5 research outputs found

    Local vibratory stimulation for temporomandibular disorder myofascial pain treatment: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled preliminary study

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    Several methods are currently used to manage pain related to temporomandibular disorder (TMD).Vibratory stimulation is applied as a pain treatment for several musculoskeletal disorders, but it has not yet been studied in-depth for TMD symptoms. The aim of this study is to analyse the effectiveness of at-home local vibration therapy (LVT) for the management of TMDs-related myofascial pain.Methods. Fifty-four TMD patients (43 F, 11 M) with an average age of 40.7 (age range: 29-54 yr.) were randomly subdivided into two groups. The study group (AG) received 1 week of at-home LVT treatment with the NOVAFON Pro Sk2/2: 50/100 Hz, bilaterally applied to the pain area for 16 minutes daily. The placebo group (IG) followed the same protocol using inactive devices. Temporomandibular jointpain (TMJ), muscular pain (MM), and headache (HA) were assessed. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) before (T0) and after therapy (T1). Statistical analysis and Student's t-tests were applied (statistical significance for P<0.05). Results. AG patients reported decreased average values for all types of pain considered between T0 and T1, with a statistically significant difference for TMJ pain (P<0.05), MM pain, and HA (P<0.001). IG patients reported a no statistically significant decrease in the average values of MM pain and an increase in the average valuesof TMJ pain and HA. Conclusion. The study supports the use of local vibration therapy in the control of TMD-related TMJ pain, local muscular pain, and headache

    Genetic diversity and environmental stress in Italian populations of the cyprinodont fish Aphanius fasciatus

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    Allozyme electrophoresis has been used to analyse the genetic structure of ten populations of the killifish, Aphanius fasciatus, sampled from Italian coastal brackish lagoons or salterns. The goal of the study was to compare the genetic structure of samples obtained from habitats characterised by environmental stress of different kinds, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the relationships between the genetic variation of natural populations and environmental disturbance, either natural or man-made. Therefore, the sampling scheme has been planned to provide samples from both brackish habitats, characterised by natural stress with seasonal marked fluctuations of chemical and physical parameters, and from coastal lagoons suffering from a high human impact due to fishing, pollution, aquaculture, etc. Many sample pairs from the two sets were also geographically very close, allowing a better comparison of the genetic variation of populations tolerating different kinds of environmental stress (i.e., natural vs. anthropogenic). The obtained data evidence three main genetically distinct population groups, including samples from: (1) central-northern Tyrrhenian and northern Sardinian coasts; (2) southern Tyrrhenian and southern Sardinian coasts; (3) Adriatic Sea. Within the two Tyrrhenian groups, a general trend indicates a lower genetic variability for the samples obtained from highly human disturbed brackish waters. In particular, samples characterised by well documented pollution and dystrophic crises (i.e., Orbetello and Cagliari-Santa Gilla lagoons) have a lower genetic variability with respect to nearby scarcely disturbed populations (Tarquinia saltern and Sant' Antioco lagoon). The Adriatic populations exhibit a low level of genetic variation, which may be due to the persistent hypoxic condition of the sea basin combined with the paleogeographic history of the area.Dix populations d'Aphanius fasciatus provenant de lagunes côtières et d'étangs saumâtres italiens ont été génétiquement caractérisées grâce à l'électrophorèse multilocus. L'étude confronte la structure génétique de populations venant d'habitats caractérisés par différents types de stress du milieu pour améliorer la connaissance des relations entre le degré de variabilité génétique des populations naturelles et la perturbation du milieu, qu'elle soit naturelle ou anthropogénique. Aussi, l'échantillonnage a-t-il été planifié pour obtenir des populations naturellement perturbées (avec de grandes variations des paramètres physiques et chimiques) ou bien subissant une perturbation due à la pêche, à la pollution, à l'aquaculture. Plusieurs couples d'échantillons de ces deux types ont été prélevés sur des sites géographiquement proches pour faciliter la comparaison entre les populations qui supportent les deux types de stress. Trois groupes génétiquement différents ont été identifiés : le premier est constitué par les populations de la haute et moyenne Tyrrhénienne et des côtes septentrionales de la Sardaigne, le second par celles de la basse Tyrrhénienne et de la Sardaigne méridionale et le troisième par celles de la côte Adriatique. Pour les deux groupes de populations de la Tyrrhénienne, une tendance à une moindre variabilité génétique concernant les populations soumises à un habitat troublé par l'activité humaine apparaît. C'est particulièrement le cas pour les échantillons de lagunes côtières polluées ou qui ont été victimes de crises dystrophiques (par exemple Orbetello et Cagliari-Santa Gilla) ; la variabilité génétique est inférieure comparée aux populations géographiquement proches mais qui vivent dans un habitat pratiquement inaltéré (saline de Tarquinia et lagune de Sant'Antioco). En général, les populations de la zone Adriatique montrent une faible variabilité génétique, peut-être à cause du déficit persistant d'oxygène du bassin ou à cause de la récente histoire paléographique de cet emplacement

    Evoluzione recente del popolamento zooplanctonico pelagico nel Lago di Vico (Lazio).

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    The capability to effectively control or adapt a movement pattern based on instructional feedback is essential for effective motor skill learning in high-level sport, as it is in other domains such as rehabilitation or music. Despite this, little is known about the capabilities of skilled athletes to use kinematic feedback to purposefully modify complex movements. This study examined the accuracy with which skilled junior tennis players could translate specific kinematic feedback into appropriate modifications of their service actions. Participants were required to either increase or decrease maximum knee flexion or shift impact position laterally by incremental amounts. Further, participants were required to execute their serve with the smallest increase and decrease in these kinematic components as they could consciously produce. Inherent variability within the desired target parameters was calculated to add context to the athlete’s accuracy. Results demonstrated that while participants had considerable control over their movements, only some instructions were executed with accuracy greater the variability normally present within their movement. As the required change in knee flexion and impact position increased, absolute accuracy of implementation decreased. These findings are discussed with reference to the smallest controllable changes produced by the athletes and the variability within their actions
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