The Crucial Changes of Sit-to-Stand Phases in Subacute Stroke Survivors Identified by Movement Decomposition Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect the key changes during sit-to-stand (STS) movement cycle in hemiparetic stroke survivors using a five-phase kinematic and kinetic analysis. METHODS: Twenty-five subacute stroke survivors and 17 age-matched healthy adults participated in this study. The kinematic and kinetic parameters during STS cycle were measured using three-dimensional motion analysis system with force plates. The five standard phases of STS cycle were identified by six timing transitional points. RESULTS: Longer total time as well as larger changes were observed at the initial phase (phase I, 0.76 ± 0.62 VS 0.43 ± 0.09 s; p = 0.049) and at the end of hip and knee extension phase (phase IV, 0.93 ± 0.41 VS 0.63 ± 0.14 s; p = 0.008) in the stroke group than healthy group. Time to maximal knee joint moment was significantly delayed in the stroke group than in the control group (1.14 ± 1.06 VS 0.60 ± 0.09 s, p < 0.001). The maximal hip flexion was lower during the rising phase from seated position on the affected side in the stroke group than in the control group (84.22° ± 11.64°VS 94.11° ± 9.40°; p = 0.022). Ground reaction force was lower (4.61 ± 0.73 VS 5.85 ± 0.53 N, p < 0.001) in the affected side of the stroke group than in the control group. In addition, knee joint flexion was significantly lower at just-standing phase (T4) and at end point (T5) (5.12° ± 5.25° VS 8.21° ± 7.28°, p = 0.039; 0.03° ± 5.41° VS 3.07° ± 6.71°, p = 0.042) on the affected side than the unaffected side. Crucial decrease of knee joint moment at abrupt transitory (T2) and the maximal moment was also observed on the affected side in comparison with the unaffected side (0.39 ± 0.29 VS 0.77 ± 0.25 Nm/kg, p < 0.001; 0.42 ± 0.38 VS 0.82 ± 0.24 Nm/kg, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings of movement decomposition analysis provided useful information to clinical evaluation of STS performance, and may potentially contribute to the design of rehabilitation intervention program for optimum functional recovery of STS after stroke.

[Study on the relations between homodynamic parameters and structure of common carotid artery among the Ethnic She Population, China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of intima-media thickness (IMT) in ambi-common carotid arteries (ambi-CCA) and how they correlated with factors related to quality intima-media thickness (QIMT). METHODS: According to the Chinese Arterial Stiffness Evaluation (CASE) project, the IMT of (ambi-CCA) was measured by QIMT and 2-D ultrasound respectively in 433 She people aged 15 - 87 (mean 49.03 ± 13.54). Difference and tendency were analyzed on age, gender, body mass index (BMI), pulse pressure (PP), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride. The whole population was classified into 3 groups by tertiles of pulse pressure. RESULTS: (1) Significant positive correlations were found between ambi-CCA IMT and pulse pressure (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between tertile1 and tertile 2 of IMT in the left CCA (P > 0.05) found, but with significant difference among the tertile groups, respectively (P < 0.05). There were significant differences among the three groups of IMT in the right CCA, respectively (P < 0.01). (2) The regression factors of IMT in left CCA were age, pulse pressure, weight, LDL-C, blood glucose (BG), TG, and their regression equation was LCC-IMT = 32.61 + 4.29 (age) + 1.77 (PP) + 1.87 (weight) + 16.52 (LDL-C) + 11.77 (BG) - 9.92 (TG), with r = 0.663 and r(2) = 0.44, (P < 0.001). The regression factors of IMT in right CCA were age, PP, height and their regression equation was RCC-IMT = 5.19 (age) + 1.61 (PP) + 2.62 (height) - 219.36, with r = 0.636 and r(2) = 0.41 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There were differences seen on IMT of CCA in the PP and position and were correlated with age, PP, body weight, LDL-C, BG, TC and body height. The difference of ambi-CCA should be called for attention.

[Standing crop and spatial distribution of meiofauna in Yellow Sea at late stage of Enteromorpha prolifera bloom in 2008].

An investigation was made on the standing crop, spatial distribution, sediment environment of meiofauna at 33 stations (including 22 stations in cold water mass area and 9 stations in Enteromorpha prolifera bloom area) in the Yellow Sea at the late stage of E. prolifera bloom in summer 2008. In this southern Yellow Sea area which was seriously impacted by the green algal bloom, the silt and clay contents in the sediments in 2008 had an obvious increase, compared with those in 2007, and the sediment chlorophyll-a and phaeophytin a contents in 2008 did not show obvious changes in cold water mass area but distinctly decreased in southern Jiangsu inshore area and Yangtze River estuary. Within the total 16 meiofaunal groups sorted, no marked variation was observed in their vertical distribution and in the contribution of each group to the total meiofauna. In 2008, the average abundance of meiofauna was (1375 +/- 793) ind x 10 cm(-2), and the biomass was (1203 +/- 707) micro x 10 cm(-2), both of which were decreased by about 1/3, compared with those in 2007. The meiofaunal standing crop was decreased more obviously in the stations heavily affected by the E. prolifera bloom, while that in the Yellow Sea cold water mass area was slightly increased, resulting in an unusual trend of meiofaunal standing crop decreasing from the central area of cold water mass to the inshore area in the southern Yellow Sea. By contrast, and as usual, the meiofaunal standing crop was increased from the cold water mass area to the inshore area in the northern Yellow Sea. Statistical analyses suggested that only the meiofaunal abundance had positive correlation with the salinity in the stations heavily affected by the green algal bloom. Our study indicated that macroalgal bloom obviously inhibited the standing crop of meiofauna in the inshore area. The decrease was not due to the deficiency of food concentration, but likely caused by the deposition and degradation of the E. prolifera bloom.