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Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part... Jun 2024Regulation of internal body temperature (T), or thermoregulation, is an evolutionarily conserved trait that places demand on basal metabolic rate of endothermic animals....
Regulation of internal body temperature (T), or thermoregulation, is an evolutionarily conserved trait that places demand on basal metabolic rate of endothermic animals. Across species, athletes generate increased quantities of heat in comparison to their nonathletic counterparts and, therefore, must mediate physiological unbalance by upregulating the effectiveness of their heat dissipation abilities. Canine athletes are no exception to this phenomenon, however, with literature denoting body temperatures lower than nonathletic canines, it is clear they must possess adaptations to mitigate this demand. With VO max measurements of more than 200 mL/kg/min in sled dogs with mild training to 300 mL/kg/min in highly trained animals, sled dogs are a prime example of athleticism in canines. Seeking to determine correlations between T and body mass, morphology, and age of canine athletes, core body temperature (T) was measured with an instant ear thermometer, using T as a correlate before and after a 2-mile run. In addition, we employed thermal imaging analysis to capture body-wide heat dissipation patterns in sled dogs, and focused on thermal variation of mouth (T), nose (T), and eyes (T). Furthermore, we looked at correlations between thermal variability across these four tissues and head morphology of each dog. T was consistently the highest temperature across all tissues measured, with a 1.5°C increase between pre- to postexercise (p < 0.001). Thermal imaging revealed significant positive correlations between T and body mass 15 min postexercise (p = 0.0023) as well as significantly negative correlations between T and body mass at before exercise (p = 0.0468), T and nose length after run (p = 0.0076), and T and nose length after run (p = 0.0110). As body temperature rises during exercise, it becomes increasingly important to regulate blood flow throughout the body to supply working tissues with oxygen. This demand is offset by the role of the snout in evaporative cooling through panting, functioning as a prime location for heat dissipation and therefore maintaining significant relationships with many other vascularized tissues.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Body Temperature Regulation; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Male; Female; Body Temperature; Tears
PubMed: 38511570
DOI: 10.1002/jez.2809 -
Data in Brief Oct 2023Regarding climate change and energy resource problems, cargo movement in the urban environment is essential to shift to a more sustainable mode. As cities seek to slash...
Regarding climate change and energy resource problems, cargo movement in the urban environment is essential to shift to a more sustainable mode. As cities seek to slash transport-related emissions and tackle traffic congestion, the cargo bike is showing itself to be an attractive and versatile last-mile delivery alternative. To this end, this article presents a series of datasets for the Electric Capacitated Travelling Salesman Problem (EC-TSP). This problem has been built for modeling and solving the e-cargo bike parcel distribution problem in urban environments. For the design of these datasets, real geographical data have been used that are in the city centers of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, and Larisa in Greece. These datasets have been used for the assessment of e-cargo bikes versus typical delivery vans in terms of operational efficiency and COe emissions. The entire benchmark is composed of 9 instances comprised of 14-29 nodes each. The datasets are publicly available for use and modification.
PubMed: 37593182
DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109464 -
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma... Apr 2024The present study systematically reviewed current evidence on functional alignment (FA) in robotic total knee arthroplasty (TKA), discussing advantages and limitations,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
The present study systematically reviewed current evidence on functional alignment (FA) in robotic total knee arthroplasty (TKA), discussing advantages and limitations, possible pitfalls, and prospects.
METHODS
This study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement. In August 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase with no additional filters or time constraints. All the clinical studies investigating functional alignment in robotic TKA were accessed. Only studies published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. The risk of bias was evaluated following the guidelines in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Non-randomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) were evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomised Studies of Interventions (NRSI) (ROBINS-I) tool.
RESULTS
Data from 1198 patients (seven studies) were retrieved. The mean length of the follow-up was 17.1 ± 6.4 months. The mean age was 67.2 ± 5.4 years, and the mean BMI was 30.9 ± 2.7 kg/m.
CONCLUSION
FA might improve resection accuracy, implant alignment, and gap balancing in TKA, and additional high-quality clinical trials are necessary to properly establish the superiority of FA to other alignment techniques in TKA. Long-term clinical trials are needed to investigate the impact of FA on implant survivorship.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level IV, systematic review and meta-analysis.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Aged; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; Knee Joint; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Osteoarthritis, Knee
PubMed: 38337093
DOI: 10.1007/s00402-023-05195-0 -
Journal of Strength and Conditioning... Dec 2023Boffey, D, DiPrima, JA, Kendall, KL, Hill, EC, Stout, JR, and Fukuda, DH. Influence of body composition, load-velocity profiles, and sex-related differences on army...
Boffey, D, DiPrima, JA, Kendall, KL, Hill, EC, Stout, JR, and Fukuda, DH. Influence of body composition, load-velocity profiles, and sex-related differences on army combat fitness test performance. J Strength Cond Res 37(12): 2467-2476, 2023-The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) became the U.S. Army's mandatory physical fitness test in April of 2022. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between ACFT performance and both body composition and velocity profiles and to determine sex differences for these variables. Data were collected at 2 timepoints 4 months apart, from male (n = 55) and female (n = 17) Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. Body composition was assessed with a bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy device, and cadets completed a hex bar deadlift load-velocity profile (LVP) and ACFT on separate days. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to explain the amount of variance in ACFT total score and individual event performance. Significance for statistical tests was defined as an alpha level of p ≤ 0.05. Muscle mass and body fat percentage accounted for 49% of shared variance of total ACFT score, and deadlift maximal power and maximal velocity accounted for 67% of shared variance of total ACFT score. The 3 repetition maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, and sprint-drag-carry events favored cadets with more muscle mass, whereas the leg tuck was influenced by the body fat percentage and the 2-mile run was affected by fat mass. Sex had greater predictive capability for the 2-mile run than body composition. Men outperformed women on all individual events, with the greatest differences on standing power throw and sprint-drag-carry. It is recommended that Army ROTC cadets taking the ACFT maximize lower-body power production and increase muscle mass.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Exercise Test; Sex Characteristics; Physical Fitness; Exercise; Body Composition; Military Personnel
PubMed: 38015736
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004563 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Sep 2023Aquatic ecosystems offer a continuum of water flow from headwater streams to inland lakes and coastal marine systems. This spatial connectivity influences the structure,...
Aquatic ecosystems offer a continuum of water flow from headwater streams to inland lakes and coastal marine systems. This spatial connectivity influences the structure, function and dynamics of aquatic communities, which are among the most threatened and degraded on the Earth. Here, we determine the spatial resolution of environmental DNA (eDNA) in dendritic freshwater networks, which we use as a model for connected metacommunities. Our intensive sampling campaign comprised over 420 eDNA samples across 21 connected lakes, allowing us to analyse detections at a variety of scales, from different habitats within a lake to entire lake networks. We found strong signals of within-lake variation in eDNA distribution reflective of typical habitat use by both fish and zooplankton. Most importantly, we also found that connecting channels between lakes resulted in an accumulation of downstream eDNA detections in lakes with a higher number of inflows, and as networks increased in length. Environmental DNA achieves biodiversity surveys in these habitats in a high-throughput, spatially integrated way. These findings have profound implications for the interpretation of eDNA detections in aquatic ecosystems in global-scale biodiversity monitoring observations.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; DNA, Environmental; Biodiversity; Lakes; Earth, Planet
PubMed: 37700653
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0841 -
Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences Jun 2024Health care and research are increasingly mandating consumer involvement in the planning, design and evaluation of services, quality projects and research. The editorial...
Health care and research are increasingly mandating consumer involvement in the planning, design and evaluation of services, quality projects and research. The editorial reviews the Australian progress with accreditation processes in research and provides practical direction in an area that is unfamiliar to many researchers and clinicians.
Topics: Australia; Community Participation; Humans; Accreditation
PubMed: 38530044
DOI: 10.1002/jmrs.782 -
The Clinical Journal of Pain Aug 2023To evaluate subsequent shifts to patient access to tertiary pain management care following shelter-in-place (SIP) and increased telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate subsequent shifts to patient access to tertiary pain management care following shelter-in-place (SIP) and increased telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Retrospective naturalistic design was used. Data for this study were extracted from a retrospective review of the Pediatric-Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry, with additional demographic information collected using chart review. Participants were 906 youth who received an initial evaluation either in-person (n=472) within the 18 months before SIP or through telehealth (n=434) within the 18 months after SIP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient variables to assess access included geographic distance from the clinic, ethnic and racial diversity, and patient's insurance type. Descriptive characteristics for each group were analyzed using χ 2 test, percentage change, and t -test analyses.
RESULTS
Data indicated that transitioning to telehealth resulted in maintained access rates between groups as measured by race and ethnic diversity as well as distance traveled from the clinic. A trend toward increase in government-funded insurance was found, though no statistically significant differences were identified between telehealth and in-person visits. Though the majority of participants (in-person: 52.75%; telehealth 55.81%) lived within 50 miles of the clinic, results indicated that telehealth allowed for a statistically significant increase in evaluation access for families living further from the clinic within a 50-mile radius.
DISCUSSION
Overall, accessibility to pediatric pain management through telehealth during SIP was maintained despite significant declines in overall access to health care, with some trends in increased accessibility for patients with government insurance.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Child; Pandemics; Retrospective Studies; COVID-19; Telemedicine; Pain
PubMed: 37195002
DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001132 -
Cureus Sep 2023Introduction Obstetrical research confirms that earlier onset prenatal care significantly improves pregnancy and birth outcomes. Initiating care in the second trimester...
Introduction Obstetrical research confirms that earlier onset prenatal care significantly improves pregnancy and birth outcomes. Initiating care in the second trimester or having less than 50% of recommended visits has been associated with an increased risk of prematurity, stillbirth, neonatal, and infant death. Studies have shown that women on public health insurance plans initiate prenatal care substantially later into pregnancy than those on private plans. The purpose of this study is to assess whether public health insurance limits Florida patients' access to obstetric care. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting data on the four most populated zip codes for Medicaid in South Florida using HealthGrades.com. The following search parameters were used: "obstetric care", "four stars and up" and "10-mile distance". Each obstetrician was called three times to assess appointment availability for fictional nulliparous women at eight weeks of gestation requesting prenatal care. Accepted insurance types (Medicaid, Cigna, and United Health Group (UHG)), time to an appointment in business days, and self-pay rates were recorded. Practices with invalid contact information and retired obstetricians were excluded. Summary statistics, chi-squared analysis, and a two-way t-test were conducted for the primary outcome. Results Seventy-one out of 178 obstetricians were successfully contacted, of which 31 physicians accepted all three insurances, and 40 physicians did not accept at least one insurance. Of those, 97.2% accepted UnitedHealthcare, 98.6% accepted Cigna, and 45.1% accepted Medicaid. There was a statistically significant difference when comparing acceptance rates between UHC and Medicaid as well as Cigna and Medicaid (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in acceptance rates in the direct comparison of the two private insurances, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare (p=0.559). The average number of days until the next available appointment was 12.7 (SD= 7.2) for UnitedHealthcare, 20.0 (SD=6.7) for Cigna, and 17.0 (SD=8.6) for Medicaid. There was a statistically significant trend between the type of insurance and the time to the earliest appointment (p=0.002). Conclusion This study demonstrated patients enrolled in Medicaid in South Florida have significantly less access to prenatal care than those with private insurance. This evidence shows that decreased access to care from Medicaid plans can possibly increase the risk of adverse outcomes associated with inadequate prenatal care. This information should be considered by policymakers when considering future Medicaid expansion.
PubMed: 37680257
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44781 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Aug 2023Countries' sectors are currently under great scrutiny for their response to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission profile and the general effect of the sectoral activities...
Countries' sectors are currently under great scrutiny for their response to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission profile and the general effect of the sectoral activities on the environment. As in the agenda of all sectors, environmental concerns and investigations are of high importance in shipping and maritime transport. Amidst the rising forms of globalization, the need for sustainable transportation is constantly increasing. However, the machines that are the cornerstone of transportation largely depend on fossil fuels, thus resulting in environmental degradation. Notably, environmental-related degradation has continued to account for global warming, climate change, and ocean acidification. Shipping is considered the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation in terms of carbon dioxide (CO) emissions per ton per mile of transported unit load when compared against road transportation. In this study, six ferry lines (FLs) of Washington State Ferries were calculated to compare ship-generated carbon dioxide (CO) emissions with those from road transportation as if the carried vehicles had used the highway instead of transport by FL. While making these calculations, the Greatest Integer function (GIF) and Trozzi and Vaccaro function (TVF) were utilized. From the examined three scenarios, i.e., all passengers travel by car instead of ferry as scenario 1, all ferries carry both cars and passengers as scenario 2, and all car-free passengers travel by bus instead of ferry as scenario 3, the outlined results are as follows: (i) none of the cars were carried by the ferry, and car-free passengers preferred traveling by their own cars as observed in scenario 1; (ii) hypothetical scenarios (1 to 3) in which the road vehicles carried on FLs had instead used the highway, and the total potential CO emissions of these road vehicles were calculated as 2,638,858.138, 704,958.2998, and 1,394,148.577 tonnes per year, respectively. Policy-wise, this study revealed the management strategies for CO emissions reduction for two transport modes, shipping and road transportation, under current conditions.
Topics: Vehicle Emissions; Carbon Dioxide; Washington; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Seawater; Transportation; Air Pollutants
PubMed: 37378729
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28281-7 -
World Journal of Urology Nov 2023
Topics: Humans; Patients
PubMed: 37750962
DOI: 10.1007/s00345-023-04622-6