Serum Biomarkers Compared to Neural Imaging in the Differentiation of Stroke Etiologies

• Stroke is a leading cause of disability and morbidity and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death worldwide. • Early restoration of blood flow is the most effective treatment of ischemic stroke by intravenous thrombolytic therapy within 3-4.5hrs of symptom onset. • Patient outcomes have been shown to improve with earlier thrombolytics, each 15 minute increment increases survival by 3.0-4.0%. • Non-contrast CT is the current standard for differentiation of stroke. It is beneficial due to speed of acquisition and its high sensitivity in ruling out hemorrhagic stroke. • However, with almost half of the US population living more than an hour from a Primary Stroke Center, the need to differentiate early in rural hospitals is increasingly important. • The purpose of this study is to determine if biological markers like GFAP compared to CT can accurately differentiate ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and stroke mimic. • This literature review explores the studies that compare current biological markers in ischemic, hemorrhagic stroke, and stroke mimic, and then compares their accuracy to that of neuro imaging. • This panel of biological markers could minimize the duration to thrombolytic therapy in patients suffering from ischemic stroke by allowing early differentiation in the rural hospital setting. • The findings indicate that the sensitivity and specificity of a panel of biological markers, clinical judgment, and clinical tools such as NIHSS stroke scale, can approach that of the non-contrast head CT in rural setting, improving time to care and stroke recovery.https://commons.und.edu/pas-grad-posters/1066/thumbnail.jp

The Association Between Ankle Dorisflexion and Force-related Sport Performance Variables

The back squat (BS) is commonly implemented in strength training programs to improve athletic performance. In order to perform the BS successfully, individuals must have adequate ankle dorsiflexion as it allows the knee to travel forward and lower the center of mass. However, it is currently unknown whether ankle dorsiflexion during the squat is associated with important sport performance variables, such as BS 1-rep max (1RM), peak ground reaction force (GRF) or rate of force development (RFD). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between peak ankle dorsiflexion angle (DFA) and BS 1RM, peak GRF, and RFD during the BS exercise. We hypothesized there would be a positive correlation between DFA and BS 1RM, peak GRF, and RFD. METHODS: 28 healthy participants (17 male, 11 female, 23.7±4.0 yrs., 1.76±0.09 m, 78.10±10.91kg) who had trained the BS at least once per week for the last three months were recruited for data collection. 2 visits were required from each participant with the first visit involving one-repetition-maximum (1RM) testing During the second visit, participants underwent 3-D biomechanical analyses for the BS at 85% 1RM. The 2nd of the three repetitions was used for analysis. A Pearson’s correlation was run to determine the relationship between peak ankle DFA and BS 1RM, peak GRF, and RFD. RESULTS: No correlations were found between DFA and BS 1RM (p=0.699), peak GRF (p=0.56), or RFD (p=0.982). CONCLUSION: Our results contradict our hypothesis as peak DFA is not associated with how much an individual can squat, greater GRF production, or RFD. This suggests that although some amount of ankle dorsiflexion is required to successfully perform a squat, the peak DFA is not a determinant of squat strength or force-related variables. Future studies may aim to examine the influence of hip or knee kinematics on force-related variables rather than ankle kinematics

A Comparison of Lower Extremity Joint Power in the Squat and Deadlift

The squat (SQ) and deadlift (DL) are commonly utilized to improve sport performance. An important variable in sport performance is joint power, as greater joint power has been associated with adaptations that improve performance such as higher vertical jump height. Therefore, picking exercises that result in greater joint power production can be beneficial in improving sport performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare joint power at the hip, knee, and ankle between the SQ and the DL. We hypothesized that the DL will have greater hip joint power, while the SQ will have greater joint power production at the knee and ankle. METHODS: 28 healthy participants (17 male, 11 female, 23.7±4.0 yrs., 1.76±0.09 m, 78.10±10.91kg) who had trained the SQ and DL at least once per week for the last three months were recruited for data collection. 2 visits were required from each participant with the first visit involving one- repetition-maximum (1RM) testing. During the second visit, participants underwent 3-D biomechanical analyses for the SQ and DL at 85% 1RM for each exercise in a randomized order, with a five-minute rest period. The 2nd of the three repetitions was used for analysis. A 2 (exercise) by 3 (joint) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare peak joint powers at the hip, knee, and ankle. Post hoc comparisons were assessed using a Bonferroni adjustment (0.05/3 = 0.0167). RESULTS The 2 (exercise) by 3 (joint) repeated measures ANOVA for joint powers was significant (F1,27=3.08, p=0.05). Knee joint power was greater in the SQ compared to the DL (1.09±0.88 vs 0.53±0.44 W/kg-1, p=0.002), as well as ankle joint power (0.32±0.33 vs 0.13±0.11 W/kg-1, p=0.009). No differences were found in hip joint power (p=0.052). CONCLUSION: Because the SQ resulted in greater joint power at the knee and ankle, the SQ could be more beneficial than the DL if the goal is to improve sport performance, particularly sports that involve vertical jumping. However, there are other factors other than joint power that need be assessed before drawing final conclusions

A visit to the present: potential benefits of inclusion of mindfulness in study abroad programs

In this Thursday Forum, we explore benefits of inclusion of mindfulness in the study abroad setting. We describe some of the theory behind contemplative pedagogy, and offer examples of how mindfulness strategies were employed successfully in two of CSBSJU\u27s recent study abroad programs