Search

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the voice quality of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) compared with healthy subjects using cepstral analysis and investigate the relationship between the TMD severity and the values of cepstral analysis. Methods: Subjects who met the inclusion criteria completed a general health questionnaire and the Fonseca Anamnestic Index. Patients who had TMDs with FAI were subjected to an examination based on the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. The final sample included 65 subjects, 31 TMDs patients (with a mean age ± standard deviation of 36.64 ± 13.67 years), and 34 healthy individuals in the control group (with a mean age ± standard deviation of 30.35 ± 7.78 years). Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) and Smoothened Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPPS) of a sustained vowel and connected speech were computed using Praat software. Results: TMD patients indicated lower cepstral values and lower voice quality compared to the control group. Significant differences were found between TMD and control groups for all cepstral parameters (P <.001) and cepstral measurements showed a moderate to strong negative correlation with TMD severity (P <.001, rho = − 0.57 to − 0.88). Conclusion: The outcomes of the present study indicate that cepstral analysis can accurately distinguish the reduced voice quality of TMD patients from normal voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forward head posture (FHP) leads to the anterior excursion of the center of gravity, which can affect a person's standing balance. Evaluating the balance in different degrees of severity of FHP can help design and plan appropriate balance exercises for people with FHP. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the limits of stability (LOS) in people with mild and moderate-to-severe grades of FHP. Methods: The participants in this study were 70 individuals suffering from FHP, aged between 17 - 45. They were divided into two groups based on their craniovertebral angle: Mild (> 45.5 degrees) and moderate-to-severe (< 45.5 degrees). The LOS test was performed using a posturography device (NeuroCom, Equitest, USA). Five indices—movement reaction time (RCT), movement velocity (MVL), endpoint excursion (EPE), maximum excursion (MXE), and directional control (DCL)—were evaluated. Results: Based on the results of the LOS test, RCT, MVL, EPE, MXE, and DCL were significantly different between the mild and moderate-to-severe FHP groups in both anterior and posterior directions (P < 0.05). However, in other directions, no significant difference was observed in these variables based on the LOS test (P > 0.05). Conclusions: It can be concluded that individuals with moderate-to-severe FHP are more likely to have postural control deficits. Therefore, it is necessary to design appropriate targeted interventions to prevent falls in these individuals. Specifically, they should receive balance exercises in dynamic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of forces within the ankle joint plays a crucial role in joint health and longevity. Loading disorders affecting the ankle joint can have significant detrimental effects on daily life and activity levels. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the mechanical behavior of tibiotalar joint articular cartilages in the presence of varus deformity using finite element analysis (FEA) applied to patient-specific models. Two personalized ankle models, one healthy and another with varus deformity, were created based on CT scan images. Four static loading scenarios were simulated at the center of pressure (COP), coupled to the hindfoot complex. The contact area, contact pressure, and von Mises stress were computed for each cartilage. It was found that the peak contact pressure increased by 54% in the ankle with varus deformity compared to the healthy ankle model. Furthermore, stress concentrations moving medially were observed, particularly beneath the medial malleolus, with an average peak contact pressure of 3.5 MPa and 4.7 MPa at the tibial and talar articular cartilages, respectively. Varus deformities in the ankle region have been consistently linked to elevated contact pressure, increasing the risk of thinning, degeneration, and eventual onset of osteoarthritis (OA), emphasizing the need for prompt interventions aimed at mitigating complications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of study was to compare the kinematic patterns of the thoracic, lumbar, and pelvis segments and hip joints between 2 low back pain subgroups and healthy women during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit. Kinematic data of 44 healthy women and 2 subgroups of females with low back pain in 2 subgroups of movement system impairment model (rotation-extension [Rot.Ext] and rotation-flexion [Rot.Flex]) were recorded. Participants performed sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit at a preferred speed. Each task was divided into a pre buttock lifted off/on (pre-BOff/n) phase and a post-BOff/n phase. The Rot.Ext subgroup showed greater range of motion in the thoracic during pre-BOff phase of sit-to-stand (P <.001) and pre-BOn phase of stand-to-sit (P =.01) compared to the other 2 groups. The Rot.Flex subgroup displayed limited left hip joint excursion during sit-to-stand pre-BOff (P =.04) and stand-to-sit post-BOn phases (P =.02). The Rot.Flex subgroup showed greater pelvis tilt excursion during sit-to-stand post-BOff (P =.04) and stand-to-sit pre-BOn (P =.01) and post-BOn phases (P =.01). In subgroups of women with chronic low back pain, there were kinematic changes in adjacent body segments/joints of lumbar spine during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (mini-BESTest) is a widely used measure to assess balance impairments. This study aimed to assess the validity, reliability, responsiveness, and minimal clinically important change (MCIC) of the Persian mini-BESTest among ambulatory People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Fifty ambulatory PwMS participated in this study. Persian mini-BESTest validated against Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed-Up and Go (TUG) with/without a cognitive task. To assess the reliability, the Persian mini-BESTest was re-administered for a sample of 30 participants after 1 week. Also, 32 PwMS were tested before and after a 4-week of balance and gait training to assess the responsiveness. No floor/ceiling effect was found for the mini-BESTest total score. There were significant excellent correlations (p <.001) between mini-BESTest and BBS (r = 0.71), TUG (r = −0.76), and cognitive TUG (r = −0.73). No strong correlations were observed between the subscales (r = 0.37–0.55). Test–retest reliability and internal consistency of Persian mini-BESTest total score were excellent, with Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC3,1 and Cronbach's alpha level of 0.89 and 0.80, respectively. The minimal detectable change was 4 points. The Persian mini-BESTest had acceptable responsiveness (AUC = 0.83), and MCIC was 5 points. The Persian mini-BESTest is a valid, reliable, and responsive measure of balance performance in Iranian ambulatory PwMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Subgrouping for Targeted Treatment (STarT) musculoskeletal (MSK) tool stratifies patients with MSK disorders (MSDs) into prognostic categories based on poor outcomes. This study aimed at investigating the validity and reliability of the Persian STarT MSK tool in people suffering from painful MSDs in Iran. A total of 593 subjects with painful MSDs including neck, shoulder, low back, knee, and multisite pain received and completed the STarT MSK tool, visual analog scale (VAS), EuroQol five-dimensions three-levels questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L), short form-36 health survey questionnaire (SF-36), and Örebro musculoskeletal pain screening questionnaire (ÖMPSQ) in the first visit. To examine test–retest reliability, 234 patients completed the STarT MSK tool 2 days after the initial visit. In this study, 139 (23.5%), 266 (44.9%), and 188 (31.7%) participants were classified as low-, medium-, and high-risk groupings for poor outcomes, respectively. Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a strong relationship among Persian STarT MSK tool and EQ-5D-3 L (−0.78), SF-36 (−0.76), and OMPSQ (0.70). The results of known-group validity indicated that this tool could distinguish among the participants in different risk subgroups based on the scores of the ÖMPSQ, VAS, SF36, and EQ-5D-5 L (p <.001). No ceiling and floor effects were observed. Cronbach's alpha and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) were acceptable (0.71) and excellent (0.98), respectively. The Persian version of STarT MSK tool has shown to be a valid and reliable instrument to stratify people with painful MSDs into low-, medium-, and high-risk subgroups based on persistent pain disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effects of Perturbation-based Balance Training (PBT) on postural responses and falls in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and compare the results with conventional balance training (CBT). Thirty-four PwMS were randomized to receive 4 weeks of PBT or CBT. Latency of postural responses to external perturbations, Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG), 10-meter-walk (10MW), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) were measured at baseline and post-training. Also, the proportion of fallers and fall rate were assessed at a 3-month follow-up. The latency of postural responses significantly decreased in PBT compared to CBT. TUG, 10MW, BBS, and ABC, at post-training, and relative risk of falls and fall rate at 3-month follow-up had no statistically significant between-group differences. The results show that PBT is at least as effective as CBT in improving balance and decreasing falls, while it has superiority over CBT whenever the clinicians mainly aim to improve reactive balance strategies. Future studies with a larger sample size are warranted to complement the results of this study. Perturbation-based Balance Training is at least as effective as conventional balance training (CBT) in improving proactive postural control in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Perturbation-based Balance Training has superiority over CBT in improving reactive postural control in PwMS. Perturbation-based Balance Training has no superiority over CBT in improving fall-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare sensory organization test and postural control strategies between individuals with mild and moderate-to-severe forward head posture (FHP). A sensory organization test (SOT) was performed in 6 conditions using computerized dynamic posturography, to assess postural control. Equilibrium scores representing overall balance, strategy analysis to assess ankle vs hip strategy dominance, and sensory analysis (Somatosensory, visual, vestibular, visual preference ratio) as an indicator of the use of sensory systems were obtained. Our results revealed a significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of equilibrium score (P <.05) and strategy scores (P <.05) in conditions of 4 to 6 of the SOT. The results of sensory analysis of SOT showed visual and vestibular ratios were significantly different between the 2 study groups (P <.05), but somatosensory and visual preference ratios were not significantly different between these 2 groups (P >.05). Individuals with moderate-to-severe FHP swayed more in comparison with mild FHP ones in conditions with the Sway-referenced platform of the SOT. They tended to rely on the hip strategy more than the ankle strategy excessively when sensory difficulty increased. Overall, it can be concluded that individuals with moderate-to-severe FHP are more likely to have postural deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the effects of exergaming versus conventional exercises on cognition, lower-limb functional coordination, and stepping time in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Thirty-six PwMS were randomly assigned to either intervention (n = 18) or control (n = 18) group and received 18 training sessions during six weeks. The intervention group performed exergames that required multidirectional timed-stepping, weight-shifting, and walking while the control group performed conventional matched exercises. Trail making test (TMT part A, B; TMT-A, TMT-B, TMT B-A), six-spot step test (SSST), and choice stepping reaction time (CSRT-including reaction time (RT), movement time (MVT), and total response time (TRT)) were assessed pre- and post-intervention (short-term), and after three-month follow-up (mid-term). The intervention group showed faster TMT-B (p = 0.003) and TMT B-A (p = 0.002) at post-intervention and faster SSST at both post-intervention (p = 0.002) and follow-up (p = 0.04). The CSRT components showed no between-group differences at post-intervention; however, at follow-up, the intervention group had lower TRT (p = 0.046) and MVT (p = 0.015). TMT-A and RT had no significant between-group differences. In short-term, exergames led to more improvements in complex attention, executive function, and lower-limb functional coordination comparing to the matched conventional exercises. In mid-term, exergaming was more effective for improving stepping time and lower-limb functional coordination. However, the two approaches did not show any superiority over each other for improving simple attention and RT. When designed properly, exergames have great potential to improve attention and executive function of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), at least in the short-term. Exergames seem like an appropriate option for improving lower limb coordination and decreasing choice stepping response time among PwMS in the mid-term. Exergames do not have superiority in improving the choice stepping reaction time compared to their matched conventional treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proprioception deficit has been suggested as a possible mechanism contributing for the impaired postural control in low back pain (LBP) patients. Whether proprioception deficit is a result of or a cause of LBP has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare proprioceptive postural control strategies between prolonged standing induced low back pain developers (PDs) and non-pain developers (NPDs). Thirty-two healthy subjects performed 1-h prolonged standing and their ratings of perceived LBP have been recorded. Eight quiet standing trials for 60 s performed immediately before and after the prolonged standing. Postural control was challenged by muscle vibration and different postural conditions during quiet standing. Data were recorded using a force platform. Forty percentage of participants is classified as PD. Before the prolonged standing, relative proprioceptive weighting was greater in the PD compared to NPD group (P =.029). Main effect of postural condition (F1,24 = 5.21, P =.032) and interaction of time by group (F1,24 = 8.08, P =.009) were significant for COP displacement in anteroposterior direction. Interaction of postural condition by group (F1,26 = 7.82, P =.010) and time by group (F1,26 = 9.71, P =.004) were significant for COP displacement in mediolateral direction. Main effect of postural condition (F1,26 = 6.31, P =.018) and interaction of postural condition by group (F1,26 = 7.07, P =.013) were significant for mean velocity in mediolateral direction. The PD group has altered proprioceptive postural control strategies before and after prolonged standing. Proprioception deficit should not be considered to be solely an adaptive response and may be causal for LBP development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tellurium- containing compounds are suggested as the treatment agents for different diseases. This study aimed to synthesize tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) and study their in vitro and in vivo effects on tumour cells. Method: In this experimental study, the synthesis of TeNPs in an aqueous solution was achieved with lactose as a reducing agent. The cells (2x104) were seeded, in triplicate, in 96-well plates and exposed to different concentrations of TeNPs for 48 hours. The determination of cell viability was done by MTT assay. In vivo studies were performed using breast cancer-bearing mice treated with TeNPs at different doses via intraperitoneal (IP) and intravenous (IV) injections. Results: After 48 hours of treatment with TeNPs at different concentrations, cancer cell line viability was significantly decreased compared with control at almost all concentrations. Moreover, the IC50 of TeNPs in the non-cancerous cell line CHO (50.53 µg/mL) was far above that of EJ138 (29.60 µg/mL) and 4T1 (7.41 µg/mL) cell lines, revealing their lower toxicity in normal cells in comparison with cancer cells. The in vivo study's findings also showed that both delivery methods significantly inhibited tumor development, and that breast cancer-bearing mice lived longer than control mice, particularly when the largest dosage (400 µg, injected three times a week) was used. Conclusion: These results demonstrate TeNPs as promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. However, further investigation is still needed to determine the in vitro and in vivo anticancer mechanisms of TeNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The Multiple sclerosis walking scale-12 (MSWS-12) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) are two popular outcome measures applied widely for assessing self-perceived walking ability and fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The present study aimed to examine responsiveness and clinically meaningful changes for the Persian versions of the MSWS-12 and the MFIS following balance and gait rehabilitation in PwMS. Methods: Fifty-eight PwMS completed the Persian versions of the MSWS-12 and the MFIS before and after 4 weeks of balance and gait rehabilitation. Also, a 7-point global rating scale as an external criterion of change was completed at the post-intervention evaluation. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and the correlation analysis were used to assess the responsiveness. In addition, the minimally clinically important change (MCIC) was measured to determine clinically meaningful changes following rehabilitation. Results: The AUC values for the Persian MSWS-12 and MFIS were 0.74 and 0.73, respectively. There were good to excellent correlations between the global rating scale of change and the Persian MSWS-12 (Gamma = 0.77) also MFIS (Gamma = 0.80) change scores (p =.001). Moreover, the MCICs of 7.5 and 4 points were obtained for the Persian MSWS-12 and MFIS, respectively. Conclusion: The Persian versions of the MSWS-12 and the MFIS were responsive outcome measures for monitoring changes in walking and fatigue after balance and gait rehabilitation in PwMS. The calculation of MCIC values would enhance the interpretation of changes in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Reliable methods are necessary to analyze polychlorinated biphenyls in baby foods, dietary supplements commonly used for children. Nowadays, contamination of food products, mostly derived from agricultural sources, with polychlorinated biphenyls seems inevitable. Of these, cereal-based baby foods are highly important due to the long-term side effects of polychlorinated biphenyls in babies. Materials and Methods: In this study, a validated method was developed for the assessment of 12 polychlorinated biphenyls in baby foods based on the solid-phase extraction column sample preparation and gas chromatography-electron capture detectore using PCB 77 and PCB 189 as internal standards. Validation of the method was assessed by the calculated and achieved parameters for linearity, mean recovery, precision, limit of quantification and limit of detection. Results: Recoveries at three levels of 0.5, 1 and 2 μg/kg in repeatability and reproducibility studies were in ranges of 78.89-98.32 and 77.28-98.45%, respectively. Linearity was presented as R2 value from 0.9980 to 0.9999, indicating good correlations between the concentrations and peak areas. Limit of quantification and limit of detection were 0.5 and 0.16 (ng/g). Analysis of 30 samples showed that six polychlorinated biphenyls were available in 7% of the samples; of which, 93% were not contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. None of the samples contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls included contamination higher than the maximum residue limit. Conclusions: Validated methodology was used in polychlorinated biphenyl analysis in various trademarks of cerealbased baby foods commercialized for the Iranian markets. Samples were screened based on the maximum residue limit by the European Union. This method is a simple method and can be carried out in a short time with high accuracy and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Color Doppler imaging (CDI) is a non-aggressive and safe technique for the clinical management of retinal diseases. Recently, the number of infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has increased due to the incidence of premature births. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the CDI criteria for the ophthalmic artery (OA) and central retinal artery (CRA) in ROP infants with and without plus disease. Patients and Methods: In this case-control study, 42 premature infants (21 infants with plus disease and 21 infants without plus disease) underwent CDI. The arterial CDI parameters, including end-diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and peak systolic velocity (PSV), were measured in these patients. After collecting the data, t-test and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The mean EDV of CRA in patients with and without plus disease was 4.35 ± 1.00 and 5.27 ± 1.02 cm/sec, respectively (P = 0.005). The mean PSV of CRA in patients with and without plus disease was 15.65 ± 3.35 and 18.39 ± 4.39 cm/sec, respectively (P = 0.029). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of PSV or EDV of OA (P > 0.05). Also, no significant difference was observed between the two groups considering the RI and PI of CRA and OA(P> 0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, CDI criteria, such as EDV and PSV of CRA, were significantly lower in infants with plus disease as compared to those without plus disease. Since detecting the early stages of plus disease is a challenge for ophthalmologists, assessment of these criteria can be helpful for differentiation of these two subgroups of patients. However, further studies with a larger sample size are needed to determine the cutoff value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the responsiveness and determine the minimal clinically important changes (MCICs), anchored by the patient response to a 7-point global rating scale, for Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Tegner activity scale in athletes undergoing physiotherapy treatment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R). Methods: Fifty-four patients undergoing physiotherapy completed the Persian versions of KOOS and Tegner scales at weeks 6 and 10 post ACL-R. The 7-point global rating of change was also completed at week 10. Responsiveness was calculated via receiver operating characteristic curve and correlation analysis. Results: Acceptable responsiveness was reached by the KOOS sports and recreation subscale (Sport/Rec) (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.72; Gamma = 0.37) and Tegner scale (AUC = 0.75; Gamma = 0.59). The MCIC scores of KOOS subscales and Tegner scale were reported. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that the KOOS Sport/Rec subscale and Tegner scale have adequate responsiveness between weeks 6 and 10 of physiotherapy. Therefore, these scales should be used to evaluate the effects of physiotherapy treatment and the changes in activity levels in this population. The MCIC scores of the KOOS and Tegner scale can be used to detect changes significant to the patient while avoiding limitations of other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The most important factor in determining the prognosis and treatment of invasive breast cancer is axillary lymph nodes involvement. It is possible not to detect micrometastasis with applying staining tissues by the Hematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) staining method. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine and compare the detection of axillary lymph node micrometastasis in breast cancer by H & E and immunohistochemical (IHC) method. Methods: A cross sectional analytical study was carried out. By using census method, 80 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer and lymph node non-involvement were selected in Shahid Sadoughi General Hospital pathology ward, Yazd, up to 2016. IHC was performed to re-detect lymph node micrometastasis. The checklist was used to collect data of demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics of the study population. The data collection was analyzed, using statistical software version SPSS-18, descriptive statistics, and Chi-Square analysis test. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 80 samples using H & E staining method, no case was diagnosed with lymph node micrometastasis, but using IHC, 50 cases (62.5%) were found negative and 30 cases (37.5%) were found positive. The majority of tumors in the positive group had poorly differentiated grade and the difference between the tumor grade in both positive and negative group was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Also, the majority of tumors in the positive group were located in the upper-outer and lower-outer quadrant of breast and the difference between tumor locations in both positive and negative group was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusions: According to the results, IHC is more beneficial than the H&E method to detect micrometastatic cells and to examine tissues that have high-grade tumors and also tumors located in upper-outer or lower-outer more possibility of metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hip dysplasia is one of the most widespread hip disorders. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the preferred treatment in patients with cup placement choices in true or false acetabulum. The objective of this research was to compare the effectiveness of the two mentioned procedures. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized, open-label, parallel-group clinical trial, in which 46 patients/51 hips with Crowe type 3 dysplastic hip having THA were assigned to two groups: Group 1 – patients who had cup placement in the true acetabulum and Group 2 – patients who underwent cup placement in the false acetabulum. The variables that were evaluated and analyzed included severity of pain using the visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM), gait ability, the need for repeated joint replacement, and the Harris Hip Score (HHS). Results: Forty-six patients/51 hips were included in the present study. The patients who were evaluated included 30 (65.2%) males and 16 (34.8%) females. The mean age in the population under study was 71.0 ± 10.22, and the mean body mass index of participants was 26.34 ± 2.22 kg/m2. The basic parameters in the two research groups were similar (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the mean values of VAS and ROM (P > 0.05); however, the mean HHS was significantly higher in the true acetabulum group, 57.90 ± 18.47 versus 48.29 ± 13.80 (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The effectiveness of cup placements both in the true and false acetabula was similar in all of the evaluated variables in terms of clinical outcomes except for HHS which was higher in the true acetabulum group. To further support the results of this research, it is recommended that more research be done on a greater population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Anthracosis of the lung is the blackening of bronchial tissues which can lead to chronic bronchial obstruction. Many studies have shown association of bronchial anthracosis and tuberculosis. The aim of this study was accumulation of scattered studies and getting the definite conclusion about the association between anthracosis and tuberculosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic search that included studies with sufficient information about the frequency of tuberculosis in anthracosis (anthracofibrosis) patients and non-anthracotic control group. Moreover, tuberculosis should be confirmed by microbiologic (smear or culture) or histopathological methods. RESULTS: Twelve studies (eight studies on anthracofibrosis and four studies on anthracosis as a general term) comprising of 6280 patients was entered into our meta-analysis. The frequency of tuberculosis in all anthracosis patients was 22.5 % (32.3 % for anthracofibrosis and 16.6 % for anthracosis), which was significantly higher than the control group. Determination of risk showed that the cumulated odds ratio of tuberculosis in all studies of anthracosis was 3.16 (95 % CI = 2.49 - 6.85), which revealed significantly higher risk than the control group. The analysis of the subgroups showed that the cumulated odds ratio of tuberculosis in subgroups of anthracofibrosis (3.28; 95 % CI = 2.16 - 9.12) was significantly higher than anthracosis as a general term (2.85; 95 % CI = 1.73 - 6.61). DISCUSSION: The association of tuberculosis with all types of anthracosis of the lung was confirmed and a proper mechanism should be defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falling is a significant problem in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the majority of falls occur during dynamic activities. Recently, there have been evidences focusing on falls and local stability of walking based on dynamic system theory in the elderly as well as patients with cerebral concussion. However, in patient with MS, this relationship has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate local stability of walking as a risk factor for falling in patients with MS. Seventy patients were assessed while walking at their preferred speed on a treadmill under single and dual task conditions. A cognitive task (backward counting) was used to assess the importance of dual tasking to fall risk. Trunk kinematics were collected using a cluster marker over the level of T 7 and a 7-camera motion capture system. To quantify local stability of walking, maximal finite-time Lyapunov exponent was calculated from a 12-dimensional state space reconstruction based on 3-dimensional trunk linear and angular velocity time series. Participants were classified as fallers (≥1) and non-fallers based on their prospective fall occurrence. 30 (43%) participants recorded ≥1 falls and were classified as fallers. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that short-term local dynamic stability in the single task condition (P < 0.05, odds ratio = 2.214 (1.037–4.726)) was the significant fall predictor. The results may indicate that the assessment of local stability of walking can identify patients who would benefit from gait retraining and fall prevention programs. • Reduced local dynamic stability predicts falling in multiple sclerosis patients. • Dual task tests of local dynamic stability were not predictive of future falling. • Gait stability retraining is recommended for fall prevention in patients with instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]