The effects of bag style on muscle activity of the trapezius, erector spinae and latissimus dorsi during walking in female university students

© by The Author(s). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)Back pain is common in adolescents which has been associated with carrying a bag. However, there is little research examining the effects of bag style in female adolescents. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different bag conditions on muscle activity of the trapezius, erector spinae and latissimus dorsi muscles in female university students during walking. Twelve female university students walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes at 1.1 m/s during five conditions; control, 1 strapped rucksack, 2 strapped rucksack, ipsilateral shoulder strap and contralateral shoulder strap, each containing 10% bodyweight. Electromyography for the trapezius, erector spinae and latissimus dorsi was recorded for the last 30 s of each condition. Two-way ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to identify differences between right and left muscles and between bag conditions. Results showed that muscle activity of the left trapezius was significantly higher than the right trapezius during the 1 strap rucksack condition. For the left trapezius, the 2 strapped rucksack and the control condition had significantly lower muscle activity compared to the 1 strapped rucksack and the ipsilateral shoulder strap. For the left erector spinae muscle, there was significantly greater muscle activity when wearing the contralateral shoulder strap compared to the control. For the right erector spinae, significantly lower muscle activity was observed when wearing the 2 strapped rucksack compared to the ipsilateral shoulder strap and contralateral shoulder strap. There were no significant differences in muscle activity of the latissimus dorsi muscles between any of the bag conditions. These findings suggest that a two strapped rucksack should be used when carrying loads to reduce spinal muscle activity which may, in turn, reduce reports of back pain in female adolescentPeer reviewedFinal Published versio

Design and application of electromechanical actuators for deep space missions

During the period 8/16/92 through 2/15/93, work has been focused on three major topics: (1) screw modeling and testing; (2) motor selection; and (3) health monitoring and fault diagnosis. Detailed theoretical analysis has been performed to specify a full dynamic model for the roller screw. A test stand has been designed for model parameter estimation and screw testing. In addition, the test stand is expected to be used to perform a study on transverse screw loading

The burden of tuberculosis in crisis-affected populations: a systematic review.

Crises caused by armed conflict, forced population displacement, or natural disasters result in high rates of excess morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. Many of these crises occur in areas with a substantial tuberculosis burden. We did a systematic review to summarise what is known about the burden of tuberculosis in crisis settings. We also analysed surveillance data from camps included in UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) surveillance, and investigated the association between conflict intensity and tuberculosis notification rates at the national level with WHO data. We identified 51 reports of tuberculosis burden in populations experiencing displacement, armed conflict, or natural disaster. Notification rates and prevalence were mostly elevated; where incidence or prevalence ratios could be compared with reference populations, these ratios were 2 or higher for 11 of 15 reports. Case-fatality ratios were mostly below 10% and, with exceptions, drug-resistance levels were comparable to those of reference populations. A pattern of excess risk was noted in UNHCR-managed camp data where the rate of smear testing seemed to be consistent with functional tuberculosis programmes. National-level data suggested that conflict was associated with decreases in the notification rate of tuberculosis. More studies with strict case definitions are needed in crisis settings, especially in the acute phase, in internally displaced populations and in urban settings. Findings suggest the need for early establishment of tuberculosis services, especially in displaced populations from high-burden areas and for continued innovation and prioritisation of tuberculosis control in crisis settings

Stage of HIV presentation at initial clinic visit following a community-based HIV testing campaign in rural Kenya

Background: The Kenyan Ministry of Health and partners implemented a community-based integrated prevention campaign (IPC) in Western Kenya in 2008. The aim of this study was to determine whether the IPC, compared to Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services, was able to identify HIV positive individuals earlier in the clinical course of HIV infection following testing

Perfectionism and exam performance: The mediating effect of task-approach goals

Perfectionistic strivings are positively correlated with students’ achievement goals and exam performance. However, so far no study has employed a prospective design investigating whether achievement goals mediate the positive relationship between perfectionistic strivings and exam performance. In the present study, 100 university students completed a measure of self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism (Hewitt & Flett, 1991) and received a chapter from a textbook to study for 2-4 days. Then they returned to the lab to complete a measure of achievement goals following the 3 x 2 model (Elliot, Murayama, & Pekrun, 2011) and sit a mock exam testing their knowledge of the chapter. Multiple regressions showed that socially prescribed perfectionism negatively predicted exam performance when the overlap with self-oriented perfectionism was controlled for. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionism—a defining indicator of perfectionistic strivings—positively predicted exam performance. Moreover, task-approach goals mediated the positive relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and exam performance. The findings suggest that perfectionistic strivings make students adopt task-approach goals that help them achieve better results on exams

A St. Joseph Diary of 1839

Reverend Peter Haskew, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while serving on the “St. Joseph Station and Apalachicola Mission” in 1839 wrote the diary from which extracts follow. It has been edited with notes by Mr. F. W. Hoskins, in whose possession it is. The Reverend Mr. Haskew was born in Alabama in 1803. He was licensed to preach on September 4, 1834. Joining the Alabama Conference on trial in the following December, he was admitted in full connection on January 4, 1837. His first appointment was the Cedar Creek Circuit, Mobile District, for 1835; followed by Monticello, Irwinton District, for 1896; Green, Greensboro District, for 1837; Winchester, Mobile District, for 1838. He was appointed to St. Joseph Station and Apalachicola Mission by the Conference in Montgomery, Alabama, January 4-6, 1839. When he reached St. Joseph is unknown. The day begins on April 24, but possibly earlier leaves have been lost. After leaving St. Joseph near the end of 1839 he served other appointments in the Alabama Conference until 1848 when he was transferred to the Arkansas Conference. Here he served on various appointments and as Presiding Elder until late in 1858 when he located at his own request

Impact of a Charter School on House Capitalization in a Title I Environment

This study used a mixed-methods approach to determine whether a charter school could influence house capitalization and whether it could induce some families to stay in the school district. It examined home sale values around a charter school in an area covered by underperforming Title I schools. There was a positive but statistically insignificant change in a pre/post comparison of home sale prices, but the increase was consistent with nearby control schools. However, a survey of charter school families found that 25 percent would have left the district had they not been enrolled at the charter school. A plurality said they would leave the district upon completion of their child’s time at the charter school. This study finds that the charter school kept some residents in the school district, but the number of families was not large enough to register in the study of home sales

An investigation of teacher change within an intensive art and technology integration project.

Teachers are trying to adapt to many changes in the classroom as they prepare students to become effective learners and contributors in our rapidly advancing technological society. They are also undergoing many learning experiences themselves, as they embrace their own professional development to help prepare them to lead students into the twenty-first century. This study examined some of the changes that teachers encountered while participating in an intensive art and technology integration project. This project, entitled The Community Discovered: The Search for Meaning Through the Integration of Art and Technology in K-12 Education, is a U. S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. The general mission of this project, and the other Challenge Grants, is to provide a model of innovation in the use of educational technology in today\u27s classroom. The Community Discovered Project seeks to accomplish this through the applied use of new technologies promoting constructivist curricula, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of the arts and technology into core subject areas. This study examined the first year of the project, and sought to identify some of the changes that teachers experienced in their teaching strategies related to: (1) the facilitation of constructivist learning environments; (2) interdisciplinary collaboration for planning and teaching; (3) the incorporation of technology; and (4) the implementation of discipline-based art education. Teacher change is a complex, multifaceted, and ongoing process. Therefore, multiple instruments were used in the process of gathering data. These instruments included surveys, videotape analysis, and classroom based observations. Survey responses indicated that participating teachers had indeed grown in their knowledge and application of constructivist learning, technology, and discipline-based art instruction. Videotapes submitted by teacher participants were also analyzed and scored with a developed rubric. Although some general patterns were noted, specific teacher changes were more difficult to detect in the videotape analysis. Classroom and field observations were also completed and generally supported the survey results. The study results suggested that the professional development directed through The Community Discovered did indeed encourage teachers to initiate personal changes that facilitated constructivist learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, the incorporation of appropriate and effective technology, and the application of Discipline-Based Art Education

Two-photon fluorescence imaging of intracellular hydrogen peroxide with chemoselective fluorescent probes

Abstract. We present the application of two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging to monitor intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in brain cells. For selective imaging of H2O2 over other reactive oxygen species, we employed small-molecule fluorescent probes that utilize a chemoselective boronate deprotection mechanism. Peroxyfluor-6 acetoxymethyl ester detects global cellular H2O2 and mitochondria peroxy yellow 1 detects mitochondrial H2O2. Two-photon absorption cross sections for these H2O2 probes are measured with a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser in the wavelength range of 720 to 1040 nm. TPF imaging is demonstrated in the HT22 cell line to monitor both cytoplasmic H2O2 and localized H2O2 production in mitochondria. Endogenous cytoplasmic H2O2 production is detected with TPF imaging in rat astrocytes modified with d-amino acid oxidase. The TPF H2O2 imaging demonstrated that these chemoselective probes are powerful tools for the detection of intracellular H2O2