ABDOMINAL AND LOW BACK MUSCLE INVOLVEMENT DURING EIGHT SIT-UP VARIATIONS

Sit-up exercises are often recommended by health and fitness experts and by members of the medical community as both a prophylactic and a treatment for low back pain. The general rationale for such prescriptions is that an increase in the resting tension levels of the abdominal muscles may help prevent or reduce excessive anteriortilt ofthe pelvis and lumbar lordosis. Although a variety of sit-up styles or variations are currently practiced, it is well-documented that at least some variations of the sit-up also exercise the hip-flexor muscles. Among the hip-flexors is the iliopsoas complex, which tends to increase lumbar lordosis when it is over-developed. Since this is undesirable in that excessive lumbar lordosis may actually contribute to the development oflow back pain, the optimal sit-up exercise is clearly one which maximizes abdominal muscle involvement while minimizing the participation of the hip flexors. For these reasons, the hook-lying sit-up, (performed with the knees in flexion), has been recommended (Williams, 1974)

Detection of virus mRNA within infected host cells using an isothermal nucleic acid amplification assay: marine cyanophage gene expression within Synechococcus sp

Abstract Background Signal-Mediated Amplification of RNA Technology (SMART) is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology, developed for the detection of specific target sequences, either RNA (for expression) or DNA. Cyanophages are viruses that infect cyanobacteria. Marine cyanophages are ubiquitous in the surface layers of the ocean where they infect members of the globally important genus Synechococcus. Results Here we report that the SMART assay allowed us to differentiate between infected and non-infected host cultures. Expression of the cyanophage strain S-PM2 portal vertex gene (g20) was detected from infected host Synechococcus sp. WH7803 cells. Using the SMART assay, we demonstrated that g20 mRNA peaked 240 – 360 minutes post-infection, allowing us to characterise this as a mid to late transcript. g20 DNA was also detected, peaking 10 hours post-infection, coinciding with the onset of host lysis. Conclusion The SMART assay is based on isothermal nucleic acid amplification, allowing the detection of specific sequences of DNA or RNA. It was shown to be suitable for differentiating between virus-infected and non-infected host cultures and for the detection of virus gene expression: the first reported use of this technology for such applications.</p

An Evaluation of Spirituality among Graduate and Professional Degree Students: Year Two

[Note: This is a continuation of a study that was introduced at the 2013 GERA Annual Meeting.] This ongoing longitudinal study is designed to measure spirituality in graduate and professional degree students utilizing validated survey instruments. Furthermore, the study investigates perceptions regarding the role of spirituality in higher education and professional practice. We hypothesize that significant relationships exist between student perceptions on spirituality and various academic, professional, and vocational outcomes. The study is being conducted at a large, private university in the southeastern United States, which seeks to enrich both the mind and spirit of students while maintaining intellectual and religious freedom. Our study measures spirituality from inter-faith and non-faith perspectives, thereby increasing applicability to a diverse population. Results from our study will be instrumental in examining the influence of an academic institution on validated measures of spirituality. Furthermore, we hope to be the first to examine, from a qualitative and quantitative perspective, the change in daily spiritual experience among students of diverse graduate and professional degree programs at a single institution. We believe our findings have the potential to stimulate constructive dialogue on the imperative to develop methods for improved teaching and learning

Treatment for Vestibular Disorders: How Does Your Physical Therapist Treat Dizziness Related to Vestibular Problems?

Dizziness is very common, but it is never normal. Dizziness can make performing daily activities, work, and walking difficult. Many people get dizzy when they turn their head, which can cause problems with walking and makes people more likely to fall. Most of the time dizziness is not from a life-threatening disease. Often dizziness is because of a disorder of the vestibular (or inner ear balance) system. People can get vestibular disorders from infections in the ear, problems with the immune system, medications that harm the inner ear, and rarely from diabetes or stroke because of a lack of blood flow to the inner ear. Stress, poor sleep, migraines, overdoing some activities, and feeling sad can increase symptoms. New guidelines for the treatment of vestibular disorders were published in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. The guideline describes which exercises are best to treat the dizziness and balance problems commonly seen with an inner ear disorder

A Prototype Head-Motion Monitoring System for In-Home Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy

This work reports the use of a head-motion monitoring system to record patient head movements while completing in-home exercises for vestibular rehabilitation therapy. Based upon a dual-axis gyroscope (yaw and pitch, ± 500-degrees/sec maximum), angular head rotations were measured and stored via an on-board memory card. The system enabled the clinician to document exercises at home. Several measurements were recorded in one patient with unilateral vestibular hypofunction: The total time of exercise for the week (118 minutes) was documented and compared with expected weekly exercise time (140 minutes). For gaze stabilization exercises, execution time of 60 sec was expected, and observed times ranged from 75-100 sec. An absence of rest periods between each exercise instead of the recommended one minute rest period was observed. Maximum yaw head velocities from approximately 100-350 degrees/sec were detected. A second subject provided feedback concerning the ease of use of the HAMMS device. This pilot study demonstrates, for the first time, the capability to capture the head-motion “signature” of a patient while completing vestibular rehabilitation exercises in the home and to extract exercise regime parameters and monitor patient adherence. This emerging technology has the potential to greatly improve rehabilitation outcomes for individuals completing in-home gaze stabilization exercises 1

Oculomotor Strategies and Their Effect on Reducing Gaze Position Error

Objective: Vestibular adaptation exercises have been shown to improve gaze stability during active head rotation in individuals with vestibular hypofunction. Little is known, however, of the types of eye movements used during passive head rotation and their effect on gaze stability in individuals with vestibular hypofunction. The primary purpose of this study was to determine differences in oculomotor strategies and their effect on stabilizing gaze during ipsilesional passive and active head rotations in vestibular hypofunction. Patients: Subjects with unilateral (n = 4) and bilateral (n = 3) vestibular hypofunction and healthy subjects (n = 4) based on bithermal caloric and rotational chair testing. Intervention: Diagnostic. Main Outcome Measure: Head and eye velocity and position data measured with scleral search coil. Results: Subjects with unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction generated 3 types of gaze-stabilizing eye movements with ipsilesional head impulses: slow vestibular ocular reflex, compensatory, and corrective saccades. The types of eye movements generated during active and passive head impulses were highly individualized. Gaze position error was reduced when compensatory saccades were recruited as part of the gaze-stabilizing strategy. Conclusion: Rehabilitation for individuals with vestibular hypofunction should identify individuals' unique gaze stability preferences and attempt to facilitate compensatory saccades