Physical Conditions Research Articles

Exploring Challenges in Walking Frame Use Among the Elderly: A Study in Klang Valley, Malaysia

The elderly utilize a walking frame to address deficiencies in balance, coordination, strength, and the risk of falling during walking. Despite previous research highlighting the advantages and benefits of walking frame use for this demographic, some individuals have encountered various issues concerning its use. Thus, this study aims to explore issues of walking frame use among the elderly in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 30 participants of community-dwelling elderly aged 60 and above in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur who are current and former walking frame users and were selected via purposive sampling, were involved in this study. This study utilized the qualitative approach using semi-structured questions. Interview data in the form of verbatim transcripts were analyzed thematically. The majority of respondents were female with a mean age of 71.7 years old, (SD=8.06), Malay, married, primary education level, retirees, living with a spouse and children and staying in Selangor. On the health aspect, the majority of them had hypertension and Body Mass Index (BMI) was pre-obese (25.0 – 29.9 kg/m2). In terms of walking frame usage, most respondents used a standard walking frame (without wheels), used a walking frame for 1 year or less, purchased it by themselves or through family members, indoor usage and reason for use because of leg weakness due to injury. Thematic analysis results show that there were several issues identified such as the respondents’ physical and psychological condition, as well as walking frame issues on quality, design, use and cost. Furthermore, issues concerning the physical environment of the home were reported. It is hoped that these findings can serve as a reference for relevant parties to further explore aspects related to the use, product development, and management of physical environments concerning walking frames.

Dynamics of nitrogen genes in intertidal sediments of Darwin Harbour and their connection to N-biogeochemistry.

Microbial mediated nitrogen (N) transformation is subject to multiple controlling factors such as prevailing physical and chemical conditions, and little is known about these processes in sediments of wet-dry tropical macrotidal systems such as Darwin Harbour in North Australia. To understand key transformations, we assessed the association between the relative abundance of nitrogen cycling genes with trophic status, sediment partition and benthic nitrogen fluxes in Darwin Harbour. We analysed nitrogen cycling gene abundance using a functional gene microarray and quantitative PCRs targeting the denitrification gene (nosZ) and archaeal ammonia oxidation (AOA.1). We found a significant negative correlation between archaeal ammonia oxidation and silicate flux (P=0.004), an indicator for diatom and benthic microalgal activity. It is suggested that the degradation of the diatomaceous organic matter generates localised anoxic conditions and inhibition of nitrification. Abundance of the nosZ gene was negatively correlated with nutrient load. The lowest nosZ gene levels were in hyper-eutrophic tidal creeks with anoxic conditions and increased levels of sulphide limiting the coupling of nitrification-denitrification (P=0.016). Significantly higher levels of nosZ genes were measured in the surface (top 2 cm) compared to bulk sediment (top 10 cm) and there was a positive association with di-nitrogen flux (N2) in surface (P=0.024) but not bulk sediment. This suggests that denitrifiers are most active in surficial sediment at the sediment-water interface. Elevated levels of nosZ genes also occurred in the sediments of tidal creek mouths and mudflats with these depositional zones combining the diffuse and seaward supply of nitrogen and carbon supporting denitrifiers. N-cycle molecular assays using surface sediments show promise as a rapid monitoring technique for impact assessment and measuring ecosystem function. This is particularly pertinent for tropical macrotidal systems where systematic monitoring is sparse and in many cases challenged by climatic extremes and remoteness.

Scaling effectivity in manifold methodologies to detect driver’s fatigueness and drowsiness state

The state of fatigueness and drowsiness relates to the stressed physical and mental condition of a driver that reduces the ability of a driver to drive safely leading to fatal consequences of road accidents. With a rising concerns about the road safety, the premium and modern vehicles are coming up with a sophisticated technology to detect and rise alarm during the positive case of fatigueness and drowsiness. Irrespective of availability of archives of literatures towards solving this problem, it is quite unclear about the strength and weakness of varied methodologies. Therefore, this paper presents a crisp and insightful discussion about the recent methodologies associated with detecting driver's attention, fatigueness, drowsiness along with highlights of commercial devices to realize various limiting factors and constraints associated with them. The paper contributes to introduce a well-structured flow of research trend to realize various patterns of current trend adopted towards solving varied problems and significant research gaps have been identified in this process. The outcome of this paper presents that still there is an open scope of an improvement towards accomplishing the agenda towards safer driving.

Impact of Humic Substances on Alleviation of Soil Salinity and the Enhancement of Plant Productivity: a review

Humic substances (HS) are a major component of organic matter in soil, and they have long been recognized for their ability to promote plant growth in a sustainable manner. Recently, there has been a lot of effort put into using multiple approaches to study the connection between the chemical structure of HS compounds and their effect on plant biological processes. Positive physiological responses at the local and systemic levels have been linked to the presence of specific functional groups in HS. Hormone-like signaling pathways are responsible for eliciting these reactions. This review was written with one goal in mind: to help readers gain a firm grasp on the research surrounding the application of HSs. The spatial arrangement of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, as well as the dosage, source, molecular size, degree of hydrophobicity, and aromaticity, all contribute significantly to HS's biological efficacy. Therefore, our hypothesis explains the beneficial effect of HS in salt-affected rhizospheres, likely attributed to both direct and indirect influences on plant metabolism, soil microorganism metabolism, soil nutrient uptake dynamics, and soil physical conditions. Keywords: Humic substance, germination, salinity, plant growth

Optimal Deployment of Wireless Sensor Nodes using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)

Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are emerging as a significant area of research due to their potential to autonomously monitor physical and environmental conditions. These networks comprise spatially distributed, low-cost sensor nodes with limited transmission range, processing capabilities, storage, and energy resources. The primary function of these networks is to collect data from various nodes and transmit it to a base station for subsequent processing. WSNs present several challenges, including optimal sensor deployment, node localization, base station placement, target node location, energy-aware clustering, and data aggregation. Recently, global researchers have been employing a bio-inspired optimization algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), to enhance the efficiency of WSNs. This report explores the application of the PSO algorithm for optimal sensor deployment in WSNs, contributing to the ongoing efforts to maximize the potential of these networks.

Quantification of Lost Resource Potential of Unsorted Textile Waste

The European Union (EU) requirements for the separate collection of textile waste came into force in Latvia in 2023. As part of the measure, containers for the management of separated textile waste were placed in locations accessible to the public, alongside other types of separately collected waste (e.g., glass, plastic and cardboard). The containers were designed to collect textile waste that met the following requirements:Shoes and clothes must be clean, dry, and free of chemicals, motor oil stains and mold.Free from damage (holes, tears, etc.);Soft toys, fabric scraps and rags, shoes that are no longer a pair or are damaged, torn or have holes, as well as home textiles, are not allowed to be stored in containers.This means that the national textile waste collection system is limited only to textiles that can be reused without additional repair or pre-treatment (e.g., washing), and the developed national textile waste collection system supplements the private initiatives existing through clothing donation points and second-hand shops. However, there is a “shadow” zone related to textile waste that do not meet the above mentioned collection requirements and are not specifically regulated and managed so far at a country level, thus have to be collected in unsorted household waste containers.The objective of the present research is to quantify the amount of textile waste collected from unsorted mixed household waste containers and to quantify the physical condition and fibers of this waste. Subsequently, the environmental impact of the lost resource potential of the unsorted textile waste based on the obtained quantitative and qualitative waste data was defined via life cycle indicators.

Analysis Level Physical Condition of Female Volleyball Athletes in Blitar City

This study aimed to analyze the physical condition of female volleyball athletes in Blitar City. A total of 50 athletes from various clubs and teams were assessed using a battery of physical fitness tests, including BMI, Strength, Endurance, Explosive power and Flexibility.The subjects of this research were 12 female athletes and received the same training program. Physical condition test for volleyball athletes based on BMI add up to 271.5 with an normal of 22.6 and ordinary category. Strength gets 551 comes about and an normal of 45.9 with the less category. Endurance is 380.6 with an normal of 31.7 and sufficient category. Explosive power totaled 589 with an normal of 49.1 within the adequate category. Flexibility totaled 493.4 with an normal of 41.1 and the category sufficient. BMI comes about get comes about with a rate of 58.3% within the typical category. Strength percentage is 41.6% within the less category. Continuance rate is 83.3% within the sufficient category. Explosive power comes about with a rate of 75% within the sufficient category. Flexibility with a rate of 66.6% within the sufficient category. Generally, the competitors appeared a moo level of physical wellness, with solid execution within the BMI, strength, flexibility, explosive power and endurance tests. In any case, there were varieties in execution levels among the competitors, demonstrating the require for individualized preparing programs.

Improved Denoising of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Micrographs with Simulation-Aware Pretraining.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a potent technique for determining the structure and functionality of biological macromolecules. However, limited by the physical imaging conditions, such as low electron beam dose, micrographs in cryo-EM typically contend with an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), impeding the efficiency and efficacy of subsequent analyses. Therefore, there is a growing demand for an efficient denoising algorithm designed for cryo-EM micrographs, aiming to enhance the quality of macromolecular analysis. However, owing to the absence of a comprehensive and well-defined dataset with ground truth images, supervised image denoising methods exhibit limited generalization when applied to experimental micrographs. To tackle this challenge, we introduce a simulation-aware image denoising (SaID) pretrained model designed to enhance the SNR of cryo-EM micrographs where the training is solely based on an accurately simulated dataset. First, we propose a parameter calibration algorithm for simulated dataset generation, aiming to align simulation parameters with those of experimental micrographs. Second, leveraging the accurately simulated dataset, we propose to train a deep general denoising model that can well generalize to real experimental cryo-EM micrographs. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate that our pretrained denoising model achieves excellent denoising performance on experimental cryo-EM micrographs, significantly streamlining downstream analysis.

CON-quest

Context. Nuclear regions of ultraluminous and luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) are powered by starbursts and/or active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These regions are often obscured by extremely high columns of gas and dust. Molecular lines in the submillimeter windows have the potential to determine the physical conditions of these compact obscured nuclei (CONs). Aims. We aim to reveal the distributions of HCN and HCO+ emission in local U/LIRGs and investigate whether and how they are related to galaxy properties. Methods. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we have conducted sensitive observations of the HCN J = 3−2 and HCO+J = 3−2 lines toward 23 U/LIRGs in the local Universe (z < 0.07) with a spatial resolution of ∼0.3″ (∼50−400 pc). Results. We detected both HCN and HCO+ in 21 galaxies, only HCN in one galaxy, and neither in one galaxy. The global HCN/HCO+ line ratios, averaged over scales of ∼0.5−4 kpc, range from 0.4 to 2.3, with an unweighted mean of 1.1. These line ratios appear to have no systematic trend with bolometric AGN luminosity or star formation rate. The line ratio varies with position and velocity within each galaxy, with an average interquartile range of 0.38 on a spaxel-by-spaxel basis. In eight out of ten galaxies known to have outflows and/or inflows, we found spatially and kinematically symmetric structures of high line ratios. These structures appear as a collimated bicone in two galaxies and as a thin spherical shell in six galaxies. Conclusions. Non-LTE analysis suggests that the high HCN/HCO+ line ratio in outflows is predominantly influenced by the abundance ratio. Chemical model calculations indicate that the enhancement of HCN abundance in outflows is likely due to high-temperature chemistry triggered by shock heating. These results imply that the HCN/HCO+ line ratio can aid in identifying the outflow geometry when the shock velocity of the outflows is sufficiently high to heat the gas.

Concurrent nimotuzumab and intensity-modulated radiotherapy for elderly patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Because of the common physical condition, reduced organ function, and comorbidities, elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are often underrepresented in clinical trials. The optimal treatment of elderly patients with locally advanced NPC remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent nimotuzumab combined with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in elderly patients with locally advanced NPC. We conducted a single-arm, phase II trial for elderly patients with stage III-IVA NPC (according to UICC-American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM classification, 8th edition). All patients received concurrent nimotuzumab (200 mg/week, 1 week prior to IMRT) combined with IMRT. The primary end-point was complete response (CR) rate. The secondary end-points were survival, safety, and geriatric assessment. Between March 13, 2017 and November 12, 2018, 30 patients were enrolled. In total, 20 (66.7%) patients achieved CR, and objective response was observed in 30 (100.0%) patients 1 month after radiotherapy. The median follow-up time was 56.05 months (25th-75th percentile, 53.45-64.56 months). The 5-year locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, cancer-specific survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival were 89.4%, 86.4%, 85.9%, 76.5%, and 78.8%, respectively. Grade 3 mucositis occurred in 10 (33%) patients and grade 3 pneumonia in 3 (10%) patients. Concurrent nimotuzumab combined with IMRT is effective and well-tolerated for elderly patients with locally advanced NPC.

An ALCHEMI inspection of sulphur-bearing species towards the central molecular zone of NGC 253

Sulphur-bearing species are detected in various environments within Galactic star-forming regions and are particularly abundant in the gas phase of outflow and shocked regions in addition to photo-dissociation regions. Thanks to the powerful capabilities of millimetre interferometers, studying sulphur-bearing species and their region of emission in various extreme extra-galactic environments (e.g. starburst and active galactic nuclei) and at a high-angular resolution and sensitivity is now possible. In this work, we aim to investigate the nature of the emission from the most common sulphur-bearing species observable at millimetre wavelengths towards the nuclear starburst of the nearby galaxy NGC 253. We intend to understand which type of regions are probed by sulphur-bearing species and which process(es) dominate(s) the release of sulphur into the gas phase. We used the high-angular resolution (1.6arcsec or $ 27$ pc) observations from the ALCHEMI ALMA Large Program to image several sulphur-bearing species towards the central molecular zone (CMZ) of NGC 253. We performed local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE large velocity gradient (LVG) analyses to derive the physical conditions of the gas where the sulphur-bearing species are emitted, and their abundance ratios across the CMZ. Finally, we compared our results with previous ALCHEMI studies and a few selected Galactic environments. To reproduce the observations, we modelled two gas components for most of the sulphur-bearing species investigated in this work. We found that not all sulphur-bearing species trace the same type of gas: strong evidence indicates that H$_2$S and part of the emission of OCS, H$_2$CS, and SO are tracing shocks, whilst part of SO and CS emission rather traces the dense molecular gas. For some species, such as CCS and SO$_2$, we could not firmly conclude on their origin of emission. The present analysis indicates that the emission from most sulphur-bearing species throughout the CMZ is likely dominated by shocks associated with ongoing star formation. In the inner part of the CMZ where the presence of super star clusters was previously indicated, we could not distinguish between shocks or thermal evaporation as the main process releasing the S-bearing species.

Media Pembelajaran Bagi Siswa Autis Menurut Perspektif Islam

This research covers various educational media for children with special needs (autism), such as audiovisual aids and engaging images. These methods aim to support the interest and understanding of learning for children with special needs. Since children with special needs require different and more intensive learning approaches compared to typical children, and considering the Islamic perspective that does not discriminate based on ability, status, physical condition, or financial situation in accessing education, this journal aims to dispel the notion that children with special needs do not deserve the same educational opportunities as typical children. This journal is written using a literature review method, drawing from several journals with themes relevant to the chosen title.

Water mass influence on spatial and seasonal distributions of diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores in the western Barents Sea

AbstractArctic phytoplankton are highly sensitive to seawater physical and chemical conditions, especially in the context of rapid climate change and sea ice loss. We studied the spatial and seasonal distributions of diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores, and clarified their associations with light, temperature and nutrients in the western Barents Sea in late summer 2017, and winter, spring and early summer 2018. Diatoms, composed mainly of Chaetoceros, Fragilariopsis and Thalassiosira, bloomed in spring at the southern border of the marginal ice zone with mean abundance of 1.1 × 106 cells L−1 and biomass of 119.5 µg C L−1, and were observed to follow the retreat of sea ice in the Arctic water to the north at the shelf break near Nansen Basin, contributing to the progression of the summer situation. Dinoflagellates flourished in surface waters south of Svalbard in summer, with maxima of 2.2 × 105 cells L−1 and 78.2 µg C L−1. High abundances and calcite mass of coccolithophores were detected in the southern Barents Sea and southwest of Svalbard in summer, with maxima of 3.3 × 105 cells L−1 and 4.7 µg C L−1. Two distinct phytoplankton assemblages, closely linked with Atlantic water and Arctic water, were geographically separated by the Polar Front in two summers, with a percent similarity below 11.9%, suggesting great influence of the two water masses on large-scale distributions of phytoplankton. Redundancy analysis revealed that temperature was one of the most important factors in shaping the seasonal distributions of diatoms, while irradiance showed positive correlation with dominant dinoflagellates of each season. From the perspectives of phytoplankton composition and carbon biomass, our findings highlight the governing effect of physical seawater conditions on driving seasonal patterns of phytoplankton biogeography, as well as the pivotal role of nutrients in supporting the phytoplankton growing seasons in the western Barents Sea.

A Review on the Effects of Physical Activity and Curcumin Supplementation on the Toxicity of Disease Caused by Anthracyclines with a Review of Doxorubicin

Introduction: Today, cancer is known as one of the biggest public health problems and the second cause of death in the world, and due to its high prevalence, it is considered as one of the main health problems all over the world. There are many treatment strategies, including chemotherapy, to treat cancer in patients. Chemotherapy is actually the use of antineoplastic drugs alone or in combination with other drugs. Of course, these drugs can also damage the function of healthy cells and cause many side effects. Anthracyclines are one of the most widely class of drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, and epirubicin are among the anthracycline drug group, the most widely used of which is doxorubicin, which causes cardiotoxicity in the patients undergoing chemotherapy, and unfortunately, there is no definite and reliable treatment for it. Various strategies have been used to reduce the toxic effects of doxorubicin on non-target tissues, including the use of medicinal plants, diet and various types of long-term exercises with the aim of increasing tissue antioxidant levels. Therefore, determining the appropriate exercise and nutrition program considering the physical conditions for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment is so important. Therefore, the current review study aimed to determine the effects of DOX cytotoxicity on heart tissue and the benefits of regular physical activity and curcumin supplementation were investigated and discussed. Conclusion: The use of curcumin with aerobic exercise is likely to be a potentially useful candidate to protect against the toxicity of blood cells caused by the drug doxorubicin, which is used to prevent the growth and progression of cancer cells in patients

Assessment of Physico-chemical Properties of Soil from Various Regions of Different Taluk of Pathanamthitta District in the State of Kerala, India

The assessment of Physico-Chemical Properties of Soil from Various Regions of Different Taluk of Pathanamthitta District of Kerala in 2023-24 was a valuable endeavour. A total of 27 samples were collected at profile depths of 0-15, 15-30, and 30-45. It is interesting to note the variations in soil colour between dry and wet conditions, ranging from light brown to dark reddish brown.The soil textural class was identified as Sandy clay Loam, and the sand, silt and clay percentage varied from 45.18% to 50.64%, 17.21% to 20.70%, 30.91% to 34.61%. Bulk Density was varied from 1.08 Mg m-3 to 1.28 Mg m-3. The Particle Density varied from 2.02 Mg m-3 to 2.55 Mg m-3. The Pore Space (%) ranged from 40.18% to 50.62%. The Water Retaining Capacity (%) ranged from 39.19 to 48.98%. The pH value ranged from 4.9 to 6.9. The Electrical Conductivity ranged from 0.03 to 0.30 dS m-1. The value of total Organic Carbon (%) varied from 0.16 to 1.68 %. The available Nitrogen content of soil ranged from 119.45 to 286.07 kg ha-1. The available Phosphorus content of soil ranged from 13.23 to 64.20 kg ha-1. Available Potassium content of soil ranged from 100.80 to 382.40 kg ha-1. Exchangeable Calcium content of soil ranged from 1.7(meq 100g-1) to 9.1(meq 100g-1). Exchangeable Magnesium content of soil ranged from 0.23 (meq 100g-1) to 0.74(meq 100g-1). The Sulphur content of soil ranged from 0.03 to 0.44 kg ha-1. The findings revealed minor increases in bulk and particle density with depth, yet the overall physical condition of the soil seems favourable for plant growth. It is evident that the soils are slightly acidic but meet the acceptable EC limit. The high levels of Organic Carbon are promising, while Nitrogen is lower and Phosphorus and Potassium levels are moderate to high. However, secondary nutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur are relatively low. Nutrient levels appear to be influenced by soil depth, with leaching due to higher precipitation levels in the area contributing to nutrient deficiencies. The results suggest that improvements can be made by implementing strategies such as cover crops, green manure, legume cultivation, mulching, and specific cropping systems to address leaching concerns.

Comorbidity of Depression and Diabetes: A Literature Review on Systemic Flaws in Healthcare and the Benefits of Collaborative Diagnosis and Treatment in Primary Care Settings.

The increasing specialization and dispersion of healthcare systems have led to a shortage of resources to address comorbidities. Patients with coexisting mental and physical conditions are disadvantaged, as medical providers often only focus on the patient's mental illness while neglecting their physical needs, resulting in poorer health outcomes. This study aimed to shed light on the systemic flaws in healthcare systems that contribute to suboptimal health outcomes in individuals with comorbid diseases, including depression and diabetes. This paper also discusses the clinical and economic benefits of collaborative methods for diagnosing and treating depressive disorders in primary care settings. A comprehensive literature review of the relationship between depression and diabetes was conducted. The outcomes of the literature review were carefully analyzed. Several databases were searched using keywords such as "diabetes," "depression," "comorbidity," "prevalence," "epidemiology," and "risk factors" using Google Scholar and PubMed as search engines. The review and research papers written between 1961 and 2023 were our main focus. This study revealed improved depressive symptoms and better blood sugar and blood pressure control. Additionally, individuals with comorbid depression and diabetes have higher direct and secondary medical costs. Antidepressants and psychological interventions are equally effective in treating depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes, although they have conflicting effects on glycemic control. For individuals with comorbid diabetes and depression, clear care pathways, including a multidisciplinary team, are essential for achieving the best medical and mental health outcomes. Coordinated healthcare solutions are necessary to reduce the burden of illness and improve therapeutic outcomes. Numerous pathophysiological mechanisms interact with one another and may support the comorbidities of T2DM, and depressive disorders could exacerbate the course of both diseases.

Therapeutic options for different metastatic sites arising from renal cell carcinoma: A review.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) stands among the top 10 malignant neoplasms with the highest fatality rates. It exhibits pronounced heterogeneity and robust metastatic behavior. Patients with RCC may present with solitary or multiple metastatic lesions at various anatomical sites, and their prognoses are contingent upon the site of metastasis. When deliberating the optimal therapeutic approach for a patient, thorough evaluation of significant risk factors such as the feasibility of complete resection, the presence of oligometastases, and the patient's functional and physical condition is imperative. Recognizing the nuanced differences in RCC metastasis to distinct organs proves advantageous in contemplating potential treatment modalities aimed at optimizing survival outcomes. Moreover, discerning the metastatic site holds promise for enhancing risk stratification in individuals with metastatic RCC. This review summarizes the recent data pertaining to the current status of different RCC metastatic sites and elucidates their role in informing clinical management strategies across diverse metastatic locales of RCC.

Design of a sensor technology-based hand-eye coordination measuring tool: Validity and reliability

This research aims to design a sensor-based hand-eye coordination measuring tool and test its validity and reliability. A total of 9 experts were involved in assessing its feasibility, each of them 3 sports measurement experts, 3 motor experts, and 3 technology experts. Meanwhile, 50 students at one of the Faculty of Sports Sciences, Indonesia participated in field trials. Participants were students taking physical condition courses (aged 18-20 years), consisting of male (n1=30) and female (n2=20). A validation questionnaire was prepared and discussed with experts as a guide in providing an assessment of the relevance of the instrument (suitability, accuracy, ease, and practicality of the tool), and test-retest reliability for field trials carried out twice with the difference between the first and second tests being one week. Data were analyzed using Aiken's V Index, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and Pearson correlation. The research results showed that the assessment of all aspects of the measuring instrument was in the high category, and the ICC value also showed no differences between assessments (P>0.05). Then, the test-retest reliability testing results obtained a significant regression analysis with a high correlation coefficient (r=0.801; P<0.05). In conclusion, this measuring tool can collect data to improve performance in sports involving hand-eye coordination (such as volleyball, badminton, tennis, basketball, hockey, martial arts and other sports that predominantly use the hands), both for coaches, athletes and sports practitioners. Keywords: validity, reliability, coordination, sensors

The rehabilitation treatment beliefs questionnaire-revised: assessing adolescents' treatment beliefs.

While there are several studies on children's and adolescents' beliefs about illness and medication treatment, there is limited research on their treatment beliefs in the context of rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Treatment Beliefs Questionnaire (RTBQ) was the first instrument available to assess pediatric patients' rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs. However, the RTBQ had some limitations that we aimed to address in this study: We revised the content of the RTBQ to include previously unaddressed dimensions of rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs, and we thoroughly tested its psychometric properties based on a sizeable, multicenter sample of adolescents with different chronic diseases. Across 11 pediatric rehabilitation clinics throughout Germany, eligible patients aged 12-18 years with any chronic physical or mental health condition were invited to participate in an online survey. Psychometric evaluation included item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency and construct validity. The sample comprised N = 294 adolescents (M = 14.2 years) with various chronic conditions. Psychometric testing demonstrated a coherent factor structure with 6 interpretable scales covering process and outcome expectations, expectations of one's own role in the treatment process, structural expectations, concerns, and emotions, the latter three representing previously unaddressed dimensions of rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs. Internal consistency was acceptable to good. Construct validity analyses showed mostly hypotheses-consistent correlations with related constructs. The revised RTBQ provides a psychometrically well-tested, adolescent-specific, and disease-generic instrument that captures multiple dimensions of rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs. Practical implications include identifying adolescents' beliefs about rehabilitation treatment in order to actively involve them in their illness management.

Discovery of an extended horizontal branch in the Large Magellanic Cloud globular cluster NGC 1835

We present a high-angular-resolution multi-wavelength study of the massive globular cluster NGC 1835 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Thanks to a combination of optical and near-ultraviolet images acquired with the WFC3 on board the HST, we performed a detailed inspection of the stellar population in this stellar system, adopting a ‘UV-guided search’ to optimize the detection of relatively hot stars. This allowed us to discover a remarkably extended horizontal branch (HB): it spans more than 4.5 mag in both the optical and the near-ultraviolet bands, and its colour (temperature) ranges from the region redder than the instability strip up to effective temperatures of 30 000 K. This is the first time that such a feature has been detected in an extragalactic cluster, demonstrating that the physical conditions responsible for the formation of extended HBs are ubiquitous. The HB of NGC 1835 includes a remarkably large population of RR Lyrae (67 confirmed variables and 52 new candidates). The acquired dataset was also used to redetermine the cluster distance modulus, reddening, and absolute age: (m − M)0 = 18.58, E(B − V) = 0.08, and t = 12.5 Gyr.