Kinematic Analysis of 360° Turning in Stroke Survivors Using Wearable Motion Sensors

Background: A stroke often bequeaths surviving patients with impaired neuromusculoskeletal systems subjecting them to increased risk of injury (e.g., due to falls) even during activities of daily living. The risk of injuries to such individuals can be related to alterations in their movement. Using inertial sensors to record the digital biomarkers during turning could reveal the relevant turning alterations. Objectives: In this study, movement alterations in stroke survivors (SS) were studied and compared to healthy individuals (HI) in the entire turning task due to its requirement of synergistic application of multiple bodily systems. Methods: The motion of 28 participants (14 SS, 14 HI) during turning was captured using a set of four Inertial Measurement Units, placed on their sternum, sacrum, and both shanks. The motion signals were segmented using the temporal and spatial segmentation of the data from the leading and trailing shanks. Several kinematic parameters, including the range of motion and angular velocity of the four body segments, turning time, the number of cycles involved in the turning task, and portion of the stance phase while turning, were extracted for each participant. Results: The results of temporal processing of the data and comparison between the SS and HI showed that SS had more cycles involved in turning, turn duration, stance phase, range of motion in flexion–extension, and lateral bending for sternum and sacrum (p-value < 0.035). However, HI exhibited larger angular velocity in flexion–extension for all four segments. The results of the spatial processing, in agreement with the prior method, showed no difference between the range of motion in flexion–extension of both shanks (p-value > 0.08). However, it revealed that the angular velocity of the shanks of leading and trailing legs in the direction of turn was more extensive in the HI (p-value < 0.01). Conclusions: The changes in upper/lower body segments of SS could be adequately identified and quantified by IMU sensors. The identified kinematic changes in SS, such as the lower flexion–extension angular velocity of the four body segments and larger lateral bending range of motion in sternum and sacrum compared to HI in turning, could be due to the lack of proper core stability and effect of turning on vestibular system of the participants. This research could facilitate the development of a targeted and efficient rehabilitation program focusing on the affected aspects of turning movement for the stroke community.

WORK MOTION STUDY OF PIVOT TYPE TRAILER OPERATION ON TWO WHEEL TRACTORS

This study aims to analyze the pivot type trailer operation with an ergonomic approach and the necessary interventions required to minimize work risks. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires and video recordings of the operators when the tractors as well as trailers were being operated at various conditions such as track, load, speed, straight motion or turn. Based on the Range of Motion (ROM) analysis, it was discovered that while operating this pivot type trailer, the upper body segments, such as neck, shoulders, elbows and back of the operator, comfortably controlled the tractor. Meanwhile, in the lower body segments, such as the thighs and knees, the operator generally felt discomfort. Furthermore, the analysis of the operator's subjectivity perception showed that discomfort was felt at several segments of the upper and lower body, such as the hands and knees. Therefore, several ergonomic interventions are required to increase the comfort of operating this pivot type trailer.

CONDITIONS OF CLINICAL SYMPTOMS AND LIFE OF VANAME SHRIMP IN PREVENTION OF Vibrio alginolyticus INFECTION USING MIANA LEAF EXTRACT

This study aims to determine the clinical symptoms and survival of white vaname shrimp in the prevention of Vibrio alginolyticus infection using miana leaf extract. The study consisted of 4 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments in this study were 1 treatment and 3 treatments using different concentrations of bacteria, namely 103 CFU/ml, 105 CFU/ml, and 107 CFU/ml. The research was carried out in June-July 2020 at the Hatchery Laboratory of the Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Hasanuddin University. Data analysis used descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that A (control) shrimp was under normal conditions, treatment B (103 CFU/ml) was red, treated C (105 CFU/ml) was red and had necrosis of the body, and treatment D (107 CFU/ml) was shrimp. reddening, necrosis of tail and body segments. The results of data analysis showed that the use of miana leaf extract had a significant effect (p<0.05) on the use of live vaname shrimp. The highest vaname shrimp survival was treatment A (control) at 100%, treatment B (103 CFU/ml) at 90%, treatment C (105 CFU/ml) at 63.33% and treatment D (107 CFU/ml) by 40%.

Phenotypic plasticity in adults of Anticarsia gemmatalis exposed to sub-doses of Bt-based bioinsecticide

Anticarsia gemmatalis Hünber, 1818 is one of the main defoliating species in the soybean crop. Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, 1915, is a bacterium used in the biological control of this pest species. Resistant populations and their sublethal effects caused by the use of the bacteria have already been reported; however, there are no studies on phenotypic plasticity in adulthood exposed to Bt-based bioinsecticide sub-doses. This study aimed to evaluate the morphometry of A. gemmatalis adults under laboratory conditions submitted to the Bt-based bioinsecticide Dipel SC over the three generations. The body segments mensuread were width, length, and area of the anterior and posterior wings, the weight of the integument, chest, abdomen, wings, and the whole adult of males and females. Among the treatments, LC5 in the first generation and CL10 in the second generation were those with lower thresholds in relation to the weight of the chest and abdomen, considering the proportions of the body smaller than the females. The female’s weight adulthood was reduced by 10% about males, and, only in the first generation. Males have larger body size and more pronounced phenotypic plasticity than females. Here, we demonstrate the first study assessing the phenotypic plasticity of A. gemmatalis adults.

Análisis de la contribución segmentaria en el rendimiento de las salidas de velocidad. (Analysis of the segmental contribution in sprint start performance)

En este estudio se ha aplicado un sistema de cálculo para examinar la contribución de cinco grupos de segmentos corporales al desplazamiento horizontal del CM en las salidas de tacos y explorar su relación con la velocidad horizontal del CM al final de 0.1s y 0.312s de la fase de aceleración. Han participado 20 velocistas con récord personal en 100 m de 11,05±0,31s. Se registraron las fuerzas horizontales de reacción mediante dos plataformas de fuerzas sincronizadas a una cámara de vídeo que registraba el plano sagital del movimiento. La contribución de las piernas al final de la fase de aceleración fue del 91.2±2.4 % y la pierna libre del 8.1±1.0 %. El tronco+cabeza es el primer grupo de segmentos que comienza a contribuir al desplazamiento horizontal del CM, alcanzando el 39.3 ± 24.3 % en los primeros 0.1s. Su rápida contribución hacia delante provoca una fuerza reactiva hacia atrás que podría estar relacionada con una dorsiflexión de los tobillos de 8º±3º y 9º±3º, pierna retrasada y adelantada, respectivamente. La contribución temprana de la cabeza+tronco se ha correlacionado positivamente con la velocidad horizontal al final de la fase de aceleración (r=0.622, p=0.003), lo que confirma su importancia como indicador de rendimiento en las salidas de tacos. Abstract. In this study, a calculation system has been applied to examine the contribution of five groups of body segments to the horizontal displacement of the Center of Mass (CM) in block starts and to explore their relationship with the horizontal velocity of the CM at the end of 0.1s and 0.312s of the acceleration phase. Twenty sprinters with a personal record in 100 m of 11.05 ± 0.31s have participated. The horizontal reaction forces were recorded using two force platforms synchronized to a video camera that recorded the sagittal plane of motion. The contribution of the legs at the end of the acceleration phase was 91.2 ± 2.4% and the free leg was 8.1 ± 1.0%. The trunk + head is the first group of segments that begins to contribute to the horizontal displacement of the CM, reaching 39.3 ± 24.3% in the first 0.1s. His quick forward contribution causes a reactive backward force that could be related to an ankle dorsiflexion of 8º ± 3º and 9º ± 3º, back and front leg, respectively. The early contribution of the head + trunk has been positively correlated with the horizontal velocity at the end of the acceleration phase (r = 0.622, p = 0.003), which confirms its importance as a performance indicator in block starts.

ABOUT REGENERATION OF ALIEN POLYCHAETE POLYDORA WEBSTERI (ANNELIDA: SPIONIDAE)

New data on the regenerative capacity of the invader polychaete Polydora websteri Hartman in Loosanoff & Engle, 1943 have been obtained. The material was collected in 2019-2020 in the area of Sevastopol. Polychaetes were extracted from blisters in the valves of an exotic oyster species for the Black Sea - Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793). Molluscs were grown on an oyster farm. Polychaetes were kept in aquariums with filtered seawater at a temperature from 8.8 to 25.8 °C and a salinity of 17.5-17.8‰. Under laboratory conditions, body segments were removed from the worms and their recovery was observed. It was found that P. websteri regenerated both the anterior and posterior parts of the body. The minimum number of segments capable to simultaneously restore both anterior and posterior regions is three mid-body segments. The regeneration process in P. websteri depends significantly on the water temperature. In the range of 8.8-26 °С, a direct relationship was established between the water temperature and the number of regenerated individuals. An inverse relationship was found between the water temperature and the time spent on regenerating the lost fragments. When warming up the water, the proportion of regenerated P. websteri increased from 15 to 87%, and the duration of regeneration decreased 2.5 times.

The fushi tarazu zebra element is not required for Drosophila viability or fertility

Expression of genes in precisely controlled spatiotemporal patterns is essential for embryonic development. Much of our understanding of mechanisms regulating gene expression comes from the study of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that direct expression of reporter genes in transgenic organisms. This reporter-transgene approach identifies genomic regions sufficient to drive expression but fails to provide information about quantitative and qualitative contributions to endogenous expression, although such conclusions are often inferred. Here we evaluated the endogenous function of a classic Drosophila CRE, the fushi tarazu (ftz) zebra element. ftz is a pair-rule segmentation gene expressed in seven stripes during embryogenesis, necessary for formation of alternate body segments. Reporter transgenes identified the promoter-proximal zebra element as a major driver of the seven ftz stripes. We generated a precise genomic deletion of the zebra element (ftzΔZ) to assess its role in the context of native chromatin and neighboring CREs, expecting large decreases in ftz seven-stripe expression. However, significant reduction in expression was found for only one stripe, ftz stripe 4, expressed at ∼25% of wild type levels in ftzΔZ homozygotes. Defects in corresponding regions of ftzΔZ mutants suggest this level of expression borders the threshold required to promote morphological segmentation. Further, we established true-breeding lines of homozygous ftzΔZ flies, demonstrating that the body segments missing in the mutants are not required for viability or fertility. These results highlight the different types of conclusions drawn from different experimental designs and emphasize the importance of examining transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in the context of the native genomic environment.