Angular displacement of torso during lifting: A system comparison of two measuring methods

This paper introduces a study which was conducted to evaluate two different methods used to measure trunk kinematics during a set of controlled lifting tasks. The following two methods were compared in a laboratory study: (1) an opto-electronic detection method using the Selspot 1 method, and (2) a new Miniature electronic Inclinometer method. The comparison revealed that, with care in calibration, the two methods display similar torso angle measurements for a large variety of test conditions. Cross-correlation between the angle estimates averaged (rmean = 0.814) for a combination of the following lifting variables: posture of lifting, lifting height, weight of load, and horizontal distance. Variation in the correlation coefficient between the two measuring methods shows acceptable positive correlation and consistent agreement in angle trajectory over time at Thoracic (at level 5), consistency was obtained at Lumbar (level 5) and Cervical (level 4) levels. Factors affecting the performance of the two measuring methods are analyzed and the pros and cons of the method are discussed. The findings argue for the use of the new Miniature Inclinometer since it is inexpensive when compared to the Selspot 1 measuring system, provides direct angle measurements and is an easy to use technique.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27669/1/0000051.pd

First-degree living-related donor liver transplantation in autoimmune liver diseases.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice for end‐stage autoimmune liver diseases. However, the underlying disease may recur in the graft in some 20% of cases. The aim of this study is to determine whether LT using living donor grafts from first‐degree relatives results in higher rates of recurrence than grafts from more distant/unrelated donors. Two hundred sixty‐three patients, who underwent a first LT in the Toronto liver transplant program between January 2000 and March 2015 for autoimmune liver diseases, and had at least 6 months of post‐LT follow‐up, were included in this study. Of these, 72 (27%) received a graft from a first‐degree living‐related donor, 56 (21%) from a distant/unrelated living donor, and 135 (51%) from a deceased donor for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (n = 138, 52%), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) (n = 69, 26%), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) (n = 44, 17%), and overlap syndromes (n = 12, 5%). Recurrence occurred in 52 (20%) patients. Recurrence rates for each autoimmune liver disease were not significantly different after first‐degree living‐related, living‐unrelated, or deceased‐donor LT. Similarly, time to recurrence, recurrence‐related graft failure, graft survival, and patient survival were not significantly different between groups. In conclusion, first‐degree living‐related donor LT for PSC, PBC, or AIH is not associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence