Golf in the Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Games offer exciting opportunities for athletes with an impairment to compete at the highest level with other athletes from around the globe, fostering international goodwill, inclusivity, and diversity. Golf returned to the Olympic Games in 2016; despite a significant growth in popularity for persons with physical and mental impairments, it has not been a Paralympic Games sport. The inaugural US Adaptive Open may provide a model for future Paralympic Games golf competitions.

Advancing Discovery of Snail Mucins Function and Application.

Mucins are a highly glycosylated protein family that are secreted by animals for adhesion, hydration, lubrication, and other functions. Despite their ubiquity, animal mucins are largely uncharacterized. Snails produce mucin proteins in their mucous for a wide array of biological functions, including microbial protection, adhesion and lubrication.

The Hirsch Index and Self-Citation in Academic Physiatry Among Graduate Medical Education Program Directors.

The Hirsch Index is a measure of academic productivity which captures both the quantity and quality of an author's output. A well-accepted bibliometric, the Hirsch Index still may be influenced by self-citation, which has been assessed in other medical and surgical specialties. This study aims to evaluate research output and self-citation in physiatry, establishing a benchmark for the field, in addition to identifying differences between physical medicine and rehabilitation subspecialties.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Rhode Island during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the practice of medicine. We interviewed Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist physicians providing rehabilitation services throughout Rhode Island to organize a narrative assessing the pandemic's impact on the state's rehabilitation community and the responses of its leaders. Almost half of rehabilitation providers needed to suspend their services during the initial peak of the pandemic.

Pre-clinical Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

We explored pre-clinical medical students' awareness, attitudes, and understanding of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). We conducted a survey of Brown University medical students within the first 18 months of training to determine their level of familiarity with the field of PM&R. Of the respondents, 53% understood the acronym "PM&R.

A Machine Learning Approach for Using the Postmortem Skin Microbiome to Estimate the Postmortem Interval.

Research on the human microbiome, the microbiota that live in, on, and around the human person, has revolutionized our understanding of the complex interactions between microbial life and human health and disease. The microbiome may also provide a valuable tool in forensic death investigations by helping to reveal the postmortem interval (PMI) of a decedent that is discovered after an unknown amount of time since death. Current methods of estimating PMI for cadavers discovered in uncontrolled, unstudied environments have substantial limitations, some of which may be overcome through the use of microbial indicators.

Myeloid Zinc Finger 1 (MZF-1) Regulates Expression of the CCN2/CTGF and CCN3/NOV Genes in the Hematopoietic Compartment.

Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CCN2/CTGF) and Nephroblastoma Overexpressed (CCN3/NOV) execute key functions within the hematopoietic compartment. Both are abundant in the bone marrow stroma, which is a niche for hematopoiesis and supports marrow function. Roles for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) and all-trans retinoic acid in the bone marrow have also been elucidated.

Golf in the United States: an evolution of accessibility.

Golf affords physical and psychological benefits to persons who are physically challenged. Advances in adaptive technology, changes in golf course design, and rules modifications have enabled persons with neurological, musculoskeletal, and other impairments to play golf at a recreational, elite amateur, or professional level. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been cited in both federal and US Supreme Court rulings that have improved access for physically challenged golfers.

Golf injuries and rehabilitation.

There are more than 25 million golfers in the united States, and many have an injury related to golf. Low back injuries are the most common golf injuries, followed by elbow injuries. Successful treatment of golf injuries often includes modification of the golf swing.

Healthy swing: a golf rehabilitation model.

Objective: To describe a rehabilitation model using a multidisciplinary team approach for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with golf injuries or physically challenged persons desiring to play golf.

Design: A retrospective, descriptive study of a multidisciplinary golf rehabilitation program that included evaluation by a physiatrist, a physical therapist, and a Professional Golf Association golf professional.

Results: A total of 145 individuals were treated in this program between 1994 and 1997.

Disability evaluation of extremity fractures.

Most fractures heal with restoration of bone and joint function. Disability is generally temporary in these instances, and there is no permanent impairment to be rated in the majority of cases. However, multiple complications can occur that can lead to loss of skeletal function, restricted range of motion, and associated soft tissue injuries, and neurovascular damage can dramatically and severely compromise function and performance.

Thoracic outlet syndrome.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is an often misdiagnosed cause of neck, shoulder, and arm disability. Neurovascular compression may be seen in the interscalene triangle, costoclavicular space, or posterior to the pectoralis minor, although any cause of abnormalities of shoulder girdle alignment may cause a localized area of brachial plexus compression. Nerve compression in this way may lead to upper extremity weakness, pain, paresthesias, and numbness.

The clinical management of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic diffuse muscular aches, fatigue and poor sleep; it affects nearly three million individuals in the United States alone, predominantly younger women. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires adherence to the American College of Rheumatology criteria and the exclusion of secondary causes and systemic diseases. Treatment with sleep cycle regulators, NSAIDs, and light aerobic exercise is usually helpful.

The piriformis syndrome.

Piriformis syndrome is an often misdiagnosed cause of sciatica, leg, or buttock pain, and disability. The sciatic nerve may be compressed within the buttock by the piriformis muscle, with pain increased by muscular contraction, palpation, or prolonged sitting. A thorough medical history and physical examination are essential to proper diagnosis.

Standard v lightweight wheelchair propulsion in spinal cord injured patients.

Twenty-six male SCI subjects (six quadriplegics, eight "high paraplegics," and 12 "low paraplegics") propelled both standard and lightweight wheelchairs at a "sprint pace" (Sp) for 400 feet, and at a "duration pace" (Du) for four continuous minutes. Pulse, blood pressure and respirations were measured before and after each trial, and V was calculated. Appropriate training and rest periods were given; order of wheelchair testing was randomized.

Correlation of chronic low-back pain behavior and muscle function examination of the flexion-relaxation response.

The relationship between videotape ratings of pain behavior and the flexion-relaxation phenomenon was evaluated in a sample of 39 chronic low-back pain patients. The results showed that guarded movement explained approximately 27% of the variability in the flexion-relaxation phenomenon, adjusting for pain intensity rating. There were no significant differences in sex observed.

The evolution of an acute care hospital unit to a DRG-exempt rehabilitation unit. A preliminary communication.

The Health Care Financing Administration's decision to adopt a prospective based payment system has caused many institutions to implement new policies and practices. A recent area of interest for many hospitals has been the creation of diagnosis-related group (DRG) exempt units to maximize reimbursement practices. We analyzed changes which occurred when an eight bed acute care stroke unit (SU) was converted to a DRG exempt eight bed rehabilitation unit (RU).