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The South African Journal of... 2023Hand grip strength (HGS) measurements serve as an objective measure of upper extremity function. Reliable hand strength evaluation is vital for assessing treatment...
BACKGROUND
Hand grip strength (HGS) measurements serve as an objective measure of upper extremity function. Reliable hand strength evaluation is vital for assessing treatment effectiveness.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the influence of hand dominance, gender, and body mass index (BMI) on HGS among university students in Ghana.
METHOD
In our cross-sectional study of 304 participants, height, weight, and BMI were measured using a stadiometer and weighing scale. Hand grip strength was assessed with a dynamometer. We compared HGS in dominant and non-dominant hands for males and females using a paired -test and analysed the correlation between grip strength and weight, height, and BMI using Pearson's correlation coefficient.
RESULTS
The mean HGS for right-hand dominant (RHD) male participants was 35.62 kg (± 7.36) for the right hand compared with 32.84 kg (± 7.36) for the left hand. For females RHD the mean HGS in the right hand was 24.60 kg (± 6.42) compared to 22.12 kg (± 5.37) in the left hand. The mean weight, height and BMI of participants were 62.86 kg (± 10.30), 1.67 m (± 0.09) and 22.9 kg/m (± 4.9), respectively. A significant relationship existed between HGS and height ( = 0.492; < 0.01) as well as HGS and BMI ( = 0.290; < 0.01). However, no notable connection was found between HGS and weight ( = 0.001; = 0.982).
CONCLUSION
Hand grip strength was significantly stronger in the dominant hand of both males and females.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Physiotherapists should test HGS objectively and quantitatively for use in disease evaluation, diagnosis, and therapy.
PubMed: 37928652
DOI: 10.4102/sajp.v79i1.1923 -
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine &... Aug 2023The aims of this study were (1) to describe and examine differences in change of direction (COD) performance and the magnitude of asymmetries in para-footballers with...
The aims of this study were (1) to describe and examine differences in change of direction (COD) performance and the magnitude of asymmetries in para-footballers with cerebral palsy (CP) and controls and (2) to evaluate the association between COD outcomes and linear sprint performance. Twenty-eight international para-footballers with CP and thirty-nine non-impaired football players (control group) participated in this study. All participants completed a 10-m sprint and two attempts of the 505 COD test with the dominant and non-dominant leg. The COD deficit was calculated using the difference between the 505 test and the 10-m sprint time, while the asymmetry index was determined by comparing each leg's completion time and COD deficit. Players across groups showed interlimb asymmetries between the dominant and non-dominant legs in COD outcomes and deficit (p < 0.05, d = -0.40 to -1.46), although these asymmetries imbalance were not significantly different between the sexes with and without impairment. Males with CP exhibited a faster directional COD speed and a shorter COD deficit than their female counterparts (p < 0.01, d = -1.68 to -2.53). Similarly, the control group had faster scores than the CP groups of the same sex (p < 0.05, d = 0.53 to 3.78). Lastly, the female CP group and male control groups showed a significant association between sprint and the COD deficit in the dominant leg (p < 0.05, r = -0.58 to 0.65). Therefore, the use of directional dominance, the COD deficit, and asymmetry outcomes could be helpful for classification purposes to assess the impact of the impairment on sport-specific activity testing according to sex.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Sex Characteristics; Cerebral Palsy; Athletic Performance; Cross-Sectional Studies; Football
PubMed: 37149724
DOI: 10.1111/sms.14383 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023Although several previous studies on laterality of upper limb motor control have reported functional differences, this conclusion has not been agreed upon. It may be...
Although several previous studies on laterality of upper limb motor control have reported functional differences, this conclusion has not been agreed upon. It may be conjectured that the inconsistent results were caused because upper limb motor control was observed in multi-joint tasks that could generate different inter-joint motor coordination for each arm. Resolving this, we employed a single wrist joint tracking task to reduce the effect of multi-joint dynamics and examined the differences between the dominant and non-dominant hands in terms of motor control. Specifically, we defined two sections to induce feedback (FB) and feedforward (FF) controls: the first section involved a visible target for FB control, and the other section involved an invisible target for FF control. We examined the differences in the position errors of the tracer and the target. Fourteen healthy participants performed the task. As a result, we found that during FB control, the dominant hand performed better than the non-dominant hand, while we did not observe significant differences in FF control. In other words, in a single-joint movement that is not under the influence of the multi-joint coordination, only FB control showed laterality and not FF control. Furthermore, we confirmed that the dominant hand outperformed the non-dominant hand in terms of responding to situations that required a change in control strategy.
Topics: Humans; Psychomotor Performance; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Movement; Upper Extremity; Functional Laterality; Hand
PubMed: 38067818
DOI: 10.3390/s23239443 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023The endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in learning, memory, emotional processing and regulation of personality patterns. Here we assessed the...
The endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in learning, memory, emotional processing and regulation of personality patterns. Here we assessed the endocannabinoid profile in the brains of mice with strong characteristics of social dominance and submissiveness. A lipidomics approach was employed to assess the endocannabinoidome in the brains of Dominant (Dom) and Submissive (Sub) mice. The endocannabinoid showing the greatest difference in concentration in the brain between the groups, docosatetraenoyl ethanolamine (DEA), was synthesized, and its effects on the physiological and behavioral responses of Dom and Sub mice were evaluated. mRNA expression of the endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes involved in PUFA biosynthesis was assessed using qRT-PCR. Targeted LC/MS analysis revealed that long-chain polyunsaturated ethanolamides including arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), DEA, docosatrienoyl ethanolamide (DTEA), eicosatrienoyl ethanolamide (ETEA), eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide (EPEA) and docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA) were higher in the Sub compared with the Dom mice. Untargeted LC/MS analysis showed that the parent fatty acids, docosatetraenoic (DA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA), were higher in Sub vs. Dom. Gene expression analysis revealed increased mRNA expression of genes encoding the desaturase FADS2 and the elongase ELOVL5 in Sub mice compared with Dom mice. Acute DEA administration at the dose of 15 mg/kg produced antinociceptive and locomotion-inducing effects in Sub mice, but not in Dom mice. Subchronic treatment with DEA at the dose of 5 mg/kg augmented dominant behavior in wild-type ICR and Dom mice but not in Sub mice. This study suggests that the endocannabinoid system may play a role in the regulation of dominance and submissiveness, functional elements of social behavior and personality. While currently we have only scratched the surface, understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in personality may help in revealing the mechanisms underlying the etiopathology of psychiatric disorders.
PubMed: 37663250
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1234332 -
BioEssays : News and Reviews in... Nov 2023Pathogenic variants occurring in protein-coding regions underlie human genetic disease through various mechanisms. They can lead to a loss of function (LOF) such as in...
Pathogenic variants occurring in protein-coding regions underlie human genetic disease through various mechanisms. They can lead to a loss of function (LOF) such as in recessive conditions or in dominant conditions due to haploinsufficiency. Dominant-negative (DN) effects, counteracting the activity of the normal gene-product, and gain of function (GOF) are also mechanisms driving dominance. Here, I discuss a few papers on these specific mechanisms. In short, there is accumulating evidence pointing to differences between LOF versus non-LOF variants (DN and GOF). The latter are thought to have milder effects on protein structure and, as expected, DN variants are enriched at protein interfaces. This tendency to cluster in 3D space can help improve the ability of computational tools to predict the pathogenicity of DN variants, which is currently a challenging issue. More recent results support the hypothesis whereby cotranslational assembly of macromolecular complexes can buffer deleterious consequences of variants that would otherwise lead to DN effects (DNEs). Indeed, subunits the variants of which are responsible for DNEs tend to elude cotranslational assembly, thus poisoning complexes involving wild-type subunits. The constraints explaining why the buffering of DNEs is not universal require further investigation.
PubMed: 37551714
DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300105 -
Ecology and Evolution Feb 2024Exploring how interactions between species evenness and dominant species identity affect litter decomposition processes is vital to understanding the relationship...
Exploring how interactions between species evenness and dominant species identity affect litter decomposition processes is vital to understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the context of global changes. We carried out a 127-day litter decomposition experiment under controlled conditions, with interactions of four species evenness types (high, medium, low and single species) and three dominant species identity (, , ). After collecting the remaining litter, we estimated how evenness and dominant species identity affected litter mass loss rate, carbon (C) loss rate, nitrogen (N) loss rate and remaining litter C/N directly or indirectly, and assessed relative mixture effects (RMEs) on litter mass loss. The main results are shown as follows. (1) By generalized linear models, litter mass loss rate was significantly affected by evenness after 69-day decomposition; N loss rate was affected by dominant species identity after 69-day decomposition, with treatment dominated by being at least 9.26% higher than that dominated by any of other species; and remaining litter C/N was affected by the interactions between evenness and dominant species identity after 30-, 69- and 127-day decomposition. (2) Twenty-three out of 27 RMEs were additive, and dominant species identity showed a significant effect on RMEs after 127-day decomposition. (3) By confirmatory path analyses, litter mass loss rate was affected by dominant species identity directly after 127-day decomposition, and by both species evenness and dominant species identity indirectly which was mediated by initial litter functional dispersion (FDis) after 30- and 69-day decomposition; remaining litter C/N was affected by evenness indirectly which was mediated by initial litter FDis after 127-day decomposition. These findings highlight the importance of evenness and dominant species identity on litter decomposition. The study provides insights into communities during retrogressive successions in semi-arid grasslands in the context of global changes.
PubMed: 38414570
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11052 -
Seminars in Reproductive Medicine Sep 2023Studies have proven the significance of microbial communities in various parts of the human body for health. In recent years it has been discovered that the uterine...
Studies have proven the significance of microbial communities in various parts of the human body for health. In recent years it has been discovered that the uterine cavity is not sterile, and endometrium has its own microbiome which appears to have an impact on female fertility and gynecological pathologies. has shown to dominate the microbial profile in the uterus and is considered an indicator of a healthy uterine environment. Yet, many argue that the dominance is due to vaginal contamination during the sampling process. To date there is no clearly defined healthy endometrial microbial profile, which is largely due to the fact that determining the microbial community from the endometrium is complicated, and there is currently no consensus on sampling methods for the endometrial microbiome. As a result, this restricts ability to replicate discoveries made in other cohorts. Here we aim to give an overview of the sampling methods used and discuss what impedes the endometrial microbiome studies as well as how to reach a consensus on the study design. This knowledge could be incorporated into the future research and the knowledge on endometrial microbiome could be included into the diagnostics and treatment of female reproductive health.
Topics: Female; Humans; Uterus; Endometrium; Infertility; Vagina; Microbiota
PubMed: 38065552
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777361 -
Toxins Oct 2023is a shrub species distributed across South Asia. It grows well in diversified habitats and tends to dominate plants in the surrounding environment. The phytotoxicity...
is a shrub species distributed across South Asia. It grows well in diversified habitats and tends to dominate plants in the surrounding environment. The phytotoxicity of and the action of its phytochemicals against other plant species could explain its dominant behavior. Compounds with phytotoxic activity are in high demand as prospective sources of ecofriendly bioherbicides. Therefore, we investigated the phytotoxicity of . Aqueous methanol extracts of this plant species significantly limited the growth of four test plant species, two monocots (barnyard grass and timothy), and two dicots (alfalfa and cress), in a dose- and species-dependent manner. Bio-directed chromatographic isolation of the extracts yielded two major active substances: a novel compound, calamulactone {(S)-methyl 8-(5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-yl) octanoate}, and 3-oxo-α-ionone. Both of the identified compounds exerted strong growth inhibitory effects on cress and timothy seedlings. The concentrations of 3-oxo-α-ionone and calamulactone required to limit the growth of the cress seedlings by 50% (I) were 281.6-199.5 and 141.1-105.5 µM, respectively, indicating that the effect of calamulactone was stronger with lower I values. Similarly, the seedlings of timothy also showed a considerably higher sensitivity to calamulactone (I: 40.5-84.4 µM) than to 3-oxo-α-ionone (I: 107.8-144.7 µM). The findings indicated that the leaves of have marked growth-inhibitory potential, and could affect surrounding plants to exert dominance over the surrounding plant community. Moreover, the two identified phytotoxic substances might play a key role in the phytotoxicity of , and could be a template for bioherbicide development. This paper was the first to report calamulactone and its phytotoxicity.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Calamus; Prospective Studies; Alkaloids; Seedlings; Plants
PubMed: 37888626
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15100595 -
Journal of Anxiety Disorders Dec 2023Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with interpersonal impairment. One possible reason for this dysfunction is that people with SAD evaluate others differently...
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with interpersonal impairment. One possible reason for this dysfunction is that people with SAD evaluate others differently on dimensions of warmth and dominance compared to individuals without the disorder. In the current study, we examined whether two core constructs of SAD, fear of negative evaluation and fear of positive evaluation, affect the judgments that people make about groups based on warmth and dominance. We also investigated whether racial similarity (i.e., whether someone is the same race as those they're interacting with) and ethnic identity (i.e., one's sense of belonging to a particular social group) played a role in the types of evaluations people made. We created vignettes about groups varying in warmth and dominance, as well as photos varying in racial makeup. We presented photo-vignette pairs to participants and asked them to rate their desire to interact with the groups depicted in the photo-vignette. Participants in general reported greater desire to interact with warmer and less dominant groups. People with higher fear of negative evaluation reported higher desire for interaction with warmer groups, and those with higher fear of positive evaluation reported higher desire to interact with less dominant groups. We did not find any support for our hypothesis that people with stronger ethnic identity would show greater desire to interact with groups that were more similar to their race. Implications for treatment and directions for further research are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Fear; Phobic Disorders; Phobia, Social; Perception
PubMed: 37924612
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102791 -
Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and... Oct 2023To compare the performance of the dominant and nondominant hand during fundamental arthroscopic simulator training.
PURPOSE
To compare the performance of the dominant and nondominant hand during fundamental arthroscopic simulator training.
METHODS
Surgical trainees who participated in a 2-day simulator training course between 2021 and 2023 were classified, according to their arthroscopic experience in beginners and competents. Only right-handed individuals with complete data sets were included in the study. Ambidexterity was trained using a box trainer (Fundamentals of Arthroscopic Surgery Training, Virtamed AG, Schlieren, Switzerland).Two tasks, periscoping for learning camera guidance and triangulation for additional instrument handling, were performed 4 times with the camera in the dominant hand and then in the nondominant hand. For each task, exercise time, camera path length, and instrument path length were recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS
Out of 94 participants 74 right-handed individuals (22 females, 52 males) were classified to novices ( = 43, less than 10 independently performed arthroscopies) and competents ( = 31, more than 10 independently performed arthroscopies). Competents performed significantly better than novices. No significant difference was found after changing the guiding hand for the camera from the dominant to the nondominant hand regarding the camera path length and the instrument path length. Notably, tasks were performed even faster when using the camera in the nondominant hand.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrate that the learned manual skills during basic arthroscopic training are quickly transferred to the contralateral side. In consequence, additional fundamental skills training for camera guidance and instrument handling of the nondominant hand are not necessary.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
For skillful arthroscopy, camera guidance and instrument handing must be equally mastered with both hands. It is important to understand how hand dominance may affect learning during arthroscopic simulator training.
PubMed: 37636254
DOI: 10.1016/j.asmr.2023.100767