Hunting can increase physical activity of Indigenous peoples in Canada: pixem re yecwme'nstut.

This study examined whether Indigenous peoples could achieve the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG) for adults while engaging in the cultural practice of hunting. It was hypothesized that Indigenous hunters would achieve or surpass the physical activity (PA) thresholds set forth by the CPAG on days spent hunting. Step count and heart rate were recorded from six male participants during mule deer hunts and days spent on-reserve. Step count was not statistically different between days spent hunting (28 803 ± 10 657 steps) and on-reserve (15 086 ± 7536 steps) (p = 0.10). Time spent in light (257 ± 45 min; p = 0.04), moderate (118 ± 71 min; p = 0.03), and vigorous (45 ± 42 min; p = 0.04) activities while hunting was greater than on-reserve (light, 180 ± 86; moderate, 71 ± 73; vigorous, 7 ± 10 min). The duration of moderate-to-vigorous PA (119 ± 95 min) for an average day hunting nearly meets the weekly CPAG recommendation of 150 min per week and is 1.8× greater than on-reserve (67 ± 80 min). Data suggest that hunting is probably a viable mode of PA for Indigenous adults to achieve health benefits. A strength of this study is the 10 h of daily recording which includes vehicular transportation to remote hunting areas. The duration of very light/sedentary PA did not differ between hunting (233 ± 211 min) and on-reserve (327 ± 164 min; p = 0.10), and highlights the importance of modernized vehicles in traditional Indigenous activities. A larger sample size would facilitate greater exploration of transportation, as well as success of the hunt on PA. These data suggest that health researchers and clinicians should consider traditional activities such as hunting as a means for Indigenous adults to increase participation in sufficiently vigorous PA to incur health benefits.

A systematic review of how cannabinoids affect motoneuron output.

Spinal motoneurons contain many ion channels and receptors upon which various cannabinoids are known to act. This scoping review involved the synthesis of evidence from literature published before August 2022 about the effects of cannabinoids on quantifiable measures of motoneuron output. Four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science CoreCollection) were queried and 4,237 unique articles were retrieved. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, and the findings from these studies were grouped according to four emergent themes: rhythmic motoneuron output, afferent feedback integration, membrane excitability, and neuromuscular junction transmission. This synthesis of evidence suggests that CB1 agonists can increase the frequency of cyclical patterns of motoneuron output (i.e., fictive locomotion). Furthermore, a majority of the evidence indicates that activating CB1 receptors at motoneuron synapses promotes excitation of motoneurons by enhancing excitatory synaptic transmission and depressing inhibitory synaptic transmission. The collated study results reveal variable effects of cannabinoids on acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, and the influence of cannabinoids in this area requires more work to ensure precision of findings for CB1 agonist and antagonist impact. Altogether, these reports indicate that the endocannabinoid system is integral within the final common pathway and can impact motor output. This review contributes to understanding the effects of endocannabinoids on synaptic integration at the motoneuron and modulation of motor output.

Antagonist surface electromyogram decomposition and the case of the missing motor units.

Reece and Herda (J Neurophysiol 125: 2094-2106, 2021) reported that an antagonist muscle exhibited an organized motor unit (MU) recruitment scheme during isometric elbow flexion contractions. This control scheme, however, differed from the typical MU control scheme in that MU firing rates did not change between force levels (40% and 70% maximal voluntary contractions) in the triceps brachii when it acted as an antagonist to isometric elbow flexion. Here, we suggest technological considerations with evidence that may have affected these findings. In addition, we highlight how this paper offers a promising starting point from which further insight into antagonist MU behavior can be gathered noninvasively and suggest future research directions to improve our understanding of MU activity of antagonist muscles in the upper limb.

Elevating neuroscience literacy and an approach for physiologists.

The field of neuroscience has made notable strides that have contributed to progress and change in a number of academic pursuits. However, the lack of understanding of basic neuroscience concepts among the general public is likely to hinder, and in some instances possibly even prevent, the appropriate application of scientific advancements to issues facing society today. Greater neuroscience literacy among the general public is necessary for the benefits of neuroscientific discovery to be fully realized. By actively enhancing neuroscience literacy, scientists can dispel falsehoods established by early research that harmed underrepresented communities, ensure that public conversations concerning neuroscience (e.g., legalization of psychotropic substances) revolve around facts, and empower individuals to make better health decisions. The widespread implementation of communication technologies and various forms of media indicate there are numerous means to engage classroom learners across disciplines and age cohorts and the public to increase neuroscience knowledge. Thus, it is not only necessary but timely that neuroscientists seek meaningful ways to bridge the widening knowledge gap with the public.

Examining gender diversity growth as a model for inclusion of all underrepresented persons in medical physics.

The labor force of Medical Physics is one of the most gender diverse in the field of Physics, as it has attained the proportional achievement of ~30% women worldwide (Tsapaki et al. Phys Medica. 2018;55:33-39). While great strides have been made toward a gender diverse workforce, women still comprise an underrepresented group. Many strategies have been suggested to increase the participation of underrepresented persons by addressing unconscious biases, increasing opportunities, dedicated hiring policies, and providing support networks in science and medicine (Barabino et al. Sci Eng Ethics. 2019; Coe et al. Lancet. 2019), yet the personnel landscape remains largely uniform. Herein, the conditions, strategies, and approaches that facilitated gender diversity in Medical Physics are considered as a means to further the inclusion of other underrepresented groups through exemplars of mentorship, addressing unconscious biases and the implementation of inclusive practices. Furthermore, the potential for gender diversity to act as a catalyst to create an environment that is more accepting of diversity and supports and encourages inclusive practices for the participation and inclusion of other underrepresented groups in Medical Physics is discussed.

Is there sufficient evidence to explain the cause of sexually dimorphic behaviour in force steadiness?

Neuromuscular noise is a determining factor in the control of isometric force steadiness (FS), quantified as coefficient of variation (CV) of force around a preestablished target output. In this paper we examine sex-related differences of neural, muscular, and tendon influences on neuromuscular noise to understand FS in females and males. We use evidence from the literature to identify that CV of force is higher in females compared with males in the upper and lower body, with sex-related differences becoming less apparent with increasing age. Evaluation of sex-related physiology in tandem with results from FS studies indicate that differences in fibre type, contractile properties, and number of motor units (MUs) are unlikely contributors to differences in FS between females and males. MU type, behaviour of the population (inclusive of number of active MUs from the population), agonist-antagonist activity, maximal strength, and tendon mechanics are probable contributors to sexually dimorphic behaviour in FS. To clearly determine underlying causes of sex-related differences in FS, further study and reporting between females and males is required. Females and males are included in many studies; however, rich data on sexually dimorphic behaviour is lost when data are collapsed across sex or identified as nonsignificant without supporting values. This poses a challenge to identifying the underlying cause of females having higher CV of force than males. This review provides evidence of sexually dimorphic behaviour in FS and suggests that physiological differences between females and males effect neuromuscular noise, and in-turn contribute to sex-related differences in FS.