Minutes Duration Research Articles

Assessing the Quality and Accuracy of Syphilis-related Content on TikTok and YouTube: A Comprehensive Analysis.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis, pose a significant public health challenge. The advent of social media platforms has revolutionized health information dissemination, with YouTube and TikTok emerging as prominent sources. However, concerns persist regarding the reliability of syphilis-related content on these platforms. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube, employing established tools such as DISCERN, Accuracy in Digital-health Instrument (ANDI), and Global Quality Scale (GQS). We conducted a thorough search on TikTok and YouTube on November 26, 2023, using the keyword "syphilis." Inclusion criteria comprised videos in English, less than 20 minutes in duration, and relevance to syphilis. Two dermatologists independently rated 98 eligible videos using DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests, mean comparisons, and interclass correlation. TikTok videos exhibited higher mean views (222,519 ± 412,746) compared to YouTube (127,527 ± 223,622). However, TikTok videos had lower mean GQS (2.3 ± 0.9), ANDI (2.19 ± 0.99), and DISCERN (28.7 ± 6.56) scores compared to YouTube (GQS: 2.9 ± 1.1, ANDI: 2.90 ± 0.97, DISCERN: 38.8 ± 9). Non-professional uploaders were 40.8% on TikTok, while YouTube were (53.1%). This study reveals disparities in the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube. Despite higher popularity on TikTok, content quality, as assessed by DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS, was generally lower compared to YouTube. Targeted interventions are needed to improve the reliability of syphilis-related information on social media platforms.

Multi-dimensional assessment of long-term outcomes in patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation during refractory cardiac arrest

Abstract Background Recent randomised controlled trials showed short-term survival benefits with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) compared to standard cardiac arrest treatment in selected patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Only limited data exist on multi-dimensional long-term outcomes after ECPR. Purpose To investigate multi-dimensional long-term outcomes of ECPR survivors, that is general health status, as well as cardiac, cognitive and psychological functions. Methods This is a multicenter, mixed-method clinical study conducted by cardiologists, neurologists and psychologists between May 2021 and December 2023. Adult patients who survived ECPR with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) or "ECMELLA" (i.e., VA-ECMO plus percutaneous left-ventricular assist device) in two German tertiary care centers were included. A comprehensive set of functional outcomes across multiple dimensions were assessed at approximately 18 months after the index cardiac arrest event (see Figure for stations A to E and explanation of abbreviations). Results Long-term outcomes were assessed in 32 ECPR survivors, out of whom 15 patients (46%) had received VA-ECMO and 18 (54%) ECMELLA treatment. 23 patients (70%) were male and the average age was 55 years (±13). Vital signs and laboratory markers were unremarkable. Most patients denied heart failure symptoms although the average EQ-5D-5L score was 52 (±8). The left-ventricular ejection fraction was 51% (±9), which improved by 14% (±11) in the ECMO group and 31% (±15) in the ECMELLA group since the index cardiac arrest event. Bicycle exercise (on average 6 minutes duration with a power of up to 100 Watts) and 6-minute walk test (average distance of 394 meters ±145) revealed physical impairments. 29 patients (88%) had a good cerebral performance (i.e., Cerebral Performance Category scale of 1) and the average mental status was good (mini–mental state examination score 29 ±1). 22 patients (56%) perceived (partial) impairments in activities of daily living although the average Barthel index was 100 (±5) and modified Rankin scale was 1 (±1). 12 patients (36%) were unable to return to their jobs. Remarkably, 17 (51%) and 4 (12%) patients reported depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts, respectively. Conclusion Although ECPR remains a highly complex procedure, cardiac and neurologic functions in survivors have almost recovered, while physical and psychological impairments still persisted at 18 months after cardiac arrest. Physical rehabilitation and psychological care appear to be important measures for ECPR survivors.

Sexual dimorphism and the impact of aging on ball rolling associated locomotor behavior in Drosophila.

Insects exhibit remarkable ability to interact with inanimate objects to facilitate essential behaviors such as foraging, reproduction, shelter building, and defense. In the present study, we assessed whether Drosophila interacts with inanimate objects when they were suspended on their wings and provided with a thermopolis ball (foam ball). Drosophila indeed exhibited ball rolling behaviour. We further examined the sexual dimorphism in this ball rolling associated locomotor behaviour. We carried out a ball rolling assay using 3 day old male and female w1118 flies and measured the duration for which the flies could roll the ball without dropping it within a 10 minute period. The ball was returned to the flies whenever they dropped it and we calculated the number of times the ball was dropped within the 10 minute duration. Females exhibited a longer ball holding duration than males. We also observed a decrease in ball holding duration and an increase in the number of times the ball was dropped by 15 day old male and female flies than their younger counterparts. These results suggest sexual dimorphism and age dependent alterations in Drosophila ball rolling associated locomotor behavior.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions on providing support to informal carers within stroke care.

The sudden nature of stroke onset does not provide carers with sufficient time to prepare for the demands associated with caring. Healthcare professionals can have a vital role in providing carers with support and training, which may reduce carer stress and strain, and allow for better health and rehabilitation outcomes for the stroke survivor. The experiences of healthcare professionals on supporting carers in stroke care, however, remain unclear. To understand the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals working in stroke care on implementing resources and support to informal stroke carers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 healthcare professionals (5 occupational therapists, 5 physiotherapists, 1 psychologist) with at least 12 months' experience in working with stroke survivors. Interviews ranged from 25-70 minutes in duration, and were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Three overarching categories that were explored were: (1) Experiences of working in stroke care and supporting carers; (2) Recommendations for a program designed for carers; and (3) Future priorities in stroke care. Participants discussed a variety of strategies they utilised to support carers including collaborating with other healthcare professionals and utilising skills and experience. Healthcare professionals highlighted the need for additional resources that are designed specifically for carers and explored key topics including carer stress and fatigue, support services, stroke education, and how to look after oneself. Participants identified priorities for stroke care including additional professional training and resource availability. This study provided a unique insight from the perspectives of healthcare professionals on supporting carers. Participants identified the need for additional training and resources to equip healthcare professionals to better support carers. Future programs designed for carers should be informed by the needs and experiences of both informal carers and healthcare professionals.

Demographic, socioconomic, and health correlates of sleep quality and sleep duration among community-dwelling older adults in India

BackgroundRecent research has revealed that today’s older adults report more sleep problems than their predecessors, a trend compounded by expanding social stratification. As such, this study examined the demographic, socioeconomic, and health correlates of sleep quality and sleep duration among community-dwelling older adults in India.MethodsThe current study sample draws on data from 7118 respondents aged 50 years and over participating in the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (WHO-SAGE) wave-2 dataset. Sleep quality (good, moderate, and poor) and sleep duration (in hours and minutes) were self-reported. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the associations between sleep quality and sleep duration and several demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators.ResultsA total of 12.84% and 36.1% of older adults reported long (> 8 h) and short (< 7 h) sleep, respectively. Older adults with primary education had lower odds of poor sleep [aOR: 0.85, CI: 0.73–0.99] than peers with no formal education. The odds of poor sleep were lower among those in higher wealth quintiles than those in the poorest quintile. Older adults with higher education had higher odds of short sleep [aOR: 1.36, CI: 1.06–1.74], and those with primary education had lower odds of long sleep [aOR: 0.70, CI: 0.54–0.91] than those without formal education (base category: age-appropriate sleep, i.e., 7–8 h). Older adults who were widowed had lower odds of both short [aOR: 0.82, CI: 0.68–0.98] and long sleep [aOR:0.74, CI: 0.58–0.95] compared to those who were currently married. Older individuals with adequate nutritional intake reported lower odds of short [aOR:0.59, CI: 0.49–0.72] and higher odds of long sleep [aOR:1.52, CI: 1.20–1.93] relative to their counterparts. Older adults who reported chronic conditions and body pain had higher odds of poor sleep and short sleep than their counterparts.ConclusionsWe identified significant associations between several unmodifiable factors, including age, education, and marital status, and modifiable factors such as dietary intake, body pain, and pre-existing chronic ailments, and sleep quality and sleep duration. Our findings can assist health care providers and practitioners in developing a more holistic and empathic approach to care. Moreover, that several demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors are consequential for older adults’ sleep health suggests that early detection through screening programs and community-based interventions is vital to improving sleep among older Indians who are most susceptible to sleep problems.

The effectiveness of effriction and frirage massage therapy in reducing pain in knee injuries: a comprehensive review of 1-month and 2-month injuries duration

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of effriction and frirage massage therapy methods in reducing pain in knee injuries. A total of 64 participants (Male, BMI = 21.48 kg/m2, Age ± SD = 24,07 ± 2.72), who were classified by 1-month and 2-month injury duration, underwent various therapy regimens with 10-minute and 15-minute treatment durations. The data collection instrument used the NPRS scale. The results of the analysis showed that the effriction intervention significantly reduced knee pain in injuries with a history of 1 month and 2 months, with a consistent reduction in pain at both 10 and 15 minute durations (p-value = 0.000). In contrast, frirage interventions also showed a reduction in pain, but their effectiveness varied; A significant reduction in pain was only observed at a 10-minute duration for a 1-month history injury (p-value = 0.041) and at a 15-minute duration for a 2-month history injury (p-value = 0.028). There was no significant reduction in pain in frirage with a duration of 10 minutes for 2 months of injury and a duration of 15 minutes for 1 month of injury. Overall, the effriction technique is more effective than frirage in reducing knee pain in traumatic injuries. These findings support the recommendation to use effriction as the primary method in knee pain therapy, while frirage may be considered for more specific contexts. Keywords: Effriction; frirage; massage therapy; knee injuries; therapy duration

Statistical Survey of Interchange Events in the Jovian Magnetosphere Using Juno Observations

AbstractInterchange instability is known to drive fast radial transport of electrons and ions in Jupiter's inner and middle magnetosphere. In this study, we conduct a statistical survey to evaluate the properties of energetic particles and plasma waves during interchange events using Juno data from 2016 to 2023. We present representative examples of interchange events followed by a statistical analysis of the spatial distribution, duration and spatial extent. Our survey indicates that interchange instability is predominant at M‐shells from 6 to 26, peaking near 17 with an average duration of minutes and a corresponding M‐shell width of &lt;∼0.05. During interchange events, the associated plasma waves, such as whistler‐mode, Z‐mode, and electron cyclotron harmonic waves exhibit a distinct preferential location. These findings provide valuable insights into particle transport and the source region of plasma waves in the Jovian magnetosphere, as well as in other magnetized planets within and beyond our solar system.

The Efficacy of I Na Block to Cardiovert Atrial Fibrillation Is Enhanced by Inhibition of I K1.

There is a need for more efficient pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF). We tested the hypothesis that inhibition of I K1 significantly enhances the efficacy of I Na block to depress atrial excitability and to cardiovert AF. The study was conducted in canine isolated arterially perfused right atrial preparations with rim of ventricular tissue. AF was induced in the presence of acetylcholine (ACh; 0.5 µM). BaCl 2 (10 µM) was used to inhibit I K1 and flecainide (1.5 µM) to block I Na . Sustained AF (>45 minutes) was recorded in 100% atria (5/5) in the presence of ACh alone. Flecainide cardioverted AF in 50% of atria (4/8), BaCl 2 in 0% (0/5), and their combination in 100% (5/5). AF cardioversion occurred in 15 ± 9 minutes with flecainide alone (n = 4) and in 8 ± 9 minutes with the combination (n = 5). Following drug-induced AF cardioversion, AF was inducible in 4/4 atria with flecainide alone (≤5 minutes duration) and in 2/5 atria with the combination (≤30 seconds duration). Atrial excitability was significantly more depressed by combined versus monotherapies. There was little to no effect on ventricular excitability under any condition tested. Thus, inhibition of I K1 significantly enhances the efficacy of flecainide to depress atrial excitability and to cardiovert AF in our experimental setting. A combination of I Na and I K1 inhibition may be an effective approach for cardioversion of AF.

AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF BRISK WALKING WITH OR WITHOUT MUSIC THERAPY IN REDUCING MENSTRUAL PAIN AMONG YOUTH WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA

Background: Dysmenorrhea divides into two type’s primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and secondary dysmenorrhea (SD). Dysmenorrhea with absence of pelvic abnormality is termed primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and is likely experience among young women population aged between 15 to 25 years. Despite the effectiveness of the exercise on managing PD, the immediate result of the intervention towards pain was not signified. The study aimed to evaluate the immediate effect of Brisk Walking (BW) with or without Music Therapy (MT) in reducing menstrual pain among youth with primary dysmenorrhea. Material and methods: This experimental study involving 102 female subjects with primary dysmenorrhea aged between 18 to 25 years were divided into two equal groups: a Brisk Walking group (n=51), and Brisk Walking with Music Therapy group (n=51). The menstrual pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pre and post-test taken within 2 menstrual cycle period. The Maximum Heart Rate of each subject were calculated prior Brisk Walking and exercise was conducted within 60 -70% of the individual’s Maximum Heart Rate for 20 minutes. The Music Therapy was completed in their home with music provided by researcher for 20 minutes duration. Results: The data was assessed using the Paired T-test and Independent T-test. The result within the group showed significant value with p&lt;0.05 in both groups. Comparison between groups also showed significant difference p&lt;0.05. Conclusion: A greater improvement was seen in the Brisk Walking with Music Therapy intervention group in managing primary dysmenorrhea. In specific, it is also proven that both study groups, Brisk Walking and Brisk Walking with Music Therapy promote pain reduction.

A study on impact of tinnitus masking on psychophysical and tinnitus tuning curve in participants with hearing impairment suffering from severe tinnitus

Background: Tinnitus can be treated by using different pedagogies of management approaches in which tinnitus masking has been acclaimed most evidence-based approach. Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve explored as least interested procedures in tinnitus research. This noteworthy but nonspecific psychophysical domain may throw a light on need of the present research. Aim of the study was to find out the effect of tinnitus masking on Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve. Method: A total of 30 native Bengali speaking participants were included in this study, having mean age of 45.9 years and SD was 6.46. All the participants had unilateral subjective tinnitus with Mild to Moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. Quasi-experimental research design was used. Dual channel audiometer (MAICO MA 53) with supra-aural TDH 39 headphone was used for psychoacoustic measurements of tinnitus (including pitch matching, loudness matching, minimum masking level etc.) and to provide tinnitus masking therapy. MATLAB version 9.5 was used to develop noise to assess PTC and TTC using Sennheiser HD 201 headphone routed through MAICO MA 53 audiometer via stereo jack and cable. Tinnitus masking therapy was carried out for 30 sessions by using regimen of MML +20 dB of masking level for 30 minutes duration for each session with matched pitch. PTC and TTC were measured before and 30 sessions-after tinnitus masking therapy. PTC was measured using 1000 Hz pure tone at 10 dBSLl as reference followed by four narrow band noise with centre frequency of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz pertaining to 312 Hz band width as developed by MATLAB software. TTC was measured using the same noise with reference to matched tinnitus pitch. All the above-mentioned conditions forced choice procedure was carried out in dBHL frame work. Results: Wilcoxon sign rank test was used at 95% confidence level to check the influence of tinnitus masking therapy on PTC and TTC measures. Significant changes were portrayed at 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in PTC measure and at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in TTC measures. Conclusion: This study preliminarily provides information regarding influence on tinnitus pitch domains which has been psychoacoustically systematically measured as PTC and TTC. These two psychoacoustic signatures may be treated as prognostic biomarker of tinnitus management in future using replicable research using different methodology or using statistical basis of data mining. At that point conclusive remarks may not throw a clear indication based on the results found in this study.

Trusting the tube? YouTube®’s role in pacemaker patient and physician education

ObjectiveYouTube®, attracts billions of monthly viewers, including those seeking health-related content. However, the quality standards of information are highly variable. The study aimed to evaluate the educational merit of YouTube® concerning pacemakers, focusing on quality and reliability for educating both patients and physicians. MethodsThe term “pacemaker” was searched on YouTube®. Following the application of exclusion criteria based on video language, duration, and minimum view count, a total of 71 videos were analyzed. Quality was assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS), while reliability was evaluated using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) score. Data and metrics available regarding the channel and the specific video were obtained. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was employed to assess data normality, and the Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to determine statistical significance. ResultsYoutube videos on cardiac pacemakers proved to be of moderate quality, with an average GQS score of 3.10, and of moderate reliability, indicated by a mean mDISCERN score of 3.08. Higher scores were reported for videos of more than five minute duration, the ones that were targeted at physicians, and the videos with higher view ratios. The presence of a board-certified MD yielded statistically greater mean GQS, but not mDISCERN score. No statistical difference was observed based on the number of likes. ConclusionIn conclusion, while YouTube® offers significant education opportunities, there is a clear need for enhanced oversight and quality control. Healthcare providers should guide patients towards valid resources and consider collaborating with platforms to develop content standards.

Neurocognitive Dysfunction After Short (

It has long been held that the safe duration of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) is at least 25-30 minutes. However, this is based primarily on clinical outcomes research and has not been systematically investigated using more sensitive brain imaging and neurocognitive assessments. This exploratory sub-study of the randomized GOT ICE trial, which compared outcomes for deep versus moderate hypothermia during arch surgery, investigated the frequency of neurocognitive and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) deficits with short (<20 minutes) duration HCA. Neurocognitive deficit was defined as >1 standard deviation decline in >1 of 5 cognitive domains on neurocognitive testing. Of 228 GOT ICE patients with complete 4-week cognitive data, 74.6% (n=170/228) had HCA durations <20 minutes, including 59 randomized to deep (<20.0°C), 55 low-moderate (20.1-24.0°C), and 56 high-moderate (24.1-28.0°C) hypothermia. Of these, cognitive deficit was detected 4-weeks post-surgery in ∼40% of patients in all 3 groups [deep: 22/59 (37.3%); low-moderate: 23/55 (41.8%); high-moderate: 24/56 (42.9%)]. Furthermore, in a subset of patients with complete MRI data (n=43), baseline to 4-week post-surgery right frontal lobe functional connectivity change was inversely associated with HCA duration (range 8-17 minutes; p-FWE<0.01). Even short durations of HCA result in cognitive deficits in ∼40% of patients, independent of systemic hypothermia temperature. HCA duration was inversely associated with frontal lobe functional MRI connectivity, suggesting this brain region may be preferentially sensitive to HCA. Surgeons should be aware that even short durations of HCA may not provide complete neuroprotection following aortic arch surgery.

Group Metacognitive Therapy for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Pilot Study

Cognitive-behavioral therapy including exposure and response prevention is the first-line treatment of pediatric OCD showing response- and remission rates around 70% and 53%. Thus, there is room for improvements. Metacognitive therapy (MCT) for OCD might be cost-effective and focuses on modifying metacognitive beliefs about the significance and dangerousness of intrusive thoughts/feelings, and about the need to perform rituals. MCT is effective in adults but needs to be evaluated in youths. In the current study, eleven adolescents divided in three groups received eight MCT group sessions of 75 minutes duration (and two 60 minutes workshop for parents) delivered by an MCT-therapist and an assistant. The within-group effect size (hedges g) from pre- to post-treatment on the CY-BOCS was 1.90, and the response and remission rates were 82% and 55%, respectively. Effect sizes for secondary outcomes were also large. Therapist time (one certified MCT-therapist and a clinical psychology student working together) used per patient to achieve these results were 2.18 therapy sessions of 75-minutes duration in addition to 33 minutes therapist time per patient of workshops for the parents. Follow-up assessments were not available, and the results should be interpreted with caution. However, they are encouraging and suggest that MCT for pediatric OCD should be evaluated further.

Efficacy of Desvenlafaxine in Reducing Migraine Frequency and Severity: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Migraine is characterized by sudden acute episodes of pain, with a global prevalence of 18% among all age groups. It is the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Prophylactic treatment is important in managing migraine; however, its efficacy and safety are debated. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of desvenlafaxine in female patients with migraine. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational case study involving 10 women diagnosed with migraine who were treated with desvenlafaxine. We measured the number of migraine days per month, average headache duration in minutes, headache severity using a visual analog scale, use of acute medications, and frequency of acute medication use per week. Results: Desvenlafaxine significantly reduced the number of migraine days from 14.70 ± 3.68 at baseline to 2.50 ± 2.50 at follow-up (p < 0.05). The average headache duration dropped from 131.25 ± 32.81 min to 52.50 ± 44.64 min. Headache severity scores improved from 6.80 ± 1.49 at baseline to 0.80 ± 0.92 at follow up, the frequency of acute medication use per week reduced from 3.30 ± 1.49 at baseline to 0.80 ± 0.92, and the frequency of acute medication use decreased from 3.30 ± 1.49 times per week to 0.80 ± 0.92. Conclusions: Desvenlafaxine shows potential as an effective prophylactic therapy for migraine. Larger-scale studies are necessary to further explore its benefits.

Virtual dental autopsy: undertaking forensic dental identification remotely using an intra-oral video camera.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a forensic odontologist working remotely could accurately undertake forensic dental identifications using videos produced by non-dental forensic staff operating an intra-oral video camera (IOVC). The study's aims were to assess the accuracy and time taken to perform remote forensic dental identifications in this manner. Eight cadavers from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID), University of Dundee, UK, were examined by a forensic odontologist via a traditional dental examination. Their dental condition was recorded to serve as ante-mortem records for this study. Videos of each dentition were produced using an IOVC operated by a medical student. Post-mortem records were produced for each dentition from the videos by a remote second forensic odontologist who was not present at the traditional dental examination. The ante-mortem and post-mortem records were then compared, and identification was classified as positively established, possible or excluded. Established identifications were positively made in all eight cases although there were some non-critical inconsistencies between ante-mortem and post-mortem records. Before the second opinion, 85.6% of the teeth per study subject were charted consistently. After the second opinion, the percentage of consistency increased to 97.2%. Each video on average was about 4.13 minutes in duration and the average time taken to interpret and chart the post-mortem dental examination at the first attempt was 11.63 minutes. The time taken to chart from the videos was greater than is typical of a traditional dental examination. This pilot study supports the feasibility of undertaking remote dental identification. This novel "tele-dental virtopsy" approach could be a viable alternative to a traditional post-mortem dental examination, in situations where access to forensic dental services is difficult or limited due to geographical, logistical, safety, and/or political reasons.

The Use of Smartphone-Based Highly Realistic MCI Training as an Adjunct to Traditional Training Methods.

Training for mass casualty incident (MCI) response is critical to ensure that resource allocation and treatment priorities limit preventable mortality. Previous research has investigated the use of immersive virtual environments as an alternative to high fidelity MCI training, which is expensive and logistically challenging to implement. While these have demonstrated positive early results, they still require complex technology deployment, dedicated training facilities, and significant time from instructors and facilitators. This study explores the feasibility of a smartphone-based application for trauma care training and MCI triage to fill the gap between classroom learning and high-fidelity simulation. The goals of this investigation were to evaluate clinician perceptions of a virtual MCI training simulator's usability, acceptability, fidelity, functionality, and pacing. This study used a smartphone-based training simulation called Extensible Field and Evacuation Care Training in a Virtual Environment (EFECTIVE), which presents virtual patient scenarios in a gamified, but visually high-fidelity environment. A total of 21 participants were recruited as a convenience sample of medical students, paramedics, nurses, and emergency medicine resident and attending physicians at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, an urban tertiary care medical center. Participants completed a brief tutorial and then performed a series of virtual patient scenarios and 1 MCI scenario on the simulator, each of which was 5 minutes in duration. Then, each participant completed a survey assessing the perceived usability, acceptability, fidelity, functionality, and pacing of the virtual training simulator. The research protocol was approved by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Institutional Review Board. 48% of participants disagreed that a virtual simulator could completely replace live MCI training, though 71% agreed that app-based simulations could effectively supplement live MCI training and 67% felt that they could be used to learn how to order medical interventions in care under fire scenarios. 80% of participants agreed that the simulation could be used to practice MCI triage and to gain experience with coordinating movement of casualties to casualty collection points. 67% of participants believed that use of virtual simulators would increase their MCI preparedness. 76% agreed that the clinical cases depicted were medically realistic and that the clinical cases presented accurately represented the scenarios described. In addition, despite being presented on a smartphone as opposed to virtual reality, 62% of participants rated the experience immersive. This study provides encouraging evidence that easy to deploy smartphone-based simulations may be an effective way to supplement MCI and care under fire training. Although the study is limited by a small sample size, there was strong agreement among participants from a wide variety of emergency medicine roles that such a simulation could train core topics associated with MCI triage. Because app-based simulations are easily deployable and can be executed quickly and frequently, they could be used as a more flexible training model compared to large scale live or virtual reality-based simulations. The results of this investigation also indicate that a sufficient level of medical realism can be achieved without live simulation.

Comparison of test-retest reproducibility of DESPOT and 3D-QALAS for water T 1 and T 2 mapping.

Relaxometry, specifically T 1 and T 2 mapping, has become an essential technique for assessing the properties of biological tissues related to various physiological and pathological conditions. Many techniques are being used to estimate T 1 and T 2 relaxation times, ranging from the traditional inversion or saturation recovery and spin-echo sequences to more advanced methods. Choosing the appropriate method for a specific application is critical since the precision and accuracy of T 1 and T 2 measurements are influenced by a variety of factors including the pulse sequence and its parameters, the inherent properties of the tissue being examined, the MRI hardware, and the image reconstruction. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the test-retest reproducibility of two advanced MRI relaxometry techniques (Driven Equilibrium Single Pulse Observation of T 1 and T 2, DESPOT, and 3D Quantification using an interleaved Look-Locker acquisition Sequence with a T 2 preparation pulse, QALAS), for T 1 and T 2 mapping in a healthy volunteer cohort. 10 healthy volunteers underwent brain MRI at 1.3 mm3 isotropic resolution, acquiring DESPOT and QALAS data (~11.8 and ~5 minutes duration, including field maps, respectively), test-retest with subject repositioning, on a 3.0 Tesla Philips Ingenia Elition scanner. To reconstruct the T 1 and T 2 maps, we used an equation-based algorithm for DESPOT and a dictionary-based algorithm that incorporates inversion efficiency and B 1 -field inhomogeneity for QALAS. The test-retest reproducibility was assessed using the coefficient of variation (CoV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. Our results indicate that both the DESPOT and QALAS techniques demonstrate good levels of test-retest reproducibility for T 1 and T 2 mapping across the brain. Higher whole-brain voxel-to-voxel ICCs are observed in QALAS for T 1 (0.84 ± 0.039) and in DESPOT for T 2 (0.897 ± 0.029). The Bland-Altman plots show smaller bias and variability of T 1 estimates for QALAS (mean of -0.02 s, and upper and lower limits of -0.14 and 0.11 s, 95% CI) than for DESPOT (mean of -0.02 s, and limits of -0.31 and 0.27 s). QALAS also showed less variability (mean 1.08 ms, limits -1.88 to 4.04 ms) for T 2 compared to DESPOT (mean of 2.56 ms, and limits -17.29 to 22.41 ms). The within-subject CoVs for QALAS range from 0.6% (T 2 in CSF) to 5.8% (T 2 in GM), while for DESPOT they range from 2.1% (T 2 in CSF) to 6.7% (T 2 in GM). The between-subject CoVs for QALAS range from 2.5% (T 2 in GM) to 12% (T 2 in CSF), and for DESPOT they range from 3.7% (T 2 in WM) to 9.3% (T 2 in CSF). Overall, QALAS demonstrated better reproducibility for T 1 and T 2 measurements than DESPOT, in addition to reduced acquisition time.

Effects of peanut ball use on perceived labor pain, fatigue, and mother's perception of childbirth: a randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using peanut balls on labor pain, fatigue, and the mother's perception of labor. This is a randomized controlled intervention trial. Data were collected from the Intervention (peanut ball) and Control groups between July 2022 and June 2023, with 45 pregnant women in each group. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Visual Analog Scale-Pain (VAS-P), the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F), and the Maternal Perception of Childbirth Scale (MPCS). The VAS-P scores of the intervention group were statistically significantly lower than those of the control group 15min after peanut ball application (p = .000). Immediately after and 15min after peanut ball application, the mean fatigue score of the Intervention group was statistically significantly lower than that of the Control group (p = .000). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean duration of labor minutes in the two groups (p = .177). The mean MPCS scores of the intervention group and control groups were 62.73 + 7.30 and 47.17 + 9.12, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = .000). The findings of this study indicate that the use of peanut balls during labor can effectively reduce labor pain and fatigue in pregnant women, without affecting the duration of labor. Additionally, the use of peanut balls has been shown to positively influence the perception of labor among pregnant women. Therefore, it is recommended that midwives educate pregnant women about the use of peanut balls during labor and provide support in their use.

Effect of Duration of Pain Neuroscience Education on Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective: This study aims to examine the available evidence regarding the effect of the total duration in minutes of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) on pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and PeDro databases covering the last 5 years up to February 2024. No meta-analysis was performed, and qualitative analysis was conducted in narrative and tabular form. Results: Six randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review. All studies included patients with chronic low back pain aged over 18. PNE was provided either as a standalone intervention or in combination with other therapies such as exercise, with total duration ranging from 100 to 240 minutes. Primary outcome measures focused on pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia, while secondary outcomes included pain and functional disability. Conclusions: No significant correlation was established between the total duration of PNE and improvement in primary outcome measures. However, findings suggest that combining PNE with exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain leads to greater improvements in kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing compared to exercise alone.

Seismotectonic Movements in the Minute Range of Periods Before the Catastrophic Earthquake in Japan March 11, 2011

The vertical movements measured by a broadband seismic stations located around Tohoku earthquake 11.03. 2011 with magnitude 9 are calculated. It is shown that during the 15 years before the earthquake the closest to epicenter MAJO station located 386 km from the epicenter the quiet daily variations was demonstrated. Seismic pulses with the durations of a few minutes and amplitudes bigger 10% of the diurnal variations of tidal velocities were revealed in 2009 year. They appeared under quiet meteorological and geomagnetic conditions. These pulses are not found on the records of the stations remoted more 700 km from epicenter. It is hypothesized that sharp changes in the low frequency seismic noise reflect the tectonic deformations in the lithosphere of Japan and adjoin part of Pacific Ocean.