No abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships between core stability and various strength and power variables in strength and power athletes. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players (height 184.0 +/- 7.1 cm, weight 100.5 +/- 22.4 kg) completed strength and performance testing before off-season conditioning. Subjects were tested on three strength variables (one-repetition maximum [1RM] bench press, 1RM squat, and 1RM power clean), four performance variables (countermovement vertical jump [CMJ], 20- and 40-yd sprints, and a 10-yd shuttle run), and core stability (back extension, trunk flexion, and left and right bridge). Significant correlations were identified between total core strength and 20-yd sprint (r = -0.594), 40-yd sprint (r = -0.604), shuttle run (r = -0.551), CMJ (r = 0.591), power clean/body weight (BW) (r = 0.622), 1RM squat (r = -0.470), bench press/BW (r = 0.369), and combined 1RM/BW (r = 0.447); trunk flexion and 20-yd sprint (r = -0.485), 40-yd sprint (r = -0.479), shuttle run (r = -0.443), CMJ (r = 0.436), power clean/BW (r = 0.396), and 1RM squat (r = -0.416); back extension and CMJ (r = 0.536), and power clean/BW (r = 0.449); right bridge and 20-yd sprint r = -0.410) and 40-yd sprint (r = -0.435), CMJ (r = 0.403), power clean/BW (r = 0.519) and bench press/BW (r = 0.372) and combined 1RM/BW (r = 0.406); and left bridge and 20-yd sprint (r = -0.376) and 40-yd sprint (r = -0.397), shuttle run (r = -0.374), and power clean/BW (r = 0.460). The results of this study suggest that core stability is moderately related to strength and performance. Thus, increases in core strength are not going to contribute significantly to strength and power and should not be the focus of strength and conditioning.

No abstract

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a multisystem disease with a high mortality rate. It is characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia and eosinophilic infiltration of the skin and many other organs. The commonest cutaneous features include erythematous pruritic maculopapules and nodules, angio-oedema or urticarial plaques. However, some case reports have indicated that eosinophilic cellulitis, cutaneous necrotizing eosinophilic vasculitis, Raynaud's phenomenon and digital gangrene may also occur as cutaneous features of HES. Juvenile temporal arteritis (JTA) of unknown cause is characterized by an asymptomatic nodule in the temporal artery area in young adults. Histologically, the lesion is characterized by a significant intimal thickening with moderate eosinophilic infiltrates, constriction or occlusion of the vascular lumen and absence of giant cells. We report a patient with HES presenting with eosinophilic cellulitis, Raynaud's phenomenon, digital gangrene and JTA. JTA may also be one of the features of HES.

To identify cholinergic neurons, we isolated a choline acetyltransferase (Ci-ChAT) gene from Ciona intestinalis by PCR methods. In the cloning process, we also obtained the gene encoding the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (Ci-vAChTP). These two genes shared the same 5'-UTR sequence as well as similar expression patterns. In both cases, the gene expression was first detected by whole-mount in situ hybridization in the anterior-dorsal region of the caudal nerve cord at the early tailbud stage. In the larva, the expression was seen in several cells of the visceral ganglion. These results suggest that ascidian larval motor neurons exist in the visceral ganglion.