Use of Virtual Reality and Videogames in the Physiotherapy Treatment of Stroke Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

© 2023 by the authors. This document is made available under the CC-BY 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by /4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. To access the final edited and published work see https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064747 AA stroke is a neurological condition with a high impact in terms of physical disability in the adult population, requiring specific and effective rehabilitative approaches. Virtual reality (VR), a technological approach in constant evolution, has great applicability in many fields of rehabilitation, including strokes. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a traditional neurological physiotherapy-based approach combined with the implementation of a specific VR-based program in the treatment of patients following rehabilitation after a stroke. Participants (n = 24) diagnosed with a stroke in the last six months were randomly allocated into a control group (n = 12) and an experimental group (n = 12). Both groups received one-hour sessions of neurological physiotherapy over 6 weeks, whilst the experimental group was, in addition, supplemented with VR. Patients were assessed through the Daniels and Worthingham Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, Motor Index, Trunk Control Test, Tinetti Balance Scale, Berg Balance Scale and the Functional Ambulation Classification of the Hospital of Sagunto. Statistically significant improvements were obtained in the experimental group with respect to the control group on the Motricity Index (p = 0.005), Trunk Control Test (p = 0.008), Tinetti Balance Scale (p = 0.004), Berg Balance Scale (p = 0.007) and the Functional Ambulation Classification of the Hospital of Sagunto (p = 0.038). The use of VR in addition to the traditional physiotherapy approach is a useful strategy in the treatment of strokes

Differentiation of Trichuris species using a morphometric approach

Trichuris trichiura is a nematode considered as the whipworm present in humans and primates. The systematics of the genus Trichuris is complex. Morphological studies of Trichuris isolated from primates and humans conclude that the species infecting these hosts is the same. Furthermore, numerous molecular studies have been carried out so far to discriminate parasite species from humans and Non-Human Primates using molecular techniques, but these studies were not performed in combination with a parallel morphological study. The hypothesised existence of more species of Trichuris in primates opens the possibility to revise the zoonotic potential and host specificity of T. trichiura and other putative new species of whipworms. In the present work, a study of Trichuris Roederer, 1761 (Nematoda:Trichuridae) parasitizing C. g. kikuyensis, P. ursinus, Macaca sylvanus, Pan troglodytes, and Sus scrofa domestica has been carried out using modern morphometric techniques in order to differentiate populations of Trichuris isolated from four species of captive NHP from different geographical regions, and swine, respectively. The results obtained revealed strong support for geometrical morphometrics as a useful tool to differentiate male Trichuris populations. Therefore, morphometrics in combination with other techniques, such as molecular biology analyses, ought to be applied to further the differentiation of male populations. On the other hand, morphometrics applied to female Trichuris species does not seem to contribute new information as all the measurements combinations of obtained from females always showed similar resultsMinistry of Economy,Industry and Competitiveness(CGL2017-83057)FEDER funds, the Junta de Andalucía (BIO-338)V Plan Propio de Investigación of the University of Sevill

The Great Aurora of January 1770 observed in Spain

Se analizan los registros realizados por los observadores españoles de una notable aurora el 18 de enero de 1770 para estudiar las características de este acontecimiento. Los registros indican que el fenómeno se observó en los territorios continentales e insulares de España, en particular en San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Cádiz, Córdoba, Badajoz, Valencia, Castellón, Madrid, Barcelona y Gerri de la Sal. El sitio de observación más ecuatorial fue San Cristóbal de la Laguna (28,48º N, 16,32º O) en las Islas Canarias. En general, las descripciones ponen su duración desde la puesta de sol hasta la medianoche, pero los observadores de Córdoba y Madrid informan que la aurora es visible durante las últimas horas de la noche, e incluso fue observada al día siguiente en Castellón. Todos los observadores describieron la aurora como de color rojo, mientras que los colores blanco y ceniza también fueron reportados en Córdoba y Gerri de la Sal. El brillo y la forma de la exhibición de la aurora cambiaron con el tiempo. Los cálculos de las latitudes geomagnéticas de los lugares de observación dieron a San Cristóbal de la Laguna como el más meridional (26º N) y a Gerri de la Sal como el más septentrional (35º N) e indican que esta aurora se observó en una amplia gama de latitudes anormalmente bajas para tal fenómeno. La actividad solar alrededor del evento fue alta, con el astrónomo Horrebow registrando 10 grupos de manchas solares en esa fecha (18 de enero de 1770).An analysis is made of the records made by Spanish observers of a notable aurora on 18 January 1770 in order to study the characteristics of this event. The records indicate that the phenomenon was observed in both continental and insular territories of Spain, in particular at San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Cádiz, Córdoba, Badajoz, Valencia, Castellón, Madrid, Barcelona, and Gerri de la Sal. The most equatorward observational site was San Cristóbal de la Laguna (28.48º N, 16.32º W) in the Canary Islands. In general, the descriptions put its duration from sunset to midnight, but the observers from Córdoba and Madrid report the aurora as being visible during the last hours of the night, and it was even observed the following day at Castellón. All the observers described the aurora as red in colour, while white and ash colours were also reported at Córdoba and Gerri de la Sal. The brightness and shape of auroral display changed over time. Calculations of the geomagnetic latitudes of the observation locations gave San Cristóbal de la Laguna as the southernmost (26º N) and Gerri de la Sal the northernmost (35º N) and indicate this aurora was observed over a wide range of abnormally low latitudes for such a phenomenon. Solar activity around the event was high, with the astronomer Horrebow registering 10 sunspot groups on that date (18 January 1770).• Junta de Junta de Extremadura y Fondos FEDER. Ayuda GR15137 y Proyecto IB16127 • Ministerio de Economía, y Competitividad. Proyectos AYA2014-57556-P (I+D+i) y CGL2017-87917-P (I+D+i)peerReviewe

On equivalence and bioequivalence testing

Equivalence testing is the natural approach to many statistical problems. First, its main application, bioequivalence testing, is reviewed. The basic concepts of bioequivalence testing (2×2 crossover designs, TOST, interval inclusion principle, etc.) and its problems (TOST biased character, the carryover problem, etc.) are considered. Next, equivalence testing is discussed more generally. Some applications and methods are reviewed and the relation of equivalence testing and distance-based inference is highlighted. A new distance-based method to determine whether two gene lists are equivalent in terms of their annotations in the Gene Ontology illustrates these ideas. We end with a general discussion and some suggestions for future research