METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study in which 77 patients (18 males, 59 females, mean age of 48) with unilateral VFP with an opposite normal mobile vocal fold underwent LEMG with a standardized protocol. Koufman gradings and MT and MA were used for the qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the median of the turns and amplitudes between the opposite normal mobile vocal fold and the paralyzed side. A linear-scale graphical "cloud" of the normal TA-LCA muscle complex was generated using logarithmic regression analysis. The qualitative and quantitative parameters were analyzed using multiple analysis of variance and Kruskall-Wallis test. Post-hoc analysis was performed to further determine the differences of the significance between both parameters. The correlation between the qualitative and quantitative parameters was analyzed using Spearman correlation.
RESULTS: The MT and MA were significantly higher for the normal TA-LCA muscle complex than the paralyzed side (582 vs. 336; 412 vs. 296, respectively) and the median of the turns and amplitudes were significantly lower in the paralyzed side with p-values <0.001. A significant difference was observed between the Koufman grading and the combination of MT and MA [F (8,144) = 73.254] and between the Koufman grading and MT and MA individually [H (4, 72) = 18.3 and H (4, 72) =33.4], in which both had p-values <0.001. A moderate negative linear relationship was seen between the Koufman grading and MT and MA. On further analysis, it was revealed that only certain pairs of Koufman grading were statistical significant.
CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to present the quantitative normative values and "cloud" of the TA-LCA muscle complex using the opposite normal mobile vocal fold in patients with unilateral VFP in which it is comparable to healthy controls. We concluded that quantitative LEMG supports the qualitative Koufman grading method however it cannot be used independently to determine the severity of neuropathy.
METHODS: Gill, muscle and liver tissues of M. albus (n = 50) sampled during the ploughing, seedling, growing and harvesting phases of rice growing were collected. The concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in these tissues were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. MT from each sample was isolated and purified, and subsequently quantitated using UV spectrophotometry. Associations between metal and MT concentrations, season and tissue type were evaluated using Pearson correlation and ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey HSD analysis.
RESULTS: Zn was present in higher quantities in gill and liver tissues, while Cu levels were elevated solely in liver. Patterns of non-essential metal accumulation were varied: Cd was detected in low concentrations in all tissues, while Pb and Ni were abundant in gill tissues across all seasons. MT concentration in liver tissue was consistently higher than that found in muscle or gill tissue, except during the growing phase. Moreover, significant correlations (P
METHODS: Multi-centre, retrospective cohort between 2010-2020, involving all consecutive patients undergoing curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in University Malaya Medical Centre, Sungai Buloh Hospital, and Sultanah Aminah Hospital. The cut-off value differentiating low and normal PMI is defined as 443mm2/m2 in males and 326326 mm2/m2 in females. Complications were recorded using the Clavien-Dindo Scale.
RESULTS: There was no statistical correlation between PMI and major post-esophagectomy complications (p-value: 0.495). However, complication profile was different, and patients with low PMIs had higher 30-day mortality (21.7%) when compared with patients with normal PMI (8.1%) (p-value: 0.048).
CONCLUSIONS: Although PMI did not significantly predict post-esophagectomy complications, low PMI correlates with higher 30-day mortality, reflecting a lower tolerance for complications among these patients. PMI is a useful, inexpensive tool to identify sarcopenia and aids the patient selection process. This alerts healthcare professionals to institute intensive physiotherapy and nutritional optimization prior to esophagectomy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A preliminary intervention study was conducted on 12 female subjects, who were randomised into a control (n=6) and an intervention (n=6) group. Intervention involved a set regimen of pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegel) and the control group did not have any treatment. All subjects were asked to answer a validated, self-rated Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ). EMG measurements of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and the abdominal muscles were taken from all women at recruitment and 8 weeks after study commencement.
RESULTS: After 8 weeks, most of the subjects in the control group did not display any noted positive difference in either PISQ score (4/6) or in their muscle strength (4/6). However, a noted progressive difference were observed in subjects who were placed in the Kegel group; PISQ score (5/6) and muscles strength (4/6).
CONCLUSIONS: The noted difference in the Kegel group subjects was that if progress is observed in the sexual function, improvement is also observed in the strength of at least 2 types of muscles (either abdominal or PFM muscles). Thus, EMG measurement is a potential technique to quantify the changes in female sexual function. Further work will be conducted to validate this assumption.
METHOD: Electromyographic (EMG) signals of the orbicularis oris superior [OOS], orbicularis oris inferior [OOI] and depressor labii inferioris [DLI] were recorded during syllable production and expressed as polar-phase notations.
RESULT: PD participants exhibited the general features of reciprocity between OOS, OOI and DLI muscles as reflected in the EMG during syllable production. The control group showed significantly higher integrated EMG amplitude ratio in the DLI:OOS muscle pairs than PD participants. No speech rate effects were found in EMG muscle reciprocity and amplitude magnitude across all muscle pairs.
CONCLUSION: Similar patterns of muscle reciprocity in PD and controls suggest that corticomotoneuronal output to the facial nucleus and respective perioral muscles is relatively well-preserved in our cohort of mild idiopathic PD participants. Reduction of EMG amplitude ratio among PD participants is consistent with the putative reduction in the thalamocortical activation characteristic of this disease which limits motor cortex drive from generating appropriate commands which contributes to bradykinesia and hypokinesia of the orofacial mechanism.
RESULTS: The results show that the LL muscle-drip loss was greater in animals supplemented with 5% corn compared to the other groups. Higher pH values of SS and LL muscles were observed in animals supplemented with 5 and 10% corn. Furthermore, the L* value of ST muscle was increased in lambs fed on 5% corn while, reduced in those fed on 0% corn, but the a* and b* values were not significantly different in the treatment groups. The fatty acid composition of the SS muscles showed that lambs fed on 10% corn had higher levels of sum PUFA n-3 compared to those fed on 0% corn. The concentration of C18:1trans11 and CLA c12 t10 in ST muscle from the lambs fed on supplemented diets were higher than those of the controls.
CONCLUSION: This study has concluded the supplementation of corn as a source of energy into a PKC urea-treated rice straw-based diet increased the PUFA concentrations of muscles as compared to control groups.
CASE PRESENTATION: We described a 45-year-old female who presented with dysphagia, hoarseness and anterior neck swelling. The initial CT scan revealed a right thyroid abscess which was incised and drained with no malignancy found in the biopsy of the thyroid tissue. Patient presented one month later with worsening dysphagia, weight loss and a fungating anterior neck mass. Further investigation revealed a locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma extending to the right thyroid, upper oesophagus, prevertebral muscles and bilateral cervical lymph nodes (T4bN2cM0). Unfortunately, the patient passed away prior to initiation of treatment.
CONCLUSION: Clinicians should have raised index of suspicion of a possible underlying hypopharyngeal carcinoma in patients presenting with thyroid abscess and proceed to further investigations in order to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of the malignancy.