Effects of Regional Inequalities on the Sporting Activity of School Pupils: The Hungarian Case

Abstract In this study, the sporting activity of Hungarian school pupils is investigated with a focus on regional differences. The objective of the paper is to answer the following questions: Are there regional differences in pupils’ sporting activity, and, if yes, what is their relationship with the socio-cultural background of the pupils and the infrastructural and staffing conditions of schools? Has the 2012 introduction of daily physical education had a different effect on pupils’ leisure-time sporting activity in disadvantaged and affluent regions? Can the trends in the sporting activity of pupils be characterized as convergent or divergent since the introduction of daily physical education? The paper is based on an extensive study that relies on the most comprehensive database on physical education in schools, the National Assessment of Basic Competencies (NABC). The present study statistically analyzed eighth-grade pupil and school data from the 2010 and 2014 NABC. The results present the regional differences in pupils’ participation in sporting activity, their recent modification, and the main reasons behind the changes. In conclusion, the authors state that social, economic, and cultural inequalities are not clearly reflected in the sporting activity of students; however, certain data still call attention to the need to examine regional differences.</jats:p

Traumatic axonal injury in the spinal cord evoked by traumatic brain injury

Although it is well known that traumatic brain injury (TBI) evokes traumatic axonal injury (TAI) within the brain, TBI-induced axonal damage in the spinal cord (SC) has been less extensively investigated. Detection of such axonal injury in the spinal cord would further the complexity of TBI while also challenging some functional neurobehavioral endpoints frequently used to assess recovery in various models of TBI. To assess TAI in the spinal cord associated with TBI, we analyzed the craniocervical junction (CCJ), cervico-thoracic (CT), and thoraco-lumber (ThL) spinal cord in a rodent model of impact acceleration of TBI of varying severities. Rats were transcardially fixed with aldehydes at 2, 6, and 24 h post-injury (n � 36); each group included on sham-injured rodent. Semi-serial vibratome sections were reacted with antibodies targeting TAI via alteration in cytoskeletal integrity or impaired axonal transport. Consistent with previous observations in this model, the CCJ contained numerous injured axons. Immunoreactive, damaged axonal profiles were also detected as caudal, as the ThL spinal cord displayed morphological characteristics entirely consistent with those described in the brainstem and the CCJ. Quantitative analyses demonstrated that the occurrence and extent of TAI is positively associated with the impact/energy of injury and negatively with the distance from the brainstem. These observations show that TBI can evoke TAI in regions remote from the injury site, including the spinal cord itself. This finding is relevant to shaken baby syndrome as well as during the analysis of data in functional recovery in various models of TBI

Effect of the Design Constraints and the Loading Model on the Geometry of Topology Optimized Acetabular Cages

The treatment of large acetabular bone defects is a challenging task for the clinical experts. One of the most important part is the selection or the design the most appropriate implant. The aim of the study is to explore the potential of topology optimization for the treatment of extensive pelvic bone defects. Using a finite element method, the authors investigate different design spaces and load cases. Sensitivity tests for the material characteristic of the bone and the constraint of the applied volume-fraction were performed. The results are topology-optimized acetabular cage concepts with similar designs. The conceptual designs are not sensitive to the changing of the elastic modulus of the bone and the volume-fraction constraint. The reason for the similarity between the designs is the close connections, they have a special role in maximizing the stiffness. With the use of our design space, a lot of bone grafts can be put behind the cage and it can give an idea for sheet metal conceptual designs. Due to the close connections, similar conceptual variants are generated under normal walking load, which can be used for faster calculations in similar cases

Topology optimization with displacement constraints: a comparative analysis of acetabular cage designs and bone graft’s strain energy density

Large acetabular defects can be treated effectively through the use of acetabular cages combined with bone grafts, with the formation of living bone facilitated by mechanical stimulus. The mechanical stimulus on the graft is highly dependent on the design of the acetabular cage. Topology optimization offers a means to create conceptual designs of acetabular cages, which can then be assessed for their impact on strain energy density (SED) distribution within the graft. This study aims to compare various acetabular cage designs generated through multiple optimization constraints, with a focus on analyzing the SED distribution in the graft.A virtual bone defect was modeled, and a graft was virtually implanted within it, followed by the creation of a design space for the acetabular cage. Different acetabular cup designs were then generated using volume minimization as the objective function, along with varying displacement constraints, namely the global displacement of the cage center or its relative displacement to the pelvis constrained. Linear static simulations were performed on the hemipelvis model, and the results were filtered using different relative densities to evaluate SED distribution in the graft.The results revealed that the acetabular cage designs produced qualitatively similar strain energy density distributions. Both types of optimization are worth using because together they were able to reduce the element-wise average SED relative errors to below 14%

Funkcionális és morfológiai vizsgálatok mozgászavarok tanulmányozásában: Párhuzamosan végzett elektrofiziológiás és MRI volumetriás vizsgálatok alkalmazása a mozgászavarok patofizilógiájának kutatásában, a gyógyszeres és műtéti terápia hatékonyságána = Functional and morphological studies of movement disorders: The rule of simultaneous tremorometric and MRI volumetric measurement in investigating the pathophysiology of movement disorders, in defining the efficiency of conservative and surgical therapy

Pályázatunk egyik fő célja az emberi mozgás fontos, részleteiben máig ismeretlen funkciójú komponensének, a tremornak a vizsgálata volt. A parkinsonos tremor dinamikus jellegének vizsgálatával bizonyítottuk, hogy a korábbi véleményekkel ellentétben akár a másodpercenként bekövetkező változások hátterében nemcsak a tremor intenzitása, hanem az elektrofiziológiai karaktere (frekvencia, entrópia) is megváltozik. Továbbá azt is igazoltuk, hogy Parkinsonos betegeknél a patológiás és a fiziológiás tremor váltakozása is megfigyelhető. Az ablatív és a mélyagyi stimulációs műtétek tremorometriás vizsgálata vezetett arra a megfigyelésre, hogy a beavatkozást követően a patológiás tremor komponensek is változáson mennek keresztül: a frekvencia és az entrópia szignifikáns mértékben növekszik. Ezzel szemben a hosszú távon hatástalan ablatív műtétek esetében a több hétig tartó átmeneti tremor intenzitás-csökkenésen kívül nem észlelhető hasonló elektrofiziológiai változás. Következtetésképp a tremor elektrofiziológiai vizsgálata alkalmas lehet a műtéti ineffektivitás korai, akár a műtét során történő, felismerésére és ezáltal a reoperáció elkerülésére. A mélyagyi stimuláció mellett elvégzett MRI vizsgálat biztonságosságát igazoló megállapításainkat követően, a stimuláció hatékonyságát vizsgáltuk Parkinson-kórban. Igazoltuk, hogy megfelelő betegcsoportban a stimuláció hatásossága tovább fokozható, amennyiben a betegeket megtanítjuk a stimulációs paraméterek otthoni változtatására is. | The primary aim of our research project was to study an important, but not well-established component of the movement system, the tremor. By the analysis of the dynamic nature of the Parkinsonian rest tremor we demonstrated that during the medication-off state not only the amplitude but also other electrophysiological characteristics (e.g. frequency, entropy) can change by the minute. Furthermore we also demonstrated that in case of Parkinson's disease (PD) the alteration of pathological and physiological tremor can occur. These finings are in contradistinction to the current theories concerning tremor genesis and basal ganglia pathophysiology. The comparison of pre- and postoperative accelerometric recordings of both ablations and deep brain stimulator (DBS) implantations for PD showed that after surgery the tremor frequency and entropy increase. Contrary, after ineffective surgery such changes cannot be observed despite the temporary amplitude reduction. Therefore, the analysis of tremor may enable us to recognize the failed surgery in advance, even during the operation, which may avoid the need of a repeat operation. After establishing the safety considerations using 1.0-T MRI on DBS implanted patients, we demonstrated that in selected cases, the efficacy of stimulation can be further increased by training Parkinsonian patients for the use of the therapy controller

Mély agyi stimuláció szerepe a mozgászavarok kezelésében

A mé ly ag yi stimuláci ó cé l zo tt agyi s t r uktúrák fun kcionál is gátlásán alapu l ó k or szer ű és bizton­ ságos eljá rás , ami kép es a gyógy szeresen má r n em v agy al ig kezelhető Parki nso n-kór; esszen­ ci á li s tremo r és disztónia tüneteinek ja vít ás ára. Jelen összefog la ló k özlemé n yün kkel a p r akt i záló orvosok fi gy e i m é t szerettük vo l na f el h í v n i a m óds zer magyam rs zág l e lé rhetőségé r e