Acute Whole-Body Vibration Exercise Promotes Favorable Handgrip Neuromuscular Modifications in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Over Randomized Clinical.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes progressive changes in the musculoskeletal system compromising neuromuscular control especially in the hands. Whole-body vibration (WBV) could be an alternative for the rehabilitation in this population. This study investigated the immediate effect of WBV while in the modified push-up position on neural ratio (NR) in a single session during handgrip strength (HS) in women with stable RA. METHODS: Twenty-one women with RA (diagnosis of disease: ±8 years, erythrocyte sedimentation rate: ±24.8, age: 54± 11 years, BMI: 28 ± 4 kg·m-2) received three experimental interventions for five minutes in a randomized and balanced cross-over order: (1) control-seated with hands at rest, (2) sham-push-up position with hands on the vibration platform that remained disconnected, and (3) vibration-push-up position with hands on the vibration platform turned on (45 Hz, 2 mm, 159.73 m·s-2). At the baseline and immediately after the three experimental interventions, the HS, the electromyographic records (EMGrms), and range of motion (ROM) of the dominant hand were measured. The NR, i.e., the ratio between EMGrms of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle and HS, was also determined. The lower NR represented the greater neuromuscular efficiency (NE). RESULTS: The NR was similar at baseline in the three experimental interventions. Despite the nonsignificance of within-interventions (p = 0.0611) and interaction effect (p = 0.1907), WBV exercise reduced the NR compared with the sham and control (p = 0.0003, F = 8.86, η 2 = 0.85, power = 1.00). CONCLUSION: Acute WBV exercise under the hands promotes neuromuscular modifications during the handgrip of women with stable RA. Thus, acute WBV exercise may be used as a preparatory exercise for the rehabilitation of the hands in this population. This trial is registered with trial registration 2.544.850 (ReBEC-RBR-2n932c).

Can a Single Trial of a Thoracolumbar Myofascial Release Technique Reduce Pain and Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain? A Randomized Balanced Crossover Study.

Although manual therapy for pain relief has been used as an adjunct in treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is still the belief that a single session of myofascial release would be effective. This study was a crossover clinical trial aimed to investigate whether a single session of a specific myofascial release technique reduces pain and disability in subjects with CLBP. 41 participants over 18 years old were randomly enrolled into 3 situations in a balanced and crossover manner: experimental, placebo, and control. The subjects underwent a single session of myofascial release on thoracolumbar fascia and the results were compared with the control and placebo groups. The outcomes, pain and functionality, were evaluated using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). There were no effects between-tests, within-tests, nor for interaction of all the outcomes, i.e., NPRS (η 2 = 0.32, F = 0.48, p = 0.61), PPT (η2 = 0.73, F = 2.80, p = 0.06), ODI (η2 = 0.02, F = 0.02, p = 0.97). A single trial of a thoracolumbar myofascial release technique was not enough to reduce pain intensity and disability in subjects with CLBP.

Altitude conditions seem to determine the evolution of COVID-19 in Brazil.

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Brazil, a country of continental dimensions, but the incidence of the disease is showing to be very heterogeneous, affecting cities and regions differently. Thus, there is a gap regarding what factors would contribute to accentuate the differences in the incidence of COVID-19 among Brazilian cities. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of altitude on the incidence of COVID-19 in Brazilian cities. We analyzed the relative incidence (RI), the relative death rate (RDR) of COVID-19, and air relative humidity (RH) in all 154 cities in Brazil with a population above 200 thousand inhabitants, located between 5 and 1135 m in altitude. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to compare a relationship between altitude with RI and RDR, and between RH with RI and RDR. Altitudes were classified into three classes [low (altitude ≤ 97 m a. s. l), middle (97 < altitude ≤ 795 m a. s. l), high (795 < altitude ≤ 1135 m a. s. l)] for the RI, RDR, and RH variables. To compare the three classes of altitude, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test were used to compare averages (p < 0.05). Our epidemiological analysis found that the RI, RDR, and RH were lower in cities located in high altitudes (795 < altitude ≤ 1135 m a. s. l) when compared to the middle (97 < altitude ≤ 795 m a. s. l) and low (altitude ≤ 97 m a. s. l) cities altitudes. Furthermore, our study shows that there is a negative correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 with altitude and a positive correlation with RH in the cities analyzed. Brazilian cities with high altitude and low RH have lower RI and RDR from COVID-19. Thus, high altitude cities may be favorable to shelter people at risk. This study may be useful for understanding the behavior of SARS-CoV2, and start point for future studies to establish causality of environmental conditions with SARS-CoV2 contributing to the implementation of measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.

Germinação in vitro e aclimatação de plântulas de sucupira-preta (Bowdichiavirgilioides Kunth. ) / In vitro germination and acclimation of sucupira-preta seedlings(Bowdichiavirgilioides Kunth. )

Este trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar a germinação in vitro e a aclimatação de plantas de sucupira-preta (Bowdichia virgilioides). Sementes escarificadas e não escarificadas foram inoculadas em tubos de ensaio contendo meio de cultura MS ou WPM, com 100 ou 50% dos sais e vitaminas; suplementados com dois tipos de aditivos, carvão ativado e PVP, e mantidas em sala de cultura. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualisado em esquema fatorial 2x4 (dois aditivos e quatro formulações de meio de cultura) com quatro repetições e seis sementes por repetição. Aos 30 dias obteve-se o percentual de germinação e o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG). As plantas foram transferidas para tubetes, contendo substrato e aclimatadas em casa de vegetação, onde permaneceram durante 60 dias, sendo transferidas para casa de sombra, onde permaneceram por mais 60 dias. Aos 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias avaliaram-se o percentual de sobrevivência e a altura das mudas aclimatadas. A germinação in vitro de sementes escarificadas apresenta os maiores percentuais utilizando-se os meios de cultura MS e WPM reduzidos à metade da concentração dos sais e vitaminas. A germinação ocorre independentemente do aditivo utilizado tanto para sementes escarificadas como para as não escarificadas. A aclimatação das plantas germinadas in vitro ocorre independentemente do histórico de aditivos ou meios de cultura utilizados.

Thiss tudy objectived to evaluate the in vitro germination and acclimatization of plants sucupirapreta (Bowdichia virgilioides). Scarified and not scarified seeds were inoculated in test tubes containing culture medium MSorWPM, 100 or 50% of salts and vitamins, supplemented with two types of additives, activated charcoal and PVP, and kept in culture room. We used acompletely randomized in a 2x4 factorial design (2additives and 4culture medium formulations) with 4 replications and6 seeds per replicate. At 30 days gave the germination percentage and germination speed index(IVG). Plants were transferred to tubes containing substrate and acclimatized in a greenhouse, where they remained for 60days and transferred to a dusk house, where they remained for another 60days.At 30, 60, 90 and 120 days, we assessed the percentage of survival and seedling height acclimated. The in vitro germination of scarified seeds had the highest percentage using culture media MS and WPM halved the concentration of salts and vitamins. Germination occurred regardless of additive used both to scarified and note scarified seeds. The acclimation of plants germinated in vitro occurred regardless of additives history or culture media used.