ROLE OF FORELIMB MORPHOLOGY IN MUSCLE SENSORIMOTOR FUNCTIONS DURING LOCOMOTION IN THE CAT.

Previous studies established strong links between morphological characteristics of mammalian hindlimb muscles and their sensorimotor functions during locomotion. Less is known about the role of forelimb morphology in motor outputs and generation of sensory signals. Here, we measured morphological characteristics of 46 forelimb muscles from 6 cats. These characteristics included muscle attachments, physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), fascicle length, etc. We also recorded full-body mechanics and EMG activity of forelimb muscles during level overground and treadmill locomotion in 7 and 16 adult cats of either sex, respectively. We computed forelimb muscle forces along with force- and length-dependent sensory signals mapped onto corresponding cervical spinal segments. We found that patterns of computed muscle forces and afferent activities were strongly affected by the muscle's moment arm, PCSA, and fascicle length. Morphology of the shoulder muscles suggests distinct roles of the forelimbs in lateral force production and movements. Patterns of length-dependent sensory activity of muscles with long fibers (brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis) closely matched patterns of overall forelimb length, whereas the activity pattern of biceps brachii matched forelimb orientation. We conclude that cat forelimb muscle morphology contributes substantially to locomotor function, particularly to control lateral stability and turning, rather than propulsion.

Characterizing the utilization of doula support services among birthing people of color in the United States: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Birthing people of color experience disproportionately higher rates of infant and maternal mortality during pregnancy and birth compared to their white counterparts. The utilization of doula support services may lead to improvements in the birthing experiences of birthing people of color. Yet, the research in this area is sparse. Thus, the purpose of this review is to characterize the research on doula utilization among birthing people of color, identify gaps in the field, and provide recommendations for future research. METHODS: Utilizing PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a scoping review, searching PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between January 1, 2016, to July 3, 2022. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles met inclusion criteria. We identified the three themes characterizing included studies: (1) how doulas support (HDS) their clients, (2) doula support outcomes (DSO), and (3) considerations for implementing doula support services (CIDS). Despite doulas being described as agents of empowerment, and providing social support, education, and advocacy, birthing people of color reported low utilization of doula support services and findings regarding their effectiveness in improving birthing outcomes were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: While some studies suggest that doulas may offer important services to birthing people of color, doulas are largely under-utilized, with many birthing people reporting low knowledge of their potential roles during the pre- and post-partum periods. Moreover, few studies were designed to assess intervention effects, limiting our ability to draw firm conclusions. Birthing people of color are at elevated risk for maternal mortality. As such, interventions are needed to support this population and improve outcomes. Our review suggests that, while doulas have the potential to make important contributions to the birthing support team, they are underutilized, and intervention studies are needed to enable estimates of their true effectiveness.

SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN MARKET HOGS COLLECTED FROM U.S. SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

Foodborne pathogens continue to pose a public health risk and can cause serious illness and outbreaks of disease in consumers. The consumption of raw or undercooked infected meat, such as pork containing infectious stages of Toxoplasma gondii, may be a major route of transmission to humans. Given the occasional presence of T. gondii in pork meat and the frequent use of pork for products not intended to be cooked, such as dry-cured ham, a potential risk exists for T. gondii transmission to consumers of these products. The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in U.S. market hogs and sows at slaughter. A total of 20,209 sera samples collected from 22 U.S. slaughterhouses, including 15 of the top 25 largest slaughter plants in the United States, were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a commercial ELISA assay. Seroprevalence in this study was 0.74%, with a herd prevalence of 10.86%. We compared seroprevalence of T. gondii in market hogs vs. sows from a separate but geographically similar set of slaughterhouse locations, with serum samples screened using the T. gondii modified agglutination test. This set of market hogs demonstrated 0% seroprevalence for T. gondii, while sows from geographically similar but separate slaughter facilities demonstrated a seroprevalence of 1.03%. Overall, both analyses show low seroprevalence of T. gondii in U.S market hogs and sows, respectively, and a marked drop in prevalence in market hogs and sows compared to previous studies.

Magneto-optical diagnosis of symptomatic malaria in Papua New Guinea.

Improved methods for malaria diagnosis are urgently needed. Here, we evaluate a novel method named rotating-crystal magneto-optical detection (RMOD) in 956 suspected malaria patients in Papua New Guinea. RMOD tests can be conducted within minutes and at low cost. We systematically evaluate the capability of RMOD to detect infections by directly comparing it with expert light microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests and polymerase chain reaction on capillary blood samples. We show that compared to light microscopy, RMOD exhibits 82% sensitivity and 84% specificity to detect any malaria infection and 87% sensitivity and 88% specificity to detect Plasmodium vivax. This indicates that RMOD could be useful in P. vivax dominated elimination settings. Parasite density correlates well with the quantitative magneto-optical signal. Importantly, residual hemozoin present in malaria-negative patients is also detectable by RMOD, indicating its ability to detect previous infections. This could be exploited to reveal transmission hotspots in low-transmission settings.

Prediction of VO2max in Children and Adolescents Using Exercise Testing and Physical Activity Questionnaire Data.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a treadmill walk-jog-run exercise test previously validated in adults and physical activity questionnaire data to estimate maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) in boys (n = 62) and girls (n = 66) aged 12 to 17 years old. METHODS: Data were collected from Physical Activity Rating (PA-R) and Perceived Functional Ability (PFA) questionnaires, a walk-jog-run submaximal treadmill exercise test, and a maximal graded exercise test. RESULTS: Regression analysis resulted in the development of 2 models to predict VO2max. Submaximal exercise test data were used to build the following model (R2 = .73; SEE = 4.59 mL + kg(- 1) + min(- 1)): VO2max (mL + kg(- 1) + min(- 1)) = 26.890+(5.877 × Gender; 0 = female; 1 = male) - (0.782 × Body Mass Index [BMI])+(0.438 × PFA Score) +(2.712 × Treadmill Speed; mph) +(0.746 × Age) +(0.449 × PA-R Score). Maximal exercise test data were used to build the following model (R2 = .83; SEE = 3.63 mL + kg(- 1) + min(- 1)): VO2max (mL + kg(- 1) + min(- 1)) = 10.716+(1.334 × Maximal Treadmill Grade) +(5.203 × Treadmill Speed; mph) +(3.494 × Gender; 0 = female; 1 = male) - (0.413 × BMI) +(0.249 × PFA). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, that regression equations that use both exercise data and physical activity questionnaire data can accurately predict VO2max in youth. The submaximal and maximal exercise tests that use self-selected treadmill speeds can be used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness of youth with a wide range of fitness levels.

Factors contributing to adverse perioperative events in adults with congenital heart disease: a structured analysis of cases from the closed claims project.

OBJECTIVE: Prior investigations have suggested that the rapidly growing population of adults with congenital heart disease is at increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality, but information is limited on the nature of those perioperative factors that may relate to adverse outcomes. We sought to use a national claims database to describe the contribution of perioperative factors to adverse outcomes and compare contributing factors in cardiac vs. noncardiac operations. DESIGN: The study is a retrospective in-depth structured analysis of cases from the Anesthesia Closed Claims Project database. SETTING: We examined the largest national anesthesia malpractice claims database. PATIENTS: We included all claims cases involving adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). INTERVENTIONS: Patients in this retrospective analysis were classified by type of surgery (cardiac or noncardiac). OUTCOME MEASURES: Perioperative factors contributing to an adverse event were assessed by an expert panel of cardiac anesthesiologists. RESULTS: Of 21 confirmed cases, 11 (52%) involved cardiac procedures and 10 (48%) noncardiac procedures. The most common factors contributing to the adverse event in cardiac cases were surgical technique (73% of cases) and intraoperative anesthetic care (55%), whereas in noncardiac cases, postoperative monitoring/care (50%), CHD (50%) and preoperative assessment or optimization (40%) were most common. The factors contributing to the patient injury differed similarly: in cardiac cases, the most common factors were intraoperative anesthetic care (55%) and surgical technique (45%) compared with postoperative monitoring/care (50%) and CHD (50%) in noncardiac cases. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of a small number of events in a claims-based database, this study offers advantages of being a national, structured analysis of real cases to provide detailed information on phenomena that are otherwise abstract and hypothesized by expert opinion. These results should help affirm the role of anesthesiologists in acquiring and executing expertise as consultants in perioperative medicine for adults with congenital heart disease patients.

Anesthetic management for reentry sternotomy in a patient with a full stomach and pericardial tamponade from left ventricular rupture.

A 57-year-old man presented with chest pain and shortness of breath 1 month after left ventricular aneurysmectomy and ventricular septal defect closure for post-infarct left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular septal defect. Echocardiography revealed a large recurrent ruptured inferior left ventricular aneurysm with high-velocity flow into a 5 cm posterolateral pericardial effusion. Thirty minutes earlier, the patient had eaten a full meal. Rapid sequence induction was performed with midazolam, ketamine, and succinylcholine. Moderate hypotension was treated effectively and the patient tolerated controlled transition to cardiopulmonary bypass. The ventricular defect was oversewn and reinforced with bovine pericardium. The patient had a difficult but ultimately successful recovery. Options for anesthetic management in the setting of tamponade and a full stomach are discussed, with a brief review of the evidence relating to this clinical problem.

Multidisciplinary management of a Jehovah's Witness patient for the removal of a renal cell carcinoma extending into the right atrium.

PURPOSE: To highlight the management of a Jehovah's witness surgical patient presenting for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 47-yr-old male, Jehovah's Witness, with renal cell carcinoma was admitted for left radical nephrectomy and excision of tumour thrombus extending into the junction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium (RA). The preoperative goals were to maximize red blood cell mass, delineate the extent of tumour extension and develop a surgical plan incorporating blood conservation strategies to minimize blood loss. A midline abdominal incision was made to optimize removal of the non-caval portion of the tumour from the intra-abdominal region. CPB and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest were instituted to aid in removing the tumour from the IVC and RA. Intraoperative blood conservation strategies included the use of acute normovolemic hemodilution, antifibrinolytics, cell salvage, point-of-care monitoring of heparin and protamine blood concentrations, leukocyte-depleting filter, and meticulous surgical techniques. The patient was successfully weaned from CPB and was transported to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit without complication. The patient was discharged home one week after the operation with a hemoglobin of 10.2 g x dL(-1) and a hematocrit of 31.2%. CONCLUSION: Multiple blood conservation techniques were employed to manage this Jehovah's Witness patient through complex cardiac surgery, which was previously denied to him at other institutions. The successful outcome of this patient, while respecting the right to refuse allogeneic blood products, is a result of a multidisciplinary collaboration as well as the application of established blood conservation techniques.