A Remotely Delivered Yoga Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Feasibility and Effectiveness for Improving Skills Related to Physical Activity.

This study evaluated the feasibility of remotely delivered yoga for improving four physical activity-related skills: motor skills, strength, balance, and flexibility in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nineteen of 20 participants enrolled (age 13.2 ± 2.2 years; 60% male) completed the 12-week intervention and attended 83% of the scheduled yoga sessions. Overall, physical activity-related skills improved pre to post intervention (Φ = 0.90, p = 0.005, 95% CI 0.72-1.0). Specifically, significant increases in leg strength (12.5%, p = 0.039), flexibility (40.3%, p = 0.008), and dynamic balance on the right (11.1%, p = 0.001) and left legs (8.1%, p = 0.003) were observed across 12 weeks. These results demonstrate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of yoga to improve physical activity-related skills in adolescents with ASD.

Anomalously high abundance of Crocosphaera in the South Pacific Gyre.

The unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium Crocosphaera contributes significantly to fixed nitrogen inputs in the oligotrophic ocean. In the western tropical South Pacific Ocean (WTSP), these diazotrophs abound thanks to the phosphorus-rich waters provided by the South Equatorial Current, and iron provided aeolian and subsurface volcanic activity. East of the WTSP, the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) harbors the most oligotrophic and transparent waters of the world's oceans, where only heterotrophic diazotrophs have been reported before. Here, in the SPG, we detected unexpected accumulation of Crocosphaera at 50 m with peak abundances of 5.26 × 105 nifH gene copies l-1. The abundance of Crocosphaera at 50 m was in the same order of magnitude as those detected westwards in the WTSP and represented 100% of volumetric N2 fixation rates. This accumulation at 50 m was likely due to a deeper penetration of UV light in the clear waters of the SPG being detrimental for Crocosphaera growth and N2 fixation activity. Nutrient and trace metal addition experiments did not induce any significant changes in N2 fixation or Crocosphaera abundance, indicating that this population was not limited by the resources tested and could develop in high numbers despite the oligotrophic conditions. Our findings indicate that the distribution of Crocosphaera can extend into subtropical gyres and further understanding of their controlling factors is needed.

Gender, BMI and side-to-side differences in spinal accessory nerve conduction from the upper and middle components of the trapezius muscle.

INTRODUCTION: There is a variety of testing methods described in the literature for the spinal accessory nerve (SAN). This study aims to evaluate side-to-side, gender, and BMI differences with surface recording from the upper and middle trapezius using a standard distance to the upper trapezius. METHODS: Subjects underwent bilateral SAN conduction testing with the active recording electrodes over the superior border of the upper trapezius, midway between the acromion and the C7 spinous process, and over the middle trapezius 3 cm medial to the vertebral border of the scapula. RESULTS: Mean latency values were 2.17 ± 0.22 msec and 3.14 ± 0.40 msec for the upper and middle trapezius, respectively. Mean amplitude values were 8.02 ± 2.2 mV for the upper trapezius and 3.96 ± 1.77 mV for the middle trapezius. The mean side-to-side latency difference was 7.8% for the upper and 9.5% for the middle trapezius, while the mean side-to-side amplitude difference was 18.2% for the upper and 37.6% for the middle trapezius. BMI had a significant inverse effect on upper and middle trapezius amplitudes such that both males and females with lower BMI had larger amplitudes. There was a significant gender difference for upper and middle trapezius latency with faster latency values observed in females. CONCLUSIONS: SAN conduction with surface recording from the upper and middle trapezius is well tolerated. Side-to-side differences may be the best way to evaluate both amplitude and latency, so bilateral testing is essential in light of anatomical variation and BMI effects on amplitude.

Halioticida noduliformans infection in eggs of lobster (Homarus gammarus) reveals its generalist parasitic strategy in marine invertebrates.

A parasite exhibiting Oomycete-like morphology and pathogenesis was isolated from discoloured eggs of the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) and later found in gill tissues of adults. Group-specific Oomycete primers were designed to amplify the 18S ribosomal small subunit (SSU), which initially identified the organism as the same as the 'Haliphthoros' sp. NJM 0034 strain (AB178865.1) previously isolated from abalone (imported from South Australia to Japan). However, in accordance with other published SSU-based phylogenies, the NJM 0034 isolate did not group with other known Haliphthoros species in our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies. Instead, the strain formed an orphan lineage, diverging before the separation of the Saprolegniales and Pythiales. Based upon 28S large subunit (LSU) phylogeny, our own isolate and the previously unidentified 0034 strain are both identical to the abalone pathogen Halioticida noduliformans. The genus shares morphological similarities with Haliphthoros and Halocrusticida and forms a clade with these in LSU phylogenies. Here, we confirm the first recorded occurrence of H. noduliformans in European lobsters and associate its presence with pathology of the egg mass, likely leading to reduced fecundity.

All sorts of tests, only one question: an unexpected cause of hypertension.

A 48-year-old woman presented to the Accident and Emergency department with a 4 month history of headaches, nausea and dizziness. She was found to have severe hypertension and hypokalaemia. Extensive investigations did not find any secondary cause for hypertension. The patient was discharged with oral doxazosin therapy which controlled the blood pressure. Before the follow-up appointment at the hypertension clinic, the patient and her husband identified that her headaches coincided with liquorice tea consumption of up to three cups per day. This information was not obtained in the clinical assessment. The patient is now headache and medication free after cessation of liquorice tea. Liquorice ingestion is often a forgotten reversible cause of hypertension. A good history is key to this diagnosis.

Borage oil in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Nutritional supplementation with omega-6 essential fatty acids (omega-6 EFAs) is of potential interest in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. EFAs play a vital role in skin structure and physiology. EFA deficiency replicates the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, and patients with atopic dermatitis have been reported to have imbalances in EFA levels. Although direct proof is lacking, it has been hypothesized that patients with atopic dermatitis have impaired activity of the delta-6 desaturase enzyme, affecting metabolism of linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). However, to date, studies of EFA supplementation in atopic dermatitis, most commonly using evening primrose oil, have produced conflicting results. Borage oil is of interest because it contains two to three times more GLA than evening primrose oil. This review identified 12 clinical trials of oral or topical borage oil for treatment of atopic dermatitis and one preventive trial. All studies were controlled and most were randomized and double-blind, but many were small and had other methodological limitations. The results of studies of borage oil for the treatment of atopic dermatitis were highly variable, with the effect reported to be significant in five studies, insignificant in five studies, and mixed in two studies. Borage oil given to at-risk neonates did not prevent development of atopic dermatitis. However, the majority of studies showed at least a small degree of efficacy or were not able to exclude the possibility that the oil produces a small benefit. Overall, the data suggest that nutritional supplementation with borage oil is unlikely to have a major clinical effect but may be useful in some individual patients with less severe atopic dermatitis who are seeking an alternative treatment. Which patients are likely to respond cannot yet be identified. Borage oil is well tolerated in the short term but no long-term tolerability data are available.