Test-retest reliability of tetrax® static posturography system in young adults with low physical activity level

Purpose/Background: Assessment of postural sway with force plates can be affected by type of measurement and various clinical parameters such as age and activity level of the individual person. For this reason, variability is detected in postural reactions of healthy subjects without balance impairment. Test-retest reliability of postural sway in adolescent athletes has been measured using a force plate and additional test-retest studies have been suggested for subjects of different age groups with different activity levels. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess test-retest reliability of Tetrax (R) Static Posturography in young adults with low physical activity level, and examine the relationship between posturography results and low activity level.Methods: Young adults older than 18 years of age were included in the study. Demographic characteristics of the cases were recorded including age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) and dominant extremity. Number of falls in the previous six months, lower body endurance (sit to stand test) and single-leg eyes closed stance test were recorded. Activity level of participants was determined according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Posturographic evaluation of all volunteers was completed using the Tetrax (R) Interactive Postural Balance System (Sunlight Medical Ltd, Israel). Fall risk and general stability index (SI) calculated by the Tetrax (R) were recorded. Following the first test, measurements were repeated 24 to 48 hours later for reliability purposes.Results: Sixty-five subjects (28 male, 37 female; mean age 22.2 +/- 1.1 years, mean BMI 22.6 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2)) were evaluated. All participants were classified as minimally active according to mean IPAQ score (1042.1 +/- 517.7 [231 -2826] MET-minutes per week). ICC scores between the first and second tests for fall index and total stability index were excellent (ICC2,1 = 0.858, 0.850, respectively). Fall risk determined by using the Tetrax (R) device was negatively correlated with lower body endurance (p=0.001, r=-0.446), vigorous activity score (p=0.011, -0.312) and total activity score (p=0.029, r=-0.271), and positively correlated with single leg stance score (p=0.001, r=0.606). There was a weak correlation between fall risk history and the fall risk determined by using Tetrax (R) device (p=0.04, r=0.255). There were no correlations between fall risk and height, weight, and BMI (p>0.05).Conclusions: The results demonstrated the high test-retest reliability of Tetrax (R) interactive balance system in young healthy adults with low physical activity level. Future studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of increasing physical activity level on postural control

Presence of the Eucalyptus gall wasp Ophelimus maskelli and its parasitoid Closterocerus chamaeleon in Portugal: first record, geographic distribution and host preference

The Eucalyptus gall wasp Ophelimus maskelli (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and its parasitoid Closterocerus chamaeleon (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were observed for the first time in Portugal, in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Data on the distribution of O. maskelli in Portugal, differences in the susceptibility of two host species, Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and parasitism by C. chamaeleon are given

Natural Variation in an ABC Transporter Gene Associated with Seed Size Evolution in Tomato Species

Seed size is a key determinant of evolutionary fitness in plants and is a trait that often undergoes tremendous changes during crop domestication. Seed size is most often quantitatively inherited, and it has been shown that Sw4.1 is one of the most significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying the evolution of seed size in the genus Solanum—especially in species related to the cultivated tomato. Using a combination of genetic, developmental, molecular, and transgenic techniques, we have pinpointed the cause of the Sw4.1 QTL to a gene encoding an ABC transporter gene. This gene exerts its control on seed size, not through the maternal plant, but rather via gene expression in the developing zygote. Phenotypic effects of allelic variation at Sw4.1 are manifested early in seed development at stages corresponding to the rapid deposition of starch and lipids into the endospermic cells. Through synteny, we have identified the Arabidopsis Sw4.1 ortholog. Mutagenesis has revealed that this ortholog is associated with seed length variation and fatty acid deposition in seeds, raising the possibility that the ABC transporter may modulate seed size variation in other species. Transcription studies show that the ABC transporter gene is expressed not only in seeds, but also in other tissues (leaves and roots) and, thus, may perform functions in parts of the plants other than developing seeds. Cloning and characterization of the Sw4.1 QTL gives new insight into how plants change seed during evolution and may open future opportunities for modulating seed size in crop plants for human purposes

An Induced Mutation in Tomato eIF4E Leads to Immunity to Two Potyviruses

BACKGROUND: The characterization of natural recessive resistance genes and Arabidopsis virus-resistant mutants have implicated translation initiation factors of the eIF4E and eIF4G families as susceptibility factors required for virus infection and resistance function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To investigate further the role of translation initiation factors in virus resistance we set up a TILLING platform in tomato, cloned genes encoding for translation initiation factors eIF4E and eIF4G and screened for induced mutations that lead to virus resistance. A splicing mutant of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor, S.l_eIF4E1 G1485A, was identified and characterized with respect to cap binding activity and resistance spectrum. Molecular analysis of the transcript of the mutant form showed that both the second and the third exons were miss-spliced, leading to a truncated mRNA. The resulting truncated eIF4E1 protein is also impaired in cap-binding activity. The mutant line had no growth defect, likely because of functional redundancy with others eIF4E isoforms. When infected with different potyviruses, the mutant line was immune to two strains of Potato virus Y and Pepper mottle virus and susceptible to Tobacco each virus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Mutation analysis of translation initiation factors shows that translation initiation factors of the eIF4E family are determinants of plant susceptibility to RNA viruses and viruses have adopted strategies to use different isoforms. This work also demonstrates the effectiveness of TILLING as a reverse genetics tool to improve crop species. We have also developed a complete tool that can be used for both forward and reverse genetics in tomato, for both basic science and crop improvement. By opening it to the community, we hope to fulfill the expectations of both crop breeders and scientists who are using tomato as their model of study

TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF TETRAX (R) STATIC POSTUROGRAPHY SYSTEM IN

Purpose/Background: Assessment of postural sway with force plates can be affected by type of measurement and various clinical parameters such as age and activity level of the individual person. For this reason, variability is detected in postural reactions of healthy subjects without balance impairment. Test-retest reliability of postural sway in adolescent athletes has been measured using a force plate and additional test-retest studies have been suggested for subjects of different age groups with different activity levels. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess test-retest reliability of Tetrax (R) Static Posturography in young adults with low physical activity level, and examine the relationship between posturography results and low activity level.Methods: Young adults older than 18 years of age were included in the study. Demographic characteristics of the cases were recorded including age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) and dominant extremity. Number of falls in the previous six months, lower body endurance (sit to stand test) and single-leg eyes closed stance test were recorded. Activity level of participants was determined according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Posturographic evaluation of all volunteers was completed using the Tetrax (R) Interactive Postural Balance System (Sunlight Medical Ltd, Israel). Fall risk and general stability index (SI) calculated by the Tetrax (R) were recorded. Following the first test, measurements were repeated 24 to 48 hours later for reliability purposes.Results: Sixty-five subjects (28 male, 37 female; mean age 22.2 +/- 1.1 years, mean BMI 22.6 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2)) were evaluated. All participants were classified as minimally active according to mean IPAQ score (1042.1 +/- 517.7 [231 -2826] MET-minutes per week). ICC scores between the first and second tests for fall index and total stability index were excellent (ICC2,1 = 0.858, 0.850, respectively). Fall risk determined by using the Tetrax (R) device was negatively correlated with lower body endurance (p=0.001, r=-0.446), vigorous activity score (p=0.011, -0.312) and total activity score (p=0.029, r=-0.271), and positively correlated with single leg stance score (p=0.001, r=0.606). There was a weak correlation between fall risk history and the fall risk determined by using Tetrax (R) device (p=0.04, r=0.255). There were no correlations between fall risk and height, weight, and BMI (p>0.05).Conclusions: The results demonstrated the high test-retest reliability of Tetrax (R) interactive balance system in young healthy adults with low physical activity level. Future studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of increasing physical activity level on postural control