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Investigating sit-to-stand velocity and power to assess functional capacity in older people
Get PDFPortable inertial measurement units allow movement velocity and power to be measured during functional assessments for older people, providing comprehensive assessment of their functional capacity. This study investigated the reliability of PUSH Band 2.0 velocity and power during a single, five-repetition and thirty-second duration sit-to-stand (STS) in older adults, and the relationship of these data with other tests of functional capacity. Twenty-four older adults (14 female; age: 72±5) attended one familiarisation and two experimental testing sessions. Mean STS velocity and power were measured during both testing sessions. Additionally, dynamometry assessments of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), rate of torque development (RTD) and muscular endurance were measured in one session, while a functional testing battery was performed in the other session. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Velocity and power demonstrated excellent relative reliability for all STS tasks (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.91-0.98). Single-repetition STS velocity observed moderate absolute reliability (coefficient of variation = 6.5%), while velocity and power during all other STS tasks observed good absolute reliability (CV = 3.2-4.8%). Velocity during one (r = -0.64-0.57), five (r = -0.53-0.46) and thirty-second STS (r = -0.51-0.42) correlated with all functional battery scores. Thirty-second STS velocity correlated with MVC (r = 0.41), but not endurance (r = 0.27-0.36) or RTD (r = 0.24-0.37). Power during one (r = 0.50), five (r = 0.62) and thirty-second STS (r = 0.67) significantly correlated with MVC. No other significant correlations were observed. Mean STS velocity and power should not replace functional capacity assessments. However, these data may assist practitioners to monitor improvements in movement velocity and power following exercise interventions or to quantify reductions in capacity following a period of inactivity
Using a cognitive framework with nurses to manage stress
Get PDFNursing can be a stressful occupation with many nurses struggling to cope with stress on a day-to-day basis. Considerable evidence suggests that positive coping strategies can be an effective part of stress management education programs. This article describes the theoretical rationale for a cognitive framework for stress management that was developed as part of a well-being educational program for cancer nurses. This framework included an associated mnemonic (www.pst) to assist in the recall and utilization of positive coping strategies. The stress management framework was intended to increase nurses’ perceptions of personal control which is central to stress management. The academic coping literature is complex, jargon laden and often conceptually abstract, and may not easily be understood by a nonacademic audience. The cognitive framework described here is an evidence-based, user-friendly tool that could be used and evaluated by counsellors, educators, and researchers in different settings
Adherence to spinal imaging guidelines and utilization of lumbar spine diagnostic imaging for low back pain at a Canadian Chiropractic College: A historical clinical cohort study
Get PDFBackground
Diagnostic imaging is useful for assessing low back pain (LBP) when a clinician suspects a specific underlying pathology. Evidence-based imaging guidelines assist clinicians in appropriately determining the need for imaging when assessing LBP. A previous study reported high adherence to three clinical guidelines, with utilization rate of 12.3% in imaging of LBP patients attending a chiropractic teaching clinic. A new imaging guideline for spinal disorders has been published and used in teaching. Thus, the aims of our study were to assess the adherence to the new guideline and X-ray utilization in new episodes of LBP.
Methods
We conducted a historical clinical cohort study using patient electronic health record audits at seven teaching clinics over a period of 20 months. Records of patients who were at least 18 years of age, presented with a new onset of LBP, and consented to data collection were included. Abstracted data included patient demographics, the number and type of red flags, and the decision to image. Rate of guideline adherence (proportion of those not recommended for imaging, given no red flags) and rate of image utilization were descriptively analyzed.
Results
We included 498 patients in this study. At least 81% of included patients had one or more red flags reported. The most commonly reported individual red flag was age ≥ 50 (43.8%) followed by pain at rest (15.7%). In those referred for imaging, age ≥ 50 (93.3%) was the most frequently reported red flag. No red flag(s) were identified in 93 patient records, and none were referred for imaging of their LBP, yielding an adherence rate of 100% (95% CI 96, 100%). A total of 17 of 498 patients were recommended for imaging for their low back pain, resulting in an imaging utilization rate of 3.4% (95% CI 1.8, 5.0%).
Conclusion
The imaging utilization rate was 3.4%, lower than 12.3% previously reported at a chiropractic teaching clinic. None without red flags were referred for imaging, yielding a 100%, adherence rate to current LBP imaging guidelines. Future research should consider currency of guideline, accuracy of red flags and factors influencing clinicians’ decision, when assessing imaging adherence rates
Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series
Get PDFA curated database of shark and ray biological data is increasingly necessary both to support fisheries management and conservation efforts, and to test the generality of hypotheses of vertebrate macroecology and macroevolution. Sharks and rays are one of the most charismatic, evolutionary distinct, and threatened lineages of vertebrates, comprising around 1,250 species. To accelerate shark and ray conservation and science, we developed Sharkipedia as a curated open-source database and research initiative to make all published biological traits and population trends accessible to everyone. Sharkipedia hosts information on 58 life history traits from 274 sources, for 170 species, from 39 families, and 12 orders related to length (n = 9 traits), age (8), growth (12), reproduction (19), demography (5), and allometric relationships (5), as well as 871 population time-series from 202 species. Sharkipedia relies on the backbone taxonomy of the IUCN Red List and the bibliography of Shark-References. Sharkipedia has profound potential to support the rapidly growing data demands of fisheries management, international trade regulation as well as anchoring vertebrate macroecology and macroevolution
Defining biodiverse reforestation: Why it matters for climate change mitigation and biodiversity
Get PDFReforestation to capture and store atmospheric carbon is increasingly championed as a climate change mitigation policy response. Reforestation plantings have the potential to provide conservation co-benefits when diverse mixtures of native species are planted, and there are growing attempts to monetise biodiversity benefits from carbon reforestation projects, particularly within emerging carbon markets. But what is meant by ‘biodiverse’ across different stakeholders and groups implementing and overseeing these projects and how do these perceptions compare with long-standing scientific definitions? Here, we discuss approaches to, and definitions of, biodiversity in the context of reforestation for carbon sequestration. Our aim is to review how the concept of biodiversity is defined and applied among stakeholders (e.g., governments, carbon certifiers and farmers) and rights holders (i.e., First Nations people) engaging in reforestation, and to identify best-practice methods for restoring biodiversity in these projects. We find that some stakeholders have a vague understanding of diversity across varying levels of biological organisation (genes to ecosystems). While most understand that biodiversity underpins ecosystem functions and services, many stakeholders may not appreciate the difficulties of restoring biodiversity akin to reference ecosystems. Consequently, biodiversity goals are rarely explicit, and project goals may never be achieved because the levels of restored biodiversity are inadequate to support functional ecosystems and desired ecosystem services. We suggest there is significant value in integrating biodiversity objectives into reforestation projects and setting specific restoration goals with transparent reporting outcomes will pave the way for ensuring reforestation projects have meaningful outcomes for biodiversity, and legitimate incentive payments for biodiversity and natural capital accounting
Emotion dysregulation in adults with ADHD: The role of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression
No full textBackground
Emotion dysregulation (ED) is a common clinical feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study examined the role of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) in adults with ADHD. In addition, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data were analyzed to identify neural substrates of CR/ES-ED relationships.
Methods
A total of 309 adults with ADHD and 163 healthy controls were recruited. ED was assessed using the ‘emotional control’ (EC) subscale from Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used to measure CR and ES. The functional connectivities (FCs) with the amygdala as Region of Interest, were analyzed in a subsample to explore their association with CR, ES and EC, respectively.
Results
Higher EC scores (indicative of lesser emotional control), as well as lower CR and higher ES utilization were detected in adults with ADHD compared with healthy controls. CR and ES were both negatively correlated with EC in adults with ADHD. Mediation analysis detected a potential effect of ADHD diagnosis on EC via CR. In addition, a unique significant mediation effect was found between ES-related FC of the right amygdala-prefrontal cortex and ED expression in adults with ADHD, confirming the ‘↑ES → ↓FCs [amygR-PFC] →↓EC’ relationship.
Limitations
Only self-reported scales and rs-fMRI data were included in these analyses.
Conclusions
Our findings provide preliminary evidence that in adults with ADHD, less frequent use of CR accounts for ED expression, while more frequent use of ES may play a unique compensatory role in emotion regulation
Reduced corneal sensitivity with neuronal degeneration is a novel clinical feature in Wolfram Syndrome
No full textPURPOSE
To evaluate corneal sensitivity and corneal nerve morphology among patients with Wolfram syndrome (WFS).
DESIGN
An observational clinical case series with confirmatory experiments.
METHODS
We included a group of 12 patients with biallelic mutations in the WFS1 gene and a control group composed of 30 individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). All participants (n = 42) underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, esthesiometry, and retinal nerve fiber layer assessment using optical coherence tomography. Morphologic assessment of corneal neuropathy by in vivo corneal confocal microscopy was conducted in 11 patients with WFS (both eyes) and 1 WFS patient (1 eye) as well as in 24 patients with T1D (both eyes in 6 patients and 1 eye in 18 patients). Additionally, corneas from Wfs1KO mice and their wild-type littermates were subjected to laser scanning confocal microscopy.
RESULTS
Corneal sensitivity was significantly reduced in patients with WFS compared with patients with T1D (4.50 cm [interquartile range, 3.50–5.50 cm] vs 6.00 cm [interquartile range, 6.00–6.00 cm]; P < 10–5). Additionally, corneal nerve fiber and branch density as well as nerve fiber length were low among patients with WFS. Corneal sensitivity correlated with macular average thickness (R = 0.6928; P = .039) and best-corrected visual acuity (R = –0.61; P = .002) in the WFS group. Similarly, Wfs1 knockout mice also presented corneal neurodegeneration changes when corneal nerve fiber density and length were measured using laser scanning confocal microscopy.
CONCLUSIONS
Decreased corneal sensitivity and corneal nerve degeneration are observed in WFS. Corneal sensitivity is linked with the degree of disease progression as measured by visual acuity and retinal thinning
Association study and expression analysis of olfactomedin like 3 gene related to meat quality, carcass characteristics, retail meat cut, and fatty acid composition in sheep
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The objective of this study was to identify polymorphism in olfactomedin like 3 (OLFML3) gene, and association analysis with meat quality, carcass characteristics, retail meat cut, and fatty acid composition in sheep, and expression quantification of OLFML3 gene in phenotypically divergent sheep.
Methods
A total of 328 rams at the age of 10 to 12 months with an average body weight of 26.13 kg were used. A novel polymorphism was identified using high-throughput sequencing in sheep and genotyping of OLFML3 polymorphism was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Among 328 rams, 100 rams representing various sheep genotypes were used for association study and proc general linear model was used to analyse association between genotypes and phenotypic traits. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for the expression analysis of OLFML3 mRNA in phenotypically divergent sheep population.
Results
The findings revealed a novel polymorphism in the OLFML3 gene (g.90317673 C>T). The OLFML3 gene revealed three genotypes: CC, CT, and TT. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with meat quality traits such as tenderness and cooking loss; carcass characteristics such as carcass length; retail meat cut such as pelvic fat in leg, intramuscular fat in loin and tenderloin, muscle in flank and shank; fatty acids composition such as tridecanoic acid (C13:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), ginkgolic acid (C17:1), linolenic acid (C18:3n3), arachidic acid (C20:0), eicosenoic acid (C20:1), arachidonic acid (C20:4n6), heneicosylic acid (C21:0), and nervonic acid (C24:1). The TT genotype was associated with higher level of meat quality, carcass characteristics, retail meat cut, and some fatty acids composition. However, the mRNA expression analysis was not different among genotypes.
Conclusion
The OLFML3 gene could be a potential putative candidate for selecting higher quality sheep meat, carcass characteristics, retail meat cuts, and fatty acid composition in sheep
Semi-quantitative analysis of cannabinoids in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry
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Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a producer of cannabinoids. These organic compounds are of increasing interest due to their potential applications in the medicinal field. Advances in analytical methods of identifying and quantifying these molecules are needed.
Method
This study describes a new method of cannabinoid separation from plant material using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as the analytical tool to detect low abundance cannabinoids that will likely have implications for future therapeutical treatments. A novel approach was adopted to separate trichomes from plant material to analyse cannabinoids of low abundance not observed in raw plant extract. Required plant sample used for analysis was greatly reduced compared to other methods. Derivatisation method was simplified and deconvolution software was utilised to recognise unknown cannabinoid compounds of low abundance.
Results
The method produces well-separated spectra and allows the detection of major and minor cannabinoids. Ten cannabinoids that had available standards could be identified and quantified and numerous unidentified cannabinoids or pathway intermediates based on GC-MS spectra similarities could be extracted and analysed simultaneously with this method.
Conclusions
This is a rapid novel extraction and analytical method from plant material that can identify major and minor cannabinoids using a simple technique. The method will be of use to future researchers seeking to study the multitude of cannabinoids whose values are currently not understood
Green algae to green fuels: Syngas and hydrochar production from Ulva lactuca via sub-critical water gasification
No full textBiomass-derived energy is gaining more attention due to environmental issues and increasing energy demand. To ensure the sustainability of fossil energy substitution using biomass, diversification of sources, including marine organisms, is vital. Among various types of marine biomass discussed in the literature, the utilization of green algae Ulva lactuca for energy generation is still rare globally. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential of green fuel (syngas and hydrochar) production from U. lactuca (Chlorophyta) via sub-critical water gasification (SbWG). The experiments were conducted using a batch reactor at varying temperatures (300, 350, and 400 °C), reaction times (30, 60, and 90 min), and feedstock concentrations (1 and 5 wt%). The effect of temperature on gas composition was examined in detail. The results revealed that increasing temperature from 300 to 400 °C leads to an increase in the H2 content significantly from 2.21 % to 8.09 % within 90 min. However, increasing feedstock concentration from 1 to 5 wt% reduces the H2 fraction due to suppression of the steam reforming and water-gas shift reactions. Based on the ultimate analysis, the high severity of operating conditions leads to lower O/C and H/C atomic ratios owing to dehydration and decarboxylation reactions. It was confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis that more void structures existed in hydrochar than the algal feedstock. The SbWG process at varying temperatures and times can increase the energy contents of U. lactuca by over 47 %. Intriguingly, hydrochar obtained at 400 °C exhibited higher HHVs (i.e., 21.75–22.93 MJ kg−1) than typical low-ranked coals, making hydrochar more potential to be used as solid fuels. Finally, a reaction model was deduced, and the decomposition of U. lactuca was confirmed to follow the Arrhenius behavior