Dancers Show More Accurate Trunk-Pelvic Joint Angle Reproduction While Wearing a Jacket Augmented With Elastic Bands

Purpose: The Backalast® compression jacket is intended to improve posture and proprioception of the trunk and shoulder girdle for dancers and dance students during dance training by way of elastic bands in the rear of the garment (which include bands enclosing the inferior thorax). This study was intended to investigate whether there is evidence to support those objectives. Materials and Methods: Fifteen dance students participated (4 male, mean age 19.9 ± 1.4 years old). The dependent variables of trunk-pelvis angle and proximity of trunk axis to global vertical for each participant were measured using optical motion capture before and after the completion of a series of trunk movements. The Helen Hayes model, which we used to represent the trunk, includes the shoulder girdles as part of the trunk. We compared the effect of the type of garment (Backalast® or control compression shirt) worn upon the 2 dependent variables, within-subject with paired t-tests. The order of whether Backalast® or control compression shirt was worn first was alternated between participants. Results: The pre/posttest difference in trunk proprioception as represented by the construct of ability to reproduce trunk-pelvis angle wearing the Backalast® was 0.8° ± 0.8°, but for the control shirt, the difference was 1.8° ± 1.4°, P = .03. The difference between garments in vertical trunk alignment, measured after the series of trunk movements, was not significant. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the Backalast® can help enhance trunk proprioception when compared to the control compression shirt, although it did not change the angle at which the participants' held their trunks while standing erect (proximity to global vertical).

Periostin facilitates eosinophil tissue infiltration in allergic lung and esophageal responses

Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein that has been primarily studied in the context of the heart, where it has been shown to promote cardiac repair and remodeling. In this study, we focused on the role of periostin in an allergic eosinophilic inflammatory disease (eosinophilic esophagitis (EE)) known to involve extensive tissue remodeling. Periostin was indeed markedly overexpressed (35-fold) in the esophagus of EE patients, particularly in the papillae, compared with control individuals. Periostin expression was downstream from transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-13, as these cytokines were elevated in EE esophageal samples and markedly induced periostin production by primary esophageal fibroblasts (107- and 295-fold, respectively, at 10 ng ml(-1)). A functional role for periostin in eliciting esophageal eosinophilia was demonstrated, as periostin-null mice had a specific defect in allergen-induced eosinophil recruitment to the lungs and esophagus (66 and 72% decrease, respectively). Mechanistic analyses revealed that periostin increased (5.8-fold) eosinophil adhesion to fibronectin. As such, these findings extend the involvement of periostin to esophagitis and uncover a novel role for periostin in directly regulating leukocyte (eosinophil) accumulation in T helper type 2-associated mucosal inflammation in both mice and humans.

Electronic fingerprinting of the dead

To date, a number of methods exist for the capture of fingerprints from cadavers that can then be used in isolation as a primary method for the identification of the dead. We report the use of a handheld, mobile wireless unit used in conjunction with a personal digital assistant (PDA) device for the capture of fingerprints from the dead. We also consider a handheld single-digit fingerprint scanner that utilises a USB laptop connection for the electronic capture of cadaveric fingerprints. Both are single-operator units that, if ridge detail is preserved, can collect a 10-set of finger pad prints in approximately 45 and 90 s, respectively. We present our observations on the restrictions as to when such devices can be used with cadavers. We do, however, illustrate that the images are of sufficient quality to allow positive identification from finger pad prints of the dead. With the development of mobile, handheld, biometric, PDA-based units for the police, we hypothesize that, under certain circumstances, devices such as these could be used for the accelerated acquisition of fingerprint identification data with the potential for rapid near-patient identification in the future.

Spinal hemiepiphysiodesis correlates with physeal histomorphometric gradients

Compression of a growth plate is known to correlate with changes to growth plate structure. The purpose of this study was to determine if the height of the physeal hypertrophic zones and chondrocyte size were directly related to the distance from a spine implant. The implant was designed with the goal of slowing spine growth asymmetrically. For stapled vertebrae, hypertrophic zone height, cell height and cell width were decreased across the coronal plane of the growth plate, with the lowest values under the staple, 8 weeks postoperatively.

Glycation of rat sciatic nerve tubulin in experimental diabetes mellitus

Diabetic neuropathy is associated with some early defects of axonal transport in experimental animals. Axonal transport is dependent on intact microtubules, and unsubstituted lysine residues of tubulin are essential for microtubule polymerization. As lysine residues are the major target for the non-enzymatic attachment of glucose, the effect of diabetes on the extent of glycation of tubulin was investigated. There was a more than four-fold increase in the extent of glycation of tubulin in the sciatic nerve of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes of 2 weeks duration compared with control rats. In contrast, no such increase in glycation was observed in brain microtubule protein from diabetic rats at that stage of diabetes. Incubation of brain microtubule protein with glucose prior to in vitro polymerization showed that the early stages of glycation were not associated with inhibition of microtubule assembly. The observed glycation of peripheral nerve tubulin in early experimental diabetes may nevertheless contribute to axonal transport abnormalities through an as yet undetermined impairment of microtubule function.

Electrolysis-induced myocardial dysfunction. A novel method for the study of free radical mediated tissue injury

Oxygen-derived free radicals and other oxidizing species are thought to be involved in inflammation and ischemic tissue injuries. Recently, oxygen-derived free radicals also have been implicated in tissue injury of the myocardium subjected to ischemia/reperfusion. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if electrolysis of a physiological buffer would serve as a source of free radicals, and if these radicals would lead to alterations in myocardial function. Isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts perfused with buffer subjected to a 20 mA D.C. current for 2 min demonstrated significant increases in coronary perfusion pressure (37 +/- 6 mmHg), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (41 +/- 7 mmHg), and loss in left ventricular developed pressure (35 +/- 5%). The free radical scavengers, superoxide dismutase and a combination of tryptophan plus glycine, were effective in protecting the hearts from the effects of electrolysis. The presence of free radicals was semiquantitated with a radical-luminol chemiluminescent assay. In this assay a variety of radical scavengers and antioxidants were effective (i.e., dimethyl sulfoxide, nitro blue tetrazolium, ascorbate, superoxide dismutase, 1, 3-diphenylisobenzofuran, and glycine, catalase), whereas mannitol and tryptophan were not effective. The data indicate that electrolysis of a physiological buffer produces a milieu containing several reactive oxygen species or free radicals that have the potential to produce alterations in a biological system. This method has the advantage over existing protocols for the generation of radicals in that it is a blood-free and an enzyme-free system.

Effect of nivazol on ACTH secretion by human pituitary corticotrophic tumours in cell culture

The effects of nivazol, a novel steroid which lacks glucocorticoid activity, on ACTH secretion by cell cultures of human pituitary corticotrophic tumours has been investigated. Nivazol (0.002-20 mumol/l) inhibited ACTH secretion by 50-80%, after 4 and 24 h of incubation. (Trilostane (0.3-30 mumol/l) did not affect basal or stimulated ACTH secretion.) The potency of nivazol was comparable with that of hydrocortisone, and less than dexamethasone. The stimulatory effects of oCRF and AVP were reduced or completely blocked by nivazol in a similar manner to that previously described for hydrocortisone. It is concluded that nivazol may be of benefit in the direct treatment of Cushing's disease, particularly since it lacks glucocorticoid activity.