Electromyographic comparison of the barbell deadlift using constant versus variable resistance in healthy, trained men.

Variable, external resistance is proposed to increasingly augment the muscular stress throughout a dynamic movement. However, it is uncertain how different levels of variable resistance affect the activation in the deadlift. The aim of the study was to compare the electromyographic activity of the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, vastus lateralis and erector spinae muscles during the barbell deadlift with free weights (FW) alone, with two (FW-2EB), and four elastic bands (FW-4EB) to deload some of the constant external resistance.

Genital tract infections associated with the intrauterine contraceptive device can be reduced by inserting the threads into the uterine cavity.

Objective: To study the influence of the position of the threads of an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) on the development of genital tract infection.

Design: A multicentre randomized controlled trial.

Subjects: Women requesting an IUCD.

Calcium and magnesium status in pregnant women. A comparison between treatment with calcium and vitamin C in pregnant women with leg cramps.

60 pregnant women underwent a double blind trial with calcium or ascorbic acid (1 g twice daily) as treatment for leg cramps. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups with respect to clinical improvement. In 14 out of 60 patients the symptoms were totally abolished and in another 27 patients the symptoms were significantly decreased by the treatment (irrespective of drug used).

A solution to the problem of "missing" IUD threads.

A disposable, plastic, sterile instrument, RetrievetteR, for the retrieval of 'missing' threads of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD) at routine gynecological investigations was developed and tested in 80 patients. In 64 instances, the threads were found and easily drawn out through the cervical canal. In the remaining 16 cases, where the threads were not found, this was due to already expelled IUD in 6, too short threads in 5, inverted IUD in one, IUD which had partly perforated the uterine wall in one, unknown factors in 2 cases where the women chose to keep a correctly placed IUD in spite of missing threads and, finally, in only one case due to method failure.

Effects of sex hormone binding globulin capacity and pregnancy zone protein of treatment with combinations of ethinyl-oestradiol and norethisterone.

Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and pregnancy zone protein (PZP) are two highly oestrogen-inducible serum proteins. SHBG capacity and PZP level were measured in 49 women treated with three different combinations of ethinyloestradiol and norethisterone. SHBG capacity and PZP were measured before and after 6 mth of treatment and both serum factors significantly increased during treatment for all three groups.

Changes in central circulation in premenopausal women during application of an estradiol valerate-norgestrel combination (Cyclabil).

The orthostatic circulatory reaction, the physical working capacity on a bicycle ergometer, the indirectly measured blood pressure at rest and after the ergometer test, the total hemoglobin content, blood volume and the heart volume in supine position were all determined on three separate occasions in the 17 premenopausal women who were taking an estrogen-progestogen combination as premenopausal substitution (2 mg estradiol valerate and 0.5 mg norgestrel, CyclabilR, Schering AG). Twelve women not receiving steroid treatment served as controls.

Prognostic value of the pregnancy zone protein during early pregnancy in spontaneous abortion.

The concentration of pregnancy zone (PZ) protein in maternal serum during early normal pregnancy was followed in a prospective study of 261 pregnant women. A marked increase which followed an exponential function was found and a theoretic onset of induction at the time for implantation was calculated. Women with a later spontaneous abortion had low values.

Vacuum aspiration at therapeutic abortion: influence of two different negative pressures on blood loss during and after operation.

In 167 women blood loss was measured during and after vacuum aspiration for therapeutic abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Two different negative pressures were used -49.1 kPa (-0.

Vacuum aspiration at therapeutic abortion: blood loss at operation in multigravid women.

Therapeutic abortion by vacuum aspiration in the first trimester was carried out on 129 healthy multigravid women. The loss of haemoglobin at operation was estimated and the volume of blood calculated. The figures were compared to those in a group of primigravid women earlier reported.

The effect of oxytocin on hypertonic saline abortion.

Oxytocin was infused in 22 randomly selected pregnant women after extraamniotic hypertonic saline instillation. In another 24 pregnant women no oxytocin was infused at midtrimester abortion. There was no difference between the two groups in mean time from saline injection to expulsion of the fetus.

A quantitative study of the pregnancy zone protein in sera of woman taking oral contraceptives.

By means of a single radial immunodiffusion the concentration of "the pregnancy zone protein" (PZ) was measured in sera from women taking oral contraceptive drugs. Woman taking only 0.3 mg.