bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case report: A rare case of multifocal, combined lymphatic-venous malformation
Authors: Pham Hien Duy , Tran Duy Le Dinh , Dang Thom Hoang , Nguyen Luan Vo Mac , Dang Trang Thu , Nguyen Linh Vu Thuy , Nguyen Quang Thanh
Published: October 2024

Vascular malformations, including lymphatic-venous malformations (LVMs), are complex and can lead to significant morbidity. This case report details the management of a rare multifocal, combined LVM in a 3-month-old male, misdiagnosed as a right inguinal hernia prenatally. Postnatal imaging revealed multiloculated cystic masses extending from the mons pubis to the right groin, scrotum, and thigh. Doppler ultrasound and MRI demonstrated the extent of the masses, with the largest cyst measuring 4 × 4 × 2 cm. Initial surgical excision and debulking were performed; however, the lesion recurred 6 months later. Given the complexity and involvement of truncal vessels, complete excision was not feasible, and sclerotherapy with intralesional Bleomycin injections was initiated. After the first Bleomycin injection, a significant reduction in lesion size was observed. However, 6 months later, the lesion recurred and enlarged, necessitating a second Bleomycin injection. Subsequent follow-ups showed further reduction in lesion size. Unfortunately, 2 years later, the patient experienced diffuse cystic infiltration of the pelvis and right lower extremity due to treatment delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Imaging at this stage revealed a cystic mass in the right pelvic cavity measuring 10 × 6 × 5 cm. Two additional sessions of Bleomycin injections were performed, resulting in a successful resolution of the cystic masses. Regular follow-ups have shown that the LVMs remain under control, with no symptoms and no concerns from the family. This case underscores the complexities involved in diagnosing and managing multifocal, combined LVMs. It suggests that Bleomycin sclerotherapy can be a valuable, minimally invasive alternative to more extensive surgical procedures, particularly when critical structures are involved. The patient’s condition has been successfully managed with a combination of surgical and sclerotherapy interventions, ultimately resulting in symptomatic relief and cosmetic improvement.
A cross-sectional study of evidence-based practice and its determinants among healthcare professionals in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Melkamu Yideg , Asemahagn Mulusew Andualem , Walle Ayinengida Adamu , Tsega Yawkal
Published: October 2024

Background

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the integration of current best evidence with clinical expertise by considering patient preferences and values. Evidence based practice has not been well studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess EBP and its determinants among health professionals working at primary public hospitals in the Central Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 health professionals. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. The descriptive, bivariable, and multivariable logistic regression analysis were conducted. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals and p-value <0.05 were used to assess association of explanatory variables with EBP and declare statistical significance, respectively.

Result

About 44.1% (95%CI: 39, 50%) of healthcare professionals had good evidence-based practice. Educational status (AOR: 3.05, CI: 1.07–8.66), spare time (AOR: 1.90, CI: 1.09, 3.31), good knowledge (AOR: 7.95, CI: 4.83, 13.08), good skill (AOR: 2.39: CI: 1.27, 4.53), training (AOR: 2.13, CI: 1.26, 3.58), and internet access (AOR = 2.02: 95% CI: 1.25–3.27) were found to be significant predictors of evidence-based practice.

Conclusion

This study revealed that EBP was low compared to national standards. Moreover, having good knowledge and skill about evidence-based practice, being trained, having spare time and internet access and upgrading educational status of health care professionals would enhance good evidence-based practice.
LesionNet: an automated approach for skin lesion classification using SIFT features with customized convolutional neural network
Authors: Alzakari Sarah A. , Ojo Stephen , Wanliss James , Umer Muhammad , Alsubai Shtwai , Alasiry Areej , Marzougui Mehrez , Innab Nisreen
Published: October 2024

Accurate detection of skin lesions through computer-aided diagnosis has emerged as a critical advancement in dermatology, addressing the inefficiencies and errors inherent in manual visual analysis. Despite the promise of automated diagnostic approaches, challenges such as image size variability, hair artifacts, color inconsistencies, ruler markers, low contrast, lesion dimension differences, and gel bubbles must be overcome. Researchers have made significant strides in binary classification problems, particularly in distinguishing melanocytic lesions from normal skin conditions. Leveraging the “MNIST HAM10000” dataset from the International Skin Image Collaboration, this study integrates Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) features with a custom convolutional neural network model called LesionNet. The experimental results reveal the model's robustness, achieving an impressive accuracy of 99.28%. This high accuracy underscores the effectiveness of combining feature extraction techniques with advanced neural network models in enhancing the precision of skin lesion detection.
Fecal bile acid dysmetabolism and reduced ursodeoxycholic acid correlate with novel microbial signatures in feline chronic kidney disease
Authors: Rowe John C. , Summers Stacie C. , Quimby Jessica M. , Winston Jenessa A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Microbial-derived secondary bile acids (SBAs) are reabsorbed and sensed via host receptors modulating cellular inflammation and fibrosis. Feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs with progressive renal inflammation and fibrosis, mirroring the disease pathophysiology of human CKD patients.

Methods

Prospective cross-sectional study compared healthy cats (n = 6) with CKD (IRIS Stage 2 n = 17, Stage 3 or 4 n = 11). Single timepoint fecal samples from all cats underwent targeted bile acid metabolomics. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using DADA2 with SILVA taxonomy characterized the fecal microbiota.

Results

CKD cats had significantly reduced fecal concentrations (median 12.8 ng/mg, Mann–Whitney p = 0.0127) of the SBA ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) compared to healthy cats (median 39.4 ng/mg). Bile acid dysmetabolism characterized by <50% SBAs was present in 8/28 CKD and 0/6 healthy cats. Beta diversity significantly differed between cats with <50% SBAs and > 50% SBAs (PERMANOVA p < 0.0001). Twenty-six amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) with >97% nucleotide identity to Peptacetobacter hiranonis were identified. P. hiranonis combined relative abundance was significantly reduced (median 2.1%) in CKD cats with <50% SBAs compared to CKD cats with >50% SBAs (median 13.9%, adjusted p = 0.0002) and healthy cats with >50% SBAs (median 15.5%, adjusted p = 0.0112). P. hiranonis combined relative abundance was significantly positively correlated with the SBAs deoxycholic acid (Spearman r = 0.5218, adjusted p = 0.0407) and lithocholic acid (Spearman r = 0.5615, adjusted p = 0.0156). Three Oscillospirales ASVs and a Roseburia ASV were also identified as significantly correlated with fecal SBAs.

Clinical and translational importance

The gut-kidney axis mediated through microbial-derived SBAs appears relevant to the spontaneous animal CKD model of domestic cats. This includes reduced fecal concentrations of the microbial-derived SBA UDCA, known to regulate inflammation and fibrosis and be reno-protective. Microbes correlated with fecal SBAs include bai operon containing P. hiranonis, as well as members of Oscillospirales, which also harbor a functional bai operon. Ultimately, CKD cats represent a translational opportunity to study the role of SBAs in the gut-kidney axis, including the potential to identify novel microbial-directed therapeutics to mitigate CKD pathogenesis in veterinary patients and humans alike.
Cascade contour-enhanced panoptic segmentation for robotic vision perception
Authors: Xu Yue , Liu Runze , Zhu Dongchen , Chen Lili , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Jiamao
Published: October 2024

Panoptic segmentation plays a crucial role in enabling robots to comprehend their surroundings, providing fine-grained scene understanding information for robots' intelligent tasks. Although existing methods have made some progress, they are prone to fail in areas with weak textures, small objects, etc. Inspired by biological vision research, we propose a cascaded contour-enhanced panoptic segmentation network called CCPSNet, attempting to enhance the discriminability of instances through structural knowledge. To acquire the scene structure, a cascade contour detection stream is designed, which extracts comprehensive scene contours using channel regulation structural perception module and coarse-to-fine cascade strategy. Furthermore, the contour-guided multi-scale feature enhancement stream is developed to boost the discrimination ability for small objects and weak textures. The stream integrates contour information and multi-scale context features through structural-aware feature modulation module and inverse aggregation technique. Experimental results show that our method improves accuracy on the Cityscapes (61.2 PQ) and COCO (43.5 PQ) datasets while also demonstrating robustness in challenging simulated real-world complex scenarios faced by robots, such as dirty cameras and rainy conditions. The proposed network promises to help the robot perceive the real scene. In future work, an unsupervised training strategy for the network could be explored to reduce the training cost.
Increased understanding of complex neuronal circuits in the cerebellar cortex
Authors: Jun Soyoung , Park Heeyoun , Kim Muwoong , Kang Seulgi , Kim Taehyeong , Kim Daun , Yamamoto Yukio , Tanaka-Yamamoto Keiko
Published: October 2024

The prevailing belief has been that the fundamental structures of cerebellar neuronal circuits, consisting of a few major neuron types, are simple and well understood. Given that the cerebellum has long been known to be crucial for motor behaviors, these simple yet organized circuit structures seemed beneficial for theoretical studies proposing neural mechanisms underlying cerebellar motor functions and learning. On the other hand, experimental studies using advanced techniques have revealed numerous structural properties that were not traditionally defined. These include subdivided neuronal types and their circuit structures, feedback pathways from output Purkinje cells, and the multidimensional organization of neuronal interactions. With the recent recognition of the cerebellar involvement in non-motor functions, it is possible that these newly identified structural properties, which are potentially capable of generating greater complexity than previously recognized, are associated with increased information capacity. This, in turn, could contribute to the wide range of cerebellar functions. However, it remains largely unknown how such structural properties contribute to cerebellar neural computations through the regulation of neuronal activity or synaptic transmissions. To promote further research into cerebellar circuit structures and their functional significance, we aim to summarize the newly identified structural properties of the cerebellar cortex and discuss future research directions concerning cerebellar circuit structures and their potential functions.
The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with glomerular diseases and evaluation of the subsequent risk of relapse
Authors: Lionaki Sophia , Dounousi Evangelia , Marinaki Smaragdi , Kantartzi Konstantia , Papasotiriou Marios , Galitsiou Dimitra , Bellos Ioannis , Sardeli Aggeliki , Kalogeropoulos Petros , Liakopoulos Vassilios , Mpintas Christos , Goumenos Dimitrios , Flouda Sophia , Venetsanopoulou Aliki , Voulgari Paraskevi , Andronikidi Eva , Moustakas Georgios , Panagoutsos Stylianos , Boletis Ioannis
Published: October 2024

Introduction

This study aimed to describe the clinical course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with glomerular diseases (GDs) and its impact on the probability of relapse.

Methods

Patients with biopsy-proven GD and positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 from glomerular clinics across Greece were studied retrospectively. Those who received the GD diagnosis after the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or ended in ESKD prior to infection were excluded. Demographics, histopathological diagnoses, past medical history, immunosuppression, and GD activity status were recorded.

Results

A total of 219 patients with GDs and documented SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. The mean time from the diagnostic kidney biopsy to SARS-CoV-2 infection was 67.6 ( ± 59.3) months. Among the participants, 82.5% had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with three doses (range: 2.5–3) without subsequent GD reactivation in 96.2% of them. Twenty-two patients (10%) were hospitalized for COVID-19 and one (0.5%) required mechanical ventilation. Four (1.8%) died due to COVID-19 and one (0.5%) had long COVID-19 symptoms. Among patients in remission prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, 22 (11.2%) experienced a GD relapse within 2.2 (range: 1.5–3.7) months from the diagnostic test. The relapse-free survival after COVID-19 was significantly shorter for patients with minimal change disease, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. No difference was observed in the relapse-free survival post-COVID-19 based on the history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to have a symptomatic but uncomplicated sequence in vaccinated patients with GDs, with a significant impact on the clinical course of GD, associated with an increased probability of relapse in certain histopathological types.
Investigating the impact of mental rehearsal on prefrontal and motor cortical haemodynamic responses in surgeons using optical neuroimaging
Authors: Modi Hemel N. , Osborne-Grinter Maia , Patel Ronak , Darzi Ara , Leff Daniel R. , Singh Harsimrat
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Inadequate exposure to real-life operating can impede timely acquisition of technical competence among surgical residents, and is a major challenge faced in the current training climate. Mental rehearsal (MR)—the cognitive rehearsal of a motor task without overt physical movement—has been shown to accelerate surgical skills learning. However, the neuroplastic effect of MR of a complex bimanual surgical task is unknown. The aim of this study is to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess the impact of MR on prefrontal and motor cortical activation during a laparoscopic knot tying task.

Methods

Twelve surgical residents performed a laparoscopic knot tying task before and after either mental rehearsal (MR, intervention group) or textbook reading (TR, control group). In both groups, fNIRS was used to measure changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (HbO2) in the prefrontal (24 channels) and motor cortices (22 channels). Technical performance was measured using leak volume, objective performance score and task progression score.

Results

MR led to a decrease in HbO2 (reduced activation) in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), and an increase in HbO2 (increased activation) in the left middle frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left postcentral gyrus. No discernible changes in activation were observed after TR in either the PFC or motor cortex. Moreover, smaller ΔHbO2 responses in the right PFC and greater ΔHbO2 responses in the left motor cortex were observed in the MR group compared with the TR group. Leak volume was significantly less following MR (p = 0.019), but not after TR (p = 0.347). Mean objective performance score was significantly higher following MR compared with TR (p = 0.043).

Conclusion

Mental rehearsal may enhance surgical skill acquisition and technical proficiency by reducing utilization of attentional resources in the prefrontal cortex and improving neural efficiency in motor areas during a laparoscopic surgical task.
Application of Electronic tongue and HPLC in rapid determination of functional triterpenes and origins of Ganoderma lucidum
Authors: Tian Jing , Wei Jinfeng , Liu Yuxin , Li Changqin , Ma Changyang , Kang Wenyi
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Ganoderma lucidum is one well known functional food resource. The triterpenes, such as Ganoderic acid A and Ganoderic acid D, as well as the sensory characteristics could reflect the quality of G. lucidum.

Methods

In order to find rapid methods to evaluate the Ganoderma lucidum from different origins, Electronic tongue and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in this paper.

Results

The Electronic tongue results combined with PCA and LDA analysis showed that the taste of different batches of G. lucidum from the same producing area was similar, but quite different from different producing areas. The overall taste of G. lucidum from Anhui was obviously different from that from Shandong and Sichuan. Meanwhile, the concentrations of two main triterpenes of G. lucidum, Ganoderic acid A and Ganoderic acid D were detected by using HPLC, and the variability of different origins were consistent with that from Electronic tongue. Moreover, the triterpenoid acids content in G. lucidum from Shandong was about 1.04 mg/g, which is the highest of the three origins, followed by Sichuan and Anhui.

Discussion

Both the Electronic tongue and HPLC could efficiently distinguish the different origins of G. lucidum from taste property or content of key triterpenes, and provide new technical support for the quality evaluation of G. lucidum.
METTL3 affects the biological function of lung adenocarcinoma through the FGF2/PI3K/AKT /mTOR pathway
Authors: Chen Shaoting , Shen Xiuqing , Cao Pengju , Chen Qianshun , Zhong Rongxin , Cao Yingping
Published: October 2024

Introduction

This study aims to investigate the role of the m6A regulatory factor METTL3 in LUAD.

Methods

By examining the expression of METTL3 in LUAD and conducting cellular functional experiments, the biological functions of METTL3 were discussed. mRNA-seq and MeRIP-qPCR were used to identify downstream target genes and pathways.

Results

The expression level of METTL3 in LUAD is lower than that in the control group. The downregulation of METTL3 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD cells, while overexpression of METTL3 results in the opposite effects. Furthermore, we found that FGF2 was negatively regulated by METTL3. Inhibiting FGF2 reversed the tumor-promoting effects caused by METTL3 downregulation in LUAD cells. Silencing METTL3 enhanced the stability of FGF2 mRNA. Silencing FGF2 resulted in reduced activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in METTL3 knockdown LUAD cells.

Discussion

In summary, our findings unveil an intricate signaling network involving METTL3/FGF2/PI3K/AKT/mTOR in LUAD and provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor progression, thus holding significant implications for targeted therapy and advancing LUAD research.
The impact of nutritional intervention on quality of life and outcomes in patients with head and neck cancers undergoing chemoradiation
Authors: Cardellini Sara , Deantoni Chiara Lucrezia , Paccagnella Matteo , Casirati Amanda , Pontara Andrea , Marinosci Alessandro , Tresoldi Moreno , Giordano Leone , Chiara Anna , Dell’Oca Italo , Di Muzio Nadia Gisella , Caccialanza Riccardo , Mirabile Aurora
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients has a curative intent but often deteriorates nutritional status leading to sarcopenia and cachexia.

Methods

In this observational and single-centered study, a prospective evaluation of several biochemical and anthropometrical parameters, weight loss, handgrip strength, visual analogue scale of appetite, questionnaires associated with malnutrition & quality of life and body composition (obtained by Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis) was performed before and after high-dose cisplatin chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy in 60 patients affected by head and neck cancer. Oral nutritional supplements were used to reach the correct number of daily calories and proteins.

Results and discussion

All patients completed radiotherapy as planned and the 96,4% of them did not interrupt chemotherapy for toxicity, reaching a total dose of at least 200mg/m2. Despite a rapid deterioration of body composition during treatment, nutritional support helped patients to maintain (or in some cases improve) anthropometric parameters from the end of chemoradiotherapy to the following 3 months. Low prealbumin and albumin pre-treatment led to higher risk of toxicities with consequent reduction of cisplatin dose intensity, whereas weight at the end of the treatment seems to be an interesting predicting factor for disease free and overall survival (p=0.007; p=0.015).
A survey on management practices of hypotension in preterm neonates: an Indian perspective
Authors: Das Rupam , Nagpal Rema , Deshpande Sujata , Kumar Gunjana , Singh Anita , Kallimath Aditya , Suryawanshi Pradeep
Published: October 2024

Background

Hypotension is a common entity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and is reported in 24%–50% of preterm infants with birth weight less than 1,500 g. Rapid diagnosis and aggressive management is crucial to reduce its detrimental effects on end-organs especially the brain. Physicians often rely on blood pressure alone as a reliable indicator of tissue perfusion, but variations exist in the definition of this crucial parameter. There are also practice variations in the use of diagnostic tools and management modalities among physicians.

Methodology

A physician-based cross-sectional survey of management practices of hypotension in preterm neonates in Indian NICUs was conducted using an online survey tool. The questionnaire addressed diagnostic criteria used, utility of echocardiography for the assessment of hypotension, and management strategies used, such as volume expansion, inotropes and steroids.

Results

Three hundred and twenty physicians, working predominantly in Level III NICUs, responded to the survey. The practice of delayed cord clamping was followed in the units of 78% respondents. Only 44% respondents had an institutional written protocol for the management of hypotension. The criteria for the diagnosis of hypotension varied, with 52% using mean blood pressure (BP) less than gestational age as the criteria. Capillary refill time, blood pressure and heart rate were the most common clinical criteria used. 85% respondents used echocardiography in the NICU, but only 73% utilised it for assessment of a hypotensive neonate. Physicians preferred a ‘volume-inotrope-echo-steroid’ strategy, with 85% respondents using volume expansion. Dopamine was the preferred first line inotrope, followed by norepinephrine and low-dose epinephrine.

Conclusion

This survey reflects significant variations in practice amongst neonatal physicians in India. Bedside targeted echocardiography needs to be better utilised as a vital tool to determine the pathophysiology of disease and hemodynamic monitoring in the management of hypotension in neonates. While further research is needed on outcome-oriented objectives, awareness and dissemination of already existing guidelines would be useful to standardize clinical practice.
Efficacy of the cardiac glycoside digoxin as an adjunct to csDMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: El-Mahdy Nageh A. , Tadros Mariam G. , El-Masry Thanaa A. , Binsaleh Ammena Y. , Alsubaie Nawal , Alrossies Amani , Abd Elhamid Medhat I. , Osman Enas Y. , Shalaby Hadeel M. , Saif Dalia S.
Published: October 2024

Background

Inflammation and angiogenesis are two main mechanisms that act as mutual pathways in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This work aimed to study the efficacy of digoxin as an adjunct therapy to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) in active RA patients.

Methods

In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, 60 adult patients with active RA received a placebo or digoxin (0.25 mg every other day) combined with csDMARDs for 6 months. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20, ACR50, and ACR70 response rates and the disease activity score (DAS28) were assessed for patients. Flow cytometric analysis of Th17 cells and serum concentrations of IL-17A, IL-23, HIF-1α, and VEGF were evaluated before and after three and 6 months of therapy.

Results

Following three and 6 months of digoxin therapy combined with csDMARDs, significant differences were detected in laboratory and clinical parameters relative to the control group. After 6 months, 83.3% of patients in the digoxin group, compared to 56.7% in the control group, achieved an ACR20 response (p = 0.024). The digoxin group had a significantly higher percentage of patients who achieved DAS28 remission after 6 months (p = 0.024). Notable improvements in the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index, ACR50, and ACR70 were detected in the digoxin group.

Conclusion

Digoxin was well tolerated and exerted profound immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects in RA patients, and may also exhibit anti-angiogenic properties, indicating that it might be an effective adjunct to csDMARDs in treating RA.

Clinical Trial Registration

clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04834557.
Cap2Seg: leveraging caption generation for enhanced segmentation of COVID-19 medical images
Authors: Zhao Wanlong , Li Fan , Diao Yueqin , Fan Puyin , Chen Zhu
Published: October 2024

Incorporating medical text annotations compensates for the quality deficiencies of image data, effectively overcoming the limitations of medical image segmentation. Many existing approaches achieve high-quality segmentation results by integrating text into the image modality. However, these approaches require matched image-text pairs during inference to maintain their performance, and the absence of corresponding text annotations results in degraded model performance. Additionally, these methods often assume that the input text annotations are ideal, overlooking the impact of poor-quality text on model performance in practical scenarios. To address these issues, we propose a novel generative medical image segmentation model, Cap2Seg (Leveraging Caption Generation for Enhanced Segmentation of COVID-19 Medical Images). Cap2Seg not only segments lesion areas but also generates related medical text descriptions, guiding the segmentation process. This design enables the model to perform optimal segmentation without requiring text input during inference. To mitigate the impact of inaccurate text on model performance, we consider the consistency between generated textual features and visual features and introduce the Scale-aware Textual Attention Module (SATaM), which reduces the model’s dependency on irrelevant or misleading text information. Subsequently, we design a word-pixel fusion decoding mechanism that effectively integrates textual features into visual features, ensuring that the text information effectively supplements and enhances the image segmentation task. Extensive experiments on two public datasets, MosMedData+ and QaTa-COV19, demonstrate that our method outperforms the current state-of-the-art models under the same conditions. Additionally, ablation studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of each proposed module. The code is available at https://github.com/AllenZzzzzzzz/Cap2Seg.
Effects of variable resistance training within complex training on strength and punch performance in elite amateur boxers
Authors: Liu Yongfu , Huang Zijing , Zhou Zixiang , Zhang Liqin , Guo Yuqiang , Chen Chao
Published: October 2024

Objectives

This study explored the effects of 6 weeks of variable resistance training (VRT) and constant resistance training (CRT) within complex training, on muscle strength and punch performance.

Methods

Twenty-four elite female boxers from the China National team were divided randomly between an experimental group (VRT) and a control group (CRT). Maximum strength of the upper and lower limbs, countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, and punch performance (single, 10s and 30s continuous) were assessed pre- and post- intervention.

Results

VRT and CRT showed significant increases (p < 0.001) in the bench press (ES = 1.79 and 1.07, respectively), squat (ES = 1.77 and 1.10, respectively), and CMJ (ES = 1.13 and 0.75, respectively). The bench press (p < 0.05) and squat (p < 0.05) improved significantly more following VRT compared to CRT. Additionally, single punch performance (speed, force, and power) increased significantly in the experimental group (ES = 1.17–1.79) and in the control group (ES = 0.58–1.32), except for the lead punch force in the control group (p > 0.05, ES = 0.20). 10s continuous punch performance (number, speed, force, and power) increased significantly (both p < 0.05) in the experimental group (ES = 0.52–1.65) and in the control group (ES = 0.32–0.81). 30s continuous punch performance (number, force, and power) increased significantly increased significantly (both p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were found between groups for punch performance.

Conclusion

These findings provide evidence that VRT may improve maximum muscle strength in both upper and lower limbs, vertical jump and punch performance in elite amateur boxers.
Examining the incentive effects of athlete compensation: a combined analysis using SEM and fsQCA
Authors: Zhao Huan , Chong Hebin , Xiao Feiyan , Tan Li , Liu Zhaoxia
Published: October 2024

In the context of competitive sports, the evaluation of compensation incentive effectiveness is key to the optimization of compensation systems for athletes. This study creates a model of the athlete compensation incentive effect from single and multinomial grouping perspectives, combining empirical research (SEM) with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) based on a sample of 352 validated data. The results lead to two findings. First, athletes’ direct economic compensation, direct non-economic compensation, and indirect non-economic compensation have a significant positive effect on the incentive effect of compensation. Second, that the incentive effect of high compensation has two configurations, namely “economic value” and “economic environmental value.” It seems that the effective combination of compensation factors can enhance the motivation effect in a “different way.”
Understanding contrast perception in amblyopia: a psychophysical analysis of the ON and OFF visual pathways
Authors: Wei Junhan , Cheng Ziyun , Kong Deying , Lin Wenman , Hess Robert F. , Zhou Jiawei , Reynaud Alexandre
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The study aimed to explore potential discrepancies in contrast sensitivity in the ON and OFF visual pathways among individuals with amblyopia compared to controls.

Methods

Eleven adult amblyopes (26.2 ± 4.4 [SD] years old) and 10 controls (24.6 ± 0.8 years old) with normal or corrected to normal visual acuity (logMAR VA ≤ 0) participated in this study. Using the quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) algorithm, we measured balanced CSF which would stimulate the ON and OFF pathways unselectively, and CSFs for increments and decrements that would selectively stimulate the ON and OFF visual pathways. Contrast sensitivity and area under log contrast sensitivity function were extracted for statistical analysis.

Results

For the balanced CSF, we found significant interocular differences in sensitivity and area under log contrast sensitivity function in both amblyopes [F(1,10) = 74.992, p < 0.001] and controls [F(1,9) = 35.6, p < 0.001], while such differences were more pronounced in amblyopes than in controls. For increment and decrement CSFs, we found that the increment sensitivity (p = 0.038) and area under log contrast sensitivity function (p = 0.001) were significantly lower than the decrement in the amblyopic eye. Such differences between increment and decrement CSFs were not observed in the fellow eye of the amblyopes or in the controls.

Conclusion

There is a subtle difference in the contrast sensitivity of the amblyopic eye when exposed to stimulation in the ON and OFF pathways.
Medication adherence among Japanese patients with developmental disabilities: a survey study
Authors: Ando Mutsumi , Taki Iori , Yamazaki Taigi , Hida Noriko
Published: October 2024

Aim

Developmental disabilities (DD) often persist into adulthood, necessitating early and continuous treatment. Although pharmacotherapy is a viable treatment option, managing medication can be challenging. Prior research has not explored medication use among patients with DD in Japan. Thus, this study aimed to identify the medication challenges faced by these patients.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was administered to 200 outpatients to collect data on the number of prescribed medications, the timing of administration, the frequency of missed doses, and the use of medication notebooks. This was a prospective observational study without intervention and a random sampling.

Results

The survey revealed that 57.0% of the participants were non-adherent to their medication regimen. Specifically, medication non-adherence rates were 44.7% among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 86.9% for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 30.4% for patients with comorbid ASD and ADHD. Despite 48.3% of the participants taking measures to prevent forgetting their medication, 65.3% of them still failed to take their medication as prescribed. The possession rate of medication record books was 96.0%.

Conclusion

The study indicates that the frequency of medication non-adherence among patients with DD in Japan mirrors that in other countries. Patients who reported taking preventative measures still experienced high rates of non-adherence, suggesting limited effectiveness of these strategies. It is essential to develop more effective measures to improve adherence, enhance disease awareness, and increase understanding of medication instructions. The high possession rate of medication record books suggests they could play a significant role in managing DD, and their use is expected to increase in the future.
Gambling-related attitudes and dimensional structure of the GABS-15 in outpatient addiction care patients: associations with gambling disorder
Authors: Bickl Andreas M. , Loy Johanna K. , Kraus Ludwig , Grüne Bettina , Hoch Eva , Schwarzkopf Larissa
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Individuals with gambling disorder (GD) harbor cognitive distortions and dysfunctional beliefs about gambling that may foster problematic gambling behaviour. Evidence on particularly detrimental attitudes and beliefs is however lacking. To close this knowledge gap, we analysed associations between gambling attitudes and beliefs (Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (GABS-15)) and severity of gambling disorder (DSM-5 criteria met) in a German cohort of 123 individuals receiving outpatient gambling treatment.

Methods

Data from the "Katamnese-Study" covering a 36-months timeframe with 5 assessment points was pooled. The multidimensional structure of the GABS-15 was examined using explorative and confirmatory factor analyses, followed by mixed-effect regression models using different operationalizations of the GABS-15.

Results

A three-factorial structure comprising “attitudes while gambling”, “sensation-seeking / excitement”, and "gambling fallacies” demonstrated better fit indices than the GABS-15 sum score. Only the "gambling fallacies " factor (1.00, p<0.05; 15.36, p < 0.01) was significantly associated with increased severity of GD.

Discussion

As a one-dimensional conceptualization of gambling-related attitudes and beliefs might not sufficiently guide staff of outpatient treatment facilities regarding priority setting in gambling care, evidence on attitudes with particularly detrimental associations is highly warranted. Here, focussing on mitigating "gambling' fallacies" by tailored treatment strategies appears promising.
Peer effects of health behaviors and the moderating role of Internet use among middle-aged and older adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional survey in China
Authors: Cui Yanyin , Bao Hongrui , Xia Fang , Zhang Liya , Ren Jie
Published: October 2024

Objective

This study investigates peer effects on the health behaviors of middle-aged and older adult people in China and examines the moderating role of Internet use.

Methods

A total of 16,188 respondents were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2020 data set. Ordinary Least Squares and Quantile Regression were used to validate the peer effect of health behaviors on middle-aged and older adults, and a moderating effects model was used to test the moderating roles of Internet use and Internet proficiency. Finally, the peer effect was analyzed for heterogeneity according to Internet use preferences.

Results

The peer effect had a positive influence on the individual health behaviors of middle-aged and older adult people in China (β = 0.5341, p < 0.001). Middle-aged and older adult people were more sensitive to the average health behavior level of the community when they lived in rural communities and/or had a low level of education. Internet use positively moderated the health behavior peer effect in the older adult population (β = 0.0094, p < 0.1), and Internet proficiency negatively moderated the peer effect of the health behaviors of the middle-aged population (β = 0.1589, p < 0.1). According to the magnitude of the influence of peer effect, the Internet preference type can be ranked from social and entertainment (β = 0.6250, p < 0.01), to cultural and entertainment (β = 0.5835, p < 0.01), to comprehensive (β = 0.4622, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

There is a peer effect on the health behaviors of middle-aged and old-aged individuals, in which Internet use plays a moderating role. The construction of healthy communities should be promoted, giving full play to the community’s active role in health promotion. Attention should be paid to the health-enabling function of the Internet, encouraging middle-aged and older adult people to use the Internet actively, moderately, and diversely, and making full use of the advantages of short videos for online health education.
Infection risk factor measurement based on spatial and temporal distribution of COVID-19 nucleic acid test sites: an example from Shenzhen
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhang Longhao , Zhang Tianlin , Han Xin
Published: October 2024

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted global daily life, emphasizing the need for effective virus suppression strategies. In response, China has established numerous nucleic acid testing sites to facilitate rapid testing and curb outbreaks. However, these sites often experience congestion, increasing transmission risks and reducing testing efficiency. This study focuses on the spatial–temporal analysis of testing site distribution and associated infection risks in Shenzhen, China. Data from all Shenzhen testing sites were analyzed for the week of October 24–30, 2022, noting the percentage of busy hours per site and incorporating a population size factor by district to assess regional infection risks. Findings indicate three daily peak testing times—primarily in the evening—with the highest risk of transmission in Longgang District, followed by Yantian and Luohu, and the lowest in Futian. The risk coefficient varied from 0.040 to 0.349, with most areas showing stable risk levels between 0.06 and 0.20. This research underlines the necessity for policymakers to alleviate congestion at testing sites and suggests increasing site availability in Longgang District to mitigate COVID-19 spread, offering methodological guidance for managing infection risks in other major Chinese cities.
Advancements in the use of AI in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Braverman-Jaiven Dalia , Manfredi Luigi
Published: October 2024

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes chronic inflammation of the colon and digestive tract, and it can be classified as Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC). IBD is more prevalent in Europe and North America, however, since the beginning of the 21st century it has been increasing in South America, Asia, and Africa, leading to its consideration as a worldwide problem. Optical colonoscopy is one of the crucial tests in diagnosing and assessing the progression and prognosis of IBD, as it allows a real-time optical visualization of the colonic wall and ileum and allows for the collection of tissue samples. The accuracy of colonoscopy procedures depends on the expertise and ability of the endoscopists. Therefore, algorithms based on Deep Learning (DL) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for colonoscopy images and videos are growing in popularity, especially for the detection and classification of colorectal polyps. The performance of this system is dependent on the quality and quantity of the data used for training. There are several datasets publicly available for endoscopy images and videos, but most of them are solely specialized in polyps. The use of DL algorithms to detect IBD is still in its inception, most studies are based on assessing the severity of UC. As artificial intelligence (AI) grows in popularity there is a growing interest in the use of these algorithms for diagnosing and classifying the IBDs and managing their progression. To tackle this, more annotated colonoscopy images and videos will be required for the training of new and more reliable AI algorithms. This article discusses the current challenges in the early detection of IBD, focusing on the available AI algorithms, and databases, and the challenges ahead to improve the detection rate.
Does cardiorespiratory fitness moderate the relationship between overweight, cardiovascular risk markers and mental health among forcibly displaced individuals living in a Greek refugee camp?
Authors: Gerber Markus , Filippou Konstantinia , Knappe Florian , Morres Ioannis D. , Tzormpatzakis Emmanouil , Havas Elsa , Seelig Harald , Colledge Flora , Ludyga Sebastian , Meier Marianne , Theodorakis Yannis , von Känel Roland , Pühse Uwe , Hatzigeorgiadis Antonis
Published: October 2024

Objectives

Refugees may have an increased risk of developing overweight/obesity as they often experience a nutritional transition. Because maintaining good cardiorespiratory fitness can help reduce the negative impact of excess weight on overall health, the objective of this study was to examine whether fitness moderates the relationship between weight status and cardiovascular and mental health outcomes in forcibly displaced individuals living in a Greek refugee camp.

Methods

A sample of 142 forcibly displaced individuals were recruited. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with the submaximal Åstrand-Rhyming bicycle ergometer test. Blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, and hs-CRP were assessed as physical health outcomes, whereas post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety symptoms, pain, and quality of life were assessed as mental health outcomes. Main and interaction effects were tested via analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs).

Results

Almost 50% of the participants were overweight/obese, more than 60% presented with very poor fitness levels, and the percentage of participants with very poor fitness levels was particularly high among overweight/obese participants. Whereas overweight/obesity was associated with a less favorable body composition and cardiovascular risk profile, poor fitness was associated with a higher percentage of body fat and a lower percentage of muscle mass. Cardiorespiratory fitness did not moderate the relationship between overweight/obesity and most of the assessed health outcomes.

Conclusions

Only limited support was found for the applicability of the fit-but-fat concept to our population of forcibly displaced individuals. Public health services should prioritize measures to prevent overweight/obesity and associated diseases in refugee camps. Moreover, efforts are needed to improve the fitness of camp residents via exercise/sport interventions.
Digital fist bumps: searching for datafication and digitalisation in everyday CrossFit coaching practice
Authors: Krugly Sandra , Tucker Jason
Published: October 2024

The research presented here explores the nuances of data collection and sharing via digital platforms in everyday CrossFit coaching practice. There is a growing body of work on data and digital platforms in CrossFit, though currently there is a lack of understanding of the role of coaches in these processes. Empirically grounding the digital fitness practices of CrossFit coaching is essential for our understanding of the sport, as well as to critically engage with the dominant socio-technical narratives of the digital fitness revolution: narratives that obscure the agency of coaches. This research foregrounds the coaches’ agency and lived experiences, focusing on their everyday coaching practices around data and digital platforms. Six semi-structured in-depth interviews with CrossFit coaches in Sweden were undertaken in 2023. These focused on if, when, how and why they collect, or encourage their participants to collect, data on their training and share this via digital platforms. The findings reveal several different, though interrelated, areas where the CrossFit coaches can be seen as mediating between often competing narratives around data and digital platforms. These everyday practices include mediating between group vs. individual training, data collection and sharing vs. “moving well”, CrossFit's methodology of quantification of fitness vs. the needs of the participants and navigating the techno-solutionist vs. reductionist narratives around digital fitness tracking.