Risk factors for the onset and persistence of neck pain in undergraduate students: 1-year prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although neck pain is common in young adulthood, studies on predictive factors for its onset and persistence are scarce. It is therefore important to identify possible risk factors among young adults so as to prevent the development of neck pain later in life.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective study was carried out in healthy undergraduate students. At baseline, a self-administered questionnaire and standardized physical examination were used to collect data on biopsychosocial factors. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months thereafter, follow-up data were collected on the incidence of neck pain. Those who reported neck pain on ≥ 2 consecutive follow-ups were categorized as having persistent neck pain. Two regression models were built to analyze risk factors for the onset and persistence of neck pain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the recruited sample of 684 students, 46% reported the onset of neck pain between baseline and 1-year follow-up, of whom 33% reported persistent neck pain. The onset of neck pain was associated with computer screen position not being level with the eyes and mouse position being self-rated as suitable. Factors that predicted persistence of neck pain were position of the keyboard being too high, use of computer for entertainment < 70% of total computer usage time, and students being in the second year of their studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Neck pain is quite common among undergraduate students. This study found very few proposed risk factors that predicted onset and persistence of neck pain. The future health of undergraduate students deserves consideration. However, there is still much uncertainty about factors leading to neck pain and more research is needed on this topic.</p

Adnexal masses: benign ovarian lesions and characterization - benign ovarian masses

Incidental adnexal masses are commonly identified in radiologists’ daily practice. Most of them are benign ovarian lesions of no concern. However, sometimes defining the origin of a pelvic mass may be challenging, especially on ultrasound alone. Moreover, ultrasound not always allows the distinction between a benign and a malignant adnexal tumor. Most of sonographically indeterminate adnexal masses turn out to be common benign entities that can be readily diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging. The clinical impact of predicting the likelihood of malignancy is crucial for proper patient management. The first part of this chapter will cover the technical magnetic resonance imaging aspects of ovarian lesions characterization as well as the imaging features that allow the radiologist to correctly define the anatomic origin of a pelvic mass. Next, the authors will go through different benign ovarian entities and through the different histologic types of benign ovarian tumors. Finally the functional ovarian tumors and the ovarian tumors in children, adolescents, young females, and pregnant women will be covered.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A review of trisomy X (47,XXX)

Trisomy X is a sex chromosome anomaly with a variable phenotype caused by the presence of an extra X chromosome in females (47,XXX instead of 46,XX). It is the most common female chromosomal abnormality, occurring in approximately 1 in 1,000 female births. As some individuals are only mildly affected or asymptomatic, it is estimated that only 10% of individuals with trisomy X are actually diagnosed. The most common physical features include tall stature, epicanthal folds, hypotonia and clinodactyly. Seizures, renal and genitourinary abnormalities, and premature ovarian failure (POF) can also be associated findings. Children with trisomy X have higher rates of motor and speech delays, with an increased risk of cognitive deficits and learning disabilities in the school-age years. Psychological features including attention deficits, mood disorders (anxiety and depression), and other psychological disorders are also more common than in the general population. Trisomy X most commonly occurs as a result of nondisjunction during meiosis, although postzygotic nondisjunction occurs in approximately 20% of cases. The risk of trisomy X increases with advanced maternal age. The phenotype in trisomy X is hypothesized to result from overexpression of genes that escape X-inactivation, but genotype-phenotype relationships remain to be defined. Diagnosis during the prenatal period by amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling is common. Indications for postnatal diagnoses most commonly include developmental delays or hypotonia, learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral difficulties, or POF. Differential diagnosis prior to definitive karyotype results includes fragile X, tetrasomy X, pentasomy X, and Turner syndrome mosaicism. Genetic counseling is recommended. Patients diagnosed in the prenatal period should be followed closely for developmental delays so that early intervention therapies can be implemented as needed. School-age children and adolescents benefit from a psychological evaluation with an emphasis on identifying and developing an intervention plan for problems in cognitive/academic skills, language, and/or social-emotional development. Adolescents and adult women presenting with late menarche, menstrual irregularities, or fertility problems should be evaluated for POF. Patients should be referred to support organizations to receive individual and family support. The prognosis is variable, depending on the severity of the manifestations and on the quality and timing of treatment

Unraveling the forcings controlling the vegetation and climate of the best orbital analogues for the present interglacial in SW Europe

The suitability of MIS 11c and MIS 19c as analogues of our present interglacial and its natural evolution is still debated. Here we examine the regional expression of the Holocene and its orbital analogues over SW Iberia using a model-data comparison approach. Regional tree fraction and climate based on snapshot and transient experiments using the LOVECLIM model are evaluated against the terrestrial-marine profiles from Site U1385 documenting the regional vegetation and climatic changes. The pollen-based reconstructions show a larger forest optimum during the Holocene compared to MIS 11c and MIS 19c, putting into question their analogy in SW Europe. Pollen-based and model results indicate reduced MIS 11c forest cover compared to the Holocene primarily driven by lower winter precipitation, which is critical for Mediterranean forest development. Decreased precipitation was possibly induced by the amplified MIS 11c latitudinal insolation and temperature gradient that shifted the westerlies northwards. In contrast, the reconstructed lower forest optimum at MIS 19c is not reproduced by the simulations probably due to the lack of Eurasian ice sheets and its related feedbacks in the model. Transient experiments with time-varying insolation and CO2 reveal that the SW Iberian forest dynamics over the interglacials are mostly coupled to changes in winter precipitation mainly controlled by precession, CO2 playing a negligible role. Model simulations reproduce the observed persistent vegetation changes at millennial time scales in SW Iberia and the strong forest reductions marking the end of the interglacial "optimum".SFRH/BD/9079/2012, SFRH/BPD/108712/2015, SFRH/BPD/108600/2015info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Label-free cell separation and sorting in microfluidic systems

Cell separation and sorting are essential steps in cell biology research and in many diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Recently, there has been interest in methods which avoid the use of biochemical labels; numerous intrinsic biomarkers have been explored to identify cells including size, electrical polarizability, and hydrodynamic properties. This review highlights microfluidic techniques used for label-free discrimination and fractionation of cell populations. Microfluidic systems have been adopted to precisely handle single cells and interface with other tools for biochemical analysis. We analyzed many of these techniques, detailing their mode of separation, while concentrating on recent developments and evaluating their prospects for application. Furthermore, this was done from a perspective where inertial effects are considered important and general performance metrics were proposed which would ease comparison of reported technologies. Lastly, we assess the current state of these technologies and suggest directions which may make them more accessible

Effect of alcaftadine 0.25% on ocular itch associated with seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis: a pooled analysis of two multicenter randomized clinical trials

Joseph B Ciolino,1 Eugene B McLaurin,2 Nicholas P Marsico,3 Stacey L Ackerman,4 Julia M Williams,5 Linda Villanueva,5 David A Hollander5 1Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; 2Total Eye Care, P.A., Memphis, TN, USA; 3East West Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 4Philadelphia Eye Associates, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 5Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA Purpose: Seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis represent the majority of cases of ocular allergy. This analysis was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-daily alcaftadine 0.25% in preventing ocular itching associated with seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis.Subjects and methods: Pooled data from two double-masked, multicenter, placebo-controlled studies using the conjunctival allergen challenge (CAC) model of allergic conjunctivitis were analyzed. Subjects randomized to receive treatment with alcaftadine 0.25% or placebo were challenged with seasonal (grass, ragweed, trees) or perennial (cat dander, cat hair, dog dander, dust mites, cockroach) allergens, 16&nbsp;hours after treatment instillation. The primary efficacy measure was subject-evaluated mean ocular itching at 3&nbsp;minutes post-CAC. Secondary measures included ocular itching at 5 and 7&nbsp;minutes post-CAC. The proportion of subjects with minimal itch (itch score &lt;1) and zero itch (itch score =0), and safety were also assessed.Results: A total of 189 subjects enrolled in the two studies were treated with alcaftadine or placebo. Overall, 129 subjects were challenged with seasonal allergens and 60 subjects were challenged with perennial allergens. Alcaftadine 0.25% achieved a statistically significant reduction in mean itch score at 3, 5, and 7&nbsp;minutes post-CAC compared with placebo in subjects challenged with seasonal allergens (P&lt;0.0001 at all time points) and those challenged with perennial allergens (P&lt;0.0001 at all time points). A higher percentage of subjects treated with alcaftadine compared with placebo achieved minimal itch (P&le;0.001 versus placebo at all time points) and zero itch (P&lt;0.05 at all time points except 7&nbsp;minutes for perennial) when challenged with either seasonal or perennial allergens. No treatment-related or serious adverse events were reported.Conclusion: Once-daily alcaftadine 0.25% ophthalmic solution was well tolerated and demonstrated effective relief of ocular itching in subjects challenged with allergens classic for triggering either seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis. Keywords: lastacaft, seasonal allergen, perennial allergen, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, conjunctival allergen challeng

Produtividade e qualidade do melão cantaloupe, cultivado em ambiente protegido, variando o número e a posição dos frutos na planta Fruit yield and quality of cantaloupe melon, under greenhouse conditions, as affected by number of fruits and position in the plant

Os frutos do meloeiro são considerados fortes drenos que alteram a distribuição de fotoassimilados entre os órgãos da planta. Objetivou-se nesse trabalho determinar a produção e a qualidade de frutos de meloeiro em ambiente protegido em função do número e da posição de fixação dos frutos na planta. O experimento foi desenvolvido em fatorial 2 x 2 em blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições, provenientes da combinação de número de frutos por planta (1 e 2) e posição de fixação dos frutos na planta (entre 5.º e 8.° nós e entre 15.° e 18.° nós). O melão cultivar 'Torreon', do grupo Cantalupensis, foi plantado em vasos de 11,5 dm³ contendo como substrato apenas fibra de coco adubada com macro e micronutrientes. Comparado a plantas com dois frutos, nas plantas com apenas um fruto ocorreram os maiores valores de: massa dos frutos (MF), reticulação da casca (RC), comprimento, índice de formato, espessura da polpa, índice de maturação (IM), sólidos solúveis (SS), açúcares solúveis totais, açúcares não redutores. Em plantas com apenas um fruto, ocorreu redução na produtividade comercial (PC) de 21,4% em frutos fixados especificamente entre o 5.° e 8.° nós e 24,9% em frutos do 15.° e 18.° nós comparada a plantas com dois frutos. Em frutos fixados na posição do 15.° e 18.° nós ocorreram maiores MF, IM, PC e ciclo da cultura, bem como, menores RC e acidez total titulável. Foram obtidas correlações significativas para área foliar por fruto (AF) x MF de 0,81, AF x SS de 0,79, MF x SS de 0,68, MF x RC de 0,72 e RC x SS de 0,51.<br>Muskmelon fruits are strong sink affecting assimilate distribution among the plant organs. This experiment aimed at to determine yield and quality of 'Torreon' cultivar in greenhouse conditions as affected by fruit number and position in the plant. A 2 x 2 factorial was set in randomized block design, with five replications. Treatments combined fruit number per plant (1 and 2) and position in the vine (among 5th - 8th node and among 15th - 18th node), planted in 11, 5 dm3 pot with coconut fiber fertilized with macro and micronutrients. Compared to plants with two fruits, in plants with only one fruit there were the highest values of fruits mass (MF), netted rind (RC), fruit length, format index, flesh thickness, maturation index (IM), soluble solids (SS), total soluble sugars and no reducing sugars. Compared to plants with two fruits in plants with one fruit there was a reduction in the commercial productivity (PC) of 21.4% in fruits between 5th and 8th nodes had 24.9% in fruits of 15th and 18th nodes. Fruits of the 15th and 18th nodes presented higher MF, IM, PC and culture cycle, as well as lower RC and total titratable acidity. Positive and significant correlations were obtained for leaf area per fruit (AF) x MF of 0.81, AF x SS of 0.79, MF x SS of 0.68, MF x RC of 0.72 and RC x SS of 0.51