Reproducibility and concordance of functional autonomy tests in older adult women: a comparative study of face-to-face and virtual assessments

Introduction: The literature does not explore functional assessments carried out remotely and in older women in virtual environments. Objective: This study analyzed the reproducibility and agreement in applying functional autonomy tests face to face (FF) and virtually (V). Methods: A single evaluator carried out two evaluations. The following tests were performed: walking 10 m, rising from the sitting position (RSP), rising from the ventral decubitus position (RVDP), and sitting and rising from a chair and walking around the house (SRCW). Results: No significant changes were identified between V and FF (p > 0.05 for all). No significant changes were identified between tests considering FF and V conditions (p > 0.05 for all). The highest value for the intraclass correlation coefficient was <0.0001 for the SRCW (CL, r = 0.98 CI95%: 0.969–0.990 and ICC, r = 0.99 CI95%: 0.984–0.995), and the lowest was <0.0001 for the RSP (CL, r = 0.91 CI95%: 0.853–0.954 and ICC, r = 0.95 CI95%: 0.921–0.976). Regarding agreement between tests, a variation was found between the lowest value of 0.07 ± 0.74 BIAS for the RVDP and the highest value of 0.32 ± 1.89 BIAS for the SRCW. Conclusion: The tests used in the present study showed good reproducibility and agreement in older people when carried out face to face and virtually

The mechanical behavior of the fascial system

The fascial system has a multilayered organization in which each layer has its own role in force transmission. Each layer's composition influences the biomechanical properties of the surrounding structures. In other words, elastin and collagen fibers are both a key component. To study the response of the superficial and deep fascia to mechanical stimuli, experimental tests should be chosen (e.g., uniaxial, biaxial configurations), planned (e.g., sample preparation), performed (e.g., failure, stress–relaxation, and cyclic dynamic tests), and interpreted without introducing bias. To highlight the anisotropic and viscoelastic properties of fascial connective tissue, practical examples of stress–relaxation and failure tests were reported and discussed. The results confirmed the difference between superficial and deep fascial structures for site- and patient-specific interventions

Artificial intelligence in insanity evaluation. Potential opportunities and current challenges

: The formulation of a scientific opinion on whether the individual who committed a crime should be held responsible for his/her actions or should be considered not responsible by reason of insanity is very difficult. Indeed, forensic psychopathological decision on insanity is highly prone to errors and is affected by human cognitive biases, resulting in low inter-rater reliability. In this context, artificial intelligence can be extremely useful to improve the inter-subjectivity of insanity evaluation. In this paper, we discuss the possible applications of artificial intelligence in this field as well as the challenges and pitfalls that hamper the effective implementation of AI in insanity evaluation. In particular, thus far, it is possible to apply only supervised algorithms without knowing which is the ground truth and which data should be used to train and test the algorithms. In addition, it is not known which percentage of accuracy of the algorithms is sufficient to support partial or total insanity, nor which are the boundaries between sanity and partial or total insanity. Finally, ethical aspects have not been sufficiently investigated. We conclude that these pitfalls should be resolved before AI can be safely and reliably applied in criminal trials

Characterization and modelling of the microstructural and mechanical properties of additively manufactured continuous fiber polymer composites

The additive manufacturing of continuous fiber reinforced polymer composites is a technology showing great potential for the production of end-use functional and structural components. The reasons for its still limited use are primarily related to an insufficient knowledge of the mechanical behavior of these composites, especially when considering the features that distinguish the printed components from conventional composite parts. Among these peculiar features, their bead-based architecture has been experimentally and analytically investigated in this study. Following an analysis of the process-morphology correlation, carbon fiber (CF)/polyamide 12 (PA12) specimens were tested to characterize the in-plane quasi-static material properties. Then, a modelling framework has been proposed for assessing the composite elastic properties and average bead stresses. This framework holds the potential to scale up to a structural level, accommodating various fiber trajectories

Sounds, Chants and Discant in Wilbrand von Oldenburg’s Itinerarium: the Embassy in Cilicia (1211-1212)

Wilbrand von Oldenburg was born in the second half of the 12th century into a noble Germanic family and embarked on an ecclesiastical career while still young, becoming canon of the cathedral chapter of Hildesheim in 1211. Linked to the political circles of the empire’s high officials and the religious circles that supported the emperor, he travelled to the Holy Land from 1211 to 1213 for purposes of diplomacy and pilgrimage. The Itinerarium Terrae Sanctae is a significant source of information about the political, military, and ecclesiastical affairs of the recent Christian kingdom of Lesser Armenia, Cyprus, and territories such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, characterised by the coexistence of different peoples and religions. Wilbrand also recounts this diversity through the soundscape he encounters. Perhaps the most interesting sound element of the travel account is the description of the music of the kingdom of Cilicia, particularly for the feast of the day of Epiphany, including the procession of the sovereign and clergy. The many musical details in the text testify to ritual practices that can be traced back, in some respects, to Eastern Greek customs and, in others, to Latin ceremonials, particularly the Franco-Ottonian imperial one. Finally, an unexpected account of discantus for the rite of the day of Epiphany in aurora provides an opportunity to reflect on Wilbrand’s terminology in reference to liturgical musical performance for the intonation of the office, the recitation of epistles and gospels, and the rituals of the most solemn ceremonies

Rumen fluid from donor cows fed different additives can affect the in vitro fermentation parameters

This study assessed the impact of rumen ‘fluid not adapted’ (FNA) and of rumen ‘fluid adapted’ (FA) to three additives on in vitro kinetics of gas production and end products of fermentation. The experiment was performed according to a Latin Square Design of 4 cows and 4 experimental periods. The dry cows received a total mixed ration designed for lactating cows without (control) or with 1 g/d of one of three additives (allyl-sulphide, cinnamaldehyde, limonene) that were selected for their known effects on rumen fermentation. The collected rumen fluids (FNA and FA, respectively) were used as inoculum of 4 consecutive in vitro incubations (1 for each experimental period) adding or not adding 30 mg of one of the three pure compounds. The incubations were performed using a commercial equipment to evaluate the kinetics of gas production and collect the end products of fermentation. The results indicated that FA did not influence any fermentation parameters compared to FNA. However, when allyl-sulphide was added in vitro, the effects of this compound tended to be more pronounced with FA than with FNA. This experiment highlights that the three tested pure additives, which show activity on in vitro fermentations, can alter the in vitro activity of rumen fluid collected from cows fed with these compounds. Therefore, the administration of pure additives directly to the cows can influence the rumen microbial activity and the response of in vitro experiments