Intrinsic ankle stiffness is associated with paradoxical calf muscle movement but not postural sway or age.

Due to Achilles tendon compliance, passive ankle stiffness is insufficient to stabilise the body when standing. This results in 'paradoxical' muscle movement, whereby calf muscles tend to shorten during forward body sway. Natural variation in stiffness may affect this movement.

Validation of a novel clinical tool for monitoring distal limb stiffness.

Objective: To validate a novel technique to measure limb stiffness in a clinical setting.

Animals: Three horses and three ponies owned by the Royal Veterinary College.

Procedures: Limb stiffness indices for both forelimbs were first derived using the gold standard of kinematic analysis.

Health-Related Quality of Life and mental health of families with children and adolescents affected by rare diseases and high disease burden: the perspective of affected children and their siblings.

Background: Advances in genetic and pharmaceutical technology and pediatric care have enabled treatment options for an increasing number of rare diseases in affected children. However, as current treatment options are primarily of palliative nature, the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and mental health of this impaired population and their siblings are of increasing importance. Among children and adolescents with rare diseases, those who are technology-dependent carry a high disease burden and are selected as the target population in our study.

Mental Health of Siblings of Children with Rare Congenital Surgical Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction:  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our society, particularly vulnerable groups, such as families with children suffering from rare diseases. However, the psychosocial influences of COVID-19 on the healthy siblings of children with rare diseases have not been investigated yet. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the mental health of healthy siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burden and spectrum of infectious disease in Germany 2009-2014: a multicentre study from Berlin's Municipal Hospitals.

Purpose: This study aimed at assessing the burden and spectrum of infectious diseases (ID) in a Metropolitan population in Germany.

Methods: A discharge database using ICD-10 codes enabled the identification of hospitalizations with infection-related diagnoses. All hospital admissions between 2009 and 2014 were analysed from 9 municipal hospitals serving approximately one-third of an urban population of 3.