Impact of exercise on articular cartilage in people at risk of, or with established, knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials

This project is supported by a European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN; KNEEMO) under grant agreement number 607510.Peer reviewedPostprin

Trace anomaly of the conformal gauge field

The proposed by Bastianelli and van Nieuwenhuizen new method of calculations of trace anomalies is applied in the conformal gauge field case. The result is then reproduced by the heat equation method. An error in previous calculation is corrected. It is pointed out that the introducing gauge symmetries into a given system by a field-enlarging transformation can result in unexpected quantum effects even for trivial configurations.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX file, BI-TP 93/3

The Legacy of the Past Logging: How Forest Structure Affects Different Facets of Understory Plant Diversity in Abandoned Coppice Forests

Predicting how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning requires a multifaceted approach based on the partitioning of diversity into its taxonomic and functional facets and thus redundancy. Here, we investigated how species richness (S), functional diversity (FD) and functional redundancy (FR) are affected by forest structure. Sixty-eight abandoned coppice-with-standards plots were selected in two mountain areas of the Apennine chain. We performed linear models to quantify the influence of structural parameters on S, FD and FR of clonal traits. Each diversity facet was affected differently by structural parameters, suggesting a complex interweaving of processes that influence the understory layer. Namely, tree layer density influences S, the height of the standards affects the lateral spread and persistence of clonal growth organs, and diameter of standards affects the FD of the number of clonal offspring. Opposite relationships compared to FD was found for the FR, suggesting how clonal traits play a key role in species assemblage. The observation that structural parameters exert opposite impact on FR seems to indicate a counterbalance effect on ecosystem stability. Multifaceted approaches yield a better understanding of relationship between forest structure and understory, and this knowledge can be exploited to formulate indications for more sustainable management practices

Antígona: un destino y una pasión

La joven Antígona ha recorrido muchos caminos dentro de la historia literaria desde Sófocles hasta nuestros días. Su imagen ha sido recuperada por muchos autores; algunos de ellos la convirtieron en ejemplo de piedad. Otros expresaron, a través de su voz, las impiedades de su tiempo. Hoy me propongo comparar el significado que tuvo su muerte en la obra de Sófocles, dentro del contexto sociocultural de Grecia del siglo V a. de C; con una de las lecturas que el siglo XX pudo hacer de ella a la luz de la creación de María Zambrano, La tumba de Antígona. Mi objetivo es mostrar que en ambas obras las protagonistas aceptan piadosamente la muerte; pero los propósitos que las inspiran son diferentes, ya que estos se encuentran estrechamente ligados a los paradigmas epocales que representan y en los que sus acciones se fundamentan. Mientras que en la obra de Sófocles, Antígona muere en cumplimiento de su destino trágico; no sólo para dejar un ejemplo de obediencia y fidelidad a los dioses inmortales; sino también, para ingresar en el recinto de la alegoría de un pasado mítico que en ese momento estaba siendo eclipsado por la luz de la razón. María Zambrano la retiene en su sepulcro y prolonga su pasión, no le permite suicidarse, sino que la conduce hacia una anagnórica inmolación, y mediante la construcción alegórica de la pasión de Cristo, hace de su imagen un símbolo de fraternidad, purificando en ella el fratricidio familiar y el otro fratricidio; ese del que ha sido testigo España durante la dictadura de Franco.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Test of the pathogenicity of two commercial Beauveria strains on third-instar larvae of the mango blossom gall midge, Procontarinia mangiferae (Felt) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Introduction. The invasive gall midge, Procontarinia mangiferae (= Erosomyia mangiferae Felt), is one of the most important flowering pests of mango orchards worldwide. To achieve chemical input reduction, developing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies using bio-control agents is pertinent. Materials and methods. We tested the pathogenicity of two commercial strains of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria on non-diapausing 3rd-instar larvae of P. mangiferae. Results and discussion. Neither the Beauveria sp. commercial strain Betel nor the B. bassiana strain Bb 147 were effective, even though they proved their pathogenicity on the control, Galleria mellonella. Hypotheses to explain the inefficiency of the two strains on P. mangiferae are discussed. Conclusion. Other strains of Beauveria or other entomopathogenic fungi or nematodes should be tested on diapausing and non-diapausing larvae of P. mangiferae. (Résumé d'auteur

Effect of forest structure and management on the functional diversity and composition of understorey plant communities

Questions Do forest structural parameters related to stand heterogeneity enhance functional diversity (FD) of understorey plant communities? Do FD and functional composition of understorey plant communities vary between high-forest (HF) and old coppices-with-standard (oldCWS) management types? Are HF stands characterized by a higher FD than oldCWS? Location Submediterranean beech forests of Montagne della Duchessa Reserve (central Italy). Methods We sampled 57 (20 m × 20 m) forest plots, 29 oldCWS and 28 HF stands, where we recorded plant species cover abundance. We used Leaf–Height–Seed and clonal traits, and run multiple separate linear models to quantify the effect of forest structural parameters and management types on FD and functional composition of understorey plant communities. Results We found that increasing lying deadwood enhanced FD of specific leaf area (SLA) through micro-environmental heterogeneity of soil fertility regardless of management type. We also found that increased horizontal stratification filtered the range of plant sizes, probably through light reduction. HF management enhanced FD of SLA and clonal traits through micro-environmental heterogeneity, while reducing the FD of plant size and seed mass. HF tended to select plant communities characterized by high resource acquisition strategies but lower persistence between ramets, possibly as an effect of more mature forest conditions. Conclusion Our study suggests that understorey plant community diversity and composition change in response to forest structure and management. Combining Leaf–Height–Seed with clonal traits offers a promising framework for understanding and predicting plant response to management practices

There are more football injury prevention reviews than randomized controlled trials : Time for more RCT action!

Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Peer reviewedPostprin

La ficción autobiográfica y la identidad narrativa.

Los estudios literarios permiten la reformulación de sus propias interpretaciones, de modo que las posibilidades de comprensión de los mismos se establezcan a partir de procesos de lectura que aproximan la obra al mundo. El mundo es la matriz de la obra literaria, por consiguiente, en el proceso de creación hay una interpretación del mundo, una exposición de una tesis de y sobre el mundo. La propuesta teórica de Paul Ricoeur permite realizar una lectura de la obra literaria que favorece su apertura a los diferentes significados. Así, el método hermenéutico se propone como una posibilidad de diálogo, mediado por algunas categorías epistemológicas como ficción, autobiografía, identidad narrativa, formuladas por Ricoeur, en algunas de sus obras

Effects of a dominant species on the functional diversity of coexisting species in temperate deciduous understorey

The herb layer plays a significant role in maintaining forest functions, and its community composition is determined by various abiotic factors and biotic interactions. This study attempted to investigate the interspecific plant–plant biotic interactions using a functional traits approach. Specifically, the effects of a dominant species coverage on the functional diversity of coexisting species in the temperate forest understory were studied. Species coverage and soil moisture data were collected using a 1 m2 quadrat couplet (2 × 1 m2) from six sites alongside a 20 m linear transect encompassing a cover gradient of Allium ursinum in southwest Hungary. Major plant functional dimensions i.e., aboveground, and clonal functional traits were considered. Linear and nonlinear mixed models to quantify the effects of biotic interaction on the functional diversity of every single trait and multiple traits were employed. Both aboveground traits and clonal traits of persistent clonal growth organs responded positively to the A. ursinum L., cover gradient. The coexistence of understory species in the presence of a monodominant species seems to be mainly influenced by aboveground traits as compared to the clonal traits suggesting, a role of niche differentiation. The consistent impact of A. ursinum coverage on coexisting species dynamics highlights a need for similar in-depth studies in various forest settings