Frequency Of Movements Research Articles

Modeling, Design, and Laboratory Testing of a Passive Friction Seismic Metamaterial Base Isolator (PFSMBI)

This paper focuses on the theoretical and analytical modeling of a novel seismic isolator termed the Passive Friction Mechanical Metamaterial Seismic Isolator (PFSMBI) system, which is designed for seismic hazard mitigation in multi-story buildings. The PFSMBI system consists of a lattice structure composed of a series of identical small cells interconnected by layers made of viscoelastic materials. The main function of the lattice is to shift the fundamental natural frequency of the building away from the dominant frequency of earthquake excitations by creating low-frequency bandgaps (FBGs) below 20 Hz. In this configuration, each unit cell contains an inner resonator that slides over a friction surface while it is tuned to vibrate at the fundamental natural frequency of the building. This resonance enhances the energy dissipation capacity of the PFSMBI system. After deriving the governing equations for four selected lattice configurations (i.e., Cases 1–4), a parametric study is performed to optimize the PFSMBI system for a wide range of harmonic ground motion frequencies. In this study, we examine how key parameters, such as the mass ratios of the cells and resonators, tuning frequency ratios, the number of cells, and the coefficient of friction, affect the system’s performance. The PFSMBI system is then incorporated into the dynamic model of a six-story base-isolated building to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the floor acceleration and inter-story drift under actual earthquake ground motion records. This dynamic model is used to investigate the effect of stick–slip motion (SSM) on the energy dissipation performance of a PFSMBI system by employing the LuGre friction model. The numerical results show that the optimized PFSMBI system, through its lattice structure and frictional resonators, effectively reduces floor acceleration and inter-story drift by leveraging FBGs and frictional energy dissipation, particularly when SSM effects are properly accounted for. Finally, a small-scale prototype of the PFSMBI system with two cells is developed to verify the effect of SSM. This experimental validation highlights that neglecting SSM can lead to an overestimation of the energy dissipation performance of PFSMBI systems.

Conspicuous Animals Remain Alert When Under Cover but Do Not Differ in the Temporal Course of Vigilance from Less Conspicuous Species

Conspicuousness increases the risk of predation. One strategy to reduce this risk is to increase vigilance. We investigated the frequency of head movements as a measure of vigilance at waterholes in two related songbird species that differed in their conspicuousness: the Gouldian finch and the long-tailed finch. While both species showed a high frequency of head movements (high vigilance) when sitting in an open tree, the more colourful Gouldian finch remained more vigilant than the less conspicuous long-tailed finch when sitting under cover. Moreover, juvenile Gouldian finches had similar vigilance levels than adults; whereas, juveniles of the long-tailed finch were less vigilant, possibly because of staying in the family group. Furthermore, both species showed a similar temporal course of vigilance with a fast decrease in vigilance after landing in the tree, which was affected by group size. Single individuals had much higher vigilance than groups of birds. Finally, vigilance was higher at small waterholes. The results show that conspicuousness, uncertainty when arriving at waterholes, and higher perceived risk at small waterholes increased vigilance.

Oral biomechanical feature recognition method and system for vocal pronunciation resonance

This paper discusses a vocal pronunciation resonance recognition method based on oral biomechanical features, aiming to collect the movement data inside the oral cavity through high-precision sensors, and combine support vector machines and convolutional neural networks to achieve precise recognition and optimization of pronunciation resonance features. First, by using high-precision sensors such as tongue position sensors and soft palate movement sensors, key biomechanical data such as tongue position, oral morphology and soft palate movement of singers during pronunciation are obtained in real-time. Then, feature extraction and analysis are performed to extract biomechanical features such as movement amplitude, frequency, and speed of oral organs, and a resonance feature recognition model is constructed using support vector machines and convolutional neural networks to recognize and optimize the resonance area during pronunciation. Finally, this paper designs and develops an automated recognition system that can provide real-time feedback on the singer’s pronunciation data, and provide personalized training suggestions based on the recognition results to optimize the pronunciation resonance effect. The experimental results show that the resonance recognition method based on biomechanical data can significantly improve the accuracy and personalization of pronunciation, and help improve the efficiency and scientificity of vocal training. The system has good stability, with a response time of less than 500 ms and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) usage rate of no more than 70%. This method provides effective technical support for the digitalization and personalized optimization of vocal pronunciation, and has high practical value and promotion potential.

North Pontic crossroads: Mobility in Ukraine from the Bronze Age to the early modern period.

The North Pontic region, which encompasses present-day Ukraine, was a crossroads of migration, connecting the vast Eurasian Steppe with Central Europe. We generated shotgun-sequenced genomic data for 91 individuals dating from around 7000 BCE to 1800 CE to study migration and mobility history in the region, with a particular focus on historically attested migrating groups during the Iron Age and the medieval period. We infer a high degree of temporal heterogeneity in ancestry, with fluctuating genetic affinities to different present-day Eurasian groups. We also infer high heterogeneity in ancestry within geographically, culturally, and socially defined groups. Despite this, we find that ancestry components which are widespread in Eastern and Central Europe have been present in the Ukraine region since the Bronze Age. In short, our study reveals a diverse range of ancestries in the Ukraine region through time as a result of frequent movements, assimilation, and contacts.

Toward a hyperventilation detection system in freediving: a proof of concept using force sensor technology

Background and aimHyperventilation before breath-hold diving (freediving) is widely accepted as a risk factor for hypoxic syncope or blackout (BO), but there is no practical way to address it before dives. This study explores the feasibility of using a force sensor to predict end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) to assess hyperventilation in freedivers.Methods and resultsTwenty-one freedivers volunteered to participate during two national competitions. The divers were instructed to breathe normally and perform three dry apneas of 1, 2, and 3-min duration at 2-min intervals in a sitting position. Before and after the apneas, PETCO2 was recorded. The signal from the force sensor, attached to a chest belt, was used to record the frequency and amplitude of the chest movements, and the product of these values in the 60 s before the apnea was used to predict PETCO2. The mean PETCO2 was below 35 mmHg before all apneas. The mean amplitude of the signal from the force sensor increased from apnea 1 to apnea 3 (p < 0.001), while the respiratory rate was similar (NS). The product of the respiratory rate and amplitude from the force sensor explained 34% of the variability of the PETCO2 in the third apnea.ConclusionThis study shows that a force sensor can estimate hyperventilation before static apnea, providing a basis for further research. More studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness in preventing issues. Freedivers may hyperventilate without noticing it, and such a system could improve awareness of this condition. Additional underwater tests are essential to determine whether this system can enhance safety in freediving.

Numerical heat transfer analysis considering thermal contact conductance between rough reciprocating sliding surfaces

The frictional heat generated leads to elevated surface temperatures, which markedly influence the reliability and service life of friction pairs. Considering the dynamic changes in the thermal contact conductance and friction coefficient, the heat transfer equations which consist of heat exchange due to temperature difference and frictional heat generation at the sliding interface have been established. A finite element heat transfer model is constructed between two rough reciprocating sliding surfaces. The influences of the reciprocating motion and the interface thermal contact conductance on the heat flow distribution coefficient and surface contact temperature are solved by numerical simulations respectively. Furthermore, a prediction model is developed based on the BP neural networks. The results indicate that the heat flow distribution coefficient and surface contact temperature increase with rising motion frequency or interface thermal contact conductance and eventually reach a steady state. Moreover, for a fixed motion frequency, both parameters increase linearly with motion amplitude under different interface thermal contact conductance. The prediction model for heat flow distribution coefficient and surface contact temperature shows average relative errors of 0.45% and 3.53%, respectively. This research provides a new efficient way to analyze heat transfer in reciprocating sliding contacts and predict the contact surface temperatures.

Effect of Pilates Exercises on Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is challenging, calling for therapeutic strategies other than pharmacologicaltreatment. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Pilates exercises on IBS symptoms and severity, frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and body weight in women with IBS.Methods: Sixty women aged 20–45 with IBS were randomized into two groups: a study group (n = 30) receiving an 8-week Pilates program (2 sessions/week) plus dietary advice and a control group (n = 30) receiving dietary advice only. Inclusion criteria included moderate-to-severe IBS diagnosed via Rome IV criteria. The outcome measures were the IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), the frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements, the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS), hospital anxiety and depression (HADS) scale, and body weight (BW).Results: The study group showed more significant improvements than the control group in total IBS-SSS score (Cohen d = 0.73, p <0.001), frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements (Cohen d = 0.50, p <0.001), total MFIS score (Cohen d = 0.74, p < 0.001), anxiety (Cohen d = 0.56, p < 0.001), and depression (Cohen d= 0.64, p <0.001). The study group also showed a significant reduction in body weight compared to baseline (p < 0.05). The control group showed significant improvements in all outcomes, except body weight, compared to baseline (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Adding Pilates to dietary advice significantly enhances IBS outcomes, bowel movement frequency, fatigue, anxiety, and depression compared to dietary advice alone. However, dietary advice alone also yielded notable benefits.

A Comparative Study of Supervised Machine Learning Techniques for Water Leakage Prediction in Drill and Blast Excavated Water Tunnels in the Himalayan Region

In the Himalayan region, drill and blast (DB) method excavated water tunnels often pass through complex geological rock mass conditions which were formed with frequent tectonic movements. Due to these tectonic movements, the rock mass conditions in the Himalayas are highly faulted, folded, jointed, sheared, and fractured. The geological formations are the pathway for the water ingress and leakage out in the water tunnel. This water leakage in the tunnel causes a complicated geological hazard, which significantly increases tunnel instability and can lead to a delay in completion time and finally increase the cost of the tunnel project. Therefore, an efficient water ingress/leakage prediction model is essential to mitigate these challenges. In this research, various field data such as rock mass properties, topography, and permeability data sets were collected from the Nilgiri-II Hydroelectric project water tunnel. These real-time field datasets have been used for comprehensive assessment and to predict the water ingress/leakage in the water tunnel by using four supervised machine learning (ML) approaches such as Support Vector Regression (SVR), Decision Tree (DT) regression, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Random Forest (RF) regression models. It was observed that the KNN shows the best regression performance of 93% followed by RF of 92%, DT of 86%, and SVR of 66%. Therefore, all these machine learning approaches show good performance in predicting water ingress/leakage based on real field data except the SVR model.

Методика контроля техники владения клюшкой

The article presents in detail the method of control of puck possession technique developed at the Department of Theory and Methodology of Football and Hockey of the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. The methodology is based on the obtained patent No. 2732219 C1 of the Russian Federation, MPK A61B 5/11. Device for determining the frequency and accuracy of human hand movements at pronation and supination and the certificate of state registration of the computer program No. 2024613913 RF “Control of the frequency of arbitrary movements of hockey players' hands”. The method allows to monitor the frequency of rotational movements of the leading hand when dribbling the puck on the spot. The speed and frequency of rotational movements largely determines the level of technical skill of hockey players of different ages.

Oscillatory Motion of a Camphor Disk on a Water Phase with an Ionic Liquid Sensitive to Transition Metal Ions.

We investigated oscillatory motion of a camphor disk floating on water containing 5 mM hexylethylenediaminium trifluoroacetate (HHexen-TFA) as an ionic liquid (IL). The frequency of the oscillatory motion increased with increasing concentrations of the transition metal ions Cu2+ and Ni2+ but was insensitive to Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, the typical metal ions in the water phase. The surface tension of the water phase containing 5 mM HHexen-TFA also increased with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ and Ni2+ but was insensitive to Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. Based on density functional theory, metal-ion species-dependent frequency response is discussed with regard to surface tension as the force of self-propulsion and complex formation between HHexen-TFA and metal ions. These results suggest that complex formation between the transition metal ions (Cu2+, Ni2+) and the ethylenediamine group in the IL increases the surface tension around the camphor disk, resulting in an increase in the frequency of oscillatory motion with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ or Ni2+. The present study suggests that the nature of self-propulsion can be created by complexation, which changes the force of self-propulsion.

Exploring the Association Between Food Insecurity, Bowel Health, and All-Cause Mortality in the United States: Insights from NHANES 2005-2010.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic constipation (CC) and chronic diarrhea (CD) impose a significant burden on global healthcare resources. Food insecurity, a crucial social determinant of health, remains unclearly associated with CC and CD. We aim to explore the association between food insecurity and CC and CD, and its impact on all-cause mortality among participants with abnormal bowel health. We used data from National Health and Nutrition Survey 2005-2010. We assessed food insecurity using the Household Food Security Survey Module, and bowel health, including CD and CC, was evaluated using fecal characteristics and bowel movement frequency from the Bowel Health Questionnaire. Finally, 13 199 participants were included. A total of 15.26% (2014) participants experienced food insecurity. Multivariate analysis revealed that food insecurity was associated with a higher proportion of CD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.52, p = 0.03), especially in women. CC did not exhibit a significant association with food insecurity (OR: 1.10, CI: 0.86-1.40, p = 0.41). Furthermore, food insecurity was significantly linked to higher all-cause mortality in patients with CD (OR: 1.59, CI: 1.01-2.50, p = 0.046) and CC (OR: 2.01, CI: 1.20-3.46, p = 0.01). Assessing food insecurity's impact on bowel health is crucial for policy formulation and risk identification. Research should explore links between food insecurity and CD or CC severity, treatment, and psychosocial aspects to improve patient quality of life.

Research progress of colonic electrical stimulation in the treatment of chronic constipation

Chronic constipation refers to a reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and difficulty in defecation lasting for more than 6 months, with a comprehensive incidence rate of 15% in the population. Chronic constipation is a significant health concern that greatly affects the quality of life of patients and results in substantial healthcare resource consumption. Current common treatment strategies include lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, biofeedback therapy, enemas, and surgical procedures, but the effectiveness of these approaches remains limited. Colonic electrical stimulation therapy is a newly proposed treatment strategy in recent years, which involves the application of external electrical current to correct abnormal physiological activities related to defecation. This article provides an overview of the mechanisms, efficacy, and factors influencing the use of colonic electrical stimulation in the treatment of chronic constipation, as well as a summary of the advantages of colonic electrical stimulation and possible challenges for future development.

Visual Functions in Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON)

Background: Most of the data on visual functions in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is based on patient questionnaires. Our study assessed the impact of LHON on visual function by testing facial recognition and execution of purposeful actions. Methods: Twelve participants with LHON with central scotoma ranging from 5° to 20° and 12 unaffected age-matched controls were involved in our study. In the face recognition test, participants were asked to recognize the sex and the facial expression of photographs of faces increasing in size to simulate approaching faces. In the purposeful action test, they were asked to manipulate real objects while their eye movements were recorded. Results: Although most patients were able to recognize the correct sex of a face at a size corresponding to a 1-m viewing distance, recognition of facial expressions was severely impaired. Patients were slower than control subjects in executing purposeful tasks. A dynamic strategy to sample information needed for the execution of a task was documented in a longer scanpath and in higher frequency of saccades and fixation eye movements in patients than in control subjects. Conclusions: Face perception is strongly impaired in patients with LHON. In addition, although the selection and manipulation of real objects to execute a task are slowed, they can be performed efficiently using peripheral vision.

Free-living monitoring of ALS progression in upper limbs using wearable accelerometers

BackgroundWearable technology offers objective and remote quantification of disease progression in neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Large population studies are needed to determine generalization and reproducibility of findings from pilot studies.MethodsA large cohort of patients with ALS (N = 202) wore wearable accelerometers on their dominant and non-dominant wrists for a week every two to four weeks and self-entered the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-RSE) in similar time intervals. Wearable device data were processed to quantify digital biomarkers on four upper limb movements: flexion, extension, supination, and pronation using previously developed and validated open-source methodology. In this study, we determined the association between digital biomarkers and disease progression, studied the impact of study design in terms of required sensor wear-time and sensor position, and determined the impact of self-reported disease onset location on upper limb movements.ResultsThe main investigation considered data from a sensor placed on the non-dominant wrist. Participants with higher ALSFRS-RSE scores performed more frequent and faster upper limb movements compared to participants with more advanced disease status. Digital biomarkers exhibited statistically significant change over time while their rate of change was more profound compared to survey responses. Using data from the dominant wrist and changing data inclusion criteria did not alter our findings. ALS disease onset location significantly impacted use of upper limbs. Results presented here were comparable to an earlier study on twenty patients with ALS.DiscussionDigital health technologies provide sensitive and objective means to quantify ALS disease progression. Interpretable approaches, such as the one used in this paper, can improve patient evaluation and hasten therapeutic development.

Efficacy and safety of tenapanor vs placebo in treating CKD patients on dialysis and with hyperphosphatemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2251 patients.

Hyperphosphatemia is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, especially patients on hemodialysis. Tenapanor is a novel drug with fewer side effects and high compliance compared to traditional phosphate binders. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenapanor. A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, from inception to June 25, 2024. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three single-arm studies comparing tenapanor to placebo were included. By adopting a random-effect empirical Bayes model, STATA and RevMan were used to pool dichotomous and continuous data. The primary outcome assessed was serum phosphate. Secondary outcomes included intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), serum calcium, potassium, and sodium, bowel movement frequency, stool consistency using BSFS score and safety outcomes. Twelve studies with a total of 2,251 patients were included. Tenapanor was superior to placebo in reducing phosphate at all assessed end points, week 1 (MD = -1.28 mg/dL, P < 0.001), week 2 (MD = -1.07 mg/dL, P < 0.001), week 3 (MD = -1.22 mg/dL, P < 0.001), and week 4 (MD = -0.91 mg/dL, P < 0.001). In addition, iPTH was almost statistically significantly lower in the tenapanor group (MD = -36.53 ng/L, P = 0.07). Moreover, it led to a statistically significant reduction in sodium level (MD = -0.7 mmol/L, P = 0.0003). On the contrary, tenapanor had no statistically significant effect on calcium or potassium levels. Bowel movement frequency and stool consistency were significantly higher in the tenapanor group at all assessed end points. Regarding safety analysis, diarrhea and nausea were statistically significantly higher in the tenapanor group, (RR = 3.71, P < 0.001) and (RR = 1.97, P < 0.001), respectively. There were no significant differences in other adverse events. Based on our meta-analysis, tenapanor can effectively reduce serum phosphate, iPTH, and sodium. Additionally, it improves bowel movement frequency and stool consistency. However, it is associated with a higher risk of GIT symptoms that should be considered and managed during treatment. We recommend conductingfurther RCTs to perform head-to-head comparisonsagainst other active comparators such as phosphate binders.

Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms Irrespective of Changes In Complete Spontaneous Bowel Movement Frequency in Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation.

Tenapanor is a first-in-class, minimally absorbed intestinal sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Pooled data from the phase 2b (NCT01923428) and phase 3 T3MPO-1 (NCT02621892) and T3MPO-2 (NCT02686138) studies examined the effects of tenapanor on abdominal symptoms independent of tenapanor's effect on complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) frequency in adults with IBS-C. This post hoc analysis was performed for patients with no CSBMs in ≥6 of the first 12 weeks of treatment (no-CSBM subgroup). The three-item Abdominal Score (AS3; the average of weekly abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort scores) measured abdominal symptom response in tenapanor vs. placebo. The overall change from baseline and response rate (improvement of ≥2 points or a reduction of ≥30%) in AS3 and individual abdominal scores during the 12 weeks were assessed. In the pooled safety analysis set (N = 1,382), 641 patients were classified as no-CSBM patients and 640 were included in the efficacy analysis. Among the no-CSBM subgroup, tenapanor-treated patients experienced a greater improvement in AS3 in week 12 vs. placebo-treated patients (least squares mean change, -1.74 vs. -1.29; p = 0.007), and the AS3 responder rate was higher for tenapanor (40.2% vs. 29.6%; p = 0.008). Similar improvements were displayed across individual abdominal symptom scores. Diarrhea was the most common adverse event in tenapanor-treated patients. Tenapanor was observed to improve abdominal symptoms independent of its effect on bowel symptoms in adults with IBS-C.

Association between bowel movement frequency, stool consistency and MAFLD and advanced fibrosis in US adults: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2005-2010

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have established associations between specific gut microbiota (GM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), research examining the relationship between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and MAFLD, including advanced fibrosis, remains limited. This study aims to investigate the association between stool consistency, bowel movement frequency (BMF), and the occurrence of MAFLD and advanced fibrosis in U.S. adults.MethodsThis population-based study included 9,928 adults from the 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), with a mean age of 47.19 ± 16.65 years, comprising 47.7% males and 52.3% females. Weighted logistic regression was used to assess the association between stool consistency, BMF, and MAFLD or advanced fibrosis. A linear trend was assessed by treating BMF categories as continuous variables with ordinal values. The dose-response relationship between BMF and MAFLD was analyzed using restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to confirm the robustness of the findings.ResultsIn the RCS regression, no significant nonlinear relationship was observed between BMF and the risk of MAFLD (p-overall < 0.0001; p-nonlinear = 0.0663). The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MAFLD were 0.82 (95% CI 0.69–0.98), 1.31 (95% CI 1.16–1.46), and 1.50 (95% CI 1.14–1.99) for participants with 3–6 BMs/week, 1–2 BMs/day, and > 2 BMs/day, respectively, compared to those with once/day (p-trend < 0.001). For stool consistency, hard stools were associated with a decreased risk of MAFLD (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.62–0.95), whereas loose stools increased the risk (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.05–1.80), relative to normal stools. A significant interaction between BMF and age was observed. No significant associations were found between stool consistency or BMF and advanced liver fibrosis. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.ConclusionsThis cross-sectional study demonstrates that a BMF of 3–6 BMs/week and hard stools are associated with a reduced risk of MAFLD, whereas a BMF of more than once/day and loose stools are linked to an increased risk of MAFLD. Moreover, no significant associations were observed between stool consistency, BMF, and advanced fibrosis among individuals diagnosed with MAFLD.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.

Fructooligosaccharides for Relieving Functional Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are prebiotics with great potential to improve constipation. This study set out to investigate the usefulness of consuming FOS as a dietary supplement on bowel movement frequency, stool consistency, abundance of Bifidobacteria, gastrointestinal transit time, and gastrointestinal symptoms through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to 2 March 2024. Randomized controlled trials reporting the use of FOS as a supplement by participants were included. Bias risk was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool. Results were synthesized using a random-effects model or fixed-effects model, combining outcomes using odds ratios (OR), weighted mean differences (MD), or standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The meta-analysis encompassed 17 randomized controlled trials, involving a total of 713 study participants. Overall, the intake of FOS significantly increased bowel movement frequency (95% CI: 0.80, 1.50, p < 0.00001) and positively affected stool consistency, softening the stool (SMD: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.60, p = 0.76). It also reduced the effort and pain during defecation (SMD: -0.60, 95% CI: -0.85, -0.34, p = 0.12). At the same time, mild bloating was noted as an adverse event associated with FOS ingestion (OR: 10.36, 95% CI: 3.32, 33.23, p = 0.24). No reports of serious adverse events were documented. Overall, FOS may enhance bowel movement frequency, stool consistency, and overall constipation symptoms, suggesting cautious optimism regarding their use as a dietary treatment alternative. Nevertheless, further robust and definitive randomized controlled trials are required to more accurately determine the most effective dosage and duration of use. Additional research and evidence are necessary before the efficacy of FOS as a therapeutic method for treating functional constipation can be firmly established.

Analysis of the Characteristics of Diarrhea Patients at Bojong 1 Health Center in the First Quarter of 2024

Diarrhea is a disease of changes in the shape and consistency of stool, as well as an increase in the frequency of bowel movements from 1 time a day to 3 or more times a day. According to the Central Java Province Diarrhea Program Data (2021) Diarrhea cases in Central Java Province in 2021 in the category of all ages served in health facilities were 279,484 cases. In the under-five category, there were 83,665 or 23.4% of the estimated under-five diarrhea in health facilities. Pekalongan Regency is in the top 10 of the highest number of cases in 2021 as much as 40%. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of diarrhea patients in the first quarter of 2024 at the Bojong 1 Health Center including gender, occupation, age, and BMI. This study used a descriptive research design with secondary data and analysis of the spss version 21 application using a total sampling of 201 diarrhea patients at the Bojong 1 Health Center. The results of the study found that women were more infected with diarrhea 123 people (61.2%) than men 78 people (38%), the most patient jobs were found to be unemployed 132 people (65. 7%), while the least as a trader was 6 people (3.0%), the most infected age was the infant and toddler group &lt;5 years as many as 99 children (49.3%) and the least elderly age &gt;60 years as many as 7 people (3.5%), the most BMI category in severe thin &lt;17.0 as many as 101 people (50.2%), the least category of mild fat 25.1-27.1 as many as 6 people (3.0%). In conclusion, women were more infected with diarrhea than men, with a status of not working. The age range that is mostly infected in the toddler category, the majority of IMT patients with diarrhea are in the severe thin category.

Predictors of pouch failure and quality of life following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis: a retrospective multicenter study.

This study aimed to investigate the causes of failure after the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) procedure for ulcerative colitis (UC) and to determine the independent risk factors affecting their quality of life. This multi-center cohort study included all UC patients who underwent IPAA at nine referral centers in Türkiye from 2010 to 2018. Centers were categorized as high-volume (≥10 cases/year) or low-volume (<10 cases/year). Outcomes assessed included postoperative complications, pouch failure, and QoL using the Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) and modified Oresland Score. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for pouch failure and QoL determinants, respectively. Of 296 patients included, pouches were constructed in 172 (58.1%) as a two-staged and in the remaining patients as a three-staged procedure. The high-volume center had higher rates of biologic (45.1% versus 16%) and steroid use (63.9% versus 22.1%). The overall pouch failure rate was 4.7% at the end of follow-up of 66.1 months. Independent risk factors for pouch failure included pelvic sepsis (OR = 47.47, P = 0.002), biologic use (OR = 13.45, P = 0.033), chronic pouchitis (OR = 14.31, P = 0.013), postoperative blood transfusion (OR = 7.04, P = 0.048), and low annual case volume (OR = 30.86, P = 0.047). CGQL and Oresland scores averaged 0.77 ± 0.1 and 6.3 ± 1.1, respectively. Factors negatively impacting QoL included two-staged procedures, small bowel obstruction, venous thromboembolism, chronic pouchitis, increased frequency of bowel movements, and low annual case volume. IPAA surgery in UC patients in Türkiye demonstrates acceptable rates of complications and pouch failure, with high patient satisfaction in terms of QoL and functional outcomes. Optimizing long-term results requires enhanced surgical expertise and coordinated multidisciplinary management strategies.