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Povzetek: Objective: Parkinson’s patients will experience mobility disturbances with disease progression. Beneficial effects of physical therapy are short-lasting. Novel interventions are needed to maintain these benefits. Methods: Fourteen Parkinson’s patients (71±4.08 years) participated in a randomized controlled examiner-blinded feasibility clinical trial. After 12 physical therapy sessions, the intervention group received a height-adjustable desk that facilitates stepping while standing, for 4 months. Explorative outcome measures included MDS-UPDRS II, III, TUG, 8.5m walking test, PDQ-39, sABC, sFES, DEXA scans, and lower extremity strength. Results: Post-physical-therapy, everyone significantly improved on the MDS-UPDRS II, III, TUG, and 8.5m walking test, and PDQ-39. (p<0.05) After 4 months, the control group regressed towards pre-physical-therapy values. In the intervention group, sedentary behavior decreased beyond desk use, indicating a carry-over effect. MDS-UPDRS II, PDQ-39, sFES, sABC, TUG, 8.5m walking test, activity time, sitting time, hip strength all improved with clinically relevant effect sizes. Conclusion: Postphysical therapy in-home reduction of sedentary behavior was associated with maintenance of physical benefits and additional improvements in mobility, activity time, balance and quality of life
Ključne besede: Parkinson’s disease, physical therapy, sedentarism, sarcopenia, quality of life
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 05.12.2024; Ogledov: 80; Prenosov: 41
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Povzetek: Field crickets (Gryllidae) produce sounds by tegminal stridulation, well-studied for its role in female attraction and choice. However, understanding female preferences for their courtship song remains elusive, despite considering additional chemical, visual, and thermal signals. Beyond stridulation, crickets also display vibrational courtship behaviours that remain largely unexplored. Using Acheta domesticus as a model, we conduct the first comprehensive analysis of the entirety of vibroacoustic courtship signals in crickets, including their interaction. Employing audio recording, laser vibrometry, and videorecording, we unveil a complex signal involving simultaneous wing stridulation, body tremulation, and leg drumming against the substrate in a prolonged display, unique among insects. We identify robust correlations, coupling, and coordination between these signal components. We show the tightest coupling between the two types of stridulation pulses, and between tremulation and drumming signals, while drumming-stridulation coupling is less consistent, revealing a constraint on drumming performance. This constraint in the expression of one signal component, without a trade-off, represents a specific case within complex dynamic signalling. In addition, we find no correlation between drumming rate and its accuracy relative to stridulation, challenging common expectations. Our findings indicate that the information conveyed by the complex courtship display in A. domesticus is not simply proportional to that in the song, shedding light on previous ambiguities surrounding its function. Spectral-intensity analysis indicates the closest perceptual connection between stridulation and drumming signals, likely commonly influencing female choice, while proposing another function for tremulation. Further research should delve deeper into the function of this intricate signal.
Ključne besede: male quality, substrate vibration, sound, complex signal, dynamic signal, insects, zoology, biology
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 04.12.2024; Ogledov: 83; Prenosov: 938
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Povzetek: Living stumps reported in many tree species were the first, circumstantial evidence of root grafting. Although stump overgrowth has been extensively studied in various tree species, anatomical observations have mainly focused on the xylem part. Here, we investigated the xylem and phloem structure in living stumps of two conifer species: Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). The mechanism of wound closure was similar in the two species, however, there were differences in the structure of wound tissues in wood and bark. Immediately after the injury, a callus consisting of parenchymal cells was formed, followed by wound-wood with wide increments. In addition, the wood structure and morphology of tracheids were changed. Tracheids lost their typical elongated and tapering structure; instead, numerous crooked and forked tracheids were present. Traumatic resin canals were present in both species but were more abundant in P. abies, which also had normal resin canals. While the structure of the xylem growth rings eventually normalized in both species, the width of the annual xylem increments was diminished. In both species, the typical structure of annual phloem increment was lost in the non-collapsed phloem and sclereids were very abundant in the collapsed phloem. In A. alba, the collapsed phloem was rich in swollen parenchyma cells containing blue-stained contents, while in P. abies, numerous large traumatic resin canals were conspicuous. The study showed that similar patterns of vascular tissue restoration exist in A. alba and P. abies in response to tree felling. However, there are certain species-specific peculiarities in the wood and phloem anatomical response, which might affect long-term stump functioning and survival.
Ključne besede: wood physiology, phloem, xylem, Norway spruce, Picea abies, silver fir, Abies alba
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.12.2024; Ogledov: 114; Prenosov: 1379
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Povzetek: International provenance trials of ecologically and economically important tree species are crucial to deciphering the influence of environmental factors and intraspecific variability on tree growth and performance under climate change to guide assisted gene flow and assisted migration of tree provenances and species. In this context, we compared inter-annual trends in tree-ring widths (carbon sequestration potential) and vessel characteristics (conductivity optimisation) of four beech provenances in two international provenance trials, one in Slovenia (Kamenski hrib, a core beech growing site) and one in Hungary (Bucsuta, a marginal beech site) in 2009–2019. We found different patterns of inter-annual variability in mean vessel area and tree-ring widths among provenances and sites, pointing to diverse genetic background and environmental influence on these two wood-anatomical traits. The average values of the vessel area varied less between provenances at Kamenski hrib than at Bucsuta. Weather conditions differently affected tree-ring width and mean vessel area. Furthermore, the length of the period of response of vessel area to the analysed weather conditions differed in summer and winter periods. The differences in the mean vessel area within the tree ring were more pronounced in the weather-wise extreme years, regardless of the provenance. Consistent with previous studies, we confirmed that site conditions affect the climate sensitivity of trees, which is more pronounced at marginal sites or in extreme years. The findings on how different environmental conditions affect the radial growth of young beech trees of different origin are very important for future forest management.
Ključne besede: Fagus sylvatica, quantitative wood anatomy, common gardens, intraspecific variation, juvenile period, weather conditions
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.12.2024; Ogledov: 97; Prenosov: 580
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Povzetek: Soil mesofauna plays a key role in maintaining soil health by supporting the decomposition of organic matter, nutrient cycling and the maintenance of soil structure. In this study of Slovenian agricultural ecosystems, we used four modifications of the QBS index, a soil biological quality index based on soil mesofauna. We compared diversity in arable fields under different tillage intensities, a strawberry field and an orchard, managed with either organic or integrated pest management methods (IPM). The results show significant differences in the mesofaunal communities in the soil. Minimum tillage promoted higher biodiversity, especially of Collembola, compared to conventional tillage. In fruit production systems, the ratio of Collembola to Acarina differed from that of arable fields, skewing in favour of Collembola, possibly related to the use of copper-containing pesticides in organic orchards and systemic herbicides in IPM systems. The QBS index values for soil health varied considerably between systems. Only QBS modifications considering the abundances of organisms (QBS-ab and QBS-a) were able to distinguish between different system-management groups. This study provides insights into the limitations of the originally proposed QBS-ar index to discern the effects of farming intensity on the soil mesofaunal community. Results suggest that minimum tillage and organic management practices can promote healthier soil ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of sustainable soil management for the promotion of soil biodiversity. Future research should aim to incorporate a broader range of agricultural practices and assign fauna to a higher taxonomic rank to further explain the effects on soil mesofauna diversity.
Ključne besede: soil health, soil microarthropods, biodiversity, agroecosystems, tillage intensity, organic farming
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.12.2024; Ogledov: 94; Prenosov: 49
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