Agreement in extreme precipitation exposure assessment is modified by race and social vulnerability.

Epidemiologic investigations of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) often rely on observations from the nearest weather station to represent individuals' exposures, and due to structural factors that determine the siting of weather stations, levels of measurement error and misclassification bias may differ by race, class, and other measures of social vulnerability. Gridded climate datasets provide higher spatial resolution that may improve measurement error and misclassification bias. However, similarities in the ability to identify EPEs among these types of datasets have not been explored.

Demographic and Geographic Characterization of Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Baltimore City, Maryland, March 2020 to March 2021.

Estimates of excess mortality can provide insight into direct and indirect impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic beyond deaths specifically attributed to COVID-19. We analyzed death certificate data from Baltimore City, Maryland, from March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, and found that 1,725 individuals (95% confidence interval: 1,495, 1,954) died in excess of what was expected from all-cause mortality trends in 2016-2019; 1,050 (61%) excess deaths were attributed to COVID-19. Observed mortality was 23%-32% higher than expected among individuals aged 50 years and older.

An intersectional analysis of historical and contemporary structural racism on non-fatal shootings in Baltimore, Maryland.

Non-fatal shooting rates vary tremendously within cities in the USA. Factors related to structural racism (both historical and contemporary) could help explain differences in non-fatal shooting rates at the neighbourhood level. Most research assessing the relationship between structural racism and firearm violence only includes one dimension of structural racism.

Extreme Precipitation Events and Infectious Disease Risk: A Scoping Review and Framework for Infectious Respiratory Viruses.

Extreme precipitation events (EPE) change the natural and built environments and alter human behavior in ways that facilitate infectious disease transmission. EPEs are expected with high confidence to increase in frequency and are thus of great public health importance. This scoping review seeks to summarize the mechanisms and severity of impacts of EPEs on infectious diseases, to provide a conceptual framework for the influence of EPEs on infectious respiratory diseases, and to define areas of future study currently lacking in this field.

How prepared is Mozambique to treat COVID-19 patients? A new approach for estimating oxygen service availability, oxygen treatment capacity, and population access to oxygen-ready treatment facilities.

Background: This study aims to assess the COVID-19 response preparedness of the Mozambican health system by 1) determining the location of oxygen-ready public health facilities, 2) estimating the oxygen treatment capacity, and 3) determining the population coverage of oxygen-ready health facilities in Mozambique.

Methods: This analysis utilizes information on the availability of oxygen sources and delivery apparatuses to determine if a health facility is ready to deliver oxygen therapy to patients in need, and estimates how many patients can be treated with continuous oxygen flow for a 7-day period based on the available oxygen equipment at health facilities. Using GIS mapping software, the study team modeled varying travel times to oxygen-ready facilities to estimate the proportion of the population with access to care.

A spatial analysis of climate gentrification in Orleans Parish, Louisiana post-Hurricane Katrina.

Background: Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm in August 2005. Storm surges, levee failures, and the low-lying nature of New Orleans led to widespread flooding, damage to over 70% of occupied housing, and evacuation of 80-90% of city residents. Only 57% of the city's black population has returned.

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair With Collagen-Dipped FiberTape Augmentation in Overhead-Throwing Athletes.

Background: There has been a renewed interest in ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair in overhead athletes because of a greater understanding of UCL injuries, an improvement in fixation technology, and the extensive rehabilitation time to return to play.

Purpose/hypothesis: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of a novel technique of UCL repair with internal brace augmentation in overhead throwers.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Fastball Velocity and Elbow-Varus Torque in Professional Baseball Pitchers.

Context: High loads in the elbow during baseball pitching can lead to serious injuries, including injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament. These injuries have substantial implications for individual pitchers and their teams, especially at the professional level of competition. With a trend toward increased ball velocity in professional baseball, controversy still exists regarding the strength of the relationship between ball velocity and elbow-varus torque.

Athletic Pubalgia Secondary to Rectus Abdominis-Adductor Longus Aponeurotic Plate Injury: Diagnosis, Management, and Operative Treatment of 100 Competitive Athletes.

Background: A rectus abdominis-adductor longus (RA-AL) aponeurotic plate injury, commonly associated with athletic pubalgia, sports hernia, or a core muscle injury, causes significant dysfunction in athletes. Increased recognition of this specific injury distinct from inguinal hernia abnormalities has led to better management of this debilitating condition.

Hypothesis: Surgical repair of RA-AL aponeurotic plate injuries will result in decreased symptoms and high rates of return to play.

Effect of a 6-Week Weighted Baseball Throwing Program on Pitch Velocity, Pitching Arm Biomechanics, Passive Range of Motion, and Injury Rates.

Background: Emphasis on enhancing baseball pitch velocity has become popular, especially through weighted-ball throwing. However, little is known about the physical effects or safety of these programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training with weighted baseballs on pitch velocity, passive range of motion (PROM), muscle strength, elbow torque, and injury rates.

Incidence of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Surgery in Collegiate Baseball Players.

Background: Recent reports have highlighted the progressive increase in the incidence of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries to the elbow in baseball players of all levels. However, knowledge of the incidence and other epidemiological factors regarding UCL injuries, specifically in college baseball players, is currently lacking.

Purpose: To evaluate, over a period of 1 year, the incidence of UCL injuries requiring surgery in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I baseball programs.

Kinematic and kinetic differences between left-and right-handed professional baseball pitchers.

While 10% of the general population is left-handed, 27% of professional baseball pitchers are left-handed. Biomechanical differences between left- and right-handed college pitchers have been previously reported, but these differences have yet to be examined at the professional level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare pitching biomechanics between left- and right-handed professional pitchers.

Changes in Youth Baseball Pitching Biomechanics: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study.

Background: Pitching biomechanics are associated with performance and risk of injury in baseball. Previous studies have identified biomechanical differences between youth and adult pitchers but have not investigated changes within individual young pitchers as they mature.

Hypothesis: Pitching kinematics and kinetics will change significantly during a youth pitcher's career.

Return to Play and Outcomes in Baseball Players After Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior Repairs.

Background: Few studies have documented the outcomes of superior labral anterior-posterior (SLAP) repairs in baseball players. Furthermore, the results of these previous studies varied widely and were based on small numbers of patients. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose was to report return-to-play (RTP) rates and validated subjective outcome scores for baseball players after SLAP repair.

Do baseball pitchers improve mechanics after biomechanical evaluations?

The purpose of this study was to determine how often flaws in pitching mechanics identified from biomechanical analysis are corrected. The biomechanics of 46 baseball pitchers were evaluated twice, with an average of 12 months (range 2-48 months) between evaluations. Pitchers were healthy at the time of both evaluations, competing at the high school, college, minor league or Major League level.

Return to Play and Decreased Performance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in National Football League Defensive Players.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur commonly in football. Recent work has reported ACL reconstruction (ACLR) as one of several orthopaedic procedures with unfavorable outcomes for professional athletes. The performance impact to defensive players after surgery has not been quantified.

Biomechanical Analysis of Weighted-Ball Exercises for Baseball Pitchers.

Background: Weighted-ball throwing programs are commonly used in training baseball pitchers to increase ball velocity. The purpose of this study was to compare kinematics and kinetics among weighted-ball exercises with values from standard pitching (ie, pitching standard 5-oz baseballs from a mound).

Hypothesis: Ball and arm velocities would be greater with lighter balls and joint kinetics would be greater with heavier balls.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Conditions in Tennis-Teaching Professionals.

Background: Tennis-teaching professionals represent a significant proportion of all avid tennis players worldwide, with 15,000 belonging to the largest professional organization, the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). However, there is no epidemiologic study to date reporting the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in these tennis-teaching professionals.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in tennis-teaching professionals following the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) guidelines for epidemiologic studies.

Injuries in an Extreme Conditioning Program.

Background: Extreme conditioning programs (ECPs) are fitness training regimens relying on aerobic, plyometric, and resistance training exercises, often with high levels of intensity for a short duration of time. These programs have grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, but science describing the safety profile of these programs is lacking.

Hypothesis: The rate of injury in the extreme conditioning program is greater than the injury rate of weightlifting and the majority of injuries occur to the shoulder and back.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Baseball Players.

Purpose: To determine common mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in baseball players and to quantify the rate of return to play after primary surgical reconstruction and review intermediate clinical outcomes.

Methods: Surgical injuries involving the ACL in youth, high school, collegiate, and professional baseball players were queried for an 11-year period (2001 to 2011). Over the study period, 42 baseball players were identified who had undergone arthroscopically assisted primary ACL reconstruction by 1 of 3 attending surgeons.

Differences among fastball, curveball, and change-up pitching biomechanics across various levels of baseball.

Controversy continues whether curveballs are stressful for young baseball pitchers. Furthermore, it is unproven whether professional baseball pitchers have fewer kinematic differences between fastballs and off-speed pitches than lower level pitchers. Kinematic and kinetic data were measured for 111 healthy baseball pitchers (26 youth, 21 high school, 20 collegiate, 26 minor league, and 18 major league level) throwing fastballs, curveballs, and change-ups in an indoor biomechanics laboratory with a high-speed, automated digitising system.

Symptomatic Heterotopic Ossification After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: Clinical Significance and Treatment Outcome.

Background: Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is an increasingly common procedure being performed in overhead throwing athletes. Recently, postoperative imaging has revealed the presence of heterotopic ossification (HO) in symptomatic patients.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of symptomatic HO after UCL reconstruction as well as the clinical outcomes after nonoperative or operative treatment of HO.

The effects of baseball bat mass properties on swing mechanics, ground reaction forces, and swing timing.

Swing trajectory and ground reaction forces (GRF) of 30 collegiate baseball batters hitting a pitched ball were compared between a standard bat, a bat with extra weight about its barrel, and a bat with extra weight in its handle. It was hypothesised that when compared to a standard bat, only a handle-weighted bat would produce equivalent bat kinematics. It was also hypothesised that hitters would not produce equivalent GRFs for each weighted bat, but would maintain equivalent timing when compared to a standard bat.

Return to play following metacarpal fractures in football players.

Background: Metacarpal fractures are common in football players and lead to time away from competition, but current operative treatment data is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine demographics and outcomes of football players who underwent operative fixation for metacarpal fractures.

Methods: Retrospective review from 2009 to 2012 of any football player surgically treated at one institution for a metacarpal fracture.