Functional Tests of the Abdominal Wall Muscles in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Diastasis and Oblique Inguinal Hernias in a Pilot Study.

Objectives: To identify typical patterns of abdominal wall muscle activation in patients with diastasis recti and inguinal hernias compared to controls during the Valsalva maneuver, voluntary coughing, and physical activity.

Methods: The study included 15 subjects: 5 with diastasis recti, 4 with inguinal hernias, and 6 healthy controls. The functions of rectus abdominis (RA) and external oblique (OE) muscles were measured by surface electromyography (sEMG).

Simultaneous bilateral angioplasty and stenting for carotid stenosis - a single center experience.

Carotid artery stenosis is responsible for up to 12% of all ischemic strokes. The prevalence of bilateral carotid artery stenosis is nearly 8-39% among patients with stroke, and its management is still controversial. This study aimed to report the treatment results of bilateral carotid artery stenosis with simultaneous bilateral angioplasty and stenting (sbCAS) in a single institution during the last 10 years.

High incidence of venous thrombosis in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19.

Increasing evidence suggests that COVID-19 may be associated with venous thromboembolism, and much data exists regarding high incidence of venous thrombosis in critical COVID-19 patients. However, evidence on this complication in less severe patients is not widely available. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, to assess the prevalence of DVT with duplex ultrasound, and to compare patients with DVT and those without it using lung computerized tomography (CT), clinical information and lab data.

[CHANGES IN THE BRAIN TESTOSTERONE METABOLISM AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE RATS PRENATALLY EXPOSED TO METHYLDOPA AND STRESS].

The changes of aromatase and 5α-reductase activities were studied in preoptic area (POA) and medial basal hypothalamus of 10-days-old and sexual behavior in 3-month-old male offsprings of rats exposed daily to noradrenaline antagonist methyldopa (400 mg/kg per os) 30 minutes prior to 1-hour immobilization during the last week of pregnancy (from 15th to 21st day). Prenatal stress caused aromatase activity lowering in the POA of developing brain and feminization (appearance of lordosis) and demasculinization of sexual behavior (prolongation of latent periods to the first mounting and first intromission as well as of the first ejaculation and postejaculation refractory period) in young male offspring. Oral methyldopa used prior to pregnant females stressing prevented early effect of prenatal stress on aromatase activity in the POA and normalized the male sexual behavior in young male rats by shortening both latent period to the first ejaculation and postejaculation refractory period, and an increase of numbers of ejaculation.