Impact of unhealthy lifestyle on cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate recovery of medical science students

Background: Medical science students represent valuable labour resources for better future medicine and medical technology. However, little attention was given to the health and well-being of these early career medical science professionals. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of lifestyle components on cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate recovery measured after moderate exercise in this population. Methods: Volunteers without documented medical condition were recruited randomly and continuously from the first-year medical science students during 2011-2014 at the University of Surrey, UK. Demographics and lifestyle components (the levels of smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, weekend outdoor activity and screen-time, daily sleep period, and self-assessment of fitness) were gathered through pre-exercise questionnaire. Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) and heart rate recovery were determined using Åstrand–Rhyming submaximal cycle ergometry test. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25. Results: Among 614 volunteers, 124 had completed both lifestyle questionnaire and the fitness test and were included for this study. Within 124 participants (20.6±4 years), 46.8% were male and 53.2% were female, 11.3% were overweight and 8.9% were underweight, 8.9% were current smokers and 33.1% consumed alcohol beyond the UK recommendation. There were 34.7% of participants admitted to have <3 h/week of moderate physical activity assessed according to UK Government National Physical Activity Guidelines and physically not fit (feeling tiredness). Fitness test showed that VO2max distribution was inversely associated with heart rate recovery at 3 min and both values were significantly correlated with the levels of exercise, self-assessed fitness and BMI. Participants who had <3h/week exercise, or felt not fit or were overweight had significantly lower VO2max and heart rate recovery than their peers. Conclusion: One in three new medical science students were physically inactive along with compromised cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate recovery, which put them at risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Promoting healthy lifestyle at the beginning of career is crucial in keeping medical science professionals healthy

An Integrated Radar Tile for Digital Beamforming X-/Ka-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Instruments

This paper presents the first experimental assessment of a highly integrated dual-band dual-polarized antenna tile designed for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) digital beamforming (DBF) satellite applications. The demonstrator described in this paper is the first comprehensive experimental validation of an RF module providing the X-band and Ka-band (9.6- and 35.75-GHz) operation with custom downconversion stages. All the antennas, transitions, and downconversion chips are integrated in the same antenna tile fabricated using a customized 15-layer high density interconnect process. The designed tile goes to the limits of the proposed technology and for the high trace density and for the size of the vertical transitions. The proposed results represent the state of the art in terms of compactness for a DBF SAR RF module even though the demonstrator was manufactured with a standard low-cost technology. The experimental assessment proves the validity of the proposed manufacturing and integration approaches showing a substantial agreement between the performance of the individual blocks and of the integrated system

Sodium Iodate Selectively Injuries the Posterior Pole of the Retina in a Dose-Dependent Manner: Morphological and Electrophysiological Study

Sequential morphological and functional features of retinal damage in mice exposed to different doses (40 vs. 20 mg/kg) of sodium iodate (NaIO3) were analyzed. Retinal morphology, apoptosis (TUNEL assay), and function (electroretinography; ERG) were examined at several time points after NaIO3 administration. The higher dose of NaIO3 caused progressive degeneration of the whole retinal area and total suppression of scotopic and photopic ERG. In contrast, the lower dose induced much less severe degeneration in peripheral part of retina along with a moderate decline of b- and a-wave amplitudes in ERG, corroborating the presence of regions within retina that retain their function. The peak of photoreceptor apoptosis was found on the 3rd day, but the lower dose induced more intense reaction within the central retina than in its peripheral region. In conclusion, these results indicate that peripheral area of the retina reveals better resistance to NaIO3 injury than its central part

Effect of thong style flip-flops on children’s barefoot walking and jogging kinematics

BACKGROUND: Thong style flip-flops are a popular form of footwear for children. Health professionals relate the wearing of thongs to foot pathology and deformity despite the lack of quantitative evidence to support or refute the benefits or disadvantages of children wearing thongs. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of thong footwear on children’s barefoot three dimensional foot kinematics during walking and jogging. METHODS: Thirteen healthy children (age 10.3 ± 1.6 SD years) were recruited from the metropolitan area of Sydney Australia following a national press release. Kinematic data were recorded at 200 Hz using a 14 camera motion analysis system (Cortex, Motion Analysis Corporation, Santa Rosa, USA) and simultaneous ground reaction force were measured using a force platform (Model 9281B, Kistler, Winterthur, Switzerland). A three-segment foot model was used to describe three dimensional ankle, midfoot and one dimensional hallux kinematics during the stance sub-phases of contact, midstance and propulsion. RESULTS: Thongs resulted in increased ankle dorsiflexion during contact (by 10.9°, p; = 0.005 walk and by 8.1°, p; = 0.005 jog); increased midfoot plantarflexion during midstance (by 5.0°, p; = 0.037 jog) and propulsion (by 6.7°, p; = 0.044 walk and by 5.4°, p;= 0.020 jog); increased midfoot inversion during contact (by 3.8°, p;= 0.042 jog) and reduced hallux dorsiflexion during walking 10% prior to heel strike (by 6.5°, p; = 0.005) at heel strike (by 4.9°, p; = 0.031) and 10% post toe-off (by 10.7°, p; = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ankle dorsiflexion during the contact phase of walking and jogging, combined with reduced hallux dorsiflexion during walking, suggests a mechanism to retain the thong during weight acceptance. Greater midfoot plantarflexion throughout midstance while walking and throughout midstance and propulsion while jogging may indicate a gripping action to sustain the thong during stance. While these compensations exist, the overall findings suggest that foot motion whilst wearing thongs may be more replicable of barefoot motion than originally thought

Big issues for small feet : developmental, biomechanical and clinical narratives on children's footwear

The effects of footwear on the development of children's feet has been debated for many years and recent work from the developmental and biomechanical literature has challenged long-held views about footwear and the impact on foot development. This narrative review draws upon existing studies from developmental, biomechanical and clinical literature to explore the effects of footwear on the development of the foot. The emerging findings from this support the need for progress in [children's] footwear science and advance understanding of the interaction between the foot and shoe. Ensuring clear and credible messages inform practice requires a progressive evidence base but this remains big issue in children's footwear research

Solid and surface modeling in cad/cam systems

Wymagania obecnie stawiane przedmiotom projektowania, czyli konstruowanym obiektom, różnią się od wymagań formułowanych tradycyjnie, nie tylko tym, że są coraz ostrzejsze. Pojawiają się wymagania jakościowo nowe, wynikające z tego, że ustawicznie zwiększa się wielkość projektowanych urządzeń i systemów w sensie rozległości i różnorodności obejmowanej tematyki, a także w sensie kompleksowości powiązań zewnętrznych i ponoszonych kosztów. Projektowanie i konstruowanie w systemach komputerowych opiera się o zasadę tworzenia modeli geometrycznych. Narzędzia i metody modelowania geometrycznego muszą być starannie wybrane a znajomość ich jest konieczna do świadomego ich stosowania. W doborze tych metod projektant musi uwzględniać dalsze procesy projektowe, tak, aby model był podstawą całego procesu rozwoju produktu, a nie źródłem problemów projektowych.The requirements currently placed on the subjects of design, which is engineered objects, differ from the requirements traditionally formulated, not only because they are getting tougher. Appear qualitatively new requirements arising from the fact that the constantly increasing size of the proposed equipment and systems in terms of breadth and diversity of the male subjects, and also in terms of external relations of the complexity and costs. Design and construction of computer systems based on the principle of geometric modeling. Tools and methods for geometric modeling must be carefully selected, and the knowledge they need to be conscious of their use. In choosing these methods, the designer must take into account a further design processes, so that the model was based on the entire product development process, not a source of design problems

Wybrane metody analizy sygnału Elektroretinogramu wywołanego wzorcem

In the paper a short review of methods applied for pattern electroretinogram signal analysis is presented. Various possible alternatives for classical method used in medical practice are described. The capabilities and disadvantages of each method as well as relevant results are briefly presented and/or references are cited. The described algorithms are: statistical regression analysis, continuous wavelet transform, discrete wavelet transform, artificial neural networks, principal components analysis and independent component analysis. The aim of the paper is to give a short review of previously taken activity in the field of pattern electroretinogram analysis particularly for diagnostic purposes, and present a guide for possible approaches to be applied for other bioelectrical signals.W artykule przedstawiono przegląd metod zastosowanych do analizy sygnału elektroretinogramu wywołanego wzorcem. Zaprezentowano szereg możliwych technik alternatywnych w stosunku do procedur używanych w praktyce klinicznej. Przedyskutowano zalety i ograniczenia każdego z algorytmów, przedstawiając pokrótce wyniki doświadczeń lub cytując odpowiednie pozycje literatury. Opisane algorytmy to: statystyczna analiza regresji, ciągła i dyskretna transformata falkowa, sztuczne sieci neuronowe, analiza składowych głównych (PCA) oraz analiza składowych niezależnych (ICA). Celem niniejszego artykuły jest usystematyzowanie wcześniejszych działań autorów w dziedzinie analizy elektroretinogramu wywołanego wzorcem, w szczególności dla potrzeb diagnostyki, oraz zaproponowanie metodologii badań sygnałów bioelektrycznych o podobnym charakterze

Pewne aspekty wygładzania sygnałów bioelektrycznych

Signal averaging plays an important role during the process of biomedical signal acquisition and further analysis. It allows smoothing of the waveform and noise suppression. It has, however, a significant disadvantage, which is elongation of the recording process, because many iterations of the same signal have to be acquired. In certain circumstances it can seriously complicate the examination, or even prevent its completion. This study concerns a concrete example of such signals: transient PERG waveforms, which are electrical responses of the human retina to a special light stimulans. Among many other methods of clinical electrophysiology of vision, PERGs are considered especially useful in the diagnosis of glaucoma. Due to their low amplitude and high noise content many single responses are usually averaged in order to obtain "readable" results. This paper analyzes the influence of the number of averages on PERG "readability" and discusses the application of alternate signal processing methods.W przypadku rejestracji i analizy sygnałów biomedycznych charakteryzujących się bardzo niską amplitudą oraz obecnością zakłóceń standardową praktyką jest wielokrotne uśrednianie zarejestrowanych realizacji sygnału. Pozwala to na wygładzanie przebiegu i eliminację przypadkowych zakłóceń. Ma jednak swoją cenę, która jest wydłużenie czasu rejestracji sygnału. W pewnych warunkach utrudnia to (lub wręcz uniemożliwia) ukończenie badania. Takimi sygnałami są np. elektroretinogramy, czyli zapisy czynności elektrycznej siatkówki wykorzystywane w diagnostyce okulistycznej, a w szczególności sygnał transient PERG (tzw. elektroretinogram patternowy - wywołany wzorcem). Praca przedstawia analizę wpływu liczby uśrednień na "czytelność" sygnału PERG oraz rozważa wykorzystanie alternatywnych metod poprawy jego jakości

Differential surface activation of the A1 domain of von Willebrand factor

The clotting protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) binds to platelet receptor glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) when VWF is activated by chemicals, high shear stress, or immobilization onto surfaces. Activation of VWF by surface immobilization is an important problem in the failure of cardiovascular implants, but is poorly understood. Here, the authors investigate whether some or all surfaces can activate VWF at least in part by affecting the orientation or conformation of the immobilized GPIbα-binding A1 domain of VWF. Platelets binding to A1 adsorbed onto polystyrene surfaces translocated rapidly at moderate and high flow, but detached at low flow, while platelets binding to A1 adsorbed onto glass or tissue-culture treated polystyrene surfaces translocated slowly, and detached only at high flow. Both x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and conformation independent antibodies reported comparable A1 amounts on all surfaces. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectra suggested differences in orientation on the three surfaces, but none that could explain the biological data. Instead, ToF-SIMS data and binding of conformation-dependent antibodies were consistent with the stabilization of an alternative more activated conformation of A1 by tissue culture polystyrene and especially glass. These studies demonstrate that different material surfaces differentially affect the conformation of adsorbed A1 domain and its biological activity. This is important when interpreting or designing in vitro experiments with surface-adsorbed A1 domain, and is also of likely relevance for blood-contacting biomaterials