P < 0.05) and an increase in tibialis anterior EMG . Furthermore, CoP mean position significantly shifted backward (~30 mm). In contrast, the use of less sensitive EMG biofeedback resulted in a significant decrease in EMG activity of ankle plantar flexors with a marginal increase in TA activity compared with standing at ease. These changes were not accompanied by greater CoP displacements or significant changes in mean CoP position. Key results revealed subjects were able to keep standing stability while reducing the activity of gastrocnemius and soleus without loading their tibialis anterior muscle when standing with EMG biofeedback. These results may therefore posit the basis for the development of training protocols aimed at assisting subjects in more efficiently controlling leg muscle activity during standing.Recent evidence suggests the minimization of muscular effort rather than of the size of bodily sway may be the primary, nervous system goal when regulating the human, standing posture. Different programs have been proposed for balance training; none however has been focused on the activation of postural muscles during standing. In this study we investigated the possibility of minimizing the activation of the calf muscles during standing through biofeedback. By providing subjects with an audio signal that varied in amplitude and frequency with the amplitude of surface electromyograms (EMG) recorded from different regions of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, we expected them to be able to minimize the level of muscle activation during standing without increasing the excursion of the center of pressure (CoP). CoP data and surface EMG from gastrocnemii, soleus and tibialis anterior muscles were obtained from 10 healthy participants while standing at ease and while standing with EMG biofeedback. Four sensitivities were used to test subjects' responsiveness to the EMG biofeedback. Compared with standing at ease, the two most sensitive feedback conditions induced a decrease in plantar flexor activity (~15%;  During upright standing, the human body oscillates continuously and spontaneously. Three key mechanisms collectively contribute to the control of the standing posture: (i) the passive ankle stiffness,  and trunk acceleration, both in medio-lateral and anterior-posterior directions, have been considered as key feedback variables in the literature . According to recent evidence, efficient control of posture is more likely associated with minimization of unnecessary muscle activity rather than of postural sways; muscles may not be activated continuously to control posture  were recruited to participate in this study. None of them reported any neuromuscular disorders that could affect standing, both prior to and in occasion of the experiments. All participants were instructed in relation to the experimental protocol before providing written, informed consent. The experimental procedures conformed to the latest revision of the Declaration of Helsinki and were approved by the Ethics Committee of Politecnico di Torino.standing at ease. During the EMG-biofeedback conditions, the subjects were not engaged in conversation. For the standing at ease and the four EMG-biofeedback conditions, subjects were not allowed to move their head, trunk and upper and lower limbs. Trials started over in the case any gross movements were perceived by the investigators. Two trials were applied randomly for each standing condition, in random order, and at least 5 min of rest was provided between trials. Data recording started after subjects felt acquainted with the feedback tasks; familiarization periods lasted a few minutes.All participants performed stabilometric tests on a force-plate, lasting 40 s each. Subjects were instructed to stand with both feet at a comfortable position, arms alongside the body and eyes open. An audio stimulus proportional to the level of calf muscle activity was provided to participants through headphones for 40 s and they were asked to minimize it. As no evidence was found on the appropriate coding for EMG-audio feedback during standing, and given that subjects may be not able to control a very sensitive EMG-based audio stimulus , four different sensitivities were used to code the volume and the frequency of the audio signal from the level of muscle activity. A total of five conditions were applied, one without and four with EMG-audio feedback. When not provided with audio feedback, participants were engaged into active conversation to suppress the conscious control of postural sways . Such positioning ensured the action potentials of fibers residing in different proximo-distal gastrocnemius regions to be represented in the surface EMGs . These arrays were positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the three muscles. For the gastrocnemius heads, the most proximal electrode of each array was positioned on average 2.1 cm distant from the popliteal crease . EMGs and the ground reaction forces measured with a piezoelectric force-plate  were sampled synchronously at 2048 Hz with a 12 bits A/D converter. The surface EMGs and the center of pressure (CoP) position, calculated from the ground reaction forces, were stored for further analysis.Initially, EMGs were visually inspected to identify the channels detecting action potentials from different motor units Figure . ConsideThe amplitude and the frequency of the audio signal were coded differently from EMGs Figure . A sigmoBefore modulating the audio stimulus from muscle activity, EMG envelopes were normalized with respect to a reference, standing condition: subjects were asked to sway as much as possible back and forward. They were specifically instructed to lean their body exclusively around the ankle joint, without lifting up their fore and rear foot and at their preferred speed. A total of five consecutive sways were recorded. From this calibration data, the EMG envelope was computed as indicated above. The 5th and the 95th percentiles of the EMG envelope obtained during the voluntary sways were respectively used for the subtraction of the background noise and for the amplitude normalization of the EMG envelope computed when standing with EMG biofeedback.a[n] of the audio signal was modulated as:EMG[n] corresponds to the samples of EMG envelopes, after background noise subtraction and normalization, and Th stands for the threshold defining the sensitivity of the EMG-audio modulation. For example, when the EMG envelope reaches Th the intensity of the audio stimulus reaches 99% of its maximal value. Four different EMG-biofeedback sensitivities were then defined by setting Th to 30% (S1), 50% (S2), 70% (S3), and 90% (S4) of the 95th percentile of the distribution of EMG envelope obtained during the calibration phase: preliminary experiments revealed subjects were not able to respond to the feedback stimulus by setting the threshold to less than 30% as such a small threshold typically easily resulted in saturation of the audio stimulus during standing at ease )b=Th2(3)f [n] of the sinusoidal, audio signal was modulated according to:m being defined as:The frequency i et al. .Variations in the degree of calf muscle activity and in CoP position were calculated through the root mean square (RMS) amplitude. The RMS values were calculated from band-pass filtered EMGs  and then averaged separately for each muscle, over all channels in the array and over the whole standing test (40 s). In agreement with previous accounts reporting the short, modal duration of individual body sways , parametric statistics were used to quantify the effect of EMG biofeedback on the minimization of muscle activity and on the size of CoP sways. The RMS amplitude of surface EMGs, obtained during standing at ease and EMG-biofeedback conditions, was compared using one-way ANOVA, with the five standing conditions as repeated measures  and the lateral gastrocnemius head (no modulation) and soleus muscle (continuous) during standing at ease, all plantar flexors showed diminished RMS values when standing with EMG biofeedback . The RMS amplitude of EMGs detected from the medial gastrocnemius and from the lateral aspect of the soleus muscle was significantly lower (10–15%) when standing with EMG biofeedback than standing naturally, for the four sensitivities tested . For the soleus medial portion, when compared with standing at ease, significantly smaller RMS values were obtained only for the S1 and S2 EMG-audio sensitivities . In contrast, EMG biofeedback did not influence the RMS values for the lateral gastrocnemius . Finally, when compared to the RMS values obtained during standing at ease, the RMS amplitude obtained during feedback for the tibialis anterior muscle were statistically larger for the two most sensitive conditions . For the two least sensitive conditions, EMGs collected from tibialis anterior were however not greater than those detected during the reference, standing at ease condition . When specifically considering the least sensitive condition, results in Figure Group data revealed the effect of EMG biofeedback on EMG amplitude varied significantly with muscle and feedback sensitivity . In the medio-lateral direction, the CoP position did not change with the standing condition . Even though the RMS amplitude of CoP displacements computed for the most sensitive feedback condition was slightly larger (0.4 mm) than that obtained during standing at ease, no significant effect of EMG biofeedback on the size of postural sways was observed for any of the four sensitivities considered .When considering all participants, a significant effect of EMG biofeedback was exclusively observed for the CoP mean position in the sagittal plane. For the two most sensitive conditions, CoP position was localized at significantly more posterior regions when compared to the standing at ease, key results revealed: (i) the amplitude of EMGs collected from medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles decreased significantly; (ii) tibialis anterior  activity increased marginally; (iii) CoP displacement and mean position did not change significantly. These results suggest EMG biofeedback may assist subjects in reducing the activity of calf muscles without altering the size of CoP sways.In this study we investigated whether subjects can minimize their calf muscles' activity during standing when provided with EMG biofeedback. Different sensitivities of EMG biofeedback were tested, with the less sensitive conditions S3 and S4) leading to a better compromise between changes in EMG amplitude and CoP parameters  or visual  parameters varying with the firing rate of individual motor units or with the amplitude of EMGs  is therefore one potential mechanism to suppress activation of ankle extensors. This possibility seems unlikely as the mean CoP position and the amplitude of CoP displacements in the anterior-posterior axis did not change significantly from standing at ease to standing with the least sensitive EMG biofeedback , and co-funded by Compagnia di San Paolo and Fondazione C.R.T.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Paralysis of the external popliteal sciatic nerve is a frequent pathological condition that occurs after trauma. However, etiologies other than trauma, such as tumors, are also possible. The sensory collaterals of the external popliteal sciatic nerve have a small territory of innervation at the knee, and tumors involving these nerves become symptomatic after compression of the motor nerves. We here describe the first reported case of this phenomenon.This case involved a lesion compressing the origin of the external popliteal sciatic nerve of a 13-year-old Moroccan boy diagnosed with a neurofibroma. He developed functional impairment of his left lower limb during a football game, and examination revealed a steppage gait. The initial diagnosis was stretching of the peroneal nerve. The definitive diagnosis of a neurofibroma was revealed by imaging and confirmed by surgery and pathology. Treatment involved total removal of the tumor; however, our patient’s steppage gait persisted.Our patient developed compression of the external popliteal sciatic nerve from a tumor growing on a collateral nerve. Early diagnosis is an absolute necessity in such cases. Trauma and tumors of sensory nerves can distort the diagnosis, as in this case. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can contribute to an accurate diagnosis in patients with neuropathy in the absence trauma or tomacula. Paralysis of the external popliteal sciatic nerve (EPSN) is a frequent pathological condition that usually occurs secondary to trauma or compression of the nerve as it winds around the neck of the fibula , 2. CompA 13-year-old Moroccan boy with no medical history consulted with our department regarding a functional impairment of his left lower limb that developed after a football game. No particular sprain or accident had occurred. A clinical examination revealed slight lameness without visible muscular atrophy. Muscular testing showed paralysis of his tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus; his common extensor digitorum was also partially deficient. Stretching of the EPSN was diagnosed based on functional disability after the football match. However, subsequent examination in our Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation revealed an asymptomatic minor soft tumefaction localized at the neck of his fibula. The Tinel sign was present with a sensory deficit on the back of his foot. An electromyographic study of the nerve revealed severe damage to the EPSN at the neck of his fibula with a slow nerve conduction velocity. An electromyographic study of the nerves of his right lower limb was normal, and X-rays showed no abnormalities. Ultrasound of the tumefaction revealed a tubulated, non-compressive, anechoic mass without a Doppler signal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed low signal intensity on T1 images, high signal intensity on T2 images, and a heterogeneous pattern due to the presence of some fine regular partitions. The lesion was in contact with the EPSN at its proximal part and coursed downward externally, following the path of its external collateral. A gadolinium injection revealed regular peripheral enhancement of the lesion, defining a central cystic area with low signal intensity  for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.


Demand for lightweight, efficient, and low cost structures seems mandatory because of growing realization of the rarity of raw materials and rapid depletion of convention energy sources. This requires engineers to be aware of optimization techniques. Designing, analyzing, and solving civil engineering problems can be very large scale and can be highly nonlinear, and to find solutions to these problems is often very challenging. In the past two decades, soft computing methods are becoming an important class of efficient tools for developing intelligent systems and providing solutions to complicated engineering problems.The papers selected for this special issue represent a good panel in recent challenges. The topics of these papers are connected with the computational intelligence methods and their application in civil and hydraulic engineering. An investigation on different metaheuristics abilities for engineering problems was studied by O. Adekanmbi and P. Green. They utilized the third version of generalized differential evolution (GDE) for solving practical engineering problems. GDE3 metaheuristic modifies the selection process of the basic differential evolution and extends DE/rand/1/bin strategy.Performance-based seismic design of steel frames using the colliding bodies optimization (CBO) algorithm as new optimization method was presented by H. Veladi. A pushover analysis method based on semirigid connection concept was developed and the CBO algorithm is employed to find optimum seismic design of frame structures. H. Veladi solved two numerical examples from literature and show the power or weakness of this new algorithm.A parametric study of nonlinear seismic response analysis of transmission line structures and the effect analysis of strain rate on power transmission tower-line system under seismic excitation were developed by L. Tian et al. in two papers. In one of them, nonuniform ground motions are generated using a stochastic approach based on random vibration analysis. Then, the effects of multicomponent ground motions, correlations among multicomponent ground motions, wave travel, coherency loss, and local site on the responses of the cables were investigated using nonlinear time history analysis method. The results showed the multicomponent seismic excitations should be considered, but the correlations among multicomponent ground motions could be neglected. While, in the other, a three-dimensional finite element model of a transmission tower-line system was created based on a real project. The results showed that the effect of strain rate on the transmission tower generally decreases the maximum top displacements, but it would increase the maximum base shear forces, and thus it is necessary to consider the effect of strain rate on the seismic analysis of the transmission tower. The effect of strain rate could be ignored for the seismic analysis of the conductors and ground lines, but the responses of the ground lines considering strain rate effect are larger than those of the conductors.A study of bridge structures is performed by N. Easazadeh Far and M. Barghian. They selected integral abutment bridges (IABs) as jointless bridges. Although all developed bridge design codes consider temperature and earthquake loads separately in their specified load combinations for conventional bridges with expansion joints, the thermal load is an “always on” load and during the occurrence of an earthquake, these two important loads act on bridge simultaneously. Safety identifying of these bridges under seismic and thermal loads is the main aim of their work where the safety of IABs, designed by AASHTO LRFD bridge design code, under combination of thermal and seismic loads was studied. They showed that for an IAB designed by AASHTO LRFD the reliability indexes have been reduced under combined effects.In the field of hydraulic engineering, optimal design of pipe sizes for looped irrigation water supply system is presented by D. G. Yoo et al. in which they developed a harmony search algorithm to fulfill this aim. Their study mainly serves two purposes. The first is to develop an algorithm and a program for estimating a cost-effective pipe diameter for agricultural irrigation water supply systems using optimization techniques. The second is to validate the developed program by applying the proposed optimized cost-effective pipe diameter to an actual study region . They show that the optimal design program can be effectively applied for the real systems of a looped agricultural irrigation water supply.


The arthritis-specific Work Productivity Survey (WPS) was developed to evaluate productivity limitations associated with arthritis within and outside the home. There is an unmet need for an instrument assessing similar productivity limitations in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), including nonradiographic axSpA and ankylosing spondylitis. Following its validation in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, we aimed to assess psychometric properties of WPS in adult-onset active axSpA in this analysis.Psychometric properties were assessed using data from the RAPID-axSpA trial (NCT01087762) in which researchers investigated certolizumab pegol efficacy and safety in axSpA. WPS was completed at baseline and every 4 weeks until week 24. Validity was evaluated at study baseline via known-groups defined by the first and third quartile cutoffs of patient scores to Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), back pain, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Short Form 36 health survey (SF-36) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Scale (ASQoL). Responsiveness and reliability were assessed by comparing WPS mean changes in ASAS 20% improvement criteria (ASAS20), BASDAI50, ASDAS clinically important improvement/major improvement (CII/MI) and BASFI minimum clinically important difference (MCID) responders versus nonresponders at week 12. All comparisons were conducted on observed cases in the randomized set using a nonparametric bootstrap-t method.The results confirmed the psychometric properties of WPS. AxSpA patients with a worse health state had significantly more days of household work lost, household work with reduced productivity, social activities missed and outside help hired, as well as a higher interference rate of arthritis, than patients with a better health state. Similarly, employed patients with a worse health state had significantly more work days lost or with productivity reduced, and a higher interference of arthritis on work productivity. Similar findings were also observed in the nonradiographic (nr) axSpA and AS subpopulations. The WPS was responsive to clinical changes, with responders reporting larger improvements at week 12 in WPS scores versus nonresponders. Effect sizes in responders were generally moderate to large (standardized response mean >0.5).These analyses demonstrate that WPS is a valid, responsive and reliable instrument for the measurement of productivity within and outside the home in adult-onset axSpA, as well as the in subpopulations of AS and nr-axSpA.The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/ar4680) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) refers to spondyloarthritis with predominantly axial involvement and comprises the well-known disease subgroup ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as a disease subgroup with little or no changes on plain radiographs, referred to as nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Nr-axSpA and AS can be considered opposite ends of the same disease spectrum articipation in social, leisure, education, community and work activities must be an integral measure used to evaluate outcomes by health professionals, educators, policymakers and researchers” 2279 . FurtherThe present findings indicate that the WPS instrument was generally well understood by patients, as indicated by the high completion rates. As in rheumatoid arthritis, the WPS demonstrated good discriminant validity, in terms of both association coefficients and known-groups analyses, evaluated against a range of different continuous measures used to assess disease activity, physical functioning and HRQoL. The association coefficients indicate the divergent validity between the individual WPS questions and the other measures considered, which was further confirmed by the known-groups analyses. Findings in the nr-axSpA and AS subpopulations were similar to those in the overall axSpA population.The known-groups analyses based on the first and third quartiles of the instrument scores at baseline were further confirmed using a median cutoff of the score. However, the responsiveness of the WPS was assessed using clinically recognized thresholds and supports the discriminant validity analysis.The WPS was also responsive to clinical changes, as measured by the ASAS20 and BASDAI50 responses at week 12. Findings were also similar when using a range of different clinical response measures , supporting the responsiveness and reliability of the WPS. Similar results were reported in all three populations .All WPS questions showed a certain level of responsiveness to clinical changes. However, the responsiveness of questions concerning the number of work days missed due to axSpA and the number of days with outside help hired were not as large or consistent as the other WPS questions. The number of respondents who actually reported full days of work missed, or days with outside help, was quite small relative to the entire study sample. The results for absenteeism might suggest that the impact of axSpA on productivity more likely manifests as daily interference with normal working practices, without resulting in full disability. However, it should also be noted that because 12.4% of the sample reported being unable to work due to arthritis at baseline, patients who might otherwise have reported missing a high number of days of work did not report their level of absenteeism. The low level of responsiveness for the question assessing days with hired outside help would appear to suggest that axSpA patients might not necessarily hire outside help, but the possibility that patients receive external help from relatives or friends cannot be excluded.Given the intent of using the WPS across a variety of rheumatic conditions, including those where higher levels of disability might be anticipated, all questions of the WPS should remain to ensure an accurate assessment of the impact of arthritis on different aspects of work and household productivity.The responsiveness and reliability of the WPS for use in axSpA has been confirmed not only by the differences in the mean changes in WPS scores but also by the effect sizes seen for responders and nonresponders and the similarities in responsiveness when using different response criteria. This was true for the overall axSpA population as well as the nr-axSpA and AS subpopulations.Although there is no gold standard for assessing worker productivity in axSpA, these results are in line with previous work carried out for the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire in the AS subpopulation. Similar to the current findings in the AS subpopulation, in the previous work carried out using the WPAI, patients with greater disease severity (assessed using BASDAI) experienced greater work impairment, presenteeism and impairment in daily activities; however, absenteeism was not significantly different between patients with worse health compared to those with better health .The limitations of this study include the patient population, which was recruited for a clinical trial of active axSpA and therefore may not be completely representative of the wider axSpA population. However, as the WPS is currently developed as a tool for clinical trials, the patient population used should provide sufficient evidence to ensure the validity of this measure in its current role. The WPS is also affected by the normal limitations of self-reported questionnaires; however, previous reports have confirmed that this is still the best means of collecting such data .The WPS was found to be a valid instrument in axSpA, nr-axSpA and AS on the basis of its ability to discriminate between patients with different disease symptom severity and between patients who respond to recognized clinical changes. This survey can be used to capture the impact of active axSpA on productivity in the workplace and within the household, as well as participation in daily activities. It is also an informative instrument for use in clinical trials and in clinical practice, enabling assessment of the impact of treatment on axSpA-related workplace and household productivity losses.Ethical bodies. List of ethical bodies approving RAPID-PsA study. (PDF 977 KB)Additional file 1: Questionnaires assessed. Details of the questionnaires assessed in the article. (DOCX 29 KB)Additional file 2:


Epidural analgesia is highly recommended in cancer anorectal surgery. In addition to the fight against pain it provides some benefit in allowing early rehabilitation of patients. One of the risks of this practice is the dural tear creating a cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF) in the epidural space (EPD). Clinical features the typical positional headache, a procession of various more or less severe symptoms: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual or hearing impairment or radicular pain. We report a dural of unusual cause secondary of the obstruction of tuohy catheter by vertebral cartilage. The lumbar post puncture syndrome (LPPS) occurs after a break duro subarachnoid during an epidural puncture creating a cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF) in the epidural space (EPD). Clinical features the typical positional headache, a procession of various more or less severe symptoms: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual or hearing disturbances or radicular pain. The occurrences of circumstances are numerous, we report the case of a dural breach occurred when performing epidural analgesia for digestive cancer surgery of an unusual cause.It is a 46 year old patient without significant medical history and normal weight, admitted to visceral surgery block for sigmoid tumor resection. Epidural analgesia was used for the management of perioperative pain. After installation and commissioning requirement in this kind of anesthetic practice, the realization of the puncture was at L2-L3 by an experienced anesthetist. After introducing the catheter 2-3 cm and removing the plastic core research epidural space using against fluid pressure was started. Bone obstacle was felt and the needle was redirected in a cephalic direction. To the failure of catheterization despite the introduction of the needle tuohy over its entire length, the latter was withdrawn for verification. It was then that we discovered the obstruction of the catheter by a piece of bone cartilage  dural teThe dural tear is one of the most common complications of locating the epidural space. The operator experience is a commonly recognized risk factor. so, if a frequency of about 1% is generally accepted in the research of the lumbar epidural space , 3 have After accidental dural tear, analgesia may be continued by epidural (obstetrics). In case of epidural analgesia, a prophylactic blood patch seems desirable. This observation highlights the importance of greater caution in the progression of the needle tuohy and the verification of permeability of the needle every each bone contact.


Arthroscopic over-resection of the head-neck junction during the treatment of a cam deformity can be a devastating complication and is difficult to treat. Large defects of the femoral head-neck junction (FHNJ) increase the risk of femoral neck fracture and can also affect hip biomechanics. We describe a case of an iatrogenic defect of the FHNJ due to excessive bone resection, and a previously non-described treatment using iliac crest autograft to restore femoral head-neck sphericity and hip joint stability. After protecting the femoral neck with an angled blade plate, the large anterior FHNJ defect was reconstructed using autogenous iliac crest bone graft; sphericity was restored by contouring the graft using spherical templates. Clinical and radiographic follow-up was performed up to 2 years. Results at 2 years showed no residual groin pain and normal range of motion. The Oxford Hip Score was 46/48, rated as excellent. Computed tomography (CT) scanning showed union of bone graft without resorption, and CT arthrogram indicating retained sphericity of the FHNJ without evidence of degenerative changes in the articular surface. This novel surgical technique can be used to restore the structural integrity and contour of the FHNJ that contains a significant anterior defect. The femoral head-neck junction (FHNJ) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of femoro-acetabular impingement and resection of a cam deformity is the recommended treatment  There arTo our knowledge there is no literature about reconstruction of the FHNJ after iatrogenic over-resection. Also the incidence of over-resection of a cam deformity is not known. However, a recent study showed that corrections at the head-neck-junction achieved by hip arthroscopy showed some overcorrection when compared with a surgical hip dislocation . With inA 17-year-old female pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle sustaining a comminuted subtrochanteric femoral fracture (AO 32A1.1) A. The paRadiographic workup including standard radiographs, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. This showed that 50% of the original cross-section of the FHNJ had been resected, posing a considerable fracture risk C and D. piriformis muscle and gluteus minimus developed. The greater trochanter was mobilized anteriorly and the joint capsule was identified. A Z-shaped capsulotomy was performed and the hip joint was inspected but not dislocated. The bone defect started at the equator of the femoral head and included ∼50% of the neck diameter and extended distally to the intertrochanteric line  recreation of sphericity of the head, (ii) restoration of bone stock for strength and (iii) protection of the neck from fracture whilst the graft incorporates. The prophylactic fixation is performed first to allow safe dislocation of the hip and can be done with any angular stable device. The recreation of the femoral head with autograft affords immediate return of spherical anatomy with excellent incorporation potential, but also overtime restoration of bone strength is imparted, allowing implant removal once united. The use of the flip osteotomy allows excellent visualization of the defect and surrounding anatomy to allow accurate reconstruction.This article presents a novel technique in case of over-resection of the FHNJ, which allows the surgeon to recreate the normal anatomy, as well as the hip function, diminishing the risk of fracture, preserving the original bone, without considering a total hip arthroplasty as an alternative, in this young patients, where joint preserving surgery was the primary aim of the treatment.The authors certify that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.


Since an endoscopic ultrasound test suggested that the tumor might invade the muscular tunic, indications of endoscopic mucosal resection were not favored, and the tumor was curatively removed via distal gastrectomy. The histopathologic diagnosis was papillary adenocarcinoma, and the invasion depth was the mucosal layer without vascular invasion, which was different from the preoperative diagnosis. Our case suggests the difficulties in precise diagnosis of the invasion depth of the giant polypoid cancer.A 66-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of suspected duodenal cancer. Upper gastric endoscopy revealed a giant polypoid-type tumor that extended from the duodenum bulb to the pyloric ring. A computed tomography scan revealed a slightly enhanced lobular tumor protruding into the duodenum bulb. Positron emission tomography showed an accumulation of  Gastric polypoid tumors vary in terms of histology, neoplastic potential, and management. Preoperative diagnosis is now extremely precise because of technical improvements in upper gastric endoscopy and medical imaging. However, it sometimes differs from the postoperative histopathologic diagnosis. Our case suggests the difficulties in precise diagnosis of the invasion depth of the giant polypoid cancer.18F-fluorodeoxyglucose  in the area extending from the antrum of the stomach to the duodenum bulb (A 66-year-old Japanese man undergoing hemodialysis for chronic renal failure was referred to our hospital with suspected duodenal cancer. On physical examination, his abdomen was soft and flat without symptoms. Tumor markers were within normal limits, and laboratory findings were normal except for renal dysfunction due to chronic renal failure. Upper gastric endoscopy revealed a giant polypoid-type tumor extending from the duodenum bulb to the pyloric ring; its main location was thought to be the duodenum bulb . The surnum bulb . Becausenum bulb . There aPolypoid-type gastric tumors protruding into the duodenum bulb are very rare. Inlaying of the tumor sometimes results in ball-valve syndrome, which is obstruction of the duodenum bulb because of the inlaying of the tumor . In suchGastric polyps are a heterogeneous group of epithelial and subepithelial lesions that vary in terms of histology, neoplastic potential, and management . Treatme18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, and the invasion depth was the muscular tunic as estimated via an endoscopic ultrasound test. However, the histopathologic diagnosis was early cancer of the stomach within the mucosal layer without vascular invasion, which was different from the preoperative diagnosis. This case suggests the difficulties in precise diagnosis of the invasion depth of the giant polypoid cancer.The tumor showed an accumulation of


In the last decade plant biotechnologists and breeders have made several attempt to improve the antioxidant content of plant-derived food. Most efforts concentrated on increasing the synthesis of antioxidants, in particular anthocyanins, by inducing the transcription of genes encoding the synthesizing enzymes. We present here an overview of economically interesting plant species, both food crops and ornamentals, in which anthocyanin content was improved by traditional breeding or transgenesis. Old genetic studies in petunia and more recent biochemical work in brunfelsia, have shown that after synthesis and compartmentalization in the vacuole, anthocyanins need to be stabilized to preserve the color of the plant tissue over time. The final yield of antioxidant molecules is the result of the balance between synthesis and degradation. Therefore the understanding of the mechanism that determine molecule stabilization in the vacuolar lumen is the next step that needs to be taken to further improve the anthocyanin content in food. In several species a phenomenon known as fading is responsible for the disappearance of pigmentation which in some case can be nearly complete. We discuss the present knowledge about the genetic and biochemical factors involved in pigment preservation/destabilization in plant cells. The improvement of our understanding of the fading process will supply new tools for both biotechnological approaches and marker-assisted breeding. Figure 1A). A complex of highly conserved WD40, bHLH and MYB proteins (MBW complex) activates the transcription of structural genes encoding enzymes of the anthocyanin pathway stability of anthocyanins in vacuoles, suggesting that the understanding of the mechanism behind anthocyanin stabilization Much of the current knowledge on anthocyanin chemistry and genetics originates from studies on flower pigmentation in model species. Some of the results have been applied to generate new varieties of cut flowers and ornamental flowering plants with novel colors and pigmentation patterns.The substrate specificity of the enzymes of the anthocyanin pathway determines the final pattern of chemical decorations and thereby the pigment color . TogetheFigure 1A) in roses, chrysanthemum and carnations. The expression of an exogenous flavonol 3′,5′ hydroxylase (F3′5′H) combined with an heterologous dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) accepting a three-hydroxylated substrate, leads to accumulation of delphinidin . Orange and red colors from pelargonidin-based anthocyanins were obtained in petunia by suppressing the flavonoid hydroxylases F3′H and F3′5′H, and expressing a DFR with specificity for mono-hydroxylated substrates  and atv (atroviolacea) from wild Solanum, results in the accumulation of anthocyanins in the epidermis and the pericarp of the fruit . As SlAN2 and SlANT1 proteins activate the whole biosynthetic pathway and stress can activate SlAN2 transcription, lack of pigmentation in cultivated tomato fruits is not due to mutations in enzyme encoding genes or to loss of function of one of the two MYBs. Rather, changes in the regulation of the MYBs, resulted in inactivity in fruits. Expression of DELILA and ROSEA1 (respectively a bHLH and a MYB) from snapdragon result in intensely purple tomatoes fruits which have health-promoting effects in a mouse model (MYB12) in tomato stimulates the production of complex mixtures of flavonoids, by reprogramming primary metabolism toward the production of substrates for the phenylpropanoid pathway. The combination of MYB12 and transcription factors specific for the anthocyanin pathway further boosts anthocyanin production  originates from a spontaneous mutant found in a cauliflower field over 20 years ago , onions and potato  are still poorly studied, but are a priceless source of interesting alleles to be introduced into market varieties.The market request of high anthocyanin content food, led to the rediscovery of pigment-rich varieties, which were nearly forgotten. These ancient varieties of apples, pears and peaches , Hibiscus, orchids  and several Solanum species . In commercial varieties of flowers, fading strongly affects the market value. One of these is aster, where the inhibition of color fading by magnesium is suggested to come from the formation of pigment-metal complexes  sharing components with the MBW complex regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. Thus, pigment synthesis and vacuolar acidification are controlled by the same regulatory network  locus . This process is restricted to the flower limb, while flower tube and pollen maintain their full color. Color fading is in petunia much stronger for highly substituted anthocyanins, such as 3-rutinosido(p-coumaroyl)-5glucoside anthocyanins, whereas 3-glucosides and 3-rutinosides only weakly fade and anthocyanin methylation has no effect  the specificity of the fading mechanism in brunfelsia is different from the one in petunia, or (iii) FA activity is dependent on genes that genetically linked with genes determining the anthocyanin sunstituion patter, such as Rhamnosyl Transferase (RT) and Glucosylation at Five  locus , 1983, no effect . As repo petunia . This diFive GF; .Figure  Decorated anthocyanin molecules are synthesized under the control of the MBW transcription complex and transported to the vacuolar lumen where their color is affected by the pH of the environment. This is determined by the PH1/PH5 pump which expression is also regulated by the MBW complex. In the vacuole, peroxidases modulate the concentration of free radicals and water peroxide, which can affect anthocyanin stability. Under these conditions anthocyanins are relatively stable , as compared to mutants for the MBW complex which are depleted in expression of all its target genes.Our limited understanding of the mechanism of anthocyanin fading, coming from experiments in brunfelsia and genetic analysis in petunia, is summarized in PH1 and PH5 increase vacuolar pH in the same extent than mutations in the MBW complex, but are not accompanied by color loss . For this reason, the identification of the factors controlling fading of pigments as well as its inhibition, opens possibilities of further improvement of the content of these compounds in the final plant products.Anthocyanin-rich plants produced by traditional breeding or biotechnology, could contribute to human health reducing the incidence of major diseases , while nStudies in brunfelsia provide insight into the biochemistry of anthocyanin degradation .It is unclear whether a certain degree of anthocyanin degradation, is functional to the plant. So far only speculations are possible. Anthocyanins protect tissues from free radicals and in some species accumulate in seedlings where they shield the photosynthetic machinery from light. Their degradation later in development probably improves photosynthesis . In brunin vivo, to assess whether complete disappearance of color is an “accident” originating from human selection during crop domestication, and to gain tools to improve stabilization of anthocyanin  in the vacuolar lumen.Genetic analyses in species, like petunia, where well-defined mutants affecting this phenomenon are available  open theVP has searched the literature, collected the photographic information and written the manuscript. FQ and RK have conceived the idea and helped with writing the manuscript.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Genetics is a relatively young science compared to many other fields in biology, for example, evolutionary biology or physiology. However, genetics is a central theme in many fields, especially the medical sciences, because genetic studies can provide explanations and may even allow predictions to be made, in the context of a range of biological problems including the field of inherited human disorders. This has become especially important during the last decade as we have entered the “genomic era.” With the dramatic improvement of sequencing technologies and the enormous reduction in the cost of sequencing, biologists are faced with a “data avalanche.” Next generation whole exome or genome sequencing has provided us with an arsenal of tools to study human, animal, and plant genetics. The underlying genetic lesions responsible for Mendelian diseases may now be found and mapped with even a limited number (as few as one) of affected individuals (rare and neglected diseases), with the help of large quantities of “control” genome data such as those emanating from the 1000 Genomes Project. Genomic data analysis may also be useful for the dissection of the genetic mechanisms underlying complex polygenic diseases or in exploring the role of modifiers genes in influencing the age of onset or clinical severity of a given Mendelian disease entity. Although we have acquired new research capabilities, we are also encountering new problems with the analysis of genomic data and the reanalysis of already published (deposited in databases) data. Such problems of genomic data presentation, format, sharing, and reanalysis are now starting to be addressed.This special issue is dedicated to problems of genetics in the genomic era and comprises five articles: three review articles and two research articles. In the first review article, entitled “Unlimited Thirst for Genome Sequencing, Data Interpretation, and Database Usage in Genomic Era: The Road towards Fast-Track Crop Plant Improvement,” A. P. Dhanapal and M. Govindaraj discuss the use of crop plant databases in advancing research in the genomic era. The major focus of this review is to provide knowledge on platforms for comparative genomics of agriculturally important crop plants with industrial and environmental significance. Recent advances in sequencing and resequencing of plant genomes have potentiated new analyses of genomic variation and gene function. Genetic variation databases could facilitate research that helps to improve the efficiency of plant breeding programs. This review should aid researchers in the plant science research community by providing information on available databases and platforms for genome-based analyses that help to link model systems with other plants in the genomics context. This is a timely review which highlights the recent finding of frequent gene and whole genome duplication events. Many unresolved questions however remain regarding the number and timing of such events in plant evolution.Gene duplication is a key mechanism of genomic change in evolution. I. B. Rogozin discusses recent analyses of the “ortholog conjecture” (OC) hypothesis. Under the OC hypothesis, which is central to the functional annotation of genomes, orthologous genes are functionally more similar than paralogous genes at the same level of sequence divergence. A recent study found a greater functional similarity, in terms of gene ontology (GO) annotations and expression profiles, among within-species paralogs as compared to orthologs. These findings have suggested that the functional similarity of homologous genes is primarily determined by the cellular context of those genes, rather than their evolutionary history. Subsequent studies have suggested that the OC hypothesis appears to be generally valid but that a comprehensive picture of the evolution of gene expression requires the incorporation of lineage-specific aspects of paralogy. The observed complexity of gene expression evolution after duplication may be most parsimoniously explained by the duplication-degeneration-complementation model combined with selection for gene dosage.E. Poliakov et al.'s research paper reinforces the central importance of gene expression. Some ninety years on from the first articulation of the Warburg theory of cancer cell origin, the question of altered metabolism in cancer is again assuming a central role. Analyses of signaling pathways and oncogenes in different types of cancer have been the focus of research for several decades. Now, empowered by a wealth of knowledge about tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and signaling pathways, the reprogramming of cellular metabolism  has reemerged as a key step in cancer progression. To obtain a general picture of cancer metabolism and to analyze the level of expression of various genes encoding proteins including metabolic enzymes across various cancers, E. Poliakov et al. employed dbEST and Unigene data. With the appearance of abundant RNA-seq cancer data, it is interesting to ascertain if dbEST-based conclusions will hold. The authors delineated a list of genes that are overexpressed in most types of cancer. They also grouped overexpressed enzymes into KEGG pathways and analyzed adjacent pathways to describe the enzymatic reactions that take place in cancer cells thereby identifying major players in the cancer protein machinery. Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and pyruvate metabolism appear to be the most abundant pathways although several other pathways are enriched in genes from the list. Ubiquitously overexpressed genes could be marked as nonspecific cancer-associated genes when analyzing genes that are overexpressed in certain types of cancer. Thus, the list of overexpressed genes is likely to be a useful tool for systems biology approaches to cancer research. HTT (IT15) gene. Many studies have shown that the HTT gene interacts with several modifier genes to regulate the age at onset of HD. Their study aims to investigate the involvement of CAG expansion and 9 modifiers in the age at onset variance of 15 HD Tunisian patients. The authors establish a correlation between these modifier genes and the age of onset of this disease. Their results demonstrate a specific effect of modifier genes in each population. Despite the small number of studied patients, this report constitutes the first North African study of Huntington disease patients.D. Hmida-Ben Brahim et al. discuss Huntington disease (HD) . The causative mutation is an expansion of more than 36 CAG repeats in the first exon of theThis special issue is concluded by an article by M. Srinivasan et al. that discusses the importance of genetic diversity assessment in crop plants and its recent advances. The importance of plant genetic diversity is now being widely recognized by agricultural scientists. This paper comprehensively reviews four important areas: (i) the significance of plant genetic diversity (PGD); (ii) the risk associated with the narrowing down of the genetic base of current commercial cultivars and climate change; (iii) analysis of existing PGD analytical methods in both the pregenomic and genomic eras; and (iv) the tools now available for PGD analysis in the postgenomic era. This review describes the new methods and technology for the improved and rapid assessment of the genetic diversity of crops and for the utilization of germplasm from gene-banks in their applied breeding programs. Since plant breeding research and cultivar development are integral components of improving food production, the availability of and access to diverse genetic stocks will help make the global food production network become more sustainable. The pros and cons of the use of basic and advanced statistical tools available for measuring genetic diversity are discussed.We have no doubt that there are many topics that remain uncovered in this special issue. However, we hope that the approaches described here will become widely used by the scientific community.Eugenia PoliakovEugenia PoliakovDavid N. CooperDavid N. CooperElena I. StepchenkovaElena I. StepchenkovaIgor B. RogozinIgor B. Rogozin


Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. In most cases, Lyme Borreliosis is well diagnosed. However, beside these typical cases, patients bitten by ticks can be infected by many other pathogens  that are more difficult to diagnose. Moreover, co-infections between several of these pathogens might also occur. Clinical surveys show that patients coinfected by several tick-borne pathogens present more severe symptoms and a longer duration of illness than those infected by a single pathogen. The overall objective of our study was to evaluate tick-borne pathogen coinfection in ticks and the consequence of those coinfections for human health.Ticks can transmit a large spectrum of pathogens including bacteria, viruses and parasites with a significant number of these pathogens being agents of emerging infectious diseases. In Europe, the most prevalent tick-borne disease is Lyme Borreliosis, caused by the bacteria Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in Ardennes (France). We identified that 60% of ticks were infected by at least one pathogen and half of the infected ticks were coinfected. We then evaluated the risk for simultaneous infection of those pathogens to humans by detecting the DNA of the most prevalent tick-borne pathogens in the blood of patients bitten by ticks. Our data illustrated the importance of coinfection, and highlighted the necessity to evaluate coinfection in the context of tick-borne diseases.Using the high throughput real-time PCR chip, we detected the DNA of the 37 major tick-borne pathogens in a cohort of questing adult of


This paper offers an alternative technique, namely, Improved Electronic Load Controller (IELC), which is proposal to improve power quality, maintaining voltage at frequency desired level for rural electrification. The design and development of IELC are considered as microhydroenergy system. The proposed work aims to concentrate on the new schemes for rural electrification with the help of different kinds of hybrid energy systems. The objective of the proposed scheme is to maintain the speed of generation against fluctuating rural demand. The Electronic Load Controller (ELC) is used to connect and disconnect the dump load during the operation of the system, and which absorbs the load when consumer are not in active will enhance the lifestyle of the rural population and improve the living standards. Hydroelectricity is a promising option for electrification of remote villages in India. The conventional methods are not suitable to act as standalone system. Hence, the designing of a proper ELC is essential. The improved electronic load control performance tested with simulation at validated through hardware setup. The small scale microhydropower stations combine the advantages of hydropower with those of decentralized power generation without any disadvantages of large scale installations. Small scale hydropower has the advantages like economic distribution of energy, less environmental impacts compared with large hydrosystems, independence from imported fuels, and no need for expensive maintenance. Small scale hydropower can be used as decentralized energy systems for rural electrification.Bassett and Potter have proposed a three-phase cage Induction Machine (IM) as a self-excited generator connected to the AC side of a voltage source. The generator is supposed to be driven by a low head unregulated shaft of microsystem. These systems intended to be applied in rural plants as a low-cost source of high quality AC sinusoidal regulated voltage with constant frequency .Arrillaga and Watson proposed a static power conversion method from a Self-Excited Induction Generator .Murthy et al. have proposed a simple and economical method for controlling a Self-Excited Induction Generator (SEIG) for standalone microhydropower generation .Bhattacharya and Woodward have analyzed the performance of excitation balancing of Self-Excited Induction Generators (SEIG) supplying unbalanced loads. The additional drawbacks of SEIG are poor voltage regulation and require adjustable reactive power with varying load to maintain constant terminal voltage .Bim et al. analyzed the performance of a voltage compensation based voltage regulator for Self-Excited Induction Generators (SEIG) supplying nonlinear loads .Levy has presented importance of an Electronic Load Controller (ELC) for three-phase Self-Excited Induction Generators. The proposed generator was able to generate constant voltage and frequency, only if electrical load is maintained constant .Wang and Su provided a comprehensive review of effect of long shunt and short shunt connections on permanent magnet generators, induction generators, synchronous generators, and doubly fed induction generators .Rai et al. have presented the dynamic and steady state performance of a standalone Self-Excited Induction Generator with fuzzy logic controller (SEIG) using passive elements .Singh et al. have presented a system based on a Self-Excited Induction Generator with shunt electronic converter to feed isolated three-phase and single phase linear or nonlinear loads .Singh et al. have presented an Electronic Load Controller (IELC) based voltage and frequency regulator for an isolated asynchronous generator and demonstrated the improvements in the performance of Self-Excited Induction Generator .Kuo and Wang have proposed the analysis of isolated self-induction generator feeding a rectifier load .Wildi has proposed the voltage and frequency control of an autonomous Induction Generator (IG). A Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) with a Dump Load (DL) circuit is employed in its DC side. The IG frequency is controlled by keeping the VSI synchronous frequency constant .Bansal has presented an overview about several solutions for standalone three-phase self-excited generators. A hybrid excited synchronous generator based on the two different types of excitation field is proposed .Singh et al. have demonstrated the behavior of an Electronic Load Controller for Self-Excited Induction Generator under unbalanced grid voltage conditions. The phenomena are first analyzed theoretically as a function of the stator active and reactive instantaneous power exchange by the stator of the SEIG and the Grid Side Converter (GSC) .Baroudi et al. have proposed new methods for power converter topologies consisting of a three-phase Self-Excited Induction Generator (SEIG) with STATCOM for feeding dynamic induction motor loads .Mahato et al. analyzed the transient performance of a single phase self-regulated induction generator using a three-phase machine .Singh  analyzedYokesh et al. (2010) proposed a voltage regulation scheme for Self-Excited Induction Generator for industry applications and analyzed the system with the help of different voltage and load conditions.This paper considers a microhydrosystem at standalone mode. The microhydrosystems are consisting of a generating station, whose output power is less than 100 KW capacity. A squirrel cage induction motor can be used as a generator and capacitor bank of suitable rating is connected in both shunt or series and combination of both. It is required for supplying the VAR by the generator and the loads. The rotor is rotated at speed above the synchronous speed of the motor. The output voltage and frequency will be maintained within limits, under full load condition. When the consumer load is reduced, the excess load is consumed by the Improved Electronic Load Controller. The overall functional block diagram is shown in The microhydroenergy sources are available in plenty of places and usually seen in hilly areas where water flows as small rivers or streams. The schematic arrangement of microhydrosystem is shown in ρ = water density, (kg/m3), g = gravitational acceleration, (m/s2), Q = discharge, (L/s), and H = head, (m).The power generation of the proposed microhydrosystem is expressed inIn standalone microhydrosystem, An IELC is a solid state electronic device designed to regulate output power of a microhydropower system and also to regulate voltage to a desired level. The output voltage and frequency will be during full load condition and full load is considered throughout the operation of the consumer load. Support the load reduced and then the excess load is consumed by the Improved Electronic Load Controller (IELC):The converting three-phase induction motor into a three-phase induction generator various designs are available. Here, the three-phase motor with three excitation capacitors for three-phase output can be used for this purpose as shown in Normal single phase induction motors cannot be used as Self-Excited Single Phase Induction Generators (SEIG) because the modifications or additions are required to act as SEIG. Single phase induction machines of integral kW ratings are costwise high, which is compared with three-phase induction machine of equivalent size. It has been found that three-phase SEIG can be used for supplying single phase loads.The motor is chosen taking into consideration the power output and the voltage rating. The rating of the machine is shown in μF/P for each phase of 3Φ Induction motor.The rating of the excitation capacitor is selected to produce the rated voltage at full load. The rating of the capacitor is chosen as perVLL is the RMS value of the line-to-line voltage of SEIG. For the 750-watt SEIG, the line voltage is 230 V and the value of VDC is given by The voltage rating of the uncontrolled rectifier and chopper switch will be the same and dependent on the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the AC input voltage and average value of the output DC voltage. The ratings of the various components of the proposed ELC are given as follows:An overvoltage of 10% of the rated voltage is considered for transient conditions; hence the RMSAC input voltage which will be with a peak value is calculated usingVLL is the RMS value of the SEIG terminal voltage and P is the power rating of SEIG. The active current of SEIG is calculated usingThis peak voltage will appear across the components of ELC during the operation of the system. The current rating of the uncontrolled rectifier and chopper switch is decided by the active component of input AC current and calculated usingπ = .955). The input AC current of ELC is calculated usingThe three-phase uncontrolled rectifier draws approximately quasi-square current with the distortion factor of (3/The Crest Factor (CF) of the AC current drawn by an uncontrolled rectifier with a capacitive filter varies from 1.4 to 2.0; hence, the AC input peak current may be calculated usingSo the maximum voltage and peak current in the uncontrolled rectifier are 357.8 volts and 3.941 amperes, respectively. The rating of an uncontrolled rectifier and chopper switch is 600 V and 5 A, higher than the calculated values, respectively. The rating of dump load resistance is calculated by usingRD is computed withFrom this relation, the value of The value of the DC link capacitance of the ELC is selected on the basis of the ripple factor. The relation between the values of DC link capacitance and Ripple Factor (RF) for a three-phase uncontrolled rectifier is given byNormally, 5% ripple factor is permitted in the average value of DC link voltage. The capacitance is calculated using the previous formula and hence the value of the capacitance is given byThe entire ratings of the components of proposed ELC are given in The various blocks of the simulation circuits of the entire system are given in Figures The output waveforms are shown in Figures The simulation output reveals that the voltage and frequency remain constant for varying load conditions. The IELC is bringing the regulation of voltage and maintaining the SEIG speed at a constant value. The constant value of speed is achieved by SEIG; this is because IELC current increases and decreased against the load deviation. The active load power, reactive load power, the active power, and reactive power are illustrated in From the results, the simultaneous performance of proposed system shows that the microhydroschemes combined with improved load controller are produced. The good is shown. The constant power and sustainable power for rural electrification are added advantage in connection with the hardware implementation which is done based on simulation performance.Experimental Setup. The experimental setup consists of a conventional three-phase induction motor coupled to a separately excited DC motor. It can be observed that when the initial load of 300 W is changed from 600 W at 2.5 seconds, the active and reactive power consumption of the load increase and those of the ELC decrease. The generator was tested without connecting the ELC and control circuit by connecting three 20 microfarad capacitors in star across the stator output. The test results are tabulated in The hardware experimental results are obtained using GwINSTEK Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO). The proposed microhydrosystem was designed and implemented with the IELC. The simulation results revealed that the voltage and frequency remain within limits during the load changes. The hardware experimental setup was fabricated by using a DC motor as the prime mover. The IELC and control circuits were designed and fabricated. The hardware experimental setup was first tested by giving 15 V regulated power supply instead of the rectified output supply from the generator. Then, it was tested with the output voltage of the induction generator through the diode rectifier. The IELC was operating properly by consuming the excess voltage during the load level which is below the nominal level. The IELC system is cost-effective and is easily constructible in rural areas. Compared to existing methods of ELC, the IELC gives prominent merits. The voltage and frequency maintained constancy through the operation. So power quality is improved.


Arthroscopic removal of bullet from intra-articular compartment has been described for several joints. Only few reports dealing with this condition in the shoulder have been reported especially for the glenohumeral and the subacromial compartments. We report the story of a fifty-seven-year-old man presenting a bullet in the supraspinatus compartment of his left shoulder successfully removed by arthroscopy. Arthroscopic removal of bullet from intra-articular compartment has been described for several joints , but theA right-handed fifty-seven-year-old man in general good health complained for pain on his left shoulder for several months without limitations. In his past history, when he was thirty-one years old, he reported a shoulder gunshot injury. The bullet had a parallel course, fired from two meters, entered in the shoulder just above the collarbone, and stopped against the anterior aspect of scapula spine . No boneThis case report describes the removal of a low-velocity bullet from extra-articular compartment of the shoulder by arthroscopic procedure.Previous descriptions also published reported situation of bullet extraction straight after gunshot injury and where the bullet was located on intra-articular position or subacromial space –6. The uIn our practice the bullet extraction for an isolated psychological reason is not an indication for surgery especially in the absence of clinical symptoms. However this patient presented a nontear tendinopathy due to subacromial impingement justifying acromioplasty associated with acromiocoracoid ligament section. The bullet extraction has been made on request of the patient who could not bear the presence of the foreign body and of the potential risk of blood toxicity due to retained bullets described in the literature, even many years after ballistic trauma , 8. AgaiThus, the use of arthroscopy in the case of foreign bodies' extraction is less invasive than conventional open techniques and allows associated procedure such as precise articular evaluation  and irrigation. More, the bullet removal by arthroscopic technique around the shoulder is achievable regardless the bullet position (intra or extra-articular compartment) and whichever the ballistic trauma delay is.


Carpobrotus edulis from native and invasive populations, grew pairs of connected and severed ramets in a common garden and under negative spatial covariance of nutrients and light to induce division of labor, and measured biomass allocation ratios, final biomass, and photochemical efficiency. Our results showed that both clones from the native and invaded range develop a division of labor at morphological and physiological level. However, the benefit from the division of labor was significantly higher in apical ramets from the invaded range than in ramets from the native area. This is a novel and outstanding result because it provides the first evidence that the benefit of a key clonal trait such as division of labor may have been subjected to evolutionary adaptation in the invaded range. The division of labor can therefore be considered an important trait in the invasiveness of C. edulis. An appropriate assessment of the influence of clonal traits in plant invasions seems key for understanding the underlying mechanisms behind biological invasions of new environments.Why some species become invasive while others do not is a central research request in biological invasions. Clonality has been suggested as an attribute that could contribute to plant invasiveness. Division of labor is an important advantage of clonal growth, and it seems reasonable to anticipate that clonal plants may intensify this clonal attribute in an invaded range because of positive selection on beneficial traits. To test this hypothesis, we collected clones of  The establishment of invasive alien species modifies the stability and functioning of populations, communities, and ecosystems, displaces native species and, as consequence, promotes a loss of biodiversity . In a glIt seems reasonable to assume that some plant characteristics might better explain the success of invasive species than others. In particular, clonal propagation has been suggested as an attribute that could contribute to plant invasiveness . In factA pivotal task in plant invasions is to clarify how exotic plants adapt to the new environments that they are invading. Three mechanisms could explain the adaptation to the invaded range: (i) ‘pre-adaptation’, when species show similar trait standards in native and invaded ranges, indicating that the trait is a successful strategy in either area ; (ii) ‘pOne of the most striking attributes of clonal growth is the capacity for a ‘division of labor’ . Stolon and rhizome internodes allow resource sharing between the connected ramets of a clonal system, which therefore are physiologically integrated. Resources are generally transferred from ramets growing under conditions of high resource supply to ramets located in areas where resource supply is low, following a source-sink system . As resuCarpobrotus edulis from native and invasive populations, (ii) grew pairs of connected and severed ramets in a common garden experiment, under negative spatial covariance of nutrients and light, in order to induce division of labor, and (iii) measured biomass allocation ratios, final biomass, and photochemical efficiency to quantify ramet specialization and performance at morphological and physiological level. Our specific hypothesis is that the capacity for division of labor, and consequent benefit, would be greater in populations from the invaded range  than in those from the native range . Thus, we predict that (i) connection would induce an increase in proportional root mass and a decrease in photochemical efficiency in ramets under low light and high nutrients, and that this specialization to acquire below-ground resources will be greater in ramets from the invaded range than in those from the native range; (ii) connection would induce a decrease in proportional root mass and an increase in photochemical efficiency in ramet under high light and low nutrients, and that this specialization to acquire above-ground resources will be greater in ramets from the invaded range than in ramets from the native range; and (iii) the subsequent reciprocal transfer of resources between connected ramets should increase overall performance of the clone, and this benefit would be greater in clones from the invaded range than in clones from the native range.Plant invaders usually show faster growth rates in the introduced range than in the native area . DivisioMany experiments have compared relative performance in invasive and native or exotic non-invasive species . NonetheCarpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br., is a mat-forming succulent clonal plant, native to the Cape Region (South Africa), and an aggressive invader in coastal ecosystems of all the Mediterranean climate regions around the world, including Australia, Europe and America  and four in the invaded range  . Plant material was collected in the native and in the invaded range from coastal sand dune systems where C. edulis typically inhabits. To have a more comprehensive illustration of the genetic variability, we selected 36 separated clumps in each of the eight populations sampled. Within a population, selected clumps were separated at least 25 m from the others. C. edulis forms compact clumps . The experimental design consisted of two crossed factors with region  and connection  as main factors. The region factor included ramet pairs from coastal sand dunes of the native (South Africa) and invaded range (Europe), as explained above. In the connection factor, ramets within each pair were either left connected  or severed (division of labor prevented). Ramets were severed by cutting the connecting stolon halfway between them. We did not observe any immediate negative side effect of cutting the stolon . From the 36 clumps sampled in each population, we randomly selected 6 clumps to obtain the 48 ramet pairs used in the experiment (8 populations × 6 clumps). Ramet pairs from each of the eight populations sampled in the field were equally represented and randomly assigned to each combination of region by connection treatments.In April 2015, 48 ramet pairs comprised by the third and fourth ramets from the apices were selected for size uniformity from the plant stock. Initial size of ramet pairs was estimated by fresh mass. Preliminary analysis showed that the initial sizes of ramet pairs from the native and the invaded range did not differ significantly . This regime of resource availability mimics the natural conditions of C. edulis growing at coastal sand dune habitats, where older ramets usually grow shaded by shrubs, which enrich the nutrient content of the soil, whereas developing younger ramets spread into the non-shaded sand with low nutrient content . High nutrient conditions consisted of a 3:1 mixture of potting compost and sand. In the low nutrient conditions, ramets grew in sand. Low light conditions were created using a polypropylene shade cloth that reduces ambient light to 10%. Ramets in the high light treatment were left unshaded. Each pair of ramet was planted in a single 5L plastic pot hermetically divided into two equal compartments by plastic barriers to avoid root interactions . None of the ramets had roots at the start of the experiment. Each treatment was replicated 12 times (n = 12). The common garden experiment was carried out in a open-end greenhouse at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) . In order to avoid confounding effect of position within the greenhouse, the four types of treatments were interspersed randomly. Plants were watered regularly with as much water as necessary to maintain soil moisture. Treatments began on 10 April 2015 and continued for 90 days.Each pair was subjected to a regime of resource availability known to induce division of labor via changes in allocation of mass between roots and shoots . Older r539-R570)/(R539 + R570), where R539 and R570 are reflectances at 539 and 570 nm, respectively (2 uptake and photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency (mol CO2/mol photons) . Specifically, we determined the photochemical reflectance index (PRI), that was calculated as (Rectively . This inphotons) .v/Fm = (Fm – F0)/Fm, where Fm and F0 are the maximum and minimum fluorescence yield, respectively, of dark-adapted samples, after a saturation pulse (>5000 μmol photons m-2 s-1 of actinic white light)  see . The maxght) see . Fv/Fm cabsorbed . This vaAt the end of the experiment, each ramet was separated into shoots (including leaves and stolons) and roots, dried at 80°C for 72 h, and weighed. The total dry mass (shoot dry mass + root dry mass) and the proportional biomass allocated to roots  were calculated for older and younger ramets separately. Total dry mass at whole clone level (older + younger ramets) was also calculated.v/Fm) over time were analyzed with two-way analyses of variance with repeated measures (ANOVAR), using region and connection as between-subject effects. For these variables, we conduced separates analyses for older and younger ramets. Three ramets (one older and two younger) died during the experiment, and the corresponding pairs (older + younger) were excluded from the analyses. This reduced the number of replicates used in the different analyses, as indicated by the error degree of freedom. Significance level was set at P < 0.05. Statistical tests were performed with SPSS Statistics 19.0 .Prior to analyses, variables were transformed as necessary to meet the assumptions of parametric tests. Thus, the root/shoot (RSR) of older ramets were square root transformed. We analyzed differences in the total dry mass and the proportional biomass allocated to roots (RSR) by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with region  and connection (connected or severed) as fixed effects. Separates analyses were conducted for older (with low light and high nutrients) and younger (with high light and low nutrients) ramets. Similarly, total dry mass at whole clone level (older + younger ramets) was compared by two-way ANOVA with region and connection as main factors. Changes in leaf spectral reflectance (PRI) and chlorophyll fluorescence (FTable 1). Connection significantly increased the proportion of dry mass allocated to roots (RSR) in older ramets but it was decreased in younger ramets . The effect of region and the interaction between region and connection on root to shoot (RSR) was not significant neither in older nor in younger ramets (Table 1).The proportion of biomass allocated to roots by older and younger ramets, as determined by the root to shoot ratio (RSR), was significantly affected by the connection treatment (Table 1). Connection significantly increased the total dry mass in the genotypes from the native region. However, this effect was not maintained in the genotypes from the invaded region, where we detected a decrease of the total dry mass in the connected older ramets . On the other hand, connection significantly increased the final dry mass of younger ramets . This positive effect of connection on the final dry mass of younger ramets was stronger in genotypes from the invaded region, as denoted by the significant effect of the interaction between factors region and connection . This result indicates that the benefit of physiological integration was significantly higher in invasive populations than in native populations. At the whole clone level (older + younger ramets), our results showed a significant effect of connection, with an increase of the final total dry mass due to connection both in the genotypes from the native and the invaded region . Neither the region nor the interaction between region and connection had a significant effect on total dry mass at the whole clone level (Table 1).The final total dry mass of older ramets was significantly affected by the interaction between region and habitat . Our results also showed a significant effect of the connection treatment on the PRI of older ramets (Table 2). Thus, there was a significant decrease in PRI of connected older ramets, regardless of whether they came from the native or the invaded region . We detected a significant effect of the interaction between region and connection in the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of older ramets (Table 2). Connection significantly increased Fv/Fm in older ramets of the genotypes from the native region, but decreased it in the older ramets of genotypes from the invaded region .Older ramets from the invaded region showed a significantly higher PRI than older ramets from the native region (Table 2). PRI values were significantly higher in connected than in severed younger ramets both in genotypes from the native and the invaded region . Although we did not detect a significant between-subject effect of connection in younger ramets in terms of maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) , this variable was significantly affected by the interaction of connection by time (within-subject effect) (Table 2). Thus, the Fv/Fm values of younger ramets changed with time, and this change was dependent on the connection treatment. Connected and severed younger ramets significantly inverted their Fv/Fm values during the experiment, regardless of their region of origin. At day 30 Fv/Fm values were higher in connected than in severed younger ramets, whereas severed younger ramets showed greater Fv/Fm values than connected ramets at days 60 and 90 .Connection significantly affected the PRI of younger ramets  in older ramets subjected to high nutrients and low light conditions, denoting a specialization to acquire the relatively abundant below-ground resource. On the other hand, connection significantly increased the photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency  in younger ramets, which were subjected to high light and low nutrients conditions, indicating a specialization to acquire above-ground resources. In populations from both the native and the invaded range, resource sharing mediated by stolon connection significantly increased the final biomass at the whole clone level. These results provide strong evidence that ramets of clones of C. edulis have a capacity for division of labor, and that this specialization for acquiring the most abundant resource reports a benefit for the whole clone. However, our results do not support the prediction that clones from the invaded range may have a greater capacity for division of labor than those from the native range. Since resource acquisition is expected to be more economical where the resource is more abundant, the specialization to acquire the relatively rich resource and the subsequent reciprocal resource sharing between connected ramets would increase the overall performance of the clone  hypothesis. The latter proposes that exotic plants, once established in the introduced range and liberated from their natural enemies, invest more in fast-growing and less in defence . Under t2 uptake and photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency, Sapium sebiferum showed significantly higher photosynthetic activity, in terms of net CO2 assimilation (determined directly by gas exchange measurements), than populations from their native range. Eco-physiological results also showed a significant increase in the PRI in connected younger ramets, both in the native and invaded range. This increases in photochemical efficiency was translated into a significant increase in the total mass, denoting a positive correlation between PRI and growth. However, and differing to the pattern obtained for total mass, we did not detect a more accentuate increase in photochemical activity in younger ramets from invaded range in comparison with values obtained in native populations. Probably, the significantly higher benefit in younger ramets from invasive populations was due to the support received from their connected older ramets. In this sense, the unidirectional transport of resources from the older to the younger ramet in the population from the invaded range increased more pronounced the growth in invasive younger ramets than in native ones, in spite of not showing differences in photochemical activity.In addition, our results showed that photosynthetic efficiency (estimated by the PRI, which is correlated with net COC. edulis with a positive selection of the benefits from division of labor in the invaded range. The benefits from division of labor could therefore be considered an important trait in the invasiveness of C. edulis. However, whether this is the case for all clonal plant invaders or not remains to be clarified, and future research should include more clonal species. The contribution of clonal traits to the capacity to establish in new environments represents an exciting research field for understanding the mechanisms underlying plant invasions, and for a better knowledge of how plants respond and evolve in new habitat. In addition, experiments testing for differences between invasive and exotic non-invasive species are mandatory to understand the role of clonal traits in plant invasions. Understanding the influence of clonal life-history traits in plant invasions seems key for predicting future invasion scenarios and for devising efficient strategies of control and restoration of invaded areas.This is the first study reporting differences between native and invaded populations in the benefits derived from a key clonal trait such as division of labor. The results from this study seem consistent with a rapid adaptive evolution of the clonar invader SR was involved in designing the experiment, field samples collection, set up the experiment, data collection, and analysis, manuscript preparation and submission. RR field samples collection, set up the experiment, data collection, and co-prepared manuscript. JC set up the experiment, data collection and co-prepared manuscript. AN and RB field samples collection and co-prepared manuscript.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Hauling out is an essential component of pinniped life-history. Haul-out behaviour may be affected by biological  and physical factors , and identifying these factors may help explain the spatio-temporal distribution and habitat use of pinnipeds. The aim of this study is to describe observed winter haul-out patterns of adult Weddell seals in the Weddell Sea and investigate the role of potential predictors to gain insight into the way these animals interact with the physical environment in this region. We examined the haul-out behaviour in relation to available biological  and physical information . Thirty-three satellite telemetry tags were deployed on adult Weddell seals in the southern Weddell Sea during February 2007, 2009 and 2011, following their annual moult recording information on the behavioural mode of the animal: at surface, hauled out or diving. At the end of the austral summer Weddell seals spent, on average, more than 40% of their time hauled out on the ice. Under constant light conditions, it appears that physiological factors drive sex differences in the timing and duration of haul-out behaviour, with females spending on average more time hauled out than males during daylight hours. This time spent hauled-out declined to around 15% in both sexes by the beginning of autumn and remained at this level with a clear nocturnal haul-out pattern during the winter. The time spent diving increased during this period, indicating an increase in foraging effort during the winter months, and led to a common haul-out pattern in both sexes over winter. We found a positive relationship between haul-out duration and the percentage of time spent diving prior to a haul-out in both sexes, with the exception of female daytime haul-outs early in the year. Lobodon carcinophagus], leopard seal [Hydrurga leptonyx] and Weddell seal [Leptonychotes weddellii]). Weddell seals have been the focus of research for several decades, with studies primarily carried out on fast ice in McMurdo Sound and East Antarctica during austral spring and summer  and andPleurThe biggest hindrance in studying the Weddell seal population in the pack ice of the southern Weddell Sea is the remoteness of the region and the inability to retrieve animal-borne instruments that can collect large amounts of data. More sophisticated instruments are needed that have the ability to analyse the data internally before transmitting data using telemetry. This would enable us to go from inferring e.g. foraging from dive data or changes in the haul-out behaviour to recorded feeding events . NeverthS1 Fig(TIF)Click here for additional data file.S2 Fig(TIF)Click here for additional data file.S3 Fig(TIF)Click here for additional data file.S1 File(CSV)Click here for additional data file.