EFFECT OF PNF STRETCHING VERSUS SELF STRAP STRETCHING ON ANKLE DORSIFLEXION RANGE OF MOTION AMONG COLLEGIATE ATHLETES WITH CALF MUSCLE TIGHTNESS.

BACKGROUND: Calf muscle tightness is a very common occurring condition in athlete. Stretching is form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon (muscle group) is deliberately flexed or stretched in order to improve the muscle's elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone. Flexibility helps with injury prevention, reduction of soreness following a workout, and a general sense of well-being. There are different stretching technique and protocol for improvement in calf extensibility and flexibility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two techniques PNF and SELF STRAP STRETCHING for improving calf flexibility among collegiate athletes. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The selected 30 college athletes were randomly allocated to 2 groups equally. Group1 (n= 15) were given PNF and Group2 (n=15) were given self-strap stretching technique. Calf flexibility for each group was measured using goniometer and knee to wall test.Treatment was given for four days a week for 4 weeks. RESULT: The collected values were analyzed using paired 't' test and independent 't' test. The result showed an increase in the values of goniometric measurement and knee to wall test of the PNF technique (group A) compared to baseline value of self-strap stretching (group B) 16.4 and 10.88 at the end of 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that PNF technique is found to bemore effective in improving the calf muscle among collegiate athletes.

Clinical and Angiographic Profile of ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction in Premenopausal Women

 Introduction: Ischemic heart disease and its complications are on a rise in premenopausal women unlike previously thought that estrogen provides protective effects from cardiovascular diseases. There are less number of studies for premenopausal women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and very few took into account the clinical and angiographic pattern. Purpose: In this study, we took into account clinical and angiographic pattern as well as certain risk factor profile. Materials and Methods: Women <50 years admitted in the Intensive Coronary Care Unit of Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were taken into the study (43 in number). Their clinical presentation, risk factor profile, biochemical data, electrocardiogram and echo findings, and the angiographic findings were collected. The study was conducted over a period of 1 year. Results: In our study, most of them were diabetics, non-vegetarians were using sunflower oil or palm oil, and almost 100% had dyslipidemia. Most of them had anterior wall myocardial infarction with ejection fraction >40%. Most of them had singlevessel disease. Thirty days mortality was very less. In about five patients, none of the conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) were present. Conclusion: Premenopausal women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction are on a rise in the current era, unlike previously thought. The previous studies were of comparative studies between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Studies about the risk factors among this age group were very less. Although conventional risk factors such as diabetes and dyslipidemia played major role, some of the unusual risk factors and unidentified risk factors were found to contribute to the disease. Further studies are needed to identify the unusual risk factors for CAD present in this age group

A study focusing emerging risk factors in patients of acute myocardial infarction in South India

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a significantly raising problem particularly in India. The various aspects of myocardial infarction such as risk factor profiles, clinical presentations and prognosis differ significantly in south Indian people when compared to others. This study was undertaken to study the association of socio-demographic and life-style factors with acute myocardial infarction in South India.Material: This was a prospective study included 100 patients admitted in ICCU for acute MI in Government Rajaji Hospital Madurai over a period of 1 year. History, ECG, CPK-MB, and 2-D Echo was done to diagnose MI.Results: In this study, 68% patients were males. In this study, 34% patients had diabetes, 42% had hypertension, 58% were smokers. In our study 70% patients had BMI between 25-30kg/m2. In this study, 86% patients had TGL more than 200mg/dl, 28% patients had LDL more than 100 mg/dl and 78% patients had NON-HDL more than 130 mg/dl. In this study, 9 patients had depression. In our study 61% male patients had waist hip ratio more than >1 and in females 69% patients had waist hip ratio more than >0.85. In our study, 22% patients had hemoglobin >16g/dl.Conclusion: Prevention of coronary artery syndrome by modifying the risk factors were crucial. Serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, BMI were not significant to predict ACS in our study Waist Hip ratio, Triglyceride, Non-HDL cholesterol, smoking and Depression were significant to predict acute coronary syndrome in this study

Cardiac involvement in adult patients with febrile thrombocytopenia diagnosed by bedside 2-D echocardiography

Background: Febrile thrombocytopenia due to various etiologies is very common in India. Its clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic infections to severe disease. Cardiac involvement in such systemic illness should be evaluated. Aim of present study is to evaluate cardiac involvement in patients with Febrile thrombocytopenia with platelets count less than 50,000/µL with the help of handheld echocardiography.Methods: Two hundred patients who had fever with thrombocytopenia were enrolled in the study. ECG and echocardiogram were done to all the patients. One-way ANOVA, Chi square test and correlation coefficient from Pearson correlation and P value of < 0.05 was taken as significant.Results: Out of 200 patients there were 146 males and 56 females. The mean age was 24.12yrs in males 28.32yrs in females .Rhythm abnormalities were present in 60 patients and the most common abnormality was sinus tachycardia; 17 patients had ascites and right pleural effusion; 24 patients presented with pericardial effusion and incidental diagnosis of CHD, RHD, and CAD were made; two patients had myocarditis as evidenced by global hypokinesia of left ventricle. All of those cardiac manifestations were common in Dengue Shock Syndrome.Conclusions: Cardiovascular manifestation in Febrile thrombocytopenia is relatively common ranging from pericarditis to myocarditis. Clinician should routinely screen patients with pyrexia with thrombocytopenia for cardiac manifestations. Early diagnosis at bed side may improve the outcome. Management of patients with pre-existing cardiac diseases should be individualized.

Influence of municipal solid waste compost [MSWC] on the growth and yield of green gram Vigna radiate [L wilczek], fenugreek [Ttrigonella foenum-graecum L.] and on soil quality

Pot culture experiments were carried out to study the effect of characterized municipal solid waste compost [MSWC] amendments [0, 50,100,250, 500, 750 and 1000 g] with garden soil [6 kg] on the growth and the yield of green gram [Vigna radiata [L] wilczek] and fenugreek [Trigonellafoenum-graecum L.] as well as changes on soil quality. The growth and the yield of green gram and fenugreek were enhanced by MSWC application upto 500 g. Soil amended with > 500 g MSWC inhibited the plants biometric parameters neither with-significantly nor without-significantly suggest a possible toxic effects to both plants. No dosage effect was detected for total chlorophyll synthesized, except green gram grown in 1000 g of MSWC amendments. Compared with control, percentage of protein was increased significantly upto 250 g for green gram and 500 g for fenugreek. A significant reduction in percentage of carbohydrates was observed above 750 g of MSWC exposure for green gram and above 500 g for fenugreek. There was no specific trend and significant changes were observed in percentage of reducing sugars in both plants except green gram exposed to 50 g MSWC exposure. There was no significant difference in all plant yield parameters of both plants except fenugreek seed weight in 250 g MSWC amendment. Generally, chemical parameters of soil are improved by the addition of MSWC, after 90 d of experimental period

Efficiency of composting parthenium plant and neem leaves in the presence and absence of an oligochaete, Eisenia fetida

Parthenium plants and neem leaves were composted using the epigeic earthworm, Eisenia fetida [worm-worked compost] to study the growth and reproductive indices of earthworm involved in the process of composting. Similarly, parthenium plants and neem leaves were composted without worms [worm-unworked compost]. Efficacy of the resulting composts in supporting the growth of plant was tested with the germination and growth of Vigna radiate seedlings. The results showed that higher parthenium amendment significantly reduced the growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida compared with control. The two-way ANOVA results showed a significant difference in the growth rate of worms when exposed to different amended concentrations of parthenium plants and neem leaves at different durations as fixed factors. The following compost parameters were not significantly different when compared with control: pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron for parthenium worm-worked compost; nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, organic carbon and carbon/nitrogen ratio for neem worm-worked compost; nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon for parthenium worm-unworked compost and pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and carbon/nitrogen ratio for neem worm-unworked compost. Between parthenium plant composts and neem leaves composts, significant differences were not observed in any of the plant biometric parameters. The results obtained from the present study indicated that the parthenium composting at low amendments with cow dung may help its eradication for better utilization