Tropical forests sustain many ant species whose mating events often involve conspicuous flying swarms of winged gynes and males. The success of these reproductive flights depends on environmental ...variables and determines the maintenance of local ant diversity. However, we lack a strong understanding of the role of environmental variables in shaping the phenology of these flights. Using a combination of community-level analyses and a time-series model on male abundance, we studied male ant phenology in a seasonally wet lowland rainforest in the Panama Canal. The male flights of 161 ant species, sampled with 10 Malaise traps during 58 consecutive weeks (from August 2014 to September 2015), varied widely in number (mean = 9.8 weeks, median = 4, range = 1 to 58). Those species abundant enough for analysis (n = 97) flew mainly towards the end of the dry season and at the start of the rainy season. While litterfall, rain, temperature, and air humidity explained community composition, the time-series model estimators elucidated more complex patterns of reproductive investment across the entire year. For example, male abundance increased in weeks when maximum daily temperature increased and in wet weeks during the dry season. On the contrary, male abundance decreased in periods when rain receded (e.g., at the start of the dry season), in periods when rain fell daily (e.g., right after the beginning of the wet season), or when there was an increase in the short-term rate of litterfall (e.g., at the end of the dry season). Together, these results suggest that the BCI ant community is adapted to the dry/wet transition as the best timing of reproductive investment. We hypothesize that current climate change scenarios for tropical regions with higher average temperature, but lower rainfall, may generate phenological mismatches between reproductive flights and the adequate conditions needed for a successful start of the colony.
Multilocus Sequence Typing has become a useful tool for the study of the genetic diversity and population structure of different organisms. In this study, a MLST approach with seven loci (CP47, MS5, ...MS9, MSC6-7, TP14, and gp60) was used to analyze the genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum isolated from 28 Colombian patients. Five Cryptosporidium species were identified: C. hominis, C. parvum, Cryptosporidium felis, Cryptosporidium meleagridis, and Cryptosporidium suis. Unilocus gp60 analysis identified four allelic families for C. hominis (Ia, Ib, Id, and Ie) and two for C. parvum (IIa and IIc). There was polymorphic behavior of all markers evaluated for both C. hominis and C. parvum, particularly with the CP47, MS5, and gp60 markers. Phylogenetic analysis with consensus sequences (CS) of the markers showed a taxonomic agreement with the results obtained with the 18S rRNA and gp60 gene. Additionally, two monophyletic clades that clustered the species C. hominis and C. parvum were detected, with a higher number of subclades within the monophyletic groups compared to those with the gp60 gene. Thirteen MLG were identified for C. hominis and eight for C. parvum. Haplotypic and nucleotide diversity were detected, but only the latter was affected by the gp60 exclusion from the CS analysis. The gene fixation index showed an evolutionary closeness between the C. hominis samples and a less evolutionary closeness and greater sequence divergence in the C. parvum samples. Data obtained in this work support the implementation of MLST analysis in the study of the genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium, considering the more detailed information that it provides, which may explain some genetic events that with an unilocus approach could not be established. This is the first multilocus analysis of the intra-specific variability of Cryptosporidium from humans in South America.
To examine the effects of peripheral electromagnetic stimulation in male professional soccer players on markers of Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS), induced by a protocol of exercise (60 min of ...eccentric and plyometric).
A randomized controlled trial with fourty-five professional soccer players aged 22.33 ± 4.82 years participated in the study. Twenty-three participants were assigned to the experimental group with peripheral electromagnetic stimulation (5 stimulations of 5 s at 100 HZ with 55 s of rest for a total of 5 min of treatment) and the remaining 22 participants were assigned to the control group. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) of the vastus medialis, the Visual Analogue Scale-Fatigue (VAS-F), half squat (HS) test and the maximum voluntary contraction of the quadriceps were assessed. All evaluations were performed before and after 1 h of the eccentric exercise induced DOMS, as well as at post 24-48, and 72 h.
Group-by-time interaction was observed in PPT of the vastus medialis (
= 0.040) with a medium effect size (η
= 0.069). From 48 to 72 h the experimental group showed an increase of PPT compared to control group (
= 0.015). There was no group-by-time interaction for HS, quadriceps strength and VAS-F (
> 0.05).
Peripheral electromagnetic stimulation in male professional soccer players did not produce significant improvements in the power and strength of the lower limbs but decreased the peripheral sensitization of the vastus medialis after eccentric exercise protocol.
https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384050&isReview=true, Identifier: ACTRN12622000841774.
Epidemiology of proximal humerus fractures Iglesias-Rodríguez, Sandra; Domínguez-Prado, Diego Matías; García-Reza, Alejandro ...
Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research,
06/2021, Volume:
16, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
All patients who were admitted into the emergency department in CHUVI and needed medical care provided by Trauma and Orthopedics (T&O) were coded and divided into two groups: those with upper-limb ...involvement and those with lower-limb/spine involvement. The following data were recorded from our patient selection: gender, age, laterality, type of trauma (high-energy traumas which included sports accidents, traffic accidents, falls from heights of more than 2 m, or low-energy trauma which included fall from standing height or syncope), season of the year when the fracture happened, pre-existing comorbidities (cardiovascular, neurological and/or psychiatric illness, alcohol abuse and smoking, confirmed diagnosis of osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, malignancies, rheumatological diseases, endocrine diseases, and other metabolic disorders), and type of treatment for each PHF. The total number and the gender and age distributions of the population at risk for each year of the study period were obtained from the official CHUVI website (available at: https://xxivigo.sergas.gal/Paxinas/web.aspx?tipo=paxtxt&idLista=3&idContido=272&migtab=272&idTax=850) The incidence rate is a measure that reflects the risk of developing a new disease over a specified time period 16. Seasonal variation The season when there were more fractures was Autumn, with 179 fractures (28.14%), followed by Spring with 166 cases (26%), with Winter with the lowest number of fractures recorded (134 fractures, 21%).
Most commercial algal extracts are produced from brown algae by alkaline hydrolysis; however, little scientific information has been published regarding the details of the production process. In this ...research, we have investigated the effect of pH (pH 8–12) and temperature (40, 60, and 80 °C) on liquid extract production from the brown alga Macrocystis pyrifera. Production conditions influenced the physicochemical characteristics of the final product as the extract viscosity increased with increasing pH and temperature to a maximum which occurred at pH 10 and 80 °C. This suggests that at higher pH conditions, alginate and other polysaccharides were extracted. All the extracts obtained promoted growth of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) and adventitious root formation in the mung bean cutting bioassay (Vigna radiata), as the pH process was increased during the production of the liquid extracts. The highest auxin-type activity was obtained with the extract produced at pH 11 and 80 °C, while the fastest tomato seedling growth was achieved with the extract produced at pH 12 and 80 °C.
There is a common interest in finding a common consensus in the approach of athletes suffering from DOMS with the aim of accelerating recovery and thereby enhancing performance. The objective of this ...study was to observe the effects of a paired-associative transcranial and peripheral electromagnetic stimulation on young athletes suffering from DOMS, induced by 1 h of eccentric and plyometric exercises.
Forty-eight young athletes participated in this randomized control trial: 13 were assigned to the peripheral group (P); 12 were in the control group (Cont); 11 were assigned to the transcranial group (T) and 12 were included in the paired-associative group (Comb). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain perception and the mechanical Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) were the tools used to analyze the symptoms of DOMS. On the other hand, the Half Squat (HS) test evaluated with an accelerometer, and the 30 m sprint velocity (30-mSP) test were used to observe the evolution of the sports performance of the lower limbs. All evaluations were performed before and after the eccentric exercise session that caused DOMS, as well as at 24-48, and 72 h afterward.
The AS group improved the symptoms of the induced DOMS, since significant positive differences were observed in the VAS and PPT compared to the other groups (
< 0.001). In addition, the AS group showed a significant improvement in the HS and the 30-mSP tests (
< 0.001). Based on the results a treatment with both peripheral and transcranial electromagnetic stimulation improves recovery and performance in athletes at 72 h, although these data would need to be verified in future research with a larger sample size.
Paired-associative electromagnetic stimulation improved DOMS symptomatology, velocity, and sports performance in the lower limbs.
Background
Proximal humerus fractures are one of the main osteoporotic fractures. Choosing between conservative or surgical treatment is a controversial topic in the literature, as is the functional ...impact. The main aim of our study was to analyse whether patient comorbidities should influence the final therapeutic decision for these fractures.
Material and methods
We collected data from 638 patients with proximal humerus fractures. The main variable collected was exitus. We also collected the following data: age, gender, type of fracture, laterality, type of treatment, production mechanism, comorbidities and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) for each patient. The therapeutic indication used the criteria established by the Upper Limb Unit in our centre. We performed chi-square tests, Fischer’s exact tests and Student’s
t
-tests to compare the variables. We used the Kaplan–Meier method to analyse both the overall and disease-specific survival rates. We employed the Cox regression model to analyse factors associated with mortality.
Results
Patients with a CCI greater than 5 showed greater mortality (HR = 3.83;
p
< 0.001) than those with a CCI lower than 5. Within the patients who underwent surgery, those with a CCI higher than 5 had an increased mortality rate (HR = 22.6;
p
< 0.001) compared with those with a CCI lower than 5. Within the patients who received conservative treatment, those with a CCI over 5 showed greater mortality (HR = 3.64;
p
< 0.001) than those with a CCI under 5.
Conclusions
Patients with proximal humerus fractures and associated comorbidities (CCI > 5) presented higher mortality than healthier patients. This mortality risk was greater in patients with comorbidities if surgical treatment was indicated rather than conservative treatment. Patient’s comorbidities should be a fundamental parameter when planning the therapeutic strategy.
Level of evidence
Level 3.
•Fast (4-6 us) and stress-confined, delivery enables thermoacoustic range verification.•Submillimeter range accuracy was achieved for beamlets that delivered ~0.5 Gy to soft tissue.•Estimates are ...accurate relative to ultrasound images soundspeed inhomogeneity•Synchrocyclotrons deliver stress-confined proton pulses.•Acoustic ringing indicated beam traversed bone; metallic implants will also cause ringing.
The purpose of this phantom study is to demonstrate that thermoacoustic range verification could be performed clinically. Thermoacoustic emissions generated in an anatomical multimodality imaging phantom during delivery of a clinical plan are compared to simulated emissions to estimate range shifts compared to the treatment plan.
A single-field 12-layerproton pencil beam scanning (PBS)treatment plancreated in Pinnacle prescribing6 Gy/fractionwas delivered by a superconducting synchrocyclotron to a triple modality (CT, MRI, and US) abdominal imaging phantom.Data was acquired by four acoustic receivers rigidly affixed to a linear ultrasound array. Receivers 1–2 were located distal to the treatment volume, whereas 3–4 were lateral. Receivers’ room coordinates were computed relative to the ultrasound image plane after co-registration to the planning CT volume.
For each prescribed beamlet, a set of thermoacoustic emissions corresponding to varied beam energies were computed. Simulated emissions were compared to measured emissions to estimate shifts of the Bragg peak.
Shifts were small for high-dose beamlets that stopped in soft tissue. Signals acquired by channels 1–2 yielded shifts of -0.2±0.7mm relative to Monte Carlo simulations for high dose spots (~40 cGy) in the second layer. Additionally, for beam energy ≥125 MeV, thermoacoustic emissions qualitatively tracked lateral motion of pristine beams in a layered gelatin phantom, and time shifts induced by changing phantom layers were self-consistent within nanoseconds.
Acoustic receivers tuned to spectra of thermoacoustic emissions may enable range verification during proton therapy.
Background
Strength-based exercise is widely used to treat tension-type headache, but the evidence of its benefit is unclear. This study aims to analyze the efficacy of a strength-based exercise ...program in patients with chronic tension-type headaches.
Methods
A randomized controlled trial with a 12-week strength-based exercise program, with chronic tension-type headache. The headache characteristics (which were the primary outcomes: frequency, duration, and intensity), cervical muscle thickness at rest or contraction of multifidus and longus-colli muscle, cervical range of motion, pain pressure threshold of temporalis, upper trapezius, masseter, tibialis muscle and median nerve, and cervical craniocervical flexion test were assessed at baseline and 12-weeks of follow-up in the intervention group (
n
= 20) and the control group (
n
= 20) was performed on 40 patients (85% women, aged 37.0 ± 13.3 years).
Results
Between baseline and week-12 of follow-up the intervention group showed statistically significant differences compared to control group in the following primary outcomes: duration and intensity of headaches. In addition, the intervention group improved the thickness of deep cervical muscles, reduced the peripheral sensitization, and improved the strength of deep cervical flexors.
Conclusion
A 12-week strength training of neck and shoulder region induced changes in pain intensity and duration, and physical-related factors in patients with TTH. Future interventions are needed to investigate if normalization of pain characteristics and physical factors can lead to an increase of headache-related impact.
Background and objectives: Chronic tension-type headache (TTH) is the type of headache with the highest prevalence. The involvement of musculoskeletal structures in TTH is supported by evidence in ...the scientific literature. Among these, deep cervical muscle strength appears to be related to the function of the cervical spine and the clinical characteristics of TTH. This study aimed to correlate anatomical, functional, and psychological variables in patients with TTH. Materials and methods: An observational descriptive study was carried out with 22 participants diagnosed with TTH for at least six months. The characteristics of headaches, including ultrasound-based deep neck flexor and extensor muscle thickness, range of motion (ROM), and pressure pain threshold (PPT), were recorded. We also conducted the Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ) and the Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT). Results: Moderate–large negative correlations were found between the PVAQ and the muscle thickness of right deep flexors contracted (r = −0.52; p = 0.01), left multifidus contracted (r = −0.44; p = 0.04), right multifidus at rest (r = −0.48; p = 0.02), and right multifidus contracted (r = −0.45; p = 0.04). Moderate–large positive correlations were found between the CCFT score and the left cervical rotation ROM (r = 0.53; p = 0.01), right cervical rotation ROM (r = 0.48; p = 0.03), muscle thickness of left multifidus contracted (r = 0.50; p = 0.02), and muscle thickness of right multifidus at rest (r = 0.51; p = 0.02). The muscle thickness of the contracted right deep cervical flexors showed a moderate negative correlation with headache intensity (r = −0.464; p = 0.03). No correlations were found between PPT and the rest of the variables analyzed. Conclusions: In patients with TTH, a higher thickness of deep cervical muscles was associated with higher ROM and higher scores in the CCFT. In turn, the thickness of deep cervical muscles showed negative correlations with pain hypervigilance and headache intensity. These results contribute to a better understanding of the physical and psychosocial factors contributing to the development of TTH, which is useful for implementing appropriate prevention and treatment measures.
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