Movement Difficulties Research Articles

The Impact of Limited Previous Motor Experience on Action Possibility Judgments in People with Spinal Muscle Atrophy.

Previous studies have shown that people with limited motor capabilities may rely on previous motor experience when making action possibility judgments for others. In the present study, we examined if having limited previous motor experience, as a consequence of spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), alters action possibility judgments. Participants with SMA and neurologically healthy (NH) sex- and age-matched controls performed a perceptual-motor judgment task using the Fitts's law paradigm. Participants observed apparent motion videos of reciprocal aiming movements with varying levels of difficulty. For each movement, participants predicted the shortest movement time (MT) at which a neurologically healthy young adult could accurately perform the task. Participants with SMA predicted significantly longer MTs compared to controls; however, the predicted MTs of both SMA and NH participants exhibited a Fitts's law relationship (i.e., the predicted MTs significantly increased as movement difficulty increased). Overall, these results provide evidence that participants with SMA who have limited, or no motor experience may make more conservative action possibility judgments for others. Critically, our finding that the pattern of action possibility judgments was not different between SMA and NH groups suggests that limited previous motor experience may not completely impair action possibility judgments.

MANAGEMENT OF AVASCULAR NECROSIS (AVN) OF FEMORAL HEAD THROUGH AYURVEDA AT OPD LEVEL – A CASE STUDY

Avascular necrosis is the death of bone tissue due to vascular compromise, which leads to eventual collapse of bone tissue along with its overlying joint surface, which is the resultant of ischemia. AVN is caused due to arterial occlusion and femoral head is the most common type of necrosis affecting the bones. The most common symptoms of AVN of Femoral Head are pain and stiffness of hip joint, radiating pain in groin, gluteal, thigh, knee regions and development of limp during walking.There is no direct correlation between AVN and AsthiMajjaGata Vata but in their clinical presentations it is Vata Pradhana TridoshajaVyadhiwith Vikruti ofAsthi-Majja Dhatu. In contemporary science treatment of AVN revolves around the NSAIDS, core decompression to total hip replacement surgery, which have drawbacks of long-term recovery and short life span of hip joint. On the contrary Ayurvedic treatment provides long term relief and stops the progression of disease without any drawback. Following is documentation of improvement in patients diagnosed with AVN. A male patient of age 38 years consulted OPD, with complaints of pricking type of pain in both hip joints, both thighs and difficulty in hip joints movements in the last 8 months. The patient was treated with oral medication and Panchakarma that included Matra basti of Majja and Ksheerbala Taila at OPD level.

Ontology-Based Physical Exercise Recommender System for Underweight Using Ontology and Semantic Web Rule Language

Inactive lifestyles and unhealthy diets are often the result of people's busy lives. because of these bad habits, many people are underweight. diet and lack of physical activity are factors that cause underweight. Due to lack of information, people prefer to live lazily and not exercise. To solve this problem, we propose a physical exercise recommendation system that is explicitly designed for Indonesian people who are struggling with underweight. Despite the existence of various research studies advocating for physical activities tailored to individual preferences, there is currently no recommendation system available within a chatbot framework that includes a comprehensive session to be completed, along with specific sets and repetitions for each activity. This research proposes the utilization of ontology and Semantic Rule Web Language (SWRL) to represent and process the knowledge presented, enabling the development of rules for generating physical activity recommendations based on user preferences. By integrating the user profile, ontology, and the rules created, our system recommends physical exercise based on gender, weight, height, activity level, difficulty of movements, and the type of muscle to be trained. From the sample user data obtained, 408 physical exercises menu are recommended. The performance of the system is quite good, together with the validation results from personal trainers, obtained a precision value of 0.8, recall of 1, and f-score of 0.888. Concluding that the system we designed can provide physical activity recommendations in accordance with user preferences.

Implementasi Layanan Pendidikan Inklusif Untuk Anak Berkebutuhan ADHD di PAUD Terpadu Fly Free

This study discusses the implementation of inclusive education services for children with special needs ADHD (Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder) at the Fly Free Integrated PAUD. This research is a qualitative research using a case study approach. Data collection techniques using the results of observation, interviews and documentation. While data analysis uses the Mills and Hubberman analysis model which includes data reduction, data presentation and verification. The benefit of this research is to find out how inclusive education services are in the Fly Free Integrated PAUD. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a group of children with special needs who experience or find difficulties in brain development, hyperactive movement, impulses and difficulty concentrating. There are several things that are needed by children with special needs ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), one of which is school education that implements inclusive education.

Extroversion-Related Differences in Gaze Behavior during a Computer Task for Assessing Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off: Implications for Sensor-Based Applications.

The principle of Fitts' law explains that the difficulty of movement increases when targets are farther away and narrower in width, particularly when touching two parallel targets as quickly as possible. Understanding the differences in motor and gaze behaviors between extroverts and introverts when performing tasks that require speed and accuracy is crucial for the development of sensor-based interfaces for games and rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate such differences in a computer task that assesses the speed-accuracy trade-off (Fitts' task). Twenty introverts and seventeen extroverts wore an eye tracker and an accelerometer attached to their hand while performing 12 trials through six levels of difficulty presented on a computer screen. The results showed that introverts had longer visual fixations at the higher difficulty levels and reduced pupil diameter variability when difficulty was intermediate, suggesting that their gaze behavior may be different from that of extroverts. However, no significant differences were found in the speed and accuracy performance or kinematic variables between extroverts and introverts. These findings have important implications for the design of interventions that require both speed and accuracy in movement, such as in the development of virtual reality/games for rehabilitation purposes. It is important to consider individual differences in motor and gaze behaviors, particularly in those who may struggle with longer visual fixations, for the design of sensor-based applications and to promote successful interventions and recovery.

Treatments for breast cancer in men: late effects and impact on quality of life.

Male breast cancer accounts for approximately 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Unfortunately, a lack of information exists regarding late effects of breast cancer treatment in men. An online survey directed towards male breast cancer patients was distributed via social medial and emails from June to July 2022. Participants were asked about their disease characteristics, treatments and side effects from the disease or treatment. Patients and treatment variables were reported via descriptive statistics. Univariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate associations between different treatment variables and outcomes expressed by odds ratio. A total of 127 responses were analyzed. Median age of the participants was 64years (range 56-71years). A total of 91 participants (71.7%) revealed they experienced late effects secondary to their cancer or cancer treatment. The most concerning physical and psychological symptoms reported were fatigue and fear of recurrence respectively. Axillary lymph node dissection was associated with swollen arm and with difficulty in arm or shoulder movement. Systemic chemotherapy was related to bothersome hair loss and changes on interest in sex; and endocrine therapy was associated with feeling less masculine. Our study showed that men suffer several late effects from treatments for breast cancer. Lymphedema, difficulty with arm and shoulder movement, sexual dysfunction and hair loss should be discussed with males as it can be distressing for some patients and decrease their quality of life.

Virtual reality and motor imagery for early post-stroke rehabilitation

BackgroundMotor impairment is a common consequence of stroke causing difficulty in independent movement. The first month of post-stroke rehabilitation is the most effective period for recovery. Movement imagination, known as motor imagery, in combination with virtual reality may provide a way for stroke patients with severe motor disabilities to begin rehabilitation.MethodsThe aim of this study is to verify whether motor imagery and virtual reality help to activate stroke patients’ motor cortex. 16 acute/subacute (< 6 months) stroke patients participated in this study. All participants performed motor imagery of basketball shooting which involved the following tasks: listening to audio instruction only, watching a basketball shooting animation in 3D with audio, and also performing motor imagery afterwards. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded for analysis of motor-related features of the brain such as power spectral analysis in the alpha and beta frequency bands and spectral entropy. 18 EEG channels over the motor cortex were used for all stroke patients.ResultsAll results are normalised relative to all tasks for each participant. The power spectral densities peak near the alpha band for all participants and also the beta band for some participants. Tasks with instructions during motor imagery generally show greater power spectral peaks. The p-values of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for band power comparison from the 18 EEG channels between different pairs of tasks show a 0.01 significance of rejecting the band powers being the same for most tasks done by stroke subjects. The motor cortex of most stroke patients is more active when virtual reality is involved during motor imagery as indicated by their respective scalp maps of band power and spectral entropy.ConclusionThe resulting activation of stroke patient’s motor cortices in this study reveals evidence that it is induced by imagination of movement and virtual reality supports motor imagery. The framework of the current study also provides an efficient way to investigate motor imagery and virtual reality during post-stroke rehabilitation.

Effects of dance-movement therapy on the movement and self-concept of wheelchair users with intellectual disabilities

This study aimed to determine the effects of dance-movement therapy on individuals with mild intellectual disabilities, focusing on their self-concept and various general and wheelchair movement qualities. The sample included two females and three males with mild intellectual disabilities, ranging in age from 17 to 26 years. Two of the participants were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, while the other three were diagnosed with myelomeningocele. The participants had difficulties/disorders in various aspects of movement and used a wheelchair to move independently. They were included in a dance-movement therapy programme developed specifically for the present study, which incorporated various dance-movement therapy concepts such as Emerging Body Language (Rutten-Saris, 1992), Brain Dance (Gilbert, 2015), and the Dance Movement Therapy approach (Payne, 2006). The dance-movement therapy programme involved one-hour sessions that took place weekly over a four-year period. We used the Self-Concept Questionnaire (Musitu et al., 1998) through which social, familial, physical, learning, and emotional aspects of self-concept were assessed, as well as two scales assessing general and wheelchair movement quality (developed specifically for this study). The results indicate that, at the beginning of the dance-movement therapy programme, participants had below average social, familial, learning, and emotional aspects of self-concept, as well as above average physical self-concept and some difficulties with certain general and wheelchair movements. After attending the dance-movement therapy programme, participants showed improved performance and scored above average on most self-concept aspects. They also improved in all measured aspects of general movement quality and several aspects of wheelchair movement quality. Thus, the results suggest that the dance-movement therapy programme was effective for individuals with mild intellectual disabilities and movement difficulties in the areas of self-concept, as well as general and wheelchair movement.

Congenital hypotonia: systematic approach for prenatal detection.

Congenital hypotonic conditions are rare and heterogeneous, and some are severely debilitating or lethal. Contrary to its prominent postnatal manifestation, the prenatal presentation of hypotonia is frequently subtle, inhibiting prenatal detection. We aimed to characterize the prenatal sonographic manifestation of congenital hypotonia throughout pregnancy, evaluate the yield of diagnostic tests and propose diagnostic models to increase its prenatal detection. This was a retrospective observational study of singleton pregnancies with congenital hypotonia, diagnosed either prenatally or immediately after birth, at a single tertiary center between the years 2012 and 2020. Prenatally, hypotonia was diagnosed if a fetus showed sonographic or clinical signs suggestive of hypotonia and had a confirmed underlying genetic condition, or in the absence of a known genetic abnormality if the fetus exhibited multiple prominent signs suggestive of hypotonia. Postnatally, it was diagnosed in neonates displaying reduced muscle tone leading to reduced spontaneous movement, reduced swallowing or feeding difficulty. We reviewed the medical records of pregnant patients carrying fetuses subsequently diagnosed with congenital hypotonia and assessed the yield of ultrasound scans, fetal magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and genetic tests. The detection rate of sonographic signs suggesting fetal hypotonia was calculated. The prevalence of non-specific signs, including polyhydramnios, persistent breech presentation, intrauterine growth restriction and maternal perception of reduced fetal movement, were compared between the study group and the local liveborn singleton population. Potential detection rates of different theoretical semiotic diagnostic models, differing in the threshold for referral for a targeted scan, were assessed based on the cohort's data. The study group comprised 26 cases of congenital hypotonia, of which 10 (38.5%) were diagnosed prenatally, and the controls included 95 105 singleton live births, giving a prevalence of congenital hypotonia of 1:3658. Nuchal translucency thickness and the early anomaly scan at 13-17 weeks were normal in all 22 and 23 cases, respectively, in which this was performed. The mid-trimester scan performed at 19-25 weeks was abnormal in four of 24 (16.7%) cases. The overall prenatal detection rate of congenital hypotonic conditions in our cohort was 38.5%. Only cases which underwent a targeted scan were detected and, among the 16 cases which underwent this scan, the prenatal detection rate was 62.5% compared with 0% in pregnancies that did not undergo this scan (P = 0.003). An abnormal genetic diagnosis was obtained in 21 (80.8%) cases using the following modalities: chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in two (9.5%), whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 14 (66.7%) and methylation analysis in five (23.8%). CMA was abnormal in 8% (2/25) of the cases and WES detected a causative genetic mutation in 87.5% (14/16) of the cases in which these were performed. Comparison of non-specific signs in the study group with those in the local singleton population showed that hypotonic fetuses had significantly more polyhydramnios (64.0% vs 3.0%, P < 0.0001), persistent breech presentation (58.3% vs 4.2%, P < 0.0001), intrauterine growth restriction (30.8% vs 3.0%, P < 0.0001) and maternal perception of reduced fetal movement (32.0% vs 4.7%, P < 0.0001). Prenatally, the most commonly detected signs supporting a diagnosis of hypotonia were structural anomaly (62.5%, 10/16), reduced fetal movement (46.7%, 7/15), joint contractures (46.7%, 7/15) and undescended testes ≥ 30 weeks (42.9%, 3/7 males). Proposed diagnostic strategies that involved performing a targeted scan for a single non-specific ultrasound sign or two such signs, and then carrying out a comprehensive genetic evaluation for any additional sign, offered theoretical detection rates in our cohort of 88.5% and 57.7%, respectively. Congenital hypotonic conditions are rare and infrequently detected prenatally. Sonographic signs are visible from the late second trimester. A targeted scan increases prenatal detection significantly. Comprehensive genetic testing, especially WES, is the cornerstone of diagnosis in congenital hypotonia. Theoretical diagnostic models which may increase prenatal detection are provided. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The helplessness of the victim: theoretical views and law enforcement practice

The subject of the studyis the helplessness of the victim as a criminal legal category. The purpose of the research is to confirm the hypothesis about the negative impact of the evaluative nature of the sign "helpless state of the victim" on the unity of law practice. The historical and legal method allows us to consider doctrinal views and case law of applying norms containing the helpless state of the victim in different historic periods; using the comparative legal method, differences in the interpretation of the victim's helpless in different criminal laws are revealed; the formal legal method allows us to explore the technique of legislative recognition of the helpless state of the victim as constructive, qualifying signs and aggravating circumstances; logical methods contribute to the gener- alization of the results of the analysis of case law.The main results.It is established that the existing definitions of the helpless state of the victim, as a rule, are based on the objective inability of the person to actively resist. Based on the various reasons that cause the helpless of the victim, the following types are distinguished: physical and mental. Two categories of persons are recognized as physically helpless: those who are unable to resist due to internal factors (state of health) and external (related persons). The list of diseases that form physical helplessness is open. However, the court, as a rule, refers to disability or difficulties in movement. It is important when imputing physical helplessness to establish the fact that the victim was in such a state before the start of the committing of the criminal intent. Otherwise, it forms the objective side of the crime. The court, when determining mental helplessness, mainly focuses on the expert opinion. A controversial issue in the doctrine of criminal law remains the attribution of unconsciousness to helpless state in crimes against life and health. The Court takes the position of not attributing. In this case, it seems illogical to recognize a bound person as helpless.In order to maintain the unity of practice, a critical analysis of the approaches existing in the theory of criminal law, the grounds for strengthening criminal responsibility for a crime against a helpless person, has been carried out. These include: method, protection of socially poorly protected groups, peculiar ferocity, provoking factor, cynicism. Taking into account the specifics of crimes against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability and against life and health, it seems more logical to formulate different grounds for them: as a way of committing a crime and as protection of socially poorly protected groups, respectively.Conclusions.The hypothesis about the lack of unity in doctrine and law enforcement practice regarding the content of the "helpless state" sign of the victim was confirmed. It should be noted that the existing discussion is largely due to the ambiguous position of the Russian Supreme Court. In order to resolve the existing contradictions, it is proposed to determine the fundamental point: the basis for strengthening criminal responsibility.

A Single Center Experience: A Retrospective Study Over 10-Years Period on Mandible Fractures.

The purpose of this study was to do a retrospective analysis about patients with mandibular fracture who were treated at the department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Regional University Hospital of Ancona, Italy, between 2011 and 2021. In this study we evaluated clinical and epidemiological findings of mandible fractures focusing on the association between surgical timing, type of surgical approach and mid- and long-term outcomes. Patients were evaluated based on various parameters including age, sex, etiology, symptoms, comorbidity, clinical findings, mandible fracture type, other facial fractures, treatment, waiting time before the operation, complications and sequelae. In the period described, we recorded 1023 mandibular fractures. 93% of patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia, almost exclusively patients undergoing an open approach to internal fixation. Of the patients, 684 were male (66.86%) and 339 were female (33.13%). The average age of the patients was 42, 38years (range, 7-94years). The leading cause of these fractures was traffic accidents (27.3%) and mandibular parasymphysis fractures were the most frequent (34.1%). The most common clinical signs and symptoms were malocclusion, difficulty in chewing, limitation of the buccal opening, hypoesthesia extending through the territory of the inferior alveolar nerve, difficulty in protrusion movements and mandibular lateralization. The continuous research in epidemiology, etiology, materials, and techniques will further refine the treatments of mandible fractures, which are nowadays more and more customized according to the type of trauma.

How did COVID-19 Pandemic Affect the Rural (Tribal) Livelihoods? A Case Study of Khaprakhol Block

The COVID-19 epidemic has devastated human existence over the planet, shocking people with the new sickness and almost bringing countries to their knees. It was a never-before-seen scene of limited human movements and changing behaviours. Although the good consequences benefit the environment and wild animals by reducing pollution, the adverse effects have a direct impact on the economic status of human beings. The situation was new to all living beings, and difficulties were generated globally, irrespective of rural and urban. The study attempts to discover the key problems of the rural people faced during the lockdown and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their livelihoods. This article also aims to figure out the difficulties faced by rural living for their livelihood. This study is based on primary data and the data collected from the rural living of Balangir (khaprakhol block) district of Odisha. The data collection method was based on random sampling, and a total number of 100 rural living households were interviewed. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics and suitable statistical tools. The outcome of this study is that rural living has faced movement difficulties and trouble for getting work. It has been witnessed that they could not get the marketing facilities to sell their agricultural products. Moreover, rural households were paid higher prices for daily stuff in their locality or village shops. As a result, it was a terrible period for them since employment and money resources made it possible to cope with the increased market price of everyday items. Though the study area is near the forest area and situated in the foothill of Gandhamardan hill, most of the local people depend on forest products as their source of income. The collection of forest products is also affected badly during the collection season by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Regardless of the movement concerns, they were unable to work. Due to employment loss, the disturbance altered the dietary and nutrition profile of rural residents. At the same time, they claimed that MGNREGS work was ongoing but that it was not preferable to work owing to late payment to the bank account. Finally, this article focuses on the rural residents’ livelihoods, which were negatively impacted by the lockdown, and job loss was a constraint for them during the lockdown.

A rare presentation of recurrent tongue tie

Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is the result of a short, tight, lingual frenulum causing difficulty in speech articulation due to limitation in tongue movement. Ankyloglossia is a common finding in infants. Prevalence ranges between 4.2% and 10.7%. Although lingual frenectomy is a common technique it is a sensitive surgical procedure, the anatomic and topographic lingual frenulum makes the site vulnerable to various intraoperative and postoperative complications. In this case study, we have reported a 2-year-old male child with prior history of a frenectomy, presented with difficulty in speech and restricted tongue movements. On examination, a 1x1cm, solitary swelling was noted in the region of the lingual frenulum, firm, cystic, and non-tender. Tongue movements were restricted with an inability to perform protrusion beyond the vermillion border of the lips.Under general anesthesia, the child underwent revision frenectomy, excision of the swelling, and release of fibrous tissue adjacent to the swelling .Intraoperatively protrusion of the tongue was examined and found to have improved .The specimen was sent for histopathology which was reported as organizing mucocele. The Child was reviewed after 6 months, tongue movements were seen to have improved substantially in all ranges of motion.

Developmental motor problems and health-related quality of life in 5-year-old children born extremely preterm: A European cohort study.

To measure the association between cerebral palsy (CP) and non-CP-related movement difficulties and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 5-year-old children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestational age). We included 5-year-old children from a multi-country, population-based cohort of children born extremely preterm in 2011 to 2012 in 11 European countries (n = 1021). Children without CP were classified using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition as having significant movement difficulties (≤5th centile of standardized norms) or being at risk of movement difficulties (6th-15th centile). Parents reported on a clinical CP diagnosis and HRQoL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Associations were assessed using linear and quantile regressions. Compared to children without movement difficulties, children at risk of movement difficulties, with significant movement difficulties, and CP had lower adjusted HRQoL total scores (β [95% confidence interval] = -5.0 [-7.7 to -2.3], -9.1 [-12.0 to -6.1], and - 26.1 [-31.0 to -21.2]). Quantile regression analyses showed similar decreases in HRQoL for all children with CP, whereas for children with non-CP-related movement difficulties, reductions in HRQoL were more pronounced at lower centiles. CP and non-CP-related movement difficulties were associated with lower HRQoL, even for children with less severe difficulties. Heterogeneous associations for non-CP-related movement difficulties raise questions for research about mitigating and protective factors.

Small and large oscillatory shear behaviors of gelatin/starch system regulated by amylose/amylopectin ratio

This work explores the influence of starch amylose/amylopectin ratio on the gel-related features of gelatin/starch system using small and large amplitude oscillation shear methods. The higher self-aggregation and self-entanglement ability of amylose reduced the miscibility of gelatin and starch, and increases zero-shear viscosity (ŋ0) and reduces sol-gel transition temperature (Tgel) by enhancing the difficulty of molecule movement and thus the difficulty of gel formation. The gelatin/amylopectin-rich system has higher gel hardness and wider linear viscoelastic region, which are related to the higher integrity and uniformity of network structure. The gelatin/amylose-rich system shows enhanced ability to resist deformation against external shear forces (suggested by higher storage and complex modulus) under small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS), which is ascribed to the larger rigidity and entanglement degree of amylose. At strain amplitude up to 50% (middle amplitude oscillatory shear, MAOS), gelatin/amylose-rich system exhibits reduced structure recovery ability (reflected by larger semi-minor axis of ellipse, and lower strain amplitude for inflexion of elastic stress) under MAOS, but enhances restructuring capacity at strains of 500% and 1000% (large amplitude oscillatory shear, LAOS) (indicated by occurrence of secondary loop) than gelatin/amylopectin-rich system. Those seemingly contradictory phenomena are correlated with the preference of hydrogen bond forming ability among amylose rather than with gelatin. This weakens interactions between amylose and gelatin and thus inhibits recovery of bulk structure under MAOS, but is favor for the formation of amylose aggregations, which is helpful for the local structure restructuring and thus enhances structure restructuring capacity under LAOS. The results help us comprehensively understand the gel-related properties of gelatin/starch system and are valuable for rational design of gelatin/starch systems with improved gel-related features.

Cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effect of ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera root in combination with doxycycline in rotenone induced cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma cell lines

Introduction and Aim: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that destroys dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal area of the midbrain this results in a movement difficulty characterised by tremors, bradykinesia, and postural instability The present in vitro study is designed to assess the beneficial (cytoprotectant and anti-inflammatory) and cyto-toxicological effects of ethanolic Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) root extract (EWSR) in presence of Rotenone (ROT) and other known neuroprotectants (Doxycycline and Ellagic acid). Materials and Methods: The nine groups used in the in vitro studies were normal control, positive control (Rotenone or Rot), W. somnifera root extract (EWSR), Doxycycline (Doxy), Ellagic acid (EA), ROT with EWSR, ROT with doxy, ROT with EA, ROT with EWSR-doxy, and ROT with EWSR-doxy-EA. The EWSR, doxy and EA treatment was started on the 24th hour following the rotenone administration and continued for the next 36 hours. After the 36th hour of protective therapy, quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines (ELISA), cell viability or analyses of neuronal cell loss, cell cycle analysis and molecular analysis (RTPCR) was performed as a part of assessment. Results: Observations from the present in vitro studies clearly demonstrate the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of EWSR, and these beneficial or protective effects got enhanced when treated in combination with Doxy and EA indicating synergistic effect in the cells that were priorly treated with ROT, and later treated with EWSR, Doxy, and EA individually and in combination. Conclusion: The findings imply that EWSR reduces the in vitro effects of ROT by acting as an anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agent.

Change in the spectrum of detected mutations in the &lt;I&gt;DMD&lt;/I&gt; gene depending on the methodological capabilities of the laboratory

Background. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe, progressive form of muscular dystrophy that occurs in children between one and three years of age. The disease is mainly characterized by weakness of the proximal muscles, which leads to difficulty in movement, and ultimately to complete disability. Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a milder allelic form of the disorder characterized by late onset and slow progression. The cause of the development of DMD/BMD is mutations in the DMD gene, leading to a deficiency in the production of various isoforms of the dystrophin protein family. The most common mutations in case of DMD/BMD are gross deletions (55–65 %) and duplications (6–11 %) of one or several exons The remaining cases of DMD/BMD are due to small mutations (approximately 20–30 %). Depending on the methodological capabilities of the laboratory, the idea of the spectrum of mutations in the DMD gene changed, which is important in genetic counseling of patients and planning the therapy available today.Aim. To analyze the spectrum of mutations in the DMD gene, including three time slices, depending on the methodological capabilities of the laboratory.Materials and methods. We analyzed the spectrum of mutations in the DMD gene for a sample of 2957 patients admitted to the laboratory of DNA diagnostics of the Research Centre for Medical Genetics with a referral diagnosis of DMD/BMD. Depending on the time of treatment and the capabilities of the laboratory, patients were divided into three groups: 2008–2015, 2016–2018, 2019–2022.Results. As a result of the study, the full range of mutations in the DMD gene was analyzed over three-time intervals, which makes it possible to get an idea of the distribution of mutation types in the sample among Russian patients. Regardless of the methodological capabilities of the laboratory, the spectrum of mutations in the DMD gene remains biased relative to world data. At the moment, there is a significant decrease in the proportion of extended deletions (50.7–59.6 %), while the proportion of extended duplications (11.8–17.2 %) and small mutations (23.2–35.0 %) increased. We assume that the main reason for such features of the spectrum is ethnic and population differences.Conclusion. Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy, accounting for more than 50 % of all cases. Determination of the spectrum of mutations provides an understanding of their frequencies, which in the future may help patients in the appointment of therapy specific to a particular type of mutation.

Cognition and maths in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder with and without co-occurring movement difficulties

BackgroundMovement difficulties are common in ADHD, however, the implications of their co-occurrences on cognitive and maths performance is unknown. AimsThis study set out to examine whether cognitive and maths performance of children with high ADHD symptoms differs depending on the co-occurrence of movement difficulties given evidence that weaker visuospatial processing, known to be important for maths performance, differentiates ADHD and DCD. We also aimed to examine whether relationships between cognition and maths in ADHD differs depending on co-occurring movement difficulties. MethodsParticipants were 43 drug naïve children between 6 and 12 years old (M = 101.53 months SD = 19.58). The ADHD-only group (n = 18) included children with high ADHD scores, and those in the ADHD+DCD group (n = 25) concurrently had high movement difficulty scores. All completed executive function and memory, including 2 visuo-spatial memory tasks from the CANTAB battery and Mathematics Problem Solving, Numeracy, and Maths Fluency tasks from the WIAT-III and specific factual, conceptual, and procedural maths component tasks. ResultsChildren in the ADHD+DCD group scored significantly lower on visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity, than those in the ADHD-only group. Both groups were comparable on all other cognitive assessments of executive functions, memory, and processing speed. The groups did not differ in their maths attainment scores, nor on more specific maths skills. Comparison of the correlations between cognitive processes and maths revealed that the association between visuospatial WM updating and procedural skill efficiency was stronger for the ADHD-only group. Moreover, associations between visuospatial WM and maths problem solving attainment were stronger in the ADHD+DCD group. ConclusionsDespite similarities in maths performance, children with ADHD+DCD could be distinguished by lower visuospatial WM. Differential associations with some of the maths domain implicate recruitment of different cognitive processes for some aspects of maths. This distinction can be particularly useful for conceptualising cognitive characteristics of different clinical groups and understanding cognitive pathways of maths difficulties. Implications for interventions are discussed.

SIMULATION OF THE TRAJECTORY OF AN ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR CONTROLLED THROUGH PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER AND HMI

This paper presents a software module made by means of a programmable logic controller and an HMI (Human Machine Interface), designed to control the movement of an electric wheelchair. By developing this module, a major advantage is offered to people with disabilities, who have movement difficulties. By implementing this command on a wheelchair, people can move independently using this machine that can be controlled from a touch screen. In this direction, the user has the possibility to choose the following directions of movement of the car: forward-backward and left-right, as well as the possibility to impose the speed of movement. The software program was created using ladder diagram language, and the user interface is provided through an HMI.

Design of an orthopedic smart splint using nickel-titanium shape memory alloy

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;People with broken bones suffer from symptoms of muscular atrophy as a result of a lack of movement, so it was necessary to find effective solutions due to the relative pain they cause and the difficulty of movement after healing. In this paper, we proposed a smart splint made of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys (SMA) wires. These alloys have unique properties compared to other materials, the most important of which is maintaining the original shape during manufacturing at a certain temperature. Temperature, pressure, as well as humidity, were analyzed and monitored while the patient wore the splint to reach the best possible results by using a microcontroller. The results showed that there was a significant improvement for the muscles in a short time when using the proposed splint, as the percentage of qualified muscle recovery increased by more than 70% when using the usual splint. The wires used had an effective role in rehabilitating these muscles by performing a permanent local massage. due to the different diameters of these wires, a different response to temperature change was recorded.&lt;/span&gt;