Type IIx muscle fibers are related to poor body composition, glycemic and lipidemic blood profiles in young females: the protective role of type I and IIa muscle fibers.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between muscle fiber composition, body composition, resting glycemic-lipidemic blood profiles, in apparently healthy, young, active females. METHODS: Thirty-four young healthy female volunteers were allocated into two groups, depending on their Vastus Lateralis type IIx muscle fibers percent cross-sectional area (%CSA; H: high type IIx %CSA; L: low type IIx %CSA). Body composition was determined via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Venous blood samples were collected for the determination of resting serum glucose, Insulin, Apo-A1, HOMA-IR, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), High-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) concentrations. Nutritional intake was also evaluated. RESULTS: Individuals of the H group have significantly higher body mass, body fat percentage-mass, and resting blood indices of glycemic and lipidemic profiles, compared to those of L group (p < 0.001). Increased type IIx and low type I, IIa muscle fibers %CSAs were linked with poorer body composition, glycemic and lipidemic blood profiles (r: - 0.722 to 0.740, p < 0.001). Linear regression analyses revealed that the impact of muscle fibers %CSA (B coefficients ranged between - 0.700 and 0.835) on the above parameters, was at least, of the same or even of greater magnitude as that of body composition and daily nutritional intake (B: - 0.700 to 0.666). CONCLUSION: Increased type IIx and low Type I, IIa %CSAs are associated with poorer body composition and glycemic-lipidemic profiles in young healthy females. The contribution of the muscle fiber %CSA on health status seems to be comparable to that of nutrition and body composition.

Evaluation of the use of a tablet computer with a high-resolution display for interpreting emergency CT scans.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the potential usability of an iPad 3 with a high-resolution display in CT emergency diagnosis compared to a 3 D PACS workstation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3 readers used a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate 40 CCT scans and 40 CTPA scans to determine the detectability of early signs of infarction in CCT or segmental and subsegmental pulmonary embolisms in CT angiography of the pulmonary arteries (CTPA) on the iPad 3 (Apple Inc., USA) using an application for image viewing (Visage Ease, Visage Imaging GmbH, Berlin) and on a 3 D PACS workstation (Visage 7.1, Visage Imaging, Berlin) using a certified monitor for image viewing. The results were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and a kappa statistic. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the median evaluations for the readings of both the CCT scans and the CTPA scans on the iPad 3 and on the workstation (p > 0.05) for all three readers. The mean Spearman's correlation coefficient for CCT and CTPA was 0.46 (± 0.2) and 0.69 (± 0.16), respectively, for the comparison iPad/PACS, 0.41 (± 0.16) and 0.68 (± 0.06), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the iPad, and 0.35 (± 0.05) and 0.68 (± 0.10), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the PACS. Mean kappa values for CCT of 0.52 (± 0.17) for the comparison iPad/PACS and 0.33 (± 0.16) and 0.32 (± 0.16), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the iPad and the PACS were achieved. For CTPA average kappa values of 0.67 (± 0.19) were calculated for the comparison iPad/PACS and 0.69 (± 0.08) and 0.60 (± 0.14), respectively, for the interobserver concordance on the iPad 3 and the PACS. All differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The variability of the interpretation of typical emergency scans on an iPad 3 with a high-resolution display and on a 3 D PACS workstation does not differ from the interobserver variability.

[Acute brain stem syndromes]. / Akute Hirnstammsyndrome.

The brain stem consists of the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata and contains the nuclei of the cranial nerves III to XII, their complex connectivity, the ascending and descending fibre tracts, and the cerebellar connections. The corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts and the medial lemniscus cross its midline. Vital functions such as wakefulness, respiration, swallowing, and circulation are controlled there. Here we discuss acute brain stem syndromes of vascular, inflammatory, and toxic-metabolic origin. They present frequently with alternating symptoms, i.e. ipsilateral cranial nerve deficits associated with contralateral signs of long-fibre tract involvement and with various disturbances of the oculomotor system. Modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are described along with clinical presentation.