Reliability of Ultrasonography in Measuring Deep Abdominal and Lumbar Multifidus Muscle Dimensions in Patients with Unilateral Lumbar Disc Herniation

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the within-day and between-day reliability of abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscle size in patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation (LDH) using ultrasonography (US). Materials and methods: In this study, 15 patients with unilateral LDH (20-60 years old) were recruited. To assess within-day and between-day reliability, three images were taken with one hour and one week intervals respectively. The images were taken at rest and during contraction. Results: The within-day and between-day reliability of abdominal muscle thickness measurements using US in patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in both rest and contraction state was found to be high with ICC=0.87 for within and ICC=0.75 for between-day rates of transverse abdominis (TrA) muscles at rest and ICC=0.78 and 0.75, respectively, in contraction state. For internal oblique muscles, ICC=0.70 at rest and 0.79 in contraction state and ICC=0.73 at rest and 0.77 in contraction state were found for within-day and between-day, respectively. Within-day and between-day reliability at rest with ICC=0.76 and 0.76 and in contraction state with ICC=0.75 and 0.74 were demonstrated for the external oblique muscle. Within-day and between-day reliability rates at rest with ICC=0.88 and 0.84, respectively, and in contraction state with ICC=0.84 and 0.80, respectively were demonstrated for the lumbar multifidus muscle. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that US is a reliable method for evaluating the thickness of the abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscles. However, further research is recommended to support the findings of the present study.Keywords: Ultrasonography, disc herniation, abdominal muscles, lumbar multifidus muscle, reliabilit

Survey on monthly variations of water quality in the Tajan River (Sari, Iran)

The aims of the study were to evaluate water quality of Tajan River in Sari in terms of chemical pollution and the impact of pollutant sources near the river by considering the climate, hydrological and hydraulic condition on it. In this study, 10 critical points of river were selected as sampling stations from dam to sea. Sampling was randomly done monthly from Apr 2009 to Mar 2010. Samples were analyzed in terms of chemical parameters after transferring to the laboratory according to standard methods. The results showed that the pH and temperature were within acceptable ranges of 6.5 to 8.5 and < 20°C, respectively. The minimum dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were above 6 mg/L along the river. Fish can survive because DO content was high. The maximum levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate (PO4) and nitrate (NO3) were at or below 30, 17, 0.5 and 0.7 mg/L, respectively. In general, the results showed that the physical and chemical qualities of water from Tajan River were within the acceptable limits for agricultural consumptions. In addition, Tajan River water can be classified in Class II.Keywords: Water quality, Tajan River, river pollution, water pollution.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(25), pp. 3984-399

Evaluation of microbiological and chemical parameters during wastewater Sludge and Sawdust Co-composting

Environmental specialists classified sewage sludge as a hazardous waste because of high organic compounds and pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore sewage sludge should be stabilized before disposal. Composting is an effective and economical method to stabilize sewage sludge. The object of this study is determining the optimum conditions of co- composting of dewatered sewage sludge and sawdust. Pilot scale study was performed in Isfahan municipal wastewater treatment plant. To perform this study, the dewatered sewage sludge with humidity between 78-82 percent was mixed with sawdust. Turning over did once a week for aeration. Temperature was monitored at different depths daily. Other parameters such as N, C, organic matters, pH, heavy metals, total and fecal Coliform and Salmonella were determined three times a week. The results of this study showed that after about 15th days, temperature of the mixture reached up to 55\ub0C, and was stabled for fifteen days. Humidity, organic matter, organic carbon and C/N ratio of the mixture decreased during of the study, due to increasing the temperature. Also organic matter and humidity mainly decreased in thermophilic phase. The number of total and fecal coliforms and also Salmonella decreased to A class standards of U.S. EPA at the end of the operation. The result indicated that co-composting of sewage sludge with sawdust is a reliable and simple method to schedule, with high flexibility and low odor production. Organic compounds and pathogenic microorganisms reduced and EPA standards were met during this method. @ JASEM

The Effects of Vestibular Stimulations on Neurodevelopment, Growth and Vital Signs of Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review

Background: The purpose of the present study was to systematically review all published studies investigating the effects of only vestibular interventions on neurodevelopment, growth and vital signs in preterm infants (PIs).Method: PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL and EMBASE databases were searched to find relevant studies published from 1980 and June 2022. In addition, reference lists of the articles were also checked.Results: Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen of these articles reported studies conducted on stable preterm infants and five on unstable ones. Waterbed, rocking, hammock, air mattress and Vestibu_Guide stimulations were applied in eight, four, six, one, and one study, respectively. Twelve studies evaluated neurobehavioral development, five studies assessed neuromotor development, five studies evaluated the growth and fifteen studies assessed the vital signs in preterm infants using vestibular stimulations.Conclusions: The results indicate that vestibular stimulations may improve neurodevelopment, growth and vital signs in premature infants, but there are still some disagreements among researchers, and further research is recommended

Measurement of superficial and deep abdominal muscle thickness: an ultrasonography study

BACKGROUND: Real-time ultrasound imaging is a valid method in the field of rehabilitation. The ultrasound imaging allows direct visualization for real-time study of the muscles as they contract over the time. Measuring of the size of each abdominal muscle in relation to the others provides useful information about the differences in structure, as well as data on trunk muscle activation patterns. The purpose of this study was to assess the size and symmetry of the abdominal muscles at rest in healthy adults and to provide a reference range of absolute abdominal muscle size in a relatively large population. METHOD: A total 156 healthy subjects with the age range of 18–44 years were randomly recruited. The thickness of internal oblique, external oblique, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis muscles was measured at rest on both right and left sides using ultrasound. Independent t test was used to compare the mean thickness of each abdominal muscle between males and females. Differences on side-to-side thicknesses were assessed using paired t test. The association between abdominal muscle thicknesses with gender and anthropometric variables was examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A normal pattern of increasing order of mean abdominal muscle thickness was found in both genders at both right and left sides: transverse abdominis < external oblique < internal oblique < rectus abdominis. There was a significant difference on the size of transverse abdominis, internal oblique, and external oblique muscles between right and left sides in both genders. Males had significantly thicker abdominal muscles than females. Age was significantly correlated with the thickness of internal oblique, external oblique, and rectus abdominis muscles. Body mass index was also positively correlated with muscle thickness of rectus abdominis and external oblique. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide a normal reference range for the abdominal muscles in healthy subjects and may be used as an index to find out abnormalities and also to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions

Effectiveness of dry needling for improving pain and disability in adults with tension-type, cervicogenic, or migraine headaches: Protocol for a systematic review

Background: Headache is the most common neurological symptoms worldwide, as over 90% of people have noted at least one headache during their lifetime. Tension-type headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and migraines are common types of headache which can have a significant impact on social, physical, and occupational functioning. Therapeutic management of headaches mainly includes physical therapy and pharmacological interventions. Dry needling is a relatively new therapeutic approach that uses a thin filiform needle without injectate to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling in comparison to other interventions on pain and disability in patients with tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine. Methods/design: We will focus on clinical trials with concurrent control group(s) and comparative observational studies assessing the effect of dry needling in patients with tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine. Electronic databases from relevant fields of research (PubMed/ Medline, Scopus, Embase®, PEDro, Web of Science, Ovid, AMED, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar) will be searched from inception to June 2019 using defined search terms. No restrictions for language of publication or geographic location will be applied. Moreover, grey literature, citation tracking, and reference lists scanning of the selected studies will be searched manually. Primary outcomes of this study are pain intensity and disability, and secondary outcomes are cervical spine ROM, frequency of headaches, health-related quality of life, and TrPs tenderness. Studies will be selected by three independent reviewers based on prespecified eligibility criteria. Three reviewers will independently extract data in each eligible study using a pre-piloted Microsoft Excel data extraction form. The assessment of risk of bias will be implemented using the Cochrane Back and Neck Review Group 13-item criteria and NOS. Direct meta-analysis will be performed using a fixed or random effects model to estimate effect size such as standardized mean difference (Morris's d ppc ) and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical heterogeneity will also be evaluated using the I 2 statistic and the χ2 test. All meta-analyses will be performed using Stata V.11 and V.14 softwares. The overall quality of the evidence for the primary outcomes will be assessed using GRADE. Discussion: All analyses in this study will be based on the previous published papers. Therefore, ethical approval and patient consent are not required. The findings of this study will provide important information on the value of dry needling for the management of tension-type headache, cervicogenic headache, and migraine

Global trends of hand and wrist trauma: a systematic analysis of fracture and digit amputation using the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study

Background: As global rates of mortality decrease, rates of non-fatal injury have increased, particularly in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) nations. We hypothesised this global pattern of non-fatal injury would be demonstrated in regard to bony hand and wrist trauma over the 27-year study period. Methods: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 was used to estimate prevalence, age-standardised incidence and years lived with disability for hand trauma in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017. Individual injuries included hand and wrist fractures, thumb amputations and non-thumb digit amputations. Results: The global incidence of hand trauma has only modestly decreased since 1990. In 2017, the age- standardised incidence of hand and wrist fractures was 179 per 100 000 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 146 to 217), whereas the less common injuries of thumb and non-thumb digit amputation were 24 (95% UI 17 to 34) and 56 (95% UI 43 to 74) per 100 000, respectively. Rates of injury vary greatly by region, and improvements have not been equally distributed. The highest burden of hand trauma is currently reported in high SDI countries. However, low-middle and middle SDI countries have increasing rates of hand trauma by as much at 25%. Conclusions: Certain regions are noted to have high rates of hand trauma over the study period. Low-middle and middle SDI countries, however, have demonstrated increasing rates of fracture and amputation over the last 27 years. This trend is concerning as access to quality and subspecialised surgical hand care is often limiting in these resource-limited regions.publishedVersio

Global trends of hand and wrist trauma : a systematic analysis of fracture and digit amputation using the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study

Background As global rates of mortality decrease, rates of non-fatal injury have increased, particularly in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) nations. We hypothesised this global pattern of non-fatal injury would be demonstrated in regard to bony hand and wrist trauma over the 27-year study period. Methods The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 was used to estimate prevalence, age-standardised incidence and years lived with disability for hand trauma in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017. Individual injuries included hand and wrist fractures, thumb amputations and non-thumb digit amputations. Results The global incidence of hand trauma has only modestly decreased since 1990. In 2017, the age-standardised incidence of hand and wrist fractures was 179 per 100 000 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 146 to 217), whereas the less common injuries of thumb and non-thumb digit amputation were 24 (95% UI 17 to 34) and 56 (95% UI 43 to 74) per 100 000, respectively. Rates of injury vary greatly by region, and improvements have not been equally distributed. The highest burden of hand trauma is currently reported in high SDI countries. However, low-middle and middle SDI countries have increasing rates of hand trauma by as much at 25%. Conclusions Certain regions are noted to have high rates of hand trauma over the study period. Low-middle and middle SDI countries, however, have demonstrated increasing rates of fracture and amputation over the last 27 years. This trend is concerning as access to quality and subspecialised surgical hand care is often limiting in these resource-limited regions.Peer reviewe

Global trends of hand and wrist trauma: A systematic analysis of fracture and digit amputation using the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study

Background: As global rates of mortality decrease, rates of non-fatal injury have increased, particularly in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) nations. We hypothesised this global pattern of non-fatal injury would be demonstrated in regard to bony hand and wrist trauma over the 27-year study period. Methods: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 was used to estimate prevalence, age-standardised incidence and years lived with disability for hand trauma in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017. Individual injuries included hand and wrist fractures, thumb amputations and non-thumb digit amputations. Results: The global incidence of hand trauma has only modestly decreased since 1990. In 2017, t