Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a condition of the adolescent hip in which the femoral head displaces relative to the femoral neck. This disorder is characterized by a synovitis of the ...hip joint or a mechanical limitation of motion with pain referred to the thigh or knee. The case described in this report is typical of an adolescent with SCFE. A brief review of epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation, and treatment is presented to facilitate the physical therapist's knowledge of this condition and its proper management. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of SCFE may result in progression of the slip and chronic disability from osteoarthritis. It is imperative, therefore, that a patient suspected of having this condition be promptly referred to an orthopaedic surgeon for radiographic evaluation.
Mitochondrial bioenergetic impairment has been found in the organelles isolated from rat liver during the prereplicative phase of liver regeneration. To gain insight into the mechanism underlying ...this impairment, we investigated mitochondrial ultrastructure and membrane permeability properties in the course of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy, with special interest to the role played by Ca2+ in this process. The results show that during the first day after partial hepatectomy, significant changes in the ultrastructure of mitochondria in situ occur. Mitochondrial swelling and release from mitochondria of both glutamate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase isoenzymes with an increase in the mitochondrial Ca2+ content were also observed. Cyclosporin‐A proved to be able to prevent the changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability properties. At 24 h after partial hepatectomy, despite alteration in mitochondrial membrane permeability properties, no release of cytochrome c was found. The ultrastructure of mitochondria, the membrane permeability properties and the Ca2+ content returned to normal values during the replicative phase of liver regeneration. These results suggest that, during the prereplicative phase of liver regeneration, the changes in mitochondrial ultrastructure observed in liver specimens were correlated with Ca2+‐induced permeability transition in mitochondria.
Professionals in many fields use qualitative analysis to improve human movement. In previous research examining the reliability of physical therapists' qualitative assessments of lumbar ...stabilization, three experienced observers showed substantial agreement when viewing point light displays, but only moderate agreement when observing normal video displays. Replication of these findings in a larger group of less experienced observers would strengthen the notion that point light displays enhance qualitative analysis. The present study examined the reliability of qualitative assessments of lumbar stabilization when novice observers made judgments from two types of video displays. 50 fourth-year physical therapy students viewed either normal or point light video displays to judge lumbar stabilization of individuals performing a floor to waist lift. Multirater kappa coefficients for assessments made from normal displays and point light displays were .30 and .46, indicating fair and moderate agreement, respectively. These results suggest that point light displays may enhance observers' visual perception of human movement.
Data were collected retrospectively from insurance information forms and histories of 111 patients (ages 14-84) referred to physical therapy for evaluation of back and/or neck pain. Analysis ...indicated that patients with compensable (work-related or motor vehicle accident) injuries infrequently acknowledged prior episodes of back or neck pain. (JDD)
PURPOSE: Previous research has suggested that cognitive processes play a role in postural control. The purpose of this study was to examine how cognitive tasks that demand attention to different ...degrees influence postural sway. SUBJECTS: Twenty healthy college students, 10 men and 10 women, 18-30 years of age, participated in this study after providing informed consent. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Three cognitive tasks were used: (a) reversal - reporting two digits in the opposite order from their presentation, (b) classification - categorizing a pair of digits as high (is greater than or equal to 50) or low (is less than 50) and odd or even, (c) counting backward - counting backward by 3 starting from a random 3 digit number. These cognitive tasks are information reduction tasks, that is, tasks in which the amount of information is reduced from stimulus input to response. The reversal, classification, and counting backward tasks require 0, 4.6, and 5.9 bits of information reduction, respectively, and have been shown to be tasks of increasing levels of difficulty. An audiotaped recording of pairs of single digit random numbers was created for use during the reversal and classification tasks. Postural sway was measured with the Accusway System consisting of the Accusway balance platform, and Swaywin software for Windows. Participants stood on an eggcrate foam pad (~5" thick) that was placed on top of the balance platform. Postural sway was measured during quiet standing and while performing the reversal, classification, and counting backward tasks concurrent with standing. Two 30 second trials of each of the four experimental conditions were performed. Order of experimental conditions was randomized. ANALYSES: Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of cognitive task condition on the length of the path of the center of pressure (LCOP) and the average velocity along its path (VCOP). RESULTS: Mean LCOP was 18.28, 19.12, 19.79, and 23.17 inches for the quiet standing, reversal, classification, and counting backward conditions, respectively. ANOVA on LCOP showed a main effect of cognitive task condition (p is less than .001). Mean VCOP was .609, .636, .660, and .774 inches per second for the quiet standing, reversal, classification, and counting backward conditions, respectively. ANOVA on VCOP showed a main effect of cognitive task condition (p is less than .001). CONCLUSIONS: Postural sway increased as the difficulty of the secondary cognitive task increased. Future research may show that individuals with balance deficits benefit from dual-task training, that is performance of cognitive tasks concurrent with balance activities.
To characterize brain metabolic changes associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in drug-naive patients with Parkinson disease (PD) using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and PET (FDG-PET).
This ...cross-sectional study included newly diagnosed patients with PD with MCI in single or multiple domain (PD-MCI; n =12) and without MCI (PD-nMCI; n =12), and healthy controls (n =12). The groups were matched for age. Moreover, the patient groups were matched for motor disability. All subjects underwent a FDG-PET study. Cerebral regional relative metabolic maps were compared in PD-MCI, PD-nMCI, and controls using regions of interest analysis (ROIs) and voxel-based analysis with statistical parametric mapping.
ROIs and voxel-based analyses revealed significant relative hypometabolism in the prefrontal, superior/inferior parietal, and associative occipital cortices as well as in the striatum in patients with PD-MCI relative to controls (p < 0.05) and to a lesser extent in patients with PD-nMCI. In contrast, patients with PD-nMCI did not show significant metabolic changes as compared to controls.
MCI in patients with PD is associated with cortical hypometabolism since the earliest stage, independent of therapy or motor disability. The early involvement of posterior cortical region, a pattern shared by advanced stages of PD-MCI and PD with dementia, could represent an early marker of dementia. The relevance of this pattern in predicting prodromal dementia has to be evaluated in longitudinal studies.
gene encodes the protein Mitofusin 2, involved in essential mitochondrial functions such as fusion, trafficking, turnover, and cellular interactions. We describe a family carrying a novel
mutation ...associated with ALS-frontotemporal dementia (FTD) clinical phenotype in the mother and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A (CMT2A) in her son.
The mother, a 67-year-old woman, referred to us for a three year-history of mood disturbance and gait impairment, and a more recent hypophonia, dysarthria, dysphagia, and diffuse muscle wasting. Family history was positive for psychiatric disorders and gait disturbances. Brain 18F-FDG PET showed severe hypometabolism in the fronto-temporal brain cortex bilaterally. Electrodiagnostic studies (EDX) showed severe motor axonopathy in the bulbar, cervical and lumbosacral districts. Her 41-year-old son had a history of mood depression and sensory disturbances in the limbs, along with mild muscle wasting, weakness, and reduced reflexes. Nerve conduction studies revealed a moderate sensory-motor polyneuropathy, while brain MRI was normal. Whole exome sequencing of the patients' DNA identified the novel
(NM_014874.4) variant c.581A>C p.(Asp194Ala).
Our findings provide evidence of heterogenous clinical manifestations in family members sharing the same
molecular defect. Additionally, we present the first documented case of ASL-FTD associated with an
mutation, thereby expanding the range of MFN-related disorders. Further research involving larger cohorts of patients will be needed to better understand the role of
as a contributing gene in the development of ALS-FTD.
•Reproduce the 3D collapse of the portion of the Polcevera Viaduct through the Applied Element Method.•Analysis of the collapse mechanism of the Balanced System.•Comparison of the numerical results ...with the available footage of the collapse recently released by the Authorities.•Comparison of the debris distribution as reproduced by the performed simulations and available images.•Analysis of the results with respect to the official report of the Ministerial Commission.
On August fourteen of 2018, a portion of the highway connection viaduct over the Polcevera Valley in Genoa, Italy collapsed, and resulted in forty-three deaths, and many injuries. In the aftermath of the tragic event, in search of answers, a number of studies focused on various scenarios pertaining to the causes of the collapse, i.e. sustained effects of fatigue and corrosion, lack of redundancy, construction abnormalities, and others. In the study reported herein, post collapse analysis of the Morandi’s Polcevera viaduct was conducted by the applied element method (AEM). AEM made it possible for step-by-step evaluation of the structural response of the bridge model to progressive reduction of the strength capacity of single macro-components. In using the proposed approach, it was not necessary to consider the factors that may have resulted in the capacity degradation of the structural elements, such as fatigue and corrosion. Instead, structural degradations were introduced in the model as an incremental area reduction factor until complete section loss was reached. The results of the analyses revealed that the stay cable was the most critical element whose failure would have triggered the collapse. The simulation model further indicated that if sections other than the stay cable had triggered the collapse, such as the main girder, the large visible displacements involved in their collapse, would have warned the authorities of the impending failure. The reproduced mechanism of collapse was further validated with references to the real debris distribution observed from images and a comparison with the available video footage of the bridge collapse, released by the Italian Authorities.
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