Decoding the elite soccer player's psychological profile.

Soccer is arguably the most widely followed sport worldwide, and many dream of becoming soccer players. However, only a few manage to achieve this dream, which has cast a significant spotlight on elite soccer players who possess exceptional skills to rise above the rest. Originally, such attention was focused on their great physical abilities.

Rehabilitation of Annular Pulley Injuries of the Fingers in Climbers: A Clinical Commentary.

The annular pulley ligaments of the fingers are one of the most injured anatomical structures in those who participate in climbing. Despite this, there is a paucity of guidance clearly describing the rehabilitation and physical preparation parameters to return to sport following such injuries. The foundation of effective rehabilitation is the judicious application of progressive loading to increase the morphological and material properties of the damaged tissues.

El Niño driven haze over the Southern Malaysian Peninsula and Borneo.

The Southeast Asian (SEA) region is no stranger to forest fires - the region has been suffering from severe air pollution (known locally as 'haze') as a result of these fires, for decades. The fires in SEA region are caused by a combination of natural (the El Niño weather pattern) and manmade (slash-and-burn and land clearing for plantations) factors. These fires cause the emissions of toxic aerosols and pollutants that can affect millions of people in the region.

Perspectives of preschool children in England with speech and language needs in the development of evidence-based activities.

Background: The existing evidence is limited in terms of perspectives of preschool children with speech and language needs and their views on activities used to support their needs. This paper discusses a stream of work from the interdisciplinary research programme known as "Child Talk," based in England, UK. The overall purpose of this work stream was to gain the perspectives of preschool children aged 2 to 5 years and 11 months, with speech and language needs, to use in the development of an evidence-based framework of activities.

Total Protein Concentration and Tumor Necrosis Factor α in Tears of Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Significance: Total protein concentration (TPC) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) concentration in tears are correlated with severity of retinopathy. However, minimal data are available in the literature for investigating tear TPC and TNF-α concentrations in Asian individuals with different severity of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Purpose: This study evaluated differences of TPC and TNF-α concentrations in tears at different severity of NPDR among participants with diabetes in comparison with normal participants.

Ground reaction force, spinal kinematics and their relationship to lower back pain and injury in cricket fast bowling: A review.

Background: Fast bowlers display a high risk of lower back injury and pain. Studies report factors that may increase this risk, however exact mechanisms remain unclear.

Objective: To provide a contemporary analysis of literature, up to April 2016, regarding fast bowling, spinal kinematics, ground reaction force (GRF), lower back pain (LBP) and pathology.

Are shoulder counter rotation and hip shoulder separation angle representative metrics of three-dimensional spinal kinematics in cricket fast bowling?

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between shoulder counter-rotation (SCR), hip shoulder separation (HSS) and three-dimensional spinal kinematics during fast bowling in cricket. Thirty five elite male fast bowlers were analysed using three-dimensional inertial sensors on the spine. Lumbar, thoracic and thoracolumbar kinematics were determined during the delivery stride.

Women's dietary changes before and during pregnancy: A systematic review.

Background: dietary intake before and during pregnancy has significant health outcomes for both mother and child, including a healthy gestational weight gain. To ensure effective interventions are successfully developed to improve dietary intake during pregnancy, it is important to understand what dietary changes pregnant women make without intervention.

Aims: to systematically identify and review studies examining women's dietary changes before and during pregnancy and to identify characteristics of the women making these changes.

Evaluation of the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay and microscopy for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Namibia.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) kills approximately two million people and infects around nine million worldwide annually. Its proper management, especially in resource-limited settings, has been hindered by the lack of rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic tests. Sputum smear microscopy remains the cheapest, readily available diagnostic method but it only identifies less than half of the patients with a HIV/TB co-infection because the bacilli would have disseminated from the lungs to other areas of the body.

Impact of Age and Sex on CD4+ Cell Count Trajectories following Treatment Initiation: An Analysis of the Tanzanian HIV Treatment Database.

Objective: New guidelines recommend that all HIV-infected individuals initiate antiretroviral treatment (ART) immediately following diagnosis. This study describes how immune reconstitution varies by gender and age to help identify poorly reconstituting subgroups and inform targeted testing initiatives.

Design: Longitudinal data from the outpatient monitoring system of the National AIDS Control Program in Tanzania.

Antigenic distribution of Streptococcus agalactiae isolates from pregnant women at Garankuwa hospital - South Africa.

Introduction: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus; GBS) is globally recognised as one of the leading causes of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. It also causes adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth and miscarriages. Incidence of invasive disease is increasing in non-pregnant adults with underlying medical conditions (e.

Antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women in Garankuwa, South Africa.

Background: This study was undertaken to determine the susceptibility profile and the mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Group B streptococcus (GBS) isolates detected in vaginal and rectal swabs from pregnant women attending Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, a University Teaching Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

Methods: The samples were collected over an 11-month period, cultured on selective media (colistin and nalidixic acid agar and Todd-Hewitt broth), and GBS positively identified by using different morphological and biochemical tests. The susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer and E test methods according to CLSI guidelines 2012.

Interaction of Moringa oleifera seed protein with a mineral surface and the influence of surfactants.

The paper describes the adsorption of purified protein from seeds of Moringa oleifera to a sapphire interface and the effects of addition of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Neutron reflection was used to determine the structure and composition of interfacial layers adsorbed at the solid/solution interface. The maximum surface excess of protein was found to be about 5.

Physiological Responses Associated with Nordic-walking training in Systolic Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women.

Loss of physical strength and hypertension are among the most pronounced detrimental factors accompanying aging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a supervised 8-week Nordic-walking training program on systolic blood pressure in systolic-hypertensive postmenopausal women. This study was a randomized control trial on a sample of 24 subjects who did not take any hypertension medications.

Supplementation with Silk Amino Acids improves physiological parameters defining stamina in elite fin-swimmers.

Background: Previous animal study has shown that supplementation with silk amino acid hydrolysate (SAA) increases stamina in mice. The presented study was the first formal evaluation of the influence of SAA supplementation on parameters defining physiological fitness level in humans.

Methods: It was a randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design on elite male fin-swimmers.

Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis, hepatitis B and C in blood donations in Namibia.

Background: Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs) such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), syphilis, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are infections which are common in some communities in Southern Africa. It is important to screen blood donations for these infections.

Methods: This is a retrospective study which involved reviewing of previous blood donation records for the year 2012 in Namibia.

Risk assessment of flavivirus transmission in Namibia.

The role of arboviruses causing acute febrile illness in sub-Saharan Africa is receiving more attention. Reports of dengue in tourists were published nearly 10 years ago in Namibia, but the current epidemiology of arboviruses is unknown and surveys of mosquito vectors have not been carried out since the 1950s. To begin addressing this knowledge gap, a prospective cross-sectional study was conducted using samples from volunteer blood donors linked to questionnaire.

Measles laboratory-based surveillance in Zimbabwe during 2004-2009.

Introduction: Zimbabwe has for a long time satisfied measles elimination criteria according to the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) measles surveillance standards. In this elimination phase laboratory based surveillance becomes critical as it gives evidence on the interruption of transmission of measles virus in the country hence the performance of the laboratory has to be monitored.

Methods: This retrospective study assesses measles laboratory performance in Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2009 by monitoring laboratory surveillance quality indicators against predefined WHO indicators.

Mosquito ingestion of antibodies against mosquito midgut microbiota improves conversion of ookinetes to oocysts for Plasmodium falciparum, but not P. yoelii.

The mosquito midgut is a site of complex interactions between the mosquito, the malaria parasite and the resident bacterial flora. In laboratory experiments, we observed significant enhancement of Plasmodium falciparum oocyst production when Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes were membrane-fed on infected blood containing gametocytes from in vitro cultures mixed with sera from rabbits immunized with A. gambiae midguts.

Obesity and chronic disease: always offender or often just accomplice?

Over a decade ago, the finding of a form of low-grade systemic inflammation ('metaflammation') associated with obesity, insulin resistance and chronic disease proffered a causal explanation for the latter. However, recent work has shown that metaflammation is also associated with several modern lifestyle-related and environmental inducers, with or without obesity. Here, we present accumulating data to show a link between metaflammation and a number of non-microbial environmental and lifestyle stimulants, both with and without obesity.

Specialist practice and the professional project for nursing.

This article examines the implications of the UKCC's (1994) decision to determine a sphere of practice for specialist practitioners. It coincides with the move towards professional status within nursing. It is argued that a specialization strategy for nursing has obvious advantages for those who wish nursing to be successful in its professionalization.

Immobilization of BSA, enzymes and cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus onto cellulose, polygalacturonic acid and starch based graft copolymers containing maleic anhydride.

Poly(maleic anhydride styrene) graft copolymers of cellulose, pectin polygalacturonic acid salt, calcium polygalacturonate, and starch were prepared and used to immobilize proteins. The cellulose grafts coupled quite appreciable quantities of acid phosphatase, glucose oxidase, and trypsin. However, the general retention of activity was somewhat disappointing.

The separation and determination of fatty acids by isotopic dilution and radiogas-liquid chromatography.

A number of static phases have been evaluated for the GLC separation of fatty acids. Of those investigated, only AT 1200 was capable of resolving the isomeric forms of the acids. A radiogas-liquid chromatographic method incorporating isotopic dilution analysis has been developed for the determination of n-butyric acid.