The Relationships Between Skeletal Muscle Index and Bone Variables in a Group of Young Adults

International audienceThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and bone variables in a group of young adults. Three hundred and thirty-five young adults (129 men and 206 women) whose ages ranged from 18 to 35 yr voluntarily participated in this study. Weight and height were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Body composition, bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), geometric indices of hip bone strength and trabecular bone score (TBS) were determined for each individual by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Appendicular skeletal mass (ASM, in kg) was calculated by summing the muscle masses of the 4 limbs, assuming that all nonfat and nonebone mass is skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was defined as ASM/height². In young men, SMI was positively correlated to WB BMC (r = 0.63; p < 0.001), WB BMD (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), L1-L4 BMC (r = 0.33; p < 0.001), L1-L4 BMD (r = 0.30; p < 0.001), L1-L4 TBS (r = 0.26; p < 0.01), TH BMC (r = 0.61; p < 0.001), TH BMD (r = 0.46; p < 0.001), FN BMC (r = 0.51; p < 0.001), FN BMD (r = 0.46; p < 0.001), FN cross-sectional area (CSA) (r = 0.56; p < 0.001), FN cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI) (r = 0.52; p < 0.001) and FN section modulus (Z) (r = 0.54; p < 0.001) but negatively correlated to FN strength index (SI) (r = -0.24; p < 0.01). In young women, SMI was positively correlated to WB BMC (r = 0.61; p < 0.001), WB BMD (r = 0.60; p < 0.001), L1-L4 BMC (r = 0.35; p < 0.001), L1-L4 BMD (r = 0.33; p < 0.001), L1-L4 TBS (r = 0.29; p < 0.001), TH BMC (r = 0.61; p < 0.001), TH BMD (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), FN BMC (r = 0.45; p < 0.001), FN BMD (r = 0.49; p < 0.001), FN CSA (r = 0.60; p < 0.001), FN CSMI (r = 0.52; p < 0.001), and FN Z (r = 0.40; p < 0.001) but negatively correlated to FN SI (r = -0.20; p < 0.01). The current study suggests that SMI is a positive determinant of bone mineral density and geometric indices of hip bone strength in young adults

Exploration of bivalent ligands targeting putative mu opioid receptor and chemokine receptor CCR5 dimerization

Modern antiretroviral therapies have provided HIV-1 infected patients longer lifespans and better quality of life. However, several neurological complications are now being seen in these patients due to HIV-1 associated injury of neurons by infected microglia and astrocytes. In addition, these effects can be further exacerbated with opiate use and abuse. One possible mechanism for such potentiation effects of opiates is the interaction of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) with the chemokine receptor CCR5 (CCR5), a known HIV-1 co-receptor, to form MOR-CCR5 heterodimer. In an attempt to understand this putative interaction and its relevance to neuroAIDS, we designed and synthesized a series of bivalent ligands targeting the putative CCR5-MOR heterodimer. To understand how these bivalent ligands may interact with the heterodimer, biological studies including calcium mobilization inhibition, binding affinity, HIV-1 invasion, and cell fusion assays were applied. In particular, HIV-1 infection assays using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, macrophages, and astrocytes revealed a notable synergy in activity for one particular bivalent ligand. Further, a molecular model of the putative CCR5-MOR heterodimer was constructed, docked with the bivalent ligand, and molecular dynamics simulations of the complex was performed in a membrane-water system to help understand the biological observation

Carbon Monoliths with Hierarchical Porous Structure for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Carbon monoliths were tested as electrodes for vanadium redox batteries. The materials were synthesised by a hard-templating route, employing sucrose as carbon precursor and sodium chloride crystals as the hard template. For the preparation process, both sucrose and sodium chloride were ball-milled together and molten into a paste which was hot-pressed to achieve polycondensation of sucrose into a hard monolith. The resultant material was pyrolysed in nitrogen at 750 &#9702;C, and then washed to remove the salt by dissolving it in water. Once the porosity was opened, a second pyrolysis step at 900 &#9702;C was performed for the complete conversion of the materials into carbon. The products were next characterised in terms of textural properties and composition. Changes in porosity, obtained by varying the proportions of sucrose to sodium chloride in the initial mixture, were correlated with the electrochemical performances of the samples, and a good agreement between capacitive response and microporosity was indeed observed highlighted by an increase in the cyclic voltammetry curve area when the SBET increased. In contrast, the reversibility of vanadium redox reactions measured as a function of the difference between reduction and oxidation potentials was correlated with the accessibility of the active vanadium species to the carbon surface, i.e., was correlated with the macroporosity. The latter was a critical parameter for understanding the differences of energy and voltage efficiencies among the materials, those with larger macropore volumes having the higher efficiencies.This work was supported by ICEEL and Region Grand Est and J.F.V.-V. was hired with these fundings. This work was partly supported by a grant overseen by the French National Research Agency (Pc2TES ANR-16-CE06-0012-01), and the authors involved in it (AC, BK and VF) acknowledge the support of the project's coordinator, Mrs Fouzia Achchaq. This study was partly supported by TALiSMAN project (2019-000214), funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

N-butyl cyanoacrylate embolotherapy: techniques, complications, and management

The purpose of this article is to describe acute complications associated with adhesive cyanoacrylate deposition in the peripheral circulation and their management. Despite best efforts, n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue embolization is inherently unpredictable and complications do occur. An understanding of preparation techniques that minimize adverse event rates and the technical skillset required to manage complications are necessary for the safe and efficient use of liquid embolic agents

Effects of Exercise Training on Bone Health Parameters in Individuals With Obesity:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International audienceBackground: Osteoporosis causes bone fragility, increasing the risk of fractures. Evidence suggests a strong correlation between obesity and fracture risk. Physical training is known to enhance bone resistance and protect from fracture; however, its osteogenic effect in the presence of obesity remains unknown.and nbsp;Objective: We sought to evaluate the influence of exercise training on bone health indices in individuals with obesity.and nbsp;Methods: This systematic literature search was conducted using common electronic databases from inception - December 2019. The following key terms (and synonyms searched for by the MeSH database) were included and combined using the operators &quot;AND, &quot; &quot;OR, &quot; &quot;NOT &quot;: [( &quot;body mass index &quot; OR obesity OR obese OR overweight OR fat mass) AND ( &quot;bone mineral density &quot; OR &quot;bone mineral content &quot; OR &quot;peak bone mass &quot; OR &quot;mechanical loading &quot; OR &quot;Osteoporosis &quot; OR &quot;bone geometry &quot; OR &quot;bone resistance &quot;) AND ( &quot;exercise training &quot; OR &quot;physical training &quot; OR &quot;strength training, &quot; OR &quot;resistance training &quot; OR &quot;aerobic training &quot; OR &quot;combined training &quot;)].and nbsp;Results: After screening, 10 studies (889 initial records) were included in the final analysis (8 different countries, 263 participants). Two studies investigated males, six females, and two, both sexes. The training duration was at least eight weeks with 2-3 sessions/week. Physical training displayed a significant trivial impact on the whole body (WB) BMD (0.13 SMD; 95% CI [0.00, 0.26], p = 0.046). Subgroup analyses indicated a significant small increase in the WB BMD (0.27 SMD; 95% CI [0.00, 0.53], p = 0.048) in the endurance training group, a non-significant trivial increase in the WB BMD (0.11 SMD; 95% CI [-0.06, 0.29], p = 0.203) in the resistance group, and a non-significant trivial increase in the WB BMD (0.03 SMD; 95% CI [-0.26, 0.32], p = 0.86) in the combined training group. In addition, a significant small decrease was found in the weight of trained subjects (-0.24 SMD; 95% CI [-0.42, -0.05], p = 0.011).and nbsp;Conclusion: Physical training has little to no effect on the WB BMD in subjects with overweight/obesity. Currently, insufficient evidence to advocate for any specific type of exercise for enhancing bone health exists for overweight/obese individuals. Investigations examining the impact of varying types of physical exercise on WB BMD of obese individuals are needed

Percutaneous transgastrostomic interventional radiology-operated endoscopy facilitates foreign body removal using rigid endobronchial forceps

Retained foreign bodies within the stomach and proximal small bowel may be problematic in patients with prior cerebrovascular injury or head, neck and esophageal malignancy, given the increased vulnerability of this patient population to complications from aspiration and increased difficulty of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in cases of tumoral obstruction. This article presents an alternative method for foreign body retrieval through an existing gastrostomy tract, which offers the benefits of fast procedure times, reduction in radiation dose and fluoroscopy time, and allows for safer retrieval of foreign bodies by using direct visualization. This technique may be performed entirely by interventional radiologists

Digital Delivery of Meditative Movement Training Improved Health of Cigarette-Smoke-Exposed Subjects

Many FA who flew prior to the ban on smoking in commercial aircraft exhibit an unusual pattern of long-term pulmonary dysfunction. This randomized controlled study tested the hypothesis that digitally delivered meditative movement (MM) training improves chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related symptoms in flight attendants (FA) who were exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke (SHCS) while flying. Phase I of this two-phase clinical trial was a single-arm non-randomized pilot study that developed and tested methods for MM intervention; we now report on Phase II, a randomized controlled trial comparing MM to a control group of similar FA receiving health education (HE) videos. Primary outcomes were the 6-min walk test and blood levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Pulmonary, cardiovascular, autonomic and affective measures were also taken. There were significant improvements in the 6-min walk test, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) score, and the COPD Assessment Test. Non-significant trends were observed for increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels, decreased anxiety scores and reduced blood hs-CRP levels, and increased peak expiratory flow (PEF). In a Survey Monkey questionnaire, 81% of participants who completed pre and post-testing expressed mild to strong positive opinions of the study contents, delivery, or impact, while 16% expressed mild negative opinions. Over the course of the year including the study, participant adoption of the MM practices showed a significant and moderately large correlation with overall health improvement; Pearson's R = 0.62, p &lt; 0.005. These results support the hypothesized benefits of video-based MM training for this population. No adverse effects were reported.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT0261238

Prone transradial catheterization for combined single-session endovascular and percutaneous interventions: approach, technical success, safety, and outcomes in 15 patients

PURPOSE:We aimed to report approach, safety, technical success, and clinical outcomes of prone trans- radial access (PTRA) and demonstrate feasibility for procedures requiring simultaneous arterial intervention and prone percutaneous access. METHODS:Fifteen patients underwent PTRA, seven females (47%) and eight males (53%), mean age of 55 years (range, 19–78 years). All patients underwent PTRA for combined transarterial and posterior-approach percutaneous interventions. Variables included sheath size (French, F), type of anesthesia, arterial intervention technical success, posterior-approach percutaneous intervention technical success, estimated blood loss (mL), fluoroscopy and procedure time, complications, and follow-up.RESULTS:Mean sheath size was 4 F (range, 4–6 F; SD = 0.5). Arterial interventions included transarterial embolization of renal (n=6), hepatic (n=2), and pelvic vessels (n=2), diagnostic arteriography (n=4), and embolization of an arteriovenous malformation (n=1). Posterior-approach intervention technical success was 100% (15/15). PTRA technical success was 100% (15/15). Posterior-approach percutaneous interventions included retroperitoneal (n=5) and pelvic (n=1) mass biopsies, nephrostomy tube placement (n=2), cryoablation of pelvic (n=2) and renal (n=1) masses, sclerotherapy of arteriovenous malformations (n=2), foreign body removal from the renal collecting system (n=2), ablation of a renal tumor (n=1), intracavitary injection of pulmonary mycetoma (n=1), and ablation and cementoplasty of a vertebral body tumor (n=1). The biopsies were diagnostic (6/6). There were no minor or major access-site complications.CONCLUSION:PTRA is a safe and feasible method for performing combined arterial and posterior approach percutaneous interventions without the need for repositioning

Low physical activity is associated with adverse health outcome and higher costs in Indonesia: A national panel study

AimsTo assess the association between low physical activity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors, health service utilization, risk of catastrophic health expenditure, and work productivity in Indonesia.MethodsIn this population-based, panel data analysis, we used data from two waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) for 2007/2008 and 2014/2015. Respondents aged 40–80 years who participated in both waves were included in this study (n = 5,936). Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine factors associated with physical activity levels (low, moderate, and high). We applied a series of multilevel mixed-effect panel regression to examine the associations between physical activity and outcome variables.ResultsThe prevalence of low physical activity increased from 18.2% in 2007 to 39.6% in 2014. Compared with those with high physical activity, respondents with low physical activity were more likely to have a 10-year high CVD risk (AOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.51–2.95), use outpatient care (AOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.07–1.96) and inpatient care (AOR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.96), experience catastrophic health expenditure of 10% of total household expenditure (AOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.21–2.28), and have lower labor participation (AOR: 0.24, 95% 0.20–0.28).ConclusionsLow physical activity is associated with adverse health outcomes and considerable costs to the health system and wider society. Accelerated implementation of public health policies to reduce physical inactivity is likely to result in substantial population health and economic benefits