210 research outputs found
12 Weeks of Kindergarten-Based Yoga Practice Increases Visual Attention, Visual-Motor Precision and Decreases Behavior of Inattention and Hyperactivity in 5-Year-Old Children
The present study assesses the impact of Kindergarten-based yoga on cognitive performance, visual-motor coordination, and behavior of inattention and hyperactivity in 5-year-old children. In this randomized controlled trial, 45 children (28 female; 17 male; 5.2 ± 0.4 years) participated. Over 12 weeks, 15 children performed Hatha-yoga twice a week for 30 min, another 15 children performed generic physical education (PE) twice a week for 30 min, and 15 children performed no kind of physical activities, serving as control group (CG). Prior to (T0) and after 12 weeks (T1), all participants completed Visual Attention and Visuomotor Precision subtests of Neuropsychological Evaluation Battery and teachers evaluated children’s behavior of inattention and hyperactivity with the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale-IV. At T0, no significant differences between groups appeared. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that following Bonferroni–Holm corrections yoga, in comparison to PE and CG, had a significant positive impact on the development on behavior of inattention and hyperactivity. Further, yoga has a significant positive impact on completion times in two visumotor precision tasks in comparison to PE. Finally, results indicate a significant positive effect of yoga on visual attention scores in comparison to CG. 12 weeks of Kindergarten-based yoga improves selected visual attention and visual-motor precision parameters and decreases behavior of inattention and hyperactivity in 5-year-old children. Consequently, yoga represents a sufficient and cost-benefit effective exercise which could enhance cognitive and behavioral factors relevant for learning and academic achievement among young children
Bone texture alterations in active athletes: A knee-based cross-sectional case-control study
Simulating the ideal geometrical and biomechanical parameters of the pulmonary autograft to prevent failure in the Ross operation
OBJECTIVES: Reinforcements for the pulmonary autograft (PA) in the Ross operation have been introduced to avoid the drawback of conduit
expansion and failure. With the aid of an in silico simulation, the biomechanical boundaries applied to a healthy PA during the operation
were studied to tailor the best implant technique to prevent reoperation.
METHODS: Follow-up echocardiograms of 66 Ross procedures were reviewed. Changes in the dimensions and geometry of reinforced
and non-reinforced PAs were evaluated. Miniroot and subcoronary implantation techniques were used in this series. Mechanical stress
tests were performed on 36 human pulmonary and aortic roots explanted from donor hearts. Finite element analysis was applied to obtain
high-fidelity simulation under static and dynamic conditions of the biomechanical properties and applied stresses on the PA root and leaflet
and the similar components of the native aorta.
RESULTS: The non-reinforced group showed increases in the percentages of the mean diameter that were significantly higher than those
in the reinforced group at the level of the Valsalva sinuses (3.9%) and the annulus (12.1%). The mechanical simulation confirmed geometrical
and dimensional changes detected by clinical imaging and demonstrated the non-linear biomechanical behaviour of the PA anastomosed
to the aorta, a stiffer behaviour of the aortic root in relation to the PA and similar qualitative and quantitative behaviours of leaflets
of the 2 tissues. The annulus was the most significant constraint to dilation and affected the distribution of stress and strain within the entire
complex, with particular strain on the sutured regions. The PA was able to evenly absorb mechanical stresses but was less adaptable to
circumferential stresses, potentially explaining its known dilatation tendency over time.
CONCLUSIONS: The absence of reinforcement leads to a more marked increase in the diameter of the PA. Preservation of the native geometry
of the PA root is crucial; the miniroot technique with external reinforcement is the most suitable strategy in this context
The three hundred project. A machine learning method to infer clusters of galaxy mass radial profiles from mock Sunyaev–Zel’dovich maps
We develop a machine learning algorithm to infer the three-dimensional cumulative radial profiles of total and gas masses in galaxy clusters from thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect maps. We generate around 73 000 mock images along various lines of sight using 2522 simulated clusters from THE THREE HUNDRED project at redshift z < 0.12 and train a model that combines an auto-encoder and a random forest. Without making any prior assumptions about the hydrostatic equilibrium of the clusters, the model is capable of reconstructing the total mass profile as well as the gas mass profile, which is responsible for the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect. We show that the recovered profiles are unbiased with a scatter of about 10 per cent, slightly increasing towards the core and the outskirts of the cluster. We selected clusters in the mass range of 1013.5 ≤ M200/(h−1 M) ≤ 1015.5, spanning different dynamical states, from relaxed to disturbed haloes. We verify that both the accuracy and precision of this method show a slight dependence on the dynamical state, but not on the cluster mass. To further verify the consistency of our model, we fit the inferred total mass profiles with a Navarro–Frenk–White model and contrast the concentration values with those of the true profiles. We note that the inferred profiles are unbiased for higher concentration values, reproducing a trustworthy mass–concentration relation. The comparison with a widely used mass estimation technique, such as hydrostatic equilibrium, demonstrates that our method recovers the total mass that is not biased by non-thermal motions of the gas
Prevalence of MRI-detected mediopatellar plica in subjects with knee pain and the association with MRI-detected patellofemoral cartilage damage and bone marrow lesions: Data from the Joints on Glucosamine study
Background: The mediopatellar plica is a synovial fold representing an embryonic remnant from the developmental process of the synovial cavity formation in the knee. We aimed to examine the frequency of MRI-detected mediopatellar plica and its cross-sectional association with MRI-detected cartilage damage and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) in a cohort of subjects with knee pain. Methods. 342 knees with chronic frequent knee pain were evaluated for MRI-detected mediopatellar plica (type A, B or C according to the modified Sakakibara classification). Cartilage damage (scored 0 to 6) and BMLs (scored 0 to 3) were semiquantitatively assessed in four subregions of the PFJ on MRI. Hoffa-synovitis and effusion-synovitis were graded 0 to 3. Patellar length ratio (PLR), lateral patellar tilt angle (LPTA), bisect offset (BO), and sulcus angle (SA) were measured on MRI. The presence of mediopatellar plica and its association with cartilage damage and BMLs in the PFJ was assessed using logistic regression after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, PLR, LPTA, BO, SA, and Hoffa- and effusion-synovitis. Results: 163 (47.7%) knees exhibited mediopatellar plica (76 (22.2%) type A, 69 (20.2%) type B, and 18 (5.3%) type C) on MRI. Significant cross-sectional associations of MRI-detected mediopatellar plica and cartilage damage were observed for the medial patella (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.12, 95% CI 1.23-3.64 for all types combined, and aOR 4.20, 95% CI 1.92-9.19 for type B lesion), but not for the anterior medial femur or the lateral PFJ. No associations were found between the presence of MRI-detected mediopatellar plica and BMLs in any patellofemoral subregion. Conclusion: On MRI, types A and B mediopatellar plicae were commonly observed in this cohort of subjects with knee pain. MRI-detected mediopatellar plica was cross-sectionally associated with higher likelihood of the presence of MRI-detected medial patellar cartilage damage after adjustment for confounders. © 2013 Hayashi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd
A machine learning method to infer clusters of galaxies mass radial profiles from mock Sunyaev-Zel’dovich maps with The Three Hundred clusters
Our study introduces a new machine learning algorithm for estimating 3D cumulative radial profiles of total and gas mass in galaxy clusters from thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect maps. We generate mock images from 2522 simulated clusters, employing an autoencoder and random forest in our approach. Notably, our model makes no prior assumptions about hydrostatic equilibrium. Our results indicate that the model successfully reconstructs unbiased total and gas mass profiles, with a scatter of approximately 10%. We analyse clusters in various dynamical states and mass ranges, finding that our method’s accuracy and precision are consistent. We verify the capabilities of our model by comparing it with the hydrostatic equilibrium technique, showing that it accurately recovers total mass profiles without any bias
Effects of Anesthetic Agents on Brain Blood Oxygenation Level Revealed with Ultra-High Field MRI
During general anesthesia it is crucial to control systemic hemodynamics and oxygenation levels. However, anesthetic agents can affect cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism in a drug-dependent manner, while systemic hemodynamics is stable. Brain-wide monitoring of this effect remains highly challenging. Because T2*-weighted imaging at ultra-high magnetic field strengths benefits from a dramatic increase in contrast to noise ratio, we hypothesized that it could monitor anesthesia effects on brain blood oxygenation. We scanned rat brains at 7T and 17.2T under general anesthesia using different anesthetics (isoflurane, ketamine-xylazine, medetomidine). We showed that the brain/vessels contrast in T2*-weighted images at 17.2T varied directly according to the applied pharmacological anesthetic agent, a phenomenon that was visible, but to a much smaller extent at 7T. This variation is in agreement with the mechanism of action of these agents. These data demonstrate that preclinical ultra-high field MRI can monitor the effects of a given drug on brain blood oxygenation level in the absence of systemic blood oxygenation changes and of any neural stimulation
The ERA Registry Annual Report 2021:a summary
BackgroundThe European Renal Association (ERA) Registry collects data on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). This paper is a summary of the ERA Registry Annual Report 2021, including a comparison across treatment modalities.MethodsData was collected from 54 national and regional registries from 36 countries, of which 35 registries from 18 countries contributed individual patient data and 19 registries from 19 countries contributed aggregated data. Using this data, incidence and prevalence of KRT, kidney transplantation rates, survival probabilities and expected remaining lifetimes were calculated.ResultsIn 2021, 533.2 million people in the general population were covered by the ERA Registry. The incidence of KRT was 145 per million population (pmp). In incident patients, 55% were 65 years or older, 64% were male, and the most common primary renal disease (PRD) was diabetes (22%). The prevalence of KRT was 1040 pmp. In prevalent patients, 47% were 65 years or older, 62% were male, and the most common PRDs were diabetes and glomerulonephritis/sclerosis (both 16%). On 31 December 2021, 56% of patients received haemodialysis, 5% received peritoneal dialysis, and 39% were living with a functioning graft. The kidney transplantation rate in 2021 was 37 pmp, a majority coming from deceased donors (66%). For patients initiating KRT between 2012–2016, 5-year survival probability was 52%. Compared to the general population, life expectancy was 65% and 68% shorter for males and females receiving dialysis, and 40% and 43% shorter for males and females living with a functioning graft
Supplemented ERA-EDTA Registry data evaluated the frequency of dialysis, kidney transplantation, and comprehensive conservative management for patients with kidney failure in Europe
The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of dialysis and kidney transplantation and to estimate the regularity of comprehensive conservative management (CCM) for patients with kidney failure in Europe. This study uses data from the ERA-EDTA Registry. Additionally, our study included supplemental data from Armenia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Slovenia and additional data from Israel, Italy, Slovakia using other information sources. Through an online survey, responding nephrologists estimated the frequency of CCM (i.e. planned holistic care instead of kidney replacement therapy) in 33 countries. In 2016, the overall incidence of replacement therapy for kidney failure was 132 per million population (pmp), varying from 29 (Ukraine) to 251 pmp (Greece). On 31 December 2016, the overall prevalence of kidney replacement therapy was 985 pmp, ranging from 188 (Ukraine) to 1906 pmp (Portugal). The prevalence of peritoneal dialysis (114 pmp) and home hemodialysis (28 pmp) was highest in Cyprus and Denmark respectively. The kidney transplantation rate was nearly zero in some countries and highest in Spain (64 pmp). In 28 countries with five or more responding nephrologists, the median percentage of candidates for kidney replacement therapy who were offered CCM in 2018 varied between none (Slovakia and Slovenia) and 20% (Finland) whereas the median prevalence of CCM varied between none (Slovenia) and 15% (Hungary). Thus, the substantial differences across Europe in the frequency of kidney replacement therapy and CCM indicate the need for improvement in access to various treatment options for patients with kidney failure.Peer reviewe
Prognostic factors affecting local control of hepatic tumors treated by stereotactic body radiation therapy
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