Medx

BACKGROUND: Densitometric quantification of myeloma paraproteins (M-proteins) is used to monitor secretory myeloma related disorders in humans and dogs. The previous work in dogs used agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) but did not establish if other methods of serum protein electrophoresis, such as capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), were comparable. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine if the densitometric quantification of M-proteins using CZE would yield results comparable to AGE methods...

Neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) patients suffer from cutaneous and subcutaneous neurofibromas (CNF) and large plexiform neurofibromas (PNF). Whole gene deletions of the NF1 gene can cause a more severe phenotype compared to smaller intragenic changes. Two distinct groups of NF1 whole gene deletions are type-1 deletions and atypical deletions. Our aim was to assess volumes and averaged annual growth-rates of CNF and PNF in patients with NF1 whole gene deletions and to compare these with NF1 patients without large deletions of the NF1 gene...

Background: The purpose of this study was to find the basic data of medical and exercise therapy by indexing lumbar extension muscle strength of low back pain (LBP) patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 3078 chronic LBP participants from The J hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 2003 to 2010 were enrolled. Maximum muscle strength was measured at maximum flexion angle and maximum extension angle according to range of motion (ROM) results. For each isometric test, participants were seated and secured in the MEDX (medx lumbar extension machine, Ocala, FL, USA) machine...

INTRODUCTION: Patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop plexiform neurofibromas (PNF) and cutaneous neurofibromas. These tumors are a major cause of the patient's morbidity and mortality. An influence of estrogen and progesterone on tumor growth has been suggested but reports on growth or malignant transformation of tumors during pregnancy remain anecdotal. The purpose of this study was to quantify growth of cutaneous and plexiform neurofibromas in NF1 patients during pregnancy, and to assess the onset of NF1 related symptoms...

BACKGROUND: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) malfunction is a common sequel of stroke. The impact of lesion configuration on the expression of stroke-related ANS malfunction is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between stroke location and ANS malfunction, as reflected in cardiac rhythm control. METHODS: 25 patients in the subacute phase post first-ever ischemic stroke were recruited for the study. Heart rate monitor (RS800CX) was used to record RR intervals analyzed as heart rate variability (HRV) parameters...

OBJECTIVE: Mu and beta EEG oscillations show typical desynchronization patterns during movement. The aim of the current study was to assess whether in sub-acute stroke patients the magnitude of movement-related desynchronization reflects the extent of residual motor ability in the paretic upper limb. METHODS: EEG and EMG data were recorded from 14 first-event stroke patients during repeated wrist extension movements of the paretic upper limb. Residual motor ability was assessed by the Fugl Meyer and Box and Blocks standardized clinical tests...

BACKGROUND: The development of telecommunication has strongly affected comprehensive scientific disciplines, including medical sciences. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the patient satisfaction of the teleconsultation system used for the consultation of dermatological follow-up care. METHODS: The study was performed cross sectional patient satisfaction survey method conducted between February and April 2017 to determine patient satisfaction using MedX teleconsultation system...

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. PURPOSE: To determine the characteristics of lumbar extensor muscle (LEM) size and isometric muscle strength and examine their correlations in women with lumbar degenerative diseases (LDDs). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Many studies have evaluated the relationship between muscle size and strength, but the results have been controversial. METHODS: Seventy-four female patients (mean age, 66 years) who consecutively underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (L1-S1) were recruited...

BACKGROUND: The use of communication apps on mobile phones offers an efficient, unobtrusive, and portable mode of communication for medical staff. The potential enhancements in patient care and education appear significant, with clinical details able to be shared quickly within multidisciplinary teams, supporting rapid integration of disparate information, and more efficient patient care. However, sharing patient data in this way also raises legal and ethical issues. No data is currently available demonstrating how widespread the use of these apps are, doctor's attitudes towards them, or what guides clinician choice of app...

Clethramycin (1) and mediomycin A (2) belong to the linear polyene polyketide (LPP) family of antibiotics that exhibit potent antifungal activity. Structural similarities exist between 1 and 2, except that 2 contains an amino moiety substituted for the guanidino moiety. Herein, the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces mediocidicus ATCC23936, a strain which produces both 1 and 2, was obtained through de novo sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome revealed a clethramycin (cle) gene cluster that contained 25 open reading frames (orfs)...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of short-term lumbar stability cross taping program on muscle strength of trunk extension and lumbar pain level in patients with chronic back pain. [Subjects and Methods] The present study divided 14 patients with chronic back pain into the stability cross taping group (SCTG; n=7) and the control group (CONG; n=7). Lumbar cross taping was applied to SCTG for 7 days, but the taping was not applied to CONG. After 7 days of the lumbar stability cross taping application to SCTG, lumbar muscle function and lumbar pain levels were measured using a Medx lumbar extension machine (Medx, USA) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for the subjects in both SCTG and CONG...

OBJECTIVES: Plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) are complex, histologically benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors that are challenging to measure by simple line measurements. Computer-aided volumetric segmentation of PN has become the recommended method to assess response in clinical trials directed at PN. Different methods for volumetric analysis of PN have been developed. The goal of this study is to test the level of agreement in volume measurements and in interval changes using two separate methods of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging analysis...

We report in this paper on the enhanced efficacy of a physical mixture of two single anti-cancer loaded nanomicelles against PANC-1 and BxPC-3. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone-b-polycaprolactone) (PVP-b-PCL) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone-b-poly(dioxanone-co-methyl dioxanone)) (PVP-b-P(DX-co-MeDX)) were synthesized and successfully loaded with various anti-cancer drugs - gemcitabine (GEM), doxorubicin.HCl (DOX.HCl), doxorubicin.NH2 (DOX), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and paclitaxel (PTX). Spherical micelles of size 160-477 nm were obtained as characterized by DLS while sizes determined by TEM were in the range 140-250 nm...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of complex rehabilitation training on chronic low back pain. [Subjects and Methods] Complex rehabilitation training for lumbar isometric muscle strength was conducted for 12 weeks for males (n=10) and females (n=10) with chronic low back pain, who were aged in their 30s. [Results] Isometric strength of lumbar extension was increased post-test, and significant differences were found between males and females, at MedX angle of 0, 48, and 60. [Conclusion] This study showed that complex rehabilitation training had a beneficial effect on the muscle strength of lumbar extension in patients with chronic low back pain...

BACKGROUND: Approaches in the treatment of general chronic low back pain (CLBP) are multifaceted relative to specific interventions. In the past, passive interventions have commonly been employed with little evidence to support their effectiveness. Recent reviews suggest a focus on active exercises programs that includes pain education and cognitive behavioral therapy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of CLBP patients and describe the approach in persons undergoing a group spinal rehabilitation program using graded exercise, and operant conditioning...

Since the commercialization of polydioxanone (PDX) as a biodegradable monofilament suture by Ethicon in 1981, the polymer has received only limited interest until recently. The limitations of polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) coupled with the growing need for materials with enhanced features and the advent of new fabrication techniques such as electrospinning have revived interest for PDX in medical devices, tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. Electrospun PDX mats show comparable mechanical properties as the major structural components of native vascular extracellular matrix (ECM) i...

[Purpose] The present study examined the influence of treadmill exercise added to a low back pain rehabilitation program on low back extensor strength, pain, and dysfunction in chronic low back pain patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty men aged 22-36 years with chronic low back pain were randomly divided into experimental and control groups of 10 patients each. Both groups underwent a low back pain rehabilitation program lasting 30 min each, thrice/week for 8 weeks. The experimental group was prescribed an additional 30 min of treadmill exercise without a slope at a speed of 3...

Disinhibition, the inability to inhibit inappropriate behavior, is seen in frontal-temporal degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. Behavioral disinhibition leads to social and emotional impairments, including impulsive behavior and disregard for social conventions. The authors investigated the effects of lesions on behavioral disinhibition measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory in 177 veterans with traumatic brain injuries. The authors performed voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping using MEDx. Damage in the frontal and temporal lobes, gyrus rectus, and insula was associated with greater behavioral disinhibition, providing further evidence of the frontal lobe's involvement in behavioral inhibition and suggesting that these regions are necessary to inhibit improper behavior...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of abdominal bracing with low extremity movement on changes in thickness of abdominal muscles and lumbar strength. [Subjects] Sixteen patients with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to two groups: an abdominal bracing with active straight leg raise (ABSLR) group and abdominal bracing with ankle dorsiflexion (ABDF) group. [Methods] All subjects were evaluated for their abdominal muscle strength using a MedX Lumbar Extension Machine and thickness of external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TrA) muscles using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging...

OBJECTIVE: To consider the efficacy of 10 weeks of Romanian deadlift (DL) training in increasing lumbar extension strength compared to isolated lumbar extension (LUMX) training. DESIGN: Comparison of pre- and post-test data for Romanian deadlift 1RM, and lumbar extension torque between and within groups. PARTICIPANTS: Male trained subjects (n = 36; (x¯±SD) 24.9 ± 6.5 years; 178.5 ± 5.2 cm; 81...