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7 hrs ago


When relocating to https://www.anyquickmove.com/pt , choosing a reliable moving company is essential. Portugal's moving companies offer a range of services, from packing and loading to transporting and unpacking your belongings.

Descubra os serviços de mudança profissionais da AnyQuickMove por toda a Europa. Garantimos uma mudança segura e tranquila para sua nova casa. Obtenha um orçamento gratuito hoje!

www.anyquickmove.com

7 hrs ago


When relocating to Portugal, choosing a reliable moving company is essential. https://www.anyquickmove.com/pt moving companies offer a range of services, from packing and loading to transporting and unpacking your belongings.

Descubra os serviços de mudança profissionais da AnyQuickMove por toda a Europa. Garantimos uma mudança segura e tranquila para sua nova casa. Obtenha um orçamento gratuito hoje!

www.anyquickmove.com

10 hrs ago


The international and national literature as well as studies carried out in universities in Portugal show there is excessive alcohol consumption and binge drinking. However, no relation with alcohol consumption and college parties has yet been established. The aim of this study was to assess the association between alcohol consumption and binge drinking with college parties, and also to understand specific patterns of alcohol consumption by gender and years of university attendance.

A survey comprised of the "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption" (AUDIT-C) and the question "What is your most consumed drink?" referring to months without and with college parties, was disseminated in the University of Coimbra Facebook® page to students of the University of Coimbra and of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra seventeen years old and over.

The AUDIT-C score in college party months is higher than in months without such parties with strong, positive and significant correlation (ρ = 0.711; ρ &ting binge drinking. The way young people face alcohol consumption is a major problem to be addressed.The Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) is a screening instrument developed to identify basic movement dysfunctions that may increase musculoskeletal injury risk potential. To date there are no published normative values for the FMS™ in dancers; consequently, this study sought to establish those values in addition to identifying the prevalence and nature of movement dysfunction in collegiate dancers. The functional movement proficiency of 111 collegiate dancers was determined using the FMS™, which provides three variables of interest 1. FMS™ total score, 2. number of asymmetries (unequal performance of right and left sides), and 3. number of move- ment pattern dysfunctions. Total FMS™ scores ranged from 11 to 20 out of 21 possible points, with a mean of 16.42 (SD = 1.72). Forty-four percent of dancers presented with one or more asymmetries and 43% demonstrated one or more dysfunctional movement patterns. The active straight-leg raise was the most proficiently performed movement pattern, while the deep squat, hurdle step, and rotary stability were the least proficient. Functional Movement Screen outcome scores indicated that dysfunctional movement patterns and asymmetries exist in collegiate dancers. Additional research is needed to establish normative FMS TM scores for the different genres and levels of dance and establish the relationship between FMS™ scores and injury risk potential, and if that relationship is established, determine the efficacy of the FMS™ to develop intervention programs for injury prevention.Dancers are known to have specific limb preferences when they dance and commonly experience lower limb injury, especially early in their training. The primary aim of this study was to determine and examine the relationships between lateral limb bias, perceived turnout profile, and lower limb injury history in female pre-professional ballet dancers using current definitions of lateral bias, leg dominance, and the concept of "working" and "supporting" legs in dance. A cross-sectional survey design with retrospective recall of 12-month injury history was employed. An online questionnaire was distributed to female dancers between the ages of 16 and 21 years who were training in classical ballet at the pre-professional level in Australia. The questionnaire gathered information regarding laterality, perceived turnout asymmetry, and self-reported 12-month injury profile. Descriptive and correlation analyses were employed to describe dancer profiles and determine relationships between the three variables. Thirty-two dancers participated. The majority of participants (67%) had right-side dominance and most indicated the right leg as their preferred supporting leg (86.7%) and working leg (60%). A total of 17 participants (53.1%) reported at least one injury in the preceding 12-month period and the side injured was significantly correlated with leg dominance (rS = 0.595, p = 0.012), with the majority of injuries also affecting the preferred supporting and working leg. Dancer perceptions regarding turnout range were correlated with their perceptions of leg dominance (rS = 0.556, p = 0.001), but no statistically significant associations were found between perceptions of turnout range and injury side. In pre-professional dancers, the dominant and the preferred supporting or working leg tend to be the same leg, and the results suggest that the dominant and preferred supporting and working leg of dancers are at greatest risk of injury.As efforts to improve surveillance and decrease injury rates in pre-professional dancer's progress, it is important to identify injury patterns and contexts. The aim of this study was to examine sex, training-based injury characteristics, and external causal mechanisms of injury among pre-professional modern dancers. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/fdi-6.html Using a prospective cohort study design, 180 dancers (females = 140, males = 40, age 18.15 ± 0.68 years) were screened at freshman enrollment and followed for the 4 years of their college training. Injury, defined as medical attention injury (MAI) or time-loss injury (TLI), was classified by diagnosis, tissue category, body region, and incident event (action and dance environment). Negative binomial log-linear analyses evaluated injury rates by sex and training year. Multinomial regression compared injury characteristics and incident events, p less then 0.05. Sex characteristics differed in height, mass, years of dance training, and previous injury (p ≤ 0.037). Total, traumatic, and overuse injuries per 1,000 hours decreased across training years for both injury definitions, p less then 0.001, with no sex differences. In year 1, dancers were more likely to sustain muscle, tendon, and bone injuries (p ≤ 0.008) and to injure leg, ankle, foot, and hip, thigh, and knee regions (p ≤ 0.001). Jumping and running was the most commonly cited action mechanism in MAI and TLI in both sexes. Females were more likely to report alignment in MAI and TLI and jumping and running in TLI. Males were 1.4 times more likely to sustain muscle or tendon MAI (p = 0.006), while reporting partnering in MAI. Ballet class and rehearsals accounted for the majority of attributed dance environment mechanisms in MAI and TLI. Injury rates in pre-professional modern dancers decreased with training. Understanding sex, training, and external causal mechanisms will allow teachers to tailor programs to reduce injuries during training.Handheld dynamometry (HHD) using external fixation has demonstrated high inter- and intra-rater reliability. Handheld dynamometry offers an objective way to quantify strength; however, setting up external stabilization devices for HHD can be time consuming. This study examined the reliability of HHD for lower extremity strength in dancers using body weight stabilization. Twenty-six pre-professional dancers (age 20.64 ± 2.21 years) were recruited and assessed by three testers an experienced physical therapist (ePT), a novice physical therapist (nPT), and a student physical therapist (SPT). To avoid testing fatigue, dancers were divided into two testing groups and were evaluated on separate weekends. Testers used HHD to test isometric force production of six muscle groups in the first cohort and seven dif- ferent muscle groups in the second cohort. Testing positions were standardized and utilized a "make" test protocol. Intra- class correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% confidence interval, and standard error of measurement were calculated for each position. Inter-rater reliability was > 0.75 for all ICC measures except knee extension and ankle eversion. Intra-rater reliability was > 0.75 for all ICC measures except the ePT (tester A) day 2 for hip extension, internal rotation seated, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion; nPT (tester B) day 1 knee flexion; and SPT (tester C) for day 1 knee extension and ankle eversion and days 1 and 2 for ankle dorsiflexion and inversion. It is concluded that HHD can reliably measure force production of hip, knee, and ankle muscle groups without use of external fixation devices.This study investigated the prevalence of perfectionism among young female competitive Irish dancers and examined the relationships between perfectionistic tendencies and coping strategies used when experiencing injury. Sixty-eight female dancers (Mean age 14 ± 2.3 years) completed the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and provided a record of injuries incurred during their championship careers. Participants reported 189 injuries, mostly involving the lower extremities. Seventy-nine percent of dancers reported perfectionistic tendencies (mixed perfectionism 40%, pure self-oriented perfectionism 29%, pure socially prescribed perfectionism 10%), and most frequently adopted "planful problem-solving," "seeking social support," "distancing," and "self-controlling" strategies to cope with injury. Perfectionism and two coping strategies were found to be significantly related (p = 0.03); "planful problem-solving" was typically used "quite a bit or a great deal" by the mixed perfectionism group, but only "somewhat" by the non-perfectionism group, whereas "confrontive coping" was typically not used by the non-perfectionism group but was used "somewhat" by the mixed perfectionism group. Given the presence of such a large degree of perfectionism and the simultaneous employment of problem- and emotion-focused strategies when coping with injuries, it is suggested that medical practitioners acknowledge such tendencies when supporting their dancers in order to reduce the likelihood of negative psychological impact.The purpose of this study was to design and validate a peak functional capacity test that is physiologically comprehensive and appropriate in movement for dancers with broad dance backgrounds. The Seifert Assessment of Functional Capacity for Dancers (SAFD) employs commonly utilized dance movements in progressively intense 3-minute stages, continued until volitional exhaustion. A convenience sample of 13 female collegiate dancers completed a familiariza- tion trial of the SAFD, an SAFD trial, a peak treadmill test, and a second SAFD trial. Time to exhaustion, peak oxygen consumption (VO₂ peak), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured with each trial. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess test-retest reliability, while concurrent validity was analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations (PPMCs). Strong ICCs were found between the SAFD trials for time to exhaustion, VO₂ peak, HR, and RPE, providing evidence of test-retest reliability of the SAFD. Significant positive relationships were found between time to exhaustion, VO₂ peak, HR, BLa, and RPE for the SAFD and the treadmill test, providing evidence of concurrent validity of the SAFD. The data reported in the study provide initial evidence of reliability and validity for the SAFD.Ankle injuries are common among young ballet dancers. These injuries may be attributed to ankle instability, insufficient lower extremity strength, and poor balance control. The purpose of this study was to explore whether these dancers exhibit functional ankle instability and if their single-leg balance control and lower extremity muscle strength correlate with functional ankle instability and leg injuries. Twenty-one ballet dancers (aged 10 to 17 years) participated in the study. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) questionnaire was used to examine functional ankle stability. Isometric muscle strength of the major lower extremity muscles was measured with a digital hand-held dynamometer. Single-leg balance was evaluated with the Y-Balance Test (YBT) and three Athletic Single-leg Stability Test (ASLST) protocols. Lower extremity injuries (self-reported) within 6 months after testing were recorded for correlation analyses. Both dominant and non-dominant ankles of the subjects exhibited functional ankle instability (26.

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7 hrs ago


When relocating to https://www.anyquickmove.com/pt , choosing a reliable moving company is essential. Portugal's moving companies offer a range of services, from packing and loading to transporting and unpacking your belongings.

Descubra os serviços de mudança profissionais da AnyQuickMove por toda a Europa. Garantimos uma mudança segura e tranquila para sua nova casa. Obtenha um orçamento gratuito hoje!

www.anyquickmove.com

7 hrs ago


When relocating to Portugal, choosing a reliable moving company is essential. https://www.anyquickmove.com/pt moving companies offer a range of services, from packing and loading to transporting and unpacking your belongings.

Descubra os serviços de mudança profissionais da AnyQuickMove por toda a Europa. Garantimos uma mudança segura e tranquila para sua nova casa. Obtenha um orçamento gratuito hoje!

www.anyquickmove.com

10 hrs ago


The international and national literature as well as studies carried out in universities in Portugal show there is excessive alcohol consumption and binge drinking. However, no relation with alcohol consumption and college parties has yet been established. The aim of this study was to assess the association between alcohol consumption and binge drinking with college parties, and also to understand specific patterns of alcohol consumption by gender and years of university attendance.

A survey comprised of the "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption" (AUDIT-C) and the question "What is your most consumed drink?" referring to months without and with college parties, was disseminated in the University of Coimbra Facebook® page to students of the University of Coimbra and of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra seventeen years old and over.

The AUDIT-C score in college party months is higher than in months without such parties with strong, positive and significant correlation (ρ = 0.711; ρ &ting binge drinking. The way young people face alcohol consumption is a major problem to be addressed.The Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) is a screening instrument developed to identify basic movement dysfunctions that may increase musculoskeletal injury risk potential. To date there are no published normative values for the FMS™ in dancers; consequently, this study sought to establish those values in addition to identifying the prevalence and nature of movement dysfunction in collegiate dancers. The functional movement proficiency of 111 collegiate dancers was determined using the FMS™, which provides three variables of interest 1. FMS™ total score, 2. number of asymmetries (unequal performance of right and left sides), and 3. number of move- ment pattern dysfunctions. Total FMS™ scores ranged from 11 to 20 out of 21 possible points, with a mean of 16.42 (SD = 1.72). Forty-four percent of dancers presented with one or more asymmetries and 43% demonstrated one or more dysfunctional movement patterns. The active straight-leg raise was the most proficiently performed movement pattern, while the deep squat, hurdle step, and rotary stability were the least proficient. Functional Movement Screen outcome scores indicated that dysfunctional movement patterns and asymmetries exist in collegiate dancers. Additional research is needed to establish normative FMS TM scores for the different genres and levels of dance and establish the relationship between FMS™ scores and injury risk potential, and if that relationship is established, determine the efficacy of the FMS™ to develop intervention programs for injury prevention.Dancers are known to have specific limb preferences when they dance and commonly experience lower limb injury, especially early in their training. The primary aim of this study was to determine and examine the relationships between lateral limb bias, perceived turnout profile, and lower limb injury history in female pre-professional ballet dancers using current definitions of lateral bias, leg dominance, and the concept of "working" and "supporting" legs in dance. A cross-sectional survey design with retrospective recall of 12-month injury history was employed. An online questionnaire was distributed to female dancers between the ages of 16 and 21 years who were training in classical ballet at the pre-professional level in Australia. The questionnaire gathered information regarding laterality, perceived turnout asymmetry, and self-reported 12-month injury profile. Descriptive and correlation analyses were employed to describe dancer profiles and determine relationships between the three variables. Thirty-two dancers participated. The majority of participants (67%) had right-side dominance and most indicated the right leg as their preferred supporting leg (86.7%) and working leg (60%). A total of 17 participants (53.1%) reported at least one injury in the preceding 12-month period and the side injured was significantly correlated with leg dominance (rS = 0.595, p = 0.012), with the majority of injuries also affecting the preferred supporting and working leg. Dancer perceptions regarding turnout range were correlated with their perceptions of leg dominance (rS = 0.556, p = 0.001), but no statistically significant associations were found between perceptions of turnout range and injury side. In pre-professional dancers, the dominant and the preferred supporting or working leg tend to be the same leg, and the results suggest that the dominant and preferred supporting and working leg of dancers are at greatest risk of injury.As efforts to improve surveillance and decrease injury rates in pre-professional dancer's progress, it is important to identify injury patterns and contexts. The aim of this study was to examine sex, training-based injury characteristics, and external causal mechanisms of injury among pre-professional modern dancers. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/fdi-6.html Using a prospective cohort study design, 180 dancers (females = 140, males = 40, age 18.15 ± 0.68 years) were screened at freshman enrollment and followed for the 4 years of their college training. Injury, defined as medical attention injury (MAI) or time-loss injury (TLI), was classified by diagnosis, tissue category, body region, and incident event (action and dance environment). Negative binomial log-linear analyses evaluated injury rates by sex and training year. Multinomial regression compared injury characteristics and incident events, p less then 0.05. Sex characteristics differed in height, mass, years of dance training, and previous injury (p ≤ 0.037). Total, traumatic, and overuse injuries per 1,000 hours decreased across training years for both injury definitions, p less then 0.001, with no sex differences. In year 1, dancers were more likely to sustain muscle, tendon, and bone injuries (p ≤ 0.008) and to injure leg, ankle, foot, and hip, thigh, and knee regions (p ≤ 0.001). Jumping and running was the most commonly cited action mechanism in MAI and TLI in both sexes. Females were more likely to report alignment in MAI and TLI and jumping and running in TLI. Males were 1.4 times more likely to sustain muscle or tendon MAI (p = 0.006), while reporting partnering in MAI. Ballet class and rehearsals accounted for the majority of attributed dance environment mechanisms in MAI and TLI. Injury rates in pre-professional modern dancers decreased with training. Understanding sex, training, and external causal mechanisms will allow teachers to tailor programs to reduce injuries during training.Handheld dynamometry (HHD) using external fixation has demonstrated high inter- and intra-rater reliability. Handheld dynamometry offers an objective way to quantify strength; however, setting up external stabilization devices for HHD can be time consuming. This study examined the reliability of HHD for lower extremity strength in dancers using body weight stabilization. Twenty-six pre-professional dancers (age 20.64 ± 2.21 years) were recruited and assessed by three testers an experienced physical therapist (ePT), a novice physical therapist (nPT), and a student physical therapist (SPT). To avoid testing fatigue, dancers were divided into two testing groups and were evaluated on separate weekends. Testers used HHD to test isometric force production of six muscle groups in the first cohort and seven dif- ferent muscle groups in the second cohort. Testing positions were standardized and utilized a "make" test protocol. Intra- class correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% confidence interval, and standard error of measurement were calculated for each position. Inter-rater reliability was > 0.75 for all ICC measures except knee extension and ankle eversion. Intra-rater reliability was > 0.75 for all ICC measures except the ePT (tester A) day 2 for hip extension, internal rotation seated, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion; nPT (tester B) day 1 knee flexion; and SPT (tester C) for day 1 knee extension and ankle eversion and days 1 and 2 for ankle dorsiflexion and inversion. It is concluded that HHD can reliably measure force production of hip, knee, and ankle muscle groups without use of external fixation devices.This study investigated the prevalence of perfectionism among young female competitive Irish dancers and examined the relationships between perfectionistic tendencies and coping strategies used when experiencing injury. Sixty-eight female dancers (Mean age 14 ± 2.3 years) completed the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and provided a record of injuries incurred during their championship careers. Participants reported 189 injuries, mostly involving the lower extremities. Seventy-nine percent of dancers reported perfectionistic tendencies (mixed perfectionism 40%, pure self-oriented perfectionism 29%, pure socially prescribed perfectionism 10%), and most frequently adopted "planful problem-solving," "seeking social support," "distancing," and "self-controlling" strategies to cope with injury. Perfectionism and two coping strategies were found to be significantly related (p = 0.03); "planful problem-solving" was typically used "quite a bit or a great deal" by the mixed perfectionism group, but only "somewhat" by the non-perfectionism group, whereas "confrontive coping" was typically not used by the non-perfectionism group but was used "somewhat" by the mixed perfectionism group. Given the presence of such a large degree of perfectionism and the simultaneous employment of problem- and emotion-focused strategies when coping with injuries, it is suggested that medical practitioners acknowledge such tendencies when supporting their dancers in order to reduce the likelihood of negative psychological impact.The purpose of this study was to design and validate a peak functional capacity test that is physiologically comprehensive and appropriate in movement for dancers with broad dance backgrounds. The Seifert Assessment of Functional Capacity for Dancers (SAFD) employs commonly utilized dance movements in progressively intense 3-minute stages, continued until volitional exhaustion. A convenience sample of 13 female collegiate dancers completed a familiariza- tion trial of the SAFD, an SAFD trial, a peak treadmill test, and a second SAFD trial. Time to exhaustion, peak oxygen consumption (VO₂ peak), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured with each trial. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess test-retest reliability, while concurrent validity was analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations (PPMCs). Strong ICCs were found between the SAFD trials for time to exhaustion, VO₂ peak, HR, and RPE, providing evidence of test-retest reliability of the SAFD. Significant positive relationships were found between time to exhaustion, VO₂ peak, HR, BLa, and RPE for the SAFD and the treadmill test, providing evidence of concurrent validity of the SAFD. The data reported in the study provide initial evidence of reliability and validity for the SAFD.Ankle injuries are common among young ballet dancers. These injuries may be attributed to ankle instability, insufficient lower extremity strength, and poor balance control. The purpose of this study was to explore whether these dancers exhibit functional ankle instability and if their single-leg balance control and lower extremity muscle strength correlate with functional ankle instability and leg injuries. Twenty-one ballet dancers (aged 10 to 17 years) participated in the study. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) questionnaire was used to examine functional ankle stability. Isometric muscle strength of the major lower extremity muscles was measured with a digital hand-held dynamometer. Single-leg balance was evaluated with the Y-Balance Test (YBT) and three Athletic Single-leg Stability Test (ASLST) protocols. Lower extremity injuries (self-reported) within 6 months after testing were recorded for correlation analyses. Both dominant and non-dominant ankles of the subjects exhibited functional ankle instability (26.

10 hrs ago


1±1.7 (1-10) pDDIs per patient. The drugs most frequently involved in pDDIs were cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and nitrates ("poppers"). The prevalence of pDDIs across ART regimens was protease inhibitors (41.7%); integrase inhibitor-boosted regimens (32.1%), and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (26.3%). An awareness of pDDIs and beliefs about their potential toxicity correlated positively with intentional non-adherence (p less then 0.0001). Participants with pDDIs exhibited a higher prevalence of intentional non-adherence (2.19±1.04 vs. 1.93±0.94; p = 0.001). The presence of pDDIs was not associated with poorer results in the clinical variables analysed. A significant proportion of PLHIV who use drugs experience pDDIs, thereby requiring close monitoring. pDDIs should be considered in the clinical management of HIV patients. Adequate information about pDDIs and indicators about how to manage ART when PLHIV use drugs could improve ART non-adherence.
The wellbeing of sexual and gender minority (SGM) medical students and the impact of their experiences on career trajectory remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to characterize the incidence of mistreatment in SGM trainees as well as general perspectives on the acceptance of SGM individuals across medical and surgical specialties.

This was a cross sectional survey study of all actively enrolled medical students within the six University of California campuses conducted in March 2021. An online, survey tool captured incidence of bullying, discrimination, and suicidal ideation as well as perceived acceptance of SGM identities across specialties measured by slider scale. Differences between SGM and non-SGM respondents were assessed with two-tailed and chi-square tests. Qualitative responses were evaluated utilizing a multi-stage, cutting-and-sorting technique.

Of approximately 3,205 students eligible for participation, 383 submitted completed surveys, representing a response rate of 12.0%. Of in sexual preference and gender identity regardless of specialty.
Overall, SGM respondents reported higher incidences of bullying and suicidal ideation as well as increased self-censorship stemming from concerns regarding career advancement, most prominently in surgery. To address such barriers, institutions must actively promote diversity in sexual preference and gender identity regardless of specialty.SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has greatly affected healthcare workers because of the high risk of getting infected. The present cross-sectional study measured SARS-CoV-2 antibody in healthcare workers of Kashmir, India.
Serological testing to detect antibodies against nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 was performed in 2003 healthcare workers who voluntarily participated in the study.

We report relatively high seropositivity of 26.8% (95% CI 24.8-28.8) for SARS-CoV-2in healthcare workers, nine months after the first case was detected in Kashmir. Most of the healthcare workers (71.7%) attributed infection to the workplace environment. Among healthcare workers who neither reported any prior symptom nor were they ever tested for infection by nasopharyngeal swab test, 25.5% were seropositive.

We advocate interval testing by nasopharyngeal swab test of all healthcare workers regardless of symptoms to limit the transmission of infection within healthcare settings.
We advocate interval testing by nasopharyngeal swab test of all healthcare workers regardless of symptoms to limit the transmission of infection within healthcare settings.COVID-19 mainly presents as a respiratory disease with flu-like symptoms, however, recent findings suggest that non-respiratory symptoms can occur early in the infection and cluster together in different groups in different regions. We collected surveillance data among COVID-19 suspected cases tested in mainland Portugal during the first wave of the pandemic, March-April 2020. A multivariable logistic-regression analysis was performed to ascertain the effects of age, sex, prior medical condition and symptoms on the likelihood of testing positive and hospitalisation. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/troglitazone-cs-045.html Of 25,926 COVID-19 suspected cases included in this study, 5,298 (20%) tested positive. Symptoms were grouped into ten clusters, of which two main ones one with cough and fever and another with the remainder. There was a higher odds of a positive test with increasing age, myalgia and headache. The odds of being hospitalised increased with age, presence of fever, dyspnoea, or having a prior medical condition although these results varied by region. Presence of cough and other respiratory symptoms did not predict COVID-19 compared to non-COVID respiratory disease patients in any region. Dyspnoea was a strong determinant of hospitalisation, as well as fever and the presence of a prior medical condition, whereas these results varied by region.
Feasibility of mobile Apps to monitor diseases has not been well documented particularly in developing countries. We developed and studied the feasibility of using a mobile App to collect daily data on COVID-19 symptoms and people's movements.

We used an open source software "KoBo Toolbox" to develop the App and installed it on low cost smart mobile phones. We named this App "Wetaase" ("protect yourself"). The App was tested on 30 selected households from 3 densely populated areas of Kampala, Uganda, and followed them for 3 months. One trained member per household captured the data in the App for each enrolled member and uploaded it to a virtual server on a daily basis. The App is embedded with an algorithm that flags participants who report fever and any other COVID-19 related symptom.

A total of 101 participants were enrolled; 61% female; median age 23 (interquartile range (IQR) 17-36) years. Usage of the App was 78% (95% confidence interval (CI) 77.0%-78.8%). It increased from 40% on day 1 to a peak was high (78%) and it was similar across the three study sites, sex and age groups. Reporting of symptoms related to COVID-19 was low. Movements were mainly to markets and shops. Users reported that the App was easy to use and recommended its scale up. We recommend that this App be assessed at a large scale for feasibility, usability and acceptability as an additional tool for increasing alerts on COVID-19 in Uganda and similar settings.
To know the experiences of Venezuelan migrant women living in shelters in Roraima state at the northwestern border between Venezuela and Brazil regarding situations of violence as part of the dynamics of everyday life.

Data were collected in January 2020 through 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 5 to 14 Venezuelan migrant women aged 18-49 years old living transitorily in five shelters established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Brazilian government. We obtained individual and shared views on the experiences regarding violence that migrant women may experience in their everyday life. To organize the FGDs, variations in age and the time women were living at the shelters were considered. All FGDs were held in a place at the shelter that guaranteed privacy and secrecy so that women could express themselves freely. The initial question was broad and open ended and was followed by more specific questions about situations of domestic violence and other types of violence.among those living in the UNHCR shelters at the northwestern border of Brazil-Venezuela. These women are not comfortable with this situation, and it is difficult for them to understand and handle the episodes of violence.Dengue virus (DENV) disruption of the innate immune response is critical to establish infection. DENV non-structural protein 5 (NS5) plays a central role in this disruption, such as antagonism of STAT2. We recently found that DENV serotype 2 (DENV2) NS5 interacts with Polymerase associated factor 1 complex (PAF1C). The primary members of PAF1C are PAF1, LEO1, CTR9, and CDC73. This nuclear complex is an emerging player in the immune response. It promotes the expression of many genes, including genes related to the antiviral, antimicrobial and inflammatory responses, through close association with the chromatin of these genes. Our previous work demonstrated that NS5 antagonizes PAF1C recruitment to immune response genes. However, it remains unknown if NS5 antagonism of PAF1C is complementary to its antagonism of STAT2. Here, we show that knockout of PAF1 enhances DENV2 infectious virion production. By comparing gene expression profiles in PAF1 and STAT2 knockout cells, we find that PAF1 is necessary to express immune response genes that are STAT2-independent. Finally, we mapped the viral determinants for the NS5-PAF1C protein interaction. We found that NS5 nuclear localization and the C-terminal region of the methyltransferase domain are required for its interaction with PAF1C. Mutation of these regions rescued the expression of PAF1-dependent immune response genes that are antagonized by NS5. In sum, our results support a role for PAF1C in restricting DENV2 replication that NS5 antagonizes through its protein interaction with PAF1C.
As whole-genome sequencing for pathogen genomes becomes increasingly popular, the typing methods of gene-by-gene comparison, such as core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST), are being routinely implemented in molecular epidemiology. However, some intrinsic problems remain. For example, genomic sequences with varying read depths, read lengths, and assemblers influence the genome assemblies, introducing error or missing alleles into the generated allelic profiles. These errors and missing alleles might create "specious discrepancy" among closely related isolates, thus making accurate epidemiological interpretation challenging. In addition, the rapid growth of the cgMLST allelic profile database can cause problems related to storage and maintenance as well as long query search times.

We attempted to resolve these issues by decreasing the scheme size to reduce the occurrence of error and missing alleles, alleviate the storage burden, and improve the. monocytogenes as a demonstration in this study, the approach can be applied to other schemes and pathogens. Our findings might help elucidate gene-by-gene-based epidemiology.
The measures implemented by governments worldwide to control and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 have impacted the populations and directly influenced individuals' quality of life and consumption habits.

This work investigates the Portuguese population's changes in alcohol, stimulants drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceutical consumptions habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An online questionnaire comprising seven groups of questions-with one group referring to alcohol, stimulant drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceuticals consumption habits-was made available to the general adult population of mainland Portugal from the 26th January through the 31st of March 2021. After applying the inclusion criteria, 1666 questionnaires were selected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Our results show that 48.9% of the participants have alcohol drinking habits and increased their alcohol consumption by 16% after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Furthermore, 8.7% of the respondents felt the need to increase their consumption of stimulant drinks, especially coffee, the most consumed stimulant drink (77.

10 hrs ago


A fixed-time trajectory tracking control method for uncertain robotic manipulators with input saturation based on reinforcement learning (RL) is studied. https://www.selleckchem.com/pharmacological_epigenetics.html The designed RL control algorithm is implemented by a radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN), in which the actor NN is used to generate the control strategy and the critic NN is used to evaluate the execution cost. A new nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode technique is used to ensure the convergence of tracking error in fixed time, and the upper bound of convergence time is estimated. To solve the saturation problem of an actuator, a nonlinear antiwindup compensator is designed to compensate for the saturation effect of the joint torque actuator in real time. Finally, the stability of the closed-loop system based on the Lyapunov candidate is analyzed, and the timing convergence of the closed-loop system is proven. Simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control law.Virtual Reality (VR) setups offer the possibility to investigate interactions between model and observer characteristics in imitation behavior, such as in the chameleon effect of automatic mimicry. We tested the hypothesis that perceived affiliative characteristics of a virtual model, such as similarity to the observer and likability, will facilitate observers' engagement in voluntary motor imitation. In a within-subjects design, participants were exposed to four virtual characters of different degrees of realism and observer similarity (avatar numbers AN=1-4), ranging from an abstract stickperson to a personalized doppelganger avatar designed from 3d scans of the observer. The characters performed different trunk movements and participants were asked to imitate these. We defined functional ranges of motion (ROM) for spinal extension (bending backward, BB), lateral flexion (bending sideward, BS) and rotation in the horizontal plane (RH) based on shoulder marker trajectories as behavioral indicators of imitation. Participants' ratings on avatar appearance, characteristics and embodiment/ enfacement were recorded in an Autonomous Avatar Questionnaire (AAQ), factorized into three sum scales based on our explorative analysis. Linear mixed effects models revealed that for lateral flexion (BS), a facilitating influence of avatar type on ROM was mediated by perceived identificatory avatar properties such as avatar likability, avatar-observer-similarity and other affiliative characteristics (AAQ1). This suggests that maximization of model-observer similarity with a virtual doppelganger may be useful in observational modeling and this could be used to modify maladaptive motor behaviors in patients with chronic back pain.Acupoint specificity for diseases has consistently been the focus of acupuncture research owing to its excellent prospects for clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, the specificity of cardiovascular and sleep functions in terms of electrical signals at acupoints remains unclear. In this study, five volunteers were recruited and their electrophysiological signals of GV20 (baihui), RN17 (danzhong), PC6 (neiguan), and SP6 (sanyinjiao) and the corresponding sham points, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, blood pressure, and echocardiography were monitored over four periods of 90-day head-down bed rest (HDBR). The results demonstrated that the power and characteristic amplitude of the acupoints were more significant than those of the sham points under normal conditions. And along with the altered physiological condition of the body after HDBR, the differential signal characteristic amplitude (DSCA) and the power of the acupoints were decreased to a larger extent than those of the sham points. In addition, the difference between the power of acupuncture and sham points was also reduced. During the recovery period, except for GV20, the power and DSCA of other acupoints did not return to normal. In terms of DSCA, GV20 is related to human sleep function and other acupoints are related to cardiovascular function. The above results show that the electrophysiological signals of acupoints are disease-specific and more accurately reflect the changes of physiological homeostasis. The research conduces to the development of acupuncture-based disease diagnosis and treatment integrated methods, and the realization of the portable and accurate diagnosis and regulation of diseases in space medicine.Evaluation of stability or loss of balance in walking persists as an open question. Although an inverted pendulum model is often adopted to evaluate stance leg balance, a stumbling-related balance loss should be associated with the swing leg. We propose a new framework based on a compass gait model that determines whether the current state (i.e., position and velocity) in the swing phase can maintain steady state walking or, instead, fall without active joint torque, which is termed as balance map analysis. The forward and backward balance loss regions are derived by a linear compass gait model. To test the balance map analysis, measurement experiments of steady state walking and stumbled walking are used to validate two hypotheses 1) the state during steady-state walking is not located in the balance loss region; and 2) if stumbling occurs, the state moves toward the forward balance loss region. The results of the balance map analysis showed good agreement with our prediction in the hypotheses. The minimum Euclid distance from the balance loss region is defined as the margin, and the margin from forward balance loss rapidly decreased after the stumbling perturbation. The statistical results reveal that the margin from the forward balance loss region after perturbation is significantly smaller than the margin in steady state walking. These results suggest that balance map analysis provides a new aspect of walking balance, expanded for the stumbling and recovery behavior of human walking.The code for the balance map analysis is available at https//github.com/TakahiroKagawa/GaitAnalysis_BM.
Vojta therapy describes stereotypic widespread motor responses as a pattern of tonic muscle contractions during a peripherical pressure stimulation. The present work proposes to characterize the responses at muscles level to a specific tactile input based on Vojta therapy, assessed by sEMG, compared to a sham stimulation in healthy subjects.

Surface electromyography (sEMG) signal was acquired with dipolar electrodes placed at wrist extensors of both forearms, right tibialis anterior, and top part of rectus abdominus, ground channel placed over the right olecranon. It was amplified and digitized by a 4-channel hub Biosignalsplux device (Plux Wireless Biosignals S.A., Lisboa, Portugal), sampled at 1000 Hz with 16-bit per channel. A continuous 10-minute record of the sEMG signal from the four electrodes were registered. Resting EEG during the first minute before the stimulation period was recorded by 64 active electrodes.

Statistically significant differences were showed between sham and experimental group. Experimental group participants were subjected to cluster analysis based on their muscle activation patterns, generating three different models of activation. Differences in the previous resting cortical activity in left superior frontal area were found between clusters that activated limb muscles and the cluster that did not.

Vojta specific stimulation area activates innate muscle responses assessed by sEMG in healthy subjects, compared to a sham stimulation.

This characterization might be helpful to the prescription and application of Vojta therapy in an individual-basis for non-neurophysiologically damaged adult subjects.
This characterization might be helpful to the prescription and application of Vojta therapy in an individual-basis for non-neurophysiologically damaged adult subjects.This paper presents a set of adaptive reset techniques for use with haptic retargeting systems focusing on interaction with hybrid virtual reality interfaces that align with a physical interface. Haptic retargeting between changing physical and virtual targets requires a reset where the physical and virtual hand positions are re-aligned. We present a modified Point technique to guide the user in the direction of their next interaction such that the remaining distance to the target is minimized upon completion of the reset. This, along with techniques drawn from existing work are further modified to consider the angular and translational gain of each redirection and identify the optimal position for the reset to take place. When the angular and translational gain is within an acceptable range, the reset can be entirely omitted. This enables continuous retargeting between targets removing interruptions from a sequence of retargeted interactions. These techniques were evaluated in a user study which showed that adaptive reset techniques can provide a significant decrease in task completion time, travel distance, and the number of user errors.The rapidly growing size and complexity of 3D geological models has increased the need for level-of-detail techniques and compact encodings to facilitate interactive visualization. For large-scale hexahedral meshes, state-of-the-art approaches often employ wavelet schemes for level of detail as well as for data compression. Here, wavelet transforms serve two purposes (1) they achieve substantial compression for data reduction; and (2) the multiresolution encoding provides levels of detail for visualization. However, in coarser detail levels, important geometric features, such as geological faults, often get too smoothed out or lost, due to linear translation-invariant filtering. The same is true for attribute features, such as discontinuities in porosity or permeability. We present a novel, integrated approach addressing both purposes above, while preserving critical data features of both model geometry and its attributes. Our first major contribution is that we completely decouple the computation of levels of detail from data compression, and perform nonlinear filtering in a high-dimensional data space jointly representing the geological model geometry with its attributes. Computing detail levels in this space enables us to jointly preserve features in both geometry and attributes. While designed in a general way, our framework specifically employs joint bilateral filters, computed efficiently on a high-dimensional permutohedral grid. For data compression, after the computation of all detail levels, each level is separately encoded with a standard wavelet transform. Our second major contribution is a compact GPU data structure for the encoded mesh and attributes that enables direct real-time GPU visualization without prior decoding.Ultrasound is capable of non-invasive transcranial focusing and activating the targeted neurons in brain regions, receiving increasing attention. Ion channel, acting as a nano-ionic switch, enables to modulate the ion flow across cellular membranes and it is of importance to control the firing frequency of a neuron. In this letter, we demonstrate the behavioral response of the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in response to ultrasound stimulation is mediated by the activation of mechanical sensitive MEC-4 and MEC-6 ion channels. By specific mutation of MEC-4 and MEC-6 ion channel, mutant worms show a significant decrease in the percentage of reversal behavior (30 ± 10.5% and 10 ± 6.9%, respectively), compared with wild type (85 ± 8.2%). Furthermore, ALM and PLM neurons expressing MEC-4 and MEC-6 ion channels could be evoked directly by ultrasound stimulation, indicating MEC-4 and MEC-6 may pave a new way for sonogenetics.