PURPOSE To determine the effectiveness of a progressively "skating specific" periodized off-season training program on skating performance in competitive hockey players. METHODS Twenty (M = 18; F = 2) highly skilled hockey players (age 15.9 +/- 1.5 yr) completed 16 wk of standardized resistance and stability training supplemented with either off-ice simulated skating using the SkateSIM (SIM) ...

Streptococcus pneumoniae adherence to human epithelial cells (HECs) is the first step in pathogenesis leading to infections. We sought to determine the role of human antibodies against S. pneumoniae protein vaccine candidates PhtD, PcpA, and Ply in preventing adherence to lung HECs in vitro and mouse nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization in vivo. Human anti-PhtD, -PcpA, and -Ply antibodies were puri...

Streptococcus pneumoniae produces the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin (PLY), which is a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family of toxins. The CDCs recognize and bind the 3β-hydroxyl group of cholesterol at the cell surface, which initiates membrane pore formation. The cholesterol transport lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol in their outer monolayer, are potential off-pathw...

The pneumolysin toxoid, Δ6 PLY, is a prototype pneumococcal protein vaccine candidate. However, its potentially detrimental residual pro-inflammatory interactions with human neutrophils are unknown. In the current study the effects of the toxoid (8-1000 ng/ml) have been compared with those of wild-type pneumolysin (WT/PLY, 8 ng/ml) on neutrophil cytosolic Ca(2+) fluxes, generation of leukotrien...

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of plyometric and isometric training on tendon properties during ramp and ballistic contractions and muscle stiffness under passive and active conditions. Eleven subjects completed 12 weeks (3 days/week) of a unilateral training program for the plantar flexors. They performed plyometric training on one side (PLY) and isometric training on the...

high volume of waste tires, problems associated with their disposal, aesthetic problems, and the expansion and innovation of reuse of used tire products is being addressed aggressively. Chipped or shredded tires are being used for a wide variety of products, including playground covers, doormats, roadbed, fill, shoes, and aggregate substitute in septic system drainfields. This Analysis of Tire ...

A notable feature of Ly-5, among immunogenetic systems that identify glycoproteins of the cell surface and define the surface phenotype of cells according to their lineage, is that the Ly-5 locus specifies a range of molecular isoforms that distinguish cells of different stages and branches of hematopoietic development. The composition of the Ly-5 locus is of much interest in regard to how thes...

In an effort to cut through the tremendous clutter that exists in today’s advertising space, marketers have resorted to increasingly radical tactics to capture consumer attention. One such popular tactic uses explicit sexual images in advertising, even when the sexual image has little relevance to the advertised product. For example, a recent print ad campaign for Toyo Tires showed a nude femal...

Plus-sizing, or the fitting of larger diameter rims and lower profile tires to vehicles, continues to be a significant commercial force in the tire marketplace. When offering plus-size fitments to customers, many sellers simply offer “what fits” on a given vehicle. However, the various choices made by the seller, such as wheel width, wheel offset, inflation pressure, and so on, have the potenti...

We investigated the physicochemical characteristics of Aedes albopictus Skuse viz. breeding sites, by examining coconut shells, tires and plastic containers in a chikungunya affected area of Calicut, India. The study design was a cross-sectional ecological type. Thirty-four water samples were collected randomly from coconut shells, tires and plastic containers. The larvae were counted and the w...