Video recordings are used to quantitatively analyze pitchers' techniques. However, reliability and validity of such analysis is unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate the reliability and validity of joint and segment angles identified during a pitching motion using video analysis. Thirty high school baseball pitchers participated. The pitching motion was captured using 2 high-speed video cameras and a motion capture system. Two raters reviewed the videos to digitize the body segments to calculate 2-dimensional angles. The corresponding 3-dimensional angles were calculated from the motion capture data. Intrarater reliability, interrater reliability, and validity of the 2-dimensional angles were determined. The intrarater and interrater reliability of the 2-dimensional angles were high for most variables. The trunk contralateral flexion at maximum external rotation was the only variable with high validity. Trunk contralateral flexion at ball release, trunk forward flexion at foot contact and ball release, shoulder elevation angle at foot contact, and maximum shoulder external rotation had moderate validity. Two-dimensional angles at the shoulder, elbow, and trunk could be measured with high reliability. However, the angles are not necessarily anatomically correct, and thus use of quantitative video analysis should be limited to angles that can be measured with good validity.

Excessive CLT may be a strategy that young pitchers learn to achieve higher ball velocity but also may be associated with imbalance between the oblique muscles on dominant and nondominant side, which may be acquired from repetitive pitching. Strengthening and emphasizing the use of dominant side oblique muscles may keep pitchers from leaning excessively during pitching and thus decrease joint loading.

O-Acetylserine (thiol)-lyase (cysteine synthase) was purified from Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. After hydrolysis of the purified protein, amino acid sequences of five peptides were obtained, which permitted the cloning and sequencing of the cysK gene. The deduced amino acid sequence of cysteine synthase exhibited homology with several putative proteins from Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria. Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 cysK exhibited 58% identity (72% similarity) with Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium cysteine synthase proteins. An E. coli auxotroph lacking cysteine synthase loci could be complemented with A. brasilense Sp7 cysK. The 3.0-kb HindIII-EcoRI fragment bearing cysK contained two additional ORFs encoding a putative transcriptional regulator and dUTPase. Insertional disruption of the cysK gene did not produce a cysteine auxotroph, indicating that gene redundancy in the cysteine biosynthetic or other biosynthetic pathways exists in Azospirillum, as already described in other bacteria. Nitrogen fixation was not altered in the mutant strain as determined by acetylene reduction. However, this strain showed an eight-fold reduction in tellurite resistance as compared to the wild-type strain, which was only observed during growth in minimal medium. These data confirm earlier observations regarding the importance of cysteine metabolism in tellurite resistance.

Abbreviations: ROM, range of motion; IR, internal rotation; ER, external rotation; DASH, disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand; SPADI, shoulder pain and disability index IntroductionIn the United States, the prevalence of diabetes has increased from 5.5% to 9.3% within past decades 1 with the disease currently affecting 29.1 million people.2 Diabetes is commonly associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease and long-term negative effects on various organs in the body such as kidneys and eyes.3 However, diabetes has also been shown to affect the musculoskeletal system. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Diabetics are four times more likely to have musculoskeletal disorders compared to non-diabetics 6 with the shoulder being one of the joints most affected by the disease. 10 Previous studies show that diabetics have higher prevalence of shoulder pain and injuries compared to non-diabetics. 6,7,[10][11][12][13][14] Specifically, diabetics are 3-9 times more likely to have frozen capsulitis and 5 times more likely to have rotator cuff tears compared to non-diabetics. 4,12,15 Additionally, diabetics are reported to have thickened supraspinatus and biceps tendons 16 along with decreased ROM in shoulder abduction and flexion 4,5 an impaired tendon-bone healing capacity 17 and difficulty regaining range of motion (ROM) after a surgery. 18,19 The musculoskeletal symptoms described above are attributed to mechanical changes in connective tissue due to formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). 4 The AGEs are formed from a reaction that occurs from bonding of sugar and amino acid. 4 The AGEs cause increased crosslinking between collagen fibers and increase stiffness and brittleness of the connective tissue. This change in mechanical property makes the tissue more susceptible to failure under stress. 20While accumulation of AGEs naturally occurs with aging, the process is accelerated in diabetics due to high blood glucose concentration and decreased peripheral blood flow. 4 The insertion of the rotator cuff on the greater tubercle corresponds to an area of poor blood supply [21][22][23] which may further contribute to accumulation of AGEs.Stretching and strengthening exercises focused on improving rotator cuff strength and restoring balance between the muscles that stabilize and rotate scapula are used in prevention and treatment of shoulder pain. [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Effectiveness of this approach has been demonstrated in both healthy individuals and patients with various shoulder injuries. Despite the increased prevalence of shoulder pain among diabetics, there has only been one study that examined the effect of a physiotherapy program specifically in this population. 29 The study demonstrated that implementation of a physiotherapy program resulted in decreased pain level and improved shoulder function in diabetic patients who had shoulder pain. 29 However, this study did not have a comparison group without diabetes; therefore it is unknown how changes in tissue property caused by diabetes moderates...

Abbreviations: ROM, range of motion; IR, internal rotation; ER, external rotation; DASH, disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand; SPADI, shoulder pain and disability index IntroductionIn the United States, the prevalence of diabetes has increased from 5.5% to 9.3% within past decades 1 with the disease currently affecting 29.1 million people.2 Diabetes is commonly associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease and long-term negative effects on various organs in the body such as kidneys and eyes.3 However, diabetes has also been shown to affect the musculoskeletal system. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Diabetics are four times more likely to have musculoskeletal disorders compared to non-diabetics 6 with the shoulder being one of the joints most affected by the disease. 10 Previous studies show that diabetics have higher prevalence of shoulder pain and injuries compared to non-diabetics. 6,7,[10][11][12][13][14] Specifically, diabetics are 3-9 times more likely to have frozen capsulitis and 5 times more likely to have rotator cuff tears compared to non-diabetics. 4,12,15 Additionally, diabetics are reported to have thickened supraspinatus and biceps tendons 16 along with decreased ROM in shoulder abduction and flexion 4,5 an impaired tendon-bone healing capacity 17 and difficulty regaining range of motion (ROM) after a surgery. 18,19 The musculoskeletal symptoms described above are attributed to mechanical changes in connective tissue due to formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). 4 The AGEs are formed from a reaction that occurs from bonding of sugar and amino acid. 4 The AGEs cause increased crosslinking between collagen fibers and increase stiffness and brittleness of the connective tissue. This change in mechanical property makes the tissue more susceptible to failure under stress. 20While accumulation of AGEs naturally occurs with aging, the process is accelerated in diabetics due to high blood glucose concentration and decreased peripheral blood flow. 4 The insertion of the rotator cuff on the greater tubercle corresponds to an area of poor blood supply [21][22][23] which may further contribute to accumulation of AGEs.Stretching and strengthening exercises focused on improving rotator cuff strength and restoring balance between the muscles that stabilize and rotate scapula are used in prevention and treatment of shoulder pain. [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Effectiveness of this approach has been demonstrated in both healthy individuals and patients with various shoulder injuries. Despite the increased prevalence of shoulder pain among diabetics, there has only been one study that examined the effect of a physiotherapy program specifically in this population. 29 The study demonstrated that implementation of a physiotherapy program resulted in decreased pain level and improved shoulder function in diabetic patients who had shoulder pain. 29 However, this study did not have a comparison group without diabetes; therefore it is unknown how changes in tissue property caused by diabetes moderates...