Assessment of objective dynamic knee joint control in anterior cruciate ligament deficient and reconstructed individuals

BackgroundThere is a lack of objective dynamic knee joint control measures that can be related to the status of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The purpose of this study was to introduce two novel measures and apply a third to determine how dynamic knee joint control changes in relation to ACL status during dynamic movements.MethodsTwenty patients (13 male) were tested pre- (ACLd) and 10-months post- (ACLr) ACL reconstructive surgery and matched to an uninjured participant (CON). Kinetic and kinematic data were synchronously recorded with a force platform and motion capture system. Three objective control measures including dynamic angular stiffness, knee joint center excursion (KJCE), and knee joint center boundary (KJCB) were assessed for each participant when completing the side cut and hop tasks.ResultsDuring the side cut, stiffness was found to be significantly lower in ACLd (0.06 ± 0.01 Nm/kg/°) and ACLr (0.07 ± 0.02 Nm/kg/°) compared to CON (0.08 ± 0.02 Nm/kg/°), while there were no differences in stiffness during the hop. No significant differences were observed in the KJCE during the side cut, while KJCE was significantly greater (p = 0.006) during the hop in CON compared to the ACLd. There were no differences in KJCB.ConclusionsThese high-functioning ACL injured in both ACLd and ACLr phases, aside from reduced stiffness, were able to complete both tasks with similar dynamic control as the CON. Although improvements in self-perceived control between ACLd and ACLr have been observed, this lack of improvement in objective control demonstrates a gap between a patient's self-efficacy and the level of control.     

Detection of “Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii” in ticks parasitizing bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the northern Brazilian Amazon

A total of 482 bats representing 32 species and two families were captured in the Amazon forests of the Amapá state in northern Brazil. Nineteen Artibeus planirostris bats (3.9 %) were infested with 160 ticks, all identified as Ornithodoros hasei. Three pools of larvae were screened for rickettsial DNA via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting three rickettsial genes: gltA, ompA and htrA. Only one of them yielded an amplicons of the expected size for all three molecular assays. Comparisons of the obtained sequences including a phylogenetic analysis confirmed the occurrence of “Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii” in Brazil.

     

Need for sustainable approaches in antileishmanial drug discovery

Leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease for which the current antileishmania therapeutics are hampered by drug toxicity, high cost, need for parenteral administration, increasing treatment failure rates, and emergence of drug resistance. The R&D pipeline had run fairly dry for several years, but fortunately some new drug candidates are now under (pre)clinical development. Identification of novel drugs will nevertheless remain essential to adequately sustain and improve effective disease control in the future. In this review, a package of standard and accessible R&D approaches is discussed with expansion to some alternative strategies focusing on parasite–host and vector–host interactions.

     

ER stress abrogates the immunosuppressive effect of IL-10 on human macrophages through inhibition of STAT3 activation

Inflammation Research - To determine whether ER stress affects the inhibitory pathways of the human immune system, particularly the immunosuppressive effect of IL-10 on macrophages. In vitro...     

Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate inhibits osteoclastogenesis by attenuating RANKL-induced NF-κB/NFATc-1

Inflammation Research - Although some glycolytic intermediates have been shown to modulate several cell type formation and activation, the functional role of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) on...     

Under inflammatory stimuli mesenteric mesothelial cells transdifferentiate into macrophages and produce pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6

Inflammation Research - Inflammatory stimuli inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can transdifferentiate mesenteric mesothelial cells into macrophages. Sprague Dawley rat mesenteric...     

The relationship of actual height loss with health-seeking behaviors and risk factors in perimenopausal and menopausal women

PURPOSE: To explore whether there is a difference in the perceived height and actual height in the perimenopausal or menopausal woman and discover the difference's effect on osteoporosis health-seeking preventive behaviors and risk factor awareness. DATA SOURCES: Sixty-three perimenopausal and menopausal women, aged 45-70 years, who presented at three Midwestern clinics for their annual physical exam. Data were collected with The Osteoporosis Questionnaire, which included the Osteoporosis Risk Questionnaire, Health-O-Meter height measuring stick, tape measure with inch-rule for arm span measurements, and balance scale for weight. CONCLUSIONS: There were a significant relationship between actual height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r = 0.41595, p = 0.0007) and a trend for a relationship between adjusted height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r = 0.2407, p = 0.0574). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Due to the great expense of current testing for bone mass density loss, the results of this study may help clinicians more readily identify markers for increased risk of osteoporosis through simple height measurements and osteoporosis risk factor assessments during annual visits.     

The effects of parenteral nutrition on food intake and gastric motility

Frequently, patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) report hunger during the parenteral infusion, yet experience early satiety once PN is tapered off. Post-PN satiety can interfere with the ability to consume enough nutrients to maintain body weight and nutritional status. Factors such as caloric quantity of infusate, gastric motility changes, and disease pathology have been related to appetite changes. To investigate the effects of PN on food intake and gastric motility without the complicated interactions associated with disease pathology, four normal, healthy rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were studied. The monkeys were administered PN in amounts ranging from 25% to 100% of their normal daily caloric intake. Food and water were continuously available. PN consistently suppressed voluntary food intake in direct relationship to the amount of nutrient infused. The frequency of large-amplitude hunger-type gastric contractions decreased from control conditions. Upon cessation of PN, appetite remained suppressed for one to two weeks, indicating a self-limiting physiological basis to post-PN satiety. Thus, reduced appetite following PN termination might occur in the clinical setting and the patients' feelings of satiety may not be completely attributed to lack of cooperation or disease pathology.     

Moral dilemmas of community pharmacists: a narrative study

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Pharmacists are increasingly involved in patient care. This new role in a complex healthcare system with demanding patients may lead to moral...