A VIDEO ANALYSIS MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE FOR THE ESTIMATION OF LEG POWER DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HORIZONTAL JUMP

A valid power measurement from video analyses provides a valuable method for kinetic evaluation. This research utilizes kinematic velocity data from the Peak 2D video analysis system to calculate power produced from the lower extremity during take off Force, Velocity, and Power measures calculated using commercial software packages (AMTI) on a force plate are used to validate the video analysis data. 20 subjects performed 3 maximal horizontal jumps using controlled arm and leg motion. The best of the jumps were analyzed from video images to provide Velocity of the Centre of Mass (C of M) data which is utilized to produce force and power measures using specialized software. The power measures are conelated to the force plate results to provide correlations of r = .82. A Prediction formulae is derived to adjust for error margins. The Power Measurement method provides an accurate prediction of muscle power produced during the horizontal jump

A SYSTEM FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF IMPACT FORCE IN FOOTWEAR

The purpose of the research was to develop a mechanical device to measure the Effectiveness of f the Energy (J) absorption in materials used for the construction of the soles of athletic footwear. Mean Ground Reaction Force curves were used to calculate energy during impact loading in the materials used for the soles of six different brand-name running shoes. Results indicated a range of variability in energy absorption in the soles of the shoes and the relationship to shoe quality assessed on retail cost. The measurement system provided a reliable and alternate measure of performance in shoe materials and demonstrates a need for the provision of more accurate and alternative test measures for the consumer

Sigmodontinae rodents as hosts for larvae and nymphs of Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899 (Acari: Ixodidae)

Larvae and nymphs of Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899 ticks (confirmed by morphological characters and by comparison of 16S mitochondrial rDNA sequences) were collected from Sigmodontinae Wagner, rodents in central and northern Argentina and Uruguay. A total of 100 larvae and 38 nymphs of I. loricatus were collected on the genera Akodon Meyen (n = 36 individuals), Calomys Waterhouse (n = 2), Oligoryzomys Bang (n = 12), Oxymycterus Waterhouse (n = 9), and Scapteromys Waterhouse (n = 13). 72 larvae and 18 nymphs were collected on Akodon. Adults of I. loricatus were found in central Argentina and Uruguay on Didelphimorphia of the genera Didelphis Linnaeus and Lutreolina Thomas. Ixodes loricatus has been considered a species with strict total specificity to Didelphimorphia. Our results show that this statement may not be justified. Sigmodontinae rodents are sympatric and share habitats with the phylogenetically distant Didelphimorphia; infestation with I. loricatus seems to be its consequence. We tentatively consider I. loricatus moderately specific to Didelphimorphia.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

Ticks from Catamarca and Tucumán provinces: study of a collection from wild and domestic hosts

Durante 2003-2004 se obtuvieron garrapatas de caballos (Amblyomma neumanni) y de corzuela, Mazama gouazoupira (A. neumanni y Haemaphysalis juxtakochi) en Catamarca y de perros (A. tigrinum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus), mara, Dolichotis patagonum (R. sanguineus), lampalagua, Boa constrictor (Amblyomma argentinae) y tapir, Tapirus terrestris (Amblyomma dubitatum) en Tucumán. Aunque R. sanguineus se presume que se encuentra establecida en la mayor parte de los centros urbanos argentinos, éstos son los primeros registros para Tucumán. El hallazgo sobre mara es el primero para este tipo de hospedador. También los registros de A. dubitatum y de H. juxtakochi en Tucumán y Catamarca, respectivamente, son los primeros para ambas provincias.During 2003-2004 samples of ticks were obtained from horses (Amblyomma neumanni) and a gray brocket deer, Mazama gouazoupira (A. neumanni and Haemaphysalis juxtakochi) in Catamarca, and from dogs (A. tigrinum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus), mara, Dolichotis patagonum (R. sanguineus), boa, Boa constrictor (Amblyomma argentinae) and tapir, Tapirus terrestris (Amblyomma dubitatum) in Tucumán. Although R. sanguineus is presumably established in most Argentinean localities, these are the first records for Tucumàn. Its finding on a mara is a new host record. As well, the findings of A. dubitatum and H. juxtakochi in Tucumán and Catamarca, respectively, are also the firsts for these provinces.Fil: Zerpa, C.. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza; ArgentinaFil: Venzal, J. M.. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: López, N.. Sin filiacion; ArgentinaFil: Mangold, Atilio Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Agencia de Extension Rural Rafaela.; ArgentinaFil: Guglielmone, Alberto Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Agencia de Extension Rural Rafaela.; Argentin

Sigmodontinae rodents as hosts for larvae and nymphs of Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899 (Acari: Ixodidae)

Larvae and nymphs of Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899 ticks (confirmed by morphological characters and by comparison of 16S mitochondrial rDNA sequences) were collected from Sigmodontinae Wagner, rodents in central and northern Argentina and Uruguay. A total of 100 larvae and 38 nymphs of I. loricatus were collected on the genera Akodon Meyen (n = 36 individuals), Calomys Waterhouse (n = 2), Oligoryzomys Bang (n = 12), Oxymycterus Waterhouse (n = 9), and Scapteromys Waterhouse (n = 13). 72 larvae and 18 nymphs were collected on Akodon. Adults of I. loricatus were found in central Argentina and Uruguay on Didelphimorphia of the genera Didelphis Linnaeus and Lutreolina Thomas. Ixodes loricatus has been considered a species with strict total specificity to Didelphimorphia. Our results show that this statement may not be justified. Sigmodontinae rodents are sympatric and share habitats with the phylogenetically distant Didelphimorphia; infestation with I. loricatus seems to be its consequence. We tentatively consider I. loricatus moderately specific to Didelphimorphia.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

In vitro activity of ten medicinal plants on ten Streptococcus pneumoniae strains

Introducción: El portador sano es el principal diseminador de las infecciones neumocócicas por la nasofaringe. Una alternativa para combatirlo son las plantas medicinales. Objetivos: Determinar la efectividad de diez plantas medicinales frente a Streptococcus pneumoniae. Diseño: Estudio experimental in vitro. Material biológico: Plantas medicinales y cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae. Intervenciones: Los extractos de 10 plantas medicinales fueron puestos en contacto in vitro con 10 cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae. Principales medidas de resultados: Actividad de las plantas medicinales sobre las cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae. Resultados: almendro y Bellaco caspi fueron las únicas plantas que dieron pequeño halo de inhibición con algunas cepas; con almendro se inhibió dos cepas y con Bellaco caspi, se inhibió siete cepas y tres resultaron resistentes. Estos resultados no tuvieron relación con el serotipo de neumococo ni con los antibióticos utilizados en los antibiogramas realizados previamente. Conclusiones: El Bellaco caspi podría ser una alternativa para atacar al neumococo en la nasofaringe. Pero, por haber presentado resistencia a tres cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae, antes de usarlo sería conveniente desarrollar un antibiograma de los neumococos contra las plantas medicinales.Introduction: The healthy carrier is the main disseminator of pneumococcal infections through nasopharynx; an alternative for treatment is a medicinal plant. Objectives: To determine the effectivity of ten medicinal plants against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Design: In vitro experimental study. Biologic materials: Medicinal plant extracts and Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. Interventions: Ten medicinal plant extracts were put in contact in vitro with 10 different Streptococcus pneumonia strains. Main outcome measures: Medicinal plant extracts activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. Results: Only almendro y Bellaco caspi showed small inhibition halos with some strains; with almendro two of 10 Pneumococcus strains were inhibited and with Bellaco caspi seven strains were inhibited and three were resistant. These results had no relation either with Pneumococcus serotype or with antibiotics used according to antibiograms. Conclusions: Bellaco caspi could be an alternative for treating nasopharynx Pneumococcus, but due to resistance to three Streptococcus pneumonia strains there is no total guarantee and an antibiogram for pneumococci against medicinal plants is needed

Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 2: A bibliographic analysis

The official published version of the article can be found at the link below.Background There are strong arguments for social science and interdisciplinary research in the neglected tropical diseases. These diseases represent a rich and dynamic interplay between vector, host, and pathogen which occurs within social, physical and biological contexts. The overwhelming sense, however, is that neglected tropical diseases research is a biomedical endeavour largely excluding the social sciences. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline for discussing the quantum and nature of the science that is being conducted, and the extent to which the social sciences are a part of that. Methods A bibliographic analysis was conducted of neglected tropical diseases related research papers published over the past 10 years in biomedical and social sciences. The analysis had textual and bibliometric facets, and focussed on chikungunya, dengue, visceral leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis. Results There is substantial variation in the number of publications associated with each disease. The proportion of the research that is social science based appears remarkably consistent (<4%). A textual analysis, however, reveals a degree of misclassification by the abstracting service where a surprising proportion of the "social sciences" research was pure clinical research. Much of the social sciences research also tends to be "hand maiden" research focused on the implementation of biomedical solutions. Conclusion There is little evidence that scientists pay any attention to the complex social, cultural, biological, and environmental dynamic involved in human pathogenesis. There is little investigator driven social science and a poor presence of interdisciplinary science. The research needs more sophisticated funders and priority setters who are not beguiled by uncritical biomedical promises

Efecto de la temperatura y pH sobre la actividad y estabilidad de pectinasas producidas por Bacillus spp.

    Las pectinasas se encuentran ampliamente distribuidas en la naturaleza, como por ejemplo en productos de desecho, y su utilidad industrial es de gran importancia. En la presente investigación se trata de establecer algunos parámetros cinéticos a nivel de laboratorio para la producción de pectinasas por Bacillus spp. Se aisló y seleccionó cultivos puros de Bacillus spp. productores de la enzima a partir de muestras de tierra de cultivo de papa y naranja en medio agar nutritivo con sales y pectina como sustrato, se incubó y se realizó la lectura agregando alícuotas de una solución de lugol y aquellos cultivos que presentaban mayor halo de hidrólisis de pectina fueron seleccionados. Estos cultivos se sembraron en medio líquido nutritivo más sales y pectina y se incubaron por 24 – 48 horas; luego se centrifugaron y se obtuvo el sobrenadante denominado extracto crudo de pectinasa (ECP), el cual sirvió para realizar los ensayos de actividad y estabilidad del ECP a pHs y temperaturas variables.  Se encontró que el pH y temperatura de máxima actividad del ECP está alrededor de 6,5 y 35°C, respectivamente. El ECP es estable a pH 6,5 y 8,5 a 35°C por 120 minutos, lo mismo es cierto a temperatura de 50°C hasta por 129 minutos y pierde su estabilidad a 70°C a los 120 minutos.Palabras clave: Bacillus, pectinasas, pH, temperatura, actividad y estabilidad

Comparing Fatigue when Using Large Horizontal and Vertical Multi-Touch Interaction Displays

We report on a user study that compared muscle fatigue experienced when using a large multi-touch display in horizontal and vertical configurations over a one-hour period. Muscle fatigue is recognized as the reduction in a muscle’s capacity to generate force or power output and was measured objectively and subjectively before and after a puzzle-solving task. While subjective measures showed a significant level of overall arm muscle fatigue after the task for both configurations, objective measures showed a significant level of muscle fatigue on the middle deltoids and the non-dominant extensor digitorum for the vertical configuration only. We discuss the design implications of these findings and suggest relevant future areas of investigation