Effects of sex, age, body height and body weight on spinal loads: sensitivity analyses in a subject-specific trunk musculoskeletal model.

Subject-specific parameters influence spinal loads and the risk of back disorders but their relative effects are not well understood. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of changes in age (35-60 years), sex (male, female), body height (BH: 150-190 cm) and body weight (BW: 50-120 kg) on spinal loads in a full factorial simulation using a personalized (spine kinematics, geometry, musculature and passive properties) kinematics driven musculoskeletal trunk finite element model. Segmental weight distribution (magnitude and location along the trunk) was estimated by a novel technique to accurately represent obesity. Five symmetric sagittal loading conditions were considered, and main effect plots and analyses of variance were employed to identify influential parameters. In all 5 tasks simulated, BW (98.9% in compression and 96.1% in shear) had the greatest effect on spinal loads at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels followed by sex (0.7% in compression and 2.1% in shear), BH (0.4% in compression and 1.5% in shear) and finally age (<5.4%). At identical BH and BW, spinal loads in females were slightly greater than those in males by ~4.7% in compression and ~8.7% in shear. In tasks with no loads in hands, BW-normalized spinal loads further increased with BW highlighting the exponential increase in spinal loads with BW that indicates the greater risk of back disorders especially in obese individuals. Uneven distribution of weight in obese subjects, with more BW placed at the lower trunk, further (though slightly <7.5%) increased spinal loads.This work was supported by the institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail 294 (IRSST-2014-0009) and the fonds de recherche du Québec en nature et technologies (FRQNT)

Experimental and numerical study of lateral vibration of a rotor–stator rubbing system

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions that helped in improving the manuscript.Peer reviewe

Accuracy of magnetic resonance studies in the detection of chondral and labral lesions in femoroacetabular impingement : systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Several types of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used in imaging of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), however till now there are no clear protocols and recommendations for each type. The aim of this meta-analysis is to detect the accuracy of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), direct magnetic resonance arthrography (dMRA) and indirect magnetic resonance arthrography (iMRA) in the diagnosis of chondral and labral lesions in femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Methods: A literature search was finalized on the 17th of May 2016 to collect all studies identifying the accuracy of cMRI, dMRA and iMRA in diagnosing chondral and labral lesions associated with FAI using surgical results (arthroscopic or open) as a reference test. Pooled sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals using a random-effects meta-analysis for MRI, dMRA and iMRA were calculated also area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was retrieved whenever possible where AUC is equivocal to diagnostic accuracy. Results: The search yielded 192 publications which were reviewed according inclusion and exclusion criteria then 21 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the qualitative analysis with a total number of 828 cases, lastly 12 studies were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that as regard labral lesions the pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC for cMRI were 0.864, 0.833 and 0.88 and for dMRA were 0.91, 0.58 and 0.92. While in chondral lesions the pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC for cMRI were 0.76, 0.72 and 0.75 and for dMRA were 0.75, 0.79 and 0.83, while for iMRA were sensitivity of 0.722 and specificity of 0.917. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis showed that the diagnostic test accuracy was superior for dMRA when compared with cMRI for detection of labral and chondral lesions. The diagnostic test accuracy was superior for labral lesions when compared with chondral lesions in both cMRI and dMRA. Promising results are obtained concerning iMRA but further studies still needed to fully assess its diagnostic accuracy

EFFICIENCY OF CERTAIN INSECTICIDES ON WHITEFLY LEAF CURL VIRUS AND THEIR RESIDUES IN TOMATO FRUITS

The work was conducted to clarify the efficiency of certain insecticides on the population of whitefly B. tabaci and incidence of yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in tomato field. The experiment was carried out during Nili plantation of two successive seasons at El-Fayoum governorate. The obtained data showed that the alternate use of etofenprox /thiamethoxam; imidacloprid/ thiamethoxam; acetamiprid/ etofenprox; single continuous application of etofenprox; etofenprox / imidacloprid; acetamiprid/ imidacloprid; thiamethoxam/ acetamiprid; imidacloprid; thiamethoxam and acetamiprid gave excellent initial mortality over 90% on the adult stage of B. tabaci and incidence of tomato yellow leaf curl virus without significant differences between treatments. Thimethoxam as soil drench proved to be the most effective insecticide against adult and immature stages of whitefly, while acetamiprid achieved the lowest mortality for these two stages as well as short residual mortality. On the other hand, alternation of etofenprox / imidacloprid showed the highest initial mortality on nymphs. Residue levels in tomato fruits were also investigated at 30, 45 and 60 days after application of tested insecticides. For imidacloprid residues were found in amounts nearly above maximum residue levels MRLs 30 days while degraded to amounts below MRL by the progression of time to 45 and 60 days after application. Application of imidacloprid in alternate spray program with thiamethoxam; etofenprox; acetamiprid resulted in residues below MRL at the 3 preharvest intervals. Acetamiprid when used at the recommended rate showed the residue of 0.36 mg/kg at early season and then decreased to 0.08 mg/kg at late season. Alternate use of acetamiprid with thiamethoxam; etofenprox or imidacloprid reduce MRLs in tomato fruits. The successive applications of etofenprox alone at the recommended rate resulted in residues above MRL after 30 and 45 days and approximately near MRL at 60 days. On the other hand, the half rate in alternative use with imidacloprid; acetamiprid or thiamethoxam showed residues below MRL at all sampling intervals. Thiamethoxam when used in single successive applications gave residues of 2.5, 1.9 and 1.5 mg/kg at the 3 preharvest intervals, respectivel

Combined field inoculations of pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and entomopathogenic nematodes and their effects on wheat performance

In agricultural ecosystems, pest insects, pathogens, and reduced soil fertility pose major challenges to crop productivity and are responsible for significant yield losses worldwide. Management of belowground pests and diseases remains particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the soil and the limited reach of conventional agrochemicals. Boosting the presence of beneficial rhizosphere organisms is a potentially sustainable alternative and may help to optimize crop health and productivity. Field application of single beneficial soil organisms has shown satisfactory results under optimal conditions. This might be further enhanced by combining multiple beneficial soil organisms, but this remains poorly investigated. Here, we inoculated wheat plots with combinations of three beneficial soil organisms that have different rhizosphere functions and studied their effects on crop performance. Plant beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), were inoculated individually or in combinations at seeding, and their effects on plant performance were evaluated throughout the season. We used traditional and molecular identification tools to monitor their persistence over the cropping season in augmented and control treatments, and to estimate the possible displacement of native populations. In three separate trials, beneficial soil organisms were successfully introduced into the native populations and readily survived the field conditions. Various Pseudornonas, mycorrhiza, and nematode treatments improved plant health and productivity, while their combinations provided no significant additive or synergistic benefits compared to when applied alone. EPN application temporarily displaced some of the native EPN, but had no significant long-term effect on the associated food web. The strongest positive effect on wheat survival was observed for Pseudomonas and AMF during a season with heavy natural infestation by the frit fly, Oscinella frit, a major pest of cereals. Hence, beneficial impacts differed between the beneficial soil organisms and were most evident for plants under biotic stress. Overall, our findings indicate that in wheat production under the test conditions the three beneficial soil organisms can establish nicely and are compatible, but their combined application provides no additional benefits. Further studies are required, also in other cropping systems, to fine-tune the functional interactions among beneficial soil organisms, crops, and the environment

New Diaryl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4- a ]pyrimidine Hybrids as Selective COX-2/sEH Dual Inhibitors with Potent Analgesic/Anti-inflammatory and Cardioprotective Properties

COX-2-selective drugs were withdrawn from the market just a few years after their development due to cardiovascular side effects. As a result, developing a selective COX-2 inhibitor as an anti-inflammatory agent with cardioprotective characteristics has become a prominent objective in medicinal chemistry. New 15 diaryl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]pyrimidine hybrids 8a–o were synthesized and investigated in vitro as dual COX-2/sEH inhibitors. Compounds 8b, 8m, and 8o have the highest potency and selectivity as COX-2 inhibitors (IC$_{50}$ = 15.20, 11.60, and 10.50 μM, respectively; selectivity index (COX-1/COX-2) = 13, 20, and 25, respectively), compared to celecoxib (COX-2; IC$_{50}$ = 42 μM; SI = 8). The 5-LOX inhibitory activity of compounds 8b, 8m, and 8o was further examined in vitro. Compounds 8m and 8o, the most effective COX-2 selective inhibitors, demonstrated stronger 5-LOX inhibitory action than the reference quercetin, with IC$_{50}$ values of 2.90 and 3.05 μM, respectively. Additionally, compounds 8b, 8m, and 8o were the most potent dual COX-2/sEH inhibitors, with IC$_{50}$ values against sEH of 3.20, 2.95, and 2.20 nM, respectively, and were equivalent to AUDA (IC$_{50}$ = 1.2 nM). In vivo investigations also demonstrated that these compounds were the most efficacious as analgesic/anti-inflammatory derivatives with a high cardioprotective profile against cardiac biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines. The docking data analysis inquiry helped better understand the binding mechanisms of the most active hybrids within the COX-2 active site and supported their COX-2 selectivity. Compounds 8b, 8m, and 8o exhibited a similar orientation to rofecoxib and celecoxib, with a larger proclivity to enter the selectivity side pocket than the reference compounds

Targeting methionyl tRNA synthetase: design, synthesis and antibacterial activity against Clostridium difficileof novel 3-biaryl-N-benzylpropan-1-amine derivatives

The synthesis of a series of benzimidazole-N-benzylpropan-1-amines and adenine-N-benzylpropan-1-amines is described. Subsequent evaluation against two strains of the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile was performed with three amine derivatives displaying MIC values of 16 μg/mL. Molecular docking studies of the described amines determined that the amines interact within two active site pockets of C. difficile methionyl tRNA synthetase with methoxy substituents in the benzyl ring and an adenine biaryl moiety resulting in optimal binding interaction