Braggkrogh3003

To evaluate the effect of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme on closure of the rectus diastasis (RD) and quality of life in women after delivery.

A randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment.

A tertiary hospital and participants' homes in Foshan, China.

Sixty-six women with RD 2-6 months after delivery were recruited into this study (study group n = 33, control group n = 33). click here The mean age of participants was 29.9 [standard deviation (SD) 4.3] years.

Each participant performed abdominal exercises. Patients in the study group received electromyographic-biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training (BAPFMT) in combination with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the rectus abdominis, and patients in the control group underwent NMES of the rectus abdominis alone.

The main study outcomes were inter-recti distance (IRD) and change in Short-Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) scores 6 weeks after the intervention.

A significant decrease in IRD was observed in the study group at 6 weeks [study group 1.6 (SD 0.3) cm vs control group 2.0 (SD 0.3); mean difference - 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) - 0.59 to - 0.26]. Similarly, the physical component summary, an integral component of SF-36, showed a significant improvement in the study group compared with the control group at 6 weeks [study group 45.5 (SD 1.2) vs control group 41.2 (SD 2.6); mean difference 4.3, 95% CI 3.72-4.50].

A postpartum programme including BAPFMT for women with RD is feasible and improves the physical domain of quality of life.

ClinicalTrials.fimmu, No RCT 02561078. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.

ClinicalTrials.fimmu, No RCT 02561078. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of transmembrane water exchange parameters detected by brain shutter speed (BSS) dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)MRI, which is validated to be associated with aquaporin-4 expression, in distinguishing glioblastoma (GBM) from solitary brain metastasis (SBM).

40 patients (mean age 58.6±11.7years old, male/female 23/17) with GBM and 48 patients (mean age 61.7±10.5years old, male/female 28/20) with SBM were enrolled in this observational study. BSS DCE-MRI was performed before operation. Intravascular water efflux rate constant (k

) and intracellular water efflux rate constant (k

) within the peritumoral region and enhancing tumor were calculated from SS-DCE, respectively. The difference of these two parameters between GBM and SBM was explored. Immunohistochemical staining aquaporin-4 of was performed to validate its underlying biological mechanism.

The k

was found to be statistically different within both peritumoral region SBM vs. GBM (s-1) 1.0[0.4,1.7] vs. 1.5[0.9,2.1], p=0.009 and enhanced tumor SBM vs. GBM (s-1) 0.2[0.1,0.5] vs. 0.4[0.1,1.3], p=0.034. Immunohistochemical analysis reveals the high perivascular aquaporin-4 expression in GBM may contribute the higher k

value than that of SBM.

k

derived from BSS DCE-MRI was an independent pathophysiological parameter for separating GBM from SBM, in which k

might be associated with the perivascular aquaporin-4 expression.

kbo derived from BSS DCE-MRI was an independent pathophysiological parameter for separating GBM from SBM, in which kbo might be associated with the perivascular aquaporin-4 expression.

To examine the correlation of quantitative measurements from material decomposition maps calculated from dual-layer CT (DLCT)-image datasets with immunohistochemical biomarkers of invasive breast carcinomas.

All patients at the University Breast Cancer Center who underwent a clinically indicated dual-layer CT-scan for staging of invasive ductal breast carcinoma from 01/2016 to 07/2020 were prospectively included. Iodine concentration maps and maps of the effective atomic numbers (Zeffective) were reconstructed from the image datasets. ROI-based evaluations of the index tumors and predefined references tissues for normalization were performed semi-automatically in identical anatomical positions using dedicated evaluation software. Statistical analysis was essentially descriptive using Spearmańs rank correlation and (multivariable) partial correlation.

Bivariate showed statistically significant correlations of iodine contents (r=-0.154/-0.202/0.180, p=0.039/0.006/0.015), and Zeffective-values (r=-0.158/-0 routine in the long term.

Our preliminary results indicate that iodine content and Zeffective-values derived from DLCT-examinations correlate with hormone receptor expression in invasive breast carcinomas. Assignments to benign entities already seam feasible in clinical routine CT-diagnostics. After further investigations iodine content and Zeffective may be translated as diagnostical and prognostical biomarkers into clinical routine in the long term.Rotator cuff (RC) muscles act as force couples to stabilize the glenohumeral joint and enable shoulder motion. We investigated the moment arms of anatomical subregions of the supraspinatus (SSP), infraspinatus (ISP), subscapularis (SSC), and the teres minor muscles during flexion. Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were obtained and the anatomical subregions of the RC muscles were identified. Sutures were secured for each subregion at the musculotendinous junction and excursion during flexion from 30° to 90° at 10° increments was measured using a 3-D digitizing system. Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test was used to assess differences from subregions within a single muscle. There were significant differences in moment arms between the subregions from each RC muscle (P < 0.001). The anterior-superficial and -middle subregions of the SSP muscle presented positive (flexor) and decreasing moment arms with increasing flexion. The posterior-deep subregion showed moment arms with positive but decreasing values up to 65°, and negative (extensor) moment arms at larger angles. Subregions from the ISP showed positive and almost constant moment arms throughout range of motion, while the teres minor presented negative and almost unaltered moment arms. The superior and middle subregions of the SSC showed positive, but decreasing, moment arms with increasing angles up to 75° flexion, with negative moment arms towards end-range. The inferior subregion presented negative moment arms throughout flexion. Our results indicated that the posterior deep subregion of SSP muscle seems to act as a flexor at early range and as a stabilizer at mid-to-end range of flexion.

Radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC) is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of epileptic foci. The aim of this study is to review available evidence on the safety and efficacy of RF-TC for medically refractory epilepsy.

A comprehensive literature search (Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane) was conducted for studies with patient-level data on RF-TC for medically refractory epilepsy. Seizure outcome (Engel classification) at last follow-up comprised the primary endpoint. New temporary or permanent post-procedural neurological deficits were the secondary endpoints.

A total of 20 studies (360 patients) were analyzed. Median age at the time of intervention was 29 years (interquartile range (IQR) 21-37) and 57% were males. A lesional MRI was noted in 59% of patients. Median duration of postoperative follow-up was 24 months (IQR 11-48). The median number of RF-TC lesions per patient was 11 (IQR 6-19), with bipolar ablation (i.e. between two contiguous contacts) being the most common method (n=24patients and their families.

Current evidence supports the promising safety and efficacy profile of RF-TC for medically refractory epilepsy. Randomized controlled trial data are needed to further establish the role of this intervention in preoperative discussions with patients and their families.

Seizures are known to occur with diurnal and other rhythms. To gain insight into the neurophysiology of periodicity of seizures, we tested the hypothesis that intracranial high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) show diurnal rhythms and sleep-wake cycle variation. We further hypothesized that HFOs have different rhythms within and outside the seizure-onset zone (SOZ).

In drug-resistant epilepsy patients undergoing stereotactic-EEG (SEEG) monitoring to localize SOZ, we analyzed the number of 50-200 Hz HFOs/channel/minute (HFO density) through a 24-hour period. The distribution of HFO density during the 24-hour period as a function of the clock time was analyzed with cosinor model, and for non-uniformity with the sleep-wake cycle.

HFO density showed a significant diurnal rhythm overall and both within and outside SOZ. This diurnal rhythm of HFO density showed significantly lower amplitude and longer acrophase within SOZ compared to outside SOZ. The peaks of difference in HFO density within and outside SOZ precpected diurnal rhythm. The difference in HFO density within and outside SOZ also showed non-uniform distribution according to clock times and the sleep-wake cycle, which can be a potential biomarker for preferential times of pathological cortical excitability. A temporal correlation with seizure occurrence further substantiates this hypothesis.

The study was designed to assess the effects of hypertension (HT) susceptibility genes polymorphisms in the development of preeclampsia (PE) in Caucasians from Central Russia.

PE patients (n=452) and women control group (n=498) were genotyped for 10 polymorphisms of HT/blood pressure (BP) susceptibility genes (according to the previously published GWAS in Caucasian populations) including AC026703.1 (rs1173771), HFE (rs1799945), BAG6 (rs805303), PLCE1 (rs932764), OBFC1 (rs4387287), ARHGAP42 (rs633185), CERS5 (rs7302981), ATP2B1 (rs2681472), TBX2 (rs8068318) and RGL3 (rs167479). A logistic regression method was applied to search for associations between SNPs and PE. The relationship between SNP-SNP interactions and PE risk was analyzed by performing MB-MDR.

The rs1799945 gene in HFE significantly independently increased the risk of developing PE (OR=2.24) and rs805303 in BAG6 was associated with a reduced risk in the occurrence of PE (OR=0.55-0.78). Among the 10 SNPs examined, nine SNPs were associated wi/non-synonymous) that nine genetic risk markers and their 115 highly correlated variants exert on 155 genes. The study shows that these genes may function cooperatively in key signaling pathways in PE biology.Although exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with cognitive decline, little is known about which PM2.5 constituents are more harmful. Recent study on the association between PM2.5 and sleep quality prompted us to propose that sleep quality may mediate the adverse effects of PM2.5 components on cognitive decline. Understanding the association between PM2.5 constituents and cognitive function, as well as the mediating role of sleep quality provides a future intervention target for improving cognitive function. Using data involving 1834 participants from a multicenter cross-sectional study in nine cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China, we undertook multivariable linear regression analyses to quantify the association of annual moving-average PM2.5 and its chemical constituents with cognitive function and to assess the modifying role of exposure characteristic in this association. Besides, we examined the extent to which this association of PM2.5 constituents with cognitive function was mediated via sleep quality by a mediation analysis.