[Reliability and concurrent validity of the app Goniometer Pro vs Universal Goniometer in the determination of passive knee flexion]. / Fiabilidad y validez concurrente de la app Goniometer Pro vs goniómetro universal en la determinación de la flexión pasiva de rodilla.

BACKGROUND: Smartphones have become a fundamental part of our society, not only everyday, but also professional, since many applications have emerged for the health field. The objective of the study was to analyze the reliability and concurrent validity of an app for iPhone in relation to traditional measurement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A non-experimental, double-blind validation and descriptive study. On a sample of 21 subjects, four measurements of knee mobility were performed. Two using universal goniometer (GU) and two through the application Goniometer-Pro (G-Pro) for IPhone. The X-ray was used as a reference measure of the knee flexion angle and was analyzed by a single evaluator who compared this result with that of the other evaluators. RESULTS: The difference between the average intra-group values was 3.148o (± 2.669o) for GU and 2.476o (± 2.638o) for G-Pro. The inter-group mean difference reached 5.45o. The Inter-observer reliability was 0.990 for GU and 0.993 for G-Pro; as for validity, the values obtained were 0.976 for GU and 0.992 for G-Pro. CONCLUSIONS: The G-Pro app is a reliable tool with a high accuracy to measure the knee flexion angle. Its results are slightly superior and more accurate to those of traditional instruments.

ANTECEDENTES: Los teléfonos inteligentes se han convertido en una parte fundamental de nuestra sociedad, no sólo cotidiana, sino también profesional, pues han surgido numerosas aplicaciones para el ámbito sanitario. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la fiabilidad y validez concurrente de una app para iPhone en relación con la goniometría tradicional. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio comparativo y descriptivo de validación no experimental a doble ciego. En una muestra de 21 sujetos se realizaron cuatro mediciones de movilidad de rodilla: dos mediante goniometría universal (GU) y dos mediante la aplicación Goniometer-Pro (G-Pro) para iPhone. La radiografía se empleó como medida de referencia del ángulo de flexión de rodilla y fue analizada por un único evaluador que comparó este resultado con el de los otros evaluadores. RESULTADOS: La diferencia entre los valores medios intragrupos fue de 3.148o (± 2.669o) para GU y 2.476o (± 2.638o) para G-Pro. La diferencia de medias intergrupos alcanzó 5.45o. La fiabilidad interobservador fue de 0.990 para GU y 0.993 para G-Pro; en cuanto a la validez, los valores obtenidos fueron 0.976 para GU y 0.992 para G-Pro. CONCLUSIONES: La app G-Pro es una herramienta fiable y con una elevada exactitud para medir el ángulo de flexión de la rodilla. Sus resultados son ligeramente superiores y más precisos a los de la goniometría tradicional.

Fiabilidad y validez concurrente de la app Goniometer Pro vs goniómetro universal en la determinación de la flexión pasiva de rodilla / Reliability and concurrent validity of the app Goniometer Pro vs Universal Goniometer in the determination of passive knee flexion

Resumen: Antecedentes: Los teléfonos inteligentes se han convertido en una parte fundamental de nuestra sociedad, no sólo cotidiana, sino también profesional, pues han surgido numerosas aplicaciones para el ámbito sanitario. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la fiabilidad y validez concurrente de una app para iPhone en relación con la goniometría tradicional. Material y métodos: Estudio comparativo y descriptivo de validación no experimental a doble ciego. En una muestra de 21 sujetos se realizaron cuatro mediciones de movilidad de rodilla: dos mediante goniometría universal (GU) y dos mediante la aplicación Goniometer-Pro (G-Pro) para iPhone. La radiografía se empleó como medida de referencia del ángulo de flexión de rodilla y fue analizada por un único evaluador que comparó este resultado con el de los otros evaluadores. Resultados: La diferencia entre los valores medios intragrupos fue de 3.148o (± 2.669o) para GU y 2.476o (± 2.638o) para G-Pro. La diferencia de medias intergrupos alcanzó 5.45o. La fiabilidad interobservador fue de 0.990 para GU y 0.993 para G-Pro; en cuanto a la validez, los valores obtenidos fueron 0.976 para GU y 0.992 para G-Pro. Conclusiones: La app G-Pro es una herramienta fiable y con una elevada exactitud para medir el ángulo de flexión de la rodilla. Sus resultados son ligeramente superiores y más precisos a los de la goniometría tradicional.

Abstract: Background: Smartphones have become a fundamental part of our society, not only everyday, but also professional, since many applications have emerged for the health field. The objective of the study was to analyze the reliability and concurrent validity of an app for iPhone in relation to traditional measurement. Material and methods: A non-experimental, double-blind validation and descriptive study. On a sample of 21 subjects, four measurements of knee mobility were performed. Two using universal goniometer (GU) and two through the application Goniometer-Pro (G-Pro) for IPhone. The X-ray was used as a reference measure of the knee flexion angle and was analyzed by a single evaluator who compared this result with that of the other evaluators. Results: The difference between the average intra-group values was 3.148o (± 2.669o) for GU and 2.476o (± 2.638o) for G-Pro. The inter-group mean difference reached 5.45o. The Inter-observer reliability was 0.990 for GU and 0.993 for G-Pro; as for validity, the values obtained were 0.976 for GU and 0.992 for G-Pro. Conclusions: The G-Pro app is a reliable tool with a high accuracy to measure the knee flexion angle. Its results are slightly superior and more accurate to those of traditional instruments.

A benefit of high temperature: increased effectiveness of a rice bacterial blight disease resistance gene.

*Continuous planting of crops containing single disease resistance (R) genes imposes a strong selection for virulence in pathogen populations, often rendering the R gene ineffective. Increasing environmental temperatures may complicate R-gene-mediated disease control because high temperatures often promote disease development and reduce R gene effectiveness. Here, performance of one rice bacterial blight disease R gene was assessed in field and growth chamber studies to determine the influence of temperature on R gene effectiveness and durability. *Disease severity and virulence of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) populations were monitored in field plots planted to rice with and without the bacterial blight R gene Xa7 over 11 yr. The performance of Xa7 was determined in high- and low-temperature regimes in growth chambers. *Rice with Xa7 exhibited less disease than lines without Xa7 over 11 yr, even though virulence of Xoo field populations increased. Xa7 restricted disease more effectively at high than at low temperatures. Other R genes were less effective at high temperatures. *We propose that Xa7 restricts disease and Xoo population size more efficiently in high temperature cropping seasons compared with cool seasons creating fluctuating selection, thereby positively impacting durability of Xa7.

The influence of prosthetic foot alignment on trans-tibial amputee gait.

An optimally aligned prosthesis, as accomplished by the subjective judgment of the prosthetist, guarantees the best quality of gait. Yet, amputees can adapt to a large variety of geometrical configurations of the prosthetic components. Different external rotation angles of the foot in trans-tibial (TT) prostheses were investigated. The study tried to identify (a) the relationship between foot angle and other gait parameters and (b) the compensating pattern of the amputees to excessive external rotation of the foot. Eight (8) TT amputees, fitted with an identical type of prosthesis, were investigated during ambulation. The prosthetic foot was externally rotated as follows: optimal angle (10.94 x degrees +/- 5.21 degrees), optimal angle plus another 18 degrees, and optimal angle plus another 36 degrees. Analysis of gait was performed with the aid of an electronic walkway. Speed of gait, stance and swing time, and foot angle were monitored in 4 runs for each of the three foot angles. Speed of gait remained almost constant in the three tests. Stance and swing time, as well as step length, significantly changed when 36 degrees were added to the optimal foot angle. This foot position significantly influenced inter-legs time difference and symmetry between the legs. During ambulation, prosthetic foot external rotation was decreased by internal rotation of the limb at the hip joint level. It is concluded that TT amputees can maintain an efficient speed of gait even when the prosthetic foot is malpositioned in excessive external rotation. Although such a malalignment significantly influences other gait parameters during walking, amputees are able to adapt themselves by internal rotation of the hip joint in the amputated leg.

Enhanced resistance to sheath blight by constitutive expression of infection-related rice chitinase in transgenic elite indica rice cultivars.

Genetic transformation has been attempted for management of rice sheath blight disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani. We introduced a PR-3 rice chitinase gene (RC7), isolated from R. solani-infected rice plants, into indica rice cultivars IR72, IR64, IR68899B, MH63, and Chinsurah Boro II by the biolistic and PEG-mediated transformation system. Inheritance was studied up to the T(2) generation by Southern blot analysis. Western blot analysis of transgenic plants with polyclonal antibody revealed the presence of chitinase protein with a molecular weight of 35 kDa that reacts with chitinase antibody. The transformants synthesized different levels of chitinase proteins constitutively and progeny from the plants containing the chitinase gene showed different levels of enhanced resistance when challenged with the sheath blight pathogen R. solani.

Predicting durability of a disease resistance gene based on an assessment of the fitness loss and epidemiological consequences of avirulence gene mutation.

Durability of plant disease resistance (R) genes may be predicted if the cost of pathogen adaptation to overcome resistance is understood. Adaptation of the bacterial blight pathogen, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), to virulence in rice is the result of the loss of pathogen avirulence gene function, but little is known about its effect on aggressiveness under field conditions. We evaluated the cost in pathogenic fitness (aggressiveness and persistence) associated with adaptation of Xoo to virulence on near-isogenic rice lines with single R genes (Xa7, Xa10, and Xa4) at two field sites endemic for bacterial blight. Disease severity was high in all 3 years on all lines except the line with Xa7. Of two Xoo lineages (groups of strains inferred to be clonally related based on DNA fingerprinting) detected, one, lineage C, dominated the pathogen population at both sites. All Xoo strains were virulent to Xa4, whereas only lineage C strains were virulent to Xa10. Only a few strains of lineage C were virulent to Xa7. Adaptation to virulence on Xa7 occurred through at least four different pathways and was associated with a reduction in aggressiveness. Loss of avirulence and reduced aggressiveness were associated with mutations at the 3' terminus of the avrXa7 allele. Strains most aggressive to Xa7 were not detected after the second year, suggesting they were less persistent than less aggressive strains. These experiments support the prediction that Xa7 would be a durable R gene because of a fitness penalty in Xoo associated with adaptation to Xa7.

Influence of prosthesis alignment on the standing balance of below-knee amputees.

The effect of alignment of the prosthesis on the standing balance of below knee amputees was investigated in this work. Alignment variations consisted of varus and valgus tilt and plantar- and dorsiflexions. The foot-ground reaction forces measured in the anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical directions as well as global parameters describing the total sway activity, asymmetry, and weight-bearing imbalance were used to compare the various alignment positions studied. The results indicate the presence of a common standing pattern in below-knee amputees, where activity of the foot-ground reaction forces in the anteroposterior direction is significantly higher in the contralateral limb compared with the amputated limb. It was also found that the varus and valgus alignments were the least stable of all alignments.

A new double-purpose device for elbow extension in tetraplegia with paralysis below C5.

A new device for elbow extension, developed as a dynamic orthosis and also as a static splint for a C5 tetraplegic arm, is presented. A patient with tetraplegia, probably related to infection of the central and peripheral nervous system, had a paralysed right triceps muscle, with a very strong corresponding biceps. Extension by force of a posterior stretched rubber ring made the arm useful, while the possibility to lock the elbow hinges of the orthosis at any desired angle enabled static splinting of the elbow to increase the range of motion.