A Retrospective Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Plasma Energy System (Renuvion) in the Management of Skin Laxity to Improve Tightening at the Time of Standard Liposuction of the Arms

2021 ◽  
pp. 074880682110310
Author(s):  
Angelo Cuzalina ◽  
Pasquale G. Tolomeo

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of cool atmospheric plasma (Renuvion/J-plasma) in promoting skin tightening and soft tissue contouring following liposuction of the upper extremities. The study was a retrospective review of upper extremity liposuction with associated Renuvion therapy performed by the same surgeon. Patients were made aware of Renuvion therapy to assist with skin laxity and offered adjunctive treatment following liposuction. While a majority of patients elected to have Renuvion therapy performed bilaterally, a small subset of patients elected for unilateral treatment. This subset of patients pursued delayed treatment on the control side. The inclusion criteria for the study included patients with moderate fat excess of the upper extremity with associated mild to moderate cutaneous laxity. Exclusion criteria for the study included severe medical comorbidities, body mass index greater than 35 kg/m2 and those below the age of 30. The study included 5 female patients between the ages of 46 to 52. The method of treatment was liposuction of the bilateral upper extremities with removal of equal proportions of fat. The recipient site for Renuvion treatment was randomly selected by the study coordinator; the surgeon and clinical staff remained blinded to the selection. Following treatment, the patients were evaluated at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 6 months postoperatively to assess surgical outcomes subjectively. The surgeon and clinical staff were unblinded at the final visit. Patients were evaluated based on subjective criteria and photographic evaluation at each postoperative visit. At the 1-week visit, no significant differences were noted in all subjects. At the 6-week visit, two patients demonstrated improved results to the treatment site when compared with the control site. At the 6-month visit, four out of the five patients demonstrated a significant improvement in contour and laxity at the treatment site when compared with the control site. One patient demonstrated equal results on both treatment and control sites with no major abnormalities. Following the final evaluation, the patients underwent a secondary procedure to the control site with Renuvion to obtain similar results as the recipient site. One patient demonstrated equal results on both test and control sites with no major abnormalities. The use of plasma energy via Renuvion in conjunction with liposuction has demonstrated esthetic results with proposed long-term benefits. The plasma energy device, as an adjuvant therapy, may be beneficial in cases where liposuction alone may not address tissue laxity concerns. Additional studies with a larger sample size, objective criteria, and extended follow-ups are necessary to statistically analyze the results and determine its significance.

1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 885-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Miyagi ◽  
Fumio Shima ◽  
Katsuya Ishido ◽  
Masashi Moriguchi ◽  
Kazufumi Kamikaseda

✓ This 49-year-old man gradually developed a disabling action tremor in the proximal right upper extremity 8 months after suffering a pontine tegmental hemorrhage. The intraoperative microrecording in the nucleus ventralis intermedius (VIM) of the left thalamus revealed tremor-synchronous grouped discharges with a vigorous (2.7 Hz) action tremor predominantly in the shoulder and upper arm. High frequency electrical stimulation in the VIM did not affect the tremor. A posteroventral pallidotomy (PVP) was performed and resulted in the successful alleviation of all tremor activity. Posteroventral pallidotomy is known to alleviate parkinsonian tremors, especially those occurring in the contralateral lower extremity, trunk, and proximal segment of the contralateral upper extremity. The authors consider the pallidoreticular pathway to be an important tremor-mediating pathway for the proximal segment of the upper extremities and believe it can be controlled more effectively by PVP than by VIM thalamotomy, as demonstrated by the PVP-induced resolution of the midbrain tremor observed in this case.


Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011992
Author(s):  
David J Lin ◽  
Kimberly S Erler ◽  
Samuel B Snider ◽  
Anna K Bonkhoff ◽  
Julie A DiCarlo ◽  
...  

Objective:To test the hypothesis that cognitive demands influence motor performance during recovery from acute stroke, we tested acute stroke patients on two motor tasks with different cognitive demands and related task performance to cognitive impairment and neuroanatomic injury.Methods:We assessed the contralesional and ipsilesional upper extremities of a cohort of 50 patients with weakness after unilateral acute ischemic stroke at three timepoints with two tasks: the Box & Blocks Test, a task with greater cognitive demand, and Grip Strength, a simple and ballistic motor task. We compared performance on the two tasks, related motor performance to cognitive dysfunction, and used voxel-based lesion symptom mapping to determine neuroanatomical sites associated with motor performance.Results:Consistent across contralesional and ipsilesional upper extremities and most pronounced immediately post-stroke, Box & Blocks scores were significantly more impaired than Grip Strength scores. The presence of cognitive dysfunction significantly explained up to 33% of variance in Box & Blocks performance but was not associated with Grip Strength performance. While Grip Strength performance was associated with injury largely restricted to sensorimotor regions, Box & Blocks performance was associated with broad injury outside sensorimotor structures, particularly the dorsal anterior insula, a region known to be important for complex cognitive function.Conclusions:Altogether, these results suggest that cognitive demands influence upper extremity motor performance during recovery from acute stroke. Our findings emphasize the integrated nature of motor and cognitive systems and suggest that it is critical to consider cognitive demands during motor testing and neurorehabilitation after stroke.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seokwoo Hong ◽  
Junsu Kim ◽  
Young Wook Ko ◽  
Kwon Mo Yang ◽  
Daniela Macias ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aims to investigate the relative effects of urchin removal, non-urchin gastropod herbivores removal, and transplantation on macroalgal forest restoration using an additive manipulation design. A field experiment was conducted in subtidal urchin barren rocks in the eastern coast of South Korea from August 2017 to June 2020 with three experimental treatments: no urchins (NU), NU plus no herbivorous gastropods (NH), NH plus Ecklonia bicyclis transplant (NHT). Six months after experiment initiation, seaweed abundance rapidly increased in all three experimental treatments. The highest peak was found in the spring season of the first year (2018). The year-to-year variations became smaller throughout the survey period. The results of comparing NU and control site indicated that urchin removal had an exclusive effect on algal recovery while additional removal of herbivorous gastropods did not affect algal recovery quantitatively. With the successful establishment of E. bicyclis, the community assemblages of the three treatments became more distinct in the subsequent years, showing diverse dominance in NU, red algal dominance in NH, and dominance of E. bicyclis canopy and understory groups in NHT. This study provides evidence that urchin removal on its own from barren grounds can lead to rapid restoration of seaweed forest in subtidal habitats.


2006 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 535-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett J. Wong ◽  
Sarah J. Williams ◽  
Christopher T. Minson

The precise mechanism(s) underlying the thermal hyperemic response to local heating of human skin are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate a potential role for H1 and H2 histamine-receptor activation in this response. Two groups of six subjects participated in two separate protocols and were instrumented with three microdialysis fibers on the ventral forearm. In both protocols, sites were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments. In protocol 1, sites received 1) 500 μM pyrilamine maleate (H1-receptor antagonist), 2) 10 mM l-NAME to inhibit nitric oxide synthase, and 3) 500 μM pyrilamine with 10 mM NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). In protocol 2, sites received 1) 2 mM cimetidine (H2 antagonist), 2) 10 mM l-NAME, and 3) 2 mM cimetidine with 10 mM l-NAME. A fourth site served as a control site (no microdialysis fiber). Skin sites were locally heated from a baseline of 33 to 42°C at a rate of 0.5°C/5 s, and skin blood flow was monitored using laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Cutaneous vascular conductance was calculated as LDF/mean arterial pressure. To normalize skin blood flow to maximal vasodilation, microdialysis sites were perfused with 28 mM sodium nitroprusside, and control sites were heated to 43°C. In both H1 and H2 antagonist studies, no differences in initial peak or secondary plateau phase were observed between control and histamine-receptor antagonist only sites or between l-NAME and l-NAME with histamine receptor antagonist. There were no differences in nadir response between l-NAME and l-NAME with histamine-receptor antagonist. However, the nadir response in H1 antagonist sites was significantly reduced compared with control sites, but there was no effect of H2 antagonist on the nadir response. These data suggest only a modest role for H1-receptor activation in the cutaneous response to local heating as evidenced by a diminished nadir response and no role for H2-receptor activation.


Author(s):  
Jeanne Massingill, LMT, MLD, CST, KT, NMT ◽  
Cara Jorgensen, LMT ◽  
Jacqueline Dolata, MBA ◽  
Ashwini R. Sehgal, MD

Background: Chronic localized pain and decreased upper extremity mobility commonly occur following breast cancer surgery and may persist despite use of pain medication and physical therapy.Purpose: We sought to determine the value of myofascial massage to address these pain and mobility limitations.Setting: The study took place at a clinical massage spa in the U.S. Midwest. The research was overseen by MetroHealth Medical Center’s Institutional Review Board and Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities research staff.Participants: 21 women with persistent pain and mobility limitations 3–18 months following breast surgery.Research Design: We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial where intervention patients received myofascial massages and control patients received relaxation massages.Intervention: Intervention participants received 16 myofascial massage sessions over eight weeks that focused on the affected breast, chest, and shoulder areas. Control participants received 16 relaxation massage sessions over eight weeks that avoided the affected breast, chest, and shoulder areas. Participants completed a validated questionnaire at the beginning and end of the study that asked about pain, mobility, and quality of life.Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures include change in self-reported pain, self-reported mobility, and three quality-of-life questions.Results: At baseline, intervention and control participants were similar in demographic and medical characteristics, pain and mobility ratings, and quality of life. Compared to control participants, intervention participants had more favorable changes in pain (-10.7 vs. +0.4, p < .001), mobility (-14.5 vs. -0.8, p < .001), and general health (+29.5 vs. -2.5, p = .002) after eight weeks. All intervention and control participants reported that receiving massage treatments was a positive experience.Conclusions: Myofascial massage is a promising treatment to address chronic pain and mobility limitations following breast cancer surgery. Further work in several areas is needed to confirm and expand on our study findings.


Author(s):  
Jumbo Adata Akie ◽  
M.O Wegwu ◽  
D. C. Belonwu ◽  
B. M. Onyegeme-Okerenta ◽  
C. T. Iriakuma

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content in selected fin and shell fishes from Bodo and Kaa in Ogoniland were studied. PAH was determined by Gas chromatography, using Texas Natural Resource Conversion Commission, Texas (TNRCC TX) method. There was a total of 16 PAHs detected in the samples from the two sites, test site (Bodo) and control site (Kaa). Similar PAH accumulations were observed in the four species, but the concentrations of the PAH accumulations were different. For samples from Kaa, Mullet showed the highest total mean concentration of PAHs followed by Sompat grunt, Tilapia and the least was Shrimps. However, for samples collected from Bodo, Tilapia showed the highest total mean concentration of PAHs, followed by Sompat grunt, Shrimps, and the least Mullet. These findings were not definitive as to the source of the PAH, seemingly suggesting various or multiple sources of PAHs contamination in the studied sites. These variations may be attributed to their feeding habits. The mean and standard deviations for PAHs from the test site ranged from 0.08±.000b to 23.7±.473b, 0.05±.001b to 7.74±.346b, 0.02±.001b to 9.48±.002b, 0.07±.000b to 11.0±.029b for Tilapia, Mullet, Shrimps and Sompat grunt respectively and 0.18±.006a to 6.56±.064a, 0.08±.000a to 11.8±.555a, 0.05±.002a to 3.11±.036a, 0.05±.002a to 5.12±.059a for samples of Tilapia, Mullet, Shrimp and Sompat grunt respectively from the control site. In conclusion, the calculated potency equivalence concentration (PEC) for all the tested aquatic species collected from Kaa and Bodo were all above the screening value (SV) suggesting that the consumption of these aquatic species from the test and control site at a rate of 68g/day in an adult of about 60kg will expose the individual to a potential risk of cancer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruko Kurihara ◽  
Yuri Suhara ◽  
Izumi Mimura ◽  
Yimnang Golbuu

Coral reefs are one of the most susceptible ecosystems to ocean acidification (OA) caused by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). OA is suspected to impact the calcification rate of corals as well as multiple early life stages including larval and settlement stages. Meanwhile, there is now a strong interest in evaluating if organisms have the potential for acclimatization or adaptation to OA. Here, by taking advantage of a naturally acidified site in Nikko Bay, Palau where corals are presumably exposed to high CO2 conditions for their entire life history, we tested if adult and the next-generation larvae of the brooder coral Pocillopora acuta originating from the high-CO2 site are more tolerant to high CO2 conditions compared to the individuals from a control site. Larvae released from adults collected from the high-CO2 site within the bay and a control site outside the bay were reciprocally cultivated under experimental control or high-CO2 seawater conditions to evaluate their physiology. Additionally, reciprocal transplantation of adult P. acuta corals were conducted between the high-CO2 and control sites in the field. The larvae originating from the control site showed lower Chlorophyll-a content and lipid percentages when reared under high-CO2 compared to control seawater conditions, while larvae originating from the high-CO2 site did not. Additionally, all 10 individuals of adult P. acuta from control site died when transplanted within the bay, while all P. acuta corals within the bay survived at both control and high-CO2 site. Furthermore, P. acuta within the bay showed higher calcification and net photosynthesis rates when exposed to the condition they originated from. These results are one of the first results that indicate the possibility that the long-living corals could enable to show local adaptation to different environmental conditions including high seawater pCO2.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4319
Author(s):  
Henry M. Streby ◽  
Gunnar R. Kramer ◽  
Sean M. Peterson ◽  
David E. Andersen

Background Assessing outcomes of habitat management is critical for informing and adapting conservation plans. From 2013–2019, a multi-stage management initiative aims to create >26,000 ha of shrubland and early-successional vegetation to benefit Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in managed forested landscapes of the western Great Lakes region. We studied a dense breeding population of Golden-winged Warblers at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Minnesota, USA, where shrubs and young trees were sheared during the winter of 2014–2015 in a single treatment supported in part by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and in part by other funding source(s) to benefit Golden-winged Warblers and other species associated with young forest [e.g., American Woodcock (Scalopax minor)] and as part of maintenance of early successional forest cover on the refuge. Methods We monitored abundance of Golden-winged Warblers before (2013–2014) and after (2015–2016) management at the treatment site and a control site, and we estimated full-season productivity (i.e., young recruited into the fall population) on the treatment site from predictive, spatially explicit models, informed by nest and fledgling survival data collected at sites in the western Great Lakes region, including Rice Lake NWR, during 2011 and 2012. Then, using biologically informed models of Golden-winged Warbler response to observed and predicted vegetation succession, we estimated the cumulative change in population recruitment over various scenarios of vegetation succession and demographic response. Results We observed a 32% decline in abundance of Golden-winged Warbler breeding pairs on the treatment site and estimated a 27% decline in per-pair full-season productivity following management, compared to no change in a nearby control site. In models that ranged from highly optimistic to progressively more realistic scenarios, we estimated a net loss of 72–460 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers produced from the treatment site in the 10–20 years following management. Even if our well-informed and locally validated productivity models produced erroneous estimates and the management resulted in only a temporary reduction in abundance (i.e., no change in productivity), our forecast models still predicted a net loss of 61–260 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers from the treatment site over the same time frame. Conclusions Our study sites represent only a small portion of a large young-forest management initiative directed at Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes region; however, the brush management, or shearing of shrubs and small trees, that was applied at our study site is a common treatment applied by contractors funded by ABC and its partners on public lands across Minnesota with the expressed intent of benefiting Golden-winged Warblers and related species. Furthermore, the resulting vegetation structure at our treatment site is consistent with that of other areas managed under the initiative, and ABC documents include our study site as successful Golden-winged Warbler management based on observations of ≥1 Golden-winged Warbler at the treatment site since the management. Our assessment demonstrates that, at least for the only site for which pre- and post-management data on Golden-winged Warblers exist, the shearing of shrubs and small trees has had a substantial and likely enduring negative impact on Golden-winged Warblers. We suggest that incorporating region-specific, empirical information about Golden-winged Warbler—habitat relations into habitat management efforts would increase the likelihood of a positive response by Golden-winged Warblers and also suggest that management directed generically at young forest may not benefit Golden-winged Warblers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Stelzer ◽  
Miguel A. Flores ◽  
Waleed Mohammad ◽  
Nathan Esplin ◽  
Jonathan J. Mayl ◽  
...  

Introduction. Klippel–Feil syndrome (KFS) is a congenital anomaly resulting from fusion of cervical vertebral bodies secondary to the dysregulation of signaling pathways during somite development. It is commonly associated with scoliosis and Sprengel deformity. We present a case of KFS with commonly associated abnormalities as well as deformities that have not yet been reported in the literature. Case Presentation. A 3-year-old girl presented for further evaluation of a left upper extremity deformity following a negative genetic workup. Upon physical exam and radiographic imaging, the patient was diagnosed with KFS and associated abnormalities including cervical scoliosis, Sprengel deformity, and congenital deformity of the left upper extremity. Deformities of the left upper extremity include radioulnar synostosis, a four-rayed hand, and absent thenar musculature. The Sprengel deformity was corrected surgically with a Woodward procedure. Discussion. Congenital musculoskeletal deformities can be differentiated based upon spinal and limb embryology. The presence of extraspinal abnormalities not originating from somite differentiation may suggest a severe form of KFS. Important considerations in the workup of the KFS patient include looking for deformities of the shoulder girdle and upper extremities to identify abnormalities for intervention at a young age.


Author(s):  
Anand Hammad ◽  
Anil Kalra ◽  
Prashant Khandelwal ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
King H. Yang

Injuries to the upper extremities that are caused by dynamic impacts in crashes, including contact with internal instrument panels, has been a major concern, especially for smaller female occupants, and the problem worsens with increasing age due to reduced strength of the bones. From the analysis of 1988–2010 CDS unweighted data, it was found that risk of AIS ≥ 2 level for the arm was 58.2±20.6 percent higher in females than males, and the injury risk for a 75-year-old female occupant relative to a 21-year-old subjected to a similar physical insult was 4.2 times higher. Although injuries to upper extremities are typically not fatal, they can have long-term effects on overall quality of life. Therefore, it is important to minimize risks of injuries related to upper extremities, especially for elderly females, who are most at risk. Current anthropomorphic surrogates, like crash-test dummies, cannot be directly used to study injury limits, as these dummies were developed mainly to represent the younger population. The current study is focused on the development of a finite element (FE) model representing the upper extremity of an elderly female. This can be further used to analyze the injury mechanisms and tolerance limits for this vulnerable population. The FE mesh was developed through Computer Tomography (CT) scanned images of an elderly female cadaver, and the data included for validation of the developed model were taken from the experimental studies published in scientific literature, but only the data directly representing elderly females were used. It was found that the developed model could predict fractures in the long bones of elderly female specimens and could be further used for analyzing injury tolerances for this population. Further, it was determined that the developed segmental model could be integrated with the whole body FE model of the elderly female.


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