201 research outputs found

    The Hunt for Privacy Harms After \u3ci\u3eSpokeo\u3c/i\u3e

    Get PDF
    In recent years, due both to hacks that have leaked the personal information of hundreds of millions of people and to concerns about government surveillance, Americans have become more aware of the harms that can accompany the widespread collection of personal data. However, the law has not yet fully developed to recognize the concrete privacy harms that can result from what otherwise seems like ordinary economic activity involving the widespread aggregation and compilation of data. This Note examines cases in which lower federal courts have applied the Supreme Court’s directions for testing the concreteness of alleged intangible privacy injuries, and in particular how that inquiry has affected plaintiffs’ suits under statutes that implicate privacy concerns. This Note proposes that, in probing the concreteness of these alleged privacy harms, the courts, through the doctrine of standing, are engaging in work that could serve to revitalize the judiciary’s long-dormant analysis of the nature of privacy harms. It suggests that courts should look beyond the four traditional privacy torts to find standing for plaintiffs who bring claims against entities that collect and misuse personal information. This Note urges courts to make use of a nexus approach to identify overlapping privacy concerns sufficient for standing, which would allow the federal judiciary to more adequately address emerging privacy harms

    Venous Thromboembolism Within Professional American Sport Leagues.

    Get PDF
    Background: Numerous reports have described players in professional American sports leagues who have been sidelined with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE), but little is known about the clinical implications of these events in professional athletes. Purpose: To conduct a retrospective review of injury reports from the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) to take a closer look at the incidence of DVT/PE, current treatment approaches, and estimated time to return to play in professional athletes. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: An online search of all team injury and media reports of DVT/PE in NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL players available for public record was conducted by use of Google, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus. Searches were conducted using the professional team name combined with blood clot, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. Results: A total of 55 venous thromboembolism (VTE) events were identified from 1999 through 2016 (NHL, n = 22; MLB, n = 16; NFL, n = 12; NBA, n = 5). Nineteen athletes were reported to have an upper extremity DVT, 15 had a lower extremity DVT, 15 had a PE, and 6 had DVT with PE. Six athletes sustained more than 1 VTE. The mean age at time of VTE was 29.3 years (range, 19-42 years). Mean (±SD) time lost from play was 6.7 ± 4.9 months (range, 3 days to career end). Seven athletes did not return to play. Players with upper extremity DVT had a faster return to play (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 2.7 months) than those with lower extremity DVT (5.9 ± 3.8 months), PE (10.8 ± 6.8 months), or DVT with PE (8.2 ± 2.6 months) (F = 5.69, P = .002). No significant difference was found regarding time of return to play between sports. Conclusion: VTE in professional athletes led to an average of 6.7 months lost from play. The majority of athletes were able to return to play after a period of anticoagulation or surgery. Those with an upper extremity DVT returned to play faster than those with other types of VTE. Further study is needed to look into modifiable risk factors for these events and to establish treatment and return-to-play guidelines to ensure the safety of these athletes

    Management of Elbow Dislocations in the National Football League.

    Get PDF
    Background: Although much literature exists regarding the treatment and management of elbow dislocations in the general population, little information is available regarding management in the athletic population. Furthermore, no literature is available regarding the postinjury treatment and timing of return to play in the contact or professional athlete. Purpose: To review the clinical course of elbow dislocations in professional football players and determine the timing of return to full participation. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: All National Football League (NFL) athletes with elbow dislocations from 2000 through 2011 who returned to play during the season were identified from the NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFL ISS). Roster position, player activity, use of external bracing, and clinical course were reviewed. Mean number of days lost until full return to play was determined for players with elbow dislocations who returned in the same season. Results: From 2000 to 2011, a total of 62 elbow dislocations out of 35,324 injuries were recorded (0.17%); 40 (64.5%) dislocations occurred in defensive players, 12 (19.4%) were in offensive players; and 10 (16.1%) were during special teams play. Over half of the injuries (33/62, 53.2%) were sustained while tackling, and 4 (6.5%) patients required surgery. A total of 47 (75.8%) players who sustained this injury were able to return in the same season. For this group, the mean number of days lost in players treated conservatively (45/47) was 25.1 days (median, 23.0 days; range, 0.0-118 days), while that for players treated operatively (2/47) was 46.5 days (median, 46.5 days; range, 29-64 days). Mean return to play based on player position was 25.8 days for defensive players (n = 28; median, 21.5 days; range, 3.0-118 days), 24.1 days for offensive players (n = 11; median, 19 days; range, 2.0-59 days), and 25.6 days for special teams players (n = 8; median, 25.5 days; range, 0-44 days). Conclusion: Elbow dislocations comprise less than a half of a percent of all injuries sustained in the NFL. Most injuries occur during the act of tackling, with the majority of injured athletes playing a defensive position. Players treated nonoperatively missed a mean of 25.1 days, whereas those managed operatively missed a mean of 46.5 days

    A Scoping Review of Injuries in Amateur and Professional Men\u27s Ice Hockey.

    Get PDF
    Background: Orthopaedic injuries are common in ice hockey at all levels and can result in physical and psychological adverse effects on these athletes. Purpose: Primarily, to summarize published data on orthopaedic hockey injuries at the junior through professional level. Secondarily, to characterize the literature based on anatomic site injured, return-to-play rates, cause/mechanism of injury, time lost, and treatments used. Study Design: Scoping review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and SCOPUS were searched using the terms hockey and injuries using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, and 4163 studies involving orthopaedic injuries were identified. Our inclusion criteria consisted of accessible full-text articles that evaluated orthopaedic injuries in men\u27s ice hockey athletes of all levels. We excluded case reports and articles evaluating women\u27s ice hockey injuries, as well as those evaluating nonorthopaedic injuries, such as concussions; traumatic brain injuries; and facial, dental, and vascular injuries, among others. Studies were divided based on level of play and anatomic site of injury. Level of evidence, year published, country of corresponding author, method of data collection, incidence of injury per athlete-exposure, and time lost were extracted from each article. Results: A total of 92 articles met the inclusion criteria and were performed between 1975 and 2020, with the majority published between 2015 and 2020. These were divided into 8 anatomic sites: nonanatomic-specific (37%), intra-articular hip (20.7%), shoulder (9.8%), knee (8.7%), trunk/pelvis (7.6%), spine (7.6%), foot/ankle (6.5%), and hand/wrist (2.2%). Of these studies, 71% were level 4 evidence. Data were obtained mostly via surveillance programs and searches of publicly available information (eg, injury reports, player profiles, and press releases). Conclusion: This scoping review provides men\u27s hockey players and physicians taking care of elite ice hockey athletes of all levels with a single source of the most current literature regarding orthopaedic injuries. Most research focused on nonanatomic-specific injuries, intra-articular hip injuries, knee injuries, and shoulder injuries, with the majority having level 4 evidence

    Clinical measurement of patellar tendon: accuracy and relationship to surgical tendon dimensions.

    Get PDF
    Patellar tendon width and length are commonly used for preoperative planning for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). In the study reported here, we assessed the accuracy of preoperative measurements made by palpation through the skin, and correlated these measurements with the actual dimensions of the tendons at surgery. Before making incisions in 53 patients undergoing ACLR with patellar tendon autograft, we measured patellar tendon length with the knee in full extension and in 90° of flexion, and tendon width with the knee in 90° of flexion. The tendon was then exposed, and its width was measured with the knee in 90° of flexion. The length of the central third of the tendon was measured after the graft was prepared. Mean patellar tendon length and width with the knee in 90° of flexion were 39 mm and 32 mm, respectively. No clinical difference was found between the estimated pre-incision and surgical widths. However, the estimated pre-incision length with the knee in full extension and in 90° of flexion was significantly shorter than the surgical length. Skin measurements can be used to accurately determine patellar tendon width before surgery, but measurements of length are not as reliable

    Triceps Tendon Ruptures Requiring Surgical Repair in National Football League Players.

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Complete triceps tendon ruptures are relatively rare in the general population but slightly more prevalent in professional football. One prior study found 11 complete ruptures over a 6-season period. HYPOTHESIS: Triceps ruptures occur more commonly in football linemen due to forced elbow flexion during an eccentric contraction and may occur more commonly with the increasing size and speed of professional players. Surgical repair allows full return to sports, but with a lengthy recovery time. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A search of the National Football League Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS) found a total of 37 triceps tendon ruptures requiring surgical repair from the years 2000 to 2009. Data were obtained for setting of injury, player position, activity causing injury, play type, time of game when injury occurred, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and number of days lost from football. RESULTS: There were 37 players requiring surgical repair for triceps tendon ruptures over the 10-season period. The average height, weight, and BMI of the players were 75 inches, 292 pounds, and 36.5 kg/m(2), respectively. The majority of players were linemen (86%): 16 defensive, 15 offensive, and 1 tight end. The injury took place while blocking or being blocked in 29 players (78%) and while tackling or being tackled in 5 players (14%). Players missed an average of 165 days (range, 49-318 days) from football as a result of their injury and surgery. CONCLUSION: Triceps tendon tears requiring surgical repair are more common in professional football players than in the general population and are occurring more commonly than previously reported. Surgical repair allows return to play. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our study identifies the rate of triceps tendon tears requiring repair in the NFL according to position, identifying which players may be most at risk for this injury

    An In-vivo 1H-MRS short-echo time technique at 7T: Quantification of metabolites in chronic multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica brain lesions and normal appearing brain tissue

    Get PDF
    Highlights NAAG likely contributes to the total NAA differences between multiple sclerosis lesion and normal appearing brain tissue. myo-Inositol was not shown to be different between chronic AQP4Ab-NMOSD brain lesions and normal appearing brain tissue. An optimised MRS methodology is described, using 7T field strength and correcting for tissue T2 water relaxion differences. 7-tesla MRS profiles of chronic brain lesions and normal appearing white matter are presented for MS and AQP4Ab-NMOSD. Abstract Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) allows for the non-invasive quantification of neurochemicals and has the potential to differentiate between the pathologically distinct diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) and AQP4Ab-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4Ab-NMOSD). In this study we characterised the metabolite profiles of brain lesions in 11 MS and 4 AQP4Ab-NMOSD patients using an optimised MRS methodology at ultra-high field strength (7T) incorporating correction for T2 water relaxation differences between lesioned and normal tissue. MS metabolite results were in keeping with the existing literature: total N-acetylaspartate (NAA) was lower in lesions compared to normal appearing brain white matter (NAWM) with reciprocal findings for myo-Inositol. An unexpected subtlety revealed by our technique was that total NAA differences were likely driven by NAA-glutamate (NAAG), a ubiquitous CNS molecule with functions quite distinct from NAA though commonly quantified together with NAA in MRS studies as total NAA. Surprisingly, AQP4Ab-NMOSD showed no significant differences for total NAA, NAA, NAAG or myo-Inositol between lesion and NAWM sites, nor were there any differences between MS and AQP4Ab-NMOSD for a priori hypotheses. Post-hoc testing revealed a significant correlation between NAWM Ins:NAA and disability (as measured by EDSS) for disease groups combined, driven by the AP4Ab-NMOSD group. Utilising an optimised MRS methodology, our study highlights some under-explored subtleties in MRS profiles, such as the absence of myo-Inositol concentration differences in AQP4Ab-NMOSD brain lesions versus NAWM and the potential influence of NAAG differences between lesions and normal appearing white matter in MS

    The Inheritance of Resistance Alleles in Multiple Sclerosis

    Get PDF
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex trait in which alleles at or near the class II loci HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 contribute significantly to genetic risk. HLA-DRB1*15 and HLA-DRB1*17-bearing haplotypes and interactions at the HLA-DRB1 locus increase risk of MS but it has taken large samples to identify resistance HLA-DRB1 alleles. In this investigation of 7,093 individuals from 1,432 MS families, we have assessed the validity, mode of inheritance, associated genotypes, and the interactions of HLA-DRB1 resistance alleles. HLA-DRB1*14-, HLA-DRB1*11-, HLA-DRB1*01-, and HLA-DRB1*10-bearing haplotypes are protective overall but they appear to operate by different mechanisms. The first type of resistance allele is characterised by HLA-DRB1*14 and HLA-DRB1*11. Each shows a multiplicative mode of inheritance indicating a broadly acting suppression of risk, but a different degree of protection. In contrast, a second type is exemplified by HLA-DRB1*10 and HLA-DRB1*01. These alleles are significantly protective when they interact specifically in trans with HLA-DRB1*15-bearing haplotypes. HLA-DRB1*01 and HLA-DRB1*10 do not interact with HLA-DRB1*17, implying that several mechanisms may be operative in major histocompatibility complex–associated MS susceptibility, perhaps analogous to the resistance alleles. There are major practical implications for risk and for the exploration of mechanisms in animal models. Restriction of antigen presentation by HLA-DRB1*15 seems an improbably simple mechanism of major histocompatibility complex–associated susceptibility

    An Extremes of outcome strategy provides evidence that multiple sclerosis severity is determined by alleles at the <i>HLA-DRB1</i> locus

    Get PDF
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system unsurpassed for variability in disease outcome. A cohort of sporadic MS cases (n=63), taken from opposite extremes of the distribution of long-term outcome, was used to determine the role of the HLA-DRB1 locus on MS disease severity. Genotyping sets of benign and malignant MS patients showed that HLA-DRB1*01 was significantly underrepresented in malignant compared with benign cases. This allele appears to attenuate the progressive disability that characterizes MS in the long term. The observation was doubly replicated in (i) Sardinian benign and malignant patients and (ii) a cohort of affected sibling pairs discordant for HLA-DRB1*01. Among the latter, mean disability progression indices were significantly lower in those carrying the HLA-DRB1*01 allele compared with their disease-concordant siblings who did not. The findings were additionally supported by similar transmission distortion of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes closely related to HLA-DRB1*01. The protective effect of HLA-DRB1*01 in sibling pairs may result from a specific epistatic interaction with the susceptibility allele HLA-DRB1*1501. A high-density (&gt;700) SNP examination of the MHC region in the benign and malignant patients could not identify variants differing significantly between the two groups, suggesting that HLA-DRB1 may itself be the disease-modifying locus. We conclude that HLA-DRB1*01, previously implicated in disease resistance, acts as an independent modifier of disease progression. These results closely link susceptibility to long-term outcome in MS, suggesting that shared quantitative MHC-based mechanisms are common to both, emphasizing the central role of this region in pathogenesis

    A novel biologically-based approach to evaluating soil phosphorus availability across complex landscapes

    Get PDF
    Plants employ a range of strategies to increase phosphorus (P) availability in soil. Current soil P extraction methods (e.g. Olsen P), however, often fail to capture the potential importance of rhizosphere processes in supplying P to the plant. This has led to criticism of these standard approaches, especially in non-agricultural soils of low P status and when comparing soil types across diverse landscapes. Similarly, more complex soil P extraction protocols (e.g. Hedley sequential fractionation) lack functional significance from a plant ecology perspective. In response to this, we present a novel procedure using a suite of established extraction protocols to explore the concept of a protocol that characterizes P pools available via plant and microbial P acquisition mechanisms. The biologically based P (BBP) extraction was conducted by using four extractions in parallel: (1) 10 mM CaCl2 (soluble P); (2) 10 mM citric acid (chelate extractable P); (3) phytase and phosphatase solution (enzyme extractable organic P); (4) 1 M HCl (mineral occluded P). To test the protocol, we conducted the analyses on a total of 204 soil samples collected as part of a UK national ecosystem survey (Countryside Survey) in 1998 and repeated again in 2007. In the survey, Olsen P showed a net decline in national soil P levels during this 10 year period. In agreement with these results, soluble P, citrate extractable P and mineral occluded P were all found to decrease over the 10 year study period. In contrast, enzyme extractable organic P increased over the same period likely due to the accumulation of organic P in the mineral soil. The method illustrates a noted shift in P pools over the 10 year period, but no net loss of P from the system. This new method is simple and inexpensive and therefore has the potential to greatly improve our ability to characterise and understand changes in soil P status across complex landscapes
    • …
    corecore