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Background: Impairments in hamstring strength, flexibility, and morphology have been associated with altered knee biomechanics, pain, and function. Determining the presence of these impairments in individuals with gradual-onset knee disorders is important and may indicate targets for assessment and rehabilitation. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the literature to determine the presence of impairments in hamstring strength, flexibility, and morphology in individuals with gradual-onset knee disorders. Methods: Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to September 2022. Only studies comparing hamstring outcomes (e.g., strength, flexibility, and/or morphology) between individuals with gradual-onset knee disorders and their unaffected limbs or pain-free controls were included. Meta-analyses for each knee disorder were performed. Outcome-level certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, and evidence gap maps were created. Results: Seventy-nine studies across 4 different gradual-onset knee disorders (i.e., knee osteoarthritis (OA), patellofemoral pain (PFP), chondromalacia patellae, and patellar tendinopathy) were included. Individuals with knee OA presented with reduced hamstring strength compared to pain-free controls during isometric (standard mean difference (SMD) = –0.76, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) : –1.32 to –0.21) and concentric contractions (SMD = –0.97, 95%CI : –1.49 to –0.45). Individuals with PFP presented with reduced hamstring strength compared to pain-free controls during isometric (SMD = –0.48, 95%CI : –0.82 to –0.14), concentric (SMD = –1.07, 95%CI : –2.08 to –0.06), and eccentric contractions (SMD = –0.59, 95%CI : –0.97 to –0.21). No differences were observed in individuals with patellar tendinopathy. Individuals with PFP presented with reduced hamstring flexibility when compared to pain-free controls (SMD = –0.76, 95%CI : –1.15 to –0.36). Evidence gap maps identified insufficient evidence for chondromalacia patellae and hamstring morphology across all gradual-onset knee disorders. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that assessing and targeting impairments in hamstring strength and flexibility during rehabilitation may be recommended for individuals with knee OA or PFP.

Image Inpainting, the task of recovering missing information in an image, is of great practical interest to users who wish to recover damaged photographs or remove unwanted parts of images. Advances in Convolutional Neural Networks and Adversarial Networks have produced large gains in this problem. Nevertheless, Inpainting algorithms may fail to recover a decent image, and even produce jarring artifacts. In this work, we seek to uncover what causes such issues. We investigate the relationship between the artifacts and the type of degradation mask, the size of the mask, and the algorithms used. To that end, we employ rectangular, free-form and segmentation-based degradation masks, of varying sizes. We find that large, continuous regions of missing information are often to blame for the most egregious failures, and not really how complex the shape of the region is. Moreover, we observe that no algorithm is completely immune to these failure modes.

Objectives To know the experiences of Venezuelan migrant women living in shelters in Roraima state at the northwestern border between Venezuela and Brazil regarding situations of violence as part of the dynamics of everyday life. Materials and methods Data were collected in January 2020 through 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 5 to 14 Venezuelan migrant women aged 18–49 years old living transitorily in five shelters established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Brazilian government. We obtained individual and shared views on the experiences regarding violence that migrant women may experience in their everyday life. To organize the FGDs, variations in age and the time women were living at the shelters were considered. All FGDs were held in a place at the shelter that guaranteed privacy and secrecy so that women could express themselves freely. The initial question was broad and open ended and was followed by more specific questions about situations of domestic violence and other types of violence. Results The main themes identified were the following: i) women’s perceptions on domestic violence, ii) women’s perceptions on how humanitarian organizations were managing the episodes of domestic violence, and iii) situations considered violence in everyday life at the shelters. The FGDs showed that the reported violence inside the shelters was high, and several forms of violence emerged. Violence was identified as physical aggression and psychological threats, and violence in everyday life at the shelter included xenophobia when the migrants went outside the shelters that was perceived and described as violence. Conclusions According to the perspective of Venezuelan migrant women violence was part of everyday life among those living in the UNHCR shelters at the northwestern border of Brazil-Venezuela. These women are not comfortable with this situation, and it is difficult for them to understand and handle the episodes of violence.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the relationship between skull size and the level of cranial vault suture closure. A total of 50 Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 and 178 Tamandua tetradactyla Linnaeus, 1758 skulls were analyzed in relation to 18 skull dimensions. The skulls were grouped into three levels of suture closure: no sutures closed (level 0), one or all the fallowing sutures closed: interfrontalis, sagitalis and coronalis (level 1) and all sutures closed (level 2). The results indicated that among the 18 variables measured, 17 showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) between level 0 and level 1 skulls of T. tetradactyla; as well as between level 0 and level 1, and level 0 and level 2 skulls of M. tridactyla. M. tridactyla level 1 and level 2 had no significant difference among any of the 18 dimensions. The foramen magnum height in both species showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) among any suture categories. In principle, suture closure level and cranial dimensions are related. The specimens with larger cranial dimensions showed greater number of cranial vault sutures closed for both species of anteaters. Tamandua tetradactyla and M. tridactyla specimens with none of the cranial vault suture closed have a foramen magnum height similar to those with cranial vault suture closed.

ABSTRACT Chagas disease, caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi, has a wide distribution in South America, and its main method of control is the elimination of triatomines. It is presented here the geographic distribution and the rate of natural infection by T. cruzi of triatomines collected and evaluated from 2008 to 2013 in southwest of Bahia. Triatomines were captured in the intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary areas of five cities located in the southwest of Bahia state, identified, and analyzed for the presence of trypanosomatids in their feces. During the study period the number of patients suspected for acute Chagas disease was recovered from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). 8966 triatomines were captured and identified as belonging to eight species. Twenty-six presented themselves infected, being Triatoma sordida the most abundant and with the highest percentage of infection by T. cruzi. Tremedal was the city with the highest number of cases of acute Chagas' disease reported to SINAN. All cities showed triatomines infected with T. cruzi, so there is considerable risk of vectorial transmission of Chagas disease in the southwestern Bahia state, evidencing the need for vector transmission control programs and preventive surveillance measures.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex and heritable eating disorder characterized by dangerously low body weight. Neither candidate gene studies nor an initial genome-wide association study (GWAS) have yielded significant and replicated results. We performed a GWAS in 2907 cases with AN from 14 countries (15 sites) and 14 860 ancestrally matched controls as part of the Genetic Consortium for AN (GCAN) and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 3 (WTCCC3). Individual association analyses were conducted in each stratum and meta-analyzed across all 15 discovery data sets. Seventy-six (72 independent) single nucleotide polymorphisms were taken forward for in silico (two data sets) or de novo (13 data sets) replication genotyping in 2677 independent AN cases and 8629 European ancestry controls along with 458 AN cases and 421 controls from Japan. The final global meta-analysis across discovery and replication data sets comprised 5551 AN cases and 21 080 controls. AN subtype analyses (1606 AN restricting; 1445 AN binge-purge) were performed. No findings reached genome-wide significance. Two intronic variants were suggestively associated: rs9839776 (P=3.01 × 10(-7)) in SOX2OT and rs17030795 (P=5.84 × 10(-6)) in PPP3CA. Two additional signals were specific to Europeans: rs1523921 (P=5.76 × 10(-)(6)) between CUL3 and FAM124B and rs1886797 (P=8.05 × 10(-)(6)) near SPATA13. Comparing discovery with replication results, 76% of the effects were in the same direction, an observation highly unlikely to be due to chance (P=4 × 10(-6)), strongly suggesting that true findings exist but our sample, the largest yet reported, was underpowered for their detection. The accrual of large genotyped AN case-control samples should be an immediate priority for the field.

Abstract Background The human-animal bond has been recognized as having positive effects on the health and well-being of both humans and pets. The present study aims to explore the influence of attachment on physical activity (PA), lifestyle, and health outcomes of dog owners (DO), highlighting the mutual benefits resulting from the relationship between DO and dogs. Methods Thirty-eight DO and their dogs participated in this study. Socio-demographic data, the Self-Rated Health (SRH), FANTASTICO Lifestyle Scale, and the Lexington Attachment Pet Scale (LAPS) were assessed. PA was measured in both the DO and the dogs, using an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer in the context of daily routine. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation analyses were performed to examine the associations between LAPS, PA levels, socio-demographic variables, lifestyle behaviors, and SRH. Results Significant correlations were found between the dog owners’ light-level PA and the pets’ vigorous level of PA (rho = 0.445, p = 0.01). Furthermore, the importance of the pets’ health (rho = -0.785, p = 0.02) and the LAPS subscales, namely proximity (rho = 0.358, p = 0.03), and attachment (rho = 0.392, p = 0.01), were related to taking the pet for a walk. Regarding lifestyle, DO with a healthier lifestyle had a better self-assessment of their health using the SRH (rho = 0.39, p = 0.02). Moreover, DO with better lifestyles also exhibited greater concern for their pet’s health (rho = 0.398, p = 0.01). Conclusions This study emphasizes that individuals who adopt healthier habits tend to perceive themselves as healthier and exhibit greater concern for their pets’ health. The attachment between DO and dogs is important in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and engagement in PA. Our results highlight that the presence of a dog is associated with a higher level of PA in DO, depending on the strength of the human-animal bond.