Trunk Muscle Endurance, Flexibility, Stride Foot Balance, and Contralateral Trunk Lean in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers.

Myrick, KM, Pallone, AS, Feinn, RS, Ford, KM, and Garbalosa, JC. Trunk muscle endurance, flexibility, stride foot balance, and contralateral trunk lean in collegiate baseball pitchers. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2641-2647, 2019-The incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball is increasing. The trunk is crucial to transmission of energy from lower limbs, achieving the largest angular momentum and torque during pitching, and controlling acceleration of the arm. Excessive contralateral trunk lean has been correlated with increased ball velocity and forces on the elbow. Underlying biomechanical causes contributing toward excessive lean have not been well described. Previous studies outlined the importance of trunk muscle strength and endurance. Understanding contributing factors associated with contralateral lean and pitch velocity may be helpful in pitching performance, informing strength and conditioning protocols, and preventing injuries. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between trunk muscle endurance and flexibility, and stride foot balance with contralateral lean during pitching. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Pitching motion analysis and functional assessments were obtained. Three-dimensional motion analysis was used. Average degree of contralateral lean was 2.33° (SD = 3.66). No statistically significant relationships were identified between trunk muscle endurance, flexibility, and stride foot balance with contralateral lean; moderate negative association between contralateral lean and pitch speed (B = -0.631, p = 0.175) was identified along with negative association of ipsilateral maximum trunk rotation (r = -0.108, p = 0.208) and ipsilateral side plank (r = -0.095, p = 0.194) with contralateral lean. Contralateral lean does not appear influenced by trunk muscle endurance, flexibility, or stride foot balance, and does not increase pitch velocity in high velocity pitchers. Future study is warranted to determine why contralateral lean exists at lower pitch velocities, and not at higher velocities.

Normal values of the resistivity index of the pericallosal artery with and without compression of the anterior fontanelle.

BACKGROUND: Resistivity index (RI) of the pericallosal artery as is commonly measured during head ultrasound (US) examination in neonates. Some studies have shown that RI measured with gentle compression of the fontanelle provides additional information in cases of neonatal brain anomalies. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to establish normal RI values with and without compression in a large population of neonates with normal cranial ultrasound as a function of gestational age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors of this retrospective study reviewed the RI of 323 infants with normal gray-scale cranial US and with a gestational age ranging 26-42 weeks. We conducted the exams both with and without compression of the anterior fontanelle and we studied changes in RI depending on gestational age, gender and type of delivery. RESULTS: Infants with a gestational age of more than 35 weeks tended to have a lower RI (P=0.011). The compression of the anterior fontanelle emphasized the change in RI with increasing gestational age, with higher gestational ages having a lower RI (P<0.001). The results concerning the percentage change between baseline RI and RI with compression showed that infants with higher gestational ages have a smaller percentage change in RI (P=0.002). CONCLUSION: We established the normal values for RI from 26 weeks to 42 weeks of gestation. The results of the study show the importance of taking the gestational age into consideration when evaluating the RI.

Anomalous adrenal vein anatomy complicating the evaluation of primary hyperaldosteronism.

Adrenal vein development in utero occurs concurrently with the development of the inferior vena cava, the renal veins, and the gonadal veins. The embryologic formation of these veins involves communication of various venous systems. Although the left adrenal-renal vein complex is most commonly described as a shared emptying of the left adrenal vein and the left inferior phrenic vein into the left renal vein, there have been reports of numerous anatomic variations of this complex. In this report, we present a case of a rare variant of the left adrenal vein, in which the left adrenal vein empties into the left gonadal vein, which takes an atypical course superolateral to the left kidney.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition ameliorates Western diet-induced hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance through hepatic lipid remodeling and modulation of hepatic mitochondrial function.

Novel therapies are needed for treating the increasing prevalence of hepatic steatosis in Western populations. In this regard, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have recently been reported to attenuate the development of hepatic steatosis, but the potential mechanisms remain poorly defined. In the current study, 4-week-old C57Bl/6 mice were fed a high-fat/high-fructose Western diet (WD) or a WD containing the DPP-4 inhibitor, MK0626, for 16 weeks. The DPP-4 inhibitor prevented WD-induced hepatic steatosis and reduced hepatic insulin resistance by enhancing insulin suppression of hepatic glucose output. WD-induced accumulation of hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) content was significantly attenuated with DPP-4 inhibitor treatment. In addition, MK0626 significantly reduced mitochondrial incomplete palmitate oxidation and increased indices of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, TCA cycle flux, and hepatic TAG secretion. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibition rescued WD-induced decreases in hepatic PGC-1α and CPT-1 mRNA expression and hepatic Sirt1 protein content. Moreover, plasma uric acid levels in mice fed the WD were decreased after MK0626 treatment. These studies suggest that DPP-4 inhibition ameliorates hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance by suppressing hepatic TAG and DAG accumulation through enhanced mitochondrial carbohydrate utilization and hepatic TAG secretion/export with a concomitant reduction of uric acid production.