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Medicine Jul 2023Surgical resection for lung cancer adversely impacts exercise capacity. The 6-minute walk test (6MinWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) are commonly used to...
Surgical resection for lung cancer adversely impacts exercise capacity. The 6-minute walk test (6MinWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) are commonly used to assess exercise capacity. However, these tests are difficult to use clinically because they must be performed by a trained technician using specialized equipment according to a prescribed method. This study aims to analyze correlations between walking speed in a 10-meter walk test and exercise capacity measured by the 6MinWT or CPET in patients with lung resection for lung cancer. A total of 50 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent lung resection were included in the analysis. The 6MinWT and CPET were performed to measure exercise capacity, and the 10-meter walk test was used to evaluate the short-duration walking speed. The population was divided into 2 groups -low and high exercise capacity - based on threshold values (6MinWT, 500 m; CPET, 20 mL·kg-1·min-1); we analyzed the correlation according to the level of exercise capacity. In the correlation analysis between the 10-meter walking speed and exercise capacity, the 10-meter walking speed showed a strong correlation (R = 0.70, P < .001) with the 6MinWT and a moderate correlation (R = 0.47, P < .001) with the CPET, respectively. The low exercise capacity group showed a significant correlation (6MinWT, ρ = 0.70; CPET, ρ = 0.54) between the 10-meter walking speed and exercise capacity, while the high exercise capacity group did not. In patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer, the 10-meter walking speed was significantly correlated with exercise capacity, especially in subjects with low exercise capacity that require pulmonary rehabilitation.
Topics: Humans; Walking Speed; Exercise Tolerance; Lung Neoplasms; Exercise Test; Walking
PubMed: 37505118
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034479 -
HardwareX Sep 2023Acid-base titration is a quantitative analysis that enables knowing the quantity of acidic or basic groups present in a solution sample. It consists in the addition of...
Acid-base titration is a quantitative analysis that enables knowing the quantity of acidic or basic groups present in a solution sample. It consists in the addition of base or acid to the solution sample while monitoring the pH to reach a neutral pH. The titration can be automated and here we present a low cost Arduino based Open Source Pump (OSPump) modified to act as an automated titrator with an obsolete but reliable Metrohm 713 pH meter. Our device is 50 times less expensive than second hand units from the pH meter manufacturer and inherently open to customization. We present two validation cases of study, including the lipolysis of a vegetable olive oil in water emulsion, characterized by the OSPump Titrator.
PubMed: 37649586
DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00464 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Meter reading is an important part of intelligent inspection, and the current meter reading method based on target detection has problems of low accuracy and large...
Meter reading is an important part of intelligent inspection, and the current meter reading method based on target detection has problems of low accuracy and large error. In order to improve the accuracy of automatic meter reading, this paper proposes an automatic reading method for pointer-type meters based on the YOLOv5-Meter Reading (YOLOv5-MR) model. Firstly, in order to improve the detection performance of small targets in YOLOv5 framework, a multi-scale target detection layer is added to the YOLOv5 framework, and a set of Anchors is designed based on the lightning rod dial data set; secondly, the loss function and up-sampling method are improved to enhance the model training convergence speed and obtain the optimal up-sampling parameters; Finally, a new external circle fitting method of the dial is proposed, and the dial reading is calculated by the center angle algorithm. The experimental results on the self-built dataset show that the Mean Average Precision (mAP) of the YOLOv5-MR target detection model reaches 79%, which is 3% better than the YOLOv5 model, and outperforms other advanced pointer-type meter reading models.
PubMed: 37514937
DOI: 10.3390/s23146644 -
International Journal of Exercise... 2023The study investigated the impact of maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and maximal anaerobic sprint (MANS) on repeated sprint ability (RSA) in soccer.
UNLABELLED
The study investigated the impact of maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and maximal anaerobic sprint (MANS) on repeated sprint ability (RSA) in soccer.
METHODS
17 amateur-to semi-professional soccer players, age 19 (± 4) years, were tested for maximal oxygen consumption (VO), oxygen cost of running (C), RSA consisting of 15·20m sprint each divided by a 100 seconds dribble track, and 40-meter sprint performance. MAS was calculated as VO · C, and MANS was defined as the highest velocity in the 40-meter sprint.
RESULTS
There was a strong correlation between MAS and average 20-meter RSA velocity ( = 0.760; < 0.01), and between MAS and performance decrement ( = -0.648; < 0.01). The product of 0.5MAS + 0.5MANS exhibited the strongest correlation with RSA ( = 0.813; < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
The combination of MAS and MANS strongly predicted RSA. High-intensity aerobic interval training (HIIT) and maximal strength training (MST) are recommended to improve MAS and MANS, and could thus lead to better RSA on the soccer field.
PubMed: 37638208
DOI: No ID Found -
Molecular Ecology Dec 2023Holobionts are dynamic ecosystems that may respond to abiotic drivers with compositional changes. Uncovering elevational diversity patterns within these microecosystems...
Holobionts are dynamic ecosystems that may respond to abiotic drivers with compositional changes. Uncovering elevational diversity patterns within these microecosystems can further our understanding of community-environment interactions. Here, we assess how the major components of lichen holobionts-fungal hosts, green algal symbionts, and the bacterial community-collectively respond to an elevational gradient. We analyse populations of two lichen symbioses, Umbilicaria pustulata and U. hispanica, along an elevational gradient spanning 2100 altitudinal metres and covering three major biomes. Our study shows (i) discontinuous genomic variation in fungal hosts with one abrupt genomic differentiation within each of the two host species, (ii) altitudinally structured bacterial communities with pronounced turnover within and between hosts, and (iii) altitude-specific presence of algal symbionts. Alpha diversity of bacterial communities decreased with increasing elevation. A marked turnover in holobiont diversity occurred across two altitudinal belts: at 11°C-13°C average annual temperature (here: 800-1200 m a.s.l.), and at 7°C-9°C average annual temperature (here: 1500-1800 m a.s.l.). The two observed zones mark a clustering of distribution limits and community shifts. The three ensuing altitudinal classes, that is, the most frequent combinations of species in holobionts, approximately correspond to the Mediterranean, cool-temperate, and alpine climate zones. We conclude that multitrophic microecosystems, such as lichen holobionts, respond with concerted compositional changes to climatic factors that also structure communities of macroorganisms, for example, vascular plants.
Topics: Lichens; Ecosystem; Environment; Altitude; Bacteria
PubMed: 35398946
DOI: 10.1111/mec.16471 -
Terapevticheskii Arkhiv Dec 2023A point-of-care glucose testing (POCT) is an essential component of care in patients with hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in inpatient and outpatient settings. In Russian...
BACKGROUND
A point-of-care glucose testing (POCT) is an essential component of care in patients with hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in inpatient and outpatient settings. In Russian medical facilities (MFs), conventional glucose meters designed for self-monitoring by patients with diabetes are commonly used for POCT. These home-use meters have two serious disadvantages: the first is large measurement bias and the second - they can't be integrated into laboratory information systems, so measurement data have to be recorded into patient charts manually. Both factors may lead to medical errors. It is reasonable to use in the MFs specialized POCT glucose meters, as they are superior to conventional ones in accuracy and may be easily connected to laboratory information systems. With this in mind, physicians at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital decided to substitute conventional meters with the Accu-Chek Inform II POCT meter, however, after preliminary performance assessment of the model.
AIM
To test the Accu-Chek Inform II performance characteristics: accuracy, linearity, repeatability, and mean absolute relative difference (MARD).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Performance of the Accu-Chek Inform II was tested by comparing the results of parallel C measurements with the meter and reference laboratory analyzer in capillary blood samples. Overall, 99 parallel C measurements were made in 45 samples. Accuracy was evaluated according to the ISO 15197-2013 and POCT12-A3 criteria.
RESULTS
The Accu-Chek Inform II meter met the requirements of ISO 15197-2013 and POCT12-A3 and demonstrated high linearity (correlation coefficient, =1,0), good repeatability (mean coefficient of variation, CV=1,38%) and acceptable MARD (4,9%).
CONCLUSION
The Accu-Chek Inform II POCT glucose meter may be efficiently and safely used in inpatient and outpatient MFs and particularly in pediatric clinics.
Topics: Humans; Blood Glucose; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; Russia; Point-of-Care Systems; Point-of-Care Testing; Reproducibility of Results; Diabetes Mellitus
PubMed: 38785055
DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2023.12.202522 -
International Journal of Chronic... 2023Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a high incidence rate in China, but the diagnosis rate remains insufficient. This study aimed to explore and compare...
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a high incidence rate in China, but the diagnosis rate remains insufficient. This study aimed to explore and compare COPD screening tools for primary healthcare institutions in China.
PURPOSE
Exploring COPD Screening Tools and Their Combined Use for Primary Healthcare Institutions in China.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
From September 2022 to March 2023, a screening for COPD was conducted among residents aged 35 years and above in primary healthcare institutions in Beijing, China. The screening involved the use of the CAPTURE scale, COPD-SQ scale, and peak expiratory flow rate test. Any positive results from these screening tests were followed by further pulmonary function testing to confirm the diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for each screening tool alone and in combination.
RESULTS
A total of 986 individuals completed the screening tests. The positive rates for the CAPTURE scale, COPD-SQ scale, and peak flow meter screening were 41.78%, 29.11%, and 52.03%, respectively. Of the participants, 166 (24.09%) underwent pulmonary function tests, with an average age of 61.69±13.68 years. The peak flow meter screening showed the highest sensitivity (83.78%) when used alone, while the COPD-SQ scale exhibited the best specificity (59.69%), positive predictive value (31.58%), and negative predictive value (58.56%). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed between any two of the three screening tools. Among the combinations, the peak flow meter screening + COPD-SQ scale showed the highest accuracy, with a Youden index of 0.277 and an AUC of 0.638.
CONCLUSION
There is variation in the accuracy of existing screening tools for COPD when used alone. For primary healthcare institutions, the optimal COPD screening tool is the combination of peak flow meter screening and the COPD-SQ questionnaire. If limited by screening equipment conditions, the COPD-SQ questionnaire can be used alone for screening.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Aged; Beijing; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; China; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 37608835
DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S419550 -
Scientific Reports May 2024This study addresses the drawbacks of traditional methods used in meter coefficient analysis, which are low accuracy and long processing time. A new method based on...
This study addresses the drawbacks of traditional methods used in meter coefficient analysis, which are low accuracy and long processing time. A new method based on non-parametric analysis using the Back Propagation (BP) neural network is proposed to overcome these limitations. The study explores the classification and pattern recognition capabilities of the BP neural network by analyzing its non-parametric model and optimization methods. For model construction, the study uses the United Kingdom Domestic Appliance-Level Electricity dataset's meter readings and related data for training and testing the proposed model. The non-parametric analysis model is used for data pre-processing, feature extraction, and normalization to obtain the training and testing datasets. Experimental tests compare the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network with the traditional Least Squares Method (LSM). The results demonstrate that the proposed model significantly improves the accuracy indicators such as mean absolute error (MAE) and mean relative error (MRE) when compared with the LSM method. The proposed model achieves an MAE of 0.025 and an MRE of 1.32% in the testing dataset, while the LSM method has an MAE of 0.043 and an MRE of 2.56% in the same dataset. Therefore, the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network can achieve higher accuracy in meter coefficient analysis when compared with the traditional LSM method. This study provides a novel non-parametric analysis method with practical reference value for the electricity industry in energy metering and load forecasting.
PubMed: 38769323
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61702-2 -
Journal of Microscopy May 2024When the first concrete was poured in 1949 for the Hungry Horse Dam (Montana, USA), pozzolan cements had already been used in several major North American dams,...
When the first concrete was poured in 1949 for the Hungry Horse Dam (Montana, USA), pozzolan cements had already been used in several major North American dams, including Grand Coulee on the Columbia River (diatomaceous earth explored but ultimately not used), Friant on the San Joaquin River and Altus on the North Fork Red River (pumicite) and Bonneville on the Columbia River and Davis on the Colorado River (calcined clay). But Hungry Horse Dam stands out as the first dam constructed using coal combustion fly ash. Utilising 2.4 million cubic metres of concrete, the dam is located on the South Fork Flathead River, one of the tributaries feeding one of the nation's major waterways, the Columbia River, and closely related to the adjacent Glacier National Park. In this respect, Hungry Horse is directly connected to two momentous periods in modern history - the massive adoption in the 1950s of coal as fuel for power plants, and the ongoing threats to fresh water supply and the rapid retreat of alpine glaciers due to global warming. Two concrete cores from this dam, one with fly ash and one without fly ash, are examined microscopically to explore the long-term suppression of alkali-aggregate reaction by fly ash. The core without fly ash exhibits clear evidence of alkali-aggregate reaction, manifested by sandstone coarse aggregate particles with darkened reaction rims. Sandstone coarse aggregate particles of the same lithology in the core with fly ash are without signs of alkali-aggregate reaction. A detailed examination of the darkened rims indicates that alkali-silica reaction products fill the narrow gaps between adjacent sand grains in the sandstone. This alkali-silica gel infilling allows for optical continuity between adjacent sand grains and is responsible for the classic darkened rim associated with the alkali-aggregate reaction.
PubMed: 37986607
DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13248