Impact of induction of labor in fetal macrosomia: comparative series from 256 cases.

INTRODUCTION: The management of fetal macrosomia remains controversial. A protocol for induction of labor in the case of a suspected macrosomic fetus has been in place in our maternity hospital since 2016. We studied the impact of this protocol by analyzing the mode of delivery. We then studied its safety in terms of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and the risk factors of macrosomia. METHODS: Retrospective, comparative, single-center study including 256 patients between 2016 and 2020 in a type 3 maternity hospital in France. We compared 114 patients induced at 39 weeks of gestation (fetal weight ≥ 95th p; group 1) with 142 patients who after 37 weeks of gestation delivered a macrosomic newborn (≥ 95th p according to Audipog; group 2) not diagnosed antenatally. RESULTS: The rate of vaginal delivery in the group 1 was 78.9% vs 83.8% in group 2 (p = 0.318). The rate of neonatal acidosis in group 1 was statistically lower than in group 2 (5.2% vs 16.9%; p = 0.004). The other maternal and neonatal outcomes were not significantly different in the two groups. A previous macrosomic newborn appeared to be a risk factor for macrosomia (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The establishment of a protocol for the induction of labor in the case of macrosomia in our maternity hospital did not increase the rate of vaginal delivery, but has a neonatal benefit, by significantly reducing neonatal acidosis.

Relationship between the level of mental fatigue induced by a prolonged cognitive task and the degree of balance disturbance.

This study investigated the effects of mental fatigue (MF) induced by a 90-min AX-continuous performance test (AX-CPT) on balance control by addressing the issue of the heterogeneity of individuals' responses. Twenty healthy young active participants were recruited. They had to carry out two balance tasks (sway as little as possible on a stable support with the eyes open and closed) when standing on a force platform before and after performing a 90-min AX-CPT. The NASA-TLX test was used to assess the subjective manifestations of MF. Objective cognitive performance was measured using results from the AX-CPT. Inter-individual differences in behavioral deterioration due to MF were analyzed with a hierarchical cluster analysis, which categorizes participants' behaviors into subgroups with similar characteristics. The cluster analysis revealed that the achievement of the AX-CPT induced various levels of MF and balance impairments within the whole sample. A significant relationship between the level of MF and the degree of balance disturbance was observed only when participants stood with the eyes open, thus suggesting that inter-individual differences in vulnerability to MF could stem from differences between subjects in the level of engagement of visual attention and/or from differences in field dependency for balance control. These findings show that the completion of the same prolonged demanding cognitive task induces a strong heterogeneity in subjects' responses, with marked individual differences in MF vulnerability that affect balance control differently according to the sensory context.

Optimization of the Effects of Physical Activity on Plantar Sensation and Postural Control With Barefoot Exercises in Institutionalized Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

Increasing somatosensory information from the foot by exercising barefoot can potentially optimize the effectiveness of physical exercise interventions on falls prevention in the older adults. This pilot study was then undertaken to explore the effects of increased somatosensory information from the foot by exercising barefoot on balance, gait, and plantar cutaneous sensitivity in institutionalized older adults involved in multimodal exercise intervention. Participants were assigned to three groups: a control group which did not perform any physical exercise and two groups in which they were involved in a multimodal exercise program performed barefoot or shod. Postural, gait, and plantar cutaneous sensitivity parameters were collected. The results showed that the exercise program produced larger effects on balance and plantar cutaneous sensitivity when exercises were performed barefoot, without any noticeable effect on gait. Hence, barefoot exercising could be a relevant means to optimize the fall-prevention exercise programs in institutionalized older adults.

Spatially balanced sampling designs for environmental surveys.

Some environmental studies use non-probabilistic sampling designs to draw samples from spatially distributed populations. Unfortunately, these samples can be difficult to analyse statistically and can give biased estimates of population characteristics. Spatially balanced sampling designs are probabilistic designs that spread the sampling effort evenly over the resource. These designs are particularly useful for environmental sampling because they produce good-sample coverage over the resource, they have precise design-based estimators and they can potentially reduce the sampling cost. The most popular spatially balanced design is Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS), which has many desirable features including a spatially balanced sample, design-based estimators and the ability to select spatially balanced oversamples. This article considers the popularity of spatially balanced sampling, reviews several spatially balanced sampling designs and shows how these designs can be implemented in the statistical programming language R. We hope to increase the visibility of spatially balanced sampling and encourage environmental scientists to use these designs.

Discrepancy in the involution of the different neural loops with age.

The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of sensory manipulations on postural control for subjects of different ages. A young group of subjects (n = 17; 20.0 ± 1.3 years) and an old group of subjects (n = 17; 74.7 ± 6.3 years) were compared in 14 postural conditions [2 reference conditions and 12 sensory manipulation conditions: eyes closed, cervical collar, tendon vibration, electromyostimulation, galvanic vestibular stimulation (2 designs), foam surface] on a force platform. Spatio-temporal parameters of the center of foot pressure displacement were analyzed. When vestibular or proprioceptive afferences were manipulated, the old group was more disturbed than the young group. In addition, when myo-articular proprioceptive afferences were the only non-manipulated information source, the old group was also more disturbed than the young group. Hence, the inability to correctly interpret proprioceptive information and/or the impairment of myo-articular information would appear to be the major factor causing postural control deterioration. Moreover, concerning the vestibular system, it may be that aging alters the central integration of vestibular afferences. These results suggest that aging differently affects the functional ability of the different neural loops in postural control.

Does the time of day differently impact the effects of an exercise program on postural control in older subjects? A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The time of day that people exercise can potentially influence the efficiency of exercises for fall prevention in older adults. The present pilot study was conducted to explore the feasibility and effects of morning versus afternoon exercising on postural control in institutionalized older adults. METHODS: Nine older adults completed a 3-month multimodal exercise program in its entirety (14 participants were recruited at the beginning and were initially randomly separated into two groups). One group exercised in the morning (ME; n = 4) and the other in the afternoon (AE; n = 5). Postural control was assessed with a force platform at pre and post-intervention at the following times: 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. RESULTS: Postural control significantly improved only in the AE group post-intervention. Improvements in postural control in the AE group were mainly observed in the morning. CONCLUSIONS: The afternoon would be the best period to implement exercise sessions dedicated to improve postural control in older subjects with benefits mainly observed in the morning. Further studies are needed with a larger sample in order to confirm these results.

Volatile fingerprint of food products with untargeted SIFT-MS data coupled with mixOmics methods for profile discrimination: Application case on cheese.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by food products are decisive for the perception of aroma and taste. The analysis of gaseous matrices is traditionally done by detection and quantification of few dozens of characteristic markers. Emerging direct injection mass spectrometry technologies offer rapid analysis based on a soft ionisation of VOCs without previous separation. The recent increase of selectivity offered by the use of several precursor ions coupled with untargeted analysis increases the potential power of these instruments. However, the analysis of complex gaseous matrix results in a large number of ion conflicts, making the quantification of markers difficult, and in a large volume of data. In this work, we present the exploitation of untargeted SIFT-MS volatile fingerprints of ewe PDO cheeses in a real farm model, using mixOmics methods allowing us to illustrate the typicality, the manufacturing processes reproducibility and the impact of the animals' diet on the final product.

Effects of an Intervention to Promote Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Time in Disadvantaged Children: Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: In our society, children are particularly vulnerable to physical inactivity and excessive sedentary time (ST). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention designed to promote physical activity (PA) and reduce ST in 6- to 10-years-old children from a disadvantaged neighborhood. METHODS: The first intervention of this randomized trial was carried out in School 1 in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, School 2 benefited from the same intervention in 2018/2019. Baseline assessments were realized using accelerometers prior to the intervention (T1-T2), after the first intervention (T3) and after the second intervention (T4). School-based actions targeted children, parents, teachers, physical, and organizational environment of school and politics. The chi-square test of independence was used to analyze the evolution of the moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and ST. RESULTS: For School 1, an increase in the percentage of very active children (over 40 minutes MVPA/day) and of having a very low ST (less 240 minutes/day) (p = .00) was found. No further evolution was revealed during the intervention (T2-T3) and 1 year after (T3-T4). For School 2, similar effects on PA and ST were found at T3 (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Positive effects occurred before the intervention in each school and then remained stable.

Effects of Compression Garments on Balance Control in Young Healthy Active Subjects: A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis.

There is controversy about the influence of compression garments on balance control. A positive influence was reported in elderly and injured individuals, whereas no beneficial effects were observed in young healthy active subjects, which is likely due to the large inter-individual differences in these subjects. Hence, this study investigated the acute effects of compression garments on balance control in young healthy active subjects by addressing the issue of heterogeneity of individuals' responses to the wearing of compression garments. Thirteen young, healthy, active subjects were recruited. They stood on a force plate which recorded the center of foot pressure displacements in a monopedal stance with the eyes closed and on a wobble board with the eyes open, while wearing compression garments or not. Statistics were first calculated with the data from the whole sample. A hierarchical cluster analysis was also performed in order to categorize the participants' behaviors into subgroups with similar characteristics. The whole group analysis showed that there were no significant effects attributed to compression garments. The clustering analysis identified distinct and homogeneous subgroups of participants. Only participants who swayed the more at baseline benefited from the wearing of compression garments to improve their balance control. These participants might have either a gravity-dependent preferred sensorimotor strategy with an exploratory postural behavior or poorer balance/proprioceptive abilities. Since poor balance control is a predictor of sports injury risk, wearing compression garments during sports practice could be viewed as a potential prevention strategy for individuals at risk.

Rugby game performances and weekly workload: Using of data mining process to enter in the complexity.

This study aimed to i) identify key performance indicators of professional rugby matches, ii) define synthetic indicators of performance and iii) analyze how weekly workload (2WL) influences match performance throughout an entire season at different time-points (considering WL of up to 8 weeks prior to competition). This study uses abundant sports data and data mining techniques to assess player performance and to determine the influence of 2WL on performance. WL, locomotor activity and rugby specific actions were collected on 14 professional players (26.9 ± 1.9 years) during training and official matches. In order to highlight key performance indicators, a mixed-linear model was used to compare the players' activity relatively to competition results. This analysis showed that defensive skills represent a fundamental factor of team performance. Furthermore, a principal component analysis demonstrated that 88% of locomotor activity could be highlighted by 2 dimensions including total distance, high-speed/metabolic efforts and the number of sprints and accelerations. The final purpose of this study was to analyze the influence that WL has on match performance. To verify this, 2 different statistical models were used. A threshold-based model, from data mining processes, identified the positive influence (p<0.05) that chronic body impacts has on the ability to win offensive 1 on 1 duels during competition. This study highlights practical implications necessary for developing a better understanding of rugby match performance through the use of data mining processes.

The effect of climate on masting in the European larch and on its specific seed predators.

Masting is the intermittent production of large seed crops by a population of plants. Two main hypotheses have been proposed to explain masting. Variations in seed crop may result from stochastic climate factors (temperature, rainfall, etc.), and/or masting may be a plant evolutionary strategy to avoid specific seed predators. To determine the effect of climate on the annual pattern of cone production in the European larch (Larix decidua), we analyzed larch cone production from 1975 to 2005 at 20 sites in the French Alps, ranging from 1,300 to 2,100 m a.s.l. (on average 17 years per site were sampled). We examined the effects of mast seeding on the predation of larch cones by the dominant specific pre-dispersal seed predators, cone fly Strobilomyia spp. Larch cone production varied across the years and was spatially synchronized throughout the region. We constructed two models to explain seed production, one for sites at low (<1,800 m) and one for sites at high (> or =1,800 m) altitudes, using partial least squares (PLS) regressions to detect across a large number of climate indices (306) the factors which best explain cone production. Monthly indices were more accurate descriptors than 4-month period indices. The predation rate was lower in high cone production years that followed low production years, supporting the predator satiation hypothesis. However, variable cone production explained only a small part of predation rates (45 and 25% at low and high altitudes, respectively). Predation was also directly affected by climate conditions. PLS regressions taking into account both cone production and climate factors accounted for as much as 68 and 82% of the predation rate variation at low and high altitudes, respectively. This study contributes to a better understanding of how climate factors differently affect the members of an interacting community.

Influence of plantar cutaneous sensitivity on daily fluctuations of postural control and gait in institutionalized older adults: a hierarchical cluster analysis.

The aim of this study was to characterize daily fluctuations in postural control, gait and plantar cutaneous sensitivity in institutionalized older adults. Twenty-five older adults (>85 years old) living in a nursing home were recruited. Postural, gait and plantar cutaneous sensitivity parameters were collected at the following times: 8:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00. Statistics were first calculated with the data from the whole group of the participants. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed as a second step in order to determine if there was more than one pattern in the daily fluctuations of gait, postural control and plantar cutaneous sensitivity. When considering data from the whole group, results showed that postural control deteriorated from morning to the early afternoon and that gait improved from early to late morning. Daily fluctuations of plantar cutaneous sensitivity showed a decrease in tactile acuity in the afternoon. For most gait, postural control and plantar cutaneous sensitivity parameters, the hierarchical cluster analysis showed that there were three subgroups within the whole group of participants who had similar fluctuation patterns. Participants with the best tactile acuity, postural control and gait displayed relatively constant patterns without a period of increased risk of falling. By contrast, participants who presented a poor tactile acuity with a less efficient postural control and gait had greater daily fluctuations of plantar cutaneous sensitivity, with a marked decline of postural control and gait in the afternoon. In spite of a strong relationship between plantar cutaneous sensitivity and gait/postural control, the decline in postural control and gait observed in the afternoon could not be related to plantar sensation. It might rather relate to a cognitive function which is known to peak early in human circadian rhythms and to have a greater contribution in postural control regulation in the elderly than in young healthy subjects.

Bacterial community assemblages in sediments under high anthropogenic pressure at Ichkeul Lake/Bizerte Lagoon hydrological system, Tunisia.

Bacterial communities inhabiting sediments in coastal areas endure the effect of strong anthropogenic pressure characterized by the presence of multiple contaminants. Understanding the effect of pollutants on the organization of bacterial communities is of paramount importance in order to unravel bacterial assemblages colonizing specific ecological niches. Here, chemical and molecular approaches were combined to investigate the bacterial communities inhabiting the sediments of the Ichkeul Lake/Bizerte Lagoon, a hydrological system under anthropogenic pressure. Although the microbial community of the Ichkeul Lake sediment was different to that of the Bizerte Lagoon, common bacterial genera were identified suggesting a lake-lagoon continuum probably due to the hydrology of the system exchanging waters according to the season. These genera represent bacterial "generalists" maintaining probably general biogeochemical functions. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed significant differential abundance distribution of bacterial genera according to the habitat, the pollution type and level. Further, correlation analyses identified specific bacterial genera which abundance was linked with pesticides concentrations in the lake, while in the lagoon the abundance of specific bacterial genera was found linked with the concentrations of PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and organic forms of Sn. As well, bacterial genera which abundance was not correlated with the concentrations of pollutants were identified in both lake and lagoon. These findings represent valuable information, pointing out specific bacterial genera associated with pollutants, which represent assets for developing bacterial tools for the implementation, the management, and monitoring of bioremediation processes to mitigate the effect of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems.

Physical activity limits the effects of age and Alzheimer's disease on postural control.

The aim was to study the possible influence of physical activity on the postural performance of subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The postural performance (i.e. surface area of the center of foot pressure displacement) of 3 groups was compared: Alzheimer active group (AA), Alzheimer non-active group (ANA) and healthy non-active group (HNA). The AA group's postural performance was superior to that of the ANA and HNA groups. AD disturbed postural performance but participation in regular physical activity made it possible to limit the disturbing effects of AD to a surprising extent, since the postural performance of active AD subjects was also superior to that of healthy subjects.

The impact of time of day on the gait and balance control of Alzheimer's patients.

Alzheimer's patients suffer from circadian dysregulation. The aim of this study was to examine the evolution of balance control and gait at different times of the day (11:00, 14:00, 18:00) in order to identify whether Alzheimer's patients were more likely to fall at certain periods of the day. Spatio-temporal parameters of centre of foot pressure displacements were measured with a force platform and spatio-temporal parameters of walking were evaluated with a gait analysis device. The results highlighted that balance control was worse in the evening and the afternoon than in the morning. Furthermore, the walking speed was faster and support duration, swing duration and cycle duration were shorter in the evening than in the morning and afternoon. The combined analysis of balance control and gait parameters revealed that balance control and walking are concomitantly altered in the evening which increases the fall risk in the evening, in comparison with the morning, for Alzheimer's patients.

The impact of long-term hydrocarbon exposure on the structure, activity, and biogeochemical functioning of microbial mats.

Photosynthetic microbial mats are metabolically structured systems driven by solar light. They are ubiquitous and can grow in hydrocarbon-polluted sites. Our aim is to determine the impact of chronic hydrocarbon contamination on the structure, activity, and functioning of a microbial mat. We compared it to an uncontaminated mat harboring similar geochemical characteristics. The mats were sampled in spring and fall for 2years. Seasonal variations were observed for the reference mat: sulfur cycle-related bacteria dominated spring samples, while Cyanobacteria dominated in autumn. The contaminated mat showed minor seasonal variation; a progressive increase of Cyanobacteria was noticed, indicating a perturbation of the classical seasonal behavior. Hydrocarbon content was the main factor explaining the differences in the microbial community structure; however, hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria were among rare or transient Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in the contaminated mat. We suggest that in long-term contaminated systems, hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria cannot be considered a sentinel of contamination.

Adolescents' Sedentary Behaviors in Two European Cities.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine and compare the correlates of objective sedentary behavior (SB) and nonschool self-reported SB in adolescents from 2 midsized cities, 1 in France (Tarbes) and 1 in Spain (Huesca). Stability of objective SB and nonschool self-reported SB were also assessed at different time points during 1 academic year. METHOD: Starting with a total of 829 participants and after applying inclusion criteria, objective SB was assessed for 646 adolescents (Mage = 14.30 ± 0.71 years) with GT3X accelerometers for 7 days at 2 time points. Nonschool self-reported SB was measured for 781 adolescents (Mage = 14.46 ± 0.76 years) at 3 time points by means of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Gender and ambient temperature emerged as the main statistically significant correlates in all objective SB models, showing higher objective SB levels in girls and lower objective SB levels when ambient temperature was higher. According to nonschool self-reported SB, a gender effect was found in almost all behaviors. Whereas boys spent more time playing with video games as well as games on their mobile phones, girls spent more time studying and using their computers and mobile phones to communicate with each other. The findings showed a statistically significant city effect on study time (Huesca > Tarbes) and video games and telephone communication time (Tarbes > Huesca). CONCLUSION: Nonschool self-reported SB patterns were different in Huesca and Tarbes. Intervention programs should be adapted to target the reduction of adolescents' SB according to different contexts.

Diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics of bacterial communities: physicochemical and other drivers along an acid mine drainage.

Deciphering the biotic and abiotic factors that control microbial community structure over time and along an environmental gradient is a pivotal question in microbial ecology. Carnoulès mine (France), which is characterized by acid waters and very high concentrations of arsenic, iron, and sulfate, provides an excellent opportunity to study these factors along the pollution gradient of Reigous Creek. To this end, biodiversity and spatiotemporal distribution of bacterial communities were characterized using T-RFLP fingerprinting and high-throughput sequencing. Patterns of spatial and temporal variations in bacterial community composition linked to changes in the physicochemical conditions suggested that species-sorting processes were at work in the acid mine drainage. Arsenic, temperature, and sulfate appeared to be the most important factors that drove the composition of bacterial communities along this continuum. Time series investigation along the pollution gradient also highlighted habitat specialization for some major members of the community (Acidithiobacillus and Thiomonas), dispersal for Acidithiobacillus, and evidence of extinction/re-thriving processes for Gallionella. Finally, pyrosequencing revealed a broader phylogenetic range of taxa than previous clone library-based diversity. Overall, our findings suggest that in addition to environmental filtering processes, additional forces (dispersal, birth/death events) could operate in AMD community.

Predicting in-hospital maternal mortality in Senegal and Mali.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify predictors of in-hospital maternal mortality among women attending referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological survey using data from a cluster randomized controlled trial (QUARITE trial) in 46 referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal, during the pre-intervention period of the trial (from October 1st 2007 to October 1st 2008). We included 89,518 women who delivered in the 46 hospitals during this period. Data were collected on women's characteristics, obstetric complications, and vital status until the hospital discharge. We developed a tree-like classification rule (classification rule) to identify patient subgroups at high risk of maternal in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Our analyses confirm that patients with uterine rupture, hemorrhage or prolonged/obstructed labor, and those who have an emergency ante-partum cesarean delivery have an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, especially if they are referred from another health facility. Twenty relevant patterns, based on fourteen predictors variables, are used to predict in-hospital maternal mortality with 81.41% sensitivity (95% CI = [77.12%-87.70%]) and 81.6% specificity (95% CI = [81.16%-82.02%]). CONCLUSION: The proposed class association rule method will help health care professionals in referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal to identify mothers at high risk of in-hospital death, and can provide scientific evidence on which to base their decisions to manage patients delivering in their health facilities.