Context: Gluteus medius (GMed) weakness is a common impairment seen across multiple lower-extremi... more Context: Gluteus medius (GMed) weakness is a common impairment seen across multiple lower-extremity pathologies. Greater GMed weakness is moderately associated with greater frontal plane motion, often termed dynamic knee valgus during functional tasks which may increase risk of lower-extremity injury. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) superimposed to targeted muscles has emerged in clinical practice; however, NMES superimposed to the GMed in unknown. It is essential to assess the safety, credibility, and expectancy of NMES superimposed to the GMed prior to implementation in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate feasibility, safety, credibility, and expectancy of improvement with a 2-week intervention with or without NMES to the GMed in females with dynamic knee valgus. Design: Feasibility study. Methods: A total of 22 adult females with dynamic knee valgus (age = 21.8 [1.4] y, mass = 76.9 [18.8] kg, height = 1.7 [0.1] m) completed a 2-week interven...
Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, 2015
Abstract Purpose In the present paper we explore the long-term influence of childhood neglect on ... more Abstract Purpose In the present paper we explore the long-term influence of childhood neglect on violent behavior in the transition to adulthood. In particular, we test whether neglect is spuriously related to violence due to their common association with academic achievement, physical abuse, and general offending. We then ask whether neglect has an indirect effect on violence through its impact on parental attachment, alcohol use, emotional negativity, academic achievement, or staying in school. Methodology/approach We use two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and employ both regression models and INDIRECT, a syntax file that allows for the testing of indirect effects using SPSS (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). Findings We find that the long-term association between childhood neglect and violence in the transition to adulthood is robust in models controlling for GPA, physical abuse, and other forms of offending. Neglect did not have an indirect effect on violence through attachment, negative emotionality, or academic achievement but did have indirect effects on violence through its association with staying in school and with alcohol use. Research implications This set of analyses was exploratory in nature. Further research on neglect should be undertaken, using finely tuned measures and research questions. In addition, our findings imply that the association between neglect and later violent behavior may be intertwined with certain dynamics of physical abuse and alcohol use, which should be further studied.
To investigate the clinical importance of hip abductor (HA) strength in people with knee osteoart... more To investigate the clinical importance of hip abductor (HA) strength in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), the purposes of this study were to 1) compare the association of HA strength and physical function to that of knee extensor (KE) strength and physical function, and 2) determine the reliability of the assessment of HA strength using a hand-held dynamometer. Thirty-five individuals [58 years standard deviation 10 years old] with knee osteoarthritis participated. Physical function was assessed with performance-based [Get-Up and Go (GUG), stair climb and descent (SC), and five times chair rise (CR)] and self-reported (WOMAC function) measures. The relationship between strength and function was assessed using bivariate correlation and hierarchical multiple regression models. Reliability across sessions was assessed in 25 subjects. In the bivariate models, both KE and HA strength were both significantly associated with performance-based measures of function, but not WOMAC functio...
Abstract This simulation prepares learners to assess, prepare for, and secure the ICU airway; rev... more Abstract This simulation prepares learners to assess, prepare for, and secure the ICU airway; review and practice using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Difficult Airway Algorithm; a...
Deficits in quadriceps strength and voluntary activation are common following knee injury. These ... more Deficits in quadriceps strength and voluntary activation are common following knee injury. These deficits are hypothesized to generate from a neural level, however, it remains unclear how corticomotor pathways are affected following acute injury. The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether corticomotor alterations of the quadriceps were present following a simulated knee joint injury using an experimental effusion model. Participants completed two testing sessions, an experimental knee effusion and control session, separated by 7 days. The central activation ratio was used to assess change in quadriceps activation. Corticomotor excitability was assessed pre- and post-intervention via active motor thresholds (AMTs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) normalized to maximal muscle responses. MEPs were assessed at different percentages of AMT, and associated slopes between these percentages were analysed. Paired-sample t tests were performed on percentage change scores calculated from pre-intervention outcome measures to assess change in corticomotor excitability and changes in the slope of MEP values as percentage of AMT increased. Quadriceps activation significantly decreased during the effusion session. AMT and MEP change scores were not different between effusion and control conditions. No substantial differences were found in slope between any percentages of AMT. An experimental knee effusion did not induce changes in corticomotor excitability. Further research is needed to understand how corticomotor pathways are affected following joint injury. Corticomotor excitability alterations may not be the cause of acute changes in neuromuscular activation following joint effusion. Future research should determine whether clinically altering corticomotor excitability will improve physical function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in reducing the microbial and pathogen ... more Municipal wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in reducing the microbial and pathogen load of human wastes before the end-products are discharged to surface waters (final effluent) or land spread (biosolids). This study investigated the occurrence frequency of noroviruses, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium in influent, final effluent and biosolids from four secondary wastewater treatment plants in northwestern Ireland (plants A–D) and observed the seasonal and spatial variation of the plant treatment efficiencies in the pathogen removals. It was noted that norovirus genogroup II was more resistant to the treatment processes than the norovirus genogroup I and other active viral particles, especially those in the discharge effluents. The percolating biofilm system at plant D resulted in better effluent quality than in the extended aerated activated sludge systems (plants A and B); primary biosolids produced at plant D may pose a higher health risk to the locals...
Context: Gluteus medius (GMed) weakness is a common impairment seen across multiple lower-extremi... more Context: Gluteus medius (GMed) weakness is a common impairment seen across multiple lower-extremity pathologies. Greater GMed weakness is moderately associated with greater frontal plane motion, often termed dynamic knee valgus during functional tasks which may increase risk of lower-extremity injury. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) superimposed to targeted muscles has emerged in clinical practice; however, NMES superimposed to the GMed in unknown. It is essential to assess the safety, credibility, and expectancy of NMES superimposed to the GMed prior to implementation in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate feasibility, safety, credibility, and expectancy of improvement with a 2-week intervention with or without NMES to the GMed in females with dynamic knee valgus. Design: Feasibility study. Methods: A total of 22 adult females with dynamic knee valgus (age = 21.8 [1.4] y, mass = 76.9 [18.8] kg, height = 1.7 [0.1] m) completed a 2-week interven...
Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, 2015
Abstract Purpose In the present paper we explore the long-term influence of childhood neglect on ... more Abstract Purpose In the present paper we explore the long-term influence of childhood neglect on violent behavior in the transition to adulthood. In particular, we test whether neglect is spuriously related to violence due to their common association with academic achievement, physical abuse, and general offending. We then ask whether neglect has an indirect effect on violence through its impact on parental attachment, alcohol use, emotional negativity, academic achievement, or staying in school. Methodology/approach We use two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and employ both regression models and INDIRECT, a syntax file that allows for the testing of indirect effects using SPSS (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). Findings We find that the long-term association between childhood neglect and violence in the transition to adulthood is robust in models controlling for GPA, physical abuse, and other forms of offending. Neglect did not have an indirect effect on violence through attachment, negative emotionality, or academic achievement but did have indirect effects on violence through its association with staying in school and with alcohol use. Research implications This set of analyses was exploratory in nature. Further research on neglect should be undertaken, using finely tuned measures and research questions. In addition, our findings imply that the association between neglect and later violent behavior may be intertwined with certain dynamics of physical abuse and alcohol use, which should be further studied.
To investigate the clinical importance of hip abductor (HA) strength in people with knee osteoart... more To investigate the clinical importance of hip abductor (HA) strength in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), the purposes of this study were to 1) compare the association of HA strength and physical function to that of knee extensor (KE) strength and physical function, and 2) determine the reliability of the assessment of HA strength using a hand-held dynamometer. Thirty-five individuals [58 years standard deviation 10 years old] with knee osteoarthritis participated. Physical function was assessed with performance-based [Get-Up and Go (GUG), stair climb and descent (SC), and five times chair rise (CR)] and self-reported (WOMAC function) measures. The relationship between strength and function was assessed using bivariate correlation and hierarchical multiple regression models. Reliability across sessions was assessed in 25 subjects. In the bivariate models, both KE and HA strength were both significantly associated with performance-based measures of function, but not WOMAC functio...
Abstract This simulation prepares learners to assess, prepare for, and secure the ICU airway; rev... more Abstract This simulation prepares learners to assess, prepare for, and secure the ICU airway; review and practice using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Difficult Airway Algorithm; a...
Deficits in quadriceps strength and voluntary activation are common following knee injury. These ... more Deficits in quadriceps strength and voluntary activation are common following knee injury. These deficits are hypothesized to generate from a neural level, however, it remains unclear how corticomotor pathways are affected following acute injury. The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether corticomotor alterations of the quadriceps were present following a simulated knee joint injury using an experimental effusion model. Participants completed two testing sessions, an experimental knee effusion and control session, separated by 7 days. The central activation ratio was used to assess change in quadriceps activation. Corticomotor excitability was assessed pre- and post-intervention via active motor thresholds (AMTs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) normalized to maximal muscle responses. MEPs were assessed at different percentages of AMT, and associated slopes between these percentages were analysed. Paired-sample t tests were performed on percentage change scores calculated from pre-intervention outcome measures to assess change in corticomotor excitability and changes in the slope of MEP values as percentage of AMT increased. Quadriceps activation significantly decreased during the effusion session. AMT and MEP change scores were not different between effusion and control conditions. No substantial differences were found in slope between any percentages of AMT. An experimental knee effusion did not induce changes in corticomotor excitability. Further research is needed to understand how corticomotor pathways are affected following joint injury. Corticomotor excitability alterations may not be the cause of acute changes in neuromuscular activation following joint effusion. Future research should determine whether clinically altering corticomotor excitability will improve physical function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in reducing the microbial and pathogen ... more Municipal wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in reducing the microbial and pathogen load of human wastes before the end-products are discharged to surface waters (final effluent) or land spread (biosolids). This study investigated the occurrence frequency of noroviruses, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium in influent, final effluent and biosolids from four secondary wastewater treatment plants in northwestern Ireland (plants A–D) and observed the seasonal and spatial variation of the plant treatment efficiencies in the pathogen removals. It was noted that norovirus genogroup II was more resistant to the treatment processes than the norovirus genogroup I and other active viral particles, especially those in the discharge effluents. The percolating biofilm system at plant D resulted in better effluent quality than in the extended aerated activated sludge systems (plants A and B); primary biosolids produced at plant D may pose a higher health risk to the locals...
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