Physical function interfering with pain and symptoms in fibromyalgia patients

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between variables of physical assessment - muscular strength, flexibility and dynamic balance - with pain, pain threshold, and fibromyalgia symptoms (FM). Methods. Our sample consists of 55 women, with age ranging from 30 to 55 years (mean of 46.5, (standard deviation, SD=6.6)), mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.7(3.8) and diagnosed for FM according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and pain threshold (PT) using Fisher`s dolorimeter. FM symptoms were assessed by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ); flexibility by the third finger to floor test (3FF); the muscular strength index (MSI) by the maximum volunteer isometric contraction at flexion and extension of right knee and elbow using a force transducer, dynamic balance by the time to get up and go (TUG) test and the functional reach test (FRT). Data were analysed using Pearson`s correlation, as well as simple and multivariate regression tests, with significance level of 5%. Results. PT and FIQ were weakly but significantly correlated with the TUG, MSI and 3FF as well as VAS with the TUG and MSI (p<0.05). VAS, PT and FIQ was not correlated with FRT. Simple regression suggests that, alone, TUG, FR, MSI and 3FF are low predictors of VAS, PT and FIQ. For the VAS, the best predictive model includes TUG and MSI, explaining 12.6% of pain. variability. For TP and total symptoms, as obtained by the FIQ, most predictive model includes 3FF and MSI, which respectively respond by 30% and 21% of the variability. Conclusion. Muscular strength, flexibility and balance are associated with pain, pain threshold, and symptoms in FM patients.

Spirometric Function Improves in the Morbidly Obese After 1-Year Post-surgery

Obesity can negatively affect pulmonary function tests, with or without clinical symptoms, but the impact of bariatric weight loss is still debated. Aiming to document such profile in a consecutive homogeneous population, a prospective cohort study was undertaken. Sixty-one patients (100% females, age 40 +/- 8 years, BMI 49 +/- 5 kg/m(2) and without respiratory disease) were enrolled. Spirometric analysis was carried out to compare preoperative respiratory pattern with outcome after 6 and 12 months. Variables included vital capacity (VC), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), forced expiratory volume (1 s) (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV). Correlation of results with weight loss was examined. The following initial variables exhibited significant difference when compared to the 12-month postoperative control: FVC (P = 0.0308), FEV1/FVC (P = 0.1998), MVV (P = 0.0004) and ERV (P = 0.2124). Recovery of FVC and FEV1/FVC occurred earlier by 6 months. The most seriously depressed preoperative finding was ERV, which even after 1 year still remained inadequate. (1) Pulmonary limitations were diagnosed in approximately one third of the population. (2) Changes were demonstrated for FVC, FEV1/FVC, ERV and MVV. (3) FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were acceptable due to the absence of an obstructive pattern. (4) Two variables increased by 6 months (FEV1/FVC and ERV), whereas recovery for others was confirmed after 1 year. (5) The only exception was ERV which continued below the acceptable range.

Implications of prevalent and incident diabetes mellitus on left ventricular geometry and function in the ageing heart: The MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort study

Background and Aim: It is unclear to what extent diabetes modulates the ageing-related adaptations of cardiac geometry and function. Methods and Results: We examined 1005 adults, aged 25-74 years, from a population-based survey at baseline in 1994/5 and at follow-up in 2004/5. We compared persistently non-diabetic individuals (ND; no diabetes at baseline and at follow-up, n = 833) with incident (ID; non-diabetic at baseline and diabetic at follow-up, n = 36) and with prevalent diabetics (PD; diabetes at baseline and follow-up examination, n = 21). Left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were evaluated by echocardiography. Statistical analyses were performed with multivariate linear regression models. Over ten years the PD group displayed a significantly stronger relative increase of LV mass (+9.34% vs. +23.7%) that was mediated by a more pronounced increase of LV end-diastolic diameter (+0% vs. +6.95%) compared to the ND group. In parallel, LA diameter increased (+4.50% vs. +12.7%), whereas ejection fraction decreased (+3.02% vs. -4.92%) more significantly in the PD group. Moreover, at the follow-up examination the PD and ID groups showed a significantly worse diastolic function, indicated by a higher E/EM ratio compared with the ND group (11.6 and 11.8 vs. 9.79, respectively). Conclusions: Long-standing diabetes was associated with an acceleration of age-related changes of left ventricular geometry accumulating in an eccentric remodelling of the left ventricle. Likewise, echocardiographic measures of systolic and diastolic ventricular function deteriorated more rapidly in individuals with diabetes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Both a combined oral contraceptive and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate impair endothelial function in young women

Background: The study was conducted to determine whether the use of a combined oral contraceptive (COC) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) interferes with endothelial function. Study Design: The study was conducted on 100 women between the ages of 18 and 30 years. Fifty women had not used hormonal contraception (control group) for at least 12 months, 25 were current users of a COC (ethinylestradiol 30 mcg+levonorgestrel 150 mcg) and 25 were current users of DMPA (150 mg) for at least a 6-month period. All women were evaluated for brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD), intima-media thickness, carotid distensibility and stiffness index, arterial pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, heart rate and lipid profile. Results: A significant difference in FMD was observed between the COC and control groups (6.4 +/- 2.2% vs. 8,7 +/- 3.4%, p<.01) and between the DMPA and control groups (6.2 +/- 2.1% vs. 8.7 +/- 3.4%, p<.01). The DMPA group had lower values of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) than COC users and the control group (TC: DMPA=139.9 +/- 21.5 mg/dL vs. controls=167.1 +/- 29.2 mg/dL vs. COC=168.2 +/- 37.5. p=.001; LDL-C: DMPA-85.3 +/- 20.1 mg/dL vs. controls=102 +/- 24.5 mg/dL vs. COC=106.7 +/- 33.3 mg/dL, p=.01). The control group had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) than the DMPA and COC groups (controls=52.4 +/- 14.1 mg/dL vs. DMPA=42.2 +/- 7.2 mg/dL vs. COC=45.4 +/- 9.1 mg/dL, p=.001). No significant differences were observed regarding the other variables. Conclusions: FMD was lower among COC and DMPA users, Suggesting that these hormonal contraceptives may promote endothelial dysfunction. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy expenditure and the body cell mass in cystic fibrosis

Poor nutritional status in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with severe lung disease, and possible causative factors include inadequate intake, malabsorption, and increased energy requirements. Body cell mass (which can be quantified by measurement of total body potassium) provides an ideal standard for measurements of energy expenditure. The aim of this study was to compare resting energy expenditure (REE) in patients with CF with both predicted values and age-matched healthy children and to determine whether REE was related to either nutritional status or pulmonary function. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and body cell mass by scanning with total body potassium in 30 patients with CF(12 male, mean age = 13.07 +/- 0.55 y) and 18 healthy children (six male, mean age = 12.56 +/- 1.25 y). Nutritional status was expressed as a percentage of predicted total body potassium; Lung function was measured in the CF group by spirometry and expressed as the percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Mean REE was significantly increased in the patients with CF compared with healthy children (119.3 +/- 3.1% predicted versus 103.6 +/- 5% predicted, P < 0.001) and, using multiple regression techniques, REE for total body potassium was significantly increased in patients with CF (P = 0.0001). There was no relation between REE and nutritional status or pulmonary disease status in the CF group. In conclusion, REE is increased in children and adolescents with CF but is not directly related to nutritional status or pulmonary disease. Nutrition 2001;17:22-25. (C)Elsevier Science Inc. 2001.

HI observations of interacting galaxy pair NGC 4038/9

We present the results of new radio interferometer Hi line observations for the merging galaxy pair NGC 4038/9 ('The Antennae'), obtained using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The results improve substantially with respect to those of van der Hulst and show in detail the two merging galactic discs and the two tidal tails produced by their interaction. The small edge-on spiral dwarf galaxy ESO 572-G045 is also seen near the tip of the southern tail, but distinct from it. It shows no signs of tidal interaction. The northern tidal tail of the Antennae shows no HI connection to the discs and has an extension towards the west. The southern tidal tail is continuous, with a prominent HI concentration at its tip, roughly at the location of the tidal dwarf galaxy observed optically by Mirabel, Dottori & Lutz. Clear velocity structure is seen along the tidal tails and in the galactic discs. Radio continuum images at 20 and 13 cm are also presented, showing the discs in detail.

Numerical study of hydrogenic effective mass theory for an impurity P donor in Si in the presence of an electric field and interfaces

In this paper we examine the effects of varying several experimental parameters in the Kane quantum computer architecture: A-gate voltage, the qubit depth below the silicon oxide barrier, and the back gate depth to explore how these variables affect the electron density of the donor electron. In particular, we calculate the resonance frequency of the donor nuclei as a function of these parameters. To do this we calculated the donor electron wave function variationally using an effective-mass Hamiltonian approach, using a basis of deformed hydrogenic orbitals. This approach was then extended to include the electric-field Hamiltonian and the silicon host geometry. We found that the phosphorous donor electron wave function was very sensitive to all the experimental variables studied in our work, and thus to optimize the operation of these devices it is necessary to control all parameters varied in this paper.

Mass spectrometry improvement on an high current ion implanter

The development of accurate mass spectrometry, enabling the identification of all the ions extracted from the ion source in a high current implanter is described. The spectrometry system uses two signals (x-y graphic), one proportional to the magnetic field (x-axes), taken from the high-voltage potential with an optic fiber system, and the other proportional to the beam current intensity (y-axes), taken from a beam-stop. The ion beam mass register in a mass spectrum of all the elements magnetically analyzed with the same radius and defined by a pair of analyzing slits as a function of their beam intensity is presented. The developed system uses a PC to control the displaying of the extracted beam mass spectrum, and also recording of all data acquired for posterior analysis. The operator uses a LabView code that enables the interfacing between an I/O board and the ion implanter. The experimental results from an ion implantation experiment are shown. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fractional describing function of systems with nonlinear friction

This paper studies the describing function (DF) of systems consisting in a mass subjected to nonlinear friction. The friction force is composed in three components namely, the viscous, the Coulomb and the static forces. The system dynamics is analyzed in the DF perspective revealing a fractional-order behaviour. The reliability of the DF method is evaluated through the signal harmonic content and the limit cycle prediction.

Fractional describing function of systems with Coulomb friction

This paper studies the describing function (DF) of systems constituted by a mass subjected to nonlinear friction. The friction force is decomposed into two components, namely, the viscous and the Coulomb friction. The system dynamics is analyzed in the DF perspective revealing a fractional-order behavior. The reliability of the DF method is evaluated through the signal harmonic contents.

Measles antibody prevalence after mass immunization campaign in Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Three months after a mass vaccination campaign (coverage: 100%) against measles a random seroepidemiological survey was carried out in students aged 1 to 19 years old in the Municipality of Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro. Blood samples were tested for measles antibodies by enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) and negative cases were tested again using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and plaque reduction neutralization (PRN). Of the 798 samples tested by EIA, 718 (90.2%) were positive for measles antibodies. PRN test was more sensitive than EIA and HI in detecting measles specific antibodies. The total antibody prevalence increased from 90.2% to 93.2% when HI was employed in EIA negative specimens and to 98.9% when PRN was used. After the mass vaccination campaign a marked decrease in measles incidence was observed in the municipality studied, showing the effectiveness of the strategy used for measles control in developing countries.

On the function of the floccular complex of the vertebrate cerebellum: implications in paleoneuroanatomy

The cerebellum floccular complex lobes (FCLs) are housed in the FCL fossa of the periotic complex. There is experimental evidence indicating that the FCLs integrate visual and vestibular information, responsible for the vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulo-collic reflex, smooth pursuit and gaze holding. Thus, the behavior of extinct animals has been correlated with FCLs dimension in multiple paleoneuroanatomy studies. Here I analyzed braincase endocasts of a representative sample of Mammalia (48 species) and Aves (59 species) rendered using tomography and image segmentation and tested statistical correlations between the floccular complex volume, ecological and behavioral traits to assess various previously formulated paleobiological speculations. My results demonstrate: 1) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL volume and body mass; 2) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL and optic lobes size in birds; 3) average relative FCL size is larger in diurnal than in nocturnal birds but there is no statistically significant difference in mammals; 4) feeding strategies are related with different FCL size patterns in birds, but not in mammals; 5) locomotion type is not related with relative FCL size in mammals; 6) agility is not significantly correlated with FCL size in mammals. I conclude that, despite the apparent relation between FCL size and ecology in birds, the cerebellum of tetrapods is a highly plastic structure and may be adapted to control different functions across different taxonomic levels. For example, the european mole (Talpa europaea) which is fossorial and practically blind, has a FCL fossae relative size larger than those of bats, which are highly maneuverable. Therefore, variation in FCL size may be better explained by a combination of multiple factors with relation to anatomical and phylogenetic evolutionary constraints.

Pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in asymptomatic bariatric candidates with very severe morbid obesity

PURPOSE: Aerobic capacity and respiratory function may be compromised in obesity, but few studies have been done in highly obese bariatric candidates. In a prospective study, these variables were documented in the preoperative period, aiming to define possible physiologic limitations in a apparently healthy and asymptomatic population. METHOD: Forty-six consecutively enrolled adults (age 39.6 ± 8.4 years, 87.0% females, body mass index /BMI 49.6 ± 6.3 kg/m² ) were analyzed. Ventilatory variables were investigated by automated spirometry, aerobic capacity was estimated by a modified Bruce test in an ergometric treadmill, and body composition was determined by bioimpedance analysis. RESULTS: Total fat was greatly increased (46.4 ± 4.6% of body weight) and body water reduced (47.3 ± 4.6 % body weight), as expected for such obese group. Spirometric findings including forced vital capacity of 3.3 ± 0.8 L and forced expiratory volume-1 second of 2.6 ± 0.6 L were usually acceptable for age and gender, but mild restrictive pulmonary insufficiency was diagnosed in 20.9%. Aerobic capacity was more markedly diminished, as reflected by very modest maximal time (4.5 ± 1.1 min) and distance (322 ±142 m) along with proportionally elevated maximal oxygen consumption (23.4 ± 9.5 mL/kg/min) achieved by these subjects during test exercise. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Cardiopulmonary evaluation was feasible and well-tolerated in this severely obese population; 2) Mean spirometric variables were not diminished in this study, but part of the population displayed mild restrictive changes; 3) Exercise tolerance was very negatively influenced by obesity, resulting in reduced endurance and excessive metabolic cost for the treadmill run; 4) More attention to fitness and aerobic capacity is recommended for seriously obese bariatric candidates;

Differential top-antitop cross-section measurements as a function of observables constructed from final-state particles using pp collisions at s√=7 TeV in the ATLAS detector

Various differential cross-sections are measured in top-quark pair (tt¯) events produced in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=7 TeV at the LHC with the ATLAS detector. These differential cross-sections are presented in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb−1. The differential cross-sections are presented in terms of kinematic variables of a top-quark proxy referred to as the pseudo-top-quark whose dependence on theoretical models is minimal. The pseudo-top-quark can be defined in terms of either reconstructed detector objects or stable particles in an analogous way. The measurements are performed on tt¯ events in the lepton+jets channel, requiring exactly one charged lepton and at least four jets with at least two of them tagged as originating from a b-quark. The hadronic and leptonic pseudo-top-quarks are defined via the leptonic or hadronic decay mode of the W boson produced by the top-quark decay in events with a single charged lepton.The cross-section is measured as a function of the transverse momentum and rapidity of both the hadronic and leptonic pseudo-top-quark as well as the transverse momentum, rapidity and invariant mass of the pseudo-top-quark pair system. The measurements are corrected for detector effects and are presented within a kinematic range that closely matches the detector acceptance. Differential cross-section measurements of the pseudo-top-quark variables are compared with several Monte Carlo models that implement next-to-leading order or leading-order multi-leg matrix-element calculations.

Search for W'→tb- in the lepton plus jets final state in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for new charged massive gauge bosons, called W′, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√ = 8 TeV, using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. This analysis searches for W′ bosons in the W′→tb¯ decay channel in final states with electrons or muons, using a multivariate method based on boosted decision trees. The search covers masses between 0.5 and 3.0 TeV, for right-handed or left-handed W′ bosons. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed and limits are set on the W′→tb¯ cross-section times branching ratio and on the W′-boson effective couplings as a function of the W′-boson mass using the CLs procedure. For a left-handed (right-handed) W′ boson, masses below 1.70 (1.92) TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.