Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Endurance Tests Are The Most Reliable Core Stability Related Measurements, Andy Waldhelm, Li Li

Li Li

Purpose: To determine the intra-tester reliability of clinical measurements that assess five components related to core stability: strength, endurance, flexibility, motor control, and function.
Methods: Participants were 15 college-aged males who had not suffered any orthopedic injury in the past year. Core strength measurements included eight isometric tests and a sit-up test. The four core endurance tests were the trunk flexor test, trunk extensor test, and bilateral side bridge tests. Flexibility tests included the sit-and-reach test and active range of the trunk and hip joint motions. Proprioception via passive reposition tests of the hips and a single limb balance test …

Muscular Activity Characteristics Associated With Preparation For Gait Transition, Li Li, Lorna L. Ogden

Li Li

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate lower extremity neuromuscular activity patterns during gait transitions with continuously changing locomotion speeds.
Methods: Muscular activities related to gait transitions (walk to run and run to walk) induced by changing treadmill speed were compared to muscular activities during walk and run at constant speeds. All transition and constant speed conditions were conducted in similar speed range. Surface electromyographic activities of gluteus maximus (GM), rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris long head (BFL), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (GA), and soleus (SL) were collected and analyzed. The influences of speed and …

People Can Live Longer By Having More Physical Activity, Li Li

Li Li

We all know being physically active is good for you. But do we know how good? People can live up to 3 years longer, even with as little as 15 min of physical activity a day, according to last October's report by Wen and his colleagues1 at the China Medical University in Taiwan, China.
Many researchers in the field of sport and health sciences know being physically active can bring many benefits to one's life. But this message has sometimes been disseminated using a negative tone. So much so, Bortz2 of California, USA, has coined the word “inactivity” …

Eschar-Associated Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, Bahia, Brazil, Nanci Silva, Marina Eremeeva, Tatiana Rozental, Guilherme S. Ribeiro, Christopher D. Paddock, Eduardo Antonio G. Ramos, Alexsandra R.M. Favacho, Mitermayer G. Reis, Gregory A. Dasch,, Elba R.S. De Lemos, Albert I. Ko

Marina E. Eremeeva

In Brazil, Brazilian spotted fever was once considered the only tick-borne rickettsial disease. We report eschar-associated rickettsial disease that occurred after a tick bite. The etiologic agent is most related to Rickettsia parkeri, R. africae, and R. sibirica and probably widely distributed from São Paulo to Bahia in the Atlantic Forest.

Emergence Of A Novel Human Ehrlichia-Muris Like Organism In North America – Wisconsin And Minnesota, Bobbi S. Pritt, Lynne M. Sloan, Diep K. Hoang-Johnson, Ulrike G. Munderloh, Susan M. Paskewitz, Kristina M. Mcelroy, Jevon D. Mcfadden, Matthew J. Binnicker, David F. Neitzel, Gongping Liu, William L. Nicholson, Curtis M. Nelson, Joni J. Franson, Scott A. Martin, Scott A. Cunningham, Christopher R. Steward, Kay Bogumill, Mary E. Bjorgaard, Jeffrey P. Davis, Jennifer H. Mcquiston, David M. Warshauer, Mark P. Wilhelm, Robin Patel, Vipul A. Trivedi, Marina Eremeeva

Marina E. Eremeeva

Background: Ehrlichiosis is a clinically important, emerging zoonosis. Only Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii have been thought to cause ehrlichiosis in humans in the United States. Patients with suspected ehrlichiosis routinely undergo testing to ensure proper diagnosis and to ascertain the cause.

Methods: We used molecular methods, culturing, and serologic testing to diagnose and ascertain the cause of cases of ehrlichiosis.

Results: On testing, four cases of ehrlichiosis in Minnesota or Wisconsin were found not to be from E. chaffeensis or E. ewingii and instead to be caused by a newly discovered ehrlichia species.

All patients had fever, …

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever In Panama: A Cluster Description, Maribel Tribaldos, Yamitzel Zaldivar, Sergio Bermudez, Franklyn Samudio, Yaxelis Mendoza, Alexander A. Martinez, Rodrigo Villalobos, Marina Eremeeva, Christopher D. Paddock, Kathleen Page, Rebecca E. Smith, Juan Miguel Pascale

Marina E. Eremeeva

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a tick-borne infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. We report a cluster of fatal cases of RMSF in 2007 in Panama, involving a pregnant woman and two children from the same family. The woman presented with a fever followed by respiratory distress, maculopapular rash, and an eschar at the site from which a tick had been removed. She died four days after disease onset. This is the second published report of an eschar in a patient confirmed by PCR to be infected with R. rickettsii. One month later, the children presented within days of one …

Aflatoxin B1 Albumin Adducts In Plasma And Aflatoxin M1 In Urine Are Associated With Plasma Concentrations Of Vitamins A And E, Francis A. Obuseh, Pauline E. Jolly, Yi Jiang, Faisal M. B. Shuaib, John Waterbor, William O. Ellis, Chandrika J. Piyathilake, Renee A. Desmond, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu, Timothy D. Phillips

Evans Afriyie-Gyawu

Background: Although aflatoxin exposure has been shown to be associated with micronutrient deficiency in animals, there are few investigations on the effects of aflatoxin exposure on micronutrient metabolism in humans.
Objective: To examine the relationship between aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) albumin adducts (AF-ALB) in plasma and the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) metabolite in urine and plasma concentrations of retinol (vitamin A) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in Ghanaians.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of 147 adult participants was conducted. Blood and urine samples were tested for aflatoxin and vitamins A and E levels.
Results: Multivariable analysis showed that participants with high AF-ALB (≥ 0.80 …

The Effect Of Neuragen Pn® On Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial, Li Li

Li Li

Background: A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the naturally derived topical oil, "Neuragen PN®" for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Methods: Sixty participants with plantar cutaneous (foot sole) pain due to all cause peripheral neuropathy were recruited from the community. Each subject was randomly assigned to receive one of two treatments (Neuragen PN® or placebo) per week in a crossover design. The primary outcome measure was acute spontaneous pain level as reported on a visual analog scale.

Results: There was an overall pain reduction for both treatments from pre to post application. …

Contributors To Fatigue Resistance Of The Hamstrings And Quadriceps In Cerebral Palsy, Noelle G. Moreau, Li Li, James P. Geaghan, Diane L. Damiano

Li Li

Background: The purpose of this study was to elucidate relationships between quadriceps and hamstrings voluntary muscle fatigue and upper motor lesion impairments in cerebral palsy in order to gain a better understanding of their contribution to the observed fatigue resistance.