Assessing Restoration Effects on River Hydromorphology Using the Process-based Morphological Quality Index in Eight European River Reaches.

The Morphological Quality Index (MQI) and the Morphological Quality Index for monitoring (MQIm) have been applied to eight case studies across Europe with the objective of analyzing the hydromorphological response to various restoration measures and of comparing the results of the MQI and MQIm as a morphological assessment applied at the reach scale, with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method. For each restored reach, the two indices were applied to the pre-restoration and post-restoration conditions. The restored reach was also compared to an adjacent, degraded reach. Results show that in all cases the restoration measures improved the morphological quality of the reach, but that the degree of improvement depends on many factors, including the initial morphological conditions, the length of the restored portion in relation to the reach length, and on the type of intervention. The comparison with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method shows that the MQI and MQIm are best suited for the evaluation of restoration effects on river hydromorphology at the geomorphologically-relevant scale of the river reach.

Electrophysiological and histological changes of paraspinal muscles in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains poorly understood. To date, potentially involved local changes in the deep paraspinal muscles still remain unknown. METHODS: Needle electromyography (EMG) and muscle biopsy of paraspinal muscles at convexity and concavity of the AIS main thoracic curve were performed in 25 subjects. In this group, EMG was performed in 16 AIS subjects (12 females, 12-27 years), muscle biopsy in 18 AIS subjects (15 females, 11-31 years) compared to 10 non-scoliotic controls (6 females, 12-55 years). Samples of muscle tissue were removed during corrective surgery and were examined histologically, enzyme histochemically and immunohistochemically. Both methods of EMG and muscle biopsy were performed in 9 subjects (7 women, 12-27 years). RESULTS: Right curve convexity was found in 24 AIS subjects. Amplitudes of motor unit action potentials (MUPs) were significantly increased on the AIS curve convexity versus concavity. Turns, duration and phases of MUPs were without any significant changes. In all 18 subjects, the histological examination revealed muscle fiber redistribution with numerical predominance of type I on the curve convexity which strongly correlated with the progression of the Cobb angle. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate significant changes of muscle fiber redistribution in the paraspinal muscles of AIS with increased proportion of type I on the convexity corresponding to a significantly higher amplitude of MUPs on the same side. A possible explanation of this alteration is a secondary adaptation due to chronic high load demand.