77 research outputs found
Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: initial evaluation of a large series of patients
Measuring body composition in overweight individuals by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
BACKGROUND: Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used for body composition measurements in normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals. The limitations of bone densitometers have been frequently addressed. However, the possible errors in assessing body composition in overweight individuals due to incorrect positioning or limitations of DXA to accurately assess both bone mineral density and body composition in obese individuals have not received much attention and are the focus of this report. DISCUSSION: We discuss proper ways of measuring overweight individuals and point to some studies where that might not have been the case. It appears that currently, the most prudent approach to assess body composition of large individuals who cannot fit under the scanning area would be to estimate regional fat, namely the regions of thigh and/or abdomen. Additionally, using two-half body scans, although time consuming, may provide a relatively accurate measurement of total body fat, however, more studies using this technique are needed to validate it. SUMMARY: Researchers using bone densitometers for body composition measurements need to have an understanding of its limitations in overweight individuals and address them appropriately when interpreting their results. Studies on accuracy and precision in measurements of both bone and soft tissue composition in overweight individuals using available densitometers are needed
Insights into household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from a population-based serological survey
Understanding the risk of infection from household- and community-exposures and the transmissibility of asymptomatic infections is critical to SARS-CoV-2 control. Limited previous evidence is based primarily on virologic testing, which disproportionately misses mild and asymptomatic infections. Serologic measures are more likely to capture all previously infected individuals. We apply household transmission models to data from a cross-sectional, household-based population serosurvey of 4,534 people ≥5 years from 2,267 households enrolled April-June 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. We found that the risk of infection from exposure to a single infected household member aged ≥5 years (17.3%,13.7-21.7) was more than three-times that of extra-household exposures over the first pandemic wave (5.1%,4.5-5.8). Young children had a lower risk of infection from household members. Working-age adults had the highest extra-household infection risk. Seropositive asymptomatic household members had 69.4% lower odds (95%CrI,31.8-88.8%) of infecting another household member compared to those reporting symptoms, accounting for 14.5% (95%CrI, 7.2-22.7%) of all household infections
Le medicine e le terapie non convenzionali nelle politiche e nelle esperienze del servizio sanitario
Interaction between vision and neck proprioception in the control of stance
Balance control depends on the interaction of multiple
inputs originating from different sensory systems. Here,
we investigated the effect on quiet human stance of changing
the visual condition prior to a proprioceptive perturbation
produced by vibration of dorsal neck muscles. In complete
absence of visual references, the amplitude of the postural
responses to neck vibration (forward shift of the centre of
foot pressure) was the largest and became progressively
larger as a function of the repetition of administered stimuli.
The posture-destabilizing effect of vibration eyes-closed (EC)
and the build-up effect were reduced if vibration was preceded
by a period during which vision was allowed (EO).
Similarly, the small destabilizing effect of vibration EO was
increased if vibration was preceded by an EC period. The
fore-period must last more than 3 s in order to affect the
response to neck muscle vibration. The responsiveness to a
proprioceptive disturbing input does not immediately change
on adding or subtracting vision, but a finite time period must
elapse before the postural \u201cset\u201d defined by vision is fully
established. The findings underline the importance of time
when vision is used in re-weighting the excitability of the
postural control mechanisms
Tailored balance exercises for people with multiple sclerosis: a pilot randomized controlled study
Quantum machine learning framework for virtual screening in drug discovery: a prospective quantum advantage
Interaction between vision and neck proprioception in the control of stance
Balance control depends on the interaction of multiple
inputs originating from different sensory systems. Here,
we investigated the effect on quiet human stance of changing
the visual condition prior to a proprioceptive perturbation
produced by vibration of dorsal neck muscles. In complete
absence of visual references, the amplitude of the postural
responses to neck vibration (forward shift of the centre of
foot pressure) was the largest and became progressively
larger as a function of the repetition of administered stimuli.
The posture-destabilizing effect of vibration eyes-closed (EC)
and the build-up effect were reduced if vibration was preceded
by a period during which vision was allowed (EO).
Similarly, the small destabilizing effect of vibration EO was
increased if vibration was preceded by an EC period. The
fore-period must last more than 3 s in order to affect the
response to neck muscle vibration. The responsiveness to a
proprioceptive disturbing input does not immediately change
on adding or subtracting vision, but a finite time period must
elapse before the postural “set” defined by vision is fully
established. The findings underline the importance of time
when vision is used in re-weighting the excitability of the
postural control mechanisms
Motor imagery influences the execution of repetitive finger opposition movements.
Motor imagery (MI) is the ability to imagine performing a movement without executing it. In literature, there have been numerous reports on the influence of MI on motor practice and the beneficial effects of "mental practice" on the physical performance has been suggested to rely to the close temporal association between motor rehearsal and actual performance. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether the addition of a period of motor imagery between two motor practice trials could modify movement execution in a repetitive finger opposition motor task performed at maximal speed and whether the effect of motor imagery on motor practice is dependant on the complexity of movement. We observed that the addition of motor imagery to the sole motor practice was able to influence the performance of repetitive finger opposition movements inducing an increase of the velocity of movement greater than that observed with the motor practice alone. Further the addition of motor imagery was able to induce a modification in the motor strategy in terms of duration of the main phases of movements. This was more evident when subjects executed a finger sequential task with respect to a simple finger tapping task. We assume that mental rehearsal facilitates the brain network involved in sensorimotor control, particularly acting on those neural structures involved in the motor program
- …