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Introduction: There is minimal information in the literature concerning the intramachine reliability of the new Isokinetic dynamometer Con-Trex MJ, and the intermachine reproducibility of this instrument with the Cybex Norm isokinetic dynamometer.Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide some insight with regard to the reproducibility of Con-Trex MJ in measuring the knee muscle performance in flexion and extension (concentric) and to compare the variability of measurement between Con-Trex and Cybex Norm.Methods: 35 (70 legs) male subjects with no previous history of any knee pathology volunteered for the study. Intramachine reproducibility was evaluated by assessing 30 legs twice on the Con-Trex MJ, within 2 to 7 days, at angular velocities of 60 degrees, 180 degrees and 300 degrees/sec. Intermachine reproducibility was evaluated by assessing 40 legs randomly on the Con-Trex MJ and Cybex Norm within 2 to 7 days at 60 degrees and 180 degrees/sec. Coefficient of variation (CV) was used to determine the reproducibility of repeated measurements at p< 0.01. Results: Intra: The variability of measurements of Con-Trex for Peak Torque, was 5.19-5.68% for extension and 4.84-7.33% for flexion depending on the angular velocity. This is acceptable for clinical and research studies. Inter: Between the two Isokinetic devices there was a greater CV for Peak Torque ranging 7.28-9.17% for extension and 8.54-15.84% for flexion.Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, comparisons of results between the two devices may not be valid. The results for knee flexion and extension measurements at 60 degrees and 180 degrees/sec recorded with Con-Trex were consistently greater than the values recorded with the Cybex Norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is minimal information in the literature concerning the intramachine reliability of the new Isokinetic dynamometer Con-Trex MJ, and the intermachine reproducibility of this instrument with the Cybex Norm isokinetic dynamometer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide some insight with regard to the reproducibility of Con-Trex MJ in measuring the knee muscle performance in flexion and extension (concentric) and to compare the variability of measurement between Con-Trex and Cybex Norm. Methods: 35 (70 legs) male subjects with no previous history of any knee pathology volunteered for the study. Intramachine reproducibility was evaluated by assessing 30 legs twice on the Con-Trex MJ, within 2 to 7 days, at angular velocities of 60°, 180° and 300°/sec. Intermachine reproducibility was evaluated by assessing 40 legs randomly on the Con-Trex MJ and Cybex Norm within 2 to 7 days at 60° and 180°/sec. Coefficient of variation (CV) was used to determine the reproducibility of repeated measurements at $p< 0.01$. Results: Intra: The variability of measurements of Con-Trex for Peak Torque, was 5.19–5.68% for extension and 4.84–7.33% for flexion depending on the angular velocity. This is acceptable for clinical and research studies. Inter: Between the two Isokinetic devices there was a greater CV for Peak Torque ranging 7.28–9.17% for extension and 8.54–15.84% for flexion. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, comparisons of results between the two devices may not be valid. The results for knee flexion and extension measurements at 60° and 180°/sec recorded with Con-Trex were consistently greater than the values recorded with the Cybex Norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stereotypes and prejudices against patients with mental illness are widespread in many societies. The aim of the present study is to investigate such attitudes among the staff and medical students, including employees and trainees, in a general university hospital.Method: Six hundred individuals (361 employees, 231 students) completed the following questionnaires: Level of Contact Report (LCR), Authoritarianism Scale (AS), and Opinion about Mental Illness (OMI), a scale yielding five factors (social discrimination, social restriction, social care, social integration, and aetiology). Multivariate linear regression models were applied in order to search for the simultaneous effect of many variables on the scores of OMI factors.Results: An important part of the sample held negative attitudes especially concerning social discrimination and restriction of the patients. Women, older and less educated staff, nursing staff, and people scoring higher on authoritarianism were more prejudiced. Higher scores on familiarity were associated with less negative attitudes.Conclusion: The results indicate the need to develop sensitisation and training programs considering mental health topics among health service employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to investigate the efficacy of a new multibacterial species probiotic in broiler nutrition. The probiotic contained 2 Lactobacillus strains, 1 Bifidobacterium strain, 1 Enterococcus strain, and 1 Pediococcus strain. Four hundred 1-d-old male Cobb broilers were allocated in 4 experimental treatments for 6 wk. The experimental treatments received a corn-soybean basal diet and were as follows: ‘control,’ with no other additions; ‘probiotic in feed and water,’ (PFW) with probiotic administered at 1 g/kg of feed for the whole period and in water on scheduled intervals during the first 4 wk; ‘probiotic in feed,’ (PF) with probiotic in feed as in PFW; and ‘antibiotic,’ (AB) with addition of avilamycin at 2.5 mg/kg of feed. Salinomycin Na was used as a coccidiostat. Each treatment had 5 replicates of 20 broilers. Treatment effects on parameters of broiler performance and cecal microbial ecology were determined. Broiler BW, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were determined on a weekly and overall basis. Cecal microflora composition, concentration of volatile fatty acids, and activities of 5 bacterial glycolytic enzymes (α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and β-glucuronidase) were determined at the end of the experiment. Overall, treatment PFW displayed a growth-promoting effect that did not differ from AB. Overall, feed conversion ratio in treatment AB was significantly better (P ≤ 0.01) than the control treatment, whereas treatments PFW and PF were intermediate and not different from AB. Concentrations of bacteria belonging to Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., and gram-positive cocci were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in treatments PFW and PF compared with the control and AB treatments. Treatments PFW and PF had significantly higher specific activities of α-galactosidase and β-galactosidase compared with the control and AB treatments. In conclusion, probiotic treatment PFW displayed a growth-promoting effect that was comparable to avilamycin treatment. In addition, treatments PFW and PF modulated the composition and, to an extent, the activities of the cecal microflora, resulting in a significant probiotic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]