Choosing the right imaging method in muscle hernias: musculoskeletal ultrasonography

Muscle hernia (MH) is a focal protrusion of muscle into the overlying subcutaneous tissue through an acquired or congenital facial defect. Herniation in the thigh muscles is not common and there are limited reports evaluating this pathology using ultrasonography (US). A 28-year-old amateur football player presented with a palpable mass on the anterior aspect of his right thigh. Sonographic examination demonstrated a MH through a fascial defect, which is called mushroom appearance. Based on the clinical and sonographic findings, the diagnosis of a MH in the rectus femoris muscle was established. Today, there is no doubt anymore on the role of musculoskeletal US in the field of sports injuries. Therefore, with its various advantages (non-invasive, practical and convenient, inexpensive, etc.), US is the key imaging method in the diagnosis of MHs.     

Effect of Sodium Chloride on Efficiency of Cisplatinum Dissolved in Dimethyl Sulfoxide: An In Vitro Study

Cisplatinum (Cispt) is an anti-cancer drug with a low level of solubility. One of Cispt’s solvents is dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) which can be substituted with chlorine of drug as Cispt’s solvent. Applying such a solvent in biological studies is impossible due to intense reduction in activity. On the other hand, it is specified that Cispt’s stability is increased in aqueous media by increasing sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration up to 0.9 %. Consequently, we intended to study the effect of DMSO on cytotoxicity of Cispt in presence of sodium. MTT assay was employed to study cytotoxicity effect of Cispt + NaCl + DMSO and Cispt + DMSO on G-292 cell line. Cytotoxicity in dilutions of 300 and 9 (p < 0.01) of Cispt in Cispt + NaCl + DMSO formulation was equal to 78 and 7 %. These values were estimated 79 and 18 % for Cispt + DMSO formulation and 79 and 24 % for free drug. IC50 values demonstrated reduction of 45 % in cytotoxicity of Cispt in Cispt + DMSO formulation. Studying chemical structure of Cispt and Cispt dissolved in DMSO showed that NaCl cannot inhibit inactivating effect of DMSO on Cispt and effect of this solvent on Cispt is independent from presence of NaCl. Results represented that using NaCl does not result in stability and keeping cytotoxicity properties of Cispt in DMSO. Findings suggest more studies for using DMSO as a solvent of Cispt.     

Changes in organisation of instep kicking as a function of wearing compression and textured materials

This study investigated effects of wearing compression garments and textured insoles on modes of movement organisation emerging during performance of lower limb interceptive actions in association football. Participants were six skilled (age?=?15.67?±?0.74 years) and six less-skilled (age?=?15.17?±?1.1 years) football players. All participants performed 20 instep kicks with maximum velocity in four randomly organised insoles and socks conditions, (a) Smooth Socks with Smooth Insoles (SSSI); (b) Smooth Socks with Textured Insoles (SSTI); (c) Compression Socks with Smooth Insoles (CSSI); and (d), Compression Socks with Textured Insoles (CSTI). Results showed that, when wearing textured and compression materials (CSSI condition), less-skilled participants displayed significantly greater hip extension and flexion towards the ball contact phase, indicating larger ranges of motion in the kicking limb than in other conditions. Less-skilled participants also demonstrated greater variability in knee–ankle intralimb (angle–angle plots) coordination modes in the CSTI condition. Findings suggested that use of textured and compression materials increased attunement to somatosensory information from lower limb movement, to regulate performance of dynamic interceptive actions like kicking, especially in less-skilled individuals.     

Impact of the educational use of Facebook group on the high school students’ proper usage of language

This study examines impact of the educational use of Facebook group on the high school students’ proper usage of language. The study included thirty students who attend 11th grade in a high school in Trabzon, Turkey. Firstly, preliminary data about Facebook usage of students were obtained to understand the factors that motivate students to use Facebook and whether they use them for the educational purpose or not. Then, a Facebook group was created, in which a literature teacher was assigned as the guide of the group. This study lasted twelve weeks. The students’ assignments such as compositions, poems, and vignettes, discussions, the teacher’s views and observation, data from the interviews with participants were analyzed in this study. Results from this study indicated that that Facebook group was effective on issues such as development of writing abilities of students, communication and cooperation between teacher and students, and cooperation and communication among students. The original idea for this research was to determine that proper usage of language can be improved in social context if Facebook group is created as a flexible online community with interactive and reflective activities, effective tool of sharing and communication. This study demonstrates how Facebook can successfully be used in educational environment appropriately.     

“Dancing” Together: Infant–Mother Locomotor Synchrony

Pre-mobile infants and caregivers spontaneously engage in a sequence of contingent facial expressions and vocalizations that researchers have referred to as a social “dance.” Does this dance continue when both partners are free to move across the floor? Locomotor synchrony was assessed in 13- to 19-month-old infant–mother dyads (N = 30) by tracking each partner’s step-to-step location during free play. Although infants moved more than mothers, dyads spontaneously synchronized their locomotor activity. For 27 dyads, the spatiotemporal path of one partner uniquely identified the path of the other. Clustering analyses revealed two patterns of synchrony (mother-follow and yo-yo), and infants were more likely than mothers to lead the dance. Like face-to-face synchrony, locomotor synchrony scaffolds infants’ interactions with the outside world.