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As part of our evaluation of essential oils derived from Native American medicinal plants, we have obtained the essential oils of Agastache foeniculum (Pursch) Kuntze (Lamiaceae), Gaultheria procumbens L. (Ericaceae), Heliopsis helianthoides (L.) Sweet (Asteraceae), Liatris spicata (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae), Pycnanthemum incanum (L.) Michx. (Lamiaceae), Smallanthus uvedalia (L.) Mack. ex Mack. (Asteraceae), and Verbena hastata L. (Verbenaceae) by hydrodistillation. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques. The essential oil of A. foeniculum was dominated by estragole (88–93%), while methyl salicylate (91%) dominated the G. procumbens essential oil. Germacrene D was the major component in H. helianthoides (42%) and L. spicata (24%). 1,8-Cineole (31%) and α-terpineol (17%) were the main compounds in P. incanum essential oil. The essential oil of S. uvedalia showed α-pinene (24%), perillene (15%), and β-caryophyllene (17%) as major components. Verbena hastata essential oil was rich in 1-octen-3-ol (up to 29%) and palmitic acid (up to 22%). Four of these essential oils, H. helianthoides, L. spicata, P. incanum, and V. hastata, are reported for the first time. Additionally, the enantiomeric distributions of several terpenoid components have been determined.

John W Orchard, Alex Kountouris, Kevin Sims National Cricket Centre, Cricket Australia, Brisbane, Australia Background: T20 (Twenty20 or 20 over) cricket has emerged in the last decade as the most popular form of cricket (in terms of spectator attendances). International consensus cricket definitions, first published in 2005, were updated in 2016 to better reflect the rise to prominence of T20 cricket. Methods: Injury incidence and prevalence rates were calculated using the new international methods and units for elite senior male Australian cricketers over the past decade (season 2006–2007 to season 2015–2016 inclusive). Results: Over the past 10 seasons, average match injury incidence, for match time-loss injuries, was 155 injuries/1,000 days of play, with the highest daily rates in 50-over cricket, followed by 20-over cricket and First-Class matches. Annual injury incidence was 64 injuries/100 players per season, and average annual injury prevalence was 12.5% (although fast bowlers averaged 20.6%, much higher than other positions). The most common injury was the hamstring strain (seasonal incidence 8.7 injuries/100 players per season). The most prevalent injury was lumbar stress fractures (1.9% of players unavailable at all times owing to these injuries, which represents 15% of all missed playing time). Discussion: The hamstring strain has emerged from being one of the many common injuries in elite cricket a decade ago to being clearly the most common injury in the sport at the elite level. This is presumably in association with increased T20 cricket. Lumbar stress fractures in fast bowlers are still the most prevalent injury in the sport of cricket at the elite level, although these injuries are more associated with high workloads arising from the longer forms of the game. Domestic and international matches have very similar match injury incidence rates across the formats, but injury prevalence is higher in international players as they play for most of the year without a substantial off-season. Keywords: injury surveillance, incidence, prevalence, cricket, bowling

The genus Monarda (family Lamiaceae) contains 22 species of which three are native to southern Alabama, M. citriodora, M. fistulosa, and M. punctata. Several species of Monarda have been used in traditional medicines of Native Americans, and this present study is part of an ongoing project to add to our understanding of Native American pharmacopeia. Plant material from M. citriodora, M. fistulosa, and M. punctata was collected in south Alabama and the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques to determine the chemical compositions as well as enantiomeric distributions. The compounds thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and their derivatives were the primary terpenoid components found in the essential oils. The known biological activities of these compounds are consistent with the traditional uses of Monarda species to treat wounds, skin infections, colds, and fevers.

In the past, Native Americans of North America had an abundant traditional herbal legacy for treating illnesses, disorders, and wounds. Unfortunately, much of the ethnopharmacological knowledge of North American Indians has been lost due to population destruction and displacement from their native lands by European-based settlers. However, there are some sources of Native American ethnobotany remaining. In this work, we have consulted the ethnobotanical literature for members of the Asteraceae used in Cherokee and other Native American traditional medicines that are native to the southeastern United States. The aerial parts of Eupatorium serotinum, Eurybia macrophylla, Eutrochium purpureum, Polymnia canadensis, Rudbeckia laciniata, Silphium integrifolium, Smallanthus uvedalia, Solidago altissima, and Xanthium strumarium were collected from wild-growing plants in north Alabama. The plants were hydrodistilled to obtain the essential oils and the chemical compositions of the essential oils were determined by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry. The essential oils were tested for in-vitro antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The essential oil of E. serotinum showed noteworthy activity against C. neoformans with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 78 μg/mL, which can be attributed to the high concentration of cyclocolorenone in the essential oil.

Helianthus species are North American members of the Asteraceae, several of which have been used as traditional medicines by Native Americans. The aerial parts of two cultivars of Helianthus annuus, “Chianti” and “Mammoth”, and wild-growing H. strumosus, were collected from locations in north Alabama. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. The Helianthus essential oils were dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons, in particular α-pinene (50.65%, 48.91%, and 58.65%, respectively), sabinene (6.81%, 17.01%, and 1.91%, respectively), β-pinene (5.79%, 3.27%, and 4.52%, respectively), and limonene (7.2%, 7.1%, and 3.8%, respectively). The essential oils were screened against three opportunistic pathogenic fungal species, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The most sensitive fungus was C. neoformans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 78, 156, and 78 μg/mL, respectively.

RationaleFollowing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), joblessness is common but poorly understood.ObjectivesTo evaluate the timing of return to work after ARDS, and associated risk factors, lost earnings, and changes in healthcare coverage Methods: Over 12-month longitudinal follow-up, ARDS survivors from 43 U.S. ARDSNet hospitals provided employment and healthcare coverage data via structured telephone interviews. Factors associated with the timing of return to work were assessed using Fine and Gray regression analysis. Lost earnings were estimated using Bureau of Labor Statistics data.Measurements and main resultsOf 922 consenting survivors, 386 (42%) were employed before ARDS (56% male; mean ± SD age, 45 ± 13 yr), with seven dying by 12-month follow-up. Of 379 previously employed 12-month survivors, 166 (44%) were jobless at 12-month follow-up. Accounting for competing risks of death and retirement, half of enrolled and previously employed survivors returned to work by 13 weeks after hospital discharge, with 68% ever returning by 12 months. Delays in return to work were associated with longer hospitalization and older age among nonwhite survivors. Over 12-month follow-up, 274 (71%) survivors accrued lost earnings, averaging $26,949 ± $22,447 (60% of pre-ARDS annual earnings). Jobless survivors experienced a 14% (95% confidence interval, 5-22%; P = 0.002) absolute decrease in private health insurance (from 44% pre-ARDS) and a 16% (95% confidence interval, 7-24%; P

Huanglongbing disease of citrus, associated with infection by the bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (LAS), has spread rapidly in the US since 2005. Attempts to culture LAS in vitro have not yielded a consistently reproducible culture method; therefore, obtaining knowledge about the infection process is difficult. To determine conditions which sustain LAS viability, LAS inoculum obtained from seeds of fruit from infected pomelo trees (Citrus grandis ‘Mato Buntan’) was added to different media, and cell viability was monitored for several weeks using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in conjunction with ethidium monoazide (EMA). Among media tested, King’s B (K) did not support viability of LAS cells, while grapefruit juice (G) allowed LAS cells to survive in vitro for ~20 days. In media that sustained LAS viability, a reproducible biofilm-like substance was formed over time at the air-liquid interface of culture flasks and glass slides inserted in cultures. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed the biofilm contains aggregates of LAS cells, which was confirmed by qPCR. 16S rDNA libraries of the biofilm samples have been constructed and will be sequenced via Illumina next-generation sequencing to determine their bacterial composition. To elucidate why juice-based media prolongs LAS viability, the elemental nutrient compositions of the media and the biofilm were analyzed via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Compositions were compared, and specific elements, such as potassium and calcium, were more abundant in media that sustain LAS cell viability. Results will contribute to future development of a culture medium for LAS.

Background: Because the choroid plexus (CP) is uniquely suited to control the composition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), there may be therapeutic benefits to increasing the levels of biologically active proteins in CSF to modulate central nervous system (CNS) functions. To this end, we sought to identify peptides capable of ligand-mediated targeting to CP epithelial cells reasoning that they could be exploited to deliver drugs, biotherapeutics and genes to the CNS.Methods: A peptide library displayed on M13 bacteriophage was screened for ligands capable of internalizing into CP epithelial cells by incubating phage with CP explants for 2 hours at 37C and recovering particles with targeting capacity.Results: Three peptides, identified after four rounds of screening, were analyzed for specific and dose dependant binding and internalization. Binding was deemed specific because internalization was prevented by co-incubation with cognate synthetic peptides. Furthermore, after i.c.v. injection into rat brains, each peptide was found to target phage to epithelial cells in CP and to ependyma lining the ventricles.Conclusion: These data demonstrate that ligand-mediated targeting can be used as a strategy for drug delivery to the central nervous system and opens the possibility of using the choroid plexus as a portal of entry into the brain. © 2011 Gonzalez et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Background: Recent guidelines (including a special series in The Lancet) have emphasised a minimal role for imaging when assessing low back pain in adults, as the majority of patients will have non-specific findings on imaging that do not correlate well with pain. Objective: To assess whether the diagnosis of lumbar bone stress injuries in young athletes should be considered an exception to the recommendation to avoid imaging for low back pain in adults. Method: Narrative review. Results: Early lumbar bone stress injury diagnosis has been available via traditional MRI sequences (and its precursor Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)) for 25-30 years. MRI assessments using bone window sequences (such as Volumetric Interpolated Breath-hold Examination (VIBE)) have allowed a better understanding of the diagnosis and prognosis of lumbar bone stress injury in young athletes. MRI with bone sequences has allowed non-radiating scans to serially follow the healing of unilateral stress fractures. In the majority of cases, non-chronic unilateral fractures can heal; however, this takes threesix months rather than the six-ten weeks that would be the typical unloading period if using symptoms (only) as a guide. The use of MRI to provide evidence of bony healing (as opposed to fibrous union, which creates the pars defect that predisposes to further bone stress lesions) can lead to better long-term outcomes in athletes. There is evidence to flag this as a structural lesion which is both painful and, more importantly, can heal/resolve if managed correctly. Therefore it represents an important ‘specific’ diagnostic subset within adult low back pain. Conclusion: Structural (rather than functional) management of bone stress injuries in high-demand athletes, such as cricket pace bowlers, is in contrast to the recommendation of functional management for general back pain in adults. Structural management is justified when there are demonstrable superior outcomes of having better structure. Although this has not yet been shown in randomised trials of elite athletes, apparent lengthier Test cricket careers of pace bowlers who do not have pars defects suggest better athletic outcomes if bony healing is achieved. For lower demand young adults, or athletes with established bilateral pars defects, functional management may be more pragmatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]