely, pectus excavatum patients can show respiratory or cardiac symptoms occurring mainly during physical exertion. We report a case of a 34-year-old pregnant woman with a severe degree of pectus excavatum who developed serious cardiovascular disease resulting in spontaneous twin abortion at the twenty-first week of gestation. Cardiovascular disease was resolved after open surgical correction of pectus excavatum. This case shows how a tardive diagnosis and a delayed surgical approach for pectus excavatum can lead to severe consequences. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Simultaneous Examination of Eosinophil Infiltration in Esophageal Mucosa and Muscle in Patients with Achalasia: Direct Biopsy of the Esophageal Muscle at Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Simultaneous Examination of Eosinophil Infiltration in Esophageal Mucosa and Muscle in Patients with Achalasia: Direct Biopsy of the Esophageal Muscle at Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy Via Latest Results for Digestive Diseases and Sciences Abstract Background The relationship between eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and achalasia is not completely understood. There have been reports of eosinophilic infiltration of all esophageal layers in patients with achalasia. However, a routine endoscopic biopsy of the muscular layer is usually not feasible. We evaluate the safety and efficacy of muscle layer biopsy during per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) as well as the prevalence of eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa and muscular layer in patients with achalasia. Patients and Methods All enrolled patients had diagnosed achalasia and had simultaneous biopsies of the muscular layer at the middle esophagus and distal esophageal sphincter as well as the mucosal layer of the proximal and distal esophagus during POEM. All POEM procedures took place from August 2018 to December 2018 or September 2019 to November 2019. Various demographic, disease-related, and procedure-related data were collected from chart review. Eosinophilic infiltration in the biopsy specimen was examined. Key Results Twenty consecutive patients (65% female, age range: 21–84) with a pre-procedure Eckardt score of >6 were enrolled during the study period, with the duration of their achalasia ranging from 1 to 32 years. Eighteen patients had clinical symptomatic improvement after POEM, as defined by an Eckardt score <3. Endoscopic examination did not reveal any signs of eosinophilic esophagitis. Pathologic examination of biopsies revealed eosinophilic infiltration in three of 20 patients (15%) in the distal esophageal mucosa (all <15 eosinophils/HPF) and none in the proximal esophageal mucosa. There was no eosinophilic infiltration in the distal esophageal sphincter and the middle esophageal muscle. No complication was noted due to muscle biopsy. Conclusions and Inferences Submucosal tunneling during POEM provides a safe access for direct esophageal muscle biopsy. This is the first report of the simultaneous biopsy of the esophageal mucosa and muscle in patients with achalasia. Contrary to all previously published studies, the association of esophageal eosinophilic infiltration and achalasia was not observed in this small sample study. Based on our findings, immune or autoimmune reaction rather than direct eosinophilic infiltration in the muscle is more likely the cause of achalasia. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Sleep Patterns of Aging Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Sleep Patterns of Aging Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) Via Latest Results for International Journal of Primatology Abstract Diurnal primates spend around half of their lifetime sleeping or inactive. These nocturnal behaviors are considerably understudied compared to daytime activities. While it is well established that sleep quality diminishes with age in humans, little is known about the effects of advanced age on sleep in our closest primate relatives. We aimed to describe captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) sleep patterns and examine whether individual sleep quality changed over an 11-yr period. We recorded the individual night rooms of 12 chimpanzees for six nights using infrared video cameras and analyzed 72 nights (936 h) of video. To evaluate long-term changes, we compared our data from 2018–2019 with previously published data from 2007–2008 on the same individuals living under the same conditions. We used complete inactivity and a head-down, lying posture as a proxy measurement for sleep. Each night individuals slept a mean of 10.5 (± SD 1.8) h and woke up 15.1 (± 3.6) times. The mean duration of sleep bouts was 45.4 (± 16.8) and the mean duration of awake bouts was 10.2 (± 8.2) min. We found that as chimpanzees aged they experienced significantly more frequent awakenings and shorter sleep bouts (i.e., more fragmented sleep), but nightly sleep duration and the length of awake bouts did not differ significantly between the two study periods. Our results suggest that chimpanzees experience some changes in sleep with age similar to those in humans and other animals. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Sulodexide for Diabetic-Induced Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Sulodexide for Diabetic-Induced Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Via Latest Results for Advances in T... Abstract Introduction Micro- and macrovascular complications of diabetes are leading morbidities in the world population. They are responsible not only for increased mortality but also severe disabilities, which jeopardize quality of life (e.g., blindness, walking limitations, and renal failure requiring dialysis). The new antidiabetic agents (e.g., glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and sodium–glucose cotransporter inhibitors) are increasingly recognized as breakthrough agents in the treatment of diabetes and prevention of diabetic complications. However, drugs effective in preventing and treating diabetic disabilities are still needed and sulodexide could be one of those able to address the unmet clinical needs of the new antidiabetic agents. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal. We also manually searched potentially relevant journals, conference proceedings, and journal supplements. Any study monitoring any effect of sulodexide in subjects with diabetes, in relation to renal, vascular, and ocular complication, was considered. Treatment effects were estimated using standardized mean differences (SMDs), mean differences (MDs), and risk ratios (RRs), as appropriate. We calculated 95% confidence interval (CIs) and heterogeneity (Q, tau, and I2). Results The search found 45 studies with 2817 participants (mean age 57 years; 63% male). The 26 randomized controlled studies included 2074 participants (mean age 58.8 years; 66% male). Sulodexide reduced the impact of diabetic retinopathy; increased the pain-free and maximal walking distance in peripheral arterial disease; accelerated the healing of diabetes-associated trophic ulcers; and decreased the rate of albumin excretion in subjects with nephropathy. The risk of adverse events (AEs) was not different between sulodexide and controls. Conclusion Sulodexide has a beneficial effect on the ocular, peripheral arterial disease, trophic ulcers, and renal complications of diabetes without increasing the risk of AEs. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Functional properties of insect olfactory receptors: ionotropic receptors and odorant receptors

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Functional properties of insect olfactory receptors: ionotropic receptors and odorant receptors Via Latest Results for Cell and Tissue Research Abstract The majority of insect olfactory receptors belong to two distinct protein families, the ionotropic receptors (IRs), which are related to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family, and the odorant receptors (ORs), which evolved from the gustatory receptor family. Both receptor types assemble to heteromeric ligand-gated cation channels composed of odor-specific receptor proteins and co-receptor proteins. We here present in short the current view on evolution, function, and regulation of IRs and ORs. Special attention is given on how their functional properties can meet the environmental and ecological challenges an insect has to face. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Identification of CXCL11 as part of chemokine network controlling skeletal muscle development

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Identification of CXCL11 as part of chemokine network controlling skeletal muscle development Via Latest Results for Cell and Tissue Research Abstract The chemokine, CXCL12, and its receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR7, play pivotal roles during development and maintenance of limb muscles. CXCR7 additionally binds CXCL11, which uses CXCR3 as its prime receptor. Based on this cross-talk, we investigate whether CXCL11 would likewise affect development and/or function of skeletal muscles. Western blotting and immunolabelling demonstrated the developmentally restricted expression of CXCL11 in rat limb muscles, which was contrasted by the continuous expression of its receptors in proliferating and differentiating C2C12 cells as well as in late embryonic to adult rat limb muscle fibres. Consistent with a prime role in muscle formation, functional studies identified CXCL11 as a potent chemoattractant for undifferentiated C2C12 cells and further showed that CXCL11 does neither affect myoblast proliferation and differentiation nor metabolic/catabolic pathways in formed myotubes. The use of selective receptor antagonists unravelle d complementary effects of CXCL11 and CXCL12 on C2C12 cell migration, which either require CXCR3/CXCR7 or CXCR4, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into the chemokine network controlling skeletal muscle development and function and, thus, might provide a base for future therapies of muscular diseases. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Aloin antagonizes stimulated ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage and inflammatory response in cardiomyocytes by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 defense pathway

xlomafota.13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Aloin antagonizes stimulated ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage and inflammatory response in cardiomyocytes by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 defense pathway Via Latest Results for Cell and Tissue Research Abstract Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI) frequently incurs in acute myocardial infarction with high morbidity and mortality worldwide and is characterized with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response. Aloin is a major anthraquinone from Aloe species and fulfills pleiotropic protective functions in several disease models including hepatic injury. Nevertheless, the potential of aloin in MI/RI remains elusive. Intriguingly, aloin had modest cytotoxicity in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Importantly, aloin dose-dependently ameliorated cell viability that was inhibited in response to simulated ischemia/reperfusion (SI/R) stimulation. Moreover, the enhanced apoptosis in cells under SI/R conditions were reduced after aloin treatment, concomitant with the decrease in pro-apoptotic Bax protein levels and increase in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression. Of interest, aloin administration attenuated SI/R-induced oxidant stress by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) release and increasing activity of anti-oxidant stress enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Additionally, the elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were counteracted after aloin treatment in cells under SI/R conditions, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Mechanically, aloin further enforced the activation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling. Noticeably, blockage of this pathway by si-Nrf2 transfection blunted aloin-mediated cardioprotective efficacy against SI/R-evoked oxidative stress injury and inflammatory response. Thus, these findings corroborate that aloin may antagonize SI/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury by attenuating excessive oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby endorsing its potential as a promising therapeutic agent against myocardial infarction. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.