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Epilepsy is one of the most frequent serious brain disorders. Approximately 30,000 of the 150,000 children and adolescents who experience unprovoked seizures are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. Magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice in diagnosing and monitoring patients with this condition. However, one very effective tool using MR images is volBrain software, which automatically generates information about the volume of brain structures. A total of 57 consecutive patients (study group) suffering from epilepsy and 34 healthy patients (control group) who underwent MR examination qualified for the study. Images were then evaluated by volBrain. Results showed atrophy of the brain and particular structures—GM, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, putamen, thalamus, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens volume. Moreover, the statistically significant difference in the volume between the study and the control group was found for brain, lateral ventricle and putamen. A volumetric analysis of the CNS in children with epilepsy confirms a decrease in the volume of brain tissue. A volumetric assessment of brain structures based on MR data has the potential to be a useful diagnostic tool in children with epilepsy and can be implemented in clinical work; however, further studies are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of this software.

Studying how novel phenotypes originate and evolve is fundamental to the field of evolutionary biology as it allows us to understand how organismal diversity is generated and maintained. However, determining the basis of novel phenotypes is challenging as it involves orchestrated changes at multiple biological levels. Here, we aim to overcome this challenge by using a comparative species framework combining behavioral, gene expression, and genomic analyses to understand the evolutionary novel egg-laying substrate-choice behavior of the invasive pest species Drosophila suzukii. First, we used egg-laying behavioral assays to understand the evolution of ripe fruit oviposition preference in D.suzukii compared with closely related species D.subpulchrella and D.biarmipes as well as D.melanogaster. We show that D.subpulchrella and D.biarmipes lay eggs on both ripe and rotten fruits, suggesting that the transition to ripe fruit preference was gradual. Second, using two-choice oviposition assays, we studied how D.suzukii, D.subpulchrella, D.biarmipes, and D.melanogaster differentially process key sensory cues distinguishing ripe from rotten fruit during egg-laying. We found that D.suzukii's preference for ripe fruit is in part mediated through a species-specific preference for stiff substrates. Last, we sequenced and annotated a high-quality genome for D. subpulchrella. Using comparative genomic approaches, we identified candidate genes involved in D.suzukii's ability to seek out and target ripe fruits. Our results provide detail to the stepwise evolution of pest activity in D.suzukii, indicating important cues used by this species when finding a host, and the molecular mechanisms potentially underlying their adaptation to a new ecological niche.

Electrolytic Ni–Re alloy coatings were obtained in galvanostatic conditions from nickel–rhenium baths with different contents of ammonium rhenate(vii) (0.5, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 g·L−1). The surface morphology, chemical, and phase composition of the obtained materials were determined. The coatings’ corrosion resistance tests were carried out in a 5% NaCl solution. Based on the tests, it was found that the highest corrosion resistance characterizes the coating with the highest rhenium content (37%). This material can be recommended for practical use as a protective coating. The density of the deposited Ni–37Re alloy was determined, and its specific surface area was assessed. The melting point, hardness, and electrical conductivity were also determined.

Although electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback is a technique that has been in existence for many decades, it has remained controversial, largely due to questions about efficacy. Yet neurofeedback is being widely offered to the public, often at great expense. To date, however, there has not been empirical data on which providers are utilizing neurofeedback, what they are offering it for, and how they are advertising the technique. The present study aimed to fill that gap by systematically analyzing the websites of neurofeedback practitioners in the United States. To that end, we obtained data from four directories of neurofeedback providers, extracting practitioner names, geographical locations, professional training, and website URLs. Only websites offering neurofeedback services (N=371) were included in the next step, wherein two coders independently coded the websites based on a codebook developed from preliminary analyses. We found that nearly all websites (97.0%) contained claims about at least one clinical indication, most commonly anxiety, ADHD/ADD, and depression; however, only 36.0% of providers had either a medical degree (MD) or a doctoral-level degree in psychology. The majority of websites advertised neurofeedback for cognitive (90.0%) or performance (67.9%) enhancement, and roughly three-quarters utilized language related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). In sum, there is a considerable divergence between the scientific literature on neurofeedback and the marketing of neurofeedback services to the general public, raising concerns regarding the misrepresentation of services and misleading advertising claims.

Introduction The importance of the problem of reduced motor activity in the prophylaxis and treatment of many diseases has resulted in numerous adaptations of a diagnostic tool, both for the disease and for linguistic and cultural versions. This also applies to cardiovascular diseases. The significance of the problem, and encouraging results of several studies, have led to a wider use of this tool. This also applies to people suffering cardiologically in Poland, where this problem is poorly understood. This was the inspiration to undertake research on the explanation of the reasons for the limitation in the activation of cardiac patients. Objective The aim of the study was to determine the level of kinesiophobia in patients with CAD, and to assess its possible association with physical activity (PA), socio-demographic determinants and morbidity. Material and methods The study was cross-sectional and included 217 hospitalized patients with CAD: 94 women and 123 men; aged 67.39 years. PA was assessed using the short version of IPAQ, and kinesiophobia was assessed using TSK Heart in Polish adaptation. TSK HeartIPAQ correlations were found. Results More than 70% of the patients revealed high levels of kinesiophobia (TSK>37 points). There were no TSK associations with gender, BMI, socio-demographic variables, other conditions and duration of cardiovascular disease. The disease is the main cause of kinesiophobia and regardless of its nature, negatively affects the level of PA. Conclusions The quality of life of patients with CAD at various stages and the effectiveness of cardiolog-ical rehabilitation are conditioned by PA.

Investigations of the Ni3(Al,V,Ti) alloys with 5 at.% Ti addition show that high quenching rates from the liquid state allow for the preservation of the metastable Ni(Al,V,Ti) solid solution at low temperatures as well as for the limitation of the eutectoid decomposition range. Annealing at the temperatures close to the eutectoid decomposition causes an increase in the amount of the Ni3Al and Ni3V equilibrium phases, as well as the precipitation of the Ni3Ti phase. The V addition reveals the ability to stabilize Ni solid solution, while Ti retards Ni3V phase precipitation but also supports the precipitation of the Ni3Ti phase, in spite of the higher than 5 at.% range of Ti solubility in the Ni3V phase. The increase in V and Ti content at the cost of a decrease in Al content strongly increases micro-hardness of the alloys crystallized at high rates. For the alloys containing predominantly V, increased ductility was noticed in the temperature range of the dissolution of Ni3V precipitates.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Subtopics and sample posts for all additional topics listed in Figure 1 but not depicted in Tables 1-5, submitted as .pdf file.

The severe scarcity of critical medical supplies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to considerable procurement challenges in the healthcare supply chain (HCSC). As ensuring the availability of such supplies during disruptions is critical, the debate on how to increase supply chain resilience in healthcare has gained new momentum. We present empirical evidence from a multi-tier case study spanning nine European medical supplies manufacturers and hospital groups. Based on the resource dependence theory, we investigated procurement-related strategies to improve medical supplies availability. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 procurement and supply chain management experts and derived seven propositions on buffering and bridging approaches for managing evolving resource dependencies and thereby strengthening supply chain resilience in a pandemic. Overall, we confirm the resource dependence theory's applicability for explaining companies' mitigation measures in a pandemic disruption. We find that bridging measures within the healthcare supply base, such as offering procurement support for suppliers or leveraging long-term buyer-supplier relationships, are more effective for securing medical supplies than buffering measures. Complementing bridging with buffering, such as extended upstream procurement or resource sharing among hospitals, can lead to superior risk mitigation as capacities of the present supplier base may not suffice. Furthermore, we extend the resource dependence theory by showing that the severity of disruptions caused by a pandemic triggers new forms of buffering external to the HCSC. Both traditional and new buffering measures establish novel flows of medical supplies in the HCSC that can enable higher supply security in a pandemic.

Purpose: This work aimed to define the impact of the introduction of power and speed dry-land training in female swimmers aged 15–16 on the rise of time results at a distance of 200 m and on the increase of the strength level of the muscle groups in the elbow joint. Method: The investigations were conducted on a group of 28 junior female swimmers: group 1 (aged 13–14) with speed and endurance training based on “water” exercises; group 2 (aged 15–16) with extra power and speed dry-land training. The following parameters were analyzed: time results, the moments of muscle forces in the elbow joint at the extension and flexion movements in isokinetic conditions and the ratio of the values of moments of muscle forces of flexors in relation to extensors. Results: Statistically significant differences between groups were found for the following parameters: the time results from swimming 200 m with (p < 0.001) and without using lower limbs (p = 0.031), the ratio of the moments of muscle forces of flexors to extensors (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of the correlation analysis show that the higher the moments of muscle forces of flexors and extensors of the elbow joint, the shorter the time obtained in swimming 200 m in the freestyle stroke.

In this paper we compare three onset detection algorithms for acoustic chewing cycle detection, which is a basic step in eating detection and automated dietary monitoring. We introduce a spectral flux algorithm that uses the spectrogram of a chewing sequence to compute a novelty function. Furthermore, beat tracking, in particular the notion of a predominant local pulse is introduced. We compare the two algorithms to a baseline energy-based segmentation in a chewing dataset with seven participants consuming pieces of six different foods, including in total 9818 annotated chewing cycles. Best performance was achieved for the beat tracking algorithm with 83% F-measure after leave-one-participant-out cross validation.

Since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous researchers have made an effort to determine the molecular composition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the exact pathomechanism through which the virus exerts such a devastating effect on the host/infected organism. Recent scientific evidence highlights the affinity of the virus towards ACE2 receptors, which are widespread in multiple human systems, including the central nervous system (CNS) and cerebral vessels. Such an affinity may explain endothelial dysfunction and damage that is observed in COVID-positive patients in histopathological studies, with subsequent dysregulation of the cerebral circulation leading to transient or acute cerebrovascular accidents. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate the effects of COVID-related hypoxemia and direct viral invasion on the cerebral circulation, with special respect to the postulated pathomechanism, vulnerable groups of patients, clinical course and outcomes, as well as diagnostic imaging findings.

Epilepsy is one of the most frequent serious brain disorders. Approximately 30,000 of the 150,000 children and adolescents who experience unprovoked seizures are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. Magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice in diagnosing and monitoring patients with this condition. However, one very effective tool using MR images is volBrain software, which automatically generates information about the volume of brain structures. A total of 57 consecutive patients (study group) suffering from epilepsy and 34 healthy patients (control group) who underwent MR examination qualified for the study. Images were then evaluated by volBrain. Results showed atrophy of the brain and particular structures—GM, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, putamen, thalamus, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens volume. Moreover, the statistically significant difference in the volume between the study and the control group was found for brain, lateral ventricle and putamen. A volumetric analysis of the CNS in children with epilepsy confirms a decrease in the volume of brain tissue. A volumetric assessment of brain structures based on MR data has the potential to be a useful diagnostic tool in children with epilepsy and can be implemented in clinical work; however, further studies are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of this software.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 has significantly impacted businesses, regardless of size or industry. The hybrid and remote working models have moved all meetings with potential and existing suppliers to an online environment. This also applies to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have had to adapt themselves to the new situation and implement the solutions necessary to survive on the market. On the other hand, clients have become more aware of the environment and its changes. Customers are trying to be more eco-friendly, by choosing and moving towards Green IT. Thus, this needs to be considered. The acquisition of management information systems (MIS) in the pandemic era is based only on virtual meetings. The main goals of this paper were the identification of the changes in the negotiations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the transformation of this process into virtual environment, discussion of the possibility of using Green IT in addition to Management Information Systems, and the changes caused by the pandemic. The article was prepared based on the results of qualitative research using the case study method. The comparative analysis includes purposely selected cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems’ acquisition processes, presented from the clients’ perspective. The research was conducted in 2021, based on the authors’ practical experience, and presents four cases. This research illustrates the negotiations concerning an acquisition transaction pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Finally, the conclusions and main differences caused by the pandemic in the acquisition transaction process of management information systems (MIS) are presented.

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality in developed countries. Its formation is associated with a change in the transcriptional activity of many genes. The aim of the study was to select, from the group of genes related to coronary atherosclerosis and heart failure, genes differentiating patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure on the basis of myocardial ischemia from healthy people, and then genes differentiating patients with various stages of heart failure.The study was carried out using the oligonucleotide microarray technique HG-U133A (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Cluster analysis showed a homogeneous division of the study group into patients with heart failure and healthy patients with excluded coronary artery disease and patients with heart failure depending on the size of the left ventricle ejection fraction.The study showed that genes differentiating the group of patients from healthy people were: TGF-β1, TIMP-1 and MMP-9. The analysis also showed that genes differentiated patients with advanced heart failure in the course of coronary disease and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 20% and patients from the group with 40% LVEF were MMP-9 and TIMP-1.Extracting from the group of genes related to coronary atherosclerosis and cardiac failure: MMP-9, TGF-β1 and TIMP-1 differentiating patients with heart failure on the basis of myocardial ischemia in varying degrees of severity from healthy people may indicate their significant contribution to disease development. Also increased expression of the metalloproteinase gene 9 (MMP-9) with a simultaneous decrease in the expression of its tissue inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) in the studied group of patients with ischemic heart failure differing in left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF makes them the markers of progression in failure.

Purpose: The proper shape of the foot determines its proper functioning and efficiency, which is significant as far as dancers are concerned. The aim of the study was to identify the arch of feet based on the Arch Index (AI), ability to maintain balance on the basis of stabilometric parameters and the distribution of loads acting on the feet of professional folk dancers. Methods: The study group was composed of 37 folk dancers and the reference group consisted of 56 healthy adults aged 19–45. Balance measurements were performed using the Zebris FDM-S measurement platform, Romberg test with eyes open. Test results were exported to the Matlab 2019b computing environment. The algorithm developed by the Authors in relation was used to calculate Arch Index for the right and left foot, for each test participant separately. Results: Statistical tests did not reveal statistically relevant differences between stabilometric parameters and loads affecting feet in the reference group and that of the dancers. The statistical tests revealed that the value of the AI differed significantly in the reference group and in the group of professional folk dancers (p = 0.05). The differences were also observed in the group of females (p = 0.003). No statistically relevant differences were observed in relation to the group of males (p = 0.116). The percentage of the feet with high arch in the group of dancers amounted to 26%; 33% of dancers’ feet were classified as the feet with low arch. Conclusions: The feet of professional folk dancers have a statistically more arched foot than the reference group.

Studying how novel phenotypes originate and evolve is fundamental to the field of evolutionary biology as it allows us to understand how organismal diversity is generated and maintained. However, determining the basis of novel phenotypes is challenging as it involves orchestrated changes at multiple biological levels. Here, we aim to overcome this challenge by using a comparative species framework combining behavioral, gene expression, and genomic analyses to understand the evolutionary novel egg-laying substrate-choice behavior of the invasive pest speciesDrosophila suzukii. First, we used egg-laying behavioral assays to understand the evolution of ripe fruit oviposition preference inD. suzukiias compared to closely related speciesD. subpulchrellaandD. biarmipes, as well asD. melanogaster. We show thatD. subpulchrellaandD. biarmipeslay eggs on both ripe and rotten fruits, suggesting that the transition to ripe fruit preference was gradual. Secondly, using two-choice oviposition assays, we studied howD. suzukii, D. subpulchrella, D. biarmipesandD. melanogasterdifferentially process key sensory cues distinguishing ripe from rotten fruit during egg-laying. We found thatD. suzukii’s preference for ripe fruit is in part mediated through a species-specific preference for stiff substrates. Lastly, we sequenced and annotated a high-quality genome forD. subpulchrella. Using comparative genomic approaches, we identified candidate genes involved inD. suzukii’s ability to seek out and target ripe fruits. Our results provide detail to the stepwise evolution of pest activity inD. suzukii, indicating important cues used by this species when finding a host, and the molecular mechanisms potentially underlying their adaptation to a new ecological niche.

The article deals with measurements of ability to maintain the balance conducted for soldiers who were wounded during combat missions. Measurements were carried out both in real and virtual environment. Tests in the real environments were performed with open and closed eyes. Tests in the virtual environment were performed with the use of spatial sceneries which were immobile or were oscillating in AP direction. Analysis of results was conducted both in time domain and frequency domain. All results were compared with the literature results obtained for healthy people. Results obtained for soldiers differed from the results of healthy people. According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that the studies of the ability to maintain the balance should be carried out both in static and dynamic conditions, and the analysis of the obtained results should be carried out both in time and frequency domain.

The aim of this work was to assess the hand grip strength and the suppleness of pole dancers with different training experiences. The tests involved a group of 35 females representing various levels of skills. The hand grip strength was measured using a manual dynamometer Noraxon. The suppleness test was performed in accordance with the principles of the International Physical Fitness Test. Obtained results of the statistical analysis revealed the existence of statistically relevant differences for pole dancers with different training experience.

Background and objectives: Recommendations for the control of stable patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) related to an adequate level of physical activity (PA). Practical experience shows that the PA level in most people with CAD is definitely too low in relation to the guidelines. The cause may be psychological factors and among them the fear of movement&mdash, kinesiophobia. The aim of this project was to examine the evaluation of psychometric features of the Polish version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Heart (TSK Heart), used in people with CAD. Materials and methods: The study involved 287 patients with stable CAD: 112 women and 175 men. Age: 63.50 (SD = 11.49) years. Kinesiophobia was assessed using TSK Heart, physical activity (PA)&mdash, using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and anxiety and depression was examined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The structure of TSK was examined using principal component analysis (PCA), internal cohesion (Cronbach&rsquo, s alpha, AC), and content validity was calculated by linear regression. Results: PCA showed a three-factor TSK structure. One-dimensionality and satisfactory reliability were found: TSK Heart: AC = 0.878. Kinesiophobia as a predictor of PA: R2 = 0.162 (p = 0.000000). Anxiety and depression&mdash, TSK: R2 = 0.093 (p = 0.00000). Conclusions: The Polish version of TSK Heart for cardiac patients is characterized by good psychometric features. The use of it can improve the cooperation of rehabilitation teams for patients with CAD.

The field of Predictive Analytics (PA) provides the possibility to utilize large amounts of data to improve forecasting, data-driven decision-making, and competitive advantage. Especially the transport logistics sector, which is characterized by high business-related uncertainties, time-sensitivity, and volatility, highly benefits from accurate resource and production planning. While success factors and framework conditions of applying PA are well-investigated on a theoretical SCM level, findings on internal and external challenges of transport logistics organizations remain scarce. Therefore, based on a multiple case approach, this study offers in-depth insights into six real-world cases of freight forwarders, ocean carriers, and air carriers. The results uncover both internal and external challenges. From the internal perspective, the biggest challenges are related to the technical implementation including the acquisition of globally generated, internal and external data and its harmonization. In addition, stakeholder management and target setting impede the development of PA. Regarding external challenges, relational and external conditions hamper the application. Therefore, especially actions of third-party institutions in terms of standardization and security enhancements are required. This study contributes to the existing literature in various ways as the systematic identification addresses real-world issues of PA in the neglected but crucial area of transport logistics, discussing urgent research needs and highlighting potential solutions. Additionally, the results offer valuable guidance for managers when implementing PA in transport logistics.

Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are an essential stem cell population for skeletal muscle homeostasis and regeneration throughout adulthood. MuSCs are an ideal candidate for cell therapies for chronic and acute muscle injuries and diseases given their inherent ability to self-renew and generate progenitor cells capable of myogenic commitment and fusion. Given their rarity and propensity to lose stem-cell potential in prolonged culture, methods for ex vivo MuSC expansion that achieve clinical-scale stem cell yields represent a critical unmet need in muscle cell-therapeutic development. Here, we tested a microenvironment engineering approach to achieve long-term adult mouse MuSC expansion suitable for clinical demands through the combined optimization of techniques previously reported to achieve small-yield MuSC expansion in short-term cultures. We developed an optimized protocol for high-yield MuSC expansion through the combination of inflammatory cytokine and growth factor co-stimulation, temporally-staged inhibition of the p38α/β mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and modulation of substrate rigidity in long-term hydrogel cultures. We found that, on soft, muscle-mimicking (12 kPa) hydrogel substrates, a mixture of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-13, and IFN-γ and the growth factor FGF2 stimulated robust exponential proliferation of adult MuSCs from both wildtype and mdx dystrophic mice for up to five weeks of culture that was accompanied by a phenotype shift towards committed myocytes. After observing that the temporal variation in myogenic commitment coincided with an oscillatory activation of p38α/β signaling, we tested a late-stage p38α/β inhibition strategy and found that blocking p38α/β signaling after three weeks, but not earlier, substantially enhanced cell yield, stem-cell phenotypes, and, critically, preserved transplantation potential for up to five weeks of FGF2/cytokine mix culture on soft hydrogels. Notably, this retention of transplant engraftment potency was not observed on traditional plastic substrates. We estimate that this protocol achieves >108-fold yield in Pax7+ stem cells from each starting MuSC, which represents a substantial improvement in stem-cell yield from long-term cultures compared to established methods.HighlightsTNF-α/IL-1α/IL-13/IFN-γ cytokine cocktail supports prolonged MuSC proliferation ex vivo but induces differentiation.Cytokine cocktail regulates cell signaling with varied prolonged activation signatures.Effects of p38α/β inhibition on cytokine-induced MuSC expansion are stage-dependent.Soft hydrogels with late-stage p38α/β inhibition expand functional Pax7+ MuSCs long-term.Short summaryCosgrove and colleagues develop a long-term muscle stem cell expansion protocol by combining a tunable stiffness hydrogel substrate, an inflammatory cytokine cocktail, and targeted inhibition of p38 MAPK signaling. They show that soft, muscle-mimicking hydrogels with delayed p38 inhibition yield robust quantities of Pax7+ functional muscle stem cells.

RESUMEN La perimenopausia produce cambios hormonales y emocionales, que podrían influir en la calidad de vida como en la percepción de estrés de las mujeres. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la calidad de vida y su relación con la percepción de estrés y el perfil antropométrico en mujeres adultas. Se efectuó un estudio transversal en mujeres adultas (40-65 años) que concurrieron a la Fundación Hemocentro Buenos Aires (FHBA). El estado nutricional se evaluó con el índice de masa corporal (IMC) y circunferencia de cintura (CC). La calidad de vida se valoró mediante el cuestionario de calidad de vida (CV) de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (WHOQoL-Bref). La percepción de estrés (PS) se valoró por escala de estrés percibido (PSS-10). Se incluyeron 128 mujeres (52,3% premenopáusicas y 47,7 % posmenopáusicas). El 56,3% refirió tener una CV entre bastante buena y muy buena. La prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad fue de 60,2% (IC 95%; 51,5 - 68,2%). La percepción de CV se asoció inversamente al IMC (p= 0,0031) al igual que los dominios físico (p= 0,016) y psicológico de CV (p= 0,001). Asimismo, la PS se asoció de manera inversa a la precepción de CV (p= 0,008) y los cuatro dominios de CV.