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Objective: The aims of this study were to assess trigger points (TrPs), their pain threshold, and the activity of motor units in the neck and shoulder girdle muscles of young volunteers and to assess palpation, algometry, and surface electromyography (EMG) for their detection., Methods: Seventy participants aged from 19 to 26 years (20.6 ± 1.4 years [mean ± SD]) were examined to identify TrPs through palpation, an algometer test for pressure pain threshold (PPT), a test for the activity of muscle motor units at rest (rEMG) and at maximal contraction (mcEMG) with surface EMG recordings., Results: Palpation studies revealed numerous symmetrical nonreferring latent TrPs (379/560 performed tests), referring latent TrPs (91/560), and few active TrPs (4/560). Algometry confirmed the lowest PPT in active TrPs and the highest PPT in participants with no TrPs (86/560). Pressure pain thresholds were lower in nonpregnant women than in men, especially in the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles with nonreferring and referring latent TrPs. Trigger points evoked a moderate increase of rEMG amplitude but with no evident changes in mcEMG., Conclusions: This study showed that the preliminary algometry and rEMG recordings monitored a decrease in PPT and an increase in muscle tension in all cases of TrPs in each of the 3 types detected in people younger than 30 years., (Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Changes in body posture, musculoskeletal disorders and somatic dysfunctions are frequently observed during pregnancy especially ligament, joint and myofascial impairment. The aim of the paper is to present the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for back and pelvic pain in pregnancy on the basis of a review of the available literature. MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched in January 2014 for relevant reports, randomized controlled trials, clinical and case studies of OMT use in pregnant women. Each eligible source was verified and analyzed by two independent reviewers. OMT procedures appear to be effective and safe for pelvic and spinal pain management in the lumbosacral area in pregnant women.

Purpose: The appearance of pathology in the lumbar spine, such as a previous episode of low disc herniation or non-specific low back pain contributes to improper activation of the hip muscles. The aim of the study was to detect alterations in hip strategy manifested by differences in balance parameters and rectus femoris and gluteus maximus activity in people with previous episode of pain radiation to one lower limb caused by low disc herniation or non-specific low back pain., Methods: We studied 11 patients with history of low-disc herniation, 9 patients with history of non-specific low back pain and 10 healthy subjects. Hip strategy alterations were detected by measuring rectus femoris and gluteus maximus activity in bilateral surface polyelectromyographic recordings and by stability measurements on a balance platform., Results: In the surface polyelectromyography study, in both patients' group the value of the average amplitude was higher and the amount of the fluctuations was lower than in healthy subjects. There were no significant differences in stability parameters., Conclusions: A changed pattern of hip muscles activity was detected in the patients without changes in stability parameters. Greater disorder occurs in people in with previous episode of pain radiation to one lower limb caused by low disc herniation than in people with non-specific low back pain.

Safe disposal of municipal sewage sludge is a challenging global environmental concern. The aim of this study was to assess the response of soil microbial functional diversity to the accumulation of municipal sewage sludge during landfill storage. Soil samples of a municipal sewage sludge (SS) and from a sewage sludge landfill that was 3 m from a SS landfill (SS3) were analyzed relative to an undisturbed reference soil. Biolog EcoPlatesTM were inoculated with a soil suspension, and the Average Well Color Development (AWCD), Richness (R) and Shannon-Weaver index (H) were calculated to interpret the results. The fungi isolated from the sewage sludge were identified using comparative rDNA sequencing of the LSU D2 region. The MicroSEQ® ID software was used to assess the raw sequence files, perform sequence matching to the MicroSEQ® ID-validated reference database and create Neighbor-Joining trees. Moreover, the genera of fungi isolated from the soil were identified using microscopic methods. Municipal sewage sludge can serve as a habitat for plant pathogens and as a source of pathogen strains for biotechnological applications.

Growth and symbiotic activity of legumes are mediated by Nod factors (LCO, lipo-chitooligosaccharides). To assess the effects of application of Nod factors on symbiotic activity and yield of pea, a two-year field experiment was conducted on a Haplic Luvisol developed from loess. Nod factors were isolated from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain GR09. Pea seeds were treated with the Nod factors (10⁻¹¹ M) or water (control) before planting. Symbiotic activity was evaluated by measurements of nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction assay), nodule number and mass, and top growth by shoot mass, leaf area, and seed and protein yield. Nod factors generally improved pea yield and nitrogenase activity in the relatively dry growing season 2012, but not in the wet growing season in 2013 due to different weather conditions.

Treatment of patients sustaining a complete spinal cord injury remains an unsolved clinical problem because of the lack of spontaneous regeneration of injured central axons. A 38-year-old man sustained traumatic transection of the thoracic spinal cord at upper vertebral level Th9. At 21 months after injury, the patient presented symptoms of a clinically complete spinal cord injury (American Spinal Injury Association class A-ASIA A). One of the patient's olfactory bulbs was removed and used to derive a culture containing olfactory ensheathing cells and olfactory nerve fibroblasts. Following resection of the glial scar, the cultured cells were transplanted into the spinal cord stumps above and below the injury and the 8-mm gap bridged by four strips of autologous sural nerve. The patient underwent an intense pre- and postoperative neurorehabilitation program. No adverse effects were seen at 19 months postoperatively, and unexpectedly, the removal of the olfactory bulb did not lead to persistent unilateral anosmia. The patient improved from ASIA A to ASIA C. There was improved trunk stability, partial recovery of the voluntary movements of the lower extremities, and an increase of the muscle mass in the left thigh, as well as partial recovery of superficial and deep sensation. There was also some indication of improved visceral sensation and improved vascular autoregulation in the left lower limb. The pattern of recovery suggests functional regeneration of both efferent and afferent long-distance fibers. Imaging confirmed that the grafts had bridged the left side of the spinal cord, where the majority of the nerve grafts were implanted, and neurophysiological examinations confirmed the restitution of the integrity of the corticospinal tracts and the voluntary character of recorded muscle contractions. To our knowledge, this is the first clinical indication of the beneficial effects of transplanted autologous bulbar cells.

Introduction: There are difficulties in objective evaluation of activity of the muscles in the lower extremities of patients after successful treatment of sciatica and pseudosciatica, when no clear clinical symptoms are detected. However, the existence of some muscle dysfunction can be hypothesised and its detection was the aim of the study., Objective: Recordings from chosen lower extremity muscles during standing were performed as supplementary differential diagnosis in evaluation of these patients. EMG in standing positions constitutes a new methodological approach not described in detail., Methods: Twenty patients (11 after sciatica and 9 after sciatica-like episodes) were enrolled into the study. On the day of examination, clinical and electroneurographical (ENG; M and F waves tests) studies showed no pathology. The percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) defined muscle activity during standing. Mean amplitude and number of changes in muscle activity (fluctuations) were measured in surface electromyography recordings (sEMG) during normal standing and tandem positions., Results and Conclusions: Activity of proximal lower extremity muscles expressed as percentage of MVC was bilaterally increased in patients after sciatica in normal standing position, compared with results from the group of healthy volunteers (N=9). Patients after sciatica were also characterized with a significant increase of mean sEMG amplitude, recorded especially in distal muscles on the affected side during tandem position. This pathological change was related to decrease in 'fluctuations' frequency in patients after sciatica (P<0.001) more than after pseudosciatica (P<0.01) groups in both standing positions, compared to parameters of healthy volunteers. Sciatica and pseudosciatica in anamnesis cause different abnormal patterns of lower extremity muscle activity during standing positions when recorded with surface EMG.

The aim of the present work was to assess the influence of organic amendment applications compared to mineral fertilization on soil microbial activity and functional diversity. The field experiment was set up on a soil classified as an Eutric Cambisol developed from loess (South-East Poland). Two doses of both dairy sewage sludge (20 Mg·ha(-1) and 26 Mg·ha(-1)) and of mineral fertilizers containing the same amount of nutrients were applied. The same soil without any amendment was used as a control. The soil under undisturbed native vegetation was also included in the study as a representative background sample. The functional diversity (catabolic potential) was assessed using such indices as Average Well Color Development (AWCD), Richness (R) and Shannon-Weaver index (H). These indices were calculated, following the community level physiological profiling (CLPP) using Biolog Eco Plates. Soil dehydrogenase and respiratory activity were also evaluated. The indices were sensitive enough to reveal changes in community level physiological profiles due to treatment effects. It was shown that dairy sewage amended soil was characterized by greater AWCD, R, H and dehydrogenase and respiratory activity as compared to control or mineral fertilized soil. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to depict the differences of the soil bacterial functional diversity between the treatments.

Atrazine is the most commonly detected herbicide in the groundwater. Leaching of atrazine largely depends on soil management practices. The aim of this study was to examine leaching of atrazine in tilled and orchard silty loam soils. The experimental objects included: conventionally tilled field (CT) with main tillage operations including pre-plow (10 cm)+harrowing, mouldboard ploughing (20 cm), and a 35 year-old apple orchard (OR) with a permanent sward. To determine leaching of atrazine soil columns of undisturbed structure were taken with steel cylinders of 21.5 cm diameter and 20 cm high from the depth of 0-20 cm. All columns were equilibrated at water content corresponding to field capacity (0.21 kg kg(-1)). Atrazine suspended in distilled water was dripped uniformly onto the surface of each column. Then water was infiltrated and breakthrough times of leachates were recorded. Atrazine concentration in the leachates was determined by means of HPLC Waters. Macro-porosity and percolation rate were higher in OR than CT soil. Cumulative recovery % of the atrazine applied was 1.267% for OR and approximately one third more from the CT soil but the rate of leaching (per unit of time) was greater from the OR soil. The lower leaching under OR than CT can be due to a greater SOM and the presence of earthworm burrows with organic burrow linings that could adsorb atrazine and contribute to preferential flow allowing solutes to bypass parts whereas the greater rate of leaching due to a greater infiltration rate. The results indicate potential of management practices for minimizing atrazine leaching.

After centuries of dualism in science it has become more evident now that our mental experiences are linked to processes in various parts of the organism. There appear to exist strict and most probably bidirectional relationships between psychic processes and the biology and chemistry of the physical sphere. To answer the question "Why hope?" it would be more reasonable to look for a better quality of life with illness emphasizing the comfort of freedom in coping with disease, and in spite of disease. Hope may serve as a catalyst for positive transformations, as an accelerating factor in healing processes, as a trigger of the specific energy of personal existence in such a way that the program of intentional optimism is carried beyond the mind as an order for extraordinary mobilization in various systems and parts of the body. Hope in this sense presents itself as a self-active element of therapy producing effects that are similar or greater to those of chemical substances introduced into the body. One should expect that the physician will fulfill the difficult obligation of causing the patient to believe in the success of therapy and in the sense of life. The front for the creation of hope should be as wide as possible, but also internally coherent. The greatest value should be attached to words of good, warm climate of meetings, an aura of unselfishness, and to physical--almost touchable --proximity.