Efficacy of plyometric exercises on upper extremity function, selective motor control and hand grip strength in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Impairment in unimanual upper limb function is frequent among children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP), which affects their ability to perform functional activities. AIM: To assess the efficacy of plyometric exercises on the function of upper extremity, selective motor control (SMC) and hand grip strength (HGS) in children with UCP. DESIGN: This was a double-masked, randomized, controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient Clinics of Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University and Center for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology, Al-Agouza Hospital, Giza, Egypt. POPULATION: Forty children with UCP, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years, were randomly allocated to two groups equal in numbers. METHOD: Children were allocated to receive conventional therapy (CONV-group; n = 20) or plyometric exercises (PLYO-group; n = 20) for 45 min. In addition, children of both groups received selected physical and occupational therapy programs (each lasted for 30 min) twice a week over 3-month. The intervention was delivered on non-consecutive days. Upper extremity function, SMC and HGS were assessed by using quality of upper extremity skills test (QUEST), Test of arm selective control and pneumatic squeeze bulb dynamometer, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 35 children (18 in the CONV-group, 17 in the PLYO-group) completed data collection and treatment. With-in group comparison showed significant improvement in the study groups while post-treatment comparisons revealed a significant difference from mean difference in upper extremity function is 9.55 (8.71:10.39), SMC is 2.12 (1.51:2.72) and HGS is 2.91 (2.13:3.68) (p < 0.05; 95% Confidence interval) in favor of the PLYO-group. CONCLUSIONS: Plyometric exercises have the capability to enhance upper extremity function and strength in children with UCP.

Effect of physical training on motor function of ambulant children with diplegia after selective dorsal rhizotomy: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Children with spastic diplegia experience tonicity, lack of selective motor control, subnormal postural stability and delayed motor development. Selective dorsal rhizotomy followed by physical therapy is a permanent procedure aimed to alleviate hypertonicity. OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) followed by a physical training on gross motor function (GMF), functional balance, walking capacity, selective motor control (SMC) and energy cost of walking (ECW) of ambulant children with spastic diplegia. METHODS: Forty-two children with spastic diplegia aged 5 to 8 years were randomly assigned into the control or SDR-group. Both groups received a designed physical training of progressive functional strength training and standard orthotic management (SOM) 3 times a week for 6 months. GMF, functional balance, ECW, functional capacity and SMC were assessed by gross motor function measure (GMfM-88), pediatric balance scale (PBS), energy expenditure index (EEI), six-minute walking test (6MWT) and selective control assessment of lower extremity (SCALE), respectively. Assessment was carried out before the treatment (baseline), after 6 months (post I) and 1-year follow-up (post II). RESULTS: From baseline to post I and post II assessments, changes of GMF, functional balance, ECW, functional capacity and SMC within the control and SDR groups showed significant improvements (P < 0.001). Moreover, group comparison showed significant differences in favor of the SDR group. CONCLUSION: Integrated physical training followed SDR demonstrated qualitative changes and enhancement in motor function, achieved by spasticity reduction.

Effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy vs laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on weight loss in Egyptian patients with morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgical operation is taken into consideration to be the handiest remedy for extreme obesity. Durability is the main requirement for the broad usage of bariatric surgery. According to several factors, the present work tries to match the SG and RYGB techniques. METHODS: This is a retrospective work that studied 200 morbid obese patients randomized and categorized into two groups according to the treatment method: the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and LRYGB groups, within the period from 2014 to 2019 and matched weight dissipation, complications, quality of life, and adverse events. RESULTS: BMI had a mean value of 39.66 ± 3.770 kg/m2 in the RYGB group versus 39.38 ± 3.648 kg/m2. No significant differences were found according to comorbidity, height, and weight. There was no significant difference between the study groups according to complications and morbidity-no recorded unexpected histopathology results in the excised LSG specimens. CONCLUSION: There was no significant change in weight dissipation, fluctuations in comorbidities, increase in Quality of Life (QoL), and complications for pathological obesity patients according to the treatment methods of laparoscopic SG (sleeve gastrectomy) and RYGB at 2-years postoperative follow-up.

Inbreeding, outbreeding and RAPD markers studies of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) crop.

Five faba bean genotypes (Vicia faba L.) were selfed for two cycles to produce S1 and S2 generations. A half-diallel cross was carried out among them in each level of inbreeding (S0, S1 and S2) to obtain 10 F1 hybrids. Parental materials as well as their respective F1s were evaluated during the winter season of 2012. All studied traits except total dry seed yield showed significant inbreeding depression after the first generation of selfing (S1). No further decrease was noticed at the S2 generation. In the S1 generation the degree of inbreeding depression was highest for No. of branches/plant (-14.0%) and the least for weight of 100-seeds (-2.7). Some parents showed inbreeding vigor i.e. positive difference between S2 and S1 for some traits in S2 generation. Most studied traits showed significant positive heterosis values over mid-parent. The highest value of heterosis over the mid-parent was detected for total dry seed yield (128.8) and the lowest value of hybrid vigor was shown by weight of 100-seeds (1.2%). Specific combination among the 5 parental genotypes showed the highest value for heterosis for example cross Misr 2 × Giza 429 was the best cross for total dry seed yield, cross Giza 429 × Misr 1 for No. of branches/plant. Giza 429 is the best general combiner for most traits. Some crosses showed heterosis depression i.e. negative heterosis value in some traits. Hybridization among parental genotypes is recommended to be at the S1 or S2 generation. Twelve arbitrary primers produced different degrees of genetic polymorphism among the parental genotypes. A total of 65 amplification products were scored polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic bands detected ranged from 33% to 100% with an average of 66.47%. The average of amplified bands was 5.42 polymorphic bands per primer. A positive, but non-significant, correlation (r = 0.085) between Euclidean distance and RAPD distance was observed.