Gait in Pregnancy-related Pelvic girdle Pain: amplitudes, timing, and coordination of horizontal trunk rotations

Walking is impaired in Pregnancy-related Pelvic girdle Pain (PPP). Walking velocity is reduced, and in postpartum PPP relative phase between horizontal pelvis and thorax rotations was found to be lower at higher velocities, and rotational amplitudes tended to be larger. While attempting to confirm these findings for PPP during pregnancy, we wanted to identify underlying mechanisms. We compared gait kinematics of 12 healthy pregnant women and 12 pregnant women with PPP, focusing on the amplitudes of transverse segmental rotations, the timing and relative phase of these rotations, and the amplitude of spinal rotations. In PPP during pregnancy walking velocity was lower than in controls, and negatively correlated with fear of movement. While patients’ rotational amplitudes were larger, with large inter-individual differences, spinal rotations did not differ between groups. In the patients, peak thorax rotation occurred earlier in the stride cycle at higher velocities, and relative phase was lower. The earlier results on postpartum PPP were confirmed for PPP during pregnancy. Spinal rotations remained unaffected, while at higher velocities the peak of thorax rotations occurred earlier in the stride cycle. The latter change may serve to avoid excessive spine rotations caused by the larger segmental rotations

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain: an update

A large number of scientists from a wide range of medical and surgical disciplines have reported on the existence and characteristics of the clinical syndrome of pelvic girdle pain during or after pregnancy. This syndrome refers to a musculoskeletal type of persistent pain localised at the anterior and/or posterior aspect of the pelvic ring. The pain may radiate across the hip joint and the thigh bones. The symptoms may begin either during the first trimester of pregnancy, at labour or even during the postpartum period. The physiological processes characterising this clinical entity remain obscure. In this review, the definition and epidemiology, as well as a proposed diagnostic algorithm and treatment options, are presented. Ongoing research is desirable to establish clear management strategies that are based on the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for the escalation of the syndrome's symptoms to a fraction of the population of pregnant women

Sense, Actuate and Survive : Ceramic Microsystems for High-Temperature Aerospace Applications

In aerospace applications, but also in manufacturing, mining, energy industry and natural hazards, high temperature, corrosion, erosion and radiation, challenge the performance and being of hardware. In this work, high-temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) alumina and platinum have been used for a range of devices intended for aerospace applications at up to 1000°C. The thermomechanics of a pressure sensor was investigated, and the interfacing was attained by wireless powering and reading. However, read range was limited and sensitivity decreased with temperature. Silver, electroplated after sintering, was found to remedy this until it eventually alloyed with platinum. Copper was electroplated and oxidized for oxygen storage in a microcombustor, intended for sample preparation for optogalvanic spectroscopy (OGS) to indicate extraterrestrial life. Despite delamination, caused by residual stresses, the device operated successfully. Conversely, pre-firing metallization by integration of platinum wires was studied. Freely suspended, and despite heat-induced shape irregularities, these were found advantageous over screen printed elements for gas heating, and temperature and pressure sensing. By fusing off the wires, spherical tips, allowing for impedance monitoring of microplasma sources in, e.g., OGS, were formed. Microplasma sources can also be used for gas heating. This, together with screen printed and suspended resistive heaters, was evaluated in a microthruster, showing that plasma heating is the most effective, implying fuel consumption reduction in satellite propulsion. In conclusion, HTCC alumina microdevices are thermally stable and could benefit several aerospace applications, especially with the complementary metallization schemes devised here. Future developments are expected to include both processing and design, all with the intention of sensing, actuating and surviving in high-temperature environments

Sense, Actuate and Survive : Ceramic Microsystems for High-Temperature Aerospace Applications

In aerospace applications, but also in manufacturing, mining, energy industry and natural hazards, high temperature, corrosion, erosion and radiation, challenge the performance and being of hardware. In this work, high-temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) alumina and platinum have been used for a range of devices intended for aerospace applications at up to 1000°C. The thermomechanics of a pressure sensor was investigated, and the interfacing was attained by wireless powering and reading. However, read range was limited and sensitivity decreased with temperature. Silver, electroplated after sintering, was found to remedy this until it eventually alloyed with platinum. Copper was electroplated and oxidized for oxygen storage in a microcombustor, intended for sample preparation for optogalvanic spectroscopy (OGS) to indicate extraterrestrial life. Despite delamination, caused by residual stresses, the device operated successfully. Conversely, pre-firing metallization by integration of platinum wires was studied. Freely suspended, and despite heat-induced shape irregularities, these were found advantageous over screen printed elements for gas heating, and temperature and pressure sensing. By fusing off the wires, spherical tips, allowing for impedance monitoring of microplasma sources in, e.g., OGS, were formed. Microplasma sources can also be used for gas heating. This, together with screen printed and suspended resistive heaters, was evaluated in a microthruster, showing that plasma heating is the most effective, implying fuel consumption reduction in satellite propulsion. In conclusion, HTCC alumina microdevices are thermally stable and could benefit several aerospace applications, especially with the complementary metallization schemes devised here. Future developments are expected to include both processing and design, all with the intention of sensing, actuating and surviving in high-temperature environments

The relationship between university students screen time, sleep and perceived stress : A correlation study

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka samband mellan stress, sömn och skärmtid på smarttelefon. Urvalet bestod av totalt 81 personer på ett universitet i södra Sverige. Två hypoteser testades. 1: hög grad av faktisk skärmtid är relaterat till en hög subjektiv stressupplevelse och hög grad av sömnbesvär. 2: Låg grad av stress är associerat med låg grad av sömnbesvär. Vid insamlingen av data användes, Perceived stress scale 10 (PSS-10) och Karolinska sleep questionnaire (KSQ). För att mäta skärmtid designades två frågor, en med syfte att mäta individers subjektiva upplevelse av mängden skärmtid och en för att mäta den faktiska mängden som kan utläsas via en funktion på individers smarttelefon. Resultatet för hypotes 1 visade att faktisk skärmtid varken samvarierade med stress eller sömnbesvär. Vidare jämfördes också gruppen hög faktisk skärmtid som översteg 29 h/vecka med stress och sömnbesvär. Resultatet indikerade att en hög faktisk skärmtid och stress inte korrelerade och hög faktisk skärmtid och sömnbesvär inte korrelerade. Resultatet för hypotes 2 visade en negativ signifikant korrelation mellan variablerna stress och sömnbesvär. Det innebar att höga värden på total KSQ, mindre sömnbesvär, korrelerar med låga värden på PSS-10, låg nivå av upplevd stress. Sammanfattningsvis visade studiens resultat att faktisk skärmtid inte samvarierade med varken stress eller sömnbesvär. Dock återfanns en korrelation mellan variablerna stress och sömnbesvär.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress, sleep and screen time on smartphones. The sample consisted of a total of 81 people at a university in southern Sweden. Two hypotheses were tested. 1: High degree of actual screen time is related to a high subjective stress experience and high degree of sleep disturbance. 2: Low levels of stress are associated with low levels of sleep disturbance. In the data collection, Perceived stress scale 10 (PSS-10) and Karolinska sleep questionnaire (KSQ) were used. To measure screen time, two questions were designed, one aimed at measuring individual's subjective experience of the amount of screen time and one to measure the actual amount that can be read through a function on an individual's smartphone. The result for Hypothesis 1 showed that actual screen time did not co-vary with stress or sleep disturbance. Furthermore, the group, high actual screen time exceeding 29 h / week was also compared with the variables stress and sleep disturbance. The result indicated that a high actual screen time and stress did not correlate, and high actual screen time and sleep disturbances did not correlate either. The result for Hypothesis 2 showed a negatively significant correlation between the variables stress and sleep disorders. This meant that high values of total KSQ, less sleep disturbances, correlated with low values of PSS-10, low levels of stress. In summary, the study's results showed that actual screen time did not correlate with neither stress nor sleep disturbance. However, a correlation was found between the variables stress and sleep disturbance

The relationship between university students screen time, sleep and perceived stress : A correlation study

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka samband mellan stress, sömn och skärmtid på smarttelefon. Urvalet bestod av totalt 81 personer på ett universitet i södra Sverige. Två hypoteser testades. 1: hög grad av faktisk skärmtid är relaterat till en hög subjektiv stressupplevelse och hög grad av sömnbesvär. 2: Låg grad av stress är associerat med låg grad av sömnbesvär. Vid insamlingen av data användes, Perceived stress scale 10 (PSS-10) och Karolinska sleep questionnaire (KSQ). För att mäta skärmtid designades två frågor, en med syfte att mäta individers subjektiva upplevelse av mängden skärmtid och en för att mäta den faktiska mängden som kan utläsas via en funktion på individers smarttelefon. Resultatet för hypotes 1 visade att faktisk skärmtid varken samvarierade med stress eller sömnbesvär. Vidare jämfördes också gruppen hög faktisk skärmtid som översteg 29 h/vecka med stress och sömnbesvär. Resultatet indikerade att en hög faktisk skärmtid och stress inte korrelerade och hög faktisk skärmtid och sömnbesvär inte korrelerade. Resultatet för hypotes 2 visade en negativ signifikant korrelation mellan variablerna stress och sömnbesvär. Det innebar att höga värden på total KSQ, mindre sömnbesvär, korrelerar med låga värden på PSS-10, låg nivå av upplevd stress. Sammanfattningsvis visade studiens resultat att faktisk skärmtid inte samvarierade med varken stress eller sömnbesvär. Dock återfanns en korrelation mellan variablerna stress och sömnbesvär.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress, sleep and screen time on smartphones. The sample consisted of a total of 81 people at a university in southern Sweden. Two hypotheses were tested. 1: High degree of actual screen time is related to a high subjective stress experience and high degree of sleep disturbance. 2: Low levels of stress are associated with low levels of sleep disturbance. In the data collection, Perceived stress scale 10 (PSS-10) and Karolinska sleep questionnaire (KSQ) were used. To measure screen time, two questions were designed, one aimed at measuring individual's subjective experience of the amount of screen time and one to measure the actual amount that can be read through a function on an individual's smartphone. The result for Hypothesis 1 showed that actual screen time did not co-vary with stress or sleep disturbance. Furthermore, the group, high actual screen time exceeding 29 h / week was also compared with the variables stress and sleep disturbance. The result indicated that a high actual screen time and stress did not correlate, and high actual screen time and sleep disturbances did not correlate either. The result for Hypothesis 2 showed a negatively significant correlation between the variables stress and sleep disorders. This meant that high values of total KSQ, less sleep disturbances, correlated with low values of PSS-10, low levels of stress. In summary, the study's results showed that actual screen time did not correlate with neither stress nor sleep disturbance. However, a correlation was found between the variables stress and sleep disturbance

Investigating the plasma properties of a Xe-microplasma thruster

By combining optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Langumuir probes, the plasma properties of a Xenon-microplasma thruster have been investigated. Using IV-curve analysis the properties of the plasma have been determined and correlated to the power fed into it. Satisfactory agreement has been obtained with the results of OES measurements (line-ratio technique) and shock-cell distance calculations. While the fuel consumption of the thruster decreased very linearly with the power fed to the plasma, the plasma properties was found to have behave in a more complex way. In the studied power range, the density ratio between at least two ions, with upper configurations 5p5(2P◦3/2)7p and 5p5(2P◦3/2)6p, strongly indicated that the ionization processes of the former was favorable in terms of thrust for the geometry of the nozzle. This was supported electron temperature measurements from IV-curves.

Incisional hernia after open resections for colorectal liver metastases - Incidence and risk factors

Background: Incisional hernia is one of the most common complications after laparotomy. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate incidence, location and risk factors for incisional hernia after open resection for colorectal liver metastases including the use of perioperative chemotherapy and targeted therapy evaluated by computed tomography. Methods: Patients operated for colorectal liver metastases between 2010 and 2013 were included. Incisional hernia was defined as a discontinuity in the abdominal fascia observed on computed tomography. Results: A total of 256 patients were analyzed in regard to incisional hernia. Seventy-eight patients (30.5%) developed incisional hernia. Hernia locations were midline alone in 66 patients (84.6%) and involving the midline in another 8 patients (10.3%). In multivariate analysis, preoperative chemotherapy >6 cycles (hazard ratio 2.12, 95% confidence interval 1.14-3.94), preoperative bevacizumab (hazard ratio 3.63, 95% confidence interval 1.86-7.08) and incisional hernia from previous surgery (hazard ratio 3.50, 95% confidence interval 1.98-6.18) were found to be independent risk factors. Conclusions: Prolonged preoperative chemotherapy and also preoperative bevacizumab were strong predictors for developing an incisional hernia. After an extended right subcostal incision, the hernia location was almost exclusively in the midline