Assessment of trunk flexion in arm reaching tasks with electromyography and smartphone accelerometry in healthy human subjects

Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84789-3Trunk stability is essential to maintain upright posture and support functional movements. In this study, we aimed to characterize the muscle activity and movement patterns of trunk flexion during an arm reaching task in sitting healthy subjects and investigate whether trunk stability is affected by a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS). For these purposes, we calculated the electromyographic (EMG) onset latencies and amplitude parameters in 8 trunk, neck, and shoulder muscles, and the tilt angle and movement features from smartphone accelerometer signals recorded during trunk bending in 33 healthy volunteers. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to examine the effects of SAS and target distance (15 cm vs 30 cm). We found that SAS markedly reduced the response time and EMG onset latencies of all muscles, without changing neither movement duration nor muscle recruitment pattern. Longer durations, higher tilt angles, and higher EMG amplitudes were observed at 30 cm compared to 15 cm. The accelerometer signals had a higher frequency content in SAS trials, suggesting reduced movement control. The proposed measures have helped to establish the trunk flexion pattern in arm reaching in healthy subjects, which could be useful for future objective assessment of trunk stability in patients with neurological affections.This work was supported in part by a fellowship from “La Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434) with fellowship code LCF/BQ/DE18/11670019, in part by the Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya under Grant GRC 2017 SGR 01770, in part by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the European Regional Development Fund under Grant RTI2018 098472-B-I00, in part by the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya, in part by H2020-ERA-NET Neuron under Grant AC16/00034, in part by La Marató de TV3 2017 under Grant 201713.31, and in part by Premi Beca “Mike Lane” 2019—Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia

Quantitative evaluation of trunk function and the StartReact effect during reaching in patients with cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury

Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/ac19d3Objective. Impaired trunk stability is frequent in spinal cord injury (SCI), but there is a lack of quantitative measures for assessing trunk function. Our objectives were to: (a) evaluate trunk muscle activity and movement patterns during a reaching task in SCI patients, (b) compare the impact of cervical (cSCI) and thoracic (tSCI) injuries in trunk function, and (c) investigate the effects of a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS) in these patients. Approach. Electromyographic (EMG) and smartphone accelerometer data were recorded from 15 cSCI patients, nine tSCI patients, and 24 healthy controls, during a reaching task requiring trunk tilting. We calculated the response time (RespT) until pressing a target button, EMG onset latencies and amplitudes, and trunk tilt, lateral deviation, and other movement features from accelerometry. Statistical analysis was applied to analyze the effects of group (cSCI, tSCI, control) and condition (SAS, non-SAS) in each outcome measure. Main results. SCI patients, especially those with cSCI, presented significantly longer RespT and EMG onset latencies than controls. Moreover, in SCI patients, forward trunk tilt was accompanied by significant lateral deviation. RespT and EMG latencies were remarkably shortened by the SAS (the so-called StartReact effect) in tSCI patients and controls, but not in cSCI patients, who also showed higher variability. Significance. The combination of EMG and smartphone accelerometer data can provide quantitative measures for the assessment of trunk function in SCI. Our results show deficits in postural control and compensatory strategies employed by SCI patients, including delayed responses and higher lateral deviations, possibly to improve sitting balance. This is the first study investigating the StartReact responses in trunk muscles in SCI patients and shows that the SAS significantly accelerates RespT in tSCI, but not in cSCI, suggesting an increased cortical control exerted by these patients.This work was developed in the framework of the joint project 'Biomedical signal interpretation to study motor impairment, neurological disorders and novel personalised neurorehabilitation therapies', between the Fundación Institut Guttmann and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia. This work was supported in part by a fellowship from 'La Caixa' Foundation (ID 100010434) with fellowship code LCF/BQ/DE18/11670019, in part by the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya under Grant GRC 2017 SGR 01770, in part by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the European Regional Development Fund under Grant RTI2018 098472-B-I00, in part by the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya, in part by H2020-ERA-NET Neuron under Grant AC16/00034, in part by La Marató de TV3 2017 under Grant 201713.31, and in part by Premi Beca 'Mike Lane' 2019—Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia. The authors declare no competing interests

Methods for Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) : A Systematic Review and Guidelines

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABHeart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) has been widely used to improve cardiovascular health and well-being. HRVB is based on breathing at an individual's resonance frequency, which stimulates respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and the baroreflex. There is, however, no methodological consensus on how to apply HRVB, while details about the protocol used are often not well reported. Thus, the objectives of this systematic review are to describe the different HRVB protocols and detect methodological concerns. PsycINFO, CINALH, Medline and Web of Science were searched between 2000 and April 2021. Data extraction and quality assessment were based on PRISMA guidelines. A total of 143 studies were finally included from any scientific field and any type of sample. Three protocols for HRVB were found: (i) "Optimal RF" (n = 37), each participant breathes at their previously detected RF; (ii) "Individual RF" (n = 48), each participant follows a biofeedback device that shows the optimal breathing rate based on cardiovascular data in real time, and (iii) "Preset-pace RF" (n = 51), all participants breathe at the same rate rate, usually 6 breaths/minute. In addition, we found several methodological differences for applying HRVB in terms of number of weeks, duration of breathing or combination of laboratory and home sessions. Remarkably, almost 2/3 of the studies did not report enough information to replicate the HRVB protocol in terms of breathing duration, inhalation/exhalation ratio, breathing control or body position. Methodological guidelines and a checklist are proposed to enhance the methodological quality of future HRVB studies and increase the information reported

Antimitotic and hormone effects on green diplohaploid plant production through anther culture on Mediterranean japonica rice

Rice double haploid (DH) plants are produced mainly through anther culture. In order to improve the anther culture protocol, microspores of two japonica rice genotypes (NRVC980385 and H28) were subjected to three growth regulator combinations and four colchicine treatments on induction medium. In addition, a post anther culture procedure using colchicine or oryzalin was tested to induce double haploid plantlets from haploid plantlets. A cold pre-treatment of microspores for 9 days at 10 °C increased callus induction 50-fold in the NRCV980385 genotype. For both genotypes, 2 mg L−1 2,4-D and 1 mg L−1 kinetin on colchicine-free induction medium gave the best culture responses. The culturability of both genotypes changed on colchicine-supplemented induction media. A high genotype dependency was recorded for callus induction, callus regenerating green plantlets and regeneration of green double haploid plantlets. Colchicine at 300 mg L−1 for 48 h enhanced callus induction 100-fold in H28. Colchicine-supplemented media clearly improved green double haploid plantlet regeneration. We showed that the post-anther culture treatment of haploid plantlets at 500 mg L−1 of colchicine permitted fertile double haploid plantlets to be generated. Finally, an enhanced medium-throughput flow cytometry protocol for rice was tested to analyse all the plantlets from anther and post anther culture

Development of a New largely scalable in vitro prion propagation method for the production of infectious recombinant prions for high resolution structural studies.

The resolution of the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions at the atomic level is pivotal to understand the pathobiology of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), but has been long hindered due to certain particularities of these proteinaceous pathogens. Difficulties related to their purification from brain homogenates of disease-affected animals were resolved almost a decade ago by the development of in vitro recombinant prion propagation systems giving rise to highly infectious recombinant prions. However, lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of the misfolding event and the complexity of systems such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA), have limited generating the large amounts of homogeneous recombinant prion preparations required for high-resolution techniques such as solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) imaging. Herein, we present a novel recombinant prion propagation system based on PMCA that substitutes sonication with shaking thereby allowing the production of unprecedented amounts of multi-labeled, infectious recombinant prions. The use of specific cofactors, such as dextran sulfate, limit the structural heterogeneity of the in vitro propagated prions and makes possible, for the first time, the generation of infectious and likely homogeneous samples in sufficient quantities for studies with high-resolution structural techniques as demonstrated by the preliminary ssNMR spectrum presented here. Overall, we consider that this new method named Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification (PMSA), opens new avenues to finally elucidate the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions

TFG 2014/2015

Amb aquesta publicació, EINA, Centre universitari de Disseny i Art adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, dóna a conèixer el recull dels Treballs de Fi de Grau presentats durant el curs 2014-2015. Voldríem que un recull com aquest donés una idea més precisa de la tasca que es realitza a EINA per tal de formar nous dissenyadors amb capacitat de respondre professionalment i intel·lectualment a les necessitats i exigències de la nostra societat. El treball formatiu s’orienta a oferir resultats que responguin tant a paràmetres de rigor acadèmic i capacitat d’anàlisi del context com a l’experimentació i la creació de nous llenguatges, tot fomentant el potencial innovador del disseny.Con esta publicación, EINA, Centro universitario de diseño y arte adscrito a la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, da a conocer la recopilación de los Trabajos de Fin de Grado presentados durante el curso 2014-2015. Querríamos que una recopilación como ésta diera una idea más precisa del trabajo que se realiza en EINA para formar nuevos diseñadores con capacidad de responder profesional e intelectualmente a las necesidades y exigencias de nuestra sociedad. El trabajo formativo se orienta a ofrecer resultados que respondan tanto a parámetros de rigor académico y capacidad de análisis, como a la experimentación y la creación de nuevos lenguajes, al tiempo que se fomenta el potencial innovador del diseño.With this publication, EINA, University School of Design and Art, affiliated to the Autonomous University of Barcelona, brings to the public eye the Final Degree Projects presented during the 2014-2015 academic year. Our hope is that this volume might offer a more precise idea of the task performed by EINA in training new designers, able to speak both professionally and intellectually to the needs and demands of our society. The educational task is oriented towards results that might respond to the parameters of academic rigour and the capacity for contextual analysis, as well as to considerations of experimentation and the creation of new languages, all the while reinforcing design’s innovative potential

Contacts et acculturations en Méditerranée occidentale

La question des contacts entre les différents peuples qui bordent les rives de la Méditerranée nord occidentale est l’un des sujets phares de la recherche archéologique de ces trente dernières années. Que l’on parle d’époque archaïque et classique ou de Protohistoire et d’âge du Fer, les échanges et les processus d’acculturation de ces peuples qui entrèrent alors en contact les uns avec les autres : Grecs, Celtes, Phéniciens, Ibères, Ligures, Étrusques, ont retenu l’attention des chercheurs travaillant sur l’expansion grecque dans ces régions, sur les trafics commerciaux, sur les échanges culturels. L’œuvre de Michel Bats (Directeur de recherche honoraire du CNRS) traverse toutes ces thématiques : la présence des Phocéens et des Étrusques dans le bassin occidental de la Méditerranée, l’acculturation et les identités ethno-culturelles, les recherches sur la céramique et ses usages dans une perspective anthropologique, l’appropriation de l’écriture par les sociétés protohistoriques. Ses collègues et amis, en organisant ce colloque et en participant à ces actes, entendent lui témoigner leur amitié et leur dette intellectuelle. Ce volume réunit des articles des meilleurs spécialistes, actuels de la question - des chercheurs de toute la Méditerranée - autour des quatre grands thèmes que nous venons d’évoquer afin tout à la fois de dresser un bilan et de définir de nouvelles perspectives. Cet ouvrage présente donc aussi bien des synthèses - sur la présence grecque en Espagne, sur l’origine de l’écriture, sur les pratiques funéraires, sur les identités culturelles et ethniques - que des découvertes récentes concernant la thématique des contacts et de l’acculturation en Méditerranée nord occidentale : l’agglomération du Premier âge du Fer de La Cougourlude (Lattes, Hérault) fouillée durant l’été 2010 ; le sanctuaire hellénistique de Cumes et les fouilles récentes de Fratte en Italie ; les ateliers de potiers de Rosas en Espagne ; les dernières découvertes d’Olbia de Provence

Study of the rare B-s(0) and B-0 decays into the pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) final state

A search for the rare decays $B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ and $B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5-1.3 GeV/$c^2$ and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay $B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ and the first evidence of the decay $B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ are obtained and the branching fractions are measured to be $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-)=(8.6\pm 1.5\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.7\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.7\,({\rm norm}))\times 10^{-8}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-)=(2.11\pm 0.51\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.15\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.16\,({\rm norm}) )\times 10^{-8}$, where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay $B^0\to J/\psi(\to \mu^+\mu^-)K^*(890)^0(\to K^+\pi^-)$, used as a normalisation.A search for the rare decays Bs0→π+π−μ+μ− and B0→π+π−μ+μ− is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 collected by the LHCb detector in proton–proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV . Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5–1.3 GeV/c2 and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay Bs0→π+π−μ+μ− and the first evidence of the decay B0→π+π−μ+μ− are obtained and the branching fractions, restricted to the dipion-mass range considered, are measured to be B(Bs0→π+π−μ+μ−)=(8.6±1.5 (stat)±0.7 (syst)±0.7(norm))×10−8 and B(B0→π+π−μ+μ−)=(2.11±0.51(stat)±0.15(syst)±0.16(norm))×10−8 , where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B0→J/ψ(→μ+μ−)K⁎(892)0(→K+π−) , used as a normalisation.A search for the rare decays Bs0→π+π−μ+μ− and B0→π+π−μ+μ− is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 collected by the LHCb detector in proton–proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV . Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5–1.3 GeV/c2 and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay Bs0→π+π−μ+μ− and the first evidence of the decay B0→π+π−μ+μ− are obtained and the branching fractions, restricted to the dipion-mass range considered, are measured to be B(Bs0→π+π−μ+μ−)=(8.6±1.5 (stat)±0.7 (syst)±0.7(norm))×10−8 and B(B0→π+π−μ+μ−)=(2.11±0.51(stat)±0.15(syst)±0.16(norm))×10−8 , where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B0→J/ψ(→μ+μ−)K⁎(892)0(→K+π−) , used as a normalisation.A search for the rare decays $B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ and $B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5-1.3 GeV/$c^2$ and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay $B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ and the first evidence of the decay $B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ are obtained and the branching fractions, restricted to the dipion-mass range considered, are measured to be $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-)=(8.6\pm 1.5\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.7\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.7\,({\rm norm}))\times 10^{-8}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-)=(2.11\pm 0.51\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.15\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.16\,({\rm norm}) )\times 10^{-8}$, where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay $B^0\to J/\psi(\to \mu^+\mu^-)K^*(890)^0(\to K^+\pi^-)$, used as a normalisation

Measurement of the Z plus b-jet cross-section in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV in the forward region

The associated production of a Z boson or an off-shell photon $\gamma^*$ with a bottom quark in the forward region is studied using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $7{\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}}$. The Z bosons are reconstructed in the ${\text{Z}/\gamma^*}\rightarrow{\mu^{+}\mu^{-}}$ final state from muons with a transverse momentum larger than $20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$, while two transverse momentum thresholds are considered for jets ($10{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$ and $20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$). Both muons and jets are reconstructed in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 10{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$, and \sigma(\text{\text{Z}/\gamma^*(\mu^{+}\mu^{-})+b-jet}) = 167 \pm 47 (\text{stat}) \pm 29 (\text{syst}) \pm 6 (\text{lumi}) {\,{fb}} for {p_{\rm T}}(jet)$>20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$

Angular analysis of the B-0 -> K*(0) e(+) e(-) decay in the low-q(2) region

An angular analysis of the $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0} e^+ e^-$ decay is performed using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 {\mbox{fb}^{-1}}, collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV during 2011 and 2012. For the first time several observables are measured in the dielectron mass squared ($q^2$) interval between 0.002 and 1.120${\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V^2\!/}c^4}$. The angular observables $F_{\mathrm{L}}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}}$ which are related to the $K^{*0}$ polarisation and to the lepton forward-backward asymmetry, are measured to be $F_{\mathrm{L}}= 0.16 \pm 0.06 \pm0.03$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}} = 0.10 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The angular observables $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}}$ which are sensitive to the photon polarisation in this $q^2$ range, are found to be $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)} = -0.23 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.05$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}} =0.14 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.05$. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions.An angular analysis of the B$^{0}$ → K^{*}^{0} e$^{+}$ e$^{−}$ decay is performed using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{−1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV during 2011 and 2012. For the first time several observables are measured in the dielectron mass squared (q$^{2}$) interval between 0.002 and 1.120 GeV$^{2}$ /c$^{4}$. The angular observables F$_{L}$ and A$_{T}^{Re}$ which are related to the K^{*}^{0} polarisation and to the lepton forward-backward asymmetry, are measured to be F$_{L}$ = 0.16 ± 0.06 ± 0.03 and A$_{T}^{Re}$  = 0.10 ± 0.18 ± 0.05, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The angular observables A$_{T}^{(2)}$ and A$_{T}^{Im}$ which are sensitive to the photon polarisation in this q$^{2}$ range, are found to be A$_{T}^{(2)}$  = − 0.23 ± 0.23 ± 0.05 and A$_{T}^{Im}$  = 0.14 ± 0.22 ± 0.05. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions.An angular analysis of the $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0} e^+ e^-$ decay is performed using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 {\mbox{fb}^{-1}}, collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV during 2011 and 2012. For the first time several observables are measured in the dielectron mass squared ($q^2$) interval between 0.002 and 1.120${\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V^2\!/}c^4}$. The angular observables $F_{\mathrm{L}}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}}$ which are related to the $K^{*0}$ polarisation and to the lepton forward-backward asymmetry, are measured to be $F_{\mathrm{L}}= 0.16 \pm 0.06 \pm0.03$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}} = 0.10 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The angular observables $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}}$ which are sensitive to the photon polarisation in this $q^2$ range, are found to be $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)} = -0.23 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.05$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}} =0.14 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.05$. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions