AC measurements and simulations of hepatic radiofrequency ablation.

Introduction: The radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver cancer is a desirable treatment option, as it is minimally invasive. An accurate numerical simulation can greatly help physicians better plan their surgical protocols. Previously, the displacement current in the RFA process was considered negligible, and therefore RFA simulation was modeled as a direct current (DC) system instead of an alternating current (AC) system.

Human adipose cells in vitro are either refractory or responsive to insulin, reflecting host metabolic state.

While intercellular communication processes are frequently characterized by switch-like transitions, the endocrine system, including the adipose tissue response to insulin, has been characterized by graded responses. Yet here individual cells from adipose tissue biopsies are best described by a switch-like transition between the basal and insulin-stimulated states for the trafficking of the glucose transporter GLUT4. Two statistically-defined populations best describe the observed cellular heterogeneity, representing the fractions of refractive and responsive adipose cells.

Impaired tethering and fusion of GLUT4 vesicles in insulin-resistant human adipose cells.

Systemic glucose homeostasis is profoundly influenced by adipose cell function. Here we investigated GLUT4 dynamics in living adipose cells from human subjects with varying BMI and insulin sensitivity index (Si) values. Cells were transfected with hemagglutinin (HA)-GLUT4-green fluorescent protein (GFP)/mCherry (red fluorescence), and were imaged live using total internal reflection fluorescence and confocal microscopy.

Topical cooling (icing) delays recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage.

It is generally thought that topical cooling can interfere with blood perfusion and may have positive effects on recovery from a traumatic challenge. This study examined the influence of topical cooling on muscle damage markers and hemodynamic changes during recovery from eccentric exercise. Eleven male subjects (age 20.

Parasympathetic nervous activity mirrors recovery status in weightlifting performance after training.

Heart rate variability (HRV) and parasympathetic power are closely related to the well-being and health status in humans. The main goal of the study was to determine whether these measures can reflect recovery status after weight training. After a 10-day detraining period, 7 weightlifters were challenged with a 2-hour weight training which elicited approximately fourfold increases in circulating muscle creatine kinase level and protracted pain feeling (p < 0.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on primary dysmenorrhea.

Objectives. Dysmenorrhea is a disturbing problem among women of childbearing age. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on primary dysmenorrhea and to compare the placebo effect by sham TENS in a randomized controlled study.

Suppression of age-dependent increase in insulinemia in early middle-aged females with exercise habit.

Circulating insulin concentration has been suggested as a biomarker for human longevity. The goal of the study was to determine the insulin levels under a glucose-challenged condition for the sedentary and physical active females in early middle age. We measured serum insulin levels for following groups: young sedentary (Y-SED, age 19.

Measurement of cervical multifidus contraction pattern with ultrasound imaging.

Deep muscle training has become the focus of research and exercise for patients with chronic neck pain. The objective of this in vivo study was to establish a non-invasive assessment tool for the activation of deep cervical muscles. The pattern of the change in the thickness of the cervical multifidus is described with a mathematical equation and used to compare the changes among different levels of resistance (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and at different cervical levels (fourth, fifth, and sixth cervical (C4, C5, and C6) vertebrae).

Measurement of segmental cervical multifidus contraction by ultrasonography in asymptomatic adults.

The deep muscles that play significant roles in maintaining segmental stability have been measured using ultrasonography (US). However, few studies have been carried out to determine the reliability and validity of US for measuring the cervical multifidus during contraction. The aims of this investigation were to evaluate the reliability of the dimensions of the cervical multifidus as measured using US and compare the US measurements with those determined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the gold standard.