Preliminary Study on Reference Interval of Serum Pepsinogen in Healthy Subjects

Abstract Background: Real-time ultrasound imaging (RUSI) has been increasingly used as a form of biofeedback when instructing and re-training muscle contraction. However, the effectiveness of the RUSI on a single sustained contraction of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) has rarely been reported. This preliminary study aimed to determine if the use of RUSI, as visual biofeedback, could enhance the ability of activation and continuous contraction of the trunk muscles including LM and TrA.Methods: Forty healthy individuals were included and randomly assigned into the experimental group and control group. All subjects performed a preferential activation of the LM and/or TrA (maintained the constraction of LM and/or TrA for 30 seconds and then relaxed for two minutes), while those in the experimental group also received visual feedback provided by RUSI. The thickness of LM and/or TrA at rest and during contraction (Tc-max, T15s, and T30s) were extracted and recorded. The experiment was repeated three times.Results: No significant differences were found in the thickness of LM at rest (P > 0.999), Tc-max (P > 0.999), and T15s (P = 0.414) between the two groups. However, the ability to recruit LM muscle contraction differed between groups at T30s (P = 0.006), with subjects in the experimental group that received visual ultrasound biofeedback maintaining a relative maximum contraction. Besides, no significant differences were found in the TrA muscle thickness at rest (P > 0.999) and Tc-max (P > 0.999) between the two groups. However, significant differences of contraction thickness were found at T15s (P = 0.031) and T30s (P = 0.010) between the two groups during the Abdominal Drawing-in Maneuver (ADIM), with greater TrA muscle contraction thickness in the experimental group.Conclusions: RUSI can be used to provide visual biofeedback, which can promote continuous contraction, and improve the ability to activate the LM and TrA muscles in healthy subjects.

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A Preliminary Study of Serum Carbamazepine Levels in Healthy Subjects and in Patients with Epilepsy

Clinical Pharmacology of Anti-Epileptic Drugs ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-85921-2_17 ◽

1975 ◽

pp. 181-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

R. E. Strandjord ◽

S. I. Johannessen

Keyword(s):

Healthy Subjects ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Patients With Epilepsy

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Evaluating the Skidding Incidence During the Application of Different Parameters of Whole Body Vibration in Healthy Subjects with Normal Body Mass Index: A Preliminary Study

Physikalische Medizin Rehabilitationsmedizin Kurortmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0044-100703 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (05) ◽

pp. e4-e4

Author(s):

Amin Kordi Yoosefinejad ◽

Sara Shabakhti ◽

Tahereh Salehi

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Whole Body ◽

Normal Body Mass Index ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Normal Body ◽

Preliminary Study

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Reference interval by the indirect approach of serum thyrotropin (TSH) in a Mediterranean adult population and the association with age and gender

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) ◽

10.1515/cclm-2018-0957 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (10) ◽

pp. 1587-1594 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Bruna Lo Sasso ◽

Matteo Vidali ◽

Concetta Scazzone ◽

Luisa Agnello ◽

Marcello Ciaccio

Keyword(s):

Healthy Subjects ◽

Indirect Method ◽

Adult Population ◽

Reference Interval ◽

University Hospital ◽

Thyroid Peroxidase ◽

Free Triiodothyronine ◽

Age And Gender ◽

And Gender ◽

Effect Of Age

Abstract Background The serum concentration of thyrotropin (TSH) represents a first-line test in diagnostic algorithms. The estimation of TSH reference intervals (RIs) is still a matter of debate due to the high prevalence of subclinical disease making difficult the definition of truly healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to estimate TSH RIs in healthy subjects and to evaluate the effect of age and gender on TSH concentration. Methods Forty-four thousand one hundred and fifty-six TSH data were collected between July 2012 and April 2018 at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, University-Hospital, Palermo. Common and sex-specific RIs were estimated by Arzideh’s indirect method after exclusion of individuals younger than 15 years, subjects with repeated TSH tests and with abnormal free thyroxine (fT4), free triiodothyronine (fT3) or anti-thyroid-peroxidase antibodies. The combined effect of age and gender on TSH values was evaluated. Results RIs estimated in the selected individuals (n = 22602) were, respectively, 0.18–3.54 mIU/L (general), 0.19–3.23 mIU/L (men) and 0.18–3.94 mIU/L (women). Women showed significantly higher median TSH than men (1.46 vs. 1.39 mIU/L; p < 0.0001). Both in men and in women, median TSH decreased along with age; however, although up to 60 years in both men and women showed similar values, afterwards women showed constantly higher TSH than men. Accordingly, statistical analysis showed a significant interaction between gender and age (p = 0.001), suggesting that the effect of age on TSH is different between genders. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the indirect method, with appropriate cleaning of data, could be useful to define TSH RIs.

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Modifying Stride Length in Isolation and in Combination With Foot Progression Angle and Step Width Can Improve Knee Kinetics Related to Osteoarthritis; A Preliminary Study in Healthy Subjects

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.4046713 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Shannon N. Edd ◽

Sami Bennour ◽

Baptiste Ulrich ◽

Brigitte M. Jolles ◽

Julien Favre

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Stride Length ◽

Knee Adduction Moment ◽

Step Width ◽

Foot Placement ◽

Knee Kinetics ◽

Foot Progression Angle ◽

Knee Loading ◽

Preliminary Study

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of modifying stride length (SL) on knee adduction and flexion moments, two markers of knee loading associated with medial-compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression. This study also tested if SL modifications, in addition to foot progression angle (FP) and step width (SW) modifications, provide solutions in more subjects for reducing knee adduction moment (KAM) without increasing knee flexion moment (KFM), potentially protecting the joint. Fourteen healthy subjects (six female) were enrolled in this preliminary study. Walking trials were collected first without instructions, and then following foot placement instructions for 50 combinations of SL, FP, and SW modifications. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to detect group-average effects of footprint modifications on maximum KAM and KFM and on KAM impulse. Subject-specific dose–responses between footprint modifications and kinetics changes were modeled with linear regressions, and the models were used to identify modification solutions, per subject, for various kinetics change conditions. Shorter SL significantly decreased the three kinetics measures (p < 0.01). Potential solutions for 10% reductions in maximum KAM and KAM impulse without increasing maximum KFM were identified for five subjects with FP and SW modifications. A significantly higher proportion of subjects had solutions when adding SL modifications (11 subjects, p = 0.04). In conclusion, SL is a valuable parameter to modify, especially in combination with FP and SW modifications, to reduce markers of medial knee loading. Future work is needed to extend these findings to osteoarthritic knees.

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Studies on Reference Intervals for Platelet Counts in Three Cities in China and one in Japan

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1613162 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 88 (07) ◽

pp. 111-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Changgeng Ruan ◽

Yun Wu ◽

Tokuhiro Okada ◽

Shigemi Motoi ◽

Tamiaki Kondo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Mean Platelet Volume ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Hematological Parameters ◽

Reference Interval ◽

Reference Intervals ◽

Sichuan Province ◽

Jiangsu Province ◽

Platelet Volume ◽

Platelet Counts

SummaryHematological parameters including platelet counts, etc. were determined in 1,140 healthy subjects living in four cities: Suzhou (Jiangsu Province), Chengdu (Sichuan Province) and Harbin (Heilongjang Province) in China, and Kobe in Japan. Then, the reference intervals for platelet counts were calculated and compared. The reference interval for platelet count of subjects aged between 18 and 60 years was 60-259 × 109/L in Suzhou and 52–202 × 109/L in Chengdu, and subjects with platelet counts of 100 × 109/L or less accounted for about 30% of the subjects examined in these cities. The reference intervals in Harbin and Kobe were within the range of 150–350 × 109/L, and no subject having a platelets count of 100 × 109/L or less was detected. Mean platelet volume (MPV) determined concurrently was negatively correlated with platelet count, and the reference intervals for MPV in Chengdu and Suzhou were higher than those in Harbin and Kobe.

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