A significant movement in education concerns the use of open educational resources. By -open‖ it is generally meant that the resource is available at no cost to others for adaptation and reuse in different contexts. However -open‖ is not a simple dichotomy; rather, there is a continuum of openness. We discuss four separate aspects of reuse and demonstrate how these describe different levels of openness. We discuss how the licensing and technical aspects of open educational resources affect the relative openness of an OER. Implications for those creating open educational resources are discussed. Frameworks for OER, 3The Four R's of Openness and ALMS Analysis: Frameworks for Open Educational Resources

Runners interested in transitioning to minimalist running shoes, such as Vibram FiveFingers, should transition very slowly and gradually to avoid potential stress injury in the foot.

Fifty-seven runners were randomly assigned to one of three groups - minimalist shoe walking (MSW), foot strengthening exercise (FS), or control (C). All groups maintained their pre-study running mileage throughout the study. The MSW group walked in provided footwear, increasing weekly the number of steps/day taken in the shoes. The FS group performed a set of progressive resistance exercises at least 5 days/week. Foot muscle strength (via custom dynamometers) and size (via ultrasound) were measured at the beginning (week 0), middle (week 4), and end (week 8) of the study. Mixed model ANOVAs were run to determine if the interventions had differing effects on the groups.Single nucleotide polymorphism; estrogen receptor; muscle stiffness; injury prediction; athletes RESULTS: There were significant group by time interactions for all muscle size and strength measurements. All muscle sizes and strength increased significantly from weeks 0-8 in the FS and MSW groups, while there were no changes in the C group. Some muscles increased in size by week 4 in the FS and MSW groups.Single nucleotide polymorphism; estrogen receptor; muscle stiffness; injury prediction; athletes CONCLUSION: Minimalist shoe walking is as effective as foot strengthening exercises in increasing in foot muscle size and strength. The convenience of changing footwear rather than performing specific exercises may result in greater compliance.

A proposed benefit of minimalist shoe running is an increase in intrinsic foot muscle strength. This study examined change in intrinsic foot muscle size in runners transitioning to Vibram FiveFingers™ minimalist shoes compared to a control group running in traditional running shoes. We compare pre-transition size between runners who developed bone marrow edema to those who did not. 37 runners were randomly assigned to the Vibram FiveFingers™ group (n=18) or control group (n=19). Runners' bone marrow edema and intrinsic foot muscle size were measured at baseline and after 10 weeks. Total running volume was maintained by all runners. A significant increase in abductor hallucis cross-sectional area of 10.6% occurred in the Vibram FiveFingers™ group compared to the control group (p=0.01). There was no significant change in any of the other muscles examined (p>0.05). 8 of the Vibram FiveFingers™ runners, and 1 control runner developed bone marrow edema. Those who developed bone marrow edema, primarily women, had significantly smaller size in all assessed muscles (p≤0.05). Size of intrinsic foot muscles appears to be important in safely transitioning to minimalist shoe running. Perhaps intrinsic foot muscle strengthening may benefit runners wanting to transition to minimalist shoes.

In this initial study, the BTBIS demonstrated promise as part of a triage process in mass casualty situations, permitting individuals with probable TBI to self-report injury and continued symptoms. Further study, including full validation and reliability assessment, is warranted and required before these screening tools can be fully evaluated.

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The assessment of functionality should include parameters that consider postural control, limb asymmetries, range of motion limitations, proprioceptive deficits, and pain. An increasingly popular battery of tests, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), is purported to assess the above named parameters. The purpose of our study was twofold: (a) to report differences in total FMS scores in children, provide preliminary normative reference values of each of the 7 individual FMS scores for both genders and report on asymmetries and (b) to evaluate the relationship between total FMS scores, age, body mass index (BMI), core strength/stability, and postural angles to explore the possibility of using the FMS in the assessment of children's functional fitness. Descriptive data on 77 children aged 8-11 years were collected. The children performed core strength/stability exercises. Photographs were taken from a lateral view for later calculation of postural angles. The children performed the FMS while being videotaped for later review. The average total FMS score (of 21) was 14.9 (+1.9), and BMI was 16.4 (+2.2). Static posture is not related to results of the FMS. Core strength was positively correlated to the total FMS score (r = 0.31; p = 0.006). Over 60% demonstrated at least 1 asymmetry. The individual test scores indicate that none of the test items is too difficult for the children. Based on the screen's correlation to core strength, and the fact that it identifies areas of asymmetry, we suggest to further investigate its possible use in the assessment of children's functional fitness.

Neurological and Microvascular FunctionNeuropathies are among the most common complications of diabetes mellitus 1 and are the cause of more than 60% of all nontraumatic amputations in the United States.2 Neuropathy is a set of syndromes, each with a wide range of clinical and subclinical manifestations, the most common of which is distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN).1,3 Distal symmetric polyneuropathy occurs in both type I and type II diabetes, and the symptoms range considerably. Some patients experience no symptoms but show deficits during neurological examinations, while others experience negative symptoms such as loss of thermal and tactile sensations, especially in the lower limbs.1,3 Still others may experience dysesthesia, a painful prickling or electric shock-like sensation in the legs and/or feet, especially at night. 4 The etiology of diabetic neuropathy is multifactorial, 3 making it difficult to identify the treatment. However, a common factor in each of the proposed underlying mechanisms of the pathogenesis is reactive oxygen species, which are the products of metabolic dysfunctions that result from hyperglycemia. [5][6][7] Herein lies some insight into addressing the problem of DSPN. Oxidative stress from these free radicals is implicated in vascular dysfunction, 7 including a change in the expression of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, 8 resulting in reduced bioavailability of NO. Reduced bioavailability of NO is a factor in nerve ischemia 9 ; therefore, therapies to increase NO may result in increased blood flow and a decrease in symptoms of DSPN.Nitric oxide production is induced by laminar shear stress, resulting from the frictional forces between the vascular endothelium and moving blood. 10 An example of this type of shear stress can be found when blood flows in the vessels during moderate exercise.11,12 Externally applied, low-frequency vibration also results in endothelial shear stress sufficient to produce NO and improve blood flow. [13][14][15][16][17][18] AbstractBackground: Vascular dysfunction due to hyperglycemia in individuals with diabetes is a factor contributing to distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN). Reactive oxygen species reduce the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), a powerful vasodilator, resulting in reduced circulation and nerve ischemia. Increases in blood NO concentrations and circulation have been attributed to whole body vibration (WBV). The purpose of this study was to the determine the effects of low-frequency, low-amplitude WBV on whole blood NO concentrations and skin blood flow (SBF) in individuals with symptoms of DSPN. Methods:Ten patients with diabetes and impaired sensory perception in the lower limbs participated in this crossover study. Each submitted to 2 treatment conditions, WBV and sham, with a 1-week washout period between. Blood draws for NO analysis and laser Doppler imager scans of SBF were performed before, immediately after, and following a 5-minute recovery of each of the treatments. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that pa...