COMPARATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF HEAD ANGULAR MOVEMENTS USING A CAMERA SYSTEM AND A GYROSCOPE SYSTEM

Assessments of body-segment angular movements are very important in the rehabilitation process. Head angular movements are measured and analyzed for use in studies of stability and posture. However, there is no methodology for assessing angular movements of the head, and it has not been verified whether data measured by fundamentally different MoCap systems will lead to the same results. In this study, we used a camera system and a 3DOF orientation tracker placed on the subject’s head, and measured inclination (roll) and flexion (pitch) during quiet stance. The total length and the mean velocity of the traces of the pitch versus roll plots were used to measure and analyze head orientation. Using these methods, we are able to model the distribution of the measured 2D data, and to evaluate stability and posture. The results show that the total lengths and the mean velocities related to the 3DOF orientation tracker do not differ significantly from the total lengths and the mean velocities of traces related to the IR medical camera. We also found that the systems are not interchangeable, and that the same type of system must be used each time. The designed methods can be used for studies not only of head movements but also of movements of other segments of the human body, and can be used to compare other types of MoCap systems, depending on the requirements for a specific rehabilitation examination

The endocannabinoid system in sepsis – a potential target to improve microcirculation?

During the last decade, research has identified the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a key regulator of essential physiological functions, including the regulation of microvascular and immune function. Indeed, increasing evidence now suggests that release of endocannabinoids and activation of cannabinoid receptors occurs during sepsis and that manipulation of the ECS may represent an important therapeutic target to improve microcirculation in sepsis. In this review, the pharmacology and physiology of the ECS and the involvement of cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors and non-CB1R/CB2R pathways related to ECS activation will be described. This information will increase our comprehension of the role of lipid signaling pathways in sepsis and may lead to the identification of new drug targets for the treatment of impaired microcirculation

Bichir external gills arise via heterochronic shift that accelerates hyoid arch development.

In most vertebrates, pharyngeal arches form in a stereotypic anterior-to-posterior progression. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying evolutionary changes in pharyngeal arch development, here we investigate embryos and larvae of bichirs. Bichirs represent the earliest diverged living group of ray-finned fishes, and possess intriguing traits otherwise typical for lobe-finned fishes such as ventral paired lungs and larval external gills. In bichir embryos, we find that the anteroposterior way of formation of cranial segments is modified by the unique acceleration of the entire hyoid arch segment, with earlier and orchestrated development of the endodermal, mesodermal, and neural crest tissues. This major heterochronic shift in the anteroposterior developmental sequence enables early appearance of the external gills that represent key breathing organs of bichir free-living embryos and early larvae. Bichirs thus stay as unique models for understanding developmental mechanisms facilitating increased breathing capacity

Correction: Management of bleeding following major trauma: a European guideline

SCOPUS: er.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe