Neck Bending Research Articles

Nitric oxide effectively curtails neck bending and mitigates senescence in isolated flowers of Calendula officinalis L.

In recent years, there has been a considerable and renewed upsurge in research to ascertain the physiological and biochemical role of Nitric oxide (NO) in plants. The present investigation is focused to study the role of NO on neck bending associated withsenescenceand postharvest performance in isolated flowers of Calendula officinalis. The flower buds harvested at one day before anthesis stage were supplied with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as a source of NO at different concentrations viz., 50, 100, 150 and 200µM. A distinct set of flowers held in distilled water designated the control. The investigation revealed that SNP delayed the senescence in flowers of C. officinalis significantly manifested by prolonged longevity. The maximum longevity of 12days was recorded in flowers supplemented with 100µM SNP. The flowers held in distilled water (control) displayed early senescence symptoms and lasted for 6days only. Our research suggested that improved flower longevity bySNP was commensurate with delayed neck bending, inhibition of bacterial growth in the vase, increased solution uptake,high membrane stability, besides an up-regulated activities of antioxidant enzymes in the tissue samples. In addition, the treated flowers exhibited increased content of sugar fractions, total phenols and soluble proteins in the petal tissues compared to control. Further, 100µM SNP was observed asmost effective treatment and increased the longevity of flowers by 6days. The concentration above 150µM provoked early senescence compared to control, whereas concentration lower than 100µM was less efficacious in improvingthe postharvest life and longevity ofcutCalendulaflowers.

Abstract B22: A novel measurement neck brace for detecting range-of-motion changes with electromyography correlates in head and neck cancer patients undergoing neck dissection: A prospective pilot study

Abstract Introduction: Postoperative neck and shoulder dysfunction is recognized as a morbidity of neck dissection (ND) in head and neck cancer patients. However, the precise biomechanics and duration of neck mobility limitation have not been fully described. In current practices of more selective NDs, studies employing precise measurement techniques are needed to quantify the risk of postoperative neck range of motion (ROM) impairment in this patient population. Study Design: A prospective pilot study of five patients undergoing selective ND for head and neck cancer was conducted. A novel measurement brace was used to collect kinematic and concurrent EMG data on active ROM during standardized tasks for prespecified neck muscle groups at baseline and following ND. Methods: Patients without prior surgery or radiation undergoing unilateral ND for head and neck cancer were included. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and four weeks postoperatively. A novel neck brace developed for the purposes of this study was utilized to measure flexion, extension, lateral bending, axial rotation, and rolling movements. Angle of motion was measured from the neutral position to the end of each movement type as well as during total ROM from one movement type to the other (i.e., from neutral position to flexion as well as from flexion to extension). Baseline and postoperative EMG onset/offset data were collected for bilateral SCM, splenius capitis, and trapezius muscles to correlate muscle activation with angle of motion. Results: Five patients undergoing unilateral modified ND for cutaneous, oral cavity, or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma completed preoperative and postoperative assessments. The average age was 57 years (54-60; sd 2.6). The greatest change in total ROM following surgery was seen in lateral bending, with a mean angle change of 17.3 (6.9-30.6; sd 8.5). Differences in lateral bending from neutral position were also seen for both the dissected and nondissected sides. Although degree of flexion and extension ROM were not affected by surgery overall, changes in the pattern of muscle group activation were evident. Conclusions: Measurement brace recordings suggest that active ROM limitation is most pronounced with lateral neck bending both to the ipsilateral and contralateral side of ND compared to other neck movements. EMG correlate data show increased variability in activation of muscle groups with flexion and extension movements. These preliminary results suggest that this device may serve as a useful diagnostic tool for patients undergoing ND. Additional data are needed to determine statistical and clinical significance of changes measured using this device. Future results may help guide clinicians in counseling patients about expectations following surgery as well as lead us to potential therapeutic targets from changes in muscle activation. Citation Format: Biing-Chwen Chang, Haohan Zhang, Ade Obayemi, Sallie Long, Scott Troob, Sunil Agrawal. A novel measurement neck brace for detecting range-of-motion changes with electromyography correlates in head and neck cancer patients undergoing neck dissection: A prospective pilot study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Optimizing Survival and Quality of Life through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2019 Apr 29-30; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(12_Suppl_2):Abstract nr B22.

Clinical significance of cervical vertebrae –A review article

A forward head posture has become identity of computer users. The laptops or computer has become essential for most the people. Computers are used for both communication and entertainment purposes, such as messages, music, media, internet access, photos, and games. Since last decade, there has been a rapid increase in the use of computer and mobile phones for communication. Long bending of Neck, forward bending and sitting for long periods in front of computers more prone to degenerative changes in cervical spine. So there is need to focus on the maintenance of health of cervical spine and for that purpose its very essential to know normal anatomy of cervical vertebra, its degenerative changes& clinical significance. The aim & objectives of this study is to compare the literature study and emphasis on the importance of good health of cervical spine. All the relevant material was compiled from Brihatrayi and available commentaries on it. Research articles are also searched from various websites. All the references were collected & analyzed & finally conclusion was drawn. Conclusion of this study is cervical vertebrae play an important role in the maintain posture and if proper precaution not taken it will lead to degenerative changes & forming an ailment.

Pre-harvest and pulse treatments of spermine, γ- and β-aminobutyric acid increased antioxidant activities and extended the vase life of gerbera cut flowers ‘Stanza’

Abstract Capitulum wilting and neck bending are the two important complications that impair the post-harvest quality and vase life of the gerbera cut flowers. The present study investigates the effects of pre- and post-harvest treatments of spermine (SPER), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) on the vase life, qualitative features and enzyme activity of gerbera cut flowers ‘Stanza’. The pre-harvest treatments (1 mM doses) were applied by foliar spraying, and the post-harvest were by pulse treatment (5 mM doses). The flowers kept their quality longer in pre and post SPER and GABA treatments. The longest vase life was recorded in pre-SPER (14 days) and pre-GABA (13 days) compared to BABA treatments and controls (9 days). Neck bending was observed more frequently in controls whereas SPER and GABA showed a lower neck bending rate at 9 days after harvest. The highest vase solution uptake, total soluble solids, total flavonoid, total protein, the activities of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and ascorbate peroxidase, besides the lowest neck bending, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, H2O2 and polyphenol oxidase activity were observed in pre-SPER treatment and subsequently in pre-GABA. Pre- and post-harvest treatments with β-Aminobutyric acid (BABA) had no significant effects on cut flowers compared to SPER and GABA, although showed slightly better effects than water control. It is therefore suggested that pre-harvest treatment using SPER and GABA can improve the vase life and quality of gerbera cut flowers.

Designing an adjustable height engine stand to reduce the risk of student’s Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in engine tune up practice

This study aims to determine the description of a student’s posture when practicing and make an engine stand according to the size or results of previous ergonomics analysis. The source of ergonomics risk is the design of practical tools that are less compatible with varied student postures. The ergonomics research method used is the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). The participants of this research were automotive students of the mechanical engineering education department totaling 27 people, the reason for doing this research was because of the results of the Nordic Body Map (NBM) survey, almost all students who practiced on the Gasoline engine course complained of pain in the back, neck and arms. Therefore, an analysis of the level of ergonomics risk results is recommended to improve student work positions. Based on these recommendations, an adjustable height engine stand was designed and made. This research was conducted by beginning with a structured observation of student anthropometry, to provide design recommendations that can be accommodated by all student body postures. The results of the measurement of ergonomic risk level before using the adjustable height engine stand position of the student’s body bent, neck bending, repeating for a long time, the results of RULA anthropometric analysis of the 5th percentile are 4, while the percentiles 50 and 95 are 6, which means that the position has a high level of ergonomic risk and action needs to be taken immediately to reduce risk. The level of ergonomics risk after using the adjustable height engine stand is 2, which means safe. Another result is the creation of an adjustable height engine stand whose height can adjust to the student’s body posture.

Does the Degree of Trunk Bending Predict Patient Disability, Motor Impairment, Falls, and Back Pain in Parkinson's Disease?

Background: Postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease (PD) form a spectrum of functional trunk misalignment, ranging from a “typical” parkinsonian stooped posture to progressively greater degrees of spine deviation.Objective: To analyze the association between degree of postural abnormalities and disability and to determine cut-off values of trunk bending associated with limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), motor impairment, falls, and back pain.Methods: The study population was 283 PD patients with ≥5° of forward trunk bending (FTB), lateral trunk bending (LTB) or forward neck bending (FNB). The degrees were calculated using a wall goniometer (WG) and software-based measurements (SBM). Logistic regression models were used to identify the degree of bending associated with moderate/severe limitation in ADLs (Movement Disorders Society Unified PD Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS] part II ≥17), moderate/severe motor impairment (MDS-UPDRS part III ≥33), history of falls (≥1), and moderate/severe back pain intensity (numeric rating scale ≥4). The optimal cut-off was identified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results: We found significant associations between modified Hoehn & Yahr stage, disease duration, sex, and limitation in ADLs, motor impairment, back pain intensity, and history of falls. Degree of trunk bending was associated only with motor impairment in LTB (odds ratio [OR] 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.22). ROC curves showed that patients with LTB of 10.5° (SBM, AUC 0.626) may have moderate/severe motor impairment.Conclusions: The severity of trunk misalignment does not fully explain limitation in ADLs, motor impairment, falls, and back pain. Multiple factors possibly related to an aggressive PD phenotype may account for disability in PD patients with FTB, LTB, and FNB.

Validity of the wall goniometer as a screening tool to detect postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease

IntroductionSoftware-based measurements of postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease (PD) are the gold standard but may be time-consuming and not always feasible in clinical practice. Wall goniometer (WG) is an easier, quicker, and inexpensive instrument for screening patients with postural abnormalities, but no studies have investigated its validity so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of the WG to measure postural abnormalities. MethodsA total of 283 consecutive PD outpatients with ≥5° forward trunk, lateral trunk or forward neck bending (FTB, LTB, FNB, respectively) were recruited from seven centers for movement disorders. Postural abnormalities were measured in lateral and posterior view using a freeware program (gold standard) and the WG. Both angles were expressed in degrees (°). Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of camptocormia, Pisa syndrome, and anterocollis were assessed. ResultsWG showed good to excellent agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient from 0.80 to 0.98) compared to the gold standard. Bland-Altman plots showed a mean difference between the methods from −7.4° to 0.4° with limits of agreements from −17.7° to 9.5°. Sensitivity was 100% for the diagnosis of Pisa syndrome, 95.74% for anterocollis, 76.67% for upper camptocormia, and 63.64% for lower camptocormia. Specificity was 59.57% for Pisa syndrome, 71.43% for anterocollis, 89.80% for upper camptocormia, and 100% for lower camptocormia. Overall, the WG underestimated measurements, especially in lower camptocormia with an average of −8.7° (90% of cases). ConclusionWG is a valid tool for screening Pisa syndrome and anterocollis, but approximately 10° more should be added for camptocormia.

Mechanical Analysis of Rolling Mill Support System Based on ANSYS-Workbench

In the rolling of four-roll mills, there are often damages in bearing such as the burning and adhesion failure. Domestic and foreign scholars have done a lot of calculations and experiments on this, and believe that when the support system of the roll neck (roll neck, bearing and bearing seat) suffers the roll bending force, the four-row cylindrical roller bearing suffering the radial bending force may be eccentric due to the hyperstatic structure of the mechanism in which the bearing block cannot be synchronously bent with the roller neck, thereby causing bearing damage. In this paper, the integrated model of the roll neck support system of the roll is established by SolidWorks, which is introduced into ANSYS-Workbench for contact surface setting, loading and constraint, and finally the roll neck bending deflection and bearing roller contact stress are analyzed and verified, which confirmed the validity of integrated deformation and mechanical analysis of roll neck support system by finite element method.

Relationship between Pain and Neck Mobility in Patients with Grade II Whiplash Injury

AbstractBackground: Patients with grade II whiplash injuries have physical signs of decreasing range of neck movement and palpable tenderness. Many patients with whiplash injury report diffuse symptoms of sensory disturbances and generalised muscle weakness. Whiplash injury has profound effects on both peripheral and central pain-processing mechanisms. Approximately 50% of subjects who sustain a whiplash injury will not recover but will continue to report ongoing pain and disability one year after the injury.Aim of Study: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between pain and neck mobility in Egyptian patients with grade II whiplash injury.Subjects and Methods: Fifteen Egyptian patients with grade II whiplash injury from both genders were selected for this study. All the patients were assessed for pain by visual analogue scale and cervical range of motion by Cervical Range of Motion goniometer (CROM).Results: There is strong negative significant correlation between level of pain by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and neck bending to right and left only.Conclusion: There is negative correlation between level of pain and side bending to right and left in Egyptian patients with grade II whiplash injury.

Computational study on hemodynamic changes in patient-specific proximal neck angulation of abdominal aortic aneurysm with time-varying velocity.

Aneurysms are considered as a critical cardiovascular disease worldwide when they rupture. The clinical understanding of geometrical impact on the flow behaviour and biomechanics of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is progressively developing. Proximal neck angulations of AAAs are believed to influence the hemodynamic changes and wall shear stress (WSS) within AAAs. Our aim was to perform pulsatile simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for patient-specific geometry to investigate the influence of severe angular (≥ 60°) neck on AAA's hemodynamic and wall shear stress. The patient's geometrical characteristics were obtained from a computed tomography images database of AAA patients. The AAA geometry was reconstructed using Mimics software. In computational method, blood was assumed Newtonian fluid and an inlet varying velocity waveform in a cardiac cycle was assigned. The CFD study was performed with ANSYS software. The results of flow behaviours indicated that the blood flow through severe bending of angular neck leads to high turbulence and asymmetry of flows within the aneurysm sac resulting in blood recirculation. The high wall shear stress (WSS) occurred near the AAA neck and on surface of aneurysm sac. This study explained and showed flow behaviours and WSS progression within high angular neck AAA and risk prediction of abdominal aorta rupture. We expect that the visualization of blood flow and hemodynamic changes resulted from CFD simulation could be as an extra tool to assist clinicians during a decision making when estimation the risks of interventional procedures.

Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) Coxa Vara Adolescentium (CVA)

Slipped fem oral capital epiphysis is considered to be one of the most destructive conditions of hip joint during adolescence. The epiphysolysis of the femoral head was first defined in 1572 by the French surgeon Abrois Paré (1510 - 1590). The first authentic traumati c epiphysesolysis of the femoral head was described by Brousseau in 1867. It was in a 15 - year - old boy with multiple injuries after trauma with heavy carriage. Death occurred in a few hours, and was discovered by post - mortem examination. Complete separation of epiphysis of the femur head was found. The first mention of a non - traumatic form of epiphysolysis occurred in a fourteen years old boy later. In 1881, Fiorani reported fifteen cases of distorted hip joint with impaired adduction in children. He describ ed the deformity as a bend of the proximal part of the femur, which was based on rickets. With a high probability, some individua ls were coxa vara adolescentium . The first complete description of the disease was given by E Müller (1888) in his work “ About the bending of the femoral neck in the growth age ” Coxa vara adolescentium (CVA), epiphysesolysis of femural head or slipped femoral capital epiphysis represents a serious hip disease in the pubescent age at which the femoral proximal growth plate loses it s strength and influence mechanical forces, caused mainly by excessive body weight, the non - traumatic epiphysesolysis will occur. Symptoms like pain and twisting are initially vague, but they tend to escalate over time . The incidence of this disease is 0. 1 per one million, affect male more than female 2:1,4 in the rapid growth period 10 - 16 years old. Childhood obesity is the common cause of Slipped femoral capital epiphysis, then endocrine disorders and Down syndrome. Slipped femoral capital epiphysis has three grades first up to 33 degrees of slippage, second grade from 34 - 50% of slippage and the third degree more than 50%.Slipped femoral capital epiphysis, represents a serious disease of the puberty in the pubescent age at which the femoral proximal growth plate loses its strength and influence mechanical forces, caused mainly by excessive body weight, will occu r non - traumatic epiphysesolysis . Symptoms like pain and limping are initially vague, but they tend to escalate over time .

Evaluation of Hybrid III and THOR-M neck kinetics and injury risk under various restraint conditions during full-scale frontal sled tests

Objective: The objective of this research was to compare the kinetics and predicted injury risks of the Hybrid III (HIII) and Test device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR)-M necks during full-scale frontal sled tests under 3 safety restraint conditions: knee bolster (KB), knee bolster and steering wheel airbag (KB/SWAB), and knee bolster airbag and steering wheel airbag (KBAB/SWAB).Methods: Twelve sled tests were performed for the HIII and THOR-M, and 8 matched sled tests were performed using postmortem human surrogates (PMHSs). The tests were designed to match the 2012 Toyota Camry New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) full-scale crash test. Upper and lower neck forces and moments were collected from the HIII and THOR-M load cells. Inverse dynamics was used to calculate PMHS upper neck forces and moments from acceleration data until the time of head contact. The PMHSs experienced head contact with the SWAB before appreciable neck loading occurred. Therefore, PMHS neck forces and moments were only compared to the HIII and THOR-M for the KB condition. Neck injury risks were calculated for the HIII and THOR-M and were compared to the injuries observed for the PMHSs.Results: The HIII had greater upper and lower neck shear forces than the THOR-M, whereas both surrogates had similar upper and lower neck axial forces. The HIII also experienced greater peak upper neck bending moments than the THOR-M, which experienced negligible upper neck bending moments. Before head contact, the PMHSs experienced upper neck flexion, and the HIII experienced extension. The HIII and THOR-M injury risk curves predicted less than a 50% risk of an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3+ injury. No AIS 3+ neck injuries were observed for the PMHS tests, but at least one AIS 2 injury was observed per condition.Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the HIII and THOR-M had different neck kinetics for these restraint conditions. In particular, the THOR-M experienced lower upper neck shear forces and bending moments. These differences are likely due to the very different neck designs of the anthropomorphic test dummies (ATDs), particularly the increased compliance of the THOR-M neck. Despite these differences, both ATDs still predicted a similar risk of AIS 3+ neck injury.

Effects of Different Concentrations of Sucrose on Vase Life of Rose (Rosa sps.cv. Dutch Hybrid)

Keeping quality is an important parameter for evaluation of rose cut flower quality, both in export and domestic markets as fresh cut rose flowers are highly perishable due to limited water uptake and low available energy. Carbohydrate is the main food source to maintain the energy requirement for flowers .An experiment was conducted at Horticulture Laboratory of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung, Nepal on January 2017 in order to find out best concentration of sucrose that enhances and prolongs the better flower quality and longevity. Experiment was laid out with 10 treatments viz. tap water, tap water + 2% sucrose, tap water + 4% sucrose, tap water + 6% sucrose, tap water + 8% sucrose, distilled water, distilled water + 2% sucrose, distilled water + 4% sucrose, distilled water + 6% sucrose and distilled water + 8% sucrose under completely randomized design with three replications. Rose sticks were harvested at flower bud stage and two sticks were kept in each vase solution. Effect of different concentrations of sucrose solution on water uptake, weight gain or loss, neck bending, flower diameter, days to full bloom and vase life was affected significantly. The rose flower held in distilled water + 6% Sucrose was recorded to have higher value (7.77cm) for flower diameter at 10 days followed by Tap water + 6% Sucrose with value 7.62cm. Similarly, lower flower diameter (2.29cm) was observed in Tap water at Day16 followed by Distilled water with value 3.21cm. Similar pattern was observed in all other parameters having highest vase life (19.5 days) in Distilled water + 6% Sucrose and lowest (15.17 days) in tap water only. Among different concentrations of sucrose solution, distilled water + 6% sucrose was found highly effective for longevity of cultivar.

Multifunctional Mechanical Sensors for Versatile Physiological Signal Detection.

Recently, flexible and wearable mechanical sensors have attracted great attention because of their potential applications in monitoring various physiological signals. However, conventional mechanical sensors rarely have both pressure and strain sensing abilities that can meet the demands of both subtle and large human motion detection. Besides, the mechanical sensors with tunable sensitivity or measuring range are also essential for their practical applications. Herein, the graphene ink dip-coating method with merits of time saving, low cost, and large scale was used to fabricate the foam-structured graphene sensors with both pressure and strain sensing performance. Because of high elasticity of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)substrates and stacked graphene flakes, the tunable mechanical sensors exhibit a high gauge factor (GF) and large measuring range for specific human motion detection. The pressure sensor shows a GF of 2.02 kPa-1 with a pressure range up to 172 kPa, and the strain sensor displays a GF of 250 with a strain range up to 86%. On the one hand, various detections of subtle vital signals with small strain change were demonstrated by the pressure sensor because of its flexibility and high sensitivity. On another hand, the strain sensor with large strain change shows excellent ability to detect various large human motions including the bending of neck, finger, wrist, and knee. Interestingly, both the pressure sensor and strain sensor exhibit great capability for recognizing 26 letters written by hand. The working mechanism based on the contact area variation was also investigated by the morphology evolution and resistance model. We suppose that the foam-structured graphene mechanical sensors would be promising in wearable electronics for human healthcare and activity monitoring in the future.

Highly Sensitive and Flexible Strain-Pressure Sensors with Cracked Paddy-Shaped MoS2/Graphene Foam/Ecoflex Hybrid Nanostructures.

Three-dimensional graphene porous networks (GPNs) have received considerable attention as a nanomaterial for wearable touch sensor applications because of their outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. Herein, we demonstrate a strain-pressure sensor with high sensitivity and durability by combining molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and Ecoflex with a GPN. The planar sheets of MoS2 bonded to the GPN were conformally arranged with a cracked paddy shape, and the MoS2 nanoflakes were formed on the planar sheet. The size and density of the MoS2 nanoflakes were gradually increased by raising the concentration of (NH4)2MoS4. We found that this conformal nanostructure of MoS2 on the GPN surface can produce improved resistance variation against external strain and pressure. Consequently, our MoS2/GPN/Ecoflex sensors exhibited noticeably improved sensitivity compared to previously reported GPN/polydimethylsiloxane sensors in a pressure test because of the existence of the conformal planar sheet of MoS2. In particular, the MoS2/GPN/Ecoflex sensor showed a high sensitivity of 6.06 kPa-1 at a (NH4)2MoS4 content of 1.25 wt %. At the same time, it displayed excellent durability even under repeated loading-unloading pressure and bending over 4000 cycles. When the sensor was attached on a human temple and neck, it worked correctly as a drowsiness detector in response to motion signals such as neck bending and eye blinking. Finally, a 3 × 3 tactile sensor array showed precise touch sensing capability with complete isolation of electrodes from each other for application to touch electronic applications.

Development and assessment of a visual-aid system for reducing the risk of neck injuries for computer users

The upper-body musculoskeletal disorders, common injuries sustained by computer users, are caused by several factors. Among these, frequent and repetitive neck flexion while switching saccades between the computer screen and the keyboard is a critical cause. However, it is difficult to prevent due to the typical workstation designs. To this end, this study proposed a self-developed visual aid, aiming at reducing neck bending and flexions. To assess the effectiveness of the visual aid, which consisted of a video display program and a CCD camera, subjects were recruited to type articles in English and Chinese with and without the visual aid. Fifteen university students volunteered to participate in the first-stage study to assess the effectiveness of posture improvement, and six of them volunteered to continue on the second-stage study to assess the performance improvement after a 2-week practice. In the experiments, a posture measure system was used to measure the neck and trunk bending information. Furthermore, the duration of typing an article was also recorded. The results showed that the visual aid helped subjects reduce their neck flexion (angle and angular velocity), especially for English typing, which the subjects were unfamiliar with. Typing speed was 15–20% faster when using the ordinary typing method, compared with that using the visual aid. However, the difference in typing speed diminished after the 2-week practice. Nevertheless, using the visual aid had a strong effect on correcting typing posture. This study shows that using the visual aid can effectively improve body posture and reduce repetitive neck flexions without decreasing typing efficiency.

Clinico-Demographic Characteristics of Cervical Spondylosis Patients Presented with Chest Pain

Background: The prevalence of non-cardiac chest pain is estimated to be more than 65.0% of all cases with chest pain.Objective: The objective of the present study was to see the clinic-demographics characteristics and investigational findings of cervical spondylosis patients presented with chest pain.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2012 to June 2013 for a period of one year. The diagnosis was made by detailed history, clinical examination and relevant investigations.Result: In this study, female (60%) were much more sufferer especially in much younger age group (41.67%). People from urban area (68.75%) and affluent status (41.67%) were more affected; also who were in anxiety-depressed state of mind (50%) and those who worked by neck bending posture (45.83%). All patients presented with chest pain (100%) & other associated symptoms like arm pain (41.67%), tingling sensation of left upper limb (22.91%), shoulder pain (25.0%) and scapular pain (16.67%). All (100%) patients had normal ECG finding. On the other hand, they (100.0%) had some finding in cervical spine X-ray; clinically the patient had painful neck movement (75.0%). A specific test for cervical radiculopathy “spurling maneuver” was positive in (22.91%).Conclusion: Through chest pain due to cervical disc disease widely reported but remains under recognized. So careful evaluation of patient for chest pain might have saved the patient for admission and various expensive invasive procedure.Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research 2018;5(2):55-59

Occupant injury risk assessment and protective measures in frontal collision of a bus

ABSTRACTA significant issue worldwide is a bus frontal collision which can result in more than 10 fatalities per incident. The study aims to develop recommendations on injury risk reduction in such frontal collisions. A LS-DYNA and MADYMO coupling method as well as sled tests were employed to investigate the effect of seat layout variables including seat pitch, height difference and back inclination angle on occupant injury to different body parts, protection measures were subsequently developed to minimise occupant injury risk. The results show that secondary collision with the front seat back can cause severe head and neck injuries.Although the lap belt can restrict the movement of the pelvis and lower limbs, the collision and relative slippage between the head and the front seat back still cause a high neck bending moment. The study further reveals that seat layout variables should be design-specified to optimal values that minimise such injuries.

Association of Insulin Resistance with Bone Strength and Bone Turnover in Menopausal Chinese-Singaporean Women without Diabetes.

Insulin resistance (IR) is accompanied by increased areal or volumetric bone mineral density (aBMD or vBMD), but also higher fracture risk. Meanwhile, imbalances in bone health biomarkers affect insulin production. This study investigates the effect of IR on proximal femur and lumbar spine BMD, femoral neck bending, compressive and impact strength indices (Composite Strength Indices) and circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), C-telopeptide of Type I collagen (CTx-1) and 25(OH) Vitamin D3, in a cohort of 97 healthy, non-obese, menopausal Chinese-Singaporean women. Lumbar spine aBMD was inversely associated with IR and dependent on lean body mass (LBM) and age. No such associations were found for vBMD of the third lumbar vertebra, aBMD and vBMD of the proximal femur, or circulating levels of PTH, CTx-1 and 25(OH) Vitamin D3. Composite Strength Indices were inversely associated with IR and independent of LBM, but after adjusting for fat mass and age, this association remained valid only for the impact strength index. Composite Strength Indices were significantly lower in participants with a high degree of IR. Our findings on IR and Composite Strength Indices relationships were in agreement with previous studies on different cohorts, but those on IR and BMD associations were not.

A novel helmet-mounted device for reducing the potential of catastrophic cervical spine fractures and spinal cord injuries in head-first impacts

BackgroundHead-first impacts with an aligned cervical spine cause some of the most severe types of injuries due to the risk of fractures and associated spinal cord injury. Sports, such as football, mountain biking and horseback riding, contribute to the incidence of spinal cord injury but there is potential to reduce the risk of these injuries through a helmet-mounted device. MethodsA novel device, the Pro-Neck-Tor mechanism, was incorporated into a commercial football helmet and tested in head-first impact experiments. The Pro-Neck-Tor connects an inner and outer helmet shell, which upon head-first impact of a certain load, induces motion of the head away from the path of the following torso. Impacts were performed onto three impact surface angles with a flexion-inducing Pro-Neck-Tor mechanism. FindingsBased on averaged data, the Pro-Neck-Tor provided a significant and consistent reduction in peak compressive neck forces compared to the unmodified football helmet in the conditions tested. In some impact conditions, the Pro-Neck-Tor increased the peak sagittal plane neck bending moments and impulse over that observed for the unmodified helmet. InterpretationThe Pro-Neck-Tor with flexion escape is capable of lowering axial neck forces in head-first impacts compared to a conventional helmet by guiding the cervical column away from an aligned posture and into an eccentric loading scenario which published studies suggests frequently leads to no injury or to a less severe injury. Continued development and testing of the device are needed to optimize the altered neck loading and to drive the design toward a commercial configuration.