Effects of open and closed kinetic chains of sling exercise therapy on the muscle activity of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis.

[Purpose] The muscle strength of the quadriceps muscle is critical in patellofemoral pain syndrome. The quadriceps muscle supplies the power for dynamic patellar movement, and the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) enable the patella to stabilize during tracking. We followed the theories about open and closed kinetic chain exercises to design two exercises, sling open chain knee extension (SOCKE) exercise and sling closed chain knee extension (SCCKE) exercise. The purpose of our study was to research the changes in quadriceps muscle activity during both exercises. [Methods] Electromyographic analysis was used to explore the different effects of the two exercises. The MVC% was calculated for the VMO and VL during exercise for analysis. [Results] We found that the mean MVC% values of the VMO and VL during the SOCKE exercise were higher than those during the SCCKE exercise. The ratio of the VMO to VL was 1.0 ± 0.19 during the SOCKE exercise and 1.11 ± 0.15 during the SCCKE exercise. [Conclusions] The SOCKE exercise is targeted at quadriceps muscle training and has a recruitment effect on the VMO. The beneficial effect of the SOCKE exercise is better than that of the SCCKE exercise.

Copper affects virulence and diverse phenotypes of uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis.

BACKGROUND: Copper plays a role in urinary tract infection (UTI) and urinary copper content is increased during Proteus mirabilis UTI. We therefore investigated the effect of copper on uropathogenic P. mirabilis and the underlying mechanisms, focusing on the virulence associated aspects. METHODS: Mouse colonization, swarming/swimming assays, measurement of cell length, flagellin level and urease activity, adhesion/invasion assay, biofilm formation, killing by macrophages, oxidative stress susceptibility, OMPs analysis, determination of MICs and persister cell formation, RT-PCR and transcriptional reporter assay were performed. RESULTS: We found that copper-supplemented mice were more resistant to be colonized in the urinary tract, together with decreased swarming/swimming, ureases activity, expression of type VI secretion system and adhesion/invasion to urothelial cells and increased killing by macrophages of P. mirabilis at a sublethal copper level. However, bacterial biofilm formation and resistance to oxidative stress were enhanced under the same copper level. Of note, the presence of copper led to increased ciprofloxacin MIC and more persister cell formation against ampicillin. In addition, the presence of copper altered the outer membrane protein profile and triggered expression of RcsB response regulator. For the first time, we unveiled the pleiotropic effects of copper on uropathogenic P. mirabilis, especially for induction of bacterial two-component signaling system regulating fitness and virulence. CONCLUSION: The finding of copper-mediated virulence and fitness reinforced the importance of copper for prevention and therapeutic interventions against P. mirabilis infections. As such, this study could facilitate the copper-based strategies against UTI by P. mirabilis.

Muscle Activation of Vastus Medialis Oblique and Vastus Lateralis in Sling-Based Exercises in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Cross-Over Study.

Objectives. To examine what changes are caused in the activity of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) at the time of sling-based exercises in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and compare the muscular activations in patients with PFPS among the sling-based exercises. Methods. This was a cross-over study. Sling-based open and closed kinetic knee extension and hip adduction exercises were designed for PFPS, and electromyography was applied to record maximal voluntary contraction during the exercises. The VMO and VL activations and VMO : VL ratios for the three exercises were analyzed and compared. Results. Thirty male (age = 21.19 ± 0.68 y) and 30 female (age = 21.12 ± 0.74 y) patients with PFPS were recruited. VMO activations during the sling-based open and closed kinetic knee extension exercises were significantly higher (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001) than those during hip adduction exercises and VMO : VL ratio for the sling-based closed kinetic knee extension and hip adduction exercises approximated to 1. Conclusions. The sling-based closed kinetic knee extension exercise produced the highest VMO activation. It also had an appropriate VMO : VL ratio similar to sling-based hip adduction exercise and had beneficial effects on PFPS.