Water Immersion Treatment Research Articles

Combined platelet-rich plasma and cold water immersion treatment minimize the damage following a skeletal muscle stretch injury in rats

The skeletal muscle stretch injuries are commonly observed in sports. In order to stimulate tissue healing, the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and cold water immersion (CWI) are widely used in clinical practice. This study investigated the effects of isolated or combined PRP and/or CWI on the oxidative damage determined by a stretch injury induced in gastrocnemius muscle of rats. PRP and CWI are applied immediately after the injury, and the biochemical analysis was performed after 1, 3, 5, or 7 days. The levels of o thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and oxidized dichlorofluorescein were significantly increased, both in skeletal muscle tissue and erythrocytes preparations, and the combined PRP and CWI minimized these parameters. Moreover, combined PRP and CWI were more effective than the isolated treatments to increase catalase activity, also the ratio of reduced/oxidized glutathione, and the non-protein thiols (-SH) group levels. In conclusion, we could infer that the combination of these regular treatments used in an isolated form shows a great potential for treatments of muscular injuries.

Short‐time water immersion inhibits browning of fresh‐cut potato by enhancing antioxidant capability and tyrosine scavenging

Water immersion treatment of potato slices with various time periods (0–30 min) was studied to find out the effect on the browning of fresh-cut potato slices during long-term storage (1–12 days) at 5°C. The results show that water immersion for 15 min significantly inhibit browning compared to other time periods of immersion treatment. Further studies show that the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutamic acid, and proline were increased by the 15-min water immersion treatment, while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2ˉ) were lowered; and all these compounds alleviated the oxidation pressure of potato slices. Chlorogenic acid, tyrosine, and tyrosinase activities were lower than those of the controls, which helped decrease the enzymatic browning levels of treated slices. Nevertheless, the browning inhibition has no observable correlation with either total phenols or the peroxidase (POD) activity. Practical applications The research provides a simple anti-browning method for fresh-cut potatoes during long-term storage thus maintaining quality and extending shelf life; and it reports new experimental results detailing the physiological reactions induced by the short-time water immersion of fresh-cut potatoes. The physiological studies may promote the understanding of the browning mechanism of fresh-cut potatoes and provide clues to further efforts in seeking novel strategies for browning inhibition of fresh-cut potatoes.

Influence of a Novel Mold Inhibitor on Mechanical Properties and Water Repellency of Bamboo Fiber-based Composites

Effects of a novel mold inhibitor specifically for bamboo, on the properties of composite products have been confirmed in this study. The mechanical and dimensional stability properties of bamboo fiber-based composites (BFBCs) from different bamboo species were also investigated. The results showed that Burmanica Gamble possessed the highest values of modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 33.2 GPa, modulus of rupture (MOR) of 286.9 MPa, compressive strength of 182.6 MPa and shear strength of 24.0 MPa. By contrast, Phyllostochys heterocycla among all of species showed the lowest MOE of 16.3 GPa, MOR of 170.3 MPa and compressive strength of 128.9 MPa were the lowest among all of species. Moreover, there is a remarkable variation in the swelling and water absorption between the samples with 4 h and 28 h water immersion treatment, especially Phyllostachys iridenscens. Overall, the results suggested that TCIT (Tebuconazole and 3(2H)-isothiazolone) had no significant effect on the mechanical properties compared with the control condition, and it would be utilized as an antimould of BFBCs manufacturing.

Heart rate variability dynamics during treatment for exertional heat strain when immediate response is not possible.

What is the central question of this study? Does a delay in cold water immersion treatment affect the cardiac autonomic control of exertionally heat-strained individuals? What is the main finding and its importance? Cold water immersion is effective for treating exertionally heat-strained individuals even when treatment is commenced with a significant delay. However, that treatment delay leads to only partial/transient restoration of cardiac autonomic control. Therefore, we recommend that exertional heatstroke patients are continuously monitored for several hours even after core temperature has returned to normal values. Immediate cold water immersion (CWI) is the gold-standard treatment for exertional heatstroke. In the field, however, treatment is often delayed, primarily owing to a delayed paramedic response and/or inaccurate diagnosis. We examined the effect of treatment (reduction of rectal temperature to 37.5°C) delays of 5 (short), 20 (moderate) and 40 (prolonged) min on cardiac autonomic control [as assessed via heart rate variability (HRV)] in eight exertionally heat-strained (40.0°C rectal temperature) individuals. Eleven HRV indices were computed that have been described commonly in the literature and characterize almost all known domains of the variability and complexity of the cardiopulmonary system. We found that the cardiac autonomic control (as assessed via HRV) of exertionally heat-strained individuals was significantly affected by the amount of time it took for the CWI treatment to be applied. Six out of 11 HRV indices studied, from all variability domains, displayed strong (P≤0.005) time×delay interaction effects. Moreover, the number of significantly (P≤0.005) abnormal (i.e. different from the short delay) HRV indices more than doubled (sevenversus 15) from the moderate delay to the prolonged delay. Finally, our results demonstrated that a CWI treatment applied with delays of 20 and, primarily, 40min did not lead to a full restoration of cardiac autonomic control of exertionally heat-strained individuals. In conclusion, this study supports CWI for treating exertionally heat-strained individuals even when applied with prolonged delay, but it highlights the importance of continued cardiac monitoring of patients who have suffered exertional heatstroke for several hours after restoration of core temperature to normal.

Direct Laser Writing-Assisted Method for Template-Free Fabrication of Biomass-Based Porous Carbon Platelets with Uniform Size and Arbitrarily Designed Shapes.

Because of a wide range of applications of porous carbon platelets (PCPs), a robust method for their facile synthesis/fabrication with controlled porous structure, size, and shape is constantly needed. Herein, we report a simple and scalable method for producing PCPs with uniform size and arbitrarily designed shapes. This approach relies on CO2 laser irradiation to induce carbonization of a biomass composite sheet formed by the infusion of sodium lignosulfonate into a cellulose paper to create porous carbon features with arbitrarily designed shapes. Upon subsequent water immersion treatment, the laser-written carbon features could spontaneously detach to form freestanding PCPs. The PCPs of different shapes were fabricated, characterized, and demonstrated for their potential applications in dye adsorption, as flexible sensors, and as miniaturized supercapacitors. Our method is expected to make great impacts in multiple fields, such as environment, energy storage, sensing, catalysis, and so forth.

Match Running Performance in Young Soccer Players: A Systematic Review.

To date, athletic performance has been extensively assessed in youth soccer players through laboratory and field testing. Only recently has running performance via time-motion analysis been assessed during match play. Match running data are often useful in a practical context to aid game understanding and decision making regarding training content and prescriptions. A plethora of previous reviews have collated and appraised the literature on time-motion analysis in professional senior players, but none have solely examined youth players. The aim of the present systematic review was to provide a critical appraisal and summary of the original research articles that have evaluated match running performance in young male soccer players. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, literature searches were performed in four databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and SciELO. We used the following descriptors: soccer, football, young, youth, junior, physical performance, running performance, match running performance, movement patterns, time-motion analysis, distances covered, activity profile, work rate, match analysis, and match performance. Articles were included only if they were original articles written in the English language, studied populations of male children and/or adolescents (aged ≤ 20years), were published/ahead of print on or before 31 December 2017 and showed at least one outcome measure regarding match running performance, such as total distance covered, peak game speed or indicators of activities performed at established speed thresholds. A total of 5801 records were found. After duplicates were removed and exclusion and inclusion criteria applied, 50 articles were included (n = 2615 participants). Their outcome measures were extracted and findings were synthesized. The majority of the reviewed papers covered the European continent (62%) and used global positioning systems (GPS) (64%). Measurement error of the tools used to obtain position data and running metrics was systematically overlooked among the studies. The main aims of studies were to examine differences across playing positions (20%), age groups (26%) and match halves (36%). Consistent findings pointed to the existence of positional role and age effects on match running output (using fixed running speed thresholds), but there was no clear consensus about reductions in activity over the course of match play. Congested schedules negatively affected players' running performance. While over 32% of all studies assessed the relationships between match running performance and physical capacity, biochemical markers and body composition, ~ 70% of these did not account for playing position. This review collated scientific evidence that can aid soccer conditioning professionals in understanding external match loads across youth categories. Coaches working with youth development programs should consider that data derived from a given population may not be relevant for other populations, since game rules, match format and configuration are essentially unstandardized among studies for age-matched players. Despite limited evidence, periodization training emphasizing technical-tactical content can improve match running performance. Occurrence of acute and residual impairments in the running performance of young soccer players is common. Prescription of postmatch recovery strategies, such as cold water immersion and spa treatment, can potentially help reduce these declines, although additional research is warranted. This review also highlighted areas requiring further investigation, such as the possible influence of environmental and contextual constraints and a more integrative approach combining tactical and technical data.

GERMINATION AND VIGOR OF Bixa orellana L. SEEDS PRE-SOAKED IN A PLANT BIOSTIMULANT

The aim of this study was to assess the germination and vigor of Bixa orellana seeds that were pre-soaked in different concentrations of Stimulate® plant biostimulant. For the standard germination test, Bixa orellana seeds from the Embrapa 37 Cultivar were pre-soaked (for periods of four and eight hours) in the following concentrations of Stimulate® aqueous solution: 3.0; 6.0; 9.0; and 12.0 mL L-1. Seeds that were pre-soaked in distilled water were used as control. The following parameters were tested: germination; first germination count; abnormal seedlings; length; and seedling dry mass. The experimental design was completely randomized and a 2 x 5 + 1 factorial design was used (with two pre-soaking periods, five Stimulate® concentrations, and one additional control without pre-soaking). Four replicates of 50 seeds were performed for each treatment. Water immersion treatments for four and eight hours were efficient for breaking dormancy in Bixa orellana seeds, since they promoted better germination in relation to the intact seeds that were not pre-soaked. The pre-soaking of Bixa orellana seeds for eight hours in a 12.0 mL L-1 Stimulate® concentration presented the best results in terms of germinative performance and seedling growth, with greater accumulation of dry mass. Therefore, this practice is recommended for the production of seedlings of this species.

Tensile shear strength of natural wood decorative plywood from lesser known Sungkai (Peronema canescens) tree

Sungkai (Peronema canescens) small logs has been harvested from a private sungkai plantation (Sabahpuri Nursery Sdn Bhd) in Telipok, Sabah. The logs were then rotary peeled to 0.6mm thick and made into 4’ x 4’, 3 plies Urea Formaldehyde (UF) plywood with Acacia Hybrid wood used as the core veneer (1.2 mm thick) at a local plywood facility; Cymao Plywood Sdn Bhd in Sandakan. Remaining dried veneer were brought back to University Malaysia Sabah for further study. Laboratory scale 3 plies plywood (Sungkai-Acacia, Sungkai-Seraya) were made using the same source of UF resin and veneer, and used for comparison studies. Commercial 3 plies Nyatoh plywood were also used as control samples. The samples were then tested according to Japanese Agricultural Standard for Plywood 2003 (amended: 2008) Tensile Shear Strength of Type II Natural Wood Decorative Plywood. All of the samples pass the Tensile Shear Strength (TSS) minimum standard of 0.7 N/mm2 in untreated condition or even after hot and cold water immersion treatment. The untreated mill samples of Sungkai-Acacia plywood perform the best with mean TSS = 1.74 N/mm2, SE = 0.05 while Nyatoh shows the lowest mean tensile shear strength with 1.06 N/mm2, SE = 0.07. Further statistical analysis shows there was no significance difference between Sungkai mixed plywood group samples. However, Sungkai mixed plywood samples shows a significant difference (p < 0.05) with superior strength when compared to commercial Nyatoh plywood samples. If these criteria met the final requirement for the end use of the veneer, then the potential of Sungkai as an alternative or supplemental raw material is something worth given due consideration.

The antibacterial, cytotoxic, and flexural properties of a composite resin containing a quaternary ammonium monomer

Statement of problemThe use of composite resin to restore teeth has increased substantially during the last decades. However, secondary caries and the fracture of restorations are the leading reasons for clinical restoration failure. Mechanically strong composite resins with caries-inhibition capabilities are needed. Although antibacterial dimethacrylate quaternary ammonium monomers have been synthesized, composite resin containing dimethacrylate quaternary ammonium monomers and glass fillers has rarely been reported. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the possibility of the clinical use of an experimental composite resin containing urethane dimethacrylate quaternary ammonium compound (UDMQA-12) by investigating its antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, flexural strength, and flexural modulus. Material and methodsAntibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans was investigated by means of direct contact test. The antibacterial activity of specimens after water immersion and saliva treatment was also tested. These were compared with a commercially available composite resin, Z250, and a glass ionomer cement, Fuji VII. Effects of the eluent from the experimental composite resin on the metabolic activity of human dental pulp cells were quantified. Disks of 1 mm in thickness and 15 mm in diameter were used in the antibacterial and cytotoxic tests. Flexural strength and flexural modulus were measured with a 3-point bend test with bars of 2×2×25 mm. Three commercially available composite resins (Filtek Z250, G-aenial Anterior, and G-aenial Posterior) were used as controls in the flexural test. ResultsBacterial growth was inhibited on the experimental composite resin. After water immersion or saliva treatment, the experimental composite resin showed significant antibacterial effect compared with the conventional composite resin (P<.05). No significant difference was found in cytotoxicity between the experimental composite resin and the conventional composite resin (P＞.05), and a significantly higher cytotoxicity was shown by glass ionomer cement compared with the experimental composite resin and the conventional composite resin (P<.05). The conventional composite resin had the highest flexural strength and flexural modulus (P<.05), followed by the experimental composite resin, then G-ænial Posterior and G-ænial Anterior. ConclusionsThe antibacterial experimental composite resin was biocompatible and had mechanical properties similar to those of some commercially available composite resins. It might, therefore, be useful in preventing the occurrence of secondary caries.

Effect of the Combination Hot Water - Calcium Chloride on the In Vitro Growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and the Postharvest Quality of Infected Papaya.

Anthracnose of papaya fruit caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is one of the most economically important postharvest diseases. Hot water immersion (HW) and calcium chloride (Ca) treatments have been used to control papaya postharvest diseases; however, the effect of the combination HW-Ca on the pathogen growth and the development of the disease in infected papaya fruit has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the HW-Ca treatment on the in vitro growth of C. gloesporioides conidia and the quality of infected papaya. In vitro, the HW-Ca treated conidia showed reduced mycelial growth and germination. In vivo, the HW-Ca treatment of infected papaya delayed for 5 days the onset of the anthracnose symptoms and improved the papaya postharvest quality. The combined treatment HW-Ca was better than any of the individual treatments to inhibit the in vitro development of C. gloeosporioides and to reduce the negative effects of papaya anthracnose.

Temperate-Water Immersion as a Treatment for Hyperthermic Humans Wearing American Football Uniforms.

Cold-water immersion (CWI; 10°C) can effectively reduce body core temperature even if a hyperthermic human is wearing a full American football uniform (PADS) during treatment. Temperate-water immersion (TWI; 21°C) may be an effective alternative to CWI if resources for the latter (eg, ice) are unavailable. To measure rectal temperature (Trec) cooling rates, thermal sensation, and Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) scores of participants wearing PADS or shorts, undergarments, and socks (NOpads) before, during, and after TWI. Crossover study. Laboratory. Thirteen physically active, unacclimatized men (age = 22 ± 2 years, height = 182.3 ± 5.2 cm, mass = 82.5 ± 13.4 kg, body fat = 10% ± 4%, body surface area = 2.04 ± 0.16 m2). Participants exercised in the heat (40°C, 50% relative humidity) on 2 days while wearing PADS until Trec reached 39.5°C. Participants then underwent TWI while wearing either NOpads or PADS until Trec reached 38°C. Thermal sensation and ESQ responses were collected at various times before and after exercise. Temperate-water immersion duration (minutes), Trec cooling rates (°C/min), thermal sensation, and ESQ scores. Participants had similar exercise times (NOpads = 38.1 ± 8.1 minutes, PADS = 38.1 ± 8.5 minutes), hypohydration levels (NOpads = 1.1% ± 0.2%, PADS = 1.2% ± 0.2%), and thermal sensation ratings (NOpads = 7.1 ± 0.4, PADS = 7.3 ± 0.4) before TWI. Rectal temperature cooling rates were similar between conditions (NOpads = 0.12°C/min ± 0.05°C/min, PADS = 0.13°C/min ± 0.05°C/min; t12 = 0.82, P = .79). Thermal sensation and ESQ scores were unremarkable between conditions over time. Temperate-water immersion produced acceptable (ie, >0.08°C/min), though not ideal, cooling rates regardless of whether PADS or NOpads were worn. If a football uniform is difficult to remove or the patient is noncompliant, clinicians should begin water-immersion treatment with the athlete fully equipped. Clinicians should strive to use CWI to treat severe hyperthermia, but when CWI is not feasible, TWI should be the next treatment option because its cooling rate was higher than the rates of other common modalities (eg, ice packs, fanning).

Frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for fine-grained iron minerals and aggregate stability of south Chilean volcanic ash soils

Aggregate stability (AS) is an important property controlling erodibility of volcanic ash soils and is known to be strongly affected by fine-grained iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) minerals. Assuming that frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility (MS) is related to the amount of fine-grained Fe minerals and considering that formation of fine-grained Fe and Al minerals is closely coupled in volcanic ash soils, we hypothesized that the measurement of MS can be used to evaluate AS of these soils. To verify this, we investigated volcanic ash soils along a 120-km transect in southern Chile, reaching from the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) to the Pacific coastal range. Stability of 1-cm macroaggregates from topsoil (0–5cm) and subsoil (20–25cm) was determined by wet-sieving, combining long-term water immersion and subsequent ultrasonic treatment. MS was measured at 465 and 4650kHz to calculate its frequency dependence. We found an increasing amount of organic matter, fine-grained Fe and Al minerals, and clay and decreasing bulk density with increasing distance from the SVZ, indicating progressing soil development along the transect. Likewise, AS increased with increasing distance from the SVZ and was found to be controlled primarily by soil organic matter and fine-grained Fe and Al minerals. While MS itself showed only slight variation, its frequency dependence continuously increased with increasing distance from the SVZ, indicating an increasing fraction of fine-grained ferrimagnetic particles. Accordingly, frequency dependence of MS was found to be linearly related to the amount of fine-grained Fe minerals as quantified by dithionite extraction, and moreover, due to the close linear relationship between fine-grained Fe and Al phases, it revealed to be suitable for estimating the total amount of both fine-grained Fe and Al minerals. Analysis of underlying material (60–65cm) indicated that the increase in frequency dependence of MS with increasing distance from the SVZ was caused by fine-grained ferrimagnetic particles of pedogenic and lithogenic origin. Although overall organic matter content turned out to be more closely related to the stability of the investigated aggregates, we conclude that frequency dependence of MS can be used as an easily obtainable proxy for assessing the contribution of fine-grained Fe and Al minerals to AS.

Interfacial Phenomena and Mechanical Behavior of Polyetheretherketone/Polybenzimidazole Blend under Hygrothermal Environment.

Demands for engineering applications of high performance polymers, such as the polyaryletherketone families, have grown significantly in recent years. Fundamental knowledge on the mechanical behavior of such polymers, especially under harsh environments, is still lacking. In this study, the mechanical behavior and interfacial phenomena of a blend of polybenzimidazole (PBI) particles having sizes of about 50 μm and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) matrix at 50:50 weight ratio was characterized. PBI and PEEK are known to be incompatible with each other in the dry state. The possible influence of hygrothermal exposure on interfacial bonding between PEEK and PBI has been systematically studied. Under dry conditions, the PEEK matrix dominates the dynamic mechanical behavior, indicating no noticeable viscoelastic coupling between the two phases. After being exposed to hygrothermal conditions, the Tg of the PEEK phase in the blend shifts to a lower temperature by as much as 26 °C. The extent of this shift is much greater than what is observed for neat PEEK alone under the same condition. Nanomechanical property mapping results indicate that the interfacial region is broadened after 288 °C hot water immersion treatment. The above finding strongly suggests the hygrothermal conditioning promotes apparent compatibility between PEEK and PBI. Likewise, the fracture behavior of the blend provides direct evidence that the interfacial adhesion is greater than the cohesive strength of either phase after water immersion. In the meantime, it is found that both fracture toughness and tensile strength of the blend are improved by water absorption at 60 °C, at the expense of a minor reduction in Young's modulus. However, if the blend is exposed to hot water at 288 °C, all of the mechanical properties will deteriorate significantly. The possible causes of the mechanical property deterioration in the PEEK/PBI blend after hygrothermal treatment are discussed.

The Effect Of Cold Water Immersion Treatment On Inflammation Factor and MMP-1 Releasing In Post-exercise Patellar Tendon

The patellar tendinopathy is a common overuse injury. After high intensity exercise, patellar tendon tissue releases mass of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 that induce COX-2 and MMP-1 releasing, which correlate to inflammation and tissue degeneration. Cold water immersion (CWI) therapy has been considered an effective way to reduce the inflammation and injury in muscle tissue. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of CWI on TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, MMP-1, COX-2 releasing and in post-exercise patellar tendon. METHOD: 66 New Zealand rabbits (18 mon, 2.8±0.2 kg) were divided three groups. In high intensity jumping (HIJ) group, 30 rabbits jumped 150 times by low current electrical stimulation, the jumping force were limited between 80-110N. In cold water immersion (CWI) group, 30 rabbits received 15 minutes 4°C CWI treatment on posterior limbs after 150 times jumping. Rest of 6 animals were control (CON) group which identified as baseline. The patellar tendons were harvested at 0 hour, 6 hour, 24 hour, 48 hours after exercise in HIJ group or after treatment in CWI group. TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, COX-2 and MMP-1 mRNA expression assessed by RT-PCR. All the data was analysis by two-way ANOVA with multiple-comparison test. RESULT: IL-1ß mRNA expression reached peak value at the 0 hour (CWI:22.89±5.48, HIJ:20.47±6.24 vs. CON:0.99±0.40, P<0.01), and no significate different between exercise groups. TNF-α mRNA expression reached peak value at the 0 hour (CWI:23.21±6.02, HIJ:39.30±8.17 vs. CON:0.63±0.33, P<0.01), and significantly higher in HIJ group at 0 hour (CWI vs. HIJ, P<0.05). IL-6 mRNA expression reached peak value at the 0 hour (CWI:23.49±5.83, HIJ:35.40±6.55 vs. CON:0.73±0.22, P<0.01), and significantly higher in HIJ group at 0 hour (CWI vs. HIJ, P<0.05). MMP-1 mRNA expression reached peak value at the 6 hour (CWI:12.10±3.71, HIJ:13.31±5.78 vs. CON:0.99±0.09, P<0.01), and significantly higher in HIJ group at 0 hour (CWI:1.40±0.70 vs. HIJ:8.72±1.18, P<0.05). COX-2 mRNA expression reached peak value at the 0 hour (CWI:7.57±2.01, HIJ: 18.02±4.17 vs. CON:0.78±0.29, P<0.01), and significantly higher in HIJ group at 0 hour and 6 hour (CWI vs. HIJ, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The CWI treatment transiently reduces the inflammation factors, MMP-1 and COX-2 releasing in patellar tendon after exercise.

Improving the Quality of Prosected Limbs in Gross Anatomy by Dissecting Under Water

One key advantage of properly performed formalin‐based embalming is that quality and duration of tissue preservation is very good. This advantage is however associated with the need for specialized equipment, effective approved ventilation systems in preparation and dissecting environments, as well as regulated air monitoring and chemical disposal protocols for formaldehyde. As part of a study of methods to reduce levels of formaldehyde in air while preserving tissue quality, formalin‐embalmed gross anatomy specimens were pre‐soaked and dissected under water. This report describes the effect on both the quality of tissue preservation and dissection of upper limb specimens. Sections of upper limbs that had been embalmed in 10% formalin for at least 90 days were immersed in water for 12 or 48 hours (water was changed after 24 hours). Following pre‐soaking in water, specimens were dissected under water using standard dissecting instruments to expose muscles in the forearm and hand. One upper limb specimen did not receive water treatment and was dissected normally in air for comparison. The dissecting experience under water was technically less challenging (easier than normal dissecting in air), less force was required to reflect skin, and tissue quality and appearance of specimens dissected under water were significantly enhanced when compared to untreated specimens dissected in the normal manner. Our findings suggest that over a seven‐month period, water immersion treatment of formalin‐embalmed limbs does not affect quality of tissue preservation, did not result in tissue swelling or development of mold, and facilitated the production of high quality prosected specimens for teaching. This approach is cost effective and environmentally safe.Support or Funding InformationNone

Fruit Description and Evaluation of Five Treatments to Break Seed Dormancy of Brownlowia peltata Benth.

&lt;p class="Els-Abstract-text"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Brownlowia peltata &lt;/em&gt;Benth. is a native tree from Borneo, in its germination problem was physical dormancy due to the hard pericarp of the fruit. The study aimed to evaluate five treatments for breaking the seed physical dormancy and the fruit description. The experiment was using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four different temperatures of water immersion, a scarification, and control. The fruit of &lt;em&gt;B. peltata&lt;/em&gt; was a woody follicle; belong to yellow green group 148 A in color; 29.64 mm in long; 21.62 mm in thickness; 29.86 mm in wide, with an average weight of 12.05 g. Hot water immersion treatment of 40 °C for 60 s; 60 °C for 60 s and 80 °C for 30 s could raise the fruit moisture content of 0.92 % to 1.04 %. There was a significant difference on germination rate coefficient and coefficient of uniformity of germination among treatments. The mature seed does not have a physical dormancy once the carpel splits and create a slit (fruit opening).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p class="Els-keywords"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;Brownlowia pellata &lt;/em&gt;Benth; dormancy; fruit; seed; viability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Adenosine triphosphate assay of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) eggs treated with low or high temperatures

A bioluminescent adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay using a luciferin-luciferase reagent was conducted as a viability test for Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) eggs treated with low or high temperatures to evaluate the potential into use for quarantine operations. ATP concentrations in B. dorsalis eggs treated with different temperatures, including freezing, cold treatment, and rapid and slow heating, simulating a hot water immersion treatment and vapor heat treatment, respectively, were measured. Mean ATP concentrations in untreated eggs decreased as egg age increased. For freezing and rapid heating, the mean ATP concentrations in treated eggs significantly decreased 24 h after the treatments, and the maximum ATP concentrations were lower than the minimum ones for untreated eggs. Most ATP concentrations in the cold treatment group exceeded the minimum ones in untreated eggs. Mean ATP concentrations in eggs treated with slow heating decreased less than those in eggs treated with rapid heating. There is potential to use ATP assays in plant quarantine operations for the rapid determination of the viability of fruit fly eggs treated with hot water immersion, although more validation research is first required. Verification tests should be performed by applying ATP assays during quarantine, by using flies and host fruit subjected to different temperature treatments.

Flexural and hydrothermal aging behavior of silk fabric/glass mat reinforced hybrid composites

Recycled natural materials such as silk fabric have attracted more and more public attention over the past few years. In this research, unsaturated polyester resin was used as matrix, glass mat and silk fabric were employed as reinforcement to fabricate the laminated hybrid composites by hand lay-up method. Three-point flexural quasi-static and load-controlled low cycle bending fatigue (LCBF) tests at 55 %, 70 % and 85 % pre-set load levels were performed. The composite specimens were also subjected to hot water immersion treatment at 80 oC for different durations. The effects of the immersion treatment on the bending and impact fracture characteristics were investigated. The results showed that higher flexural modulus and strength were obtained when silk fabric layer was stacked at the middle layer. It seems that the antifatigue property was improved by the inclusion of silk fabric reinforced in glass mat hybrid composites. In the water immersion experiments, both the flexural properties and impact properties were improved initially until reaching the maximum and then decreased continuously with further increase in exposure time. These seemingly contradictory behaviors are due to relaxation of the internal stress, swelling of the silk fibers and the weakening of fiber/matrix interface.

Perlakuan Perendaman Pada Proses Penyulingan Minyak Atsiri dari Gaharu Bermutu Rendah

Until recently there has been no report about optim um distillation techniques, to get the time refining a relatively shorter, better yield and quality (clean and not mixed in water) (Yuliansyah, 2004). The quality and yield of oil can still be improved through improvements in the process of distillation.Before the distillation process, aloe powder immersion treatment performed for 5 (five) days using water and methanol, and then compared with the distillation without treatment (control) . Distillation process carried out in conditions 2 , 8 to 3 , 5 kgf/cm2 pressure and temperature 100-110 o C with a time of refining for 8 hours. Oil produced by water immersion treatment for 5 days produces a yield of more than 0 , 025% without immersion (control). Aloes with water immersion treatment has the test results with the same quality control and into the category of oil of Aquilaria species.

Comparison of different cryotherapy recovery methods in elite junior cyclists

Background/objectiveCold water immersion (CWI) and active recovery treatment (ACT) are commonly used recovery treatments for athletes between exercise bouts, but they are sometimes limited by space and availability of equipment in training and competition venues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether cold compression therapy (CCT) would provide the same effect as CWI and ACT as an alternative option in a hot environment. MethodsEight elite male junior cyclists (age, 15.5±1.2 years; height, 167.7±3.3 cm; body mass, 57.3±3.5 kg; peak oxygen uptake, 64.7±4.3 mL/kg/min) completed a maximal cycling test to determine their peak power output (PPO) and oxygen uptake. Then they completed three tests using randomised recovery protocol of CWI, CCT and ACT for 15 minutes. Each test consisted of two 35-minute exercise bouts, with 5 minutes of warm-up, 15 minutes of cycling at 75% PPO and 15 minutes maximal trial. The two exercise bouts were separated by 60 minutes (5 minutes cool-down, 10 minutes preparation for recovery treatment, 15 minutes recovery treatment, and 30 minutes passive recovery). ResultsThere was no significant difference between average power output, blood lactate, rating of perceived exertion, and heart rate for two time-trial bouts for all recovery treatments. A significant decrease in core temperature was noted prior to the start of the second exercise bout for CWI. ConclusionCCT, CWI and ACT are all useful recovery treatments between exercise bouts.