Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiping Zhou, Yuyi Lin, Jiehong Zhang, Xingxian Si'tu, Ji Wang, Weiyi Pan, Yulong Wang
Summary: This study examines the reliability of ultrasonic shear wave elastography (USWE) in measuring the shear modulus of the gastrocnemius fascia in healthy individuals. The results show that USWE is a reliable technique for assessing the shear modulus of the gastrocnemius fascia and detecting its dynamic changes during ankle dorsiflexion.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Seda Yildiz, Uluc Pamuk, Gul Baltaci, Can A. Yucesoy
Summary: This study used tensiomyography to test the effects of kinesio taping on the contractile properties of targeted muscle. The results indicated that kinesio taping leads to increased muscle stiffness and reduced muscle rate of force production despite the facilitation technique applied.
JOURNAL OF SPORT REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Taylor M. Winters, Michael Lim, Mitsuhiko Takahashi, Jan Friden, Richard L. Lieber, Samuel R. Ward
Summary: The study aimed to quantify the effect of surgical mobilization on the active and passive biomechanical properties of three large rabbit hind limb muscles. Results showed that different muscles exhibited varying degrees of decline in active and passive stress after mobilization, indicating a trade-off between muscle mobility and force-generating capacity.
JOURNAL OF HAND SURGERY-AMERICAN VOLUME
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Taija Finni, Heiliane de Brito Fontana, Huub Maas
Summary: The traditional belief that muscles function as independent motors has been challenged. The new view suggests that muscles are interconnected by a connective tissue network, allowing force transmission. Animal studies have provided evidence of this force transmission pathway. The review focuses on the mechanics of muscle interactions and the effect of surrounding structures, providing valuable insights for both animal and human studies.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Sezen Yucel, Robert J. Moon, Linda J. Johnston, Berkay Yucel, Surya R. Kalidindi
Summary: This paper introduces a new semi-automated image analysis framework called SMART, which can reliably and quickly detect and classify CNCs from TEM and AFM images and measure their dimensions. The SMART approach shows good agreement and higher throughput in CNC identification and dimensional measurements compared to conventional manual methods.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amelie Werkhausen, Oyvind Gloersen, Antoine Nordez, Goran Paulsen, Jens Bojsen-Moller, Olivier R. Seynnes
Summary: This study assessed the relationship between muscle architecture and function using ultrasound-based methods. The results showed moderate correlations between different measurements of muscle architecture, but weak correlations between muscle architecture and force or work. These findings indicate the limitations of current approaches to measure muscle architecture in vivo.
Article
Biophysics
Evrim O. Yilmaz, Cemre S. Kaya, Zeynep D. Akdeniz-Dogan, Can A. Yucesoy
Summary: The study found that exposure to BTX-A significantly increases passive muscle forces, narrows the lrange, and has no effect on EMFT. These effects could have implications for long-term spasticity management and need further study in CP patients.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Martin E. Heroux, Rachelle M. Whitaker, Huub Maas, Robert D. Herbert
Summary: The study found that there was minimal effect of hip position on the slack angle of the vastus lateralis muscle in most participants, indicating limited epimuscular myofascial force transmission under passive conditions. Overall, the results suggest that this force transmission tends to be small and variable in healthy human muscle.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Keitaro Minato, Yuki Yoshimoto, Tamaki Kurosawa, Kei Watanabe, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Madoka Ikemoto-Uezumi, Akiyoshi Uezumi
Summary: Skeletal muscles generate force through myofiber contraction, which is transmitted to tendons. Studies on age-related changes in mouse muscles showed an increased dependence on longitudinal force transmission and a decreased efficiency in lateral force transmission in older muscles. There was an increase in connective tissue volume in the old muscles, but no significant change in dystrophin expression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Huub Maas, Wendy Noort
Summary: The central question of this study is whether the length changes of bi-articular neighbouring muscles affect the firing behaviour of a mono-articular ankle plantar flexor. The main finding shows that simulating knee movements by changing the length of synergistic ankle plantar flexors causes sudden changes in the firing rate of type IA and II afferents. This suggests that muscle spindles provide the CNS with information about adjacent joints that the muscle does not span.
EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Carlos Cruz-Montecinos, Manuela Besomi, Nicolas Acevedo-Valenzuela, Kevin Cares-Marambio, Alejandro Bustamante, Benjamin Guzman-Gonzalez, Claudio Tapia-Malebran, Rodolfo Sanzana-Cuche, Joaquin Calatayud, Guillermo Mendez-Rebolledo
Summary: This study used myometry to assess the compressive stiffness of the soleus muscle and Achilles tendon in different knee and ankle joint positions. The results showed that knee extension increases the compressive stiffness of the soleus muscle and Achilles tendon, with a greater degree of change observed in the soleus muscle.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND KINESIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Richard L. Lieber, Benjamin Binder-Markey
Summary: Passive mechanical properties of whole skeletal muscle are not as well understood as active mechanical properties, mainly due to uncertainties in load bearing structures and lack of established standards for mechanical measurements. Evidence suggests that titin bears most of the passive load within single muscle cells, while extracellular matrix bears the major part of the load at larger scales. Definitions of muscle passive properties such as stress, strain, modulus and stiffness can vary relative to different reference parameters, making it difficult to fully understand and model whole muscle passive mechanical properties.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Sheharzad Mahmood, Andrew Sawatsky, Walter Herzog
Summary: Residual force enhancement (rFE) describes the increase in isometric force following muscle stretching compared to the corresponding isometric force. Although consistently observed in isolated muscle preparations, it is not always observed in human skeletal muscle, possibly due to dissociations between length changes in muscle tendon units and fibres. This study found rFE in conditions where the MTU is stretched while fibres shorten, suggesting a lack of knowledge on the specific molecular mechanisms distinguishing rFE from rFD.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Di Ao, Marleny. M. M. Vega, Mohammad. S. S. Shourijeh, Carolynn Patten, Benjamin. J. J. Fregly
Summary: This study presents a novel computational approach to address the problem of missing EMG signals during EMG-driven model calibration. The approach combines time-varying synergy excitations extracted from measured muscle excitations to estimate unmeasured muscle excitations and residual muscle excitations.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiu-Tao Hang, Guang-Kui Xu, Huajian Gao
Summary: Living cells exhibit diverse mechanical behaviors at different time scales. A self-similar hierarchical model is used in this study to capture the power-law rheological characteristics of cells in different frequency scales. The transition between low- and high-frequency scales is defined by a transition frequency based on cell's mechanical parameters. The differences in cytoskeletal properties of different cell types or states can be characterized by changes in mechanical parameters in the model.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Guus C. C. Baan, Huub Maas
Summary: This study aims to develop a freely accessible 3D graphical model of the rat hindlimb to meet the needs of human movement sciences. Using anatomical data from the Wistar rat (Mus norvegicus albinus) published by Greene (1935), a 3D representation of 34 muscles of the hindlimb was created. The model can be used for training purposes and producing illustrations of experimental conditions or results.
CELLS TISSUES ORGANS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Mark Slevin
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Carlos Cruz-Montecinos, Xavier Garcia-Masso, Huub Maas, Mauricio Cerda, Javier Ruiz-del-Solar, Claudio Tapia
Summary: This study evaluated the coordination between two ankle plantar flexors using EMG and assessed whether it is affected by the slope of the treadmill. The results showed that causal decomposition is an appropriate methodology to study intermuscular coordination, and the variation of treadmill inclination increased the coordination between the ankle plantar flexors.
MEDICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mohammad Z. Darabseh, James Selfe, Christopher I. Morse, Aseel Aburub, Hans Degens
Summary: The efficacy of aerobic exercise (AE) in promoting long-term smoking cessation is still uncertain. While some high-quality trials showed that AE can increase the number of long-term successful quitters, the overall meta-analysis did not find a significant effect of AE on long-term smoking cessation success rate. However, AE can improve the maximal or peak oxygen uptake (VO2max/peak) of quitters.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Joseph Cooper, Ylenia Pastorello, Mark Slevin
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a common type of dementia and poses a growing challenge for global health systems. Inflammation has emerged as a key focus in Alzheimer's disease research, and it has been found to drive the associated pathologies. This study investigates whether chronic inflammation caused by diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis could increase the risk of developing dementia. The results show a higher risk of dementia in patients with chronic inflammation and an independent association with high levels of CRP. This meta-analysis provides evidence that chronic elevation of CRP in autoimmune diseases is directly linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Ylenia Pastorello, Roxana O. Carare, Claudia Banescu, Lawrence Potempa, Mario Di Napoli, Mark Slevin
Summary: Circulating C-reactive protein (pCRP) concentrations significantly increase during acute and chronic infection and disease, playing a role in complement fixation. It is now known that pCRP dissociates into the monomeric form (mCRP) when exposed to activated immune cells or damaged tissue, becoming biologically active. Studies have shown that mCRP is distributed within the brain tissue of individuals with neuroinflammatory disease and has been linked to neurovascular dysfunction, blood brain barrier compromise, and increased risk of dementia. Future therapeutic options aim to inhibit pCRP-LPC mediated dissociation and prevent associated damage.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Sandro Satta, Robert Beal, Rhys Smith, Xing Luo, Glenn R. Ferris, Alex Langford-Smith, Jack Teasdale, Tom Tanjeko Ajime, Jef Serre, Georgina Hazell, Graciela Sala Newby, Jason L. Johnson, Svitlana Kurinna, Martin J. Humphries, Ghislaine Gayan-Ramirez, Peter Libby, Hans Degens, Bo Yu, Thomas Johnson, Yvonne Alexander, Haibo Jia, Andrew C. Newby, Stephen J. White
Summary: Researchers recreated the conditions of endothelial erosion of plaques in vitro and identified a novel Nrf2-OSGIN1&2-HSP70 axis that regulates endothelial adhesion, as well as elevated GDF15 and HSP70 as biomarkers for plaque erosion in patients with smoking history. They also identified two therapeutic targets for reducing the risk of plaque erosion.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Physiology
James Cameron, Jamie S. McPhee, David A. Jones, Hans Degens
Summary: A 5-year study found that the 6-minute walk distance and timed up-and-go decreased further in septuagenarians, regardless of sex, and were associated with a decline in muscle contractile properties. However, this decline was due to a loss of muscle mass, rather than a further decrease in muscle quality.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Adam Kositsky, Huub Maas, Rod S. Barrett, Ben Kennedy, Lauri Stenroth, Rami K. Korhonen, Christopher J. Vertullo, Laura E. Diamond, David J. Saxby
Summary: The human semitendinosus muscle has separate proximal and distal neuromuscular compartments and the potential for independent operation and control. However, the morphology and function of these compartments have not been thoroughly examined in adult humans. This study used MRI to assess the morphological differences between the compartments in individuals who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The results indicate that despite variations in length and volume, the compartments are not mechanically independent and show a correlation in morphological differences.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
G. Geusebroek, J. H. van Dieen, M. J. M. Hoozemans, W. Noort, H. Houdijk, H. Maas
Summary: This study investigated the acute effects of stretching on muscle deformation and mechanical properties. It found that constant force stretching had a greater impact on muscle force, stiffness, muscle length, and tendon length compared to constant length stretching. The differences in imposed maximal strain were the main factor affecting these changes.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Taija Finni, Heiliane de Brito Fontana, Huub Maas
Summary: The traditional belief that muscles function as independent motors has been challenged. The new view suggests that muscles are interconnected by a connective tissue network, allowing force transmission. Animal studies have provided evidence of this force transmission pathway. The review focuses on the mechanics of muscle interactions and the effect of surrounding structures, providing valuable insights for both animal and human studies.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2023)
Review
Anesthesiology
Pablo Duro-Ocana, Fabio Zambolin, Arwel W. Jones, Angella Bryan, John Moore, Tanviha Quraishi-Akhtar, Jamie Mcphee, Hans Degens, Liam Bagley
Summary: The study found that prehabilitation programs with more than one supervised session per week can improve physical function but do not enhance surgical outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ANESTHESIA
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Hans Degens, Tomas Venckunas, Rob Cl Wuest
Summary: Cigarette smoking reduces exercise capacity and muscle fatigue resistance, partially due to carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) in the blood reducing oxygen-carrying capacity. However, mitochondrial dysfunction improves oxygenation despite reducing oxygen uptake. Using data from muscle samples, a tissue oxygenation model showed that HbCO and impaired mitochondrial respiration both contribute to reduced muscle oxygenation, with chronic smokers experiencing more significant effects from impaired mitochondrial respiration.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Hans Degens, Gladys L. Onambele-Pearson
Summary: Ageing is characterized by a decline in physiological functions. There is a debate on whether the rate of ageing is highly individualistic or uniform. This study proposes a framework to assess the rate of ageing using cross-sectional data, suggesting that most studies demonstrate a highly individualistic rate of ageing, except for master athletes who show a uniform rate of ageing.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Janelle Tarum, Hans Degens, Mark D. Turner, Claire Stewart, Craig Sale, Livia Santos
Summary: Healthy skeletal muscle has the ability to regenerate after injury, but this ability is impaired in aging muscle due to dysfunctional satellite cells and reduced myogenic capacity. This study developed a high-throughput in vitro model to assess muscle regeneration in young and aged muscle cell cultures. The results suggest that aged muscle cells have reduced regeneration capacity and show significant changes in signalling pathways associated with muscle development and contraction. Understanding these mechanisms can aid in the development of new therapies for impaired muscle regeneration in older age.
JOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
