Evaluation of Two Simple Functional Tests to Predict Attrition from Combat Service in Female Light Infantry Soldiers.

BACKGROUND Worldwide, there is a high attrition rate, or dropout rate, from combat in trained soldiers, mainly due to musculoskeletal injuries. This study aimed to determine whether the use of an upper limb stability test, the Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test (UQYBT), and a modified version of the Ranger Test (MRT) that included a lower limb step-up endurance test, could predict attrition from combat service in female infantry soldiers. MATERIAL AND METHODS In 2015, a group of 167 newly recruited female light infantry soldiers were evaluated using the UQYBT and the MRT.

Knee position sense: does the time interval at the target angle affect position accuracy?

[Purpose] This study examined whether the interval at the target angle during knee joint position sense (JPS) affected reposition accuracy, and evaluated the consequence of this factor on test-retest reliability. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study. Reposition ability was measured after the knee was placed at a target angle (ranging from 40° to 60°) for intervals of 3, 6, 9, and 12 seconds, in randomized order.

Comparative analysis of the antioxidant properties of Icelandic and Hawaiian lichens.

Antioxidant activity of symbiotic organisms known as lichens is an intriguing field of research because of its strong contribution to their ability to withstand extremes of physical and biological stress (e.g. desiccation, temperature, UV radiation and microbial infection).

The importance of 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for reference standard validation in analytical sciences.

This paper highlights the importance of recording at least a (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum to verify identity of standards used in analyses of organic materials irrespective of source. We show the importance of this approach with an example of a quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) study undertaken with green tea extracts that required the use of several polyphenols as standards. In the course of the study one of these standards [(-)-epigallocatechin, EGC], although having the physical appearance and appropriate HPLC chromatographic behavior of EGC, proved by (1)H-NMR to be a completely different class of molecule.

Antioxidant activity of Hawaiian marine algae.

Marine algae are known to contain a wide variety of bioactive compounds, many of which have commercial applications in pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, nutraceutical, food and agricultural industries. Natural antioxidants, found in many algae, are important bioactive compounds that play an important role against various diseases and ageing processes through protection of cells from oxidative damage. In this respect, relatively little is known about the bioactivity of Hawaiian algae that could be a potential natural source of such antioxidants.