Background Sport injuries have been common among athletes across the globe for decades and have the potential to disrupt athletic careers, performance, and psyche. Many health professionals and organizations have undertaken injury mitigation strategies to prevent sport injuries through protective equipment, training protocols, and a host of other evidence-based practices. Many of these specialized training methods were disrupted due to protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This research examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the prevalence of athletic injuries in the National Football League (NFL). Objective During the COVID-19 pandemic, NFL teams and athletes across all levels of sport were reported to have reduced training in preparation for their seasons due to protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study compares the prevalence of injury during the 2018, 2019, and 2020 NFL seasons, with the aim to determine the potential causes of the differences in injury prevalence. Methods Official injury reports from each team were counted during the 17-week regular season of each year (2018, 2019, and 2020). The data were analyzed using an unpaired t test to compare the injury prevalence between each of the three seasons. Results The 2018 season produced a total of 1561 injuries and a mean of 48.8 injuries per team. The 2019 season produced a total of 1897 injuries and a mean of 59.3 injuries per team, while the 2020 season produced a total of 2484 injuries and a mean of 77.6 injuries per team. An unpaired t test was performed using the data to compare the mean number of injuries per team during each of the seasons. Comparison of the 2020 season against the 2019 season showed a statistically significant difference (P<.001); comparison of the 2020 season to the 2018 season found a statistically significant difference (P<.001); and comparison between the 2019 and the 2018 seasons found a statistically significant difference (P=.03). Conclusions Although the 2019 and 2018 seasons showed a statistically significant difference (P=.03), this difference is not as large when we compare the 2020 seasons versus the 2019 (P<.001) and 2018 (P<.001) seasons. The astronomical increase in injury prevalence during the 2020 season over the previous years raises the possibility that there was a reduced physiological adaptation to stress, due to the limited amount of training as a result of the closure of practice facilities in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

This study investigates the antimicrobial properties of Crassula ovata (C. ovata) against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. About 1-3g samples of C. Ovata leaf samples were extracted with 95 % ethanol and the extract infused into paper discs by soaking and drying. The dried discs were screened against various strains of bacteria and the antimicrobial effects of the infused agents determined by measuring zones of inhibition due to the agents infused into the discs. By the zones of inhibition, C. ovata showed antimicrobial activity against the following gram-negative bacteria: E. coli (14 mm mean zone of clearing), P. vulgaris (13 mm mean zone of clearing), E. cloacae (16 mm mean zone of clearing), and K. pneumoniae (13 mm mean zone of clearing). C. ovata showed antimicrobial activity against the following gram-positive bacteria: S. aureus (22 mm mean zone of clearing) and S. agalactiae (8 mm mean zone of clearing). C. ovata did not show antimicrobial activity against S. pyogenes. By its antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, C. ovata displayed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, S. agalactiae, P. vulgaris, E. cloacae, and K. pneumoniae. C. ovata may have the potential to serve as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial in the future. Further testing should be done to investigate the toxicities and side effects of C. ovata. Further testing must also be done with C. ovata against drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

Every summer, exertional heat illness in athletes becomes the center of attention among coaches, athletic trainers, and physicians across the United States. This topic has recently received increased attention as seven football players died from exertional heat illness between July 2020 and August 2021[1] . Health professionals believe that sport-related heat illnesses can be prevented through following published sports guidelines, protocols for weather monitoring and water breaks, and using appropriate conditioning during practice sessions. This topic has become such an issue that several states and local governing bodies have enacted legislation and policy for exertional heat illness education and training for coaches, players, and parents[2,3,32] . Every year there are coaches and programs that abstain from following guidelines, disregard weather conditions, and force extreme conditioning, referred to as “irrational intensity”[4] . This blatant disregard for player safety can lead to severe cases of exertional heat illness and even death. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on athletics for nearly two years. When looking at the scope of athletics this upcoming summer, it is reasonable to say that we may be heading towards a return to more typical summer activities. As COVID-19 restrictions loosen, there will likely be an increase in sports participation this summer compared to the summers of 2020 and 2021. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the sporting community is educated on a preventable illness that plagues athletes during hot weather seasons. Through education, accountability, enacting protocols, and following guidelines set by health professionals[5-7] , we can help prevent these needless cases of severe heat illness and death.

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Purpose: This study explores the antimicrobial spectrum of Ulmus pumila by screening commonly infectious gram-negative bacteria for susceptibility. Currently, many gram-negative bacteria are developing resistance to recommended antibiotic therapies used in clinical practice. It is imperative that we continue to explore new antimicrobial compounds in order to help combat the global health issue of antibiotic resistance. Method: 3g of freshly harvested leaves and flower samples of Ulmus pumila were extracted in 15 ml of 95% ethanol. The mixture was filtered to remove the debris and sterile blank discs were soaked in the clear filtrate (samples) or the extraction solvent (as background controls) for 20 minutes. Glycerol stocks of bacteria were scaled in LB broth and Muller Hinton agar was prepared with 38g of agar in a liter of water. A 100-microliter suspension of the scaled bacteria was diluted with 9 ml of 1% saline solution and 100 microliters of this saline dilution was plated. Sterile paper discs that were infused with extracts (samples) or vehicle control (95% ethanol) were placed on the freshly plated bacterial plates and incubated at 37 degree Celsius overnight. Zones of inhibition were recorded as a measure of antibacterial activity. Results: Ulmus pumila demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the following gram-negative bacteria: E. coli (16 mm mean zone of clearing), P. vulgaris (15 mm mean zone of clearing), E. cloacae (20.5 mm mean zone of clearing), and K. pneumoniae (16 mm mean zone of clearing). Conclusion: Ulmus pumila displayed antimicrobial activity against various species of gram-negative bacteria including E. coli, P. vulgaris, K. pneumonaie, and E. cloacae. Ulmus pumila has also previously demonstrated activity against some species of gram-positive bacteria. By this discovery, Ulmus pumila has the potential to serve as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent with activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.