Effect of static hip flexor stretching on standing pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to see if an acute bout of static stretching of anterior hip muscles can affect a measurable change in sagittal pelvic and lumbar position during standing. RECRUITMENT: Flyers requesting participants will be posted throughout the PE building. In addition, the PI students will invite potential participants verbally during the beginning of randomly selected PEHR classes. METHODS: Eligible participants will complete the informed consent and a brief survey to quantify their habitual stretching habits. They will perform five-minutes of moderate cycling on a stationary bike as a general warm-up. Reflective markers will be placed on the skin or clothing of the right side of the participant using double-sided adhesive tape (posterior and anterior superior iliac spines, greater trochanter of the femur, and four along the spinous processes of several lumbar and thoracic vertebra). Pelvic and lumbar position will be assessed while the participant is in a standing, actively-aligned body position with their arms overhead. The participant will be asked to ‘stand as straight and tall as possible’. A photograph of the standing position before and after the acute stretching condition will be used to record the position. From the photographs, coordinate locations of the reflective markers will be measured using the software IC Measure. The experimental intervention will involve participants stretching in a kneeling lunge position, commonly used to stretch the anterior hip musculature. They will perform 3 sets of 30sec stretches on each leg to their personal level of stretching discomfort. ANALYSIS: Pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis angles before and after the stretching intervention will be compared using paired t-tests. RESULTS: There is a significant difference (t=.002, pM angle with a reduction of the angle indicative of increasing posterior pelvic tilt. The PTC and LUMM angle was not statistically significant, the results, however, are practically significant

Characterization of a Cutaneous Microbiome of a Community of Lungless Salamanders in Cherokee County, Georgia**

Research over the last decade has revealed the importance of the cutaneous microbiome for the health and immune function of amphibians. Thousands of Bacteria and Archaeans species living in and on the skin are able to outcompete pathogenic species of fungus or types of viruses. The relationship between microbes and their host is so intimate that the term metaorganism has been used to describe this phenomenon. We are, however, at the early stages of understanding what determines the composition of the cutaneous microbiome and the relative effects of factors like genetics and habitat use. Could it be that there is a species-specific “microbiome fingerprint” that is consistent across different sites? Do species inhabiting similar microhabitats host similar microbes? We have replicated a similar study performed in Sosbee Cove in Union County, with a site in Cherokee County, with multiple species that are comparable across the two sites. We present our project designed to answer these questions and report preliminary results

Effects of Captivity and Captive-Breeding on the Cutaneous Microbiome of Lungless Salamanders**

Captive breeding has become a critical tool for the restoration of amphibian populations decimated by diseases. However, much is unknown about effects of long-term captivity on amphibian health and particularly immune system function. Therefore, we have begun a project to understand the effects of captivity and captive breeding on the cutaneous microbiome of lungless salamanders. The community of microbes living in and on the skin of lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) is an important predictor of the organisms’ ability to ward off diseases like chytridiomycosis. We compare the microbiome of wild and long-term (8 years) captive or captive-bred Ocoee and Blue Ridge two-lined salamanders (Desmognathus ocoee and Eurycea wilderae, respectively) all from the Charles H. Wharton Conservation Center in Union County, GA. Microbiome communities were estimated by amplifying the V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene and then comparing with sequences from the Greengenes database. We present our study design and preliminary results