Which Is the Best Exercise for Abductor Hallucis Activation in Hallux Valgus? A Comparison Study for New Rehabilitation Perspectives

Background: Hallux valgus (HV) is one of the most common foot deformities and negatively impacts plantar support. The abductor hallucis (AH) is the most important muscle in the etiopathogenesis of hallux valgus, but the effectiveness of its rehabilitation clashes with the difficulty of identifying the most suitable exercises to activate it. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare four different therapeutic exercises in the activation of AH in these patients. Methods: In this observational case–control study, 48 patients suffering from hallux valgus of moderate/severe grade, according to traditional radiographic classification and the Manchester scale, were divided into two groups: the case group underwent a monthly rehabilitation protocol for their foot deformity, whereas the control group was only evaluated without any intervention. The exercises were as follows: Toe Spread Out (TSO), Short Foot (SF), Forefoot Adduction (FA), and Flexion of the Metatarsophalanges (FM). Both groups were analyzed at baseline and 1 month later (at the end of rehabilitation for the case group) while performing the four mentioned exercises using a surface electromyograph (sEMG) to record the muscle activity of AH in terms of Root Mean Square (RMS) and Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC). Results: FA was the only exercise to determine a statistically significant improvement in AH at the end of the rehabilitation cycle, both in terms of RMS (p = 0.015) and in terms of MVC (p < 0.0001), whereas the other exercises did not produce any change in muscle activity in the comparison between times and groups or in the related interaction. Conclusions: FA seems to be the best exercise to activate and train AH, so rehabilitation programs for patients suffering from hallux valgus should consider this exercise as the starting point for improving plantar support, always considering the specific characteristics of HV. Further studies are needed to deepen the effectiveness of this exercise, with the aim of implementing rehabilitation strategies and rethinking traditional HV therapies, which are currently predominantly surgical

Praetors and Domestic Politics in Late Roman Republic: 49-43 BCE

This contribution is dedicated to the praetorship and the praetors in the last century of the Republic, in particular a handful of years: 49 BCE - 43 BCE. One cannot, consequently, fail to reflect, in the direction illustrated, on the etymology of praetor contained in the linguistic treatise De lingua Latina and in the historical work De vita Populi Romani, both written in these years. In this light, Varronian etymologies can reveal useful glimpses into the understanding of the Roman Republic

Unveiling the Genetic Diversity of Tunisian Monumental Olive Trees to Enhance the Olive Sector

The centennial olive trees of Tunisia serve as enduring symbols of resilience, having withstood the test of time while witnessing the effects of climate change, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the emergence of new diseases. Presently, there is a notable lack of research on the genomic analysis of ancient trees. This study investigates the genetic diversity of twenty-eight ancient olive specimens collected from archeological sites in nine governorates from the north to the south of Tunisia. Using nine highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, these ancient olive trees were compared with twenty-five local Tunisian cultivars and sixty olive varieties from other Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, and Spain). The ancient olive trees were revealed to have a high genetic diversity, with 67 alleles and a Shannon index of 1.68. The key findings identify the ancient trees M25, M1, M28, and M24 as synonyms for local olive cultivars, while “M10” is noted as a first-generation migrant from Tunisian olives. Cluster analysis methods, including structure, neighbor-joining (NJ), and principal coordinates (PCoA), show that these ancient trees share a common genetic background and ancestry with varieties from Tunisia, Italy, Spain, and Greece. The conservation and evaluation of these genotypes will increase the genetic diversity available for breeding programs and strengthen the resilience of agriculture, which is currently facing unprecedented pressure worldwide

Treatment of avian malaria in captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) by the combination of atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride

Avian malaria, a vector-borne disease caused by Plasmodium spp., poses significant threats to various bird populations, particularly captive penguins like the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus). Penguins, originating from regions with low malaria prevalence, are highly susceptible when housed in malaria-permissive areas. This study evaluates the efficacy of an atovaquone/proguanil hydrochloride treatment protocol to manage avian malaria in a captive African penguin colony in an Italian zoo. The study involved 30 penguins monitored over 3 years. Thirteen penguins tested positive for Plasmodium spp., with 11 undergoing treatment. The treatment protocol consisted of atovaquone/proguanil hydrochloride (10/4 mg/kg) administered orally for 3 days, repeated after a week. Post-treatment monitoring at 7, 30, and 60 days, and follow-ups up to 2 years, showed that all but one penguin cleared the infection. The treatment was well tolerated, with no adverse effects observed. The findings suggest that this protocol is effective as a treatment of avian malaria and could be a valuable tool in avian malaria management, particularly for endangered species in captivity. However, the persistence of Plasmodium relictum in one case highlights the need for careful post-treatment monitoring to prevent recurrence or reinfection. The study underscores the importance of developing tailored antimalarial protocols for captive birds to enhance conservation efforts and mitigate the risks posed by avian malaria

Da quella striscia di terra

Il problema della guerra nella Striscia di Gaza si traduce sempre di più in un olocausto per l'intera popolazione palestinese, adesso in fuga solo verso le rovine delle loro cas

Il neocolonialismo vuole a Gaza il b&b dei vizi euroatlantici

La guerra a Gaza si sta pian piano trasformando in un neocolonialismo che vedrà una ricostruzione volta a creare soltanto sale giochi, hotel di lusso e sacche di poverta

PROTEIN MISFOLDING AND AGGREGATION CONTROL AS THE KEY TARGETS FOR INNOVATIVE MULTIFUNCTIONAL ANTI-AD SMALL MOLECULES-BASED DRUGS

N/

Introduction to the Special Issue on the 20th STOREP Conference: Rethinking Economic Policies: The Role of the State in the Post-Covid-19

Introduction to the Special Issue on the 20th STOREP Conference: Rethinking Economic Policies: The Role of the State in the Post-Covid-1

NutriWell: An Explainable Ontology-Based FoodAI Service for Nutrition and Health Management

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer constitute 80% of the disease burden in European countries, affecting a significant portion of the working-age population. Addressing these numbers requires a strong effort in prevention and management. Nutrition is crucial not only for chronic conditions but also for non-chronic medical needs such as pregnancy, allergies, and intolerances. Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially when integrated with chatbots or social robots, now plays a pivotal role in assisting users with NCD prevention and management, as well as dietary needs. This manuscript introduces NutriWell, a framework leveraging AI and the GraphBRAIN technology for intelligent knowledge retrieval in nutrition and health management. NutriWell informs users about meal suitability based on their nutritional requirements, utilizing explanations that combine feature data and user preferences. Italian websites such as GialloZafferano and AlimentiNUTrizione provide extensive catalogs of European meals, including ingredients, allergens, and dietary specifics. The contribution of this work is the construction of a personalized diet assistant by utilizing datasets extracted from these websites that, as far as we know, have never been used for these tasks. A key contribution is an API that retrieves graph-based information integrated with an ontology specifying relational constraints. The ontology design, derived from existing frameworks and enhanced to integrate food impacts on disorders, allows for the calculation of meal impact scores tailored to user needs and preferences