Can eccentric exercise of the lower limb be made more efficiently, a pilot study

Abstract Background: Eccentric Exercise has been shown to be more effective in building muscle and healing damaged tissue than concentric or isometric exercise. It has also been shown to be effective in increasing motor control. But the duration of therapeutic exercise in physical therapy is limited by insurance to 30-60 minutes a day. Objectives: Four standard therapy eccentric exercises of the lower limbs were compared (toe raise, ball exercise, side lying eccentric exercise and incline board exercise) to a trainer called the BTE Eccentron to see if the efficiency of exercise could be increased using one exercise session to meet or beat the four individual exercises. Subjects and Methods: The study examined eight randomly selected participants with no known medical conditions (neurological or orthopedic) that would preclude their participation (age=24.1+/-2.1 years height=168.9+/-6.4 cm BMI=23.2+/-3.2). EMG was used to assess muscle recruitment in each exercise. The muscles studies were the gastrocnemius, hamstring, hip adductors, and quadriceps muscles. Results: Muscle use on the eccentron was almost double that of the other exercises. Thus, making therapy more efficient. One single exercise bout showed more muscle activation during eccentric exercise than the other four exercises, with an average muscle use almost 4 times higher on the eccentron. Conclusion: The Eccentron offers a considerable advantage for clinical treatment making exercise and neuromuscular training more efficient

Otto Warburg and his contributions to the screw pine family (Pandanaceae)

Otto Warburg (1859–1938) had a great interest in tropical botany. He travelled in South-East Asia and the South Pacific between 1885 and 1889 and brought back a considerable collection of plant specimens from this expedition later donated to the Royal Botanical Museum in Berlin. Warburg published the first comprehensive monograph on the family Pandanaceae in 1900 in the third issue of Das Pflanzenreich established and edited by Adolf Engler (1844–1930). The aim of this article is to clarify the taxonomy, nomenclature and typification of Warburg's contributions to the Pandanaceae. Considerable parts of Warburg's original material was destroyed in Berlin during World War II but duplicates survived, shared by Engler and Warburg with Ugolino Martelli (1860–1934). Martelli was an expert on the family and he assembled a precious herbarium of Pandanaceae that was later donated to the Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze. Warburg published 86 new names in Pandanaceae between 1898 and 1909 (five new sections, 69 new species, five new varieties, two new combinations and five replacement names). A complete review of the material extant in B and FI led to the conclusion that 38 names needed a nomenclatural act: 34 lectotypes, three neotypes and one epitype are designated here. Twenty new synonyms are also proposed. One Freycinetia name and six Pandanus names are considered as incertae sedis. A total of 21 names published by Warburg are accepted: 11 in Freycinetia and ten in Pandanus. In addition, four names published in Pandanus by Warburg serve as the basionyms of accepted names in the genus Benstonea

Surface Electromyographic Analysis of Exercises for the Trapezius and Serratus Anterior Muscles

Study Design: This study used a prospective, single-group repeated-measures design to analyze differences between the electromyographic (EMG) amplitudes produced by exercises for the trapezius and serratus anterior muscles. Objective: To identify high-intensity exercises that elicit the greatest level of EMG activity in the trapezius and serratus anterior muscles. Background: The trapezius and serratus anterior muscles are considered to be the only upward rotators of the scapula and are important for normal shoulder function. Electromyographic studies have been performed for these muscles during active and low-intensity exercises, but they have not been analyzed during high intensity exercises. Methods and Measures: Surface electrodes recorded EMG activity of the upper, middle, and lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles during 10 exercises in 30 healthy subjects. Results: The unilateral shoulder shrug exercise was found to produce the greatest EMG activity in the upper trapezius. For the middle trapezius, the greatest EMG amplitudes were generated with 2 exercises: shoulder horizontal extension with external rotation and the overhead arm raise in line with the lower trapezius muscle in the prone position. The arm raise overhead exercise in the prone position produced the maximum EMG activity in the lower trapezius. The serratus anterior was activated maximally with exercises requiring a great amount of upward rotation of the scapula. The exercises were shoulder abduction in the plane of the scapula above 120°and a diagonal exercise with a combination of shoulder flexion, horizontal flexion, and external rotation. Conclusion: This study identified exercises that maximally activate the trapezius and serratus anterior muscles. This information may be helpful for clinicians in developing exercise programs for these muscles

Assessing agriculture vulnerabilities for the design of effective measures for adaptation to climate change (AVEMAC project)

This final report of the AVEMAC study presents an assessment of the potential vulnerability of European agriculture to changing climatic conditions in the coming decades. The analysis is based on weather data generated from two contrasting realizations of the A1B emission scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the time horizons 2020 and 2030. These two realizations (obtained from two different general circulation models, downscaled using regional climate models and biascorrected) represent the warmest and coldest realizations of the A1B scenario over Europe as estimated by the ENSEMBLES project. The future weather data fed two types of analyses. The first analysis consisted in computing static agro-meteorological indicators as proxies of potential vulnerabilities of agricultural systems, expressed as changes in the classification of agricultural areas in Europe under climate constraints. The second analysis relied on biophysical modelling to characterize crop specific plant responses derived from crop growth simulations at different production levels (potential production, water-limited production, and production limited by diseases). Assessing the importance of vulnerability to climate change requires not only the localisation of relative yield changes, but also the analysis of the impact of the change on the acreage affected. Consequently, the simulation results of the impact assessment on crops were further processed to estimate the potential changes in production at sub-national (NUTS2) level. This was achieved by relating the simulation results to farm typologies in order to identify which types of systems are likely to be affected by reductions in production. The analyses of this study must be considered as a first step only, since they have neither included adaptation strategies that the farmer can take in response to changes in climate, nor a bio-economic evaluation of estimated vulnerabilities. Therefore, the main aspects and the requirements for a possible future integrated analysis at EU27 level to address climate change and agriculture with the target of providing policy support are also presented in this report. Eventually the results of this study shall help the formulation of appropriate policy options and the development of adequate policy instruments to support the adaptation to climate change of the EU agricultural sector.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Can Preening Contribute to Influenza A Virus Infection in Wild Waterbirds?

Wild aquatic birds in the Orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are the main reservoir hosts perpetuating the genetic pool of all influenza A viruses, including pandemic viruses. High viral loads in feces of infected birds permit a fecal-oral route of transmission. Numerous studies have reported the isolation of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from surface water at aquatic bird habitats. These isolations indicate aquatic environments have an important role in the transmission of AIV among wild aquatic birds. However, the progressive dilution of infectious feces in water could decrease the likelihood of virus/host interactions. To evaluate whether alternate mechanisms facilitate AIV transmission in aquatic bird populations, we investigated whether the preen oil gland secretions by which all aquatic birds make their feathers waterproof could support a natural mechanism that concentrates AIVs from water onto birds' bodies, thus, representing a possible source of infection by preening activity. We consistently detected both viral RNA and infectious AIVs on swabs of preened feathers of 345 wild mallards by using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and virus-isolation (VI) assays. Additionally, in two laboratory experiments using a quantitative real-time (qR) RT-PCR assay, we demonstrated that feather samples (n = 5) and cotton swabs (n = 24) experimentally impregnated with preen oil, when soaked in AIV-contaminated waters, attracted and concentrated AIVs on their surfaces. The data presented herein provide information that expands our understanding of AIV ecology in the wild bird reservoir system

Livestock 2.0 – genome editing for fitter, healthier, and more productive farmed animals

Abstract The human population is growing, and as a result we need to produce more food whilst reducing the impact of farming on the environment. Selective breeding and genomic selection have had a transformational impact on livestock productivity, and now transgenic and genome-editing technologies offer exciting opportunities for the production of fitter, healthier and more-productive livestock. Here, we review recent progress in the application of genome editing to farmed animal species and discuss the potential impact on our ability to produce food