CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CERVICAL EXTENSOR MUSCLES DYSFUNCTIONS: A SCOPING REVIEW

Neck pain is a major cause of disability worldwide and frequently associated with changes in muscle function. These changes, which may persist after the symptoms have disappeared, could explain recurrent or chronic neck pain. Given the functional alterations of the cervical extensors muscles (CEM) observed in subjects with neck pain1 , a review of the clinical ways to highlight these deficits is relevant. To identify the various clinical tests assessing CEM dysfunctions in patients with chronic neck pain (CNP)

Évaluer l’endurance des muscles extenseurs cervicaux chez les cervicalgiques chroniques : quels critères cliniques discriminants ?

peer reviewe

MAXIMUM ISOMETRIC STRENGTH OF THE TRUNK MUSCLES : DEVELOPMENT OF NORMATIVE VALUES IN ADULT WOMEN

editorial reviewe

Bronchial or Laryngeal Obstruction Induced by Exercise?

A child suspected of exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction and asthma is examined by laryngoscopy and respiratory resistance (Rrs) after exercise challenge. Immediately at exercise cessation, the visualized adduction of the larynx in inspiration is reflected in a paroxystic increase in Rrs. While normal breathing has apparently resumed later on during recovery from exercise, the pattern of Rrs in inspiration is observed to reoccur following a deep breath or swallowing. The procedure may thus help diagnosing the site of exercise-induced obstruction when laryngoscopy is not available and identify re-inducers of laryngeal dysfunction

More Relaxation by Deep Breath on Methacholine- Than on Exercise-Induced bronchoconstriction during the Routine Testing of Asthmatic Children

Deep inspiration (DI) dilates normal airway precontracted with methacholine. The fact that this effect is diminished or absent in asthma could be explained by the presence of bronchial inflammation. The hypothesis was tested that DI induces more relaxation in methacholine induced bronchoconstriction—solely determined by the smooth muscle contraction—than in exercise induced bronchoconstriction, which is contributed to by both smooth muscle contraction and airway wall inflammation. The respiratory conductance (Grs) response to DI was monitored in asthmatic children presenting a moderately positive airway response to challenge by methacholine (n = 36) or exercise (n = 37), and expressed as the post- to pre-DI Grs ratio (GrsDI). Both groups showed similar change in FEV1 after challenge and performed a DI of similar amplitude. GrsDI however was significantly larger in methacholine than in exercise induced bronchoconstriction (p < 0.02). The bronchodilatory effect of DI is thus less during exercise- than methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction. The observation is consistent with airway wall inflammation—that characterizes exercise induced bronchoconstriction—rendering the airways less responsive to DI. More generally, it is surmised that less relief of bronchoconstriction by DI is to be expected during indirect than direct airway challenge. The current suggestion that airway smooth muscle constriction and airway wall inflammation may result in opposing effects on the bronchomotor action of DI opens important perspective to the routine testing of asthmatic children. New crossover research protocols comparing the mechanical consequences of the DI maneuver are warranted during direct and indirect bronchial challenges

Anticoagulation With an Inhibitor of Factors XIa and XIIa During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

peer reviewedBackground: Exposure of blood to polyanionic artificial surfaces, for example, during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), induces a highly procoagulant condition requiring strong anticoagulation. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is currently used during CPB but can lead to serious bleeding complications or development of a hypercoagulable state culminating in life-threatening thrombosis, highlighting the need for safer antithrombotics. Ixodes ricinus contact phase inhibitor (Ir-CPI) is a protein expressed by I. ricinus ticks, which specifically inhibits both factors XIIa and XIa, 2 factors contributing to thrombotic disease while playing a limited role in hemostasis. Objectives: This study assessed the antithrombotic activity of Ir-CPI in animal contact phase-initiated thrombosis models, including CPB. The safety of Ir-CPI also was evaluated. Methods: The authors evaluated the antithrombotic activity of Ir-CPI by using in vitro catheter-induced clotting assays and rabbit experimental models of catheter occlusion and arteriovenous shunt. During CPB with cardiac surgery in sheep, the clinical applicability of Ir-CPI was investigated and its efficacy compared to that of UFH using an uncoated system suitable for adult therapy. Taking advantage of the similar hemostatic properties of pigs and humans, the authors performed pig liver bleeding assays to evaluate the safety of Ir-CPI. Results: Ir-CPI prevented clotting in catheter and arteriovenous shunt rabbit models. During CPB, Ir-CPI was as efficient as UFH in preventing clot formation within the extracorporeal circuit and maintained physiological parameters during and post-surgery. Unlike UFH, Ir-CPI did not promote bleeding. Conclusions: Preclinical animal models used in this study showed that Ir-CPI is an effective and safe antithrombotic agent that provides a clinically relevant approach to thrombosis prevention in bypass systems, including highly thrombogenic CPB. © 2019 The Author

Choose your (international) contacts wisely: A multilevel analysis on the impact of intergroup contact while living abroad

A two year longitudinal study examined the influence of social contact abroad on student sojourners? cultural adjustment and intergroup affect. Social contact was measured with regard to the three people that sojourners (exchange students) spent most time with. Both the quality of the relationship with each contact and the cultural background (host national, co-national) of each contact were measured, that is contact quality and contact source, respectively. The data were analysed through repeated measures multilevel modelling. Results indicate that good quality contact (independent of source) is associated with higher cultural adjustment in sojourners and lower levels of stress. Contact quality however, was not associated with intergroup affect. Source of contact was found to matter, especially over time. Specifically, in the later stages of the sojourn, having more co-national contacts among ones three most frequent contacts, was associated with higher levels of stress, reduced cultural adjustment and higher secondary outgroup derogation. These findings suggest that who sojourners have contact with, matters for both cultural adjustment and intergroup affect

Psychologie de la négociation: du contrat de travail au choix des vacances

Nous négocions tout le temps et avec tout le monde. Souvent confinés à l’étude des techniques permettant de vendre une encyclopédie en 24 volumes à une octogénaire récalcitrante ou à l’art de marchander son salaire, nombreux sont les ouvrages qui traitent de la négociation sous un angle exclusivement utilitariste. Mais la négociation ne se limite pas à la recherche du bénéfice maximum. Elle traverse toutes les dimensions de la vie humaine. Nous négocions tous les jours, dans toutes les sphères de notre existence : au travail, avec la famille, les amis… Dès qu’il s’agit de partager des biens matériels, mais aussi de résoudre une divergence d’intérêts, de concilier différentes envies, rêves, goûts. Une large documentation et des exemples concrets Dans cet ouvrage aussi accessible que largement documenté, Stéphanie Demoulin s’appuie sur l’extraordinaire richesse des expériences menées en psychologie sociale pour explorer méthodiquement la figure de la négociation dans le champ des activités interpersonnelles. Avec le souci constant de fixer les concepts par des exemples concrets. Et, autant le savoir, les conclusions auxquelles elle arrive vont parfois à rebours des idées reçues ! Cet ouvrage de référence se veut une mine de pistes fécondes pour toute personne soucieuse de comprendre les mécanismes qui régissent les échanges entre les individus ou les institutions