Detection of Pneumocystis in lungs of bats from Brazil by PCR amplification

Pneumocystis has been isolated from a wide range of unrelated mammalian hosts, including humans, domestic and wild animals. It has been demonstrated that the genome of Pneumocystis of one host differs markedly from that of other hosts. Also, variation in the chromosome and DNA sequence of Pneumocystis within a single host species has been observed. Since information about the occurrence and nature of infections in wild animals is still limited, the objective of this work was to detect the presence of Pneumocystis sp. in lungs of bats from two states from Brazil by Nested-PCR amplification. The bats, captured in caves and in urban areas, were obtained from the Program of Rabies Control of two States in Brazil, Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul, located in the Mid-Western and Southern regions of the country, respectively. DNAs were extracted from 102 lung tissues and screened for Pneumocystis by nested PCR at the mtLSU rRNA gene and small subunit of mitochondrial ribosomal RNA (mtSSU rRNA). Gene amplification was performed using the mtLSU rRNA, the primer set pAZ102H - pAZ102E and pAZ102X - pAZY, and the mtSSU rRNA primer set pAZ102 10FRI - pAZ102 10R-RI and pAZ102 13RI - pAZ102 14RI. The most frequent bats were Tadarida brasiliensis (25), Desmodus rotundus (20), and Nyctinomops laticaudatus (19). Pneumocystis was more prevalent in the species Nyctinomops laticaudatus (26.3% = 5/19), Tadarida brasiliensis (24% = 6/25), and Desmodus rotundus (20% = 4/20). Besides these species, Pneumocystis also was detected in lungs from Molossus molossus (1/11, 9.1%), Artibeus fimbriatus (1/1, 100%), Sturnira lilium (1/3, 33.3%), Myotis levis (2/3, 66.7%)and Diphylla ecaudata (1/2, 50%). PCR products which could indicate the presence of Pneumocystis (21.56%) were identified in DNA samples obtained from 8 out of 16 classified species from both states (5 bats were not identified). This is the first report of detection of Pneumocystis in bats from Brazil.

Through the looking glass: does our metadata make sense?

Esitys KDK-käytettävyystyöryhmän järjestämässä seminaarissa: Miten käyttäjien toiveet haastavat metatietokäytäntöjämme? / How users' expectations challenge our metadata practices? 30.9.2014.

Opiatergic participation in the thirst-inhibiting effect of acute third ventricle injections of cadmium (Cd2+) and lead (Pb2+)

We have previously demonstrated that acute third ventricle injections of both lead and cadmium prevent the dipsogenic response elicited by dehydration or by central injections of dipsogenic agents such as angiotensin II, carbachol and isoproterenol in rats. We have also shown that the antidipsogenic action of cadmium may be due, at least in part, to activation of thirst-inhibitory central serotonergic pathways. In the present paper we show that in Wistar male rats the antidipsogenic effect of both lead acetate (3.0 nmol/rat) and cadmium chloride (3.0 nmol/rat) may be partially dependent on the activation of brain opiatergic pathways since central injections of naloxone (82.5 nmol/rat), a non-selective opioid antagonist, blunt the thirst-inhibiting effect of these metals. One hundred and twenty minutes after the second third ventricle injections, dehydrated animals (14 h overnight) receiving saline + sodium acetate displayed a high water intake (7.90 ± 0.47 ml/100 g body weight) whereas animals receiving saline + lead acetate drank 3.24 ± 0.47 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving naloxone + lead acetate drank 6.94 ± 0.60 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving saline + saline drank 8.16 ± 0.66 ml/100 g body weight whilst animals receiving saline + cadmium chloride drank 1.63 ± 0.37 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving naloxone + cadmium chloride drank 8.01 ± 0.94 ml/100 g body weight. It is suggested that acute third ventricle injections of both lead and cadmium exert their antidipsogenic effect by activating thirst-inhibiting opioid pathways in the brain.

A low concentration of ouabain (0.18 µg/kg) enhances hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats by inhibiting the Na+ pump and activating the renin-angiotensin system

We investigated the effects of low ouabain concentrations on systolic (SAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures and on pressor reactivity in 3-month-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Arterial blood pressure (BP) and pressor reactivity to phenylephrine (PHE) were investigated before and after 0.18 μg/kg ouabain administration (N = 6). The influence of hexamethonium (N = 6), canrenone (N = 6), enalapril (N = 6), and losartan (N = 6) on ouabain actions was evaluated. Ouabain increased BP (SAP: 137 ± 5.1 to 150 ± 4.7; DAP: 93.7 ± 7.7 to 116 ± 3.5 mmHg; P<0.05) but did not change PHE pressor reactivity. Hexamethonium reduced basal BP in control but not in ouabain-treated rats. However, hexamethonium + ouabain increased DAP sensitivity to PHE. Canrenone did not affect basal BP but blocked ouabain effects on SAP. However, after canrenone + ouabain administration, DAP pressor reactivity to PHE still increased. Enalapril and losartan reduced BP and abolished SAP and DAP responses to ouabain. Enalapril + ouabain reduced DAP reactivity to PHE, while losartan + ouabain reduced SAP and DAP reactivity to PHE. In conclusion, a small dose of ouabain administered to SHR increased BP without altering PHE pressor reactivity. Although the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), Na+ pump and autonomic reflexes are involved in the effects of ouabain on PHE reactivity, central mechanisms might blunt the actions of ouabain on PHE pressor reactivity. The effect of ouabain on SAP seems to depend on the inhibition of both Na+ pump and RAS, whereas the effect on DAP seems to depend only on RAS.

Strength and power training did not modify cardiovascular responses to aerobic exercise in elderly subjects

Resistance training increases muscle strength in older adults, decreasing the effort necessary for executing physical tasks, and reducing cardiovascular load during exercise. This hypothesis has been confirmed during strength-based activities, but not during aerobic-based activities. This study determined whether different resistance training regimens, strength training (ST, constant movement velocity) or power training (PT, concentric phase performed as fast as possible) can blunt the increase in cardiovascular load during an aerobic stimulus. Older adults (63.9 ± 0.7 years) were randomly allocated to: control (N = 11), ST (N = 13, twice a week, 70-90% 1-RM) and PT (N = 15, twice a week, 30-50% 1-RM) groups. Before and after 16 weeks, oxygen uptake (VO2), systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured during a maximal treadmill test. Resting SBP and RPP were similarly reduced in all groups (combined data = -5.7 ± 1.2 and -5.0 ± 1.7%, respectively, P < 0.05). Maximal SBP, HR and RPP did not change. The increase in measured VO2, HR and RPP for the increment in estimated VO2 (absolute load) decreased similarly in all groups (combined data = -9.1 ± 2.6, -14.1 ± 3.9, -14.2 ± 3.0%, respectively, P < 0.05), while the increments in the cardiovascular variables for the increase in measured VO2 did not change. In elderly subjects, ST and PT did not blunt submaximal or maximal HR, SBP and RPP increases during the maximal exercise test, showing that they did not reduce cardiovascular stress during aerobic tasks.

The acute effects of strength, endurance and concurrent exercises on the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 and AMPK signaling pathway responses in rat skeletal muscle

The activation of competing intracellular pathways has been proposed to explain the reduced training adaptations after concurrent strength and endurance exercises (CE). The present study investigated the acute effects of CE, strength exercises (SE), and endurance exercises (EE) on phosphorylated/total ratios of selected AMPK and Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 pathway proteins in rats. Six animals per exercise group were killed immediately (0 h) and 2 h after each exercise mode. In addition, 6 animals in a non-exercised condition (NE) were killed on the same day and under the same conditions. The levels of AMPK, phospho-Thr172AMPK (p-AMPK), Akt, phospho-Ser473Akt (p-Akt), p70S6K1, phospho-Thr389-p70S6K1(p-p70S6K1), mTOR, phospho-Ser2448mTOR (p-mTOR), and phospho-Thr1462-TSC2 (p-TSC2) expression were evaluated by immunoblotting in total plantaris muscle extracts. The only significant difference detected was an increase (i.e., 87%) in Akt phosphorylated/total ratio in the CE group 2 h after exercise compared to the NE group (P = 0.002). There were no changes in AMPK, TSC2, mTOR, or p70S6K1 ratios when the exercise modes were compared to the NE condition (P ≥ 0.05). In conclusion, our data suggest that low-intensity and low-volume CE might not blunt the training-induced adaptations, since it did not activate competing intracellular pathways in an acute bout of strength and endurance exercises in rat skeletal muscle.

Recueil de Fabliaux, de Contes, de Fables, de Proverbes, de Romans ; Partenopeus de Blois, Blancandin, Floire et Blanchefleur, etc.

Contient : « Ci commence le Chastoiement que li peres ensaigne à son filz. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, II, 40 ; Fables de MARIE DE FRANCE. « Ci commence de Ysopes. Cil qui sevent de l'estreure... » ; «... Que ge li puisse l'ame rendre. Explicit de Ysopes » ; « Ci commence des XV signes. Se ne vos quidasse annuier... » ; «... Explicit des XV signes. » Cf. Romania, VI, 23 ; « Ci commence de seinte Leocade, qui fu dame de Tolete, et du saint arcevesque », par GAUTIER DE COINCY. Barbazan et Méon, I, 270, et Poquet, Les Miracles de la sainte Vierge, col. 77 ; « De quoi viennent li traitor et li mauvés. Or escoutez, et cler et lai... » Cf. Paulin Paris, Hist. littér. de la France, XXIII, 285 ; « Du cors et de l'ame. Cors en toi n'a point de savoir... » ; « D'un preudome qui rescolt son compere de noier. » Montaiglon, Recueil général et complet des fabliaux, I, 301 ; « Du segretain moine. » Montaiglon et Raynaud, Recueil... des fabliaux, V, 215 ; « Des eles de cortoisie», par RAOUL DE HOUDAN . Cf. Romania, IX, 150 ; « Ci commance de Florance et Blancheflor. » Barbazan et Méon, IV, 358 ; « D'un mercier. » G.-A. Crapelet, Proverbes et dictons populaires aux XIIIe et XIVe siècles (1831), p. 149 ; cf. Hist. littér. de la France, XXIII, 184 ; « Ci commence de la dame escolliée. » Montaiglon et Raynaud, Recueil... des fabliaux, VI, 95 ; « D'un jugleor qui ala en enfer et perdi les ames as dez. » Ibid., V, 65 ; Du vilain qui conquist paradis par plait. » Ibid., III, 209 ; « De II Angloys et de l'agnel. » Ibid., II, 178 ; « Du foteor. » Ibid., I, 304 ; « Du prestre et d'Alison », par GUILLAUME LE NORMAND. Ibid., II, 8 ; « Del convoiteus et de l'envieus », titre erroné pour « Estula ». Ibid., IV, 87 ; « Du convoitox », par JEAN DE BOVES. Ibid., V, 211 ; « De Haimet et de Barat, etc. » Ibid., IV, 93 ; « De Bérangier au lonc cul », par GUERIN. Ibid., III, 253 ; « De la pucele qui abevra le polain. » Ibid., IV, 199 ; « Du vilain asnier. » Ibid., V, 40 ; « Du provoire qui menga les meures. » Ibid., IV, 53 ; « De la damoiselle à la grue », par GARIN, Ibid., V, 151 ; « Du prestre qui ot mere malgré sien. » Ibid., V, 143 ; « Du chevalier qui fist les c... parler », par GUERIN. Ibid., VI, 68 ; « De Guillaume au faucon. » Ibid., II, 92 ; « De la male honte », par GUILLAUME LE NORMAND. Ibid., IV, 41 ; « Du c... Guautiers li leus dit a devise... » ; « ... Mais que ce fust li rois de France. Explicit du c... » ; « Du prestre qui dist la Passion. » Ibid., V, 80 ; « Du prestre et de la dame. » Ibid, II, 235 ; « De Audigier. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, IV, 217 ; « De II bordeors ribauz. » Montaiglon, Recueil général... des fabliaux. I, 1 ; « La response de l'un des II ribauz. » Ibid, I, 7 ; « Du chevalier tort. » Barbazan et Méon, III, 444 ; « De l'apostoile. » G.-A. Crapelet, Proverbes et dictons populaires..., pp. 1-123 ; « D'Alixandre et d'Aristote. » Lai d'Aristote, par HENRI D'ANDELI. Montaiglon et Raynaud, Recueil, etc., V, 243 ; manuscrit C de l'édition des OEuvres d'Henri d'Andeli, par A. Héron, 1880, p. 1 ; « Des proverbes et du vilain. Qui vult oïr bons dis, Bons proverbes, bons ris... » Le texte est en grande partie différent de celui qu'a publié Le Roux de Lincy, Le Livre des Proverbes français, t. II (1859), pp. 459-470 ; « De Constant Du Hamel. » Montaiglon et Raynaud, Recueil, etc., IV, 166 ; « D'Auberée la vielle maquerel[le]. » Ibid., V, 1 ; « Ci comence le cortois d'Artois. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, I, 356 ; « Ci comence de l'onbre et de l'anel. » Cf. Legrand d'Aussi, Fabliaux (1829), I, 256 ; « Ci comence l'erberie. » Rutebeuf, édit. Ach. Jubinal, 1839, t. I, Notes et éclaircissements, pp. 468-475, et 1875, t. III, Notes et éclaircissements, pp. 182-192 ; « Ci comence la bataille de quaresme et de charnage. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, IV, 80 ; « Ci comence de Ovide, de Arte. Entendez tuit, grant et petit, Ce que maistre ÉLIE nos dit... » ; «... Que de cest mal, par s. Johan, N'aurez vos jà fors que l'ahan. » Cf. Gaston Paris, Hist. littér. de la France, XXIX, 458-461 ; « Ci commence de Piramo et de Tisbe. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, IV, 326 ; cf. Gaston Paris, Hist. littér. de la France, XXIX, 498 ; « Ci commence Doctrinal de latin en roumans » [Doctrinal sauvage]. Cf. P. Meyer, Romania, VI, 20-22, et Notices et extraits des manuscrits, t. XXXIII, 1re partie, pp. 45-46 ; « Ci commence de la chante-pleure. » Cf. P. Meyer, Romania, VI, 26, et IX, 510 ; « Ci commence chastie-musart. » Cf. P. Meyer, Romania, XV, 604 et suiv ; « Ci commence la desputoison du juyf et du chrestien. Omnis credencium letetur populus... » ; «... Puis que j'ay I juyf à creance amené. Explicit. » Cf. Hist. littér. de la France, XXIII, 217 ; « Ci coumence d'amors et de jalousie. Comencer vueil I poi d'afaire, Que plus ne s'en puet mon cuer taire... » ; «... Ou jamais nul n'i faudrai. Explicit » ; « La bataille des VII arz », par HENRI D'ANDELI. A. Héron, OEuvres d'Henri d'Andeli, p. 43 ; « Ci commencent les proverbes au conte de Bretaigne. » G.-A. Crapelet, Proverbes et dictons populaires, p. 169 ; cf. Hist. littéraire de la France, XXIII, 686-688 ; « Ci coumence de Marcoul et de Salemon, que li cuens de Bretagne fist. » G.-A. Crapelet, Ibid., p. 189 ; cf. Hist. littér. de la France, XXIII, 688-689 ; « Ci coumence de Narciso le roumanz. » Barbazan et Méon, Fabliaux et contes, IV, 143 ; cf. Gaston Paris, Hist. littér. de la France, XXIX, 498-499 ; « C'est li romanz des braies » [les braies du Cordelier]. Montaiglon et Raynaud, Recueil général... des fabliaux, III, 275 ; « Commence des tresces. » Ibid., IV, 67 ; Partonopex de Blois. Ms. utilisé dans l'édition G.-A. Crapelet, 1834 ; « C'est le romanz de Blanchandin et de Orgueillose d'amors. » Cf. l'édition Michelant, 1867, et Romania, XVIII, 290 ; « Ci commence le romanz de Floire et de Blanche-Flor. » Seconde version d' Édélestand Du Méril ; édition Éd. Du Méril (1856), pp. CCVII-CCVIII et 125-227

The quality of the mother-child relationship during collaborative problem solving /

The quality of the mother-child relationship was examined in relation to joint planning, maternal teaching strategies, maternal emotional support, mutual positive affect and attachment security. Fifty-five grade five children and their mothers participated in a laboratory session comprised of various activities and completed questionnaires to evaluate attachment security. Joint planning and social problem solving were assessed observationally during an origami task. Problem solving effectiveness was unrelated to maternal teaching strategies, maternal encouragement and mutual positive affect. A marginally significant relationship was found between maternal encouragement and active child participation. Attachment security was found to be significantly related to sharing of responsibility during local planning, but only for child autonomous performance. An examination of conditional probabilities revealed that mutual positive affect did not increase the likelihood of subsequent mother-child dyadic regulation. However, mutual positive affect was found to be significantly related to both active child participation and dyadic regulation. The hypothesis predicting a mediational model was not supported. The implications of these findings in the theoretical and empirical literature were considered and suggestions for future research were made.

Exploring the personal and professional lives of teachers in the search for authenticity /

"We teach who we are" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2). This simple, yet profound, statement was the catalyst that began my thesis journey. Using a combination of self-study and participant narratives, Palmer's idea was explored as search for authenticity. The self-study component of this narrative was enhanced by the stories of two other teachers, both women. I chose to use narrative methodology to uncover and discover the relationship between the personal and professional lives of being a teacher. Do teachers express themselves daily in their classrooms? Do any lessons from the classroom translate into teachers' personal lives? The themes of reflection, authenticity, truth, and professional development thread themselves throughout this narrative study. In order to be true to myself as a teacher/researcher, arts-based interpretations accompany my own and each participant's profile. Our conversations about our pasts, our growth as teachers and journeys as individuals were captured in poetry and photographic mosaics. Through rich and detailed stories we explored who we are as teachers and how we became this way. The symbiotic relationship between our personal and professional lives was illustrated by tales of bravery, self-discovery, and reflection. The revelations uncovered illustrate the powerful role our past plays in shaping the present and potentially the friture. It may seem indulgent to spend time exploring who we are as teachers in a time that is increasingly focused on improving student test scores. Yet, the truth remains that, "Knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2).

Immunohistochemical study of laterodorsal tegmental neurons active during 22kHz vocalization /

An ascending cholinergic projection, which originates in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT), was implicated in the initiation of ultrasonic vocalization. The goal of this study was to histochemically examine the activity the LDT following ultrasonic calls induced by two methods. It was hypothesized that cholinergic LDT cells would be more active during air puffinduced vocalization than carbachol-induced one. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and cFos protein were visualized histochemically as markers of cholinergic calls and cellular activity, respectively. Results indicated that animals vocalizing after carbachol, but not after air puff, had a significantly higher number of Fos labeled nuclei within the LDT than non vocalizing controls. A significantly higher number of doublelabeled neurons were discovered in the LDT of vocalizing animals (in both groups) as compared to control conditions. Thus, there were significantly more active cholinergic cells in the LDT of vocalizing than non-vocalizing rats for both methods of call induction.

Behavioural characteristics in phylogenetics : a case study using black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) cocoon spinning behaviour

1-1 is torically, the predominan t method of reconstructing phylogenies has been through the use of morphological characters. There are new techniques now gaining acceptance, including molecular techniques al1d chromosomal information. Altl10ugh the study of behaviour has been used in a comparative framework, these analyses have, historically, been based on intuition. Hennig (1966) devised a neV\' method of reconstructing phylogenies which provided a 110ncircular method for formulating, testing and refining phylogenies. Subsequent s)Tstematists had virtually abandoned ecological and beha\lioural data as primary indicators of phylogenetic relationships (Brooks and McLennan 1991). Therefore, in a modern cladistic framework (sensu Hennig) the analysis of behavioural traits remains underrepresented as a method of reconstructing phylogenies. This thesis will reconstruct the phylogeny for species of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), using two steps. The first step is to thoroughl)' understand and explain the cocoon spinning in black fly larvae. There have bee115 previous descriptions of cocoon spinning, but all were incomplete or erroneous. The advances in technology, including video recorders and VCRs, have allowed this behaviour to be analyzed in great detail in 20 different species. A complete description of the cocoon spinning of Simulium \littatum is given. This description will be used as a template for the other species observed. The description and understanding of cococ)n spinning was the first step in undertaking a phylogenetic analysis using this behaviour. The behaviour was then broken down and analyzed, revealing 23 characters, 3 either qualitative and quantitative in nature. These characters were assessed in a cladistic framework (sensu Hennig) and a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with a e.I of 0.91 and an R.I. of 0.96. This phylogenetic tree closely resembles a previously established pllylogenetic tree produced from morphological and cytological information. The importance of this result is the indication that, contrary to some authors, behavioural characters, if used properly, can add very informative characters to a data set.

Manipulation of adenovirus early region 1 rescue plasmids by homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The manipulation of large (>10 kb) plasmid systems amplifies problems common to traditional cloning strategies. Unique or rare restriction enzyme recognition sequences are uncommon and very rarely located in opportunistic locations. Making site-specific deletions and insertions in larger plasmids consequently leads to multiple step cloning strategies that are often limited by time-consuming, low efficiency linker insertions or blunt-end cloning strategies. Manipulation ofthe adenovirus genome and the genomes ofother viruses as bacterial plasmids are systems that typify such situations. Recombinational cloning techniques based on homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that circumvent many ofthese common problems have been developed. However, these techniques are rarely realistic options for such large plasmid systems due to the above mentioned difficulties associated with the addition ofrequired yeast DNA replication, partitioning and selectable marker sequences. To determine ifrecombinational cloning techniques could be modified to simplify the manipulation of such a large plasmid system, a recombinational cloning system for the creation of human adenovirus EI-deletion rescue plasmids was developed. Here we report for the first time that the 1,456 bp TRP1/ARS fragment ofYRp7 is alone sufficient to foster successful recombinational cloning without additional partitioning sequences, using only slight modifications of existing protocols. In addition, we describe conditions for efficient recombinational cloning involving simultaneous deletion of large segments ofDNA (>4.2 kb) and insertion of donor fragment DNA using only a single non-unique restriction site. The discovery that recombinational cloning can foster large deletions has been used to develop a novel recombiliational cloillng technique, selectable inarker 'kilockouf" recombinational cloning, that uses deletion of a yeast selectable marker coupled with simultaneous negative and positive selection to reduce background transformants to undetectable levels. The modification of existing protocols as described in this report facilitates the use of recombinational cloning strategies that are otherwise difficult or impractical for use with large plasmid systems. Improvement of general recombinational cloning strategies and strategies specific to the manipulation ofthe adenovirus genome are considered in light of data presented herein.

The influence on children of the purpose of experiencing reading vocabulary: encoding-retrieval interactions in word perception

This research looked at conditions which result in the development of integrated letter code information in the acquisition of reading vocabulary. Thirty grade three children of normal reading ability acquired new reading words in a Meaning Assigned task and a Letter Comparison task, and worked to increase skill for known reading words in a Copy task. The children were then assessed on their ability to identify the letters in these words. During the test each stimulus word for each child was exposed for 100 msec., after which each child reported as many of his or her letters as he or she could. Familiar words, new words, and a single letter identification task served as within subject controls. Following this, subjects were assessed for word meaning recall of the Meaning Assigned words and word reading times for words in all condi tions • The resul ts supported an episodic model of word recognition in which the overlap between the processing operations employed in encoding a word and those required when decoding it affected decoding performance. In particular, the Meaning Assigned and Copy tasks. appeared to facilitate letter code accessibility and integration in new and familiar words respectively. Performance in the Letter Comparison task, on the other hand, suggested that subjects can process the elements of a new word without integrating them into its lexical structure. It was concluded that these results favour an episodic model of word recognition.

Active isolated stretching : an investigation of the mechanical mechanisms

The Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) technique proposes that by contracting a muscle (agonist) the opposite muscle (antagonist) will relax through reciprocal inhibition and lengthen without increasing muscle tension (Mattes, 2000). The clinical effectiveness of AIS has been reported but its mechanism of action has not been investigated at the tissue level. Proposed mechanisms for increased range of motion (ROM) include mechanical or neural changes, or an increased stretch tolerance. The purpose of the study was to investigate changes in mechanical properties, i.e. stiffness, of skeletal muscle in response to acute and long-term AIS stretching for the hamstring muscle group. Recreationally active university-aged students (female n=8, male n=2) classified as having tight hamstrings, by a knee extension test, volunteered for the study. All stretch procedures were performed on the right leg, with the left leg serving as a control. Each subject was assessed twice: at an initial session and after completing a 6-week AIS hamstring stretch training program. For both test sessions active knee extension (ROM) to a position of "light irritation", passive resisted torque and stiffness were determined before and after completion of the AIS technique (2x10 reps). Data were collected using a Biodex System 3 Pro (Biodex Medical Systems, NY, USA) isokinetic dynamometer. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor vastus lateralis (VL) and hamstring muscle activity during the stretching movements. Between test sessions, 2x10 reps of the AIS bent knee hamstring stretch were performed daily for 6-weeks.

Predictors of primary health care utilization by former residents of institutions in Ontario

For years institutionalization has been the primary method of service delivery for persons with developmental disabilities (DD). However, in Ontario the last institution was closed on March 31, 2009 with former residents now residing in small, communitybased homes. This study investigated potential predictors of primary health care utilization by former residents. Several indirect measures were employed to gather information from 60 participants on their age, health status, adaptive functioning level, problem behaviour, mental health status and, total psychotropic medication use. A direct measure was used to gather primary health care utilization information, which served as the dependent variable. A stepwise linear regression failed to reveal significant predictors of health care utilization. The data were subsequently dichotomized and the outcomes of a logistic regression analysis indicated that mental health status, psychotropic medication use and, an interaction between mental health status and health status significantly predicted higher primary health care usage.