The effect of repetitive arm cycling on post stroke spasticity and motor control: repetitive arm cycling and spasticity.

This study's aims were (1) to test whether training on an arm ergometer improves motor performance, and (2) to develop a technique to quantify individual muscle spasticity. Nine patients with a stabilized hemisyndrome (in average 22 months after ischemic stroke in the territory of middle cerebral artery) underwent a 3-week training on an arm ergometer, 5 days/week. The patients were tested one week before training, at training onset, at the end of training and 2 weeks after training. Spasticity was quantified by (1) the Ashworth Scale of the elbow flexors and extensors, (2) the maximum active extension of the biceps, and (3) the minimum torque on the lesioned side during arm cycling. The data were standardized, pooled and a 2-way ANOVA revealed a decrease of the spasticity by the training (p=0.076). Similarly muscle force was evaluated by the Rivermead Motorik Assessment, the Motricity Index and the cycling force, and the range of active movement as the sum of the angles at a maximum shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, elbow flexion and elbow extension. The training increased the force (p<0.01) and also the range of motion (p<0.05) significantly. The patients confirmed the clinical relevance of the results. The spasticity index - the relation between the muscle activity modulation on the normal and lesioned side - was shown to be a useful tool in quantifying individual muscle spasticity. It was concluded that cycling on an arm ergometer is a useful tool for rehabilitation.

Transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by Raoultella terrigena.

Manufacture of nitroorganic explosives generates toxic wastes leading to contamination of soils and waters, especially groundwater. For that reason bacteria living in environments highly contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and other nitroorganic compounds were investigated for their capacity for TNT degradation. One isolate, Raoultella terrigena strain HB, removed TNT at concentrations between 10 and 100 mg l(-1) completely from culture supernatants under optimum aerobic conditions within several hours. Only low concentrations of nutrient supplements were needed for the cometabolic transformation process. Radioactivity measurements with ring-labelled (14)C-TNT detected about 10-20% of the initial radioactivity in the culture supernatant and the residual 80-90% as water-insoluble organic compounds in the cellular pellet. HPLC analysis identified aminodinitrotoluenes (2-ADNT, 4-ADNT) and diaminonitrotoluenes (2,4-DANT) as the metabolites which remained soluble in the culture medium and azoxy-dimers as the main products in the cell extracts. Hence, the new isolate could be useful for the removal of TNT from contaminated waters.