DO ANKLE STABILIZERS INFLUENCE DYNAMIC STABILITY IN PERSONS WITH FUNCTIONAL ANKLE INSTABILITY?

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the physically active, and reoccurrence rate is high. Repetitive ankle sprains can cause functional ankle instability (FAI), leading to deficits in balance, strength, and stability. Sports medicine professionals prescribe and administer bracing and taping as extrinsic methods of enhancing ankle stability. What is not clear is how these methods affect neuromuscular control during dynamic movements in persons with FAI. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of taping and bracing on time to stabilization (TTS), as a measure of dynamic stability, in persons with FAI during two landing tasks

PRE-SEASON DYNAMIC STABILIZATION MEASURES IN FIVE COLLEGIATE TEAMS

The purpose of this study was to measure baseline dynamic stability using time to stabilization (TTS) during two landing tasks at the start of pre-season training in a group of college athletes. Seventy-one male and female athletes representing men’s soccer (n=22), women’s soccer (n=13), women’s volleyball (n=12), men’s basketball (n=12), and women’s basketball (n=11) performed single-leg forward jump and lateral drop landing tasks on each leg onto a force plate. GRF data were used to calculate TTS in the anteroposterior (A/P) and mediolateral (M/L) directions. Data were assessed descriptively using SPSS for differences between sports. Results showed that men’s basketball players had higher TTS values for 6 of 8 measures while women’s volleyball players had lower TTS values for 6 of 8 measures

Antropología y envejecimiento: aproximaciones teóricas y ejemplos etnográficos

La ponencia se propone realizar algunas consideraciones sobre la aproximación antropológica al estudio de los procesos de envejecimiento. La misma comprenderá el estudio de un conjunto de textos seleccionados y analizados en los últimos años en el marco de los contenidos del curso de Etnografía II, asignatura obligatoria para todos los estudiantes que cursan la Carrera de Antropología de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (UNLP). Partiendo de la consideración de que las cuestiones vinculadas al género y la edad se instalan como preocupación disciplinar en la segunda parte del siglo XX, nos proponemos rescatar los principales aportes que las fuentes etnográficas nos ofrecen, especialmente sobre los procesos de envejecimiento y la variabilidad de experiencias del envejecer. Rescataremos el valor del criterio etario como un principio de organización presente en distintas sociedades, sobre la base del cual las mismas establecen un parámetro para ubicar a los individuos más o menos contemporáneos en el marco de sus relaciones con el resto de conjunto social. En tal sentido, destacaremos el valor central del concepto de edad social para entender diversas estrategias culturales asignadas al colectivo “viejos”. Finalmente, señalaremos el modo en que el estudio de los procesos de envejecimiento en las sociedades etnográficas puede contribuir a la reflexión acerca del fenómeno en las sociedades modernas. Basados en la variabilidad intra e intercultural que nos ofrece la aproximación antropológica, reflexionaremos sobre los aportes que el trabajo disciplinar e interdisciplinar puede proporcionar para una mejor comprensión del problema del envejecimiento y las políticas adecuadas para el tránsito por esta última etapa del trayecto vital.Facultad de Trabajo Socia

Inspiration in bloom

This travel article from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism describes the Riverbanks Botanical Garden in Columbia. Hailed by Horticulture magazine as one of 10 gardens that inspire and by HGTV as one of 20 great public gardens across America, the Botanical Garden boasts 70 acres of unparalleled beauty

Targeted versus universal prevention. a resource allocation model to prioritize cardiovascular prevention

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes mellitus brings an increased risk for cardiovascular complications and patients profit from prevention. This prevention also suits the general population. The question arises what is a better strategy: target the general population or diabetes patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A mathematical programming model was developed to calculate optimal allocations for the Dutch population of the following interventions: smoking cessation support, diet and exercise to reduce overweight, statins, and medication to reduce blood pressure. Outcomes were total lifetime health care costs and QALYs. Budget sizes were varied and the division of resources between the general population and diabetes patients was assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Full implementation of all interventions resulted in a gain of 560,000 QALY at a cost of €640 per capita, about €12,900 per QALY on average. The large majority of these QALY gains could be obtained at incremental costs below €20,000 per QALY. Low or high budgets (below €9 or above €100 per capita) were predominantly spent in the general population. Moderate budgets were mostly spent in diabetes patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Major health gains can be realized efficiently by offering prevention to both the general and the diabetic population. However, a priori setting a specific distribution of resources is suboptimal. Resource allocation models allow accounting for capacity constraints and program size in addition to efficiency.</p

Chemical fingerprints of emotional body odor

Chemical communication is common among animals. In humans, the chemical basis of social communication has remained a black box, despite psychological and neural research showing distinctive physiological, behavioral, and neural consequences of body odors emitted during emotional states like fear and happiness. We used a multidisciplinary approach to examine whether molecular cues could be associated with an emotional state in the emitter. Our research revealed that the volatile molecules transmitting different emotions to perceivers also have objectively different chemical properties. Chemical analysis of underarm sweat collected from the same donors in fearful, happy, and emotionally neutral states was conducted using untargeted two-dimensional (GC×GC) coupled with time of flight (ToF) MS-based profiling. Based on the multivariate statistical analyses, we find that the pattern of chemical volatiles (N = 1655 peaks) associated with fearful state is clearly different from that associated with (pleasant) neutral state. Happy sweat is also significantly different from the other states, chemically, but shows a bipolar pattern of overlap with fearful as well as neutral state. Candidate chemical classes associated with emotional and neutral sweat have been identified, specifically, linear aldehydes, ketones, esters, and cyclic molecules (5 rings). This research constitutes a first step toward identifying the chemical fingerprints of emotion.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fibroblast growth factor 21 as a biomarker for long-term complications in organic acidemias

Background: There is increasing evidence that long-term complications in organic acidemias are caused by impaired mitochondrial metabolism. Currently, there is no specific biomarker to monitor mitochondrial dysfunction in organic acidemias. Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) is a biomarker for mitochondrial disease and could be a candidate to monitor mitochondrial function in the deleterious course of disease. Methods: Data of 17 patients with classical organic acidemias (11 propionic acidemia (PA), four methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and two isovaleric acidemia (IVA) patients) were included. The clinical course was evaluated; metabolic decompensations and long-term complications were correlated with plasma FGF-21 levels. Cardiomyopathy, prolonged QT interval, renal failure, and optic neuropathy were defined as long-term complications. Results: Patients ages ranged from 16 months up to 32 years. Serious long-term complications occurred in eight patients (five PA and three MMA patients). In MMA and PA patients plasma FGF-21 levels during stable metabolic periods were significantly higher in patients with long-term complications (Mdn = 2556.0 pg/ml) compared to patients without (Mdn = 287.0 pg/ml). A median plasma FGF-21 level above 1500 pg/ml during a stable metabolic period, measured before the occurrence of long-term complications, had a positive predictive value of 0.83 and a negative predictive value of 1.00 on long-term complications in MMA and PA patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential role of FGF-21 as a biomarker for long-term complications in classical organic acidemias, attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction

20V, 40 Ah Lithium Ion Polymer Battery for the Spacesuit

Objective: Consider a new battery design for EMU. Results: a) Electrovaya s aerospace cell production line is improving, but must further improve to achieve acceptable reliability; b) Completed functional, vibration, and thermal cycling of LIB; c) So far, electrical safety tests have produced good results; d) Completed functional, vibration, thermal cycling, power quality and EMI of LIB Charger; e) Completed CDR on 9/23/04; and f) Manufacturing Readiness Review for flight cell/battery production scheduled for Dec 04

Implementation of a guideline for local health policy making by regional health services: exploring determinants of use by a web survey.

Previous evaluation showed insufficient use of a national guideline for integrated local health policy by Regional Health Services (RHS) in the Netherlands. The guideline focuses on five health topics and includes five checklists to support integrated municipal health policies. This study explores the determinants of guideline use by regional Dutch health professionals

Do parents who smoke underutilize health care services for their children? A cross sectional study within the longitudinal PIAMA study

Background. A higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and an associated increase in health care utilization among children with parents who smoke is to be expected. From previous studies however, it appears that parents who smoke may underutilize health services for their children, especially with respect to respiratory care. This study explores the validity and generalizability of the previous assumption. Methods. Data were obtained from a Dutch birth-cohort study; the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) project. Information regarding parental smoking, the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use and potential confounders were obtained by postal questionnaires. Multivariate logistic models were used to relate parental smoking to the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use. Results. The study comprised 3,564, 4-year old children. In the crude analysis, respiratory symptoms were more frequent among children with a parent who smoked, while health care utilization for respiratory symptoms was not significantly different between children with or without a parent who smoked. In the multivariate analyses, maternal smoking had a larger impact on the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use as compared to paternal smoking. Maternal smoking was positively associated with mild respiratory symptoms of the child, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.50 (1.19-1.91), but not with severe respiratory symptoms AOR 1.03 (0.75-1.40). Among children with mild respiratory symptoms, children with a mother who smoked were less likely to be taken to the general practitioner (GP) for respiratory symptoms, than children with mothers who did not smoke, AOR 0.58 (0.33-1.01). This finding was less pronounced among children with severe respiratory symptoms AOR 0.86 (0.49-1.52). Neither GP visits for non-respiratory symptoms nor specialized care for respiratory disease were significantly associated with parental smoking. Conclusion. Mothers who smoke appear to underutilize health care for their children with mild respiratory symptoms. Health care workers should be informed about this phenomenon. Inquiring after the respiratory health of the children during regular visits to healthy baby clinics may help to tr