Electromyographical Analysis of The Thigh Muscle During Four Yogasana

The goal of the study was to examine the peak EMG at four lower body muscles during four different yoga poses performed by yoga practitioners. Materials and methods: Male Yoga practitioners (n= 11) were assessed for peak electromyography (EMG) of VM-Vastus Medialis, VL- Vastus lateralis, BF- Biceps femoris, ST- Semitendinosus, while performing four Yogasana: UK- Utkatasana, VB- Virabhadrasana II, UPE- Urdhva prasarita ekapadasana six, DOL- Dolasana (pendulum pose). Results: The UK induced the highest EMG for VM (124.5000 ± 25.36088), VL(124.2364 ± 27.35410), ST (106.6091 ± 32.77619),BF (96.6909 ± 29.34824),The VB II induced the highest EMG for the VL (102.0727 ± 32.96262), VM (100.4091± 16.30960), BF (84.5727 ± 28.63844), ST (86.2818 ± 26.07239).The UPE-Six induced the highest EMG for the VM (42.4364 ± 17.09025), BF (45.0636 ± 21.33440),ST (39.3727 ± 17.03315),VL (38.3636 ± 20.73612).The DOL induced the highest EMG for the VM (88.7455 ± 56.13069), BF (65.2545 ± 36.53172), ST (62.6455 ± 19.28302),VL (43.2545 ± 24.14255). However, between Yogasana, only the VM showed a significant (P < .000) * different EMG. Specifically, the UK induced greater VM EMG compared to UPE (82.064, P < .000), VB (57.973, P < .000) * Conclusions: Peak muscular activation in the four lowerbody muscles can change depending on how the yoga players treat the four differences. A declining pattern of peak EMG for the UK > VB II > DOL and UPE six Yogasana, however, indicates that variations between poses appear to be minimal, with the exception of the VM muscle

The study for sources of stress and management among medical students

Background: In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of quality of life and stresses involved medical training as this may affect their learning and academic performance. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of sources and severity of stress and coping strategies among medical students.Methods: A questionnaire-based study was carried out among the undergraduate medical students of Himalayan Institute of medical sciences, Jolly grant, Dehradun from July July 2015 to January 2016. The questionnaire consisted of questions on the basis of Academic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Social Related Stressors and also various methods adopted by them to overcome stress.Results: Out of 150 students only 136 (90%) responded. All the participants were of first and second professional MBBS course. Overall 56% Students felt studies are contributing to stress followed by 26% due to college, 18% due to friends and 9% due to family pressure. Due to academic stress performance anxiety for upcoming examinations was felt by 59% of the students. Among the personal stressor 58% experienced health related issues and their effect on level of fitness. Stress relievers like 67% of the total students preferred watching movies, while their preference for listening to music was observed in 38% to relieve stress.Conclusions: It was concluded that students have a high level of academic stress followed by the social and personal stress. Since the stressors cannot be permanently eliminated, authors have to necessarily devise efficient methods for managing them

Stem Cell Therapy in Motor Neuron Disease

Motor neuron disease (MND) is an insidious, fatal disorder that progresses with the selective loss of anterior horn cells of the spinal column. Over 150 years since it was first described, various therapeutic approaches have been tested in the quest of a cure but with little success. Current standard therapy only improves lifespan by a few months; palliative care is the only option available for patients. Stem cell therapy is a potent approach for the treatment of this devastating disease. A multitude of vitalizing effects, both paracrine and somatic, a robust safety profile, as well as ease of availability make a strong case for using these cells for therapeutic purposes. Coupled with rigorous rehabilitation, this powerful treatment modality has been shown to slow disease progression, improve quality of life, and increase survival, along with being well tolerated by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/MND patients. Compelling preclinical as well as clinical evidence abounds that stem cells hold great potential as a therapy for ALS/MND. Although not a definitive solution yet, stem cells have been verified to have slowed and/or halted disease progression in a subset of ALS/MND patients

Accretion Flow Dynamics During 1999 Outburst of XTE J1859+226 - Modeling of Broadband Spectra and Constraining the Source Mass

We examine the dynamical behavior of accretion flow around XTE J1859+226 during the 1999 outburst by analyzing the entire outburst data ($\sim$ 166 days) from RXTE Satellite. Towards this, we study the hysteresis behavior in the hardness intensity diagram (HID) based on the broadband ($3 - 150$ keV) spectral modeling, spectral signature of jet ejection and the evolution of Quasi-periodic Oscillation (QPO) frequencies using the two-component advective flow model around a black hole. We compute the flow parameters, namely Keplerian accretion rate (${\dot m}_d$), sub-Keplerian accretion rate (${\dot m}_h$), shock location ($r_s$) and black hole mass ($M_{bh}$) from the spectral modeling and study their evolution along the q-diagram. Subsequently, the kinetic jet power is computed as $L^{\rm obs}_{\rm jet}\sim 3 - 6 \times 10^{37}$ erg~s$^{-1}$ during one of the observed radio flares which indicates that jet power corresponds to $8-16\%$ mass outflow rate from the disc. This estimate of mass outflow rate is in close agreement with the change in total accretion rate ($\sim 14\%$) required for spectral modeling before and during the flare. Finally, we provide a mass estimate of the source XTE J1859+226 based on the spectral modeling that lies in the range of $5.2 - 7.9 M_{\odot}$ with 90\% confidence.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Computed tomography texture-based radiomics analysis in gallbladder cancer: initial experience

Aim of the study: To investigate computed tomography (CT) texture parameters in suspected gallbladder cancer (GBC) and assess its utility in predicting histopathological grade and overall survival. Material and methods: This retrospective pilot study included consecutive patients with clinically suspected GBC. CT images, clinical, and histological or cytological data were retrieved from the database. CT images were reviewed by two radiologists. A single axial CT section in the portal venous phase was selected for texture analysis. Radiomic feature extraction was done using commercially available research software. Results: Thirty-eight patients (31 females, mean age 53.1 years) were included. Malignancy was confirmed in 29 patients in histopathology or cytology analysis, and the rest had no features of malignancy. Exophytic gallbladder mass with associated gallbladder wall thickening was present in 22 (58%) patients. Lymph nodal, liver, and omental metastases were present in 10, 1, and 3 patients, respectively. The mean overall survival was 9.7 months. There were significant differences in mean and kurtosis at medium texture scales to differentiate moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (p < 0.05). The only texture parameter that was significantly associated with survival was kurtosis (p = 0.020) at medium texture scales. In multivariate analysis, factors found to be significantly associated with length of overall survival were mean number of positive pixels (p = 0.02), skewness (p = -0.046), kurtosis (0.018), and standard deviation (p = 0.045). Conclusions: Our preliminary results highlight the potential utility of CT texture-based radiomics analysis in patients with GBC. Medium texture scale parameters including both mean and kurtosis, or kurtosis alone, may help predict the histological grade and survival, respectively

Can a Higher Protein/Low Glycemic Index vs. a Conventional Diet Attenuate Changes in Appetite and Gut Hormones Following Weight Loss? : A 3-Year PREVIEW Sub-study

Background: Previous research showed that weight-reducing diets increase appetite sensations and/or circulating ghrelin concentrations for up to 36 months, with transient or enduring perturbations in circulating concentrations of the satiety hormone peptide YY. Objective: This study assessed whether a diet that is higher in protein and low in glycemic index (GI) may attenuate these changes. Methods: 136 adults with pre-diabetes and a body mass index of >= 25 kg/m(2) underwent a 2-month weight-reducing total meal replacement diet. Participants who lost >= 8% body weight were randomized to one of two 34-month weight-maintenance diets: a higher-protein and moderate-carbohydrate (CHO) diet with low GI, or a moderate-protein and higher-CHO diet with moderate GI. Both arms involved recommendations to increase physical activity. Fasting plasma concentrations of total ghrelin and total peptide YY, and appetite sensations, were measured at 0 months (pre-weight loss), at 2 months (immediately post-weight loss), and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Results: There was a decrease in plasma peptide YY concentrations and an increase in ghrelin after the 2-month weight-reducing diet, and these values approached pre-weight-loss values by 6 and 24 months, respectively (P = 0.32 and P = 0.08, respectively, vs. 0 months). However, there were no differences between the two weight-maintenance diets. Subjective appetite sensations were not affected by the weight-reducing diet nor the weight-maintenance diets. While participants regained an average of similar to 50% of the weight they had lost by 36 months, the changes in ghrelin and peptide YY during the weight-reducing phase did not correlate with weight regain. Conclusion: A higher-protein, low-GI diet for weight maintenance does not attenuate changes in ghrelin or peptide YY compared with a moderate-protein, moderate-GI diet.Peer reviewe

17β-HSD13 has sex-based differential expression in Hepatitis C virus-induced cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Sex-based differences are observed in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously showed that liver estrogen receptor (ER-) mediated sex-based differences exist in cirrhosis and HCC. Liver ER-binding may lead to protective effects in pre-menopausal women. This study aimed to determine sex-based differential role of 17βHSD13 in development of cirrhosis and HCC. We hypothesized that chronic HCV infection leads to dysregulated 17β-HSD13 in male cirrhosis and progression to HCC.Methods: 65 (normal, cirrhosis, HCC) liver tissues were obtained from NIH Liver Tissue Bank. DIA proteomics mapped 4445 proteins, including 17β-HSD13. Clinical correlation with bilirubin, AST, ALP, and creatinine was determined (spearman’s). Immunohistochemistry validated 17β-HSD13 protein expression in tissues.Results: 17β-HSD13 had significantly lower expression in male cirrhosis group than females (P<0.05). In contrast, 17β-HSD13 expression in normal males was significantly greater than normal females (P<0.05). In HCC group, the expression in males was down-regulated compared to HCC females (P<0.05). Bilirubin values showed negative correlation with 17β-HSD13 expression (P<0.05) between cirrhosis and HCC (males alone and combined sex data).Conclusions: Low 17β-HSD13 levels may predict worse disease in males with cirrhosis or HCC serving as disease biomarker. This novel report shows sex-based differences in 17β-HSD13 during HCV-induced cirrhosis development