Distribution of arm velocity and frequency of arm usage during daily activity: objective outcome evaluation after shoulder surgery.

In clinical settings, functional evaluation of shoulder movement is primarily based on what the patient thinks he/she is able to do rather than what he/she is actually performing. We proposed a new approach for shoulder assessment based on inertial sensors to monitor arm movement in the daily routine. The detection of movement of the humerus relative to the trunk was first validated in a laboratory setting (sensitivity>95%, specificity>97%). Then, 41 control subjects and 21 patients suffering from a rotator cuff tear were evaluated (before and after surgery) using clinical questionnaires and a one-day measurement of arm movement. The quantity of movement was estimated with the movement frequency and its symmetry index (SIFr). The quality of movement was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance (KS) between the cumulative distribution of the arm velocity for controls and the same distribution for each patient. SIFr presented differences between patients and controls at 3 month follow-up (p<0.05) while KS showed differences also after 6 months (p<0.01). SIFr illustrated a change in dominance due to the disorder whereas KS, which appeared independent of the dominance and occupation, showed a change in movement velocity. Both parameters were correlated to clinical scores (R(2) reaching 0.5). This approach provides clinicians with new objective parameters for evaluating the functional ability of the shoulder in daily conditions, which could be useful for outcome assessment after surgery.

Frequency of severe pulmonary hypertension complicating "isolated" atrial septal defect in infancy.

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are typically asymptomatic in infancy and early childhood, and elective defect closure is usually performed at ages of 4 to 6 years. Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicating an ASD is seen in adulthood and has only occasionally been reported in small children. A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of severe PH complicating an isolated ASD and requiring early surgical correction. During a 10-year period (1996 to 2006), 355 pediatric patients underwent treatment for isolated ASDs either surgically or by catheter intervention at 2 tertiary referral centers. Two hundred ninety-seven patients had secundum ASDs, and 58 had primum ASDs with mild to moderate mitral regurgitation. Eight infants were found with isolated ASDs (6 with secundum ASDs and 2 with primum ASDs) associated with significant PH, accounting for 2.2% of all patients with ASDs at the centers. These 8 infants had invasively measured pulmonary artery pressures of 50% to 100% of systemic pressure. They were operated in the first year of life and had complicated postoperative courses requiring specific treatment for PH for up to 16 weeks postoperatively. The ultimate outcomes in all 8 infants were good, with persistent normalization of pulmonary pressures during midterm follow-up of up to 60 months (median 28). All other patients with ASDs had normal pulmonary pressures, and the mean age at defect closure was significantly older, at 6.2 years for secundum ASDs and 3.2 years for primum ASDs. In conclusion, ASDs were rarely associated with significant PH in infancy but then required early surgery and were associated with excellent midterm outcomes in these patients.

Spatial statistical analysis and selection of genotypes in plant breeding

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of spatial statistical analysis in the selection of genotypes in a plant breeding program and, particularly, to demonstrate the benefits of the approach when experimental observations are not spatially independent. The basic material of this study was a yield trial of soybean lines, with five check varieties (of fixed effect) and 110 test lines (of random effects), in an augmented block design. The spatial analysis used a random field linear model (RFML), with a covariance function estimated from the residuals of the analysis considering independent errors. Results showed a residual autocorrelation of significant magnitude and extension (range), which allowed a better discrimination among genotypes (increase of the power of statistical tests, reduction in the standard errors of estimates and predictors, and a greater amplitude of predictor values) when the spatial analysis was applied. Furthermore, the spatial analysis led to a different ranking of the genetic materials, in comparison with the non-spatial analysis, and a selection less influenced by local variation effects was obtained.

Plant Size and Frequency of Strike, December 1970

In Illinois and Iowa, the author finds that plants with approximately 750 employees have suffered the highest strike-frequency rate. Why at this size? Among other explanations, it is posited that in significantly smaller plants labor-management relations can be personalized-and tensions reduced-while in appreciably larger plants sophistication in dealing with disputes may, of necessity, have been developed. C. Fred Eisele is a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Iowa's College of Business Administration.

Degeneracy of antigen recognition as the molecular basis for the high frequency of naive A2/Melan-a peptide multimer(+) CD8(+) T cells in humans.

In contrast with the low frequency of most single epitope reactive T cells in the preimmune repertoire, up to 1 of 1,000 naive CD8(+) T cells from A2(+) individuals specifically bind fluorescent A2/peptide multimers incorporating the A27L analogue of the immunodominant 26-35 peptide from the melanocyte differentiation and melanoma associated antigen Melan-A. This represents the only naive antigen-specific T cell repertoire accessible to direct analysis in humans up to date. To get insight into the molecular basis for the selection and maintenance of such an abundant repertoire, we analyzed the functional diversity of T cells composing this repertoire ex vivo at the clonal level. Surprisingly, we found a significant proportion of multimer(+) clonotypes that failed to recognize both Melan-A analogue and parental peptides in a functional assay but efficiently recognized peptides from proteins of self- or pathogen origin selected for their potential functional cross-reactivity with Melan-A. Consistent with these data, multimers incorporating some of the most frequently recognized peptides specifically stained a proportion of naive CD8(+) T cells similar to that observed with Melan-A multimers. Altogether these results indicate that the high frequency of Melan-A multimer(+) T cells can be explained by the existence of largely cross-reactive subsets of naive CD8(+) T cells displaying multiple specificities.

Interference of genotypes x environments interaction in the genetic control of resistance to Asian rust soybean

The objectives of this work were to identify parents resistant to Asian soybean rust using diallel crosses, obtain information on the genetic control of soybean resistance to the pathogen and verify whether the combining ability estimates interact with the environment (year or time of assessment). The F1 generation was obtained in a greenhouse from crosses between five contrasting parents for the trait resistance to soybean rust, in a complete diallel without reciprocals. Two rust-severity assessments were carried out on individual soybean plants of 25 treatments (parents and F2 and F3 populations) in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, in an experimental field at Embrapa Soja, Londrina, PR, Brazil. Additive effects predominated in the genetic control of soybean resistance to Asian rust, and the interaction of the segregant populations with the environment, although significant, did not alter the genetic parameter's general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability estimates, indicating that estimates obtained in one year and one assessment can be extrapolated to others. BR01-18437 inbred line is resistant to Asian rust and showed high GCA effects. This line should be used as parent if the objective is the resistance to Phakopsora pachyrhizi.

Magnitude and Frequency of Iowa Floods, 1966

Flood records for regular and partial-record gaging stations are contained in the following pages. Each listing contains the station number .and name, descriptive paragraphs pertaining to the station, and a listing of the flood peaks available through the 1965 water year 2/. 2/ A water year is the period from October 1 to the following September 30 and has the same yearly designation as September. Peaks above a base as well as annual peaks are listed. These provide the data for a partial-duration flood-frequency curve. Most of the material is self-explanatory and needs no discussion. However, a few items may be made clearer by the brief explanation which follows.

Molecular method for the characterization of Coxiella burnetii from clinical and environmental samples: variability of genotypes in Spain

Background: Coxiella burnetii is a highly clonal microorganism which is difficult to culture, requiring BSL3 conditions for its propagation. This leads to a scarce availability of isolates worldwide. On the other hand, published methods of characterization have delineated up to 8 different genomic groups and 36 genotypes. However, all these methodologies, with the exception of one that exhibited limited discriminatory power (3 genotypes), rely on performing between 10 and 20 PCR amplifications or sequencing long fragments of DNA, which make their direct application to clinical samples impracticable and leads to a scarce accessibility of data on the circulation of C. burnetii genotypes. Results: To assess the variability of this organism in Spain, we have developed a novel method that consists of a multiplex (8 targets) PCR and hybridization with specific probes that reproduce the previous classification of this organism into 8 genomic groups, and up to 16 genotypes. It allows for a direct haracterization from clinical and environmental samples in a single run, which will help in the study of the different genotypes circulating in wild and domestic cycles as well as from sporadic human cases and outbreaks. The method has been validated with reference isolates. A high variability of C. burnetii has been found in Spain among 90 samples tested, detecting 10 different genotypes, being those adaA negative associated with acute Q fever cases presenting as fever of intermediate duration with liver involvement and with chronic cases. Genotypes infecting humans are also found in sheep, goats, rats, wild boar and ticks, and the only genotype found in cattle has never been found among our clinical samples. Conclusions: This newly developed methodology has permitted to demonstrate that C. burnetii is highly variable in Spain. With the data presented here, cattle seem not to participate in the transmission of C. burnetii to humans in the samples studied, while sheep, goats, wild boar, rats and ticks share genotypes with the human population.

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with split hand/foot malformation: a clinical entity with a high frequency of FGFR1 mutations.

PURPOSE: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) and split hand/foot malformation (SHFM) are two rare genetic conditions. Here we report a clinical entity comprising the two. METHODS: We identified patients with CHH and SHFM through international collaboration. Probands and available family members underwent phenotyping and screening for FGFR1 mutations. The impact of identified mutations was assessed by sequence- and structure-based predictions and/or functional assays. RESULTS: We identified eight probands with CHH with (n = 3; Kallmann syndrome) or without anosmia (n = 5) and SHFM, seven of whom (88%) harbor FGFR1 mutations. Of these seven, one individual is homozygous for p.V429E and six individuals are heterozygous for p.G348R, p.G485R, p.Q594*, p.E670A, p.V688L, or p.L712P. All mutations were predicted by in silico analysis to cause loss of function. Probands with FGFR1 mutations have severe gonadotropin-releasing hormone deficiency (absent puberty and/or cryptorchidism and/or micropenis). SHFM in both hands and feet was observed only in the patient with the homozygous p.V429E mutation; V429 maps to the fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2α binding domain of FGFR1, and functional studies of the p.V429E mutation demonstrated that it decreased recruitment and phosphorylation of fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2α to FGFR1, thereby resulting in reduced mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. CONCLUSION: FGFR1 should be prioritized for genetic testing in patients with CHH and SHFM because the likelihood of a mutation increases from 10% in the general CHH population to 88% in these patients.Genet Med 17 8, 651-659.

Frequency of and Risk Factors for Depression among Participants in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

OBJECTIVES: We studied the incidence and prevalence of, and co-factors for depression in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. METHODS: Depression-specific items were introduced in 2010 and prospectively collected at semiannual cohort visits. Clinical, laboratory and behavioral co-factors of incident depression among participants free of depression at the first two visits in 2010 or thereafter were analyzed with Poisson regression. Cumulative prevalence of depression at the last visit was analyzed with logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 4,422 participants without a history of psychiatric disorders or depression at baseline, 360 developed depression during 9,348 person-years (PY) of follow-up, resulting in an incidence rate of 3.9 per 100 PY (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-4.3). Cumulative prevalence of depression during follow-up was recorded for 1,937/6,756 (28.7%) participants. Incidence and cumulative prevalence were higher in injection drug users (IDU) and women. Older age, preserved work ability and higher physical activity were associated with less depression episodes. Mortality (0.96 per 100 PY, 95% CI 0.83-1.11) based upon 193 deaths over 20,102 PY was higher among male IDU (2.34, 1.78-3.09), female IDU (2.33, 1.59-3.39) and white heterosexual men (1.32, 0.94-1.84) compared to white heterosexual women and homosexual men (0.53, 0.29-0.95; and 0.71, 0.55-0.92). Compared to participants free of depression, mortality was slightly elevated among participants with a history of depression (1.17, 0.94-1.45 vs. 0.86, 0.71-1.03, P = 0.033). Suicides (n = 18) did not differ between HIV transmission groups (P = 0.50), but were more frequent among participants with a prior diagnosis of depression (0.18 per 100 PY, 95%CI 0.10-0.31; vs. 0.04, 0.02-0.10; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a frequent co-morbidity among HIV-infected persons, and thus an important focus of care.

Analysis of the relationship intensity, duration, frequency of disaggregated daily rainfall in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The intensity, duration, and frequency relationship (IDF) of rainfall occurrence may be done through continuous records of pluviographs or daily pluviometer values . The objective of this study was to estimate the intensity-duration-frequency relationships of precipitation, using the method of daily rainfall disaggregation, at weather stations located to the southern half of the state of Rio Grande do Sul; comparing them with those obtained by rain gauge records, in places considered homogeneous from the meteorological point of view. The IDF equation parameters were estimated from daily rainfall disaggregation data, using the method of nonlinear optimization. To validate the equations confidence indices and efficiency and the "t" Student test, among maximum intensity values obtained from the disaggregated daily rainfall durations of 10; 30; 60 min and 6; 12 and 24 h and those extracted from existing IDF equations. For all studied stations and return periods, the trust index values were regarded as "optimal", i.e., greater than 0.85. The maximal intensity of rainfall obtained by daily rainfall disaggregation have similarity with those obtained by relations IDF standards. Thus, the method constitutes a feasible alternative in obtaining the IDF relationships.

Frequency of fear of needles and impact of a multidisciplinary educational approach towards pregnant women with diabetes

PURPOSE: To evaluate the frequency of fear of needles and the impact of a multidisciplinary educational program in women with pre-gestational and gestational diabetes taking insulin during pregnancy. METHODS: The short Diabetes Fear of Injecting and Self-testing Questionnaire (D-FISQ), composed by two subscales that access fear of self injection (FSI) and fear of self testing (FST), was administered twice during pregnancy to 65 pregnant women with pre-gestational and gestational diabetes: at the first endocrine consult and within the last two weeks of pregnancy or postpartum. An organized multidisciplinary program provided diabetes education during pregnancy. Statistical analysis was carried out by Wilcoxon and McNemar tests and Spearman correlation. A p<0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: Data from the short D-FISQ questionnaire shows that 43.1% of pregnant women were afraid of needles in the first evaluation. There was a significant reduction in scores for FSI and FST subscales between the first and second assessments (first FSI 38.5% compared with second 12.7%, p=0.001; first FST 27.7% compared with second FST 14.3%, p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The fear of needles is common in pregnant women on insulin therapy and an organized multidisciplinary educational diabetes program applied during pregnancy reduces scores of such fear.

Matched case-control study evaluating the frequency of the main agents associated with neonatal diarrhea in piglets

A case-control study was carried out in litters of 1 to 7-day-old piglets to identify the main infectious agents involved with neonatal diarrhea in pigs. Fecal samples (n=276) from piglets were collected on pig farms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from May to September 2007. Litters with diarrhea were considered cases (n=129) and normal litters (n=147) controls. The samples were examined by latex agglutination test, PAGE, conventional isolating techniques, ELISA, PCR, and microscopic methods in order to detect rotavirus, bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens type A and C, and Clostridium difficile), and parasites (Coccidian and Cryptosporidium spp.). Outbreaks of diarrhea were not observed during sampling. At least one agent was detected in fecal samples on 25 out of 28 farms (89.3%) and in 16 farms (57.1%) more than one agent was found. The main agents diagnosed were Coccidia (42.86%) and rotavirus (39.29%). The main agents identified in litters with diarrhea were Clostridium difficile (10.6%), Clostridium perfringens type A (8.8%) and rotavirus (7.5%); in control litters, Clostridium difficile (16.6%) and Coccidian (8.5%). Beta hemolytic Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens type C were not detected. When compared with controls, no agent was significantly associated with diarrhea in case litters. These findings stress the need for caution in the interpretation of laboratorial diagnosis of mild diarrhea in neonatal pigs, as the sole detection of an agent does not necessarily indicate that it is the cause of the problem.

Risk factors associated with the frequency of antibodies against Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in cattle in southern Mozambique

The study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with the frequency of IgG antibodies against Babesia bovis and B. bigemina in cattle in southern Mozambique. Eight hundred and nine serum samples were collected from cattle in three provinces namely Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, and tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) to assess the humoral immune response towards B. bovis and B. bigemina. The chi-square test at 5% significance was used to determine whether there was an association between gender, age and geographic origin of seropositive animals. The overall prevalence was 78.8% (548/695) for B. bovis and 76.0% (528/695) for B. bigemina. The origin of the animals showed a significant association (p<0.05) with seropositivity to both agents, while gender and age was not associated (p>0.05). Maputo province had the highest rate of positive animals, with 93.7% (118/126) for B. bovis and 97.6% (123/126) for B. bigemina. In Gaza province 77.3% (321/415) of the animals were positive for B. bovis and 67.5% (280/415) for B. bigemina, while in the province of Inhambane the levels of seropositivity were 70.8% (109/154) and 81.2% (125/154) for B. bovis and B. bigemina respectively. In the present study, the frequency of cattle positive for B. bovis and B. bigemina was shown to increase among older age groups, suggesting that infection and re-infection persisted even after the primary infection. Thus, this region is considered to be in a state of enzootic stability with regards to B. bovis and B. bigemina.