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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Jun 2023This study aims to investigate the effect of a course of selected corrective exercises on posture, scapula-humeral rhythm and performance of adolescent volleyball...
BACKGROUND
This study aims to investigate the effect of a course of selected corrective exercises on posture, scapula-humeral rhythm and performance of adolescent volleyball players.
METHODS
30 adolescent volleyball players with upper cross syndrome were purposefully selected and assigned into 2 control and training groups. The degree of back curvature was evaluated using a flexible ruler, forward head and forward shoulder size by photographic method, scapula-humeral rhythm by Lateral Scapular Slide Test (LSST), and performance by closed kinetic chain test. The training group performed the exercises for 10 weeks. After the exercises, the post-test was administered. To analyze the data, analysis of co-variance tests and paired t-test at the level of 0.05 were employed.
RESULTS
The research results showed that corrective exercises have a significant effect on abnormalities of forward head, forward shoulder, kyphosis, scapula-humeral rhythm and performance.
CONCLUSIONS
Corrective exercises can be effective in reducing shoulder girdle and spine abnormalities and improving scapula- humeral rhythm and performance of volleyball players.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Volleyball; Humerus; Scapula; Posture; Dioctyl Sulfosuccinic Acid; Phenolphthalein
PubMed: 37316911
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-023-06592-7 -
Biosensors May 2023Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, which accompanies pain and inconvenience in daily life owing to degradation of cartilage and adjacent tissues. In...
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, which accompanies pain and inconvenience in daily life owing to degradation of cartilage and adjacent tissues. In this study, we propose a simple point-of-care testing (POCT) kit for the detection of the MTF1 OA biomarker to achieve on-site clinical diagnosis of OA. The kit contains an FTA card for patient sample treatments, a sample tube for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and a phenolphthalein-soaked swab for naked eye detection. The MTF1 gene was isolated from synovial fluids using an FTA card and amplified using the LAMP method at 65 °C for 35 min. A test part of the phenolphthalein-soaked swab was decolorized in the presence of the MTF1 gene due to the pH change after the LAMP, but the color remained pink in the absence of the MTF1 gene. The control part of the swab served as a reference color in relation to the test part. When real-time LAMP (RT-LAMP), gel electrophoresis, and colorimetric detection of the MTF1 gene were performed, the limit of detection (LOD) was confirmed at 10 fg/μL, and the overall processes were completed in 1 h. The detection of an OA biomarker in the form of POCT was reported for the first time in this study. The introduced method is expected to serve as a POCT platform directly applicable by clinicians for easy and rapid identification of OA.
Topics: Humans; Point-of-Care Testing; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Limit of Detection; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Osteoarthritis; Biomarkers; Phenolphthaleins; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 37232895
DOI: 10.3390/bios13050535 -
MethodsX 2023Natural, inland alkaline soda waters form a particular type of saline waters, characterized by a permanent alkaline chemical property. In many cases only the total...
Natural, inland alkaline soda waters form a particular type of saline waters, characterized by a permanent alkaline chemical property. In many cases only the total alkalinity by methyl-orange titration is reported, without phenolphthalein titration. Therefore, a reliable estimation of carbonates from total alkalinity is essential for a precise scientific chemical classification. The concentration of bicarbonate [HCO ] can be reliably estimated in waters using the Advanced Speciation Method (ASM) if methyl-orange total alkalinity titration and pH data are available, while the concentration of carbonate [CO ] is not reliably estimated by the ASM when interfering factors with acid/base properties (e.g., phosphate, silicate, ammonia, etc.) are present in significant concentrations in natural waters. Therefore, here I present and prove an experimental polynomial function for carbonate estimation with the following equation based on the concentration of bicarbonate: [CO ] = -2.878E-7 ± 5.438E-8 × [HCO ] + 0.069±0.003 × [HCO ] This Boros's carbonate estimation method can contribute to a more efficient evaluation of field water samples with several analytical difficulties.•Bicarbonate can be reliably estimated using the Advanced Speciation Method (ASM).•Estimation of the carbonate concentration using ASM in the presence of interfering acid/base factors in alkaline waters.•Experimental polynomial function for reliable carbonate estimation in alkaline soda waters.
PubMed: 37095870
DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102175 -
F1000Research 2023Dental caries is a major non-communicable disease of public health concern caused due to freely available dietary sugars. We aimed to compare the sugar content and...
Dental caries is a major non-communicable disease of public health concern caused due to freely available dietary sugars. We aimed to compare the sugar content and erosive potential with duration of use and drug classes of orodispersible tablets (ODTs). We conducted an evaluation of the total sugar content (TSC), Potential of Hydrogen (pH), solubility, and Titratable Acidity (TA) of commonly prescribed 62 ODTs. TA was measured by titrating the samples with known amount of. 0.1N sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with phenolphthalein indicator and pH was determined by digital pH meter. TSC was evaluated by phenol sulphuric acid. Solubility was assessed by filtration. Out of the 62 ODTs, majority were Antimicrobials (n=30). One-quarter of the ODTs (26%) had a mean pH below ≤5.5. No significant difference was seen in the mean pH with respect to different drug classes (p=0.082) and duration of use of ODTs. A significant difference was seen in the mean percentage solubility with respect to drug classes (p<0.001). Antimicrobials had the least percentage of solubility as compared to other drug classes. Antiemetics and proton pump inhibitors (24.33 ± 17.34) had significantly higher mean percentage sugar content than Antimicrobials (23.25 ± 17.16). No significant difference was seen in the mean TSC with respect to various drug classes (p=0.718) and between the duration of use of drugs (P=0.568) respectively. No significant difference was seen in the mean percentage TA with respect to drug class (p=0.123) and duration of use of drugs (p=0.424). Overall, we can conclude that one in four ODT formulations had a pH below 5.5 (critical pH). Only one ODT formulation did not have a sugar content. No difference was seen in the mean pH, sugar content, and TA with respect to duration of use of drugs and drug classes.
Topics: Humans; Sugars; Dental Caries; Tablets; Solubility
PubMed: 37089132
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.130786.2 -
Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery Feb 2023Corrective osteotomy is an effective surgery for correcting posture in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Despite satisfactory correction, some patients...
BACKGROUND
Corrective osteotomy is an effective surgery for correcting posture in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Despite satisfactory correction, some patients experience re-stooping during follow-up. However, there have been no studies on re-stooping in AS. We aimed to analyze the factors that affect re-stooping.
METHODS
Fifty patients (50 cases) who underwent thoracolumbar corrective osteotomy for AS from March 2006 to April 2018 were analyzed. We defined re-stooping as global kyphosis that recurs after corrective osteotomy. The patients were divided into two groups based on the ratio of correction loss: non-re-stooping group (N group) and re-stooping group (R group). We analyzed the demographic data and radiological parameters, such as modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS), sagittal vertical axis, and various angles. We also investigated the factors affecting re-stooping by analyzing the correlation between the ratio of correction loss and various factors.
RESULTS
A significant difference was seen in the change in the mSASSS from before surgery to the last follow-up between the N group (2.87 ± 3.08) and the R group (9.20 ± 5.44). In multivariate analysis, only the change in the mSASSS from before surgery to the last follow-up was significantly correlated with the ratio of correction loss.
CONCLUSIONS
Thoracolumbar corrective osteotomy seems to provide high satisfaction among patients with AS but can lead to re-stooping during follow-up. The change in mSASSS was related with re-stooping in the current study. We recommend active rehabilitative exercises and appropriate medication depending on the patient's condition, which may help delay the postoperative progression of AS.
Topics: Humans; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Treatment Outcome; Spine; Kyphosis; Osteotomy; Phenolphthalein; Lumbar Vertebrae; Thoracic Vertebrae; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36778985
DOI: 10.4055/cios22075 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2023The formation of the inclusion complex between β-cyclodextrin (CD) and phenolphthalein (PP) was investigated by means of UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopies. The...
The formation of the inclusion complex between β-cyclodextrin (CD) and phenolphthalein (PP) was investigated by means of UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopies. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated in the absence and presence of LiI, KI, NaI and CsI iodide salts. The enthalpy change during the formation was found to be negative for all solutions with iodide salts. The enthalpy change was found to decrease in the sequence no salt > NaI > KI> CsI > LiI. Moreover, it was observed that with increasing salt concentration enthalpy decreases monotonically. The interaction between the two molecules was mostly attributed to hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals interactions. Thermodynamic properties revealed that electrostatic forces also contribute when LiI is present in solutions. A molecular docking study was performed to elucidate the docking between phenolphthalein and cyclodextrin. The FT-IR spectra of CD, PP and the CD-PP complex were recorded to establish the formation of the inclusion complex. Semi-empirical and DFT methods were utilized to study theoretically the complexation process and calculate the IR vibrational spectra. The adequate agreement between theoretical and experimental results supports the proposed structural model for the CD-PP complexation.
PubMed: 36770813
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031147 -
Vaccine Jan 2023Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has been understandably eager to combat misinformation about issues such as vaccine safety. In highly polarized...
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has been understandably eager to combat misinformation about issues such as vaccine safety. In highly polarized information environments, however, even well-intentioned messages have the potential to produce adverse effects. In this study, we connect different disciplinary strands of social science to derive and experimentally test the novel hypothesis that although particular efforts to debunk misinformation about mRNA vaccines will reduce relevant misperceptions about that technology, these correctives will harm attitudes toward other types of vaccines. We refer to this as the "collateral damage hypothesis." Our study specifically examines a corrective message stating that "mRNA vaccines do not contain live virus," and our results offer some support for our hypothesis, with the corrective triggering increased societal risk perceptions of live vaccines. We also find that the effect is, predictably, most evident among those whose vaccine acceptance is low. Building on the theoretical grounding we outline, we test a "damage control" adjustment to the corrective message and present evidence supporting that it mitigates the collateral damage.
Topics: Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19; Dioctyl Sulfosuccinic Acid; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Phenolphthalein; mRNA Vaccines; Communication
PubMed: 36682880
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.12.045 -
Polymers Jan 2023With the rapid pace of advancements in additive manufacturing and techniques such as fused filament fabrication (FFF), the feedstocks used in these techniques should...
With the rapid pace of advancements in additive manufacturing and techniques such as fused filament fabrication (FFF), the feedstocks used in these techniques should advance as well. While available filaments can be used to print highly customizable parts, the creation of the end part is often the only function of a given feedstock. In this study, novel FFF filaments with inherent environmental sensing functionalities were created by melt-blending poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and pH indicator powders (bromothymol blue, phenolphthalein, and thymol blue). The new PLA-PEG-indicator filaments were universally more crystalline than the PLA-only filaments (33-41% vs. 19% crystallinity), but changes in thermal stability and mechanical characteristics depended upon the indicator used; filaments containing bromothymol blue and thymol blue were more thermally stable, had higher tensile strength, and were less ductile than PLA-only filaments, while filaments containing phenolphthalein were less thermally stable, had lower tensile strength, and were more ductile. When the indicator-filled filaments were exposed to acidic, neutral, and basic solutions, all filaments functioned as effective pH sensors, though the bromothymol blue-containing filament was only successful as a base indicator. The biodegradability of the new filaments was evaluated by characterizing filament samples after aging in soil and soil slurry mixtures; the amount of physical deterioration and changes in filament crystallinity suggested that the bromothymol blue filament degraded faster than PLA-only filaments, while the phenolphthalein and thymol blue filaments saw decreases in degradation rates.
PubMed: 36679315
DOI: 10.3390/polym15020436 -
Pharmaceutical Biology Dec 2023Linnaeus (Bombacaceae) is known as silk cotton tree, the flowers of which are used in many medicinal applications.
CONTEXT
Linnaeus (Bombacaceae) is known as silk cotton tree, the flowers of which are used in many medicinal applications.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the therapeutic effect of flower aqueous extracts (BCE) against loperamide-induced constipation and characterize the chemical composition of BCE.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty male Kunming mice were divided into control (saline), model (10 mg/kg loperamide + saline), phenolphthalein (10 mg/kg loperamide + 10 mg/kg phenolphthalein) and different dosage of BCE (10 mg/kg loperamide + 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg BCE, respectively) groups, and received intragastric administrations for eight days. Faecal water content, number of faeces, first black-stool defecation time and gastrointestinal transit rates were evaluated. Various biochemical and molecular biomarkers were assessed in blood and colon. UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS was used to tentatively identify the composition of the BCE.
RESULTS
BCE treatment (160 mg/kg) could increase faecal water (15.75%), faeces number (11.65%), gastrointestinal transit rate (25.37%) and decrease first black-stool defecation time (24.04%). The BCE (80 mg/kg) increased the serum level of motilin (30.62%), gastrin (54.46%) and substance P (18.99%), and decreased somatostatin (19.47%). Additionally, the BCE (160 mg/kg) reduced the mucosal damage, restored colonic goblet cell function, down-regulated the protein expression of AQP (33.60%) and increased c-kit protein expression (11.63%). Twelve known compounds, including protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid and rutin, previously reported in were identified in the BCE.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
This study suggested that BCE is a promising agent for the treatment of constipation.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Loperamide; Bombax; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Constipation; Flowers; Water; Phenolphthaleins
PubMed: 36582187
DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2157841 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subsp VHProbi YB11 (YB11) on attenuating sucralfate-induced constipation in BALB/c mice. The strain of YB11...
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subsp VHProbi YB11 (YB11) on attenuating sucralfate-induced constipation in BALB/c mice. The strain of YB11 exhibited favorable tolerance of simulated gastrointestinal (GI) juice. Only 0.42 Log value declined when the live cells of YB11 were co-incubated with simulated GI juice. Meanwhile, this strain also displayed perfect ability to adhere the intestinal epithelium Caco-2 cells with adhesion index of 18.5. 24 of female mice were randomized into four groups.
METHODS
The normal group (NOR) was fed with a normal diet, whereas the placebo group (PLA), positive group (POS), and probiotic group (PRO) were fed with sucralfate to induce constipation. After first successfully establishing the constipation model, groups NOR and PLA received the oral administration of saline solutions. Meanwhile, the POS and PRO groups were orally administered phenolphthalein and YB11 suspensions, respectively. Several indices, including fecal water content, GI transit time, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), intestinal neuropeptides level, and histopathology of colonic tissues, were investigated.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Compared with PLA, YB11 had a positive effect in increasing the fecal water content and intestinal peristalsis. Some positive trends, including the acetic and total acids level of fecal samples, and the colonic tissue histopathology, were also observed. Furthermore, YB11 had an ability to upregulate the levels of gut excitatory neuropeptides including motilin, gastrin, and substance P, whereas it downregulated the levels of inhibitory neuropeptides including endothelin-1, somatostatin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide. We conclude that the strain YB11 has a positive impact on improving gastrointestinal mobility and reducing the severity of constipation.
PubMed: 36532450
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1040371