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Introduction and hypothesis: Various positions for pelvic floor muscle (PFM) relaxation are recommended during PFM training in physiotherapy clinics. To our knowledge, there is no study addressing the most effective position for PFM and abdominal muscle relaxation. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of different relaxation positions on PFM and abdominal muscle functions in women with urinary incontinence (UI). Methods: Sixty-seven women diagnosed with UI were enrolled in the study. The type, frequency, and amount of UI were assessed with the International Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form and bladder diary. Superficial electromyography was used to assess PFM and abdominal muscle functions during three relaxation positions: modified butterfly pose (P1), modified child pose (P2), and modified deep squat with block (P3). Friedman variance analyses and Wilcoxon signed rank test with Bonferroni corrections were used to evaluate the difference between positions. Results: The most efficient position for PFM relaxation was P1 and followed by P3 and P2, respectively. The order was also the same for abdominal muscles (p < 0.001), P1 > P3 > P2. The rectus abdominis (RA) was the most affected muscle during PFM relaxation. The extent of relaxation of RA muscle increased as the extent of PFM relaxation increased (r = 0.298, p = 0.016). No difference was found between different types of UI during the same position in terms of PFM relaxation extents (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Efficient PFM relaxation is maintained during positions recommended in physiotherapy clinics. The extent of PFM and abdominal muscle relaxation varies according to the positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is an invasive species displacing native European crayfish from their natural habitats. The elemental composition of the population from the southern Baltic coastal river and the potential health hazards are not known. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the quantitative content of Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in meat, hepatopancreas, and exoskeleton in a population from Wieprza River (Poland) and compare the results with the recommendations of daily human consumption. Analysis also involved the composition of water and sediments. The concentrations of elements were analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of elements in the signal crayfish was much higher from water than from sediments. Bioaccumulation of elements differed between the particular parts of the body of crayfish, e.g., Ca showed extreme predominance in the exoskeleton, while in meat exhibited a predominance of K, Na, Ca, and Mg. Among trace elements, crayfish meat was the richest in Zn, Cu, and Fe. The concentrations of non-essential Cd, Pb, and As were low compared to other determined elements. The highest concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Se were found in the hepatopancreas, while the highest levels of Al and Pb were found in the exoskeleton. Generally, it was found that the meat of P. leniusculus can be a perfect supplement to the human diet, and the consumption of 100 g of meat per day did not exceed the dietary reference values for essential elements and also for Al, As, Cd, Ni, and Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has been recently shown to be associated specifically with maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque of hip extension, although the causal relationship remains unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate whether IAP has a causal effect on hip extension MVC torque.Methods: IAP during hip extension MVC was changed by controlling the lung volume (i.e., depth of inspiration). Twelve healthy males conducted MVCs of hip extension during breath-hold at full inspiration (inspiratory condition) or expiration (expiratory condition), or during normal breath-hold (normal condition). IAP during MVCs was measured a pressure transducer placed in the rectum.Results: The IAP during hip extension MVC was significantly higher in inspiratory condition (132.0 ± 46.1 mmHg) than in the other two conditions and also higher in normal condition (104.6 ± 35.9 mmHg) than in expiratory condition (77.0 ± 39.1 mmHg). The hip extension MVC torque was significantly higher in inspiratory condition (297.7 ± 82.7 N m) than in expiratory condition (266.4 ± 84.5 N m). In each condition, the hip extension MVC torque correlated with IAP during the MVC task.Conclusion: The current results suggest that IAP has a positive causal effect on hip extension MVC torque and that a sufficient increase in IAP directly leads to an enhancement of hip extension MVC torque. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), used to relieve pain during delivery, delays labor but the mechanism is unknown. The aim was to investigate the effects of PCEA on uterine and abdominal muscles electromyographic (EMG) activity during the second stage of labor. Methods: This study included 45 nulliparous pregnant women without PCEA, 42 women with standard PCEA treatment given during the first stage of labor and stopped near the end of the first stage, and 22 women with standard PCEA treatment with continued use throughout the first and second stages of labor. The EMG signals were recorded from the abdominal surface using PowerLab hardware and LabChart software (ADInstruments, New South Wales, Australia) and filtered to separate uterine and abdominal EMG. Various EMG burst parameters were obtained. Results: There are no differences (P > .05) in the age, body mass index, fetal weight, and Apgar scores between the patients from the various groups. PCEA (both stopped and continued) inhibits (P < .05) duration, number of bursts, and root mean square of uterine EMG. PCEA also produces statistically significant (P < .001) reductions in abdominal EMG. The decrease in EMG activity is accompanied by a significant (P < .001) prolongation of the second stage duration (PCEA continued = 95.08 ± 8.60 minutes, PCEA stopped = 79.39 ± 6.25 minutes, no PCEA = 61.00 ± 7.23 minutes). Conclusion: PCEA suppresses uterine and abdominal muscle EMG during the second stage of labor but inhibition depends upon the treatment schedule. PCEA prolongs the duration of labor by inhibition of uterine and abdominal muscle and neural activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to assess the concentrations of metals in the abdominal muscle and exoskeleton of 3-year-old males and 4-year-old females and males of spiny-cheek crayfish ( Orconectes limosus) collected from Lake Gopło. A total of 93 males and 35 females were collected in autumn (October 2014). The analyzes of heavy metals were conducted by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy with a PU9100X spectrometer. The content of mercury was determined using AMA 254 mercury analyser. As analyses indicated heavy metals accumulated in the muscle and exoskeleton in the following sequence: Zn > Cu > Pb > Mn > Ni > Hg and Mn > Pb > Zn > Ni > Cu > Hg, respectively. Statistically significant differences between 3- and 4-year-old males were found for all analyzed metals. Gender dependent differences were calculated only for Ni in the muscle tissue and for Mn and Hg in the exoskeleton. In comparison with the study carried out 2 years ago notably higher concentrations of Pb were found in the muscle and a higher content of Zn, Pb, Mn and Ni was determined in the exoskeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To record and characterize electromyography (EMG) from the uterus and abdominal muscles during the nonlabor to first and second stages of labor and to define relationships to contractions. Methods: Nulliparous patients without any treatments were used (n = 12 nonlabor stage, 48 during first stage and 33 during second stage). Electromyography of both uterine and abdominal muscles was simultaneously recorded from electrodes placed on patients’ abdominal surface using filters to separate uterine and abdominal EMG. Contractions of muscles were also recorded using tocodynamometry. Electromyography was characterized by analysis of various parameters. Results: During the first stage of labor, when abdominal EMG is absent, uterine EMG bursts temporally correspond to contractions. In the second stage, uterine EMG bursts usually occur at same frequency as groups of abdominal bursts and precede abdominal bursts, whereas abdominal EMG bursts correspond to contractions and are accompanied by feelings of “urge to push.” Uterine EMG increases progressively from nonlabor to second stage of labor. Conclusions: (1) Uterine EMG activity can be separated from abdominal EMG events by filtering. (2) Uterine EMG gradually evolves from the antepartum stage to the first and second stages of labor. (3) Uterine and abdominal EMG reflect electrical activity of the muscles during labor and are valuable to assess uterine and abdominal muscle events that control labor. (4) During the first stage of labor uterine, EMG is responsible for contractions, and during the second stage, both uterine and abdominal muscle participate in labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homonymous and heteronymous reflex connections of the abdominal muscles were investigated by the application of a tap to the muscle belly and observation of surface electromyographic responses. Reflex responses of the following abdominal muscles were investigated both ipsilateral and contralateral to the tap: rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO) and internal oblique (IO). Reflexes were evoked in each of the homonymous muscles with latencies and estimated conduction velocities compatible with being evoked by Ia muscle afferents and having a monosynaptic component. Short latency heteronymous excitatory reflex connections were also observed in muscles on both ipsilateral and contralateral sides in response to the same stimulus. The latencies of the crossed responses were only marginally longer than responses evoked in the respective ipsilateral muscle. Moreover, the reflexes evoked in the IO muscle from ipsilateral and contralateral IO muscle afferents were of comparable amplitude, as were those reflexes evoked in ipsilateral and contralateral EO and RA muscles when tapping IO. These similarities in the reflex characteristics on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides suggest that abdominal muscle afferents activate similar pathways to muscles on both sides of the body. It follows that if the homonymous stretch reflex of abdominal muscles have a monosynaptic component, then a similar monosynaptic pathway activates synergistic motoneurones, not only ipsilaterally but also contralaterally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the Xenopus winged helix gene XFD-4, its cDNA, and a pseudoallelic cDNA, termed XFD-4’, representing Xenopus orthologues to chicken CWH-2 and mammalian MFH-1. XFD-4/4’ genes are activated after midblastula transition in dorsolateral mesoderm but not within the dorsal lip. Later, expression is found in two segmented lines of cells bordering the somites, in head mesenchyme, in ventral abdominal muscle, and in the tail tip. Smad2 RNA injection leads to ectopic expression of XFD-4’. Since activation is also observed in activin A treated animal cap explants in the presence of cycloheximide, XFD-4/4’ genes represent direct targets of activin signaling. Note that the future nomenclature for XFD-4 will be FoxC2a and for XFD-4’ will be FoxC2b (Fox Nomenclature Committee). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine (1) whether the nucleus retroambigualis (NRA) plays an essential role in periaqueductal gray (PAG)-induced vocalization and (2) which NRA neurons are involved in the projection from the PAG to laryngeal motoneurons. Bilateral injections of the neurotoxin kainic acid into the NRA in decerebrate cats abolished PAG-induced vocalization; PAG stimulation after the injections no longer modulated vocal fold adductor or tensor activity, and only tonically, but no longer phasically, activated the abdominal muscles. In contrast, PAG-induced inspiratory excitation remained even after the injections. These results suggest that the NRA is essential for the vocal activation of the laryngeal adductor and abdominal muscles, and that an additional pathway from the PAG to respiratory motoneurons other than through the NRA is important for mediating PAG-induced inspiratory activation. Secondly, axonal projections of NRA neurons to the contralateral nucleus ambiguus (NA) were studied electrophysiologically. Five expiratory neurons, which had decrementing ( n=4) or constant ( n=1) firing patterns, were identified as both having axonal projections to the NA and receiving inputs from the PAG. Furthermore, following NA stimulation many constant-latency action potentials of silent cells were recorded in the vicinity of the NRA, where many silent cells were also orthodromically activated by PAG stimulation. No NRA augmenting expiratory neurons could be antidromically activated from the NA. It is suggested that the NRA and adjacent reticular formation integrate inputs from the PAG and send outputs to laryngeal motoneurons for vocalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) frequently play online games to achieve satisfaction. Numerous signal processing questions regarding the negative consequences and characteristic respiration in a long-term sitting posture remain unanswered. This study recruited 50 individuals with high-risk and low-risk IGD (HIGD and LIGD); these participants were taught to perform a specific respiration during game-film stimuli. The instantaneous frequencies on abdominal movement (fDF) were calculated with ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). The difference value (ΔfDF) between rest and stimulus statuses was calculated and found that HIGD showed ΔfDF values of 0.060 during positive stimuli and 0.055 during negative stimuli before the exercise but 0.020 and 0.016, respectively, after the exercise. However, the ΔfDF value for those with LIGD during negative stimuli before the exercise was 0.013, and it increased to 0.025 after the exercise. This is the first approach to IGD discrimination toward abdominal response with EEMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]