Immediate effects of real-time postural biofeedback on spinal posture, muscle activity, and perceived pain severity in adults with neck pain.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have investigated various types of postural biofeedback devices on different body regions to improve posture; however, they focused only on healthy adults without a history of chronic musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, those postural biofeedback devices used in previous studies are often designed for experimental research. The designs are usually bulky with many wires, which is not practical for everyday use. RESEARCH QUESTION: The aim of this study was to determine the immediate effect of a commercially available real-time postural biofeedback device on spinal posture, muscle activity, and perceived pain severity in adults with neck pain. METHODS: 21 adults who had chronic or recurrent nonspecific neck pain for more than 3 months and whose pain was induced or aggravated by prolonged computer work were enrolled in this study. Spinal posture (head tilt, neck flexion, cervical and thoracic angles), muscle activity (cervical erector spinae, upper trapezius, and thoracic erector spinae), and self-reported neck and shoulder pain were measured during computer typing tasks, with and without biofeedback. RESULTS: Compared with the non-biofeedback condition, the biofeedback condition significantly decreased neck flexion, upper cervical, and lower thoracic angles and lowered the activity of the cervical erector spinae. Self-reported neck pain was not influenced by the application of biofeedback, but significantly increased over the 1-hour typing task. SIGNIFICANCE: The application of a commercially available wearable real-time biofeedback device improves sitting posture and reduces muscular activity in adults with nonspecific neck pain during computer work. Future studies should examine the long-term effects of wearable real-time postural biofeedback devices for prevention and management of neck pain.

[Bovine serum albumin in the presence of zinc (II) by fluorescence method].

The interaction between norfloxacin and bovine serum albumin, and the influence of Zinc (II) on the system of norfloxacin and bovine serum albumin was studied under physiological condition by fluorescence method. It was shown that norfloxacin has a powerful ability to quench the BSA fluorescence via a nonradiative energy transfer mechanism. The fluorescence quenching data were analyzed according to Stern-Volmer equation and double-reciprocal equation, and the binding constant (K) and the binding sites (n) were obtained. In the system of binary complex of NFLX and BSA, K = 6.80 x 10(5) and n = 1.21. There is a strong combination between NFLX and BSA, which offers the condition for the serum protein to be deposited and transported in vivo. Besides, the combination between NFLX and BSA becomes stronger in the presence of Zinc (II). According to Stern-Volmer equation and double-reciprocal equation, the concentration of Znic (II) is denser, and the binding constant (K) and the binding sites (n) are bigger. By studying the binding interaction between Zinc (II), norfloxacin and BSA, the mechanism of the interaction among norfloxacin, Zinc (II) and protein in organism, is furtherly discussed.

3,6-Dihydr-oxy-2'-[(2-hydr-oxy-1-naphth-yl)methyl-eneamino]xanthene-9-spiro-1'-isoindolin-3'-one acetonitrile solvate.

The title compound, C(31)H(20)N(2)O(5)·C(2)H(3)N, was synthesized by the reaction of fluorescein hydrazide and excess 2-hydr-oxy-1-naphthaldehyde in acetonitrile. The spirolactam ring is planar and is nearly at right angles to the two benzene rings of the xanthene system. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings of the xanthene system is 9.92 (4)°. In the crystal structure, the mol-ecules are linked into extended two-dimensional networks by inter-molecular hydrogen bonding. Acetonitrile mol-ecules are located in the voids between the two-dimensional networks.