EFFECT OF SEGMENTAL VIBRATION ON HAND AND PINCH GRIP STRENGTHS IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

Handgrip and pinch strengths are important markers in many sports as well as in determining health status. Many interventions have been proposed for increasing hand muscle strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of segmental hand vibration on hand and pinch grip strengths. Ninety-two healthy university students were randomly assigned into two equal groups. By the end of the study, Group (A) and (B) consisted of 40 and 37 participants, respectively. The measurements consisted of the hand grip and pinch grip strengths using electronic dynamometer, measured in Kg, before, after three weeks, and after six weeks of training. Group (A) underwent isometric exercise training using hand gripper as follows: 4 seconds maximum grip, release for 2 seconds, repeated for 1 minute for three sets and with 3 minutes rest in between. Group (B) had the same exercise implemented in group (A) with the addition of five minutes of segmental vibration on both upper limb with 30Hz and amplitude of 2mm. The training was done two times per week for six weeks. Results revealed that both groups did demonstrate significant increase in hand and grip strengths after six weeks (p.05). It can be concluded that, segmental upper limb vibration does not have additional effect over isometric muscle training alone on hand grip and pinch grip strengths

A case report of a huge congenital granular cell epulis operated under local anesthesia

Congenital granular cell epulis (CGCE) is a very rare benign soft tissue lesion of the neonate, it most frequently located on the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge. It has a female predilection. It is a tumor with no tendency to recur after excision. The exact histogenesis of this tumor remains unresolved and it may be hamartomata.Key words: Congenital granular cell tumor, gingival tumor, newborn, local anesthesi

Quantitative Implementation of Acoustic Impedance Inversion to Porosity and Lithology Prediction of Clastic Reservoir, Luhais Oil Field, Southern Iraq

In the present study, some of petrophysical properties of Nuhr Umr Formation in Luhais oil field (south of Iraq) are evaluated by using an acoustic impedance inversion process. 2D seismic reflection data of (29) lines covering the field, neutron porosity logs, and synthetic acoustic impedance logs were used in inversion of seismic sections into an acoustic impedance and porosity sections. To compensate the low frequency in relative acoustic impedance that rely on seismic data frequency (band-limit frequency), we inverted relative acoustic impedance with combination the low frequency of well data to obtain absolute acoustic impedance. The absolute acoustic impedance shows consistency and good tie with an acoustic impedance log. At the reservoir interval the lithology was discriminate and evaluate the facies quality of Nahr-Umr Formation using absolute acoustic impedance inversion and subdivided into three main members. The shale facies indicate high porosity (25%) corresponding to low acoustic impedance (6500 Kpa. m/s) at the top of the reservoir. The petrophysical analysis declare and confirm higher quality reservoir is noticed and recognized in the middle member of Nahr-Umr reservoir. Keywords: seismic inversion, porosity prediction, Absolute Acoustic impedanc

Transcatheter interatrial shunt device for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (REDUCE LAP-HF I [Reduce Elevated Left Atrial Pressure in Patients With Heart Failure]): A phase 2, randomized, sham-controlled trial

Background -In non-randomized, open-label studies, a transcatheter interatrial shunt device (IASD, Corvia Medical) was associated with lower pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), less symptoms, and greater quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with heart failure (HF) and mid-range or preserved ejection fraction (EF ≥ 40%). We conducted the first randomized, sham-controlled trial to evaluate the IASD in HF with EF ≥ 40%. Methods -REDUCE LAP-HF I was a phase 2, randomized, parallel-group, blinded multicenter trial in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or ambulatory class IV HF, EF ≥ 40%, exercise PCWP ≥ 25 mmHg, and PCWP-right atrial pressure gradient ≥ 5 mmHg. Participants were randomized (1:1) to the IASD vs. a sham procedure (femoral venous access with intracardiac echocardiography but no IASD placement). The participants and investigators assessing the participants during follow-up were blinded to treatment assignment. The primary effectiveness endpoint was exercise PCWP at 1 month. The primary safety endpoint was major adverse cardiac, cerebrovascular, and renal events (MACCRE) at 1 month. PCWP during exercise was compared between treatment groups using a mixed effects repeated measures model analysis of covariance that included data from all available stages of exercise. Results -A total of 94 patients were enrolled, of which n=44 met inclusion/exclusion criteria and were randomized to the IASD (n=22) and control (n=22) groups. Mean age was 70±9 years and 50% were female. At 1 month, the IASD resulted in a greater reduction in PCWP compared to sham-control (P=0.028 accounting for all stages of exercise). Peak PCWP decreased by 3.5±6.4 mmHg in the treatment group vs. 0.5±5.0 mmHg in the control group (P=0.14). There were no peri-procedural or 1-month MACCRE in the IASD group and 1 event (worsening renal function) in the control group (P=1.0). Conclusions -In patients with HF and EF ≥ 40%, IASD treatment reduces PCWP during exercise. Whether this mechanistic effect will translate into sustained improvements in symptoms and outcomes requires further evaluation. Clinical Trial Registration -URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02600234

Is spinopelvic sagittal alignment correlated with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome? A cross-sectional study

There is a growing interest concerning the understanding of measurements of spinal and leg alignment in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). However, evaluating spinopelvic alignment in the sagittal plane with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) in PFPS has not been adequately addressed. The aim of the study was to identify the correlation of spinopelvic parameters with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with PFPS. This was a cross–sectional study involving sixty female patients diagnosed with PEPS, with a mean age of 32±6.47. The measurements used in the study included: radiographic parameters (X-Ray), the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), the Arabic anterior knee pain scale (AAKP/Kujala) and the 2D-FPPA. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between these parameters. The results of our study demonstrated a strong positive correlation of lumbar lordosis (LL) with pain level and FPPA (r=0.825, r=0.812, p=0.0001). Also, a strong positive correlation of sacral slope (SS) with pain level (r = 0.0.820) and FPPA (r= 0.783). Pelvic tilt (PT) showed a moderate correlation with pain level (r = 0.0.614) and FPPA (r= 0.605), while a weak negative correlation was found between LL, SS and PT and functional disability score (r=-0.397, r=-0.385 and, r=-0.215 p=0.002). It was concluded that LL, SS and PT were significantly related to the pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with PFPS. These spinal alignments should be considered in clinical evaluation of knee-related disorders associated with PFPS

Immunosuppression: Evolution in Practice and Trends, 1994–2004

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73911/1/j.1600-6143.2006.01270.x.pd

Spectrum of Chiral Operators in Strongly Coupled Gauge Theories

We analyze the large $N$ spectrum of chiral primary operators of three dimensional fixed points of the renormalization group. Using the space-time picture of the fixed points and the correspondence between anti-de Sitter compactifications and conformal field theories we are able to extract the dimensions of operators in short superconformal multiplets. We write down some of these operators in terms of short distance theories flowing to these non-trivial fixed points in the infrared.Comment: harvmac, 16 pages, one acknowledgement adde

Direct evidence for coastal iodine particles from <i>Laminaria</i> macroalgae ? linkage to emissions of molecular iodine

International audienceRenewal of ultrafine aerosols in the marine boundary layer may lead to repopulation of the marine distribution and ultimately determine the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Thus the formation of nanometre-scale particles can lead to enhanced scattering of incoming radiation and a net cooling of the atmosphere. The recent demonstration of the chamber formation of new particles from the photolytic production of condensable iodine-containing compounds from diiodomethane (CH2I2), (O'Dowd et al., 2002; Kolb, 2002; Jimenez et al., 2003a; Burkholder and Ravishankara, 2003), provides an additional mechanism to the gas-to-particle conversion of sulphuric acid formed in the photo-oxidation of dimethylsulphide for marine aerosol repopulation. CH2I2 is emitted from seaweeds (Carpenter et al., 1999, 2000) and has been suggested as an initiator of particle formation. We demonstrate here for the first time that ultrafine iodine-containing particles are produced by intertidal macroalgae exposed to ambient levels of ozone. The particle composition is very similar both to those formed in the chamber photo-oxidation of diiodomethane and in the oxidation of molecular iodine by ozone. The particles formed in all three systems are similarly aspherical and behave alike when exposed to increased humidity environments. Direct coastal boundary layer observations of molecular iodine, ultrafine particle production and iodocarbons are reported. Using a newly measured molecular iodine photolysis rate, it is shown that, if atomic iodine is involved in the observed particle bursts, it is of the order of at least 1000 times more likely to result from molecular iodine photolysis than diiodomethane photolysis. A hypothesis for molecular iodine release from intertidal macroalgae is presented and the potential importance of macroalgal iodine particles in their contribution to CCN and global radiative forcing are discussed

Design and validation of the 1-week memory battery for assessing episodic memory and accelerated long-term forgetting in cognitively unimpaired subjects

Subtle decline in memory is thought to arise in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, detecting these initial cognitive difficulties cross-sectionally has been challenging, and the exact nature of the decline is still debated. Accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF) has been recently suggested as one of the earliest and most sensitive indicators of memory dysfunction in subjects at risk of developing AD. The objective of this study was to design and validate the 1-week memory battery (1WMB) for assessing episodic memory and ALF in cognitively unimpaired individuals.The 1WMB is unique in that it assesses multimodal memory and measures recall at both short delay (20 min) and at long term (1 week). Forty-five cognitively unimpaired subjects were assessed with 1WMB and standardized neuropsychological tests. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), levels of anxiety and depression, and cognitive reserve were also measured.The tests of 1WMB showed a high internal consistency, and concurrent validity was observed with standard tests of episodic memory and executive functions. The analysis revealed a greater loss of information at 1 week compared to short-term forgetting (20 min). Performance in the 1WMB was affected by age and educational level, but was not associated with levels of anxiety and depression. Unlike standard tests, performance in the 1WMB correlated with measures of SCD.Our findings indicate that the 1WMB has good psychometric properties, and future studies are needed to explore its potential usefulness to assess cognitively unimpaired subjects at increased risk of developing AD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Isotopic Scaling of Heavy Projectile Residues from the collisions of 25 MeV/nucleon 86Kr with 124Sn, 112Sn and 64Ni, 58Ni

The scaling of the yields of heavy projectile residues from the reactions of 25 MeV/nucleon 86Kr projectiles with 124Sn,112Sn and 64Ni, 58Nitargets is studied. Isotopically resolved yield distributions of projectile fragments in the range Z=10-36 from these reaction pairs were measured with the MARS recoil separator in the angular range 2.7-5.3 degrees. The velocities of the residues, monotonically decreasing with Z down to Z~26-28, are employed to characterize the excitation energy. The yield ratios R21(N,Z) for each pair of systems are found to exhibit isotopic scaling (isoscaling), namely, an exponential dependence on the fragment atomic number Z and neutron number N. The isoscaling is found to occur in the residue Z range corresponding to the maximum observed excitation energies. The corresponding isoscaling parameters are alpha=0.43 and beta=-0.50 for the Kr+Sn system and alpha=0.27 and beta=-0.34 for the Kr+Ni system. For the Kr+Sn system, for which the experimental angular acceptance range lies inside the grazing angle, isoscaling was found to occur for Z<26 and N<34. For heavier fragments from Kr+Sn, the parameters vary monotonically, alpha decreasing with Z and beta increasing with N. This variation is found to be related to the evolution towards isospin equilibration and, as such, it can serve as a tracer of the N/Z equilibration process. The present heavy-residue data extend the observation of isotopic scaling from the intermediate mass fragment region to the heavy-residue region. Such high-resolution mass spectrometric data can provide important information on the role of isospin in peripheral and mid-peripheral collisions, complementary to that accessible from modern large-acceptance multidetector devices.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.