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Background The three-point orthosis is the most commonly used brace in the conservative treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The Spinomed ® dynamic orthosis represents an alternative. Aims We compared efficacy and safety of these two types of brace in treating osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Methods One hundred forty patients, aged 65–93 years, sustaining osteoporotic vertebral fracture were consecutively recruited and divided into two groups, and treated with either three-point orthosis or dynamic corset. Patients were evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and measurement of forced expiratory volume in the first second. Regional kyphosis angle, Delmas Index, and height of the fractured vertebral body were also measured on full-spine X-rays. Follow-up intervals were 1, 3, and 6 months after trauma. The complications encountered during the 6-month follow-up were recorded. Results At the 3- and 6-month follow-ups, there was a significant difference ( p  < 0.05) in pain, disability, and respiration in favor of the dynamic orthosis group. At 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference ( p  > 0.05) in all the radiological parameters between groups. Complications were reported for 28 patients in the three-point orthosis group, and for eight patients in the dynamic corset group ( p  < 0.05). Discussion Biofeedback activation of back muscles is probably a key factor in improving functional outcome with dynamic orthosis. Conclusions Compared to three-point orthosis, patients treated with dynamic orthosis had a greater reduction in pain and a greater improvement in quality of life and respiratory function, with equal effectiveness in stabilizing the fracture, and fewer complications.

The “escape the corset” movement (ETC-M) is a declaration that actively reflects the voices of Korean women in fourth-wave feminism and spread through social media. This movement emerged as a fashion style against social prejudice and inequality through the lens of feminism and sparked the launch of the “escape the corset” fashion (ETC-F) brand. Feminism, which discusses the conditions of women in our society, is inevitably related to sustainability. It is time to examine the much-neglected social inclusion of sustainable development goals, by examining the declarations that women express through fashion. This study intends to lay down the foundation for in-depth research into ETC-M by understanding the historical background of Korean feminism, the basis of ETC-M. Furthermore, this study aims to analyze ETC-M as a phenomenon that has grown in social media and understand the characteristics and significance of the resulting fashion style. An analysis of the characteristics of ETC-F formed through social media engagement shows that it has developed a range of special items, styles, and looks. ETC-F marked an opportunity to raise awareness about the discriminatory practices in women’s fashion and formed an anti-fashion solidarity among non-mainstream women. In addition to the development of fashion products, ETC-F is leading the development of fashion content that competes with mainstream lifestyle, culture, and entertainment industries. This study offers not only an opportunity to examine the role and meaning of ETC-F from an industrial and cultural perspective, but also implications for the practical consideration of a sustainable society based on inclusion and diversity.

This study conducted a Consensual Qualitative Research to explore the perceptions and experiences of conflict of “Escape the Corset” (ETC) movement among Korean feminist women in their 20s. The participants were divided into two groups: the Support ETC (SE) advocate for ETC and the Non-Support ETC (NSE) do not. The analysis yielded three domains: Perception of ETC, Conflict about ETC, and Effect of ETC. Key findings are as follows. First, The Purpose of ETC: SE participants generally saw it as “Escaping from social femininity,” while NSE participants viewed it as “Escaping from the gaze of others.” Second, Reasons for supporting or not supporting ETC: NSE participants generally cited “Censoring women in a normative way” and “Resistance to the imposition of ETC” as their reasons for not supporting ETC, whereas SE participants typically believed “Corsets are forced on women” as the reason for supporting ETC. Third, Significance of ETC: Both groups acknowledged “Social impact of ETC” and “Physical and mental comfort” as shared significances. Fourth, Limitation of ETC: Both groups acknowledged “Censoring women in a normative way” and “Negative perception of surroundings and society” as limitations of ETC. Fifth, Effect of ETC on feminist identity: Both groups experienced “Internal conflict” as a result of their perspectives on ETC. In addition, the study discussed the limitations of the research.

Background In Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), abdominal compression devices are commonly used to manage respiratory motion. The high cost, bulky design, and low patient tolerance of these devices limit utilization. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of non-custom lumbosacral corsets on respiratory motion and clinical outcomes in SBRT delivered for a heterogeneous cohort of lower thoracic and upper abdominal lesions. Methods A total of 46 patients underwent two separate slow-CT scans with 1 mm slice thickness, with and without the corset. A “traditional lumbosacral corset with an extensile bands” was used. The diaphragm motion was evaluated with diaphragm amplitude, Δamplitude, liver and spleen artifact volumes, and their changes (Δvolume). All patients were treated with the corset during all SBRT fractions. Clinical outcomes were assessed in patients with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Statistical analyses were performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and both univariate and multivariate linear regression. Paired comparisons and regression analyses were performed to assess motion reduction and its association with patient factors. Results The median age was 67 years (45–82), with 17 female and 29 male patients. The corset decreased the diaphragm amplitude from 1.13 cm (0.20–3.01) to 0.55 cm (0.17–1.93) ( p  < 0.001). Initial diaphragm amplitude ≥ 1 cm decreased − 0.84 cm; <0.5 cm decreased − 0.13 cm ( p  < 0.001). Following corset application, the proportion of patients with diaphragm amplitude ≤ 1 cm increased from 39.1% ( n  = 18) to 82.6% ( n  = 38), approximately doubling, while those with amplitude ≤ 0.5 cm increased from 13.0% ( n  = 6) to 47.8% ( n  = 22), representing nearly a fourfold increase. Both univariate and multivariate analyses found no significant effect of gender, age, or body mass index on Δamplitude and Δvolume values with the corset ( p  > 0.05). At 6 months, 73.9% of patients showed complete response. Local progression occurred in 5 (%10.9) patients. One- and two-year local control rates were 89.0% and 65.0%. Conclusion Non-custom lumbosacral corsets effectively reduced diaphragm motion, particularly in patients with baseline amplitudes > 1 cm. This low-cost, and well-tolerated approach offers a reliable alternative for motion management during SBRT in radiotherapy centers lacking dedicated motion management equipment.

Background: This study evaluated whether abdominal scar tissue characteristics, duration of corset use, and striae gravidarum (SG) density are associated with the severity of intra-abdominal adhesions (IAA) in repeat cesarean sections (CS). Methods: This study prospectively recruited 800 women in their third trimester of pregnancy who were admitted to our clinic for repeat CS. Data was collected on the number of previous CS, history of corset use after prior CS, and demographic characteristics. Abdominal scar characteristics were visually classified by surface appearance (dimpled, smooth, or raised) and pigmentation status (hyperpigmented or normal). SG density was determined using Davey’s scoring system. IAA were classified intraoperatively according to the Nair classification system. Results: Among the 800 participants, 220 (27.5%) had no IAA, 296 (37.0%) had filmy adhesions, 136 (17.0%) had more than two dense adhesions, 124 (15.5%) had very dense adhesions, and 24 (3.0%) had a frozen pelvis. Univariate analysis showed significant associations between IAA scores and maternal age, height, body mass index (BMI) gravida, parity, and the number of previous CS (p < 0.001 for all). In multivariable analysis, the number of previous CS remained significantly associated with IAA scores. For each additional previous CS, the odds of developing dense adhesions increased nearly threefold (odds ratios [OR] = 2.85, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.10–3.88, p < 0.001). In contrast, no significant associations were found between IAA scores and scar tissue characteristics, scar tissue pigmentation, SG density, history of corset use, or smoking (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative evaluation of scar tissue characteristics, SG density, and history of corset use did not predict the presence or severity of IAA before elective CS. However, a significant association was observed between the number of previous CS and IAA. No significant association was observed between smoking and IAA.

Background RNA-Seq is the preferred method to explore transcriptomes and to estimate differential gene expression. When an organism has a well-characterized and annotated genome, reads obtained from RNA-Seq experiments can be directly mapped to that genome to estimate the number of transcripts present and relative expression levels of these transcripts. However, for unknown genomes, de novo assembly of RNA-Seq reads must be performed to generate a set of contigs that represents the transcriptome. These contig sets contain multiple transcripts, including immature mRNAs, spliced transcripts and allele variants, as well as products of close paralogs or gene families that can be difficult to distinguish. Thus, tools are needed to select a set of less redundant contigs to represent the transcriptome for downstream analyses. Here we describe the development of Compacta to produce contig sets from de novo assemblies. Results Compacta is a fast and flexible computational tool that allows selection of a representative set of contigs from de novo assemblies. Using a graph-based algorithm, Compacta groups contigs into clusters based on the proportion of shared reads. The user can determine the minimum coverage of the contigs to be clustered, as well as a threshold for the proportion of shared reads in the clustered contigs, thus providing a dynamic range of transcriptome compression that can be adapted according to experimental aims. We compared the performance of Compacta against state of the art clustering algorithms on assemblies from Arabidopsis, mouse and mango, and found that Compacta yielded more rapid results and had competitive precision and recall ratios. We describe and demonstrate a pipeline to tailor Compacta parameters to specific experimental aims. Conclusions Compacta is a fast and flexible algorithm for the determination of optimum contig sets that represent the transcriptome for downstream analyses.

This article analyzes the results of thermocycle tests of corset specimens. Reasonability of studies of thermal fatigue of items by thermocycle tests of corset shape specimens is explained.

Abstract Incidence and cause Cerebral palsy (CP) is characterized by poor motor control. The more severe the affection is, the more patients are prone to deformities. Patients with Gross Motor Function Classification System level V run an up to 90% risk for spinal deformities. These are caused by poor trunk control under load. Although trunk tone is impossible to assess it seems to be low in the majority of patients, leading to collapse under gravity. The constant malposition results in growth asymmetry which leads to fixation and deterioration of the deformity. Brace treatment Brace treatment has a poor reputation in respect to the final outcome. Conventional braces as constructed for other spinal deformities are indeed difficult for patients with CP as they cannot change position in the brace and do not tolerate pressure on the belly for reflux problems. Respecting these points improves the tolerance of braces but still the time of use is far from the necessary when the trunk is upright. Nevertheless, they can help to postpone surgery for scoliosis, but they are very inefficient for sagittal plane deformities. Aim of treatment The lack of trunk control further leads to an impairment of head control and upper extremity function. Providing stability improves these problems. Braces are superior to seating shells for both treating deformity and providing stability as they remain close to the skin and follow movements. Supports on seating shells in contrast are too far away for controlling the deformity and provide stability only if the patient doesn't move forward.

This study describes the effect of Active Corset on the lumbar spine. Active Corset is assist tools used to prevent low back pain. It tightens the waist optimally according to the lumbar load during work. This study aimed to clarify the mechanical effect of tightening of the pelvis on lumbar joints and determine the mechanism leading to reduction of the lumbar load. Moreover, this study examined the phenomena commonly occurring among the subjects with reduced lumbar load by tightening of the pelvis. First, we will present some examples of currently used assist tools and demine the utility of the Active Corset among the various tools used. Next, the mechanism of the Active Corset will be described. Further, we will present a hypothesis about reducing the lumbar load by tightening the pelvis. After describing the change in the joint bending angle on tightening, we will describe reduction of burden from the antigravity torque around the lumbar joint. Finally, we will compare active tightening using Active Corset with tightening using a constant force and describe the advantage of active tightening.