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Copyright of International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport / Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y del Deporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our aim is to demonstrate the usefulness of photoplethysmography (PPG) for analyzing heart rate variability (HRV) using a standard 5-min test at rest with paced breathing, comparing the results with real RR intervals and testing supine and sitting positions. Simultaneous recordings of R-R intervals were conducted with a Polar system and a non-contact PPG, based on facial video recording on 20 individuals. Data analysis and editing were performed with individually designated software for each instrument. Agreement on HRV parameters was assessed with concordance correlations, effect size from ANOVA and Bland and Altman plots. For supine position, differences between video and Polar systems showed a small effect size in most HRV parameters. For sitting position, these differences showed a moderate effect size in most HRV parameters. A new procedure, based on the pixels that contained more heart beat information, is proposed for improving the signal-to-noise ratio in the PPG video signal. Results were acceptable in both positions but better in the supine position. Our approach could be relevant for applications that require monitoring of stress or cardio-respiratory health, such as effort/recuperation states in sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information is present in the literature on diseases of the nutria ( Myocastor coypus) in the wild. Serum samples obtained from 176 trapped animals were tested for antibody reactivity against 11 pathogens of significant zoonoses. Sera were positive against Leptospira (38.0 %, odds relative risk = 0.03, Taylor series 95 % confidence limits 0.01-0.06), Toxoplasma gondii (27.8 %, odds relative risk = 2.30, Taylor series 95 % confidence limits 1.23-4.31), Chlamydophila psittaci (21.0 % odds relative risk = 4.94, Taylor series 95 % confidence limits 2.75-8.89), Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (15.9 % odds relative risk = 1.87, Taylor series 95 % confidence limits 1.04-3.37), and encephalomyocarditis virus (3.4 %, odds relative risk = 0.05, Taylor series 95 % confidence limits 0.02-0.12). Some of the rodents showed antibodies at high titers, mostly indicating recent exposure. Seroprevalence rates varied among the location and age groups, although not by season or gender. All samples were seronegative for Brucella spp., Francisella tularensis, vesicular stomatitis virus, rabies virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the endoparasites of wild nutria from the native region of South America. Individuals were infected with nineteen species, including Nematoda (82.0 %), Protozoa (46.1 %), Trematoda (33.3 %) and Cestoda (12.8%). Coccidia ( Eimeria sp. or Isospora sp.), Strongyloides myopotami and Trichuris myocastoris were the most abundant and prevalent parasites. The diversity of parasite collected on individual hosts ranged from one to four species. There was no significant association between either the age or the sex of the nutria and the prevalence of parasitism, except that the number of infested nutria less than 1 year by Nematoda was significantly higher than in older individuals. Additionally, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. were demonstrated in fecal samples, although scarcely. In general, the accessions were found in good bodily condition and carrying low parasite burdens. These numbers appeared insufficient to indicate gastrointestinal parasitism or parasitic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was performed to compare R-R interval data and heart rate variability indices obtained from the Polar S810i and the Omega Wave Sport System for a total of 96 adults in a supine position. Data were simultaneously recorded with the Polar S810i and the Omega Wave Sport System and processed by unique software. Bland-Altman analysis for the R-R intervals shows minimal bias for free and paced breathing. No significant differences were observed for heart rate variability indices derived from the signal from both devices, except for the power of the high frequency band and the acceleration changes index during either free or paced breathing. Coefficients of correlations were all above 0.96. These data suggest that both systems are valid to record R-R interval signals and to obtain a valid analysis of heart rate variability. However, Omega Wave Sport System enables data to be collected without any artifacts making the analysis of heart rate variability easier than the analysis of Polar S810i. Nevertheless, Polar S810i continues to be more practical in clinical and applied situations due to the affordability of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]