El estudio de instrumentos de viento se asocia con un patrón obstructivo en la espirometría de adolescentes con buena capacidad de resistencia aeróbica

ResumenObjetivoExiste controversia en la literatura médica respecto al efecto beneficioso o perjudicial de la práctica con instrumentos musicales de viento sobre el sistema respiratorio. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar esta relación en sujetos jóvenes en periodo de aprendizaje, ponderando su nivel de condición física.DiseñoEstudio observacional transversal.EmplazamientoCentro Integrado de Enseñanzas Artísticas y Musicales (estudios musicales reglados de Grado Medio) y de Educación Primaria y Secundaria, de titularidad pública.ParticipantesJóvenes estudiantes de entre 13–17 años.Mediciones principalesSe recogieron parámetros epidemiológicos básicos (sexo, edad, peso, talla, estado de salud) y a cada sujeto se le realizó un test de condición física (prueba de aptitud cardiorespiratoria de «course navette»), y una espirometría forzada.ResultadosSe incluyeron 90 alumnos, 53 mujeres y 37 varones, de los cuales 32 eran instrumentistas de viento y 58 de otros instrumentos. Los 2 grupos fueron homogéneos respecto a sexo, edad e índice de masa corporal. El consumo máximo de oxígeno no mostró diferencias significativas (p=0,255), manifestando además un adecuado nivel de condición física respecto a la población general. La CVF fue normal y comparable en ambos grupos (p=0,197). El VEMS porcentual y el cociente VEMS/CVF fueron significativamente menores (p<0,0005) en el grupo de viento. La práctica con instrumentos de viento se comportó como variable predictora de VEMS/CVF patológico (<70%) en el análisis multivariante (p<0,0005).ConclusionesEl estudio de instrumentos de viento se asoció con un patrón espirométrico obstructivo en músicos jóvenes con un nivel normal de condición física.AbstractObjectiveThere is controversy in the medical literature regarding the beneficial or detrimental effects of playing wind musical instruments on the respiratory system. The aim of this study is to analyse this relationship, taking the physical condition of the subjects into consideration.DesignCross-sectional observational study.SettingPublic institution with coordinated medium grade musical instruction and primary and secondary education.ParticipantsYoung performers (between 13 and 17 years).DataWe collected basic epidemiological parameters (gender, age, weight, size, heath status), and each subject underwent a fitness test (“course navette” cardiorespiratory fitness test) and a forced spirometry.ResultsWe included 90 students, 53 females and 37 males. Thirty two were wind instrument players and 58 studied other instruments. The two groups were homogeneous with respect to gender, age and body mass index. The maximum oxygen uptake showed no significant difference (P=0.255), further demonstrating an adequate level of fitness compared to the general population. FVC was normal and similar in both groups (P=0.197). The FEV1 percentage and the FEV1/FVC ratio were significantly lower (P<0.0005) in the “wind” group. Practice with wind instruments behaved as a predictor of pathological FEV1/FVC (<70%) in the multivariate analysis (P<0.0005).ConclusionThe study of wind instruments was associated with an obstructive spirometric pattern in young musicians with a normal level of physical fitness

Relación entre la fuerza horizontal ejercida contra los tacos, previa a una salida de velocidad, sobre el tiempo de movimiento y la velocidad

En el presente estudio se relaciona la fuerza horizontal ejercida contra los tacos durante el tiempo comprendido entre la señal de listos y el disparo de salida (preperíodo) con el tiempo de movimiento (TM) y la velocidad horizontal en el instante del despegue del pie adelantado de los tacos (vX(CG)) así como establecer su posible influencia sobre la posición adoptada durante el preperíodo y la existencia de un contramovimiento de los músculos relacionados con la extensión de la rodilla y la flexión plantar del pié. Se han analizado 48 salidas de velocidad, utilizando para ello una plataforma de fuerza a 400 Hz, fotogrametría bidimensional de alta velocidad (tecnología de vídeo a 250 Hz,) y un generador de señales aleatorio que controlaba la secuencia que debían de tener las indicaciones de listos y el disparo de salida, todos estos sistemas sincronizados temporalmente. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que cuando se incrementa la tensión inicial tiende a incrementarse la velocidad de salida del CG (vX(CG)), aunque no parece tener efecto sobre el tiempo de movimiento (TM), confirmándose también la existencia de un contramovimiento en los músculos relacionados con la flexión plantar del pié más retrasado, mientras que en el tobillo más adelantado y en las dos rodillas no parece existir.Peer Reviewe

The physics of spreading processes in multilayer networks

Despite the success of traditional network analysis, standard networks provide a limited representation of complex systems, which often include different types of relationships (or ‘multiplexity’) between their components. Such structural complexity has a significant effect on both dynamics and function. Throwing away or aggregating available structural information can generate misleading results and be a major obstacle towards attempts to understand complex systems. The recent multilayer approach for modelling networked systems explicitly allows the incorporation of multiplexity and other features of realistic systems. It allows one to couple different structural relationships by encoding them in a convenient mathematical object. It also allows one to couple different dynamical processes on top of such interconnected structures. The resulting framework plays a crucial role in helping to achieve a thorough, accurate understanding of complex systems. The study of multilayer networks has also revealed new physical phenomena that remain hidden when using ordinary graphs, the traditional network representation. Here we survey progress towards attaining a deeper understanding of spreading processes on multilayer networks, and we highlight some of the physical phenomena related to spreading processes that emerge from multilayer structure

Mediterranean Long Shelf-Life Landraces: An Untapped Genetic Resource for Tomato Improvement

[EN] The Mediterranean long shelf-life (LSL) tomatoes are a group of landraces with a fruit remaining sound up to 6¿12 months after harvest. Most have been selected under semi-arid Mediterranean summer conditions with poor irrigation or rain-fed and thus, are drought tolerant. Besides the convergence in the latter traits, local selection criteria have been very variable, leading to a wide variation in fruit morphology and quality traits. The different soil characteristics and agricultural management techniques across the Mediterranean denote also a wide range of plant adaptive traits to different conditions. Despite the notorious traits for fruit quality and environment adaptation, the LSL landraces have been poorly exploited in tomato breeding programs, which rely basically on wild tomato species. In this review, we describe most of the information currently available for Mediterranean LSL landraces in order to highlight the importance of this genetic resource. We focus on the origin and diversity, the main selective traits, and the determinants of the extended fruit shelf-life and the drought tolerance. Altogether, the Mediterranean LSL landraces are a very valuable heritage to be revalued, since constitutes an alternative source to improve fruit quality and shelf-life in tomato, and to breed for more resilient cultivars under the predicted climate change conditions.This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 727929 (TOMRES), No 634561 (TRADITOM) and No 679796 (TomGEM). Research has been also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) project AGL2013-42364-R (TOMDRO), and the Government of the Balearic Islands grants BIA20/07, BIA07/08, BIA09/12 and AAEE56/2015. 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Functional strengthening through synaptic scaling upon connectivity disruption in neuronal cultures

An elusive phenomenon in network neuroscience is the extent of neuronal activity remodeling upon damage. Here, we investigate the action of gradual synaptic blockade on the effective connectivity in cortical networks in vitro. We use two neuronal cultures configurations—one formed by about 130 neuronal aggregates and another one formed by about 600 individual neurons—and monitor their spontaneous activity upon progressive weakening of excitatory connectivity. We report that the effective connectivity in all cultures exhibits a first phase of transient strengthening followed by a second phase of steady deterioration. We quantify these phases by measuring GEFF, the global efficiency in processing network information. We term hyperefficiency the sudden strengthening of GEFF upon network deterioration, which increases by 20–50% depending on culture type. Relying on numerical simulations we reveal the role of synaptic scaling, an activity–dependent mechanism for synaptic plasticity, in counteracting the perturbative action, neatly reproducing the observed hyperefficiency. Our results demonstrate the importance of synaptic scaling as resilience mechanism. Author Summary Neuronal circuits exhibit homeostatic plasticity mechanisms to cope with perturbations or damage. A central mechanism is ‘synaptic scaling,’ a self-organized response in which the strength of neurons’ excitatory synapses is adjusted to compensate for activity variations. Here we present experiments in which the excitatory connectivity of in vitro cortical networks is progressively weakened through chemical action. The spontaneous activity and effective connectivity of the whole network is monitored as degradation progresses, and the capacity of the network for broad information communication is quantified through the global efficiency. We observed that the network responded to the perturbation by strengthening the effective connectivity, reaching a hyperefficient state for moderate perturbations. The study proves the importance of ‘synaptic scaling’ as a driver for functional reorganization and network-wide resilience

Ethylene is involved in pistil fate by modulating the onset of ovule senescence and the GA-mediated fruit set in Arabidopsis

Background: Ovule lifespan is an important factor in determining the ability to set fruits and produce seeds. Once ovule senescence is established, fruit set capacity in response to gibberellins (GAs) is lost. We aimed to elucidate whether ethylene plays a role in controlling ovule senescence and the fruit set response in Arabidopsis. Results: Ethylene response inhibitors, silver thiosulphate (STS) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), were able to delay the loss of pistil response to GA3 . In addition, ethylene insensitive mutants ein2-5 and ein3-1 showed delayed loss of pistil response, as in plants treated with STS and 1-MCP, while constitutive mutant ctr1-1 displayed premature loss of response. The analysis of the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes suggests that ethylene is synthesised in ovules at the onset of ovule senescence, while a transcriptional meta-analysis also supports an activated ethylene-dependent senescence upon the establishment of ovule senescence. Finally, a SAG12:GUS reporter line proved useful to monitor ovule senescence and to directly demonstrate that ethylene specifically modulates ovule senescence. Conclusions: We have shown that ethylene is involved in both the control of the ovule lifespan and the determination of the pistil/fruit fate. Our data support a role of the ovule in modulating the GA response during fruit set in Arabidopsis. A possible mechanism that links the ethylene modulation of the ovule senescence and the GA3 -induced fruit set response is discussed.The authors wish to thank Drs. Alonso and Amasino for their gifts of seeds; Drs. Alonso, Alabadi, and Blazquez for critically reading the manuscript, and Ms. Argomaniz and Ms. Fuster for technical assistance in the lab. This work has been supported by grants BIO2005-07156-C02-01 and BIO2008-01039 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Plan Nacional de I+D. PCB received a PhD fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Carbonell Bejerano, P.; Urbez Lagunas, C.; Granell Richart, A.; Carbonell Gisbert, J.; Perez Amador, MA. (2011). Ethylene is involved in pistil fate by modulating the onset of ovule senescence and the GA-mediated fruit set in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology. 11:84-84. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2229-11-84S84841

Development of spatial density maps based on geoprocessing web services: application to tuberculosis incidence in Barcelona, Spain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Health professionals and authorities strive to cope with heterogeneous data, services, and statistical models to support decision making on public health. Sophisticated analysis and distributed processing capabilities over geocoded epidemiological data are seen as driving factors to speed up control and decision making in these health risk situations. In this context, recent Web technologies and standards-based web services deployed on geospatial information infrastructures have rapidly become an efficient way to access, share, process, and visualize geocoded health-related information.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data used on this study is based on Tuberculosis (TB) cases registered in Barcelona city during 2009. Residential addresses are geocoded and loaded into a spatial database that acts as a backend database. The web-based application architecture and geoprocessing web services are designed according to the Representational State Transfer (REST) principles. These web processing services produce spatial density maps against the backend database.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results are focused on the use of the proposed web-based application to the analysis of TB cases in Barcelona. The application produces spatial density maps to ease the monitoring and decision making process by health professionals. We also include a discussion of how spatial density maps may be useful for health practitioners in such contexts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this paper, we developed web-based client application and a set of geoprocessing web services to support specific health-spatial requirements. Spatial density maps of TB incidence were generated to help health professionals in analysis and decision-making tasks. The combined use of geographic information tools, map viewers, and geoprocessing services leads to interesting possibilities in handling health data in a spatial manner. In particular, the use of spatial density maps has been effective to identify the most affected areas and its spatial impact. This study is an attempt to demonstrate how web processing services together with web-based mapping capabilities suit the needs of health practitioners in epidemiological analysis scenarios.</p