Comparison of Sagittal Plane Knee Walking Kinematics When Wearing Over-The-Counter Support Devices

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of wearing a knee compression sleeve and a hinged knee brace on kinematics of the knee to not using a support device while walking in healthy college students. METHODS: A convenience sample of 20 participants with no lower extremity surgical or injury history in the past 6 months was recruited for this study. All participants provided informed consent prior to beginning participation. A 12-camera motion analysis system was used to track the three-dimensional motion of sixteen passive reflective markers attached to the lower extremities of each subject according to the VICON Lower Extremity Plug-in Gait model. Each participant then completed one trial of overground walking at a self-selected speed for each of three knee support conditions (three trials total); no external knee support (NO), wearing a knee compression sleeve(CO), wearing an over-the-counter supportive knee brace with hinges (BR). Maximum and minimum knee angles in the sagittal plane were measured during the stance and swing phases. Range of motion (ROM) for each phase was computed as the difference between the maximum and minimum angles. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Minimum sagittal plane knee angle during the stance phase, -0.2(3.8), 3.8(3.6), and -5.7(3.9) degrees for the NO, CO, and BR conditions respectively, significantly differed between support conditions (F (2,30) = 54.21, p \u3c 0.001). Maximum sagittal plane knee angle in the stance phase, 9.2(8.7), 12.6(7.5), and 2.5(8.4) degrees for the NO, CO, and BR conditions respectively, significantly differed between support conditions (F (2,30) = 42.596, p \u3c 0.001). Sagittal plane knee ROM during the stance phase, 9.4(6.2), 8.8(5.9), and 8.2(5.6) degrees for the NO, CO, BR conditions respectively, did not differ between conditions. Minimum sagittal plane knee angles during the swing phase, 29.9(5.6), 32.6(7.5), and 22.4(8.4) degrees for the NO, CO, and BR conditions respectively, significantly differed between support conditions (F (2,30) = 15.946, p \u3c 0.001). Maximum sagittal plane knee angles during the swing phase, 56.4(6.5), 59.2(7.2), and 47.3(9.9) degrees for the NO, CO, and BR conditions respectively, significantly differed between support conditions (F (2,30) = 62.9, p \u3c 0.001). Sagittal plane knee ROM during the swing phase, 26.5(7.3), 26.5(9.1), and 24.9(6.5) degrees for the NO, CO, BR conditions respectively, did not significantly differ in between conditions. CONCLUSION: For both the stance and swing phases, use of the compression sleeve maintained a more flexed knee than the no support condition. Conversely use of the hinged brace resulted in a more extended position than the no support condition during both the stance and swing phases. Performing gait with a more extended knee position may alter the ability of the knee to absorb shock. Therefore, medical professionals should be consulted before using an over-the-counter hinged knee brace

Hacia un modelo de análisis de políticas públicas operativ : Un enfoque basado en los actores, sus recursos y las instituciones

Towards an operative analysis of public policies: An approach focused on actors, resources and institutions. This article develops an analytical model which is centred on the individual and collective behaviour of actors involved during different stages of public policy. We postulate that the content and institutional characteristics of public action (dependent variable) are the result of interactions between political-administrative authorities, on the one hand, and, on the other, social groups which cause or suffer the negative effects of a collective problem which public action attempts to resolve (independent variables). The 'game' of the actors depends not only on their particular interests, but also on their resources (money, time, consensus, organization, rights, infrastructure, information, personnel, strength, political support) which they are able to exploit to defend their positions, as well as on the institutional rules which frame these policy games

Understanding the gendered coaching workforce in Spanish sport

The present study focuses on the demographic and labor characteristics of coaches in Spain. Kanter’s theory on occupational sex segregation will be used as a guiding framework. The study was conducted with 1685 coaches (82.3% men and 17.7% women) from different sports and performance domains. The results show that there is an underrepresentation of women as coaches in Spain and data highlight that coaches’ gender is related to three structural factors: opportunity, power, and proportion. The present data reveal that women are younger, less likely to be in a marriage-like relationship, less likely to have children, and more likely to have competed at a high level as an athlete when compared to their male counterparts. However, fewer women than men access and participate in coach education in Catalonia and the working status of women was different to that of men. To expand, women worked less hours, were more likely to be assistant coaches, and had less years of coaching experience. Understanding of how gender influences women’s access, progression, and retention in coaching in Spain illustrates the need for gender sport policies and practices in sport organizations. This approach can benefit not only women, but the diversity and enrichment of the coaching system

Bacillus extracellular matrix modulates Botrytis metabolism and growth

In nature, bacteria often form communities known as biofilms, where cells are embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides protection against external aggressions or facilitates efficient use of resources. Interactions with other microbes can significantly alter the structure of the community and thus the type of relationship with the environment. Here, we study the role of different components of Bacillus ECM in the adhesion to Botrytis hyphae, which could facilitate the efficient release of antifungal metabolites. We also describe how the different purified components of the ECM and certain Bacillus secondary metabolites (TasA, TapA, EPS, Fengycin) modulate the chemical communication between Bacillus and Botrytis, altering the physiology and ultrastructure of Botrytis.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Indigenous identity, natural resources, and contentious politics in Bolivia: a disaggregated conflict analysis; 2000-2011

How do natural resources and ethnic identity interact to incite or to mitigate social conflict? This article argues that high-value natural resources can act as an important catalyst for the politicization of ethnic, specifically indigenous identity, and contribute to social conflict as they limit the malleability of identity frames and raise the stakes of confrontations. We test this argument using unique subnational data from Bolivian provinces. Drawing on Bolivian newspaper reports, we code conflict events for all of the 112 provinces from 2000 to 2011. We join this conflict data with information on local ethnic composition from the census, the political representation of ethnic groups at the national level, as well as geo-spatial information on gas deposits. Using time-series cross-sectional count models, we show a significant conflict-promoting effect of the share of indigenous people in provinces with gas reserves, but not without