International Journal of Health Sciences-IJHS最新文献

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of palpation technique, digital calipers, and diastometer, as well as their concurrent validity against ultrasound imaging.

Methods: Ninety consenting parous women (20-45 years), recruited from a postnatal clinic in Enugu, Nigeria, participated in this observational study. Two physiotherapists and a sonographer measured their inter rectus distance at the level of the umbilicus, 4.5 cm above and below it, respectively, using each of the four modalities. The intra-rater measurements were taken at a week's interval. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics of intraclass correlation coefficient and paired samples T-test, at an alpha level set at P < 0.05.

Results: It showed the palpation technique (r = 0.749-0.967 and 0.658-0.917), digital calipers (r=0.750-0.955 and 0.685-0.904), and diastometer (r=0.762-0.958 and 0.471-0.902) demonstrated good inter- and intra-rater reliability. The concurrent validity of the palpation technique, digital calipers, and diastometer against the USI was poor at all three reference points.

Conclusion: Palpation technique, digital calipers, and diastometer are reliable tools but not valid substitutes to ultrasound imaging for the clinical measurement of diastasis rectus abdominis.

Objective: We tested the impact of subjects' belief in an ingested substance's ergogenic or ergolytic properties on muscular endurance performance and perceived exertion.

Methods: Trained men (n = 15, age = 41 ± 4 y; body mass = 82.1 ± 15.8 kg; height = 173 ± 8 cm; experience = 7.4 ± 2.3 y) completed one set to failure at 80% repetition maximum of the bench press under three conditions. In all conditions, subjects ingested capsules of an identical, inert substance (300 mg cellulose), but, in a randomized order, subjects were told that they were either ingesting caffeine (Placebo), lactic acid (Nocebo), or cellulose (Control) and received information on the respective alleged ergogenic/ergolytic/neutral effects of each. Repetitions completed and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. The data were analyzed among conditions using a Friedman test with post hoc analyses accomplished through Durbin-Conover tests. Spearman correlations were used to compare repetitions performed and RPE between Nocebo and Placebo conditions. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05.

Results: Subjects lifted more (P < 0.001) repetitions in the Placebo condition (14.1 ± 3.0) versus Control (10.3 ± 2.9) or Nocebo (7.5 ± 2.6), while Control and Nocebo performances were similar (P = 0.192). Lower RPE was noted in Placebo versus Control (P = 0.003) and Nocebo (P < 0.001) and lower in Control versus Nocebo (P = 0.025). Subjects who performed more repetitions with Placebo tended to perform fewer repetitions under the Nocebo condition (Spearman's Rho =-0.578).

Conclusion: This study believes that the ergogenic or ergolytic properties of a substance can measurably impact upper-body muscular endurance performance and RPE in trained men.

Objectives: The poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is vastly due to late diagnosis. The oral submucosal fibrosis (OSMF) is often unnoticed pathology linked with high risk of malignancy. Recently, we demonstrated that the clinicopathological alterations in OSMF and OSCC patients were correlated with cancer stem cell (CSCs) markers (CD133 and CD44). However, the parallel alterations of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) with CSCs expression are largely unexplored. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between IL-1β alterations and CSC marker expression in both OSMF and OSCC situations.

Materials and methods: A total of 135 people have signed up for the study. There were sixty each in OSMF and OSCC groups, as well as 15 healthy controls. Levels of serum IL-1β were examined by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine the expression of CD133 and CD44. For evaluating differential CSCs expression, IHC scoring (0-4) was utilized.

Results: The IHC results showed maximum subjects in the OSMF and OSCC displaying CD44 and CD133 positivity, although the extent of expression in terms of IHC scoring found variable. CD133 and CD44-positive subjects showed increased levels of IL-1β in the OSMF and OSCC group. Nevertheless, the enhancement of IL-1β is more pronounced in the OSCC cases. Further, we observed a direct link of IL-1β levels with IHC scoring. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated a significant role for CD44 and CD133 positivity in the increase of IL-1β levels.

Conclusion: We concluded that concurrent simultaneous changes in CSC biomarkers and IL-1β may help with early detection of OSMF and OSCC conditions.