Consistency of strength curves for determining maximal effort production during isokinetic knee testing of anterior cruciate ligament-deficient patients

The purpose of this investigation was to attempt to establish decision rules for determining maximal effort production during isokinetic strength testing of unilateral anterior cruciate ligament-deficient patients based on the degree of strength curve consistency within a set. Thirty-three participants performed six bilateral knee extension and flexion exertions at maximal effort and at 80% of perceived maximum at testing velocities of 60 and 180°s^–1. Within-set consistency was quantified by computation of the variance ratio across strength curves. Tolerance interval-based cutoff scores covering 99% of the population were calculated for declaring efforts as being maximal or not at confidence levels of 90%, 95%, and 99%. The sensitivity percentages attained for the injured knee for both testing velocities ranged between 9.1% and 27.2%, while specificity percentages ranged between 84.8% and 100%. For the non-injured knee, sensitivity values for both testing velocities ranged between 21.2% and 45.0%, while specificity percentages ranged between 97.0% and 100%. The developed decision rules do not effectively discriminate on an individual patient basis between maximal and non-maximal isokinetic knee musculature efforts. Further research is needed for development of methods that would enable to ascertain maximal effort production in this patient population during knee muscle strength testing.     

四维盆底超声对温针灸联合盆底肌锻炼治疗SUI的疗效评估

目的：通过四维盆底超声观察温针灸联合盆底肌锻炼治疗女性压力尿失禁（SUI）的疗效及优势。方法：筛选70例符合条件的SUI患者，随机分成对照组35例，试验组35例。对照组采用单纯盆底肌锻炼，试验组采用温针灸联合盆底肌锻炼。一月后行疗效评估及经会阴四维盆底超声检查，四维成像得到完整的肛提肌裂孔图像。分别测量治疗前后两组被试静息和Valsava状态下肛提肌厚度(MLT)、肛提肌裂孔左右径（LHW）和面积（LHA）、膀胱颈移动度（BLM），并记录，采用独立样本t检验（P<0.05）。结果：两组被试治疗后临床症状均改善，试验组为著，静息和Valsava状态下MLT增厚、LHW、LHA和BLM减小，试验组更显著，具有统计学差异（P<0.05），LHW差异明显（P<0.01）。结论：温针灸联合盆底肌锻炼更有效提高单纯盆底锻炼治疗SUI的疗效，LHW变化最显著。     

Flight and Seizure Motor Patterns in Drosophila Mutants: Simultaneous Acoustic and Electrophysiological Recordings of Wing Beats and Flight Muscle Activity

Tethered flies allow studies of biomechanics and electrophysiology of flight control. We performed microelectrode recordings of spikes in an indirect flight muscle (the dorsal longitudinal muscle, DLMa) coupled with acoustic analysis of wing beat frequency (WBF) via microphone signals. Simultaneous electrophysiological recording of direct and indirect flight muscles has been technically challenging; however, the WBF is thought to reflect in a one-to-one relationship with spiking activity in a subset of direct flight muscles, including muscle m1b. Therefore, our approach enables systematic mutational analysis for changes in temporal features of electrical activity of motor neurons innervating subsets of direct and indirect flight muscles. Here, we report the consequences of specific ion channel disruptions on the spiking activity of myogenic DLMs (firing at ～5 Hz) and the corresponding WBF (～200 Hz). We examined mutants of the genes enconding: 1) voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels (cacophony, cac), 2) Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels (slowpoke, slo), and 3) voltage-gated K⁺ channels (Shaker, Sh) and their auxiliary subunits (Hyperkinetic, Hk and quiver, qvr). We found flight initiation in response to an air puff was severely disrupted in both cac and slo mutants. However, once initiated, slo flight was largely unaltered, whereas cac displayed disrupted DLM firing rates and WBF. Sh, Hk, and qvr mutants were able to maintain normal DLM firing rates, despite increased WBF. Notably, defects in the auxiliary subunits encoded by Hk and qvr could lead to distinct consequences, that is, disrupted DLM firing rhythmicity, not observed in Sh. Our mutant analysis of direct and indirect flight muscle activities indicates that the two motor activity patterns may be independently modified by specific ion channel mutations, and that this approach can be extended to other dipteran species and additional motor programs, such as electroconvulsive stimulation-induced seizures.     

Proteomics-based identification of novel proteins in temporal tendons of patients with masticatory muscle tendon–aponeurosis hyperplasia

Masticatory muscle tendon–aponeurosis hyperplasia (MMTAH) is a new disease associated with limited mouth opening that is often misdiagnosed as a temporomandibular disorder; subsequently, patients are mistakenly treated with irreversible operations. Due to the poor presentation and characterization of symptoms, the underlying pathological conditions remain unclear. We have previously conducted a proteomic analysis of tendons derived from one MMTAH subject and one facial deformity subject using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. However, the results were obtained for only one subject. The aim of the present study was to confirm the expression of specific molecules in tendon tissues from multiple subjects with MMTAH by applying two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Of the 19 proteins identified in tendons from both MMTAH and facial deformity patients, fibrinogen fragment D and beta-crystallin A4 were up-regulated, whereas myosin light chain 4 was down-regulated in MMTAH. We also found fibrinogen to be expressed robustly in tendon tissues of MMTAH patients. Our data provide the possibility that the distinctive expression of these novel proteins is associated with the pathology of MMTAH.     

Electromyographic evaluation of synergist muscles of the pelvic floor muscle depending on the pelvis setting in menopausal women: A prospective observational study

BackgroundPelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is recommended to increase their strength and endurance. Muscles which act synergistically with PFM are taken into consideration in the therapeutic management of weakened PFM.Research questionhow does electromyography activity of the synergists muscle to PFM change concerning pelvis position and does the greater bioelectric activity of synergist muscles affect PFM function?MethodsA prospective, observational study evaluating the surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of selected synergist muscles of the PFM depending on the orientation of the pelvis. One hundred thirty-one menopausal women registered for the study were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria, and by the results, eighty-two participants were enrolled for measurements. The comparisons of results between the values obtained in different positions of the pelvis (anterior pelvic tilt – P1, posterior pelvic tilt – P2 and neutral pelvic tilt – P3) were performed using Kruskal–Wallis test. A multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess relationships between the bioelectrical activity of PFM and activity of all tested muscles – rectus abdominis (RA), gluteus maximus (GM), and adductor magnus (AM).ResultsHigher RA, GM, AM bioelectrical activity was observed in the P2 as compared to P3 (during resting and functional PFM activity)(p < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression did not find the association between the bioelectrical activity of PFM and the activity of all synergist muscles in each position.SignificancesEMG activity of selected muscles acting synergistically with PFM differ depending on the pelvis position and is the highest in the posterior pelvic tilt. Greater activity of the synergists, resulting from the pelvic position, does not affect the myoelectric activity of PFM. It seems that muscles that act synergistically with PFM may not play such a significant role in the therapeutic management of PFM.     

Pentoxifylline protects against loss of function and renal interstitial fibrosis in chronic experimental partial ureteral obstruction

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease resulting from diverse etiologies and predicts severity and progression of the kidney disease. To investigate the pathogenesis of TIF, complete unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is the most widely used animal model. However, UUO precludes evaluation of renal function. In the present study, we created a rat model of chronic partial ureteral obstruction (PUO), which allowed assessment of renal function at different intervals after obstruction. We examined the effects of pentoxifylline (PTF), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor used clinically to treat peripheral artery disease, on renal function and TIF. Studies were performed in sham-PUO rats and rats with 14-day PUO or 30-day PUO receiving vehicle in drinking water or PTF (400?mg/liter in drinking water). At day-14 PUO, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was markedly and similarly depressed in rats receiving vehicle or PTF as compared with sham-operated rats. However, at day-30 PUO, GFR in rats receiving PTF was significantly higher than that in rats receiving vehicle, approaching the level seen in the sham-operated rats. At day-30 PUO, histologic studies also revealed a marked reduction of TIF in rats treated with PTF as compared with the rats receiving vehicle in drinking water. Western blot analysis demonstrated that at day-30 the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (an indicator of renal fibrosis) in the medulla was significantly reduced in PUO rats treated with PTF. In conclusion, PTF treatment ameliorated renal fibrosis and helped preserve renal function in a rodent model of PUO.     

应用剥离弓状缘眼轮匝肌整复伴有泪槽和睑颊沟的眼袋疗效观察

目的 探讨剥离弓状缘眼轮匝肌手术整复伴有泪槽和睑颊沟的眼袋临床效果.方法 对80例伴有泪槽和睑颊沟的眼袋患者,按照手术方法不同分为A组与B组各40例,分别进行剥离弓状缘眼轮匝肌手术与真性眶内脂肪过多去脂手术,进行整复治疗,对比分析两组患者的手术后整复满意度以及回访复发率.结果 治疗后,A组满意37例（92.5％）,基本满意3例（7.5％）,不满意0例（0.0％）;B组满意28例（62.5％）,基本满意9例（22.5％）,不满意3例（15.0％）,两组临床疗效差异有统计学意义（Z=18.481,P＜0.01）.随访：A组出现复发1例（2.5％）,B组2年后出现复发7例（17.5％）,两组术后复发率差异有统计学意义（Z=7.314,P＜0.05）.结论 采用剥离弓状缘眼轮匝肌手术法整复伴有泪槽和睑颊沟的眼袋,术后整复满意度高,复发率低,值得临床上进一步推广应用.