Search Results (18)

The aim of this study was to estimate the intra-day and inter-day reliability and usefulness of performance (Jump height (JH), ground contact time (GCT) and reactive strength index (RSI)), kinetic (force, power, eccentric rate of force development [E-RFD] and leg stiffness [LS]) and kinematic (velocity) variables during drop jumping (DJ) in hurling players. Seventeen (n = 17; mean ± SD; age = 23.35 ± 5.78 years, height = 178.35 ± 6.30 cm, body mass = 78.62 ± 8.06 kg) male club-level hurling players completed two maximal DJs from 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50 and 0.60 m drop heights on three testing days separated by 5–9 days of rest. Reliability was assessed using the coefficient of variation percentage (CV% ≤ 15%) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC > 0.70). For intra-day reliability, GCT (0.40 m, 0.50 m and 0.60 m), peak force (absolute and relative) (0.40 m and 0.50 m) and leg stiffness (0.40 m and 0.50 m) were found to be unreliable (ICC = 0.32–0.68 and CV% = 3.67–11.83%) from those specific drop heights. All other variables were found to be reliable (ICC = 0.72–0.98 and CV% = 1.07–14.02%) intra-day. All variables were found to be reliable (ICC = 0.72–0.96 and CV% = 2.57–14.68%) inter-day except for relative peak force and absolute and relative eccentric RFD (0.30 m and 0.40 m) (ICC = 0.68–0.90 and CV% = 7.76–16.47%). Practitioners have multiple reliable DJ performance, kinetic and kinematic variables for performance testing and training purposes. Full article

In high-income nations, gender has been associated with injury characteristics. This study evaluated injury epidemiology and care based on gender at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali in Rwanda. Patients presenting to the emergency department with acute injuries were prospectively enrolled from 27 January–28 June 2020, and descriptive statistics were performed with comparisons between males and females. Of 601 patients, 25.6% were female and 74.4% were male. There were gender differences in the mechanism of injury, with females more likely to be injured in falls (43.5% versus 23.0%, p = 0.001); meanwhile, males were more likely to suffer road traffic accidents (52.6% versus 39.6%, p = 0.006). The severity of injury was similar between genders based on the mean Kampala Trauma Score (14.4 versus 14.7, p = 0.09). Females were more likely to have been transported by prehospital services (87.7% versus 72.9%, p = 0.001), and less likely to receive acute treatment during the first six hours of care (67.5% versus 78.1%, p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in mortality between females and males (2.0% versus 1.3%, p = 0.568). This study highlights differences in the epidemiology and care between males and females presenting for emergency injury care in Rwanda. These findings can inform future research and developments in gender-centered healthcare delivery. Full article

Introduction: Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄) is an uncommon cause of caustic ingestion in teenagers and adults; only case reports are found in the recent literature. At Ngwelezana Hospital in South Africa, KMnO₄ ingestion is not an uncommon indication for admission. KMnO₄ is readily available as used in most households and recommended for medicinal purposes by traditional health practitioners. Aim: To ascertain the reasons for KMnO₄ ingestion, the extent and severity of injury as determined by upper gastro-intestinal studies, and patient outcomes in comparison with the available global literature. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 26 teenage and adult patients, admitted to our adult wards following KMnO₄ ingestion. Data collected on patient demographics, reason for KMnO₄ ingestion, and quantity ingested. Oral inspection and upper gastro-intestinal study findings recorded with grading (Zargar) of corrosive injury to oesophagus and stomach. Patients’ outcome and duration of hospital stay documented. Results: There were 73% females and 27% males, with an average age of 23 years. Reasons for ingestion included parasuicide (84%), accidental ingestion (8%), and for relief of abdominal pain (8%). The vast majority (96%) swallowed KMnO₄ in solution rather than in solid form. The volume and concentration of KMnO₄ taken was difficult to quantify. Oral discoloration, oedema, and ulceration were found in 58%. Gastro-intestinal endoscopy was performed in 92%; abnormalities were demonstrated in 68% (oesophageal injury 14%, oesophageal and gastric injuries 14%, gastric injury alone 41%). Oesophageal injuries: n = 6; Zargar grade 1—83%, Zargar grade 2A—17%. Gastric injuries: n = 12; Zargar grade 1—42%, Zargar grade 2A—33%, Zargar grade 2B—25%. Average hospital stay was 2.9 days (range 2–8 days). There were no mortalities and no complications at 6 weeks. Conclusion: KMnO₄ ingestion by teenagers and adults is not uncommon in our setting, mostly related to suicide attempts and most often taken in liquid form. KMnO₄ was possibly of a low concentration as no systemic complications were noted and there were milder gastric and oesophageal injuries as compared to case reports from elsewhere of mucosal necrosis following ingestion of KMnO_4. Full article

Grafting techniques are being used to improve economically important horticultural crops including Cucumis melo L. This 2-year study was carried out at Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of grafting using different rootstocks on plant, fruit and seed quality in cantaloupe melons. The double haploid (DH) female (H27) and male (H4) parental lines of Solmaz F₁ (Cucumis melo L. var. cantalupensis) variety developed by Cukurova University Faculty of Agriculture were used as scion and three commercial interspecific hybrid Cucurbita (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne × Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) varieties, Nun-9075 F₁ (Nunhems), Ares F₁ (ITU) and TZ-148 (Clause) were used as rootstocks. The parental lines were also self grafted and ungrafted parents were used as the control group. The grafted and ungrafted parents were crossed during pollination. Graft combinations and control were compared for performances in measured parameters such as the main stem length (cm), main stem diameter (mm), node number, harvest time (day), fruit weight (g), fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit cavity length (cm), fruit cavity diameter (cm), fruit flesh thickness (cm), fruit rind thickness (mm), total soluble solids (TSS, %), fruit flesh productivity (%), number of full and empty seeds (number/fruit), 1000 seeds weight (g), seed germination rate (%) and time (day), seed emergence rate (%), and time (day). Most of the plant, fruit and seed parameters have been positively affected by grafting. The use of commercial interspesific Cucurbita hybrid rootstocks resulted in high values compared to the control group however, harvest time, fruit cavity length and diameter, fruit rind thickness and fuit flesh productivity parameters were not statistically significant between rootstocks. Considering seed emergence and germination rate Cucurbita hybrid rootstocks performed lower values than self grafted and ungrafted control. The current study concludes that grafting plays a crucial role in plant growth, fruit and seed characters in cantaloupe melons. Statistically significant differences were mostly observed based on evaluated parameters. Full article

Hamstring strain injury (HSI) is a very common lower-body injury in field sports, and eccentric (ECC) hamstring strength is a potential modifiable risk factor, therefore having reliable eccentric hamstring strength assessments is critical. The aim of this study was to access test–retest reliability of the hip extension lower (HEL) exercise as a measure of ECC hamstring strength and inter-limb asymmetries. Twelve male elite level soccer players (mean; age: 21.8 years; height: 180.4 cm; weight: 75.7 kg) volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were from the same soccer club, covered all playing positions, and had no current injury issues. Participants performed two familiarization sessions to acquaint themselves with the device and exercise protocol. During testing, each participant performed three repetitions with 60s intra-set recovery provided. Average and peak force (N) was recorded for both limbs. Testing sessions took place on the same day and time over a two-week pre-season period and followed a full recovery day. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Coefficient of Variation (CV%), Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) and Typical Error (TE) were used to assess reliability. The HEL showed excellent reliability for average force (N) in the left (ICC (95% CI) = 0.9 (0.7–0.97); TE = 14.1 N, CV% = 1.87; MDC = 39.06 N) and right (ICC (95% CI) = 0.91 (0.73–0.97); TE = 20.89 N, CV% = 3.26; MDC = 57.87 N) limb, and also excellent reliability for peak force in the left (ICC (95% CI) = 0.91 (0.71–0.97); TE = 13.55 N, CV% = 1.61; MDC = 57.87 N) and right (ICC (95% CI) = 0.9 (0.7–0.97); TE = 21.70 N, CV% = 3.31; MDC = 60.11 N) limb. This data suggests the HEL as a reliable measure of both ECC hamstring strength and inter-limb asymmetries. Practitioners should consider the HEL as a reliable choice for measuring and monitoring eccentric hamstring strength in their athletes. Full article

The present study aimed at analyzing the treatment outcomes and risk factors associated with fluoroquinolone drug resistance having mutations in the gyrA and gyrB genes. A total of 258 pulmonary tuberculosis samples with first-line drug-resistant (H, R, or HR) were subjected to GenoType MTBDRsl assay for the molecular detection of mutations. Among the 258 samples, 251 were drug-resistant tuberculosis and seven were sensitive to all first-line TB drugs. Out of 251 DR-TB cases, 42 cases were MDR TB, 200 were INH mono-resistant and nine cases were RIF mono-resistant tuberculosis. Out of 251 DR-TB cases performed with a MTBDRsl assay, 14 had Pre-XDR-FQ, one patient had pre-XDR-SLID, one had extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and 235 cases were sensitive to both FQ and SLID drugs. The study group had a mean average of 42.7 ± 16.4 years. The overall successful treatment outcomes among the MDR, INH mono-resistant, and pre-XRD patients were 70.6%, 82.0%, and 51%, respectively. The percentage of risk for the unfavorable outcomes in the pre-XDR, INH -mono-resistant, and XDR cases were 113.84% increased risk with RR 2.14; 95% CI 0.7821–5.8468. The independent risk factor associated with the unfavorable outcomes to failure was 77.78% increased risk with RR 1.78; 95% CI 0.3375–9.3655. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the percentage relative risk among MDR-TB patients for gender, male (RR: 1.85), age ≥ 61 years (RR: 1.96), and diabetics (RR: 1.05) were 84.62%, 95.83%, and 4.76%, respectively. The independent risk factors associated with INH mono-resistant cases of age 16–60 (RR: 1.86), ≥61 year (RR: 1.18), and treated cases (RR: 5.06). This study presaged the significant risk of INH mono-resistant, pre-XDR, and MDR among males, young adults, diabetics, and patients with previous treatment failure. Timely identification of high-risk patients will give pronounced advantages to control drug resistance tuberculosis diseases. Full article

This study aimed to determine the effect of sleep quantity and quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on students’ academic achievement in their first year of university study. In this cross-sectional study, 193 students (102 female, 91 male, mean ± SD; age = 19.3 ± 2.9 y) from an undergraduate Health degree in New Zealand completed the PSQI four weeks prior to the end of the semester in their first year of university study. Results from three core subjects in the first semester were averaged and correlations between the PSQI and academic success were evaluated using Spearman’s rho (ρ). The group were also trichotomized using a PSQI global score of ≤5 as the threshold for “good” sleepers (n = 62, 32%), a score of 5–8 for “moderate” sleepers (n = 63, 33%) and a score ≥8 to characterize “poor” sleepers (n = 68, 35%). Overall, students averaged 7 h 37 min of self-reported sleep duration with an average bedtime of 22:55 p.m. and wake time of 8:01 a.m. There was a significant, small inverse relationship between academic performance and bedtime (p = 0.03, ρ = −0.14), with those going to bed earlier having superior academic success. The trichotomized data demonstrated no significant differences in academic performance between students with poor, moderate and good sleep quality (p = 0.92). Later bedtimes were associated with lower academic performance in a group of first year university students. However, there were no other relationships observed between academic success and self-reported sleep quality or quantity as determined by the PSQI. Enhancing awareness of the impact of sleep timing on academic success should be prioritized and strategies to improve sleep hygiene should be promoted to university students. Full article

The visual scanpath to emotional facial expressions was recorded in BR, a 35-year-old male with chronic severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), both before and after he underwent intervention. The novel intervention paradigm combined visual scanpath training with verbal feedback and was implemented over a 3-month period using a single case design (AB) with one follow up session. At baseline BR’s scanpath was restricted, characterised by gaze allocation primarily to salient facial features on the right side of the face stimulus. Following intervention his visual scanpath became more lateralised, although he continued to demonstrate an attentional bias to the right side of the face stimulus. This study is the first to demonstrate change in both the pattern and the position of the visual scanpath to emotional faces following intervention in a person with chronic severe TBI. In addition, these findings extend upon our previous work to suggest that modification of the visual scanpath through targeted facial feature training can support improved facial recognition performance in a person with severe TBI. Full article

Many studies deal with solution strategies in mental-rotation tests. The approaches range from global analysis, attention to object parts, holistic and piecemeal strategy to a combined strategy. Other studies do not speak of strategies, but of holistic or piecemeal processes or even of holistic or piecemeal rotation. The methodological approach used here is to identify mental-rotation strategies via gaze patterns derived from eye-tracking data when solving chronometric mental-rotation tasks with gender-stereotyped objects. The mental-rotation test consists of 3 male-stereotyped objects (locomotive, hammer, wrench) and 3 female-stereotyped objects (pram, hand mirror, brush) rotated at eight different angles. The sample consisted of 16 women and 10 men (age: M = 21.58; SD = 4.21). The results of a qualitative analysis with two individual objects (wrench and brush) showed four different gaze patterns. These gaze patterns appeared with different frequency in the two objects and correlated differently with performance and response time. The results indicate either an objectoriented or an egocentric mental-rotation strategy behind the gaze patterns. In general, a new methodological approach has been developed to identify mental-rotation strategies bottom-up which can also be used for other stimulus types. Full article

The purpose of this study was to identify whether ten repetitions and three trials were necessary to achieve stability in peak reactive strength index (RSI) during the 10/5 repeated jumps test (RJT). Twenty-five males, from multiple sports, performed three trials of the RJT on an in-ground force plate, with 90 seconds’ rest between trials. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC = 0.916–0.986) and coefficients of variation (CV ≤ 14.5%) were considered acceptable for all variables. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and Freidman’s tests revealed large and significant differences (p ≤ 0.006, η² = 0.159–0.434, power ≥ 0.859) in ground contact time (GCT), jump height (JH), and subsequently RSI both between trials and repetitions. Pairwise comparisons revealed that repetitions 1–3 produced longer GCTs (p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.41–1.40), lower JHs (p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.31–0.56), and lower RSI values (p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.35–1.24). The shortest GCTs, greatest JHs and greater RSIs occurred between repetitions 7 and 10, with approximately 60% of peak RSIs occurring during these ranges. The sequential estimate technique revealed that seven repetitions were needed to attain stability in mean peak RSI. Non-significant (p = 0.554) and negligible differences (d ≤ 0.09) in the five best RSIs between trials were noted. One trial of the 10/5 RJT is sufficient to evaluate peak RSI in athletes and should reduce data collection time and fatigue. Full article

Background: Given the paucity of data concerning the care of adolescents attending an emergency department (ED) for mental disorders, we performed an observational study with the aim to describe psychotropic drug use in an Italian ED. Methods: A retrospective chart review of adolescents (13–17 years) visited in the ED of the San Paolo University Hospital in Milan for mental disorders between January and June 2018 was conducted. Information concerning age, gender, type of disorder, psychotropic drug use in the ED and outcome of the visit were analyzed, using an anonymous patient code. Results: A total of 1298 adolescents, 13–17 years old, were visited in the ED, 56 (4%) of whom had a diagnosis of mental disorder (34 females and 22 males). The most common disorder was anxiety (21 patients), followed by predominant psychomotor disorder (13 patients). In all, 30 adolescents received a psychotropic drug. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly used drugs (73% of the subjects), and delorazepam was administered/prescribed to 17 adolescents, despite the fact that evidence on its safety, efficacy, and its off-label use in the pediatric population is lacking. Conclusions: One out of two adolescents attending the ED for an acute episode of mental disorder received a psychotropic drug prescription, mainly in an off-label manner. More evidence is needed to guide the pharmacological management of acute episodes of mental disorders. Full article

Optometrists regularly use binocular measurements in patients with asthenopic complaints when performing close-up work. The focus of this work was therefore on the correlation of optometric parameters and objective fixation disparity (FD) measured by an eye tracker. In our investigation, 20 participants (6 male, 14 female) were subjected to a classical optometric procedure. Subsequently, these subjects read various sentences on a screen and eye movements were registered by using a RED500 eye tracker. The experiment was performed under two reading distance conditions. In order to be comparable with previous work, the present study was conducted under dark illumination conditions [12]. FD values were deduced from objective eye tracking data during reading. Data analysis was done using linear mixed-effects models. FD was found to depend on vergence facility (t = 3.3, p = 0.004). Subjects with a low vergence facility showed more eso fixation disparity than subjects with a normal vergence facility. If studies of binocular coordination using eye tracking methods are performed under dark illumination conditions, vergence facility is an important parameter and should be accounted for. Neglecting this parameter may mask other important parameters. Vergence facility in context of reading difficulties may be important. Full article

This study evaluated the dynamic visual acuity of candidates by implementing a King–Devick (K–D) test chart in a virtual reality head-mounted display (VR HMD) and an augmented reality head-mounted display (AR HMD). Hard-copy KD (HCKD), VR HMD KD (VHKD), and AR HMD KD (AHKD) tests were conducted in 30 male and female candidates in the age of 10S and 20S and subjective symptom surveys were conducted. In the subjective symptom surveys, all except one of the VHKD questionnaire items showed subjective symptoms of less than 1 point. In the comparison between HCKD and VHKD, HCKD was measured more rapidly than VHKD in all tests. In the comparison between HCKD and AHKD, HCKD was measured more rapidly than AHKD in Tests 1, 2, and 3. In the comparison between VHKD and AHKD, AHKD was measured more rapidly than VHKD in Tests 1, 2, and 3. In the correlation analyses of test platforms, all platforms were correlated with each other, except for the correlation between HCKD and VHKD in Tests 1 and 2. There was no significant difference in the frequency of errors among Tests 1, 2, and 3 across test platforms. VHKD and AHKD, which require the body to be moved to read the chart, required longer measurement time than HCKD. In the measurements of each platform, AHKD was measured closer to HCKD than VHKD, which may be because the AHKD environment is closer to the actual environment than the VHKD environment. The effectiveness of VHKD and AHKD proposed in this research was evaluated experimentally. The results suggest that treatment and training could be performed concurrently through the use of clinical test and content development of VHKD and AHKD. Full article

This paper explores map users' cognitive processes in learning, acquiring and remembering information presented via screen maps. In this context, we conducted a mixed-methods user experiment employing digital sketch maps and eye tracking. On the one hand, the performance of the participants was assessed based on the order with which the objects were drawn and the influence of visual variables (e.g., presence & location, size, shape, color). On the other hand, trial durations and eye tracking statistics such as average duration of fixations, and number of fixations per seconds were compared. Moreover, selected AoIs (Area of Interests) were explored to gain a deeper insight on visual behavior of map users. Depending on the normality of the data, we used either two-way ANOVA or Mann-Whitney U test to inspect the significance of the results. Based on the evaluation of the drawing order, we observed that experts and males drew roads first whereas; novices and females focused more on hydrographic object. According to the assessment of drawn elements, no significant differences emerged between neither experts and novices, nor females and males for the retrieval of spatial information presented on 2D maps with a simple design and content. The differences in trial durations between novices and experts were not statistically significant while both studying and drawing. Similarly, no significant difference occurred between female and male participants for either studying or drawing. Eye tracking metrics also supported these findings. For average duration of fixation, there was found no significant difference between experts and novices, as well as between females and males. Similarly, no significant differences were found for the mean number of fixation. Full article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of optically induced refractive errors on saccade latency and fixation stability. Sixteen healthy, young adults (two males), with normal visual acuity and normal accommodation, performed a saccade task and a fixation task wearing a range of contact lenses (from +3.00 to −5.00 diopters) which induced visual blur and accommodation. The results showed that mean (±standard error) saccade latency was 207 (±5) milliseconds (ms) and remained stable with both visual blur and accommodation, whereas mean (±standard error) fixation stability was logBCEA 2.48 (±0.03) (arcmin²) and declined by about 0.09 logBCEA with both visual blur and accommodation. In healthy adults with normal vision, results indicate that recording of saccade latency can be completed accurately regardless of the moderate refractive errors induced in this study. Fixation stability, on the other hand, degrades slightly with blur and with accommodation. Full article