Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebral Bone Mineral Density Changes in a Natural Occurring Dog Model of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Ankylosing spinal disorders can be associated with alterations in vertebral bone mineral density (BMD). There is however controversy about vertebral BMD in patients wuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). DISH in Boxer dogs has been considered a natural occurring disease model for DISH in people. The purpose of this study was to compare vertebral BMD between Boxers with and without DISH. Fifty-nine Boxers with (n=30) or without (n=29) DISH that underwent computed tomography were included. Vertebral BMD was calculated for each thoracic and lumbar vertebra by using an earlier reported and validated protocol. For each vertebral body, a region of interest was drawn on the axial computed tomographic images at three separate locations: immediately inferior to the superior end plate, in the middle of the vertebral body, and superior to the inferior end plate. Values from the three axial slices were averaged to give a mean Hounsfield Unit value for each vertebral body. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to identify factors to be included in a multivariate model. The multivariate model including all dogs demonstrated that vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 24.63; 95% CI 16.07 to 33.19; p <0.001), lumbar vertebrae (Coefficient -17.25; 95% CI -23.42 to -11.09; p < 0.01), and to a lesser extent higher age (Coefficient -0.56; 95% CI -1.07 to -0.05; p = 0.03) were significant predictors for vertebral BMD. When the multivariate model was repeated using only dogs with DISH, vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 20.67; 95% CI, 10.98 to 30.37; p < 0.001) and lumbar anatomical region (Coefficient -38.24; 95% CI, -47.75 to -28.73; p < 0.001) were again predictors for vertebral BMD but age was not. The results of this study indicate that DISH can be associated with decreased vertebral BMD. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical importance and pathophysiology of this finding

A Scenario-Based Model Comparison for Short-Term Day-Ahead Electricity Prices in Times of Economic and Political Tension

In recent years, energy prices have become increasingly volatile, making it more challenging to predict them accurately. This uncertain market trend behavior makes it harder for market participants, e.g., power plant dispatchers, to make reliable decisions. Machine learning (ML) has recently emerged as a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) technique to get reliable predictions in particularly volatile and unforeseeable situations. This development makes ML models an attractive complement to other approaches that require more extensive human modeling effort and assumptions about market mechanisms. This study investigates the application of machine and deep learning approaches to predict day-ahead electricity prices for a 7-day horizon on the German spot market to give power plants enough time to ramp up or down. A qualitative and quantitative analysis is conducted, assessing model performance concerning the forecast horizon and their robustness depending on the selected hyperparameters. For evaluation purposes, three test scenarios with different characteristics are manually chosen. Various models are trained, optimized, and compared with each other using common performance metrics. This study shows that deep learning models outperform tree-based and statistical models despite or because of the volatile energy prices

Characteristics of patients operated for primary hyperparathyroidism at university hospitals in Türkiye: Differences among Türkiye's geographical regions

Purpose: The aim of this study was to define the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients operated on for primary hyperpatathyroidism (PHPT) at university hospitals in Türkiye, and to investigate the differences in the clinical presentations of the disease between different geographical regions. Methods: Patients operated on for PHPT in the university hospitals of Türkiye were included in the study. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings and the operational data of the patients were investigated according to the whole country and to different geographical regions. Comparisons were performed according to whole country and regions. Results: A total of 1,162 cases were included in the study from different regions and 20 university hospitals. The mean age of patients was 52.4 ± 0.38 (mean ± standard error) in the general population of Türkiye. The rates of hypertension, urolithiasis, bone disease and 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency were 35%, 18.6%, 67.6%, and 63%, respectively. The median parathormone (PTH), serum total calcium (Ca+2) and phosphorus value were 220 pg/mL (range, 70-2,500 pg/mL), 11.2 mg/dL (range, 9.5-11.2 mg/dL), and 2.4 mg/dL (range, 1-4.7 mg/dL), respectively. The median size of the adenomas resected was 16 mm (range, 4-70 mm). Significant differences were observed in the clinical and laboratory findings of the patients operated on due to PHPT between different geographical regions of Türkiye (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients with PHPT in different geographical regions of Türkiye differ. Furthermore, the general findings of the cases in Türkiye give us a hint that the severity of the disease here is somewhere between Eastern and Western countries. Copyright © 2016, the Korean Surgical Society

The relation between bone mineral density, bone turnover markers, and vitamin D status in ankylosing spondylitis patients with active disease: a cross-sectional analysis

Osteoporosis is a well recognized complication of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study indicates that increased bone turnover, inflammation, and low vitamin D levels are important in the pathophysiology of AS-related osteoporosis, and that bone turnover markers (BTM) are valuable markers to detect bone loss in AS. The aim of this study was to elucidate the pathophysiology of AS-related osteoporosis by investigating the relation between bone mineral density (BMD), BTM, vitamin D, and clinical assessments of disease activity and physical function, as well as to identify parameters that are related to low BMD (osteopenia or osteoporosis) in AS patients with active disease. One hundred twenty-eight consecutive Dutch AS outpatients were included in this cross-sectional study. Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, ASAS-endorsed disease activity score (ASDAS), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), bone formation markers procollagen type 1 N-terminal peptide (PINP) and osteocalcin (OC), bone resorption marker serum C-telopeptides of type I collagen (sCTX), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHvitD), lumbar spine and hip BMD, and vertebral fractures were assessed. Z-scores of BTM were calculated using matched 10-year cohorts of a Dutch reference group to correct for the normal influence that age and gender have on bone turnover. sCTX Z-score, OC Z-score, BASDAI, age, and gender were independently related to low BMD. In addition, PINP Z-score, ESR, 25OHvitD, age, and gender were independently related to sCTX and/or OC Z-score. This study indicates that increased bone turnover, inflammation, and low vitamin D levels are important in the pathophysiology of AS-related osteoporosis. Furthermore, sCTX and OC Z-scores seem to be valuable markers to detect bone loss in AS patients in daily clinical practice where BMD of the lumbar spine, measured by DXA, may be overestimated due to osteoproliferation in patients with advanced AS

Comparison of electrical stimulation and isometric training on isokinetic strength of knee extensors: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate and (2) to compare effects of isometric exercises and electrical stimulation on isokinetic strength for healthy quadriceps femoris muscle. Methodology: Twenty healthy volunteers (range, 20-25; mean age, 20.9±1.1 yr) participated in the study. All participants were divided into two groups (Group I and Group II). Each group consisted of 10 subjects. While Group I received electrical stimulation with Russian current, Group II trained with maximal volunteer isometric exercises (10s contraction and 50 s relaxing periods with 10 repetitions) for three days per week for six weeks. Before and after the training program, each subject was evaluated using the following tests; anthropometrical measurements, fixed weight repetition, step-up, decline squat, single leg hop, and isokinetic assessments (peak torque, work per repetition, initial peak torque, fatigue index, total work done, %BW). Results: After a 6-week training program, significant differences in terms of physical functioning and isokinetic parameters in the two groups were found (p0.05). Quadriceps femoris hypertrophy was only found in electrical stimulation group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results obtained from this study show that the two strengthening techniques just used in the study can be used to improve muscle strength, performance and isokinetic parameters in healthy quadriceps femoris muscle (p<0.05). But, there is no superiority on each other. In conclusion, these results indicate that electrical stimulation and maximal volunteer isometric exercises can be used to increase isokinetic strength as an alternative for isokinetic dynamometer in clinical setting

isokinetic strength of knee extensors: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate and (2) to compare effects of isometric exercises and electrical stimulation on isokinetic strength for healthy quadriceps femoris muscle.Methodology: Twenty healthy volunteers (range, 20-25; mean age, 20.9 +/- 1.1 yr) participated in the study. All participants were divided into two groups (Group I and Group II). Each group consisted of 10 subjects. While Group I received electrical stimulation with Russian current, Group II trained with maximal volunteer isometric exercises (10s contraction and 50s relaxing periods with 10 repetitions) for three days per week for six weeks. Before and after the training program, each subject was evaluated using the following tests; anthropometrical measurements, fixed weight repetition, step-up, decline squat, single leg hop, and isokinetic assessments (peak torque, work per repetition, initial peak torque, fatigue index, total work done, %BW).Results: After a 6-week training program, significant differences in terms of physical functioning and isokinetic parameters in the two groups were found (p 0.05). Quadriceps femoris hypertrophy was only found in electrical stimulation group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The results obtained from this study show that the two strengthening techniques just used in the study can be used to improve muscle strength, performance and isokinetic parameters in healthy quadriceps femoris muscle (p < 0.05). But, there is no superiority on each other. In conclusion, these results indicate that electrical stimulation and maximal volunteer isometric exercises can be used to increase isokinetic strength as an alternative for isokinetic dynamometer in clinical setting