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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Dec 2014The ability to perceive a regular beat in music and synchronize to this beat is a widespread human skill. Fundamental to musical behaviour, beat and meter refer to the... (Review)
Review
The ability to perceive a regular beat in music and synchronize to this beat is a widespread human skill. Fundamental to musical behaviour, beat and meter refer to the perception of periodicities while listening to musical rhythms and often involve spontaneous entrainment to move on these periodicities. Here, we present a novel experimental approach inspired by the frequency-tagging approach to understand the perception and production of rhythmic inputs. This approach is illustrated here by recording the human electroencephalogram responses at beat and meter frequencies elicited in various contexts: mental imagery of meter, spontaneous induction of a beat from rhythmic patterns, multisensory integration and sensorimotor synchronization. Collectively, our observations support the view that entrainment and resonance phenomena subtend the processing of musical rhythms in the human brain. More generally, they highlight the potential of this approach to help us understand the link between the phenomenology of musical beat and meter and the bias towards periodicities arising under certain circumstances in the nervous system. Entrainment to music provides a highly valuable framework to explore general entrainment mechanisms as embodied in the human brain.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Perception; Brain; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials; Humans; Music; Periodicity; Time Factors
PubMed: 25385771
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0393 -
Archivos Espanoles de Urologia Jan 2022Usefulness and Acceptability of a Smart pH Meter and Mobile Medical App as a Monitoring Tool in Patients with Urolithiasis: Short-term Prospective Study.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Usefulness and Acceptability of a Smart pH Meter and Mobile Medical App as a Monitoring Tool in Patients with Urolithiasis: Short-term Prospective Study.
OBJECTIVE
An accurate strategy for regularly measuring urine pH is the use of portable electronic pH meters. This study evaluated the usefulness and acceptability of the smart Lit-Control® pH Meter connected with a companion mobile medical application (myLit-Control(R) App) used by patients with urolithiasis for home monitoring of urine pH. We also examined adherence and compliance rates, and users´ satisfaction levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective study conducted in 10 centers from Spain. Adult patients with a history of urolithiasis were recruited and instructed to carry out a pH measurement with the pH meter three times per day for two weeks. User tasks included turning on the device, registration and on boarding processes in the App, sync the device and the App, and data dumping. At the end of the trial, we evaluated the level of adherence and usage compliance. Participants' perceptions about the usefulness, acceptability, and satisfaction with the device/App were collected through the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ) and subjective surveys. RESULTS: Participants were 27 men and 10 women. The mean age of participants was 48.7 (SD = 10.4) years, ranging from 25 to 66. The predominant type of stone was calcium oxalate. The mean pH of all readings was 5.83 (SD = 0.41). Seventy-three (73%) patients met the "good adherence" criterion (not being more than 2 days without recording any pH value). The compliance (actual vs. theoretical readings) was 87.6%. Participants rated the usability of the App 5.4 and above (on a 7-point scale) in all the items of CSUQ. Satisfaction was high, as indicated by the mean score of 6.0 in item 16. In the subjective questionnaire (0 to 3 scale), nearly all mean values were above 2. Patients scored their probability to recommend the App with an average of 8.2 on a 0 to 10 scale.
CONCLUSION
The new smart Lit-Control® pH Meter and the accompanying medical App were deemed useful and acceptable by urolithiasis patients as a portable tool for urine pH monitoring at home. The usage compliance rates were high and the satisfaction with the products was good.
Topics: Adult; Calcium Oxalate; Female; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Middle Aged; Mobile Applications; Prospective Studies; Urolithiasis
PubMed: 35173078
DOI: No ID Found -
Revue Des Maladies Respiratoires Feb 2018Mould spores constitute the largest portion of biologic particulate matter suspended in the outdoor atmosphere. There is no universal method for collecting airborne... (Review)
Review
Mould spores constitute the largest portion of biologic particulate matter suspended in the outdoor atmosphere. There is no universal method for collecting airborne mould spores. The most used sampler, Hirst's apparatus, operates continuously and gives results in individual spores per cubic metre of air. Spore concentrations depend on available substrates, human activities such as agriculture, season, diurnal meteorological variations and climate changes. Under natural conditions, concentrations of over 100,000 spores per cubic metre are not exceptional. Cladosporium is the most commonly identified outdoor mould. The association between respiratory health and outdoor mould spore exposure has been assessed in clinical studies, and also by cross-sectional, and less often longitudinal, epidemiological studies. The relationship between asthma exacerbations and specific mould spores has been demonstrated in longitudinal studies. Cross sectional studies have related measurements of mould spore concentrations to severity of bronchial symptoms, drug consumption and peak-flow measurements in groups of asthmatic subjects. Ecological time-series studies use daily indicators of asthma exacerbations (emergency room visits, hospitalizations) within the general population. The moulds mainly incriminated are Cladosporium and Alternaria. They are associated with seasonal, but also perennial, asthma and rhinitis. Further studies are needed to better assess the impact of outdoor moulds on health, particularly basidiomycetes. Studies with molecular biology tools are probably a way forward.
Topics: Air Microbiology; Air Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; Fungi; Health; Humans; Lung Diseases, Fungal; Particulate Matter; Respiration; Respiratory Tract Infections; Spores, Fungal
PubMed: 29477567
DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2018.01.001 -
The Veterinary Clinics of North... Jul 2017Bovine foot rot (BFR) is an infectious disease of the interdigital skin and subcutaneous tissues of beef and dairy cattle that occurs under a variety of management and... (Review)
Review
Bovine foot rot (BFR) is an infectious disease of the interdigital skin and subcutaneous tissues of beef and dairy cattle that occurs under a variety of management and environmental settings. The anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas levii, and Prevotella intermedia are commonly isolated from lesions. A multitude of host, agent, and environmental factors contribute to the development of BFR. Initiation of systemic antimicrobial therapy early in the course of disease commonly leads to resolution. Delays in treatment may result in extension of infection into deeper bone, synovial structures, or ligamentous structures, and the prognosis for recovery is reduced.
Topics: Animals; Bacteroidaceae Infections; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Foot Rot; Fusobacterium Infections; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Lameness, Animal; Porphyromonas; Prevotella intermedia
PubMed: 28579042
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2017.02.003 -
Annals of Clinical and Translational... Dec 2023We explored various prognostic factors of motor outcomes in corticosteroid-naive boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
OBJECTIVE
We explored various prognostic factors of motor outcomes in corticosteroid-naive boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
METHODS
The associations between parent-reported neurodevelopmental concerns (speech delay, speech and language difficulties (SLD), and learning difficulties), DMD mutation location, and motor outcomes (6-minute walk distance (6MWD), North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) total score, 10-meter walk/run velocity, and rise from floor velocity) were studied in 196 corticosteroid-naive boys from ages 4 to less than 8 years.
RESULTS
Participants with SLD walked 25.8 fewer meters in 6 minutes than those without SLD (p = 0.005) but did not demonstrate statistical differences in NSAA total score, 10-meter walk/run velocity, and rise from floor velocity. Participants with distal DMD mutations with learning difficulties walked 51.8 fewer meters in 6 minutes than those without learning difficulties (p = 0.0007). Participants with distal DMD mutations were slower on 10-meter walk/run velocity, and rise from floor velocity (p = 0.02) than those with proximal DMD mutations. Participants with distal DMD mutations, who reported speech delay or learning difficulties, were slower on rise from floor velocity (p = 0.04, p = 0.01) than those with proximal DMD mutations. The mean NSAA total score was lower in participants with learning difficulties than in those without (p = 0.004).
INTERPRETATION
Corticosteroid-naive boys with DMD with distal DMD mutations may perform worse on some timed function tests, and that those with learning difficulties may perform worse on the NSAA. Pending confirmatory studies, our data underscore the importance of considering co-existing neurodevelopmental symptoms on motor outcome measures.
Topics: Male; Humans; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne; Walking; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Language Development Disorders
PubMed: 37804000
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51914 -
American Journal of Clinical and... 2022To evaluate the correlation between the pH readings in 24-h urine and the random fasting specimen in patients with urolithiasis using 2 methods.
PURPOSE
To evaluate the correlation between the pH readings in 24-h urine and the random fasting specimen in patients with urolithiasis using 2 methods.
METHODS
A total of 114 patients with urinary lithiasis using potassium citrate were prospectively analyzed. All patients collected 24-h urine and an additional sample, after nocturnal fasting, collected on the day they brought the 24-h sample at the lab. Two different methods (test strip and digital meter) were used to determine pH values.
RESULTS
The pH analysis using strips in the 24-h urine presented a mean value similar to the one obtained in the fasting sample (6.07 ± 0.74 vs. 6.02 ± 0.82, respectively; P > 0.05). The same behavior was seen considering the readings with a digital pH meter (5.8 ± 0.78 vs. 5.75 ± 0.83; P > 0.05). However, readings conducted in the same specimen with pH meter and test strip were dissonant (P < 0.05), suggesting that the colorimetric method is not reliable in the assessment of urinary pH in this population.
CONCLUSION
pH assessment in a random urinary specimen proved as efficient as the 24-h urine standard method to monitor patients with kidney stones in the use of potassium citrate. Classical test strip analysis is not sensitive enough to evaluate the urine pH in this population and digital pH meter reading is preferred.
PubMed: 35874289
DOI: No ID Found -
Biosensors & Bioelectronics Mar 2023Advanced biosensors, considered as emerging technologies, are capable of accurate, quantitative and real-time analysis for point-of-care testing (POCT) applications.... (Review)
Review
Advanced biosensors, considered as emerging technologies, are capable of accurate, quantitative and real-time analysis for point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. Moreover, the integrating of miniaturized meters into these advanced biosensors makes them ideally appropriate for portable, sensitive and selective detection of biomolecules. Miniaturized meters including PGMs (personal glucose meters), thermometer, pressuremeter, pH meter, etc. are the most accurate devices and wide availability in the market, exhibiting a promising potential towards detection of small molecule mycotoxins. In this article, we introduce and analyze the recent advancements for sensing of mycotoxins measured by handheld meters since the first report in 2012. Furthermore, limitations and challenges for versatile meters application against mycotoxins in food matrix are highlighted. By overcoming the bottleneck problems, we believe the miniaturized meters-based biosensor platform will provide great possibilities for mycotoxins analysis and launch them to the market.
Topics: Mycotoxins; Biosensing Techniques; Glucose; Point-of-Care Systems; Point-of-Care Testing
PubMed: 36669289
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115077 -
Journal of the International Society of... Jan 2021Accurate and reliable monitoring of blood ketone and glucose levels is useful for athletes adhering to a ketogenic diet who want to verify that they are in a state of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Accurate and reliable monitoring of blood ketone and glucose levels is useful for athletes adhering to a ketogenic diet who want to verify that they are in a state of ketosis and, therefore, accruing performance adaptations. However, the cost of devices and testing materials may prohibit their use. More affordable field testing systems are available, but their accuracy and reliability remain in question. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the agreement between a previously validated ketone and glucose meter (Meter 1 - Precision Xtra) and a more affordable meter that has not been validated (Meter 2 - Keto-Mojo), and also to assess the diagnostic performance of Meter 2 for identifying nutritional ketosis.
METHODS
Thirteen participants (7 females and 6 males; 21.6 ± 3.0 years old) visited the laboratory three times in this randomized, double-blind cross-over design study. Ketone and glucose levels were measured with Meter 1 and Meter 2 twice before and twice after ingestion of a racemic ketone, natural ketone, or maltodextrin supplement. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate interrater reliability for Meter 1 and Meter 2. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to visually assess the agreement between devices. Area under the ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of Meter 2 to detect nutritional ketosis at a threshold ketone level of 0.5 mM as identified by Meter 1.
RESULTS
Reliability between the meters was excellent for measuring ketones (ICC = .968; .942-.981) and good for measuring glucose (ICC = .809; .642-.893), though the Bland-Altman plot revealed substantial differences in agreement for measuring glucose. Area under the ROC curve (Area = 0.913; 0.828-0.998) was excellent for diagnosing nutritional ketosis.
CONCLUSIONS
Both Meter 1 and Meter 2 displayed excellent agreement between each other for ketone measurement. Meter 2 also displayed an excellent level of accuracy for diagnosing nutritional ketosis at a threshold value of 0.5 mM, making it an effective and affordable alternative to more expensive testing devices.
Topics: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Area Under Curve; Athletes; Blood Glucose; Cross-Over Studies; Diagnostic Equipment; Diet, Ketogenic; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Ketone Bodies; Ketones; Ketosis; Male; Polysaccharides; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult
PubMed: 33413456
DOI: 10.1186/s12970-020-00404-2 -
Current Urology Reports Aug 2023Urinary pH is an important factor related to renal stone disease, and it plays an essential role in stone prevention. Monitoring of urinary pH by patients at home... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Urinary pH is an important factor related to renal stone disease, and it plays an essential role in stone prevention. Monitoring of urinary pH by patients at home provides information that can help to assess the treatment needed by each patient. We conducted a systematic review is to assess the available evidence concerning urinary pH monitoring methods along with their accuracy, cost, and usefulness by patients with urolithiasis.
RECENT FINDINGS
A total of 9 articles were included (1886 urinary pH measurements). They reported information about urinary dipsticks, portable electronic pH meters and electronic strip readers, amongst other methods. Accuracy was compared with a laboratory pH meter (gold standard). Urinary dipsticks were found to be not accurate enough to guide clinical decision making and portable electronic pH meters showed promising results. Urinary dipsticks are neither precise nor accurate enough. Portable electronic pH meters seem to be more accurate, easy to use, and cost-effective. They are a reliable source for patients to use at home in order to prevent future episodes of nephrolithiasis.
Topics: Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kidney Calculi; Urolithiasis; Urinary Tract; Forecasting
PubMed: 37314611
DOI: 10.1007/s11934-023-01166-5 -
Arthritis Care & Research Apr 2021Little is known regarding what difference in functional performance measures is significant in individuals with chronic medical disease. Our objective was to examine the...
OBJECTIVE
Little is known regarding what difference in functional performance measures is significant in individuals with chronic medical disease. Our objective was to examine the important differences in gait speed in adults with radiographic knee osteoarthritis.
METHODS
Functional performance was measured by gait speed using 20-meter and 400-meter walk tests performed at a self-selected usual pace among adults with radiographic knee osteoarthritis participating in the Osteoarthritis Initiative at baseline and 2 years later. Both distribution-based methods and anchor-based methods were used to calculate the important differences in gait speed. Anchor-based methods used the chair stand rate and self-reported function to estimate gait speed differences related to physical function.
RESULTS
We included 2,527 participants with radiographic knee osteoarthritis. Distribution-based important difference estimates for the 20-meter walk ranged from 4.1 to 6.4 meters/minute and 400-meter walk estimates ranged from 2.9 to 6.5 meters/minute. Prevalent (cross-sectional) anchor-based estimates for the 20-meter walk ranged from 5.4 to 6.9 meters/minute and for the 400-meter walk ranged from 3.0 to 6.9 meters/minute. Longitudinal anchor-based estimates were deemed unreliable. Combining distribution-based with prevalent anchor-based methods showed that an important gait speed difference for the 20-meter walk is between 4.1 and 6.9 meters/minute and for the 400-meter walk is between 2.9 and 6.9 meters/minute.
CONCLUSION
Our results found that the important difference in gait speed for the 20-meter walk and the 400-meter walk is consistent with important difference estimates for older adult populations. These findings can provide benchmarks for assessing and understanding functional performance outcomes when comparing exposure groups and can be used in designing future studies targeting adults with radiographic knee osteoarthritis.
Topics: Aged; Female; Functional Status; Gait Analysis; Humans; Knee Joint; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Time Factors; United States; Walking Speed
PubMed: 32004424
DOI: 10.1002/acr.24159