Immediate Effect of Heel-Pain Orthosis And An Augmented Low-Dye Taping on Plantar Pressures and Pain in Subjects with Plantar Fasciitis

Research has been done investigating plantar pressures and pain in subjects with pathologies after the application of orthoses and arch taping. To date, however, no study has been conducted investigating plantar pressures and pain in subjects with plantar fasciitis after the application of the augmented low-dye taping (ALD) in comparison to a heel-pain orthosis (HPO). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the ALD in comparison to a HPO on pain, peak plantar pressure (PPP), and mean plantar pressure (MPP) under multiple areas of the foot in subjects with plantar fasciitis while walking and jogging. Seventeen subjects, five males (34.8 ± 15.3 years of age, 182 ± I 7.0 cm, 93.89 ± 22. 71 kg) and twelve females (36.8 ± 16.5 years of age, 167 ± 7.0 cm, 70.78 ± 12.51 kg) with plantar fasciitis participated in this study. Subjects had no history of lower extremity surgery and no history of back or lower extremity injury in the last three months other than the condition sought. PPP and MPP were evaluated while walking and jogging after the application of three interventions (control, ALD, HPO) under four areas of the foot: lateral rearfoot (LR), medial rearfoot (MR), lateral forefoot (LF), and medial forefoot (MF). Walking and jogging pressure measurements were recorded 3 times for 30 seconds at a speed range of 0.89-l.34m/s and 2.24-3.13m/s respectively using the PEDAR in-shoe pressure measuring system (Novel, GMBH, St Paul MN, USA). Walking and jogging pain levels were also recorded during each intervention using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Two separate 3x4 repeated measures ANOVA were conducted with an alpha level set a priori of p(p\u3c0.003). The HPO significantly increased jogging PPP (156.45±22.88) under the entire foot when compared to the control (134.09±20.53) (pI) and ALO (137.85±19.06) (p(p\u3c0.006) produced a significant decrease in VAS scores compared to the control (17.32±17.86). Jogging VAS scores also significantly decreased after the application of the HPO (12.15±15.61) (

Interleukin-1 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a variety of clinical outcomes including gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer disease. The reasons for this variation are not clear, but the gastric physiological response is influenced by the severity and anatomical distribution of gastritis induced by H. pylori. Thus, individuals with gastritis predominantly localized to the antrum retain normal (or even high) acid secretion, whereas individuals with extensive corpus gastritis develop hypochlorhydria and gastric atrophy, which are presumptive precursors of gastric cancer. Here we report that interleukin-1 gene cluster polymorphisms suspected of enhancing production of interleukin-1-beta are associated with an increased risk of both hypochlorhydria induced by H. pylori and gastric cancer. Two of these polymorphism are in near-complete linkage disequilibrium and one is a TATA-box polymorphism that markedly affects DNA-protein interactions in vitro. The association with disease may be explained by the biological properties of interleukin-1-beta, which is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine and a powerful inhibitor of gastric acid secretion. Host genetic factors that affect interleukin-1-beta may determine why some individuals infected with H. pylori develop gastric cancer while others do no

Osteosarcoma of the mobile spine†

Background The aims of this analysis were to investigate features and outcome of high-grade osteosarcomas of the mobile spine. Patients and methods Since 1977, 20 Cooperative Osteosarcoma Study Group patients had a diagnosis of high-grade osteosarcomas of the mobile spine and were included in this retrospective analysis of patient-, tumor- and treatment-related variables and outcome. Results The median age was 29 years (range 5-58). Most frequent tumor sites were thoracic and lumbar spine. All but three patients had nonmetastatic disease at diagnosis. Treatment included surgery and chemotherapy for all patients, 13 were also irradiated. Eight patients failed to achieve a macroscopically complete surgical remission (five local, one primary metastases, two both), six died, two are alive, both with radiotherapy. Of 12 patients with complete remission at all sites, three had a recurrence (two local, one metastases) and died. The median follow-up of the 11 survivors was 8.7 years (range 3.1-22.3), 5-year overall and event-free survival rates were 60% and 43%. Age <40 years, nonmetastatic disease at diagnosis and complete remission predicted for better overall survival (OS, P < 0.05). Conclusions Osteosarcomas of the mobile spine are rare. With complete resection (and potentially radiotherapy) and chemotherapy, prognosis may be comparable with that of appendicular osteosarcoma

Teaching in our Society: Primary Teachers and Intercultural Competencies

Abstract Living in a context marked by pluralism and heterogeneity is never straightforward, even less so if you belong to a marginalised part of society, in terms of social status, culture and religion. The processes that lead to social exclusion take effect in the first years of a child's life and too often they are formalised in the school system. In Italy, research data and statistics reveal a deep-rooted disparity in the academic trajectories of students from a migrant background when compared with what we might term "native" students. Since the reduced level of attainment of such "non-Italian" students is already noticeable in primary school, where the formal process of acquiring the language skills required in education takes place, we decided to work with teachers from this level of schooling to discover if, and in what way, they have the skills and training required to teach such students. The teachers chosen had taught in multicultural classes for a total of at least five years. Hoping to ascertain whether these teachers employed intercultural competencies in their teaching practice – and if so, which ones – we selected a method based on the narration of a problem situation encountered during their time in teaching. To date, fifty teachers have been interviewed. Analysis of the interviews reveals a heterogeneous reality, with some teachers displaying new forms of sensitivity and cultural competence in response to a changing world and a changing school population, while others seem entrenched in an outdated mindset

Serum Concentrations of TNF α and Its Soluble Receptors in Patients with Adrenal Tumors Treated by Surgery

The peripheral blood levels of TNF α and its soluble receptors were studied in 39 patients with malignant and benign adrenal tumors treated by adrenalectomy. The concentrations of TNF α were significantly elevated in patients with malignant tumors of the adrenal cortex and in patients with Conn’s syndrome compared to control. In patients with non-functioning adenomas and pheochromocytomas, TNF α levels were similar to those detected in the control. In subjects with myelolipomas, the serum concentration of TNF α was lower compared to the control. After adrenalectomy, the levels of TNF α were decreased in patients with malignant tumors and in patients with Conn’s syndrome, nonfunctioniong adenomas and pheochromocytomas compared to the concentration before surgery. The serum concentrations of soluble receptors of TNF α did not differ among different patient groups and compared to the control. After adrenalectomy, the blood concentrations of TNF α R1 and TNF α R2 were decreased in patients with Conn’s syndrome. However, to confirm practicality of the evaluation of TNF α and its soluble receptors in differential diagnosis in patients with adrenal tumors, a larger study group is needed