Extensor-tendons reconstruction using autogenous palmaris longus tendon grafting for rheumatoid arthritis patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of the study is to retrospectively review the clinical outcome of our study population of middle-aged RA patients who had suffered extensor-tendon rupture. We reported the outcome of autogenous palmaris tendon grafting of multiple extensor tendons at wrist level in 14 middle-aged rheumatoid patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between Feb. 2000 to Feb. 2004, thirty-six ruptured wrist level extensor tendons were reconstructed in fourteen rheumatoid patients (11 women and three men) using autogenous palmaris longus tendon as a free interposition graft. In each case, the evaluation was based on both subjective and objective criteria, including the range of MCP joint flexion after surgery, the extension lag at the metacarpophalangeal joint before and after surgery, and the ability of the patient to work.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>The average of follow-up was 54.1 months (range, 40 to 72 months). The average range of MCP joint flexion after reconstruction was 66°. The extension lag at the metacarpophalangeal joint significantly improved from a preoperative mean of 38° (range, 25°–60°) to a postoperative mean of 16° (range, 0°–30°). Subjectively all patients were satisfied with the clinical results, and achieved a return to their level of ability before tendon rupture. We found good functional results in our series of interposition grafting using palmaris longus to reconstruct extensor tendon defects in the rheumatoid patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Reconstruction for multiple tendon ruptures is a salvage procedure that is often associated with extensor lag and impairment of overall function. Early aggressive treatment of extensor tendon reconstruction using autogenous palmaris longus tendon as a free interposition graft in the rheumatoid wrist is another viable option to achieve good clinical functional result.</p

The Evolution of Population III and Extremely Metal-Poor Binary Stars

Numerical simulations have now shown that Population III (Pop III) stars can form in binaries and small clusters and that these stars can be in close proximity to each other. If so, they could be subject to binary interactions such as mass exchange that could profoundly alter their evolution, ionizing UV and Lyman-Werner (LW) photon emission and explosion yields, with important consequences for early cosmological reionization and chemical enrichment. Here we investigate the evolution of Pop III and extremely metal-poor binary stars with the MESA code. We find that interactions ranging from stable mass transfer to common envelope evolution can occur in these binaries for a wide range of mass ratios and initial separations. Mass transfer can nearly double UV photon yields in some of these binaries with respect to their individual stars by extending the life of the companion star, which in turn can enhance early cosmological reionization but also suppress the formation of later generations of primordial stars. Binary interactions can also have large effects on the nucleosynthetic yields of the stars by promoting or removing them into or out of mass ranges for specific SN types. We provide fits to total photon yields for the binaries in our study for use in cosmological simulations

Degradable starch nanoparticle assisted ethanol precipitation of DNA

The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.04.007 © 2014. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Precipitation of DNA from a large volume of aqueous solution is an important step in many molecular biology and analytical chemistry experiments. Currently, this is mainly achieved by ethanol precipitation, where a long-term incubation (usually overnight) at low temperature of −20 to −80 °C with high salt concentration is required. This method also requires a large quantity of DNA to form a visible pellet and was tested mainly for double-stranded DNA. To improve DNA precipitation, co-precipitating polymers such as linear polyacrylamide has been used. In this work, we report that starch nanoparticles (SNPs) can achieve convenient DNA precipitation at room temperature with a low salt concentration and short incubation time. This method requires as low as 0.01–0.1% SNPs and can precipitate both single- and double-stranded DNA of various lengths. The effect of salt concentration, pH and the crosslinking density of SNPs has been systematically studied. Compared to other types of precipitating agents, SNPs are highly biocompatible and can be degraded by a common enzyme (amylase). This work suggests a novel application of a bio-based material that is prepared in mass production.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council || EcoSynthetix Inc. |

Degradable starch nanoparticle assisted ethanol precipitation of DNA

The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.04.007 © 2014. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Precipitation of DNA from a large volume of aqueous solution is an important step in many molecular biology and analytical chemistry experiments. Currently, this is mainly achieved by ethanol precipitation, where a long-term incubation (usually overnight) at low temperature of −20 to −80 °C with high salt concentration is required. This method also requires a large quantity of DNA to form a visible pellet and was tested mainly for double-stranded DNA. To improve DNA precipitation, co-precipitating polymers such as linear polyacrylamide has been used. In this work, we report that starch nanoparticles (SNPs) can achieve convenient DNA precipitation at room temperature with a low salt concentration and short incubation time. This method requires as low as 0.01–0.1% SNPs and can precipitate both single- and double-stranded DNA of various lengths. The effect of salt concentration, pH and the crosslinking density of SNPs has been systematically studied. Compared to other types of precipitating agents, SNPs are highly biocompatible and can be degraded by a common enzyme (amylase). This work suggests a novel application of a bio-based material that is prepared in mass production.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council || EcoSynthetix Inc. |

Associations between walking parameters and subsequent sleep difficulty in older adults:a 2-year follow-up study

Purpose: This 2-year follow-up study aimed to examine the associations between total volume, frequency, duration, and speed of walking with subsequent sleep difficulty in older adults. Methods: A total of 800 older adults aged 65 years and over participated in the first survey in 2012 and 511 of them were followed 2 years later. The 5-item Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS-5) was used to measure sleep difficulty. Frequency, duration, and speed of outdoor walking were self-reported. Walking speed was assigned a metabolic equivalent value (MET) from 2.5 to 4.5. Total walking volume in MET-h/week was calculated as frequency × duration × speed. Negative binomial regressions were performed to examine the associations between volume and components of walking with subsequent sleep difficulty with covariates of age, sex, education, marital status, living arrangement, smoking, alcohol consumption, mental health, Charlson Index, exercise (excluding walking), and sleep difficulty at baseline. Results: Participants with low walking volume had a higher level of sleep difficulty 2 years later compared with those with high walking volume (incident rate ratios = 1.61, p = 0.004). When speed, frequency, and duration of walking were simultaneously entered into 1 model, only walking speed was significantly associated with subsequent sleep difficulty (after the model was adjusted for covariates and baseline sleep difficulty). Sensitivity analyses showed that walking duration emerged as a significant predictor among 3 walking parameters, with 2-year changes of sleep scores as dependent variable. Conclusion: Total amount of walking (especially faster walking and lasting for more than 20 min) is associated with less subsequent sleep difficulty after 2 years among older adults

Examining the influence of body fat distribution on standing balance and functional performance in overweight female patients with degenerative lumbar disease

Introduction: Degenerative lumbar disease (DLD) is a prevalent disorder that predominantly affects the elderly population, especially female. Extensive research has demonstrated that overweight individuals (categorized by body fat distribution) have a higher susceptibility to developing DLD and an increased risk of falling. However, there is limited research available on the standing balance and functional performance of overweight females with DLD.Aims: To determine the impact of body fat distribution on standing balance and functional performance in overweight females with DLD.Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated thirty females with DLD were categorized into three types of body fat distribution based on body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio, specifically as android-type, gynoid-type, and normal weight groups. In addition, a control group of ten age-matched females with normal weight was recruited. The Visual Analogue Scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, Cobb angle (Determined using x-ray), and body composition (Determined using the InBody S10), were conducted only on the DLD groups. All participants were assessed standing balance in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. The functional assessments included timed-up-and-go and 5-times-sit-to-stand tests.Results: There were 10 people in each group. Android-type (Age = 65.00 ± 6.34 years; BMI = 26.87 ± 2.05 kg/m2), Gynoid-type (Age = 65.60 ± 4.99 years; BMI = 26.60 ± 1.75 kg/m2), Normal weight (Age = 65.70 ± 5.92 years; BMI = 22.35 ± 1.26 kg/m2), and Control (Age = 65.00 ± 5.23 years; BMI = 22.60 ± 1.12 kg/m2). The android-type group had higher body fat, visceral fat, and lower muscle mass (p &lt; 0.05), along with an increased Cobb angle (p &lt; 0.05). They showed greater ellipse area, total excursion, and mean distance in the anteroposterior direction (p &lt; 0.05). During the functional performance assessments, the android-type group had longer durations in both the 5-times-sit-to-stand and timed-up-and-go tasks (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Our study found that android-type overweight individuals showed postural instability, reduced functional performance, and insufficient lower limb muscle strength and mass. These findings might help physical therapists in planning interventions, as they imply that patients with DLD may require specific types of standing balance training and lower extremities muscle-strengthening based on their body fat distribution.Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT0537520

Using Capacitance Sensor to Extract Characteristic Signals of Dozing from Skin Surface

Skin is the largest organ of the human body and a physiological structure that is directly exposed to the environment. From a theoretical perspective, numerous physiological and psychological signals use the skin as a medium for input and output with the outside world. Therefore, the skin is considered an optimal signal interception point when developing noninvasive, direct, and rapid signal exploration devices. To date, skin signal interceptions are predominantly performed by measuring skin impedance. However, this method is prone to interference such as sweat secretion, salt accumulation on the skin, and muscle contractions, which may result in a substantial amount of interference and erroneous results. The present study proposes novel and effective methods for skin signal interception, such as using a nested probe as a sensor to measure capacitance to be further processed as physiological and psychological signals. The experimental results indicate that the capacitance curve for the transition between wakefulness and dozing exhibits significant changes. This change in the curve can be analyzed by computer programs to clearly and rapidly determine whether the subject has entered the initial phases of sleep

Effect of music interventions on anxiety during labor: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Anxiety is commonly experienced during the delivery process and has shown to have adverse effects on maternal and infant health outcomes. Music interventions tend to reduce the effects of anxiety in diverse populations, are low cost, are easily accessible, and have high acceptability. The aim of this review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of music interventions in reducing anxiety levels among women during labor. Methods Seven databases from inception to the end of December, 2018, without any language or time restriction including Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, PsycINFO, Airiti Library, and PerioPath: Index to Taiwan Periodical Literature were searched using key terms related to pregnancy, anxiety, and music. Randomized controlled trials that assessed the effect of music during labor and measured anxiety levels as an outcome were included. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess anxiety reduction following a music intervention compared to that after placebo treatment. Results A total of 14 studies that investigated a total of 1,310 participants were included in this review. The meta-analyses indicated that those in the intervention group had a significant decrease in anxiety scores (standardized mean difference = −2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−3.29 to −1.52], p < 0.001; I2 = 97.66%), heart rate (HR) (difference in means = −3.04 beats/min, 95% CI [−4.79 to −1.29] beats/min, p = 0.001; I2 = 0.00%), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (difference in means = −3.71 mmHg, 95% CI [−7.07 to −0.35] mmHg, p = 0.031; I2 = 58.47%), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (difference in means = −3.54 mmHg, 95% CI [−5.27 to −1.81] mmHg, p < 0.001; I2 = 0.00%) as compared to the women in the control group. Conclusions Music interventions may decrease anxiety scores and physiological indexes related to anxiety (HR, SBP, and DBP). Music interventions may be a good non-pharmacological approach for decreasing anxiety levels during labor