The effects of ankle guards and taping on joint motion before, during, and after a squash match

The effects of ankle guards and taping on joint motion before, during, and after exercise were studied. Twelve league squash players played two matches, each lasting 1 hour. Two different ankle guards, and two types of tape applied by the same method, served as supports. A specially designed goniometer with electronic digital display (accuracy 1 degree) was used to determine joint range of motion: plantar-flexion and dorsiflexion, neutral inversion and eversion, plantar-flexed inversion and eversion. The results were statistically analyzed to determine the significance of the restriction provided by the supports. This revealed that the two ankle guards provided no significant support. The two tapes, however, provided significant support before exercise and after 10 minutes but not after 1 hour of exercise. Nonelastic (zinc oxide) tape proved to be the most restrictive at all times measured, especially prior to exercise, when the ankle's range of motion was decreased between 30% and 50%. However, once exercise commenced, the tape stretched, and restriction became less effective.     

The role of tumor necrosis factor alpha and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha in modulating the effects of fumonisin in mouse liver

Fumonisins are mycotoxins that are produced by Fusarium verticillioides found in corn and corn-based foods, and are suspected human esophageal carcinogens. Exposure of rodents to fumonisin B1 causes hepatotoxicity and results in alterations in the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis in the liver. As the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) also modulate hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis, we tested the hypothesis that fumonisin-induced hepatotoxicity in the liver is modulated by these factors. We examined the effects of dietary exposure to a fumonisin-containing culture material (CM) of the fungus F. verticillioides for 8 days or 5 weeks in the livers of mice lacking either TNFalpha or PPARalpha. Compared to wild-type mice TNFalpha-null mice exhibited increased hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis. In contrast, PPARalpha-null and wild-type mice were found to exhibit similar patterns of hepatocyte apoptosis and proliferation when fed the CM diet. Overall, these findings provide evidence that TNFalpha, but not PPARalpha, plays a role in modulating fumonisin-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.     

Food items consumed by students attending schools in different socioeconomic areas in Cape Town, South Africa

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the food consumption patterns of adolescent students at schools. Our findings are intended to reveal the overall nutritional quality of foods eaten by students at school, including foods brought to school and foods purchased at school. METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by 476 students, mostly from grades 7 and 10, from 14 schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The schools were representative of the various ethnic groups and socioeconomic strata of the population. The questionnaire requested information on eating habits at school, foods brought to school and food purchases, and breakfast consumption before school. We also tested whether students knew which foods are healthy and which are less healthy choices. RESULTS: The students were mostly 12 to 16 y of age (mean age 14.5 y). The large majority had breakfast before school (77.8%) and ate at school (79.7%). Food was brought to school by 41% to 56%, whereas 69.3% purchased food at school, mainly at the school store (tuck shop). Predefined "unhealthy" foods brought to school outnumbered "healthy" ones by 2 to 1. Among students who purchased food at school, 70.0% purchased no healthy items, whereas 73.2% purchased two or more unhealthy items. With six foods 84% of students correctly stated whether they were healthy or unhealthy; however, with cola drinks, samoosas (deep-fried pastry with spicy filling), and pies, only 47% to 61% knew that these were less healthy choices. Students' scores on this question were unrelated to whether they purchased healthy or unhealthy foods. Students who attended schools of high socioeconomic status were twice as likely to bring food to school (64.7% versus 31.0%, P<0.001), scored higher marks on the quiz of healthy versus unhealthy foods (P<0.01), but were no more likely to purchase healthy food. CONCLUSIONS: The large majority of food eaten by adolescent students in Cape Town is classified as being unhealthy choices. This applies to foods brought to school and food purchases. Consideration needs to be given to policy measures to improve this situation and to improve education of students and their parents.     

Operative surgery of giant bilateral bullae of the lungs]

Three patients with giant bilateral emphysematous bullae are presented. In each case the bullae occupied a third to half of each hemithorax and the remaining lung tissue was compressed. The most informative pre-operative information was gleaned from the standard chest radiograph. All patients underwent simultaneous bilateral resection of the bullae. There was no mortality and the morbidity was limited. Subjectively all patients improved. Median sternotomy was the approach in one patient and we regard this as an effective approach in cases where bilateral bullae have to be removed.     

Cytokine and satellite cell responses to muscle damage: interpretation and possible confounding factors in human studies

It is plausible that multiple muscle biopsies following a muscle damaging intervention can exacerbate the inflammatory and subsequent satellite cell responses. To elucidate confounding effects of muscle biopsy procedure on satellite cell number, indirect markers of damage and the inflammatory response following acute downhill running (DHR) were investigated. 10 healthy male participant were divided into a non-exercising control (n?=?4) and DHR (12?×?5min bouts, 10?% decline at 85?% VO(2)max) (n?=?6) group. Blood samples were taken pre, post and every 24?h for 9?days. Serum was analysed for creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (Mb), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10. Muscle biopsies taken on days 1 and 2 post intervention from opposing legs were analysed for Pax7(+) satellite cells. In the DHR group, Mb (536?±?277?ng?mL(-1)), IL-6 (12.6?±?4.7?pg?mL(-1)) and IL-10 (27.3?±?11.5?pg?mL(-1)) peaked immediately post DHR, while CK (2651?±?1911?U?L(-1)), LDH (202?±?47?U?L(-1)) and TNF-α (25.1?±?8.7?pg?mL(-1)) peaked on day 1. A 30?% increase in Pax7(+) satellite cells on day 1 in the DHR group was no longer apparent on day 2. H&E staining show evidence of phagocytosis in the DHR group. No significant changes over time were observed in the control group for any of the variables measured. Events observed in the DHR group were as a result of the intervention protocol and subsequent muscle damage. The relationship between SC proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release appears to be complex since the IL-6/IL-10 response time differs significantly from the TNF-α response.     

Complete genome and clinicopathological characterization of a virulent Newcastle disease virus isolate from South America

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most important diseases of poultry, negatively affecting poultry production worldwide. The disease is caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) or avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Avulavirus, family Paramyxoviridae. Although all NDV isolates characterized to date belong to a single serotype of APMV-1, significant genetic diversity has been described between different NDV isolates. Here we present the complete genome sequence and the clinicopathological characterization of a virulent Newcastle disease virus isolate (NDV-Peru/08) obtained from poultry during an outbreak of ND in Peru in 2008. Phylogenetic reconstruction and analysis of the evolutionary distances between NDV-Peru/08 and other isolates representing established NDV genotypes revealed the existence of large genomic and amino differences that clearly distinguish this isolate from viruses of typical NDV genotypes. Although NDV-Peru/08 is a genetically distinct virus, pathogenesis studies conducted with chickens revealed that NDV-Peru/08 infection results in clinical signs characteristic of velogenic viscerotropic NDV strains. Additionally, vaccination studies have shown that an inactivated NDV-LaSota/46 vaccine conferred full protection from NDV-Peru/08-induced clinical disease and mortality. This represents the first complete characterization of a virulent NDV isolate from South America.