High Resolution MEMS Accelerometers to Estimate VO2 and Compare Running Mechanics between Highly Trained Inter-Collegiate and Untrained Runners

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were to determine the validity and reliability of high resolution accelerometers (HRA) relative to VO(2) and speed, and compare putative differences in HRA signal between trained (T) and untrained (UT) runners during treadmill locomotion. METHODOLOGY: Runners performed 2 incremental VO(2max) trials while wearing HRA. RMS of high frequency signal from three axes (VT, ML, AP) and the Euclidean resultant (RES) were compared to VO(2) to determine validity and reliability. Additionally, axial rms relative to speed, and ratio of axial accelerations to RES were compared between T and UT to determine if differences in running mechanics could be identified between the two groups. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Regression of RES was strongly related to VO(2), but T was different than UT (r = 0.96 vs 0.92; p<.001) for walking and running. During walking, only the ratio of ML and AP to RES were different between groups. For running, nearly all acceleration parameters were lower for T than UT, the exception being ratio of VT to RES, which was higher in T than UT. All of these differences during running were despite higher VO(2), O(2) cost, and lower RER in T vs UT, which resulted in no significant difference in energy expenditure between groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNFICANCE: These results indicate that HRA can accurately and reliably estimate VO(2) during treadmill locomotion, but differences exist between T and UT that should be considered when estimating energy expenditure. Differences in running mechanics between T and UT were identified, yet the importance of these differences remains to be determined

Kinematic variability, fractal dynamics and local dynamic stability of treadmill walking

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Motorized treadmills are widely used in research or in clinical therapy. Small kinematics, kinetics and energetics changes induced by Treadmill Walking (TW) as compared to Overground Walking (OW) have been reported in literature. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the differences between OW and TW in terms of stride-to-stride variability. Classical (Standard Deviation, SD) and non-linear (fractal dynamics, local dynamic stability) methods were used. In addition, the correlations between the different variability indexes were analyzed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty healthy subjects performed 10 min TW and OW in a random sequence. A triaxial accelerometer recorded trunk accelerations. Kinematic variability was computed as the average SD (MeanSD) of acceleration patterns among standardized strides. Fractal dynamics (scaling exponent α) was assessed by Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) of stride intervals. Short-term and long-term dynamic stability were estimated by computing the maximal Lyapunov exponents of acceleration signals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>TW did not modify kinematic gait variability as compared to OW (multivariate T², p = 0.87). Conversely, TW significantly modified fractal dynamics (t-test, p = 0.01), and both short and long term local dynamic stability (T²p = 0.0002). No relationship was observed between variability indexes with the exception of significant negative correlation between MeanSD and dynamic stability in TW (3 × 6 canonical correlation, r = 0.94).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Treadmill induced a less correlated pattern in the stride intervals and increased gait stability, but did not modify kinematic variability in healthy subjects. This could be due to changes in perceptual information induced by treadmill walking that would affect locomotor control of the gait and hence specifically alter non-linear dependencies among consecutive strides. Consequently, the type of walking (i.e. treadmill or overground) is important to consider in each protocol design.</p

Automated office blood pressure measurements in primary care are misleading in more than one third of treated hypertensives: The VALENTINE-Greece Home Blood Pressure Monitoring study

Abstract Background This study assessed the diagnostic reliability of automated office blood pressure (OBP) measurements in treated hypertensive patients in primary care by evaluating the prevalence of white coat hypertension (WCH) and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) phenomena. Methods Primary care physicians, nationwide in Greece, assessed consecutive hypertensive patients on stable treatment using OBP (1 visit, triplicate measurements) and home blood pressure (HBP) measurements (7 days, duplicate morning and evening measurements). All measurements were performed using validated automated devices with bluetooth capacity (Omron M7 Intelli-IT). Uncontrolled OBP was defined as ≥140/90 mmHg, and uncontrolled HBP was defined as ≥135/85 mmHg. Results A total of 790 patients recruited by 135 doctors were analyzed (age: 64.5 ± 14.4 years, diabetics: 21.4%, smokers: 20.6%, and average number of antihypertensive drugs: 1.6 ± 0.8). OBP (137.5 ± 9.4/84.3 ± 7.7 mmHg, systolic/diastolic) was higher than HBP (130.6 ± 11.2/79.9 ± 8 mmHg; difference 6.9 ± 11.6/4.4 ± 7.6 mmHg, p Conclusions In primary care, automated OBP measurements are misleading in approximately 40% of treated hypertensive patients. HBP monitoring is mandatory to avoid overtreatment of subjects with WCH phenomenon and prevent undertreatment and subsequent excess cardiovascular disease in MUCH

Prolonged pupal dormancy is associated with significant fitness cost for adults of Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae)

In temperate areas, dormancy (diapause and/or quiescence) enables herbivorous insect species to persist and thrive by synchronizing growth and reproduction with the seasonal phenology of their host plants. Within-population variability in dormancy increases survival chances under unpredictable environmental changes. However, prolonged dormancy may be costly, incurring trade-offs in important adult fitness traits such as life span and reproduction. We used the European cherry fruit fly. Rhagoletis cerasi, a stenophagous, univoltine species that overwinters in the pupal stage for usually one or more years to test the hypotheses that prolonged dormancy of pupae has trade-offs with body size, survival and reproduction of the resulting adults. We used two geographically isolated populations of R. cerasi to compare the demographic traits of adults obtained from pupae subjected to one or two cycles of warm-cold periods (annual and prolonged dormancy respectively). Regardless of population, adults from pupae that experienced prolonged dormancy were larger than counterparts emerging within 1 year. Prolonged dormancy did not affect adult longevity but both lifetime fecundity and oviposition were significantly decreased. Extension of the life cycle of some individuals in R. cerasi populations in association with prolonged dormancy is likely a bet-hedging strategy. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Insects and mites feeding on berries of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

Endemic forests with Juniperus spp. in the Mediterranean are listed as a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive, with the stinking juniper tree (Juniperus foetidissima Willd.) a key constituent. Within the EU, the island of Cyprus represents the southernmost range of distribution of J. foetidissima with clumps of the tree located mostly on the rocky and steep slopes of the Troodos National Forest Park (NFP) between 1.500–1.950 m above sea level. The reproductive potential of J. foetidissima may be at risk, partly because of berry attacks by arthropods. To identify the arthropod species that infest J. foetidissima berries we sampled trees biweekly for one year at three elevations (1.950 m, 1.800 m, and 1.650 m). We identified four microlepidoptera species attacking berries: Pammene mariana (Zerny), P. juniperana (Millière), P. blockiana (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera: Torticidae) and Argyresthia aurulentella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). Eriophyid mites were also recorded to feed on berries. All insect species are recorded for the first time in Cyprus. Infestation during the maturation period of berries collected by cutting varied from an average of 16% at the medium elevation (1.800 m) to 11% at the low elevation (1.650 m). Infestation of berries collected by beating remained above 30% during the berry maturation period

Insects and mites feeding on berries of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

Endemic forests with Juniperus spp. in the Mediterranean are listed as a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive, with the stinking juniper tree (Juniperus foetidissima Willd.) a key constituent. Within the EU, the island of Cyprus represents the southernmost range of distribution of J. foetidissima with clumps of the tree located mostly on the rocky and steep slopes of the Troodos National Forest Park (NFP) between 1.500–1.950 m above sea level. The reproductive potential of J. foetidissima may be at risk, partly because of berry attacks by arthropods. To identify the arthropod species that infest J. foetidissima berries we sampled trees biweekly for one year at three elevations (1.950 m, 1.800 m, and 1.650 m). We identified four microlepidoptera species attacking berries: Pammene mariana (Zerny), P. juniperana (Millière), P. blockiana (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera: Torticidae) and Argyresthia aurulentella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). Eriophyid mites were also recorded to feed on berries. All insect species are recorded for the first time in Cyprus. Infestation during the maturation period of berries collected by cutting varied from an average of 16% at the medium elevation (1.800 m) to 11% at the low elevation (1.650 m). Infestation of berries collected by beating remained above 30% during the berry maturation period

The effect of short-term depressive episodes on the risk stratification of acute coronary syndromes: a case-control study in Greece (Cardio 2000)

Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of recent depressive episodes on coronary risk, taking into account the presence of several cardiovascular risk factors and various lifestyles, and social conditions that aggregate in the Greek population. Methods and results. CARDIO2000 is a matched case-control study consisting of 750 patients with a first event of acute coronary syndrome and 778 cardiovascular disease-free hospitalized subjects, randomly and stratified selected from several Greek regions. Assessment of depressive symptoms, during the past month, was based on the CES-D Scale (Radloff S, 1977). 158 (21%) coronary patients and 74 (9%) controls had short-term depressive symptoms (P&lt;0.001). A recent depressive episode increases coronary risk by 12%, after adjusting for several confounders, while the previous outcome seems to differ significantly between sexes (OR-men = 1.09 vs. OR-women = 1.19,P&lt;0.0 1). The effect of the interaction between depression and various components of social class (education, occupation, income) increases the coronary risk from 55% to 132%, while the interaction with marital status increases the previous risk by 167%, in divorced/widowed men, and by 123%, in women. Also, significant additive effects were observed between depression and smoking (25% increased coronary risk per pack-year), alcohol consumption (+97%), physical inactivity (+137%) and obesity (+127%). Conclusion. This study showed the moderate effect of recent depression on the risk of developing non-fatal acute coronary syndromes in the investigated population. Also, sex differences and the additional effect of the interactions between short-term depressive episodes and several emerging or established cardiovascular risk factors occurred