Use of Multiple-Site Performance-Contingent SEMG Reward Programming in Pediatric Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Review

We completed a retrospective review of the effectiveness of multi-site, performance-contingent reward programming on functional change in motor performance of 16 treatment resistant children. Patients were previously treated in physical or occupational therapy for head control, standing balance training, sitting and upper extremity use (brachial plexus injury). They then participated in a program that utilized multiple surface electromyography sites the use of which was rewarded with videos for performing the correct constellation of recruitment pattern (e.g., contracting some muscles while relaxing others). Onset of reward was calibrated for each patient and transfer of skill to outside the clinic was encouraged by linking a verbal cue to the correct motor plan. Fourteen of the 16 patients improved. The implications of the use of this technique in the treatment of motor dysfunction is discussed.     

Postrelease dive ability in rehabilitated harbor seals

The efficacy of seal rehabilitation is examined in a postrelease study of dive ability in harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina) in the Wash, United Kingdom. Six rehabilitated seals were fitted with Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Argos Satellite Relay Data Logger tags and their individual dive behavior was monitored for an average of 122 d. The upper 90 percentile edge of dive behavior (dive duration [DD₉₀] and percentage of time at‐sea spent in a dive [PD₉₀]), in 7 d bins, was used as a proxy for physiological dive ability. The results are compared with data from five wild adult harbor seals. There was no statistically significant difference between (1) the mean track duration of rehabilitated seals (126.20 ± 27.48 [SD] d) and adult seals (150.2 ± 24.62 d) (P= 0.108), indicating no evidence that short‐term survival was less in the rehabilitated group; (2) the mean mass‐scaled DD₉₀ of rehabilitated seals (3.95 ± 0.37 min) and adult seals (4.09 ± 0.55 min) (P= 0.632); and (3) the mean PD₉₀ of rehabilitated seals (81.62 ± 1.21%) and adult seals (81.48 ± 3.93%) (P= 0.943). These three results all suggest the success of the rehabilitation program in terms of short‐term survival and dive ability.     

退耕地人工植物群落根系生态位及其分布特征

根系生态位研究是全面掌握植物群落特性、种间搭配以及生态功能的重要科学问题。其测度方式、分布特征、影响因素等方面内容,对于合理指导退耕还林还草工程十分必要。将植物群落根系视为“标准地”,分布于每个土体层次的每个径级根系视为“植物种”。根量、根长、根数作为“植物种”的观测变量,仿照群落生态学方法,提出了一种综合计算根系生态位指数的方法。即将整个研究区域作为一个系统．将这一系统中所有植物群落。统一选用指标最大值。在纵向(即相对于指标维的不同指标)用上限效果测度公式统一进行归一化处理,然后在横向(土层、径级间。简称层径级)进行合并运算,得出层径级根系参数,这一参数定义为层径级根系生态位指数;而将某一群落各层径级生态位指数之和,定义为植物群落根系生态位指数。从而使区域内所有植物群落间具有可比性。使用这一方法,对国家退耕还林还草科技试验县——青海省大通县退耕地人工植物群落根系进行了系统研究。研究结果表明,根系生态位垂直空间分布大多数为典型的表层聚积型,表土层0～20cm根系生态位指数明显高于其它层次。植物群落根系比单一种群或纯林根系具有更高的生态位指数。根系生态位径级分布包括J型、反J型、S型和U型。J型多为粗根一深根型植物群落根系,反J型为细根一浅根型植物群落根系,S型和U型为上述2种类型之间的过渡型。根系生态位指数与植物群落地上部分鲜重生物量、根系丰富度呈显著正相关。退耕地植物群落根系的生态位指数较为接近天然植被,明显高于农作物根系。青海云杉 中国沙棘、中国沙棘、青海云杉等3种植物配置模式更有利于退耕地植物根系生态位的恢复。实施退耕还林还草工程是有效增加根系生态位、提高根系多方面功能的重要途径。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区不同植被恢复类型昆虫群落结构及多样性的研究

为探讨黄土高原植被恢复过程中植物与昆虫群落的关系,评价人工植被和自然恢复植被种类搭配的合理性,为退化生态系统的植被恢复提供依据。采用样地调查法,在黄土丘陵沟壑区纸坊沟流域研究比较了不同植被恢复类型昆虫群落组成、结构及多样性的变化。结果表明,2种不同植被恢复类型区昆虫有189种(含蜱螨目),分别隶属13目84科。而不同植被恢复类型昆虫群落的物种数、丰富度、多样性、均匀度及优势度指数值均有明显差异。以20a自然封育植被恢复区昆虫群落的物种数、丰富度、多样性、均匀度指数值均较高,其值分别为160、21.17、1.4914和0.6918。优势度则以人工治理区(0.7251)>自然封育区(0.5845)。说明从人工治理区到自然封育区,随着植被种类增加,昆虫种类相应增加,优势种由突出降至不明显,昆虫群落稳定性提高。     

Effects of Sewage Sludge on Plant Community Composition in Restored Limestone Quarries

The effects of sewage sludge, used to improve fertility of replaced soil, on vegetation were studied in limestone quarry restoration. Plant community growing in the first stages after sludge application was surveyed in six quarries of NE Spain. Areas with a mixture of sewage sludge and residual soil were compared to areas where the application consisted only of residual soil (a mixture of previous top soil and mine spoils). Sewage sludge was hypothesized to increase total biomass and cover, modifying species composition and delaying the early successional recover of the community. The results showed that both biomass and plant cover increased because of sewage sludge addition. The floristic composition was dominated by ruderal species that did not show any dependence on sewage sludge application. Convergence on similarity between sludge and control plots was not detected along a 5‐year period. Although species richness was significantly lower in sludge plots, diversity and equitability indexes did not show differences between treatments. The results did not show differences in the proportion of non‐native species. The proportion of legumes was lower in sludge plots. These results show that the plant communities resulting from the addition of sewage sludge to the soil used in limestone quarry restoration have more biomass and cover, but less number of species, and they do not show a clear trend to converge to those areas restored only with non‐amended soil.     

Research Priorities for Conservation of Metallophyte Biodiversity and their Potential for Restoration and Site Remediation

Plants that have evolved to survive on metal‐rich soils—metallophytes—have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal‐contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to “design” metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues?     

东莞大屏嶂森林公园的现状植被及林分改造对策

采用改进的线路调查方法对东莞大屏障森林公园植被进行调查。结果表明大屏障森林公园植物种类多样,植物资源丰富。公园的现状植被可以划分为5个类型,8个亚型。森林可分为次生常绿阔叶林、人工马占相思林Acacia mangium、油茶林Camellia oleifera等3个亚型。此外,还有荒草坡、农田植被以及其他类型的植被。据此探讨了对大屏障森林公园植被的改造对策,为森林公园的建设提供依据。     

Use of a cane for recovery from backward balance loss during treadmill walking

Purpose. To study whether a cane improved balance recovery after perturbation during walking.

Method. This study was a crossover comparison comparing the effect of walking with and without a cane for balance recovery after perturbation during treadmill walking. Five normal young volunteers participated. The velocity and acceleration of a marker sited on the seventh cerebral vertebra (C7) and vertical hand motion were measured by a motion analysis system.

Result. When using a cane, C7 backward velocity increased by approximately 15% (413 SD 95?mm/s with cane vs. 358 SD 88?mm/s without). In addition, C7 backward acceleration increased by approximately 23% (3.2 SD 0.7?m/s² with cane vs. 2.6 SD 0.8?m/s² without) and the vertical motion of the right hand decreased (187 SD 98?mm with cane vs. 372 SD 260?mm without). Additionally, no subject was able to use a cane to broaden their base of support.

Conclusions. The ability to limit trunk extension is crucial for preventing falls. Therefore, using a cane jeopardizes recovery from backward balance loss. The results encourage further research on the risk of a cane on balance recovery for the elderly population and habitual cane users.     

康复运动对冠脉支架植入术后患者相关因素的影响

目的：研究心脏康复运动对冠脉支架植入术后患者血脂、血糖、体重指数及生活质量的影响。方法：对实施冠脉支架植入术的 146例患者进行比较分析，根据随机原则分为试验组76 例及对照组70 例。对照组患者给予常规的健康教育及冠心病二级预防指 导，给予定期随访。试验组患者在此基础上给予规律的康复运动指导。经过6 个月随访，比较两组患者血脂、HbA1C、体重指数及 生活质量情况。结果：试验组患者通过为期6 个月的规律的心脏康复运动指导，其血脂、HbA1C等冠心病危险因素控制情况优于 对照组，差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。同时，6个月后，试验组康复运动六月后sF 量表各项评分与对照组同期比较，差异均有统计 学意义(P<0.05)。结论：规范的心脏康复运动指导能够有效改善冠脉支架植入术后患者血脂、血糖情况，提高患者生活质量。     

Long‐term trends in restoration and associated land treatments in the southwestern United States

Restoration treatments, such as revegetation with seeding or invasive species removal, have been applied on U.S. public lands for decades. Temporal trends in these management actions have not been extensively summarized previously, particularly in the southwestern United States where invasive plant species, drought, and fire have altered dryland ecosystems. We assessed long‐term (1940–2010) trends in restoration using approximately 4,000 vegetation treatments conducted on Bureau of Land Management lands across the southwestern United States. We found that since 1940, the proportions of seeding and vegetation/soil manipulation (e.g. vegetation removal or plowing) treatments have declined, while the proportions of prescribed burn and invasive species treatments have increased. Treatments in pinyon‐juniper and big sagebrush communities declined in comparison to treatments in desert scrub, creosote bush, and riparian woodland communities. Restoration‐focused treatment objectives increased relative to resource extraction objectives. Species richness and proportion of native species used in seeding treatments also increased. Inflation‐adjusted costs per area rose 750% for vegetation/soil manipulation, 600% for seeding, and 400% for prescribed burn treatments in the decades from 1981 to 2010. Seeding treatments were implemented in warmer and drier years when compared to the climate conditions of the entire study period and warmer and wetter years relative to several years before and after the treatment. These results suggest that treatments over a 70‐year period on public lands in the southwestern United States are shifting toward restoration practices that are increasingly large, expensive, and related to fire and invasive species control.