Prevalence of agenesis of palmaris longus in male and female genders on clinical examination – a review

Palmaris longus is a muscle that is located in the anterior compartment of the forearm. Among the muscles belonging to the flexor compartment of forearm, palmaris longus is located at the most superficial position and that is why it is easy to access. It exhibits high variability and its prevalence ranges between 1.5% and 63.9%. The knowledge of prevalence of agenesis of palmaris longus is essential both in terms of updating anatomical information and also for physicians, radiologists, physiotherapists and surgeons. The surgeons must know about the variability as it may be beneficial while they plan surgeries involving the palmaris muscle as a graft. The current narrative review was planned to highlight the variability pattern of palmaris longus muscle in terms of prevalence, gender and laterality. Palmaris longus agenesis is more common in females and on the left side. Besides, unilateral agenesis is more common compared to bilateral agenesis.

Simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate CXOU J110926.4–650224

We present the results of simultaneous observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) candidate CXOU J110926.4–650224 with the XMM-Newton satellite and the MeerKAT telescope. The source was found at an average X-ray luminosity of LX ≃ 7 × 1033 erg s−1 over the 0.3−10 keV band (assuming a distance of 4 kpc) and displayed a peculiar variability pattern in the X-ray emission, switching between high, low and flaring modes on timescales of tens of seconds. A radio counterpart was detected at a significance of 7.9σ with an average flux density of ≃33 μJy at 1.28 GHz. It showed variability over the course of hours and emitted a ≃10-min long flare just a few minutes after a brief sequence of multiple X-ray flares. No clear evidence for a significant correlated or anticorrelated variability pattern was found between the X-ray and radio emissions over timescales of tens of minutes and longer. CXOU J110926.4–650224 was undetected at higher radio frequencies in subsequent observations performed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, when the source was still in the same X-ray sub-luminous state observed before, down to a flux density upper limit of 15 μJy at 7.25 GHz (at 3σ). We compare the radio emission properties of CXOU J110926.4–650224 with those observed in known and candidate tMSPs and discuss physical scenarios that may account for its persistent and flaring radio emissions.

A method for finding anomalous astronomical light curves and their analogs

Our understanding of the Universe has profited from deliberate, targeted studies of known phenomena, as well as from serendipitous, unexpected discoveries, such as the discovery of a complex variability pattern in the direction of KIC 8462852 (Boyajian’s star). Upcoming surveys, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), will explore the parameter space of astrophysical transients at all time scales, and offer the opportunity to discover even more extreme examples of unexpected phenomena. We investigate strategies to identify novel objects and to contextualize them within large time-series data sets in order to facilitate the discovery of new classes of objects, as well as the physical interpretation of their anomalous nature. We develop a method that combines tree-based and manifold-learning algorithms for anomaly detection in order to perform two tasks: 1) identify and rank anomalous objects in a time-domain dataset; and 2) group those anomalies according to their similarity in order to identify analogs. We achieve the latter by combining an anomaly score from a tree-based method with a dimensionality manifold-learning reduction strategy. Clustering in the reduced space allows for the successful identification of anomalies and analogs. We also assess the impact of pre-processing and feature engineering schemes and investigate the astrophysical nature of the objects that our models identify as anomalous by augmenting the Kepler data with Gaia colour and luminosity information. We find that multiple models, used in combination, are a promising strategy to identify novel light curves and light curve families.

Pain-Induced Impact on Movement: Motor Coordination Variability and Accuracy-Based Skill

Studies on pain are generally conducted for two purposes: first, to study patients with pain who have physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions, and second, to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pain on the coordination variability pattern and throw accuracy. Participants included 30 people with a mean age of 18-25 years who volunteered to participate in the study. Individuals were randomly divided into three groups of local pain, remote pain, and control group. Without pain, participants practiced and acquired skills in 10 blocks of 15 trials. In the retention and transition phase, which were associated with pain, in their respective groups, included 1 hour, 24- hour, and 1- week acquisition; they were re-tested twice in a 15-block trial, which was once with and without pain. The results revealed that pain did not affect the throwing accuracy (p = 0.469). Besides, in the phase of decreasing acceleration in throwing, movement variability pattern in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (p = 0.000), elbow and wrist (p = 0.000), were more than the painless groups. Based on the results, it can be said that the increase in variability in pain-related groups is due to the different strategies and patterns that individuals use to avoid pain. Also, despite the pain, the nervous system attempts to increase the variability find the least painful pattern of movement and reduces this variability over time and using a repetitive pattern.

Assessment of Vulnerability of Croplands to Climate Variability in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nigeria

Despite the wide coverage of study on vulnerability in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria over the years, it was observed that no emphasis has been placed on assessment of vulnerability of croplands to climate variability using the integrated vulnerability assessment and Geo-Informatics technique. This was achieved by determining the climate variability pattern in FCT from 1981 to 2017, determining the exposure index and the degree of sensitivity of croplands to climate variability, assessing the adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, evaluating the vulnerability of croplands to climate variability and developing vulnerability maps of croplands using the information produced. Yam, beans and maize were used as referenced crops in this study. Indicators were generated and analyzed on the three components of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The study used the mixed research design. The Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to assign weight to the indicators. The weights were used to generate the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indices which were used to generate the vulnerability index map. Aggregate vulnerability index (AVI) was finally determined from the weighted sum of all indicators and used to produce the vulnerability map of the six Area Councils. The study shows that Gwagwalada Area Council has the highest vulnerability (0.2323) and Abaji Area Council has the lowest (0.005). Kwali and AMAC Area Councils were highly vulnerable to climate variability (Kwali 0.1562, AMAC 0.1565). Kuje Area Council has low vulnerability (0.0273) to climate variability. Bwari Area Council showed moderate vulnerability (0.0982). The implication of the results is that the three crops (maize, beans and yam) will produce moderately at moderate vulnerability while their production will be marginal and optimal at very high and very low vulnerabilities respectively. Crop production will be optimum in Abaji, marginal in Gwagwalada and moderate in Bwari. The study also revealed that vulnerability assessment is essential in determining the varying degrees of vulnerability in different localities. It also provides information that can help researchers, policy makers, private and public institutions in planning location-based adaptation strategies and prioritizing allocating limited resources in FCT. Agriculture should be heavily subsidized in terms of providing irrigation infrastructure to farmers to reduce over-reliance on rain fed agriculture. Installation of early weather warning system manned with expertise should be made available in all the Area Councils to provide timely and accurate climatic information to farmers.

Suscetibilidade magnética na caracterização da variabilidade espacial de atributos do solo em solos subtropicais

Magnetic susceptibility (MS) has been used to estimate soil attributes. With the proposal to increase the information of soils in southern Brazil the objectives of this work were: (i) evaluate the correlation of SM with soil attributes in a slope of subtropical basaltic soils; (ii) to characterize the spatial variation structure of MS and the content of sand, clay and COS; and (iii) identify the sample density that captures the spatial variability to assist future work under similar conditions. In a 22 ha area located in Santo Augusto - RS, Brazil, an 87 points sample grid was collected to determine soil attributes. Samples were also collected in five profiles along the slope. The profile data were analyzed by correlation to verify the degree of Pearson correlation of the SM with the attributes of the soil. In the sample grid spatial dependence analyzes were performed to assess the degree of spatial dependence on soil attributes. The MS presented a high correlation with the attributes of clay soil, Fes, Fed and COS. The evaluation of the spatial variation structure showed that the attributes presented a degree of spatial dependence ranging from weak for COS to strong for MS. The spatial variability pattern suggests a sample density of one point every 4 to 12 ha.

The Seagrass Holobiont: What We Know and What We Still Need to Disclose for Its Possible Use as an Ecological Indicator

Microbes and seagrass establish symbiotic relationships constituting a functional unit called the holobiont that reacts as a whole to environmental changes. Recent studies have shown that the seagrass microbial associated community varies according to host species, environmental conditions and the host’s health status, suggesting that the microbial communities respond rapidly to environmental disturbances and changes. These changes, dynamics of which are still far from being clear, could represent a sensitive monitoring tool and ecological indicator to detect early stages of seagrass stress. In this review, the state of art on seagrass holobiont is discussed in this perspective, with the aim of disentangling the influence of different factors in shaping it. As an example, we expand on the widely studied Halophila stipulacea’s associated microbial community, highlighting the changing and the constant components of the associated microbes, in different environmental conditions. These studies represent a pivotal contribution to understanding the holobiont’s dynamics and variability pattern, and to the potential development of ecological/ecotoxicological indices. The influences of the host’s physiological and environmental status in changing the seagrass holobiont, alongside the bioinformatic tools for data analysis, are key topics that need to be deepened, in order to use the seagrass-microbial interactions as a source of ecological information.

Magnetic field geometry and magnetospheric environment of the strongly magnetic Of?p star NGC 1624-2

ABSTRACT NGC 1624-2 is an O7f?p star with a reported probable polar magnetic field strength ≥20 kG, which is the strongest magnetic field ever measured in an O-type star. We study the variability of the mean longitudinal magnetic field 〈Bz〉 and the mean field modulus 〈B〉 to obtain constraints on its field geometry. Only one magnetic pole is observable over the rotation cycle. The approximately sinusoidal variation of 〈Bz〉 and the ratio of the values of the extrema of 〈B〉 indicate that there is an important component of the field that is dipolar. The 〈Bz〉 values measured over the rotation cycle are in the range from −0.2 to 4.5 kG, whereas the values for 〈B〉 vary between 9 and 12 kG. The 〈Bz〉 values obtained using the O iii λ7455 emission line are in the range from 0.4 to 2.3 kG and show a variability pattern similar to that detected for the absorption lines. The fact that the phase of the 〈Bz〉 minimum coincides with the phase of the 〈B〉 maximum, indicates that the field structure must significantly depart from a centred dipole. Further, we discuss the nature of the observed variable Stokes V profiles corresponding to a longitudinal field of negative polarity detected in the emission He i lines and present the first magnetohydrodynamical numerical simulations of the gas flow in the magnetosphere of this star.

Pain-Induced Impact on Movement: Motor Coordination Variability and Accuracy-Based Skill

Studies on pain are generally conducted for two purposes: first, to study patients with pain who have physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions, and second, to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pain on the coordination variability pattern and throw accuracy. Participants included 30 people with a mean age of 18-25 years who volunteered to participate in the study. Individuals were randomly divided into three groups of local pain, remote pain, and control group. Without pain, participants practiced and acquired skills in 10 blocks of 15 trials. In the retention and transition phase, which were associated with pain, in their respective groups, included 1 hour, 24- hour, and 1- week acquisition; they were re-tested twice in a 15-block trial, which was once with and without pain. The results revealed that pain did not affect the throwing accuracy (p = 0.469). Besides, in the phase of decreasing acceleration in throwing, movement variability pattern in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (p = 0.000), elbow and wrist (p = 0.000), were more than the painless groups. Based on the results, it can be said that the increase in variability in pain-related groups is due to the different strategies and patterns that individuals use to avoid pain. Also, despite the pain, the nervous system attempts to increase the variability find the least painful pattern of movement and reduces this variability over time and using a repetitive pattern.