The impact of a web-based lifestyle educational program (‘Living Better’) Reintervention on hypertensive overweight or obese patients

‘Living Better’, a self-administered web-based intervention, designed to facilitate lifestyle changes, has already shown positive short-and medium-term health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the long-term (3-year) evolution of a group of hypertensive overweight or obese patients who had already followed the ‘Living Better’ program; (2) to analyze the effects of completing this program a second time (reintervention) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental design was used. We recruited 29 individuals from the 105 who had participated in our first study. We assessed and compared their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI), eating behavior, and physical activity (PA) level (reported as METs-min/week), at Time 0 (first intervention follow-up), Time 1 (before the reintervention), and Time 2 (post-reintervention). Our results showed significant improvements between Time 1 and Time 2 in SBP (-4.7 (-8.7 to -0.7); p = 0.017), DBP (-3.5 (-6.2 to -0.8); p = 0.009), BMI (-0.7 (-1.0 to -0.4); p 0.24). Implementation of the ‘Living Better’ program maintained positive long-term (3-year) health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. Moreover, a reintervention with this program during the COVID-19 pandemic produced significant improvements in blood pressure, BMI, eating behavior, and PA. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Bats in the anthropogenic matrix: Challenges and opportunities for the conservation of chiroptera and their ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes

Intensification in land-use and farming practices has had largely negative effects on bats, leading to population declines and concomitant losses of ecosystem services. Current trends in land-use change suggest that agricultural areas will further expand, while production systems may either experience further intensification (particularly in developing nations) or become more environmentally friendly (especially in Europe). In this chapter, we review the existing literature on how agricultural management affects the bat assemblages and the behavior of individual bat species, as well as the literature on provision of ecosystem services by bats (pest insect suppression and pollination) in agricultural systems. Bats show highly variable responses to habitat conversion, with no significant change in species richness or measures of activity or abundance. In contrast, intensification within agricultural systems (i.e., increased agrochemical inputs, reduction of natural structuring elements such as hedges, woods, and marshes) had more consistently negative effects on abundance and species richness. Agroforestry systems appear to mitigate negative consequences of habitat conversion and intensification, often having higher abundances and activity levels than natural areas. Across biomes, bats play key roles in limiting populations of arthropods by consuming various agricultural pests. In tropical areas, bats are key pollinators of several commercial fruit species. However, these substantial benefits may go unrecognized by farmers, who sometimes associate bats with ecosystem disservices such as crop raiding. Given the importance of bats for global food production, future agricultural management should focus on “wildlife-friendly” farming practices that allow more bats to exploit and persist in the anthropogenic matrix so as to enhance provision of ecosystem services. Pressing research topics include (1) a better understanding of how local-level versus landscape-level management practices interact to structure bat assemblages, (2) the effects of new pesticide classes and GM crops on bat populations, and (3) how increased documentation and valuation of the ecosystem services provided by bats could improve attitudes of producers toward their conservation

Effectiveness of the Natura 2000 Network for the conservation of cave‐dwelling bats in a Mediterranean region

The Natura 2000 Network represents the greatest step forward yet in conservation in Europe, although its effectiveness is sometimes questioned, especially in M editerranean regions. Bats are protected by the H abitat D irective and the presence of certain species is a prerequisite before S pecial A reas C onservation (SAC sites) can be included as such in the N atura 2000 N etwork. However, the effectiveness of SAC sites as regards the protection they offer to bats, especially cave‐dwelling species, remains to be evaluated. We assess the effectiveness of the SAC system for protecting the roosts of six species of cave‐dwelling bats and for protecting suitable and optimal habitats, using ecological niche models. Gap analyses indicate that c. 60% of roosts are protected by SAC sites, with values ranging from 45.8% for M iniopterus schreibersii to 72.2% for R hinolophus hipposideros . The protection offered to suitable and optimal habitats was found to be much lower in general, with values of below 40% in all cases. Our results emphasize the potential value of non‐natural caves (e.g. mines and buildings) for the conservation of bat populations, and the importance of assessing the efficiency of protected areas by considering distribution models that incorporate different types of information (e.g. roosts and use habitat) concerning species occurrence

Neuromuscular-skeletal constraints in the coordination of prono-supination Factores neuro-músculo-esquéleticos en la coordinación de movimientos de pronosupinación

Objective: To examine how changes in the position of the axis of rotation of the forearm alter both stability of unimanual coordination and activation patterns of muscles that contribute to pronation and supination of the forearm. Participants: 15 participants generated pronation and supination movements of the forearm in time with a metronome (frequencies from 1.75 Hz to 3.5 Hz). Methods: All the subjects were required to coordinate either maximum pronation or maximum supination with each beat of the metronome. Kinematic data (angular displacement) of the forearm were recorded. The axis of rotation was either coincident with the long axis of the forearm, above this axis, or below this axis. The time of onset of every pattern change was calculated to determine the stability of each mode of coordination. In 4 participants the electromyographic activity of pronator teres, brachial biceps, flexor carpi radialis and extensor carpi radialis and kinematic data of the forearm were recorded and synchronised. Results: The stability of the pronate-on the-beat pattern was greatest when the axis of rotation of the movement was below the long axis of the forearm. In contrast, the stability of the supinate-on-the-beat pattern was greatest when the axis of rotation of the movement was above the long axis of the forearm. The relative dominance of the pronation and supination phases of forearm rotation co-varies with the degree of engagement of flexor carpi radialis and extensor carpi radialis longus. Conclusion: The relative stability of pronate-on-the-beat and supinate-on-the beat patterns are contingent upon mechanical context. Changes in mechanical context alter the activation patterns of muscles that contribute to pronation and supination of the forearm, particularly flexor carpi radialis

Minimally Invasive Myomectomy: an Overview on the Surgical Approaches and a Comparison with Mini-Laparotomy

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