ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF PARALUMBAR MUSCULATURE IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL PHASE SPACE DURING EXPOSURE TO WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION

Cilj istraživanja: Istraživanje ponašanja električnog polja paralumbalne muskulature aktivirane vibracijama cijeloga tijela kao pokazateljem umaranja provedeno je na Medicinskom fakultetu Osijek na zdravim ispitanicima, pri čemu je utreniranost njihove paralumbalne muskulature procijenjena anamnestički ljestvicom od 5 stupnjeva. Ispitanici: Uključena su 44 zdrava ispitanika (14 žena i 30 muškaraca od kojih je 20 bilo u dobi do 24 godine). Metode: Električna aktivnost snimana je uređajem Biopac Student Lab. u rezoluciji 1000 uzorkovanja u sekundi, i uporabom tri para elektroda postavljenih duž osi faznog prostora tijekom 200 sekundi. Iz prikupljenih podataka izostavljeni su dijelovi koji odgovaraju QRS kompleksu EKG-a i rekonstruirani sljedovi pet različitih načina mjerenja električne aktivnosti pri čemu su za prva tri izdvojeni zapisi za svaku os. Za os X lijevo i desno, za os Y gore i dolje te za os Z naprijed i nazad, a izračunata su i dva vektora. Temporalni vektor pokazuje put u milivoltima između dva sukcesivna mjerenja, a centrifugalni vektor odražava udaljenost točke mjerenja od aritmetičkog središta oblaka podataka. Iz tako dobivenih vremenskih serija računata je fraktalna dimenzija R/S algoritmom i wavelet transformacijom. Rezultati: Od rezultata izračunom fraktalne dimenzije zapisa R/S algoritmom izdvaja se kretanje električnog polja duž osi Y (gore ‒ dolje) u prvoj i drugoj četvrtini mjerenja (p = 0,02, odnosno p = 0,03). Vrijednosti fraktalne dimenzije po R/S algoritmu u žena su bile veće. Jednaka analiza vrijednosti fraktalne dimenzije izračunate wavelet transformacijom (po četvrtinama, p < 0,001 do p = 0,007) pokazala je veće vrijednosti fraktalne dimenzije u muškaraca, obrnuto u odnosu na razdiobu vrijednosti po R/S algoritmu. U drugoj fazi analize traženo je postojanje EM klastera po sličnosti promjene fraktalne dimenzije tijekom izlaganja vibracijama. U kretanju električnog polja po osi Y (gore ‒ dolje), detektirana su tri klastera koji se nisu međusobno razlikovali po spolu, no umjereno su bile značajne razlike po dobi (p = 0,03). Nađena je značajna razlika po stupnju utreniranosti (p = 0,01) i vrlo značajne razlike u fraktalnim vrijednostima tijekom faze izlaganja vibracijama (p < 0,001). Zaključci: Navedeno upućuje da podaci o kretanju položaja mjerenja duž osi Y (gore ‒ dolje) u sebi sadrže bitne informacije o načinu umaranja muskulature koje nisu ovisne o spolu, međutim ovisne su i o dobi i o stupnju utreniranosti. Pri tome postoji klaster najveće utreniranosti koji pokazuje i najniže vrijednosti fraktalne dimenzije dok ostala dva klastera pokazuju više vrijednosti proporcionalno tome koliko opada udio utreniranih ispitanika. Jednaka analiza primjenom EM klastera kod podataka dobivenih wavelet transformacijom pokazala je da detektirani klasteri nemaju nikakvu bitnu vezu ni sa spolom, ni s dobi, ni s utreniranošću ispitanika pa ne sadrže informaciju o načinu kako su se ispitanici umarali.Aim: The study of the behavior of the electromagnetic field of the paralumbar musculature activated by the whole body vibration as an indicator of fatigue was performed at the Faculty of Medicine in Osijek on healthy subjects, where the training factor of their paralumbal musculature could be estimated by the anamnestic scale of five degrees. Subjects: The study included 44 healthy subjects (14 women and 30 men, 20 of whom were aged up to 24 years old). Methods: The electric activity was recorded by the Biopac Student Lab. at a resolution of one thousand increments per second, using three pairs of electrodes set along the axis of the phase spacing for 200 seconds. The parts corresponding to the QRS complex of the ECG and the reconstructed sequences of five different ways of measuring electrical activity were left out of the collected data, with the first three having separate records for each axis. Left and right for X axis, up and down for Y axis and forward and backward for Z axis, as well as the two calculated vectors. The temporal vector shows the path between the two successive measurements in millivolts and the centrifugal vector reflects the distance of the measurement point from the arithmetic center of the data cloud. The wavelet transformation and the R/S algorithm were used to determine the fractal dimension from the obtained time series. Results: The results obtained by calculating the fractal dimension using the R/S algorithm showed the movement of the electric field along the Y axis (up and down) in the first and the second quarter of the measurement (p = 0.02 respectively p = 0.03). The values of fractal dimensions according to the R/S algorithm were higher in women. The same fractal dimension analysis calculated by the wavelet transformation (by quarters, p < 0.001 to p = 0.007) showed higher values of fractal dimensions in men, which contrasted the distribution of values according to the R/S algorithm. In the second phase of the analysis the existence of an EM cluster was sought according to the similarity of the fractal dimension change during the exposure to vibrations. During the movement of the electric field on the Y axis (up and down), three clusters which did not differ in relation to gender, but had some moderately significant differences in age, were detected (p = 0.03). Significant differences were also found in the training factor (p = 0.01) and in the fractal values during the vibration exposure phase (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This indicates that the data on the movement of the measurement position along the Y axis (up and down) contain essential information on musculature fatigue, however, depending on both the age and the training factor. There is also a cluster of the highest training factor that showed the lowest values of the fractal dimension, while the other two clusters exhibited higher values according to the decrease of the share of surveyed subjects. The same analysis using the EM cluster for data obtained by the wavelet transformation showed that the detected clusters did not have any significant relation to either gender or age, nor the training of the subjects, and thus did not contain information on how the subjects developed the fatigue

Traganje za neinvazivnom procjenom mišićne slabosti tijekom rada: pruža li rasap podataka visoke rezolucije o električnoj aktivnosti mišića novi uvid?

Paralumbar muscle performance and fatigue were evaluated by measuring electromagnetic activity during entire body vibration (EBV) in 44 healthy subjects. Physical fitness of subjects was estimated on a 5-degree scale. Electric activity was recorded in 200 seconds with 1 kHz sampling on the Biopac Student Lab during EBV. Data were used to produce time series for two vectors of the phase space and spatial axis: X (left-right), Y (up-down) and Z (ventral-dorsal). Time series were evaluated by calculating fractal dimension by the R/S algorithm. Movement of the electric field along the Y-axis showed changes (up-down) extracted in the first and second quarter of the measurement (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). These changes were not specific for gender but showed dependence on subject age and fitness. The fractal dimension values by the R/S algorithm were larger in female subjects. Results suggested the electric field changes during EBV in the up-down direction to contain information on muscular performance and fatigue, not dependent on gender, but on the age and degree of overall physical fitness.Istraživanje električnog polja paralumbalne muskulature kao pokazatelja umaranja provedeno je na 44 zdrava ispitanika, pri čemu je utreniranost njihove paralumbalne muskulature procijenjena anamnestički ljestvicom od 5 stupnjeva. Električna aktivnost snimana je uređajem Biopac Student Lab i uporabom tri para elektroda postavljenih duž osi faznog prostora. Iz prikupljenih podataka izostavljeni su dijelovi koji odgovaraju QRS kompleksu EKG-a i rekonstruirani sljedovi pet različitih načina mjerenja električne aktivnosti, pri čemu su za prva tri izdvojeni zapisi za svaku os. Za os X lijevo i desno, za os Y gore i dolje te za os Z naprijed i nazad, a izračunata su i dva vektora. Iz tako dobivenih vremenskih serija računala se fraktalna dimenzija R/S algoritmom. Od rezultata izračunom fraktal-ne dimenzije zapisa R/S algoritmom izdvaja se kretanje električnog polja duž osi Y (gore-dolje) u prvoj i drugoj četvrtini mjerenja (p=0,02 odnosno p=0,03). Rezultati su se pokazali neovisnima o spolu, ali ovisnima o godinama i utreniranosti ispitanika. Vrijednosti fraktalne dimenzije po R/S algoritmu u žena su bile veće. Navedeno upućuje na to da podaci o kretanju položaja mjerenja duž osi Y (gore-dolje) u sebi sadrže informacije o načinu umaranja muskulature koje nisu ovisne o spolu, nego o dobi i stupnju utreniranosti

Kirurški aspekti liječenja blefarospazma: prikaz slučaja

Blepharospasm is an idiopathic condition characterized by involuntary eyelid closure mainly caused by bilateral tonic-clonic contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle. It results in patient inability to open their eyes, thus significantly impairing their ability to perform activities of daily living. First-line treatment for blepharospasm are primarily botulinum toxin type A injections. However, surgical procedure as a treatment option can also be taken in consideration. In this overview, we present a case of a 75-year-old female patient who received surgical treatment as per Anderson’s method after being treated with botulinum toxin type A for 3 years. This form of therapy proved to be an extremely successful permanent solution in the treatment of severe cases of refractory blepharospasm, without any long-term complications, especially ectropion and lagophthalmos.Blefarospazam je idiopatska bolest kod koje dolazi do nekontroliranog stiskanja očnih vjeđa zbog najčešće obostranih toničko kloničkih kontrakcija kružnog očnog mišića. Takvo stanje kod bolesnika rezultira nemogućnošću otvaranja očiju i znatno ograničava obavljanje svakodnevnih aktivnosti. Terapija prvog izbora su injekcije botulinum toksina A, no u obzir dolazi i kirurško liječenje. Ovaj osvrt prikazuje slučaj bolesnice u dobi od 75 godina, kirurški liječene Andersonovom metodom nakon 3 godine liječenja botulinum toksinom A. Takav oblik terapije pokazao se veoma uspješnim trajnim rješenjem u liječenju težih slučajeva refraktornog blefarospazma uz izostanak dugoročnih komplikacija, osobito ektropiona i lagoftalmusa

The Radiomorphometric Indices of the Mandible as a Screening Method for Early Detection of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

The aim of the study was to compare radiomorphometric indices measured on panoramic radiographs: mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) with the densitometric values of skeletons in postmenopausal women, as well as and to determine the possibilities of their use in screening for early detection of osteoporosis in risky populations. Radiomorphometric indices were measured on panoramic radiographs of 146 postmenopausal patients, mean age 66.3 (±9.7) years, mean menopausal age 16.3 (±10.6) years. By dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method were measured bone mineral density of the femur and the lumbar vertebrae (L1–L4). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the changed densitometric finding, and to distinguish osteopenia and osteoporosis. The examinees with lower densitometric values had significantly lower MCW (3.60 mm) and PMI (0.36 mm) than those with regular densitometric values (p 1 (p<0.001). For early detection of osteopenia and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in everyday clinical practice, panoramic radiograph as a screening method can be of help

The Importance of Thorough Preoperative Diagnostics of Maxillary Ameloblastoma: Report of Three Cases

Ameloblastoma, especially maxillary, is a rare benign neoplasm of odontogenic origin. Diagnosis of significant number of lesions is usually established postoperatively, because ameloblastoma, especially the unicystic form, mimics wide range of more frequent jaw lesions. From January 1993 to December 2005, three cases of the maxillary ameloblastoma were surgically treated at our Department. The authors present clinical, radiological and pathohistological features of the ameloblastomas in this rare localization with special attention to need of accurate preoperative diagnostics

Real Mineral Density of the Sternum

Mineral density of the sternum is insufficiently known. The aim of this research was to investigate mineralisation of the sternum and collect normative data on mineral density of the standard male and female sternum in elderly people (average age of female samples was 64 and male’s was 62 years). The research was conducted on 93 cadaveric sternums, 56 male and 37 female samples. To determine regional mineral density of the sternum each sample was cut into six bony segments (Figure 1). Mineral density of every segment was determined using the method of ashing. Male sternums were on average denser than female ones in all segments. Average mineral density of the manubrium in women was 0.169 g/cm3 and 0.220 g/cm3 in men. Average mineral density of the body of the sternum also showed existence of sex difference; it was 0.160 g/cm3 in women and 0.227 g/cm3 in men. Both male and female sternums showed identical mineral density distribution. Mineral density of the manubrium and the body was roughly equal, while the analysis of longitudinal segments showed that the central part of both the manubrium and the body of the sternum was denser than lateral parts. Complex determination of the real mineral density for defined segments of the sternum and analysis of the obtained results were used to create the map of mineral density of the sternum in men and women (Figure 2). Maximum density values were four times greater than minimum density values for analysed samples. These data showed that osteoporosis also occurs on the sternum. Loss of structure and lower mineral density decrease the sternum quality and increase the risk of sternal dehiscence after median sternotomy

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Spondyloarthritides and HLA-B27 Positive Antigen

The aim of this study was to present our experiences in diagnosing spondyloarthritides (SpA), and to list the most common clinical features of HLA-B 27 positive patients.The study included 65 HLA-B 27 positive patients with confirmed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis(AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were analyzed between 2009 and 2010 in Clinic of Internal Medicine in Osijek. The diagnosis of seronegative spondyloarthritides was based on the ASAS (Assessment in AS Working Group) classification criteria for axial and then supplemented with ASAS criteria for peripheral SpA and was confirmed by radiological techniques. For diagnosing the ankylosing spondylitis (AS), there have been applied the modified New York criteria. Radiological criteria for definite sacroiliitis according to the modified New York criteria is bilateral sacroiliitis, grade 2–4 (2) or unilateral sacroiliitis, grade 3–4. For diagnosing the psoriatic arthritis (PsA), there were used CASPAR diagnostic criteria. Other features of SpA are defined within the existing classification criteria. HLA-B27 antigen was determined by direct immune-fluorescence technique using flow cytometer. The average age of patients was 50.34 years, of whom 27 female (41.53%), 38 male (58.46%). Duration of illness was 15.79 years on average.With 75.38% of patients, there had been determined the diagnosis of AS; 24.62% of patients had the diagnosis of PsA. The most common clinical characteristics that patients had were: inflammatory back pain (pain Inflammation along the lumbosacral spine), peripheral arthritis, intermittent pain in the gluteus, sacroiliitis, enthesitis, uveitis, dactilitis

Sol-Gel Synthesis of Ceria-Zirconia-Based High-Entropy Oxides as High-Promotion Catalysts for the Synthesis of 1,2-Diketones from Aldehyde

Efficient Lewis-acid-catalyzed direct conversion of aldehydes to 1,2-diketones in the liquid phase was enabled by using newly designed and developed ceria–zirconia-based high-entropy oxides (HEOs) as the actual catalysts. The synergistic effect of various cations incorporated in the same oxide structure (framework) was partially responsible for the efficiency of multicationic materials compared to the corresponding single-cation oxide forms. Furthermore, a clear, linear relationship between the Lewis acidity and the catalytic activity of the HEOs was observed. Due to the developed strategy, exclusively diketone-selective, recyclable, versatile heterogeneous catalytic transformation of aldehydes can be realized under mild reaction conditions