Gear Classification in Skating Cross-Country Skiing Using Inertial Sensors and Deep Learning.

The aim of this current work is to identify three different gears of cross-country skiing utilizing embedded inertial measurement units and a suitable deep learning model. The cross-country style studied was the skating style during the uphill, which involved three different gears: symmetric gear pushing with poles on both sides (G3) and two asymmetric gears pushing with poles on the right side (G2R) or to the left side (G2L). To monitor the technique, inertial measurement units (IMUs) were affixed to the skis, recording acceleration and Euler angle data during the uphill tests performed by two experienced skiers using the gears under study. The initiation and termination points of the tests were controlled via Bluetooth by a smartphone using a custom application developed with Android Studio. Data were collected on the smartphone and stored on the SD memory cards included in each IMU. Convolutional neural networks combined with long short-term memory were utilized to classify and extract spatio-temporal features. The performance of the model in cross-user evaluations demonstrated an overall accuracy of 90%, and it achieved an accuracy of 98% in the cross-scene evaluations for individual users. These results indicate a promising performance of the developed system in distinguishing between different ski gears within skating styles, providing a valuable tool to enhance ski training and analysis.

Tissue explants as tools for studying the epigenetic modulation of the GH-IGF-I axis in farmed fish.

Somatic growth in vertebrates is mainly controlled by the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis. The role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating this axis in fish is far from being understood. This work aimed to optimize and evaluate the use of short-term culture of pituitary and liver explants from a farmed fish, the gilthead seabream Sparus aurata, for studying epigenetic mechanisms involved in GH/IGF-I axis regulation. Our results on viability, structure, proliferation, and functionality of explants support their use in short-term assays. Pituitary explants showed no variation in gh expression after exposure to the DNA methylation inhibitor decitabine (5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine; DAC), despite responding to DAC by changing dnmt3bb and tet1 expression, and TET activity, producing an increase in overall DNA hydroxymethylation. Conversely, in liver explants, DAC had no effects on dnmt s and tet s expression or activity, but modified the expression of genes from the GH-IGF-I axis. In particular, the expression of igfbp2a was increased and that of igfbp4, ghri and ghrii was decreased by DAC as well as by genistein, which is suggestive of impaired growth. While incubation of liver explants with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) produced no clear effects, it is proposed that nutrients must ensure the methylation milieu within the liver in the fish to sustain proper growth, which need further in vivo verification. Pituitary and liver explants from S. aurata can be further used as described herein for the screening of inhibitors or activators of epigenetic regulators, as well as for assessing epigenetic mechanisms behind GH-IGF-I variation in farmed fish.

Low-cost tools for virtual reconstruction of traffic accident scenarios.

Investigations into traffic accidents that lead to the determination of their causes and consequences are useful to all interested parties, both in the public and private sectors. One of the phases of investigation is the capture of data enabling the complete reconstruction of the accident scene, which is usually the point at which a conflict arises between the slow process of information gathering and the need to restore normal traffic flow. To reduce to a minimum the time the traffic is halted, this paper follows a methodology to reconstruct traffic accidents and puts forward a series of procedures and tools that are applicable to both large and small scenarios. The methodology uses low-cost UAV-SfM in combination with UAS aerial image capture systems and inexpensive GNSS equipment costing less than €900. This paper describes numerous tests and assessments that were carried out on four potential work scenarios (E-1 and E-2 urban roads with several intersections; E-3, an urban crossing with medium slopes; and E-4, a complex road section with different land morphologies), assessing the impact of using simple or double strip flights and the number of GCPs, their spacing distance and different distribution patterns. From the different configurations tested, the best results were achieved in those offset-type distributions where the GCPs were placed on both sides of the working area and at each end, with a spacing between 100 and 50 m and using double strip flights. Our conclusion is that the application of this protocol would be highly efficient and economical in the reconstruction of traffic accidents, provide simplicity in implementation, speed of capture and data processing, and provide reliable results quite economically and with a high degree of accuracy with RMSE values below 5 cm.

Rotator Interval vs Posterior Approach Ultrasound-guided Corticosteroid Injections in Primary Frozen Shoulder: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of rotator interval (RI) vs posterior approach (PA) ultrasound (US) guided corticosteroid injections into the glenohumeral (GH) joint in primary frozen shoulder (PFS). DATA SOURCES: A systematic literature search for all relevant studies on Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central, up to January 2023 was conducted. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials that directly compared the US-guided corticosteroid injection into the RI and GH joint using PA in patients clinically and radiographically diagnosed with PFS. DATA EXTRACTION: The primary outcome was pain, and the secondary outcomes were function, and range of motion (ROM). Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool version 2. A random-effects model and generic inverse variance method were performed. Effect sizes were estimated using mean difference (MD) and standardized mean difference (SMD). DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 5 clinical trials involving 323 subjects were included for the meta-analysis. US-guided corticosteroid injections into the RI revealed significant pain relief (MD 1.33 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20 to 2.46]; P=.02) and significant functional improvement (SMD 1.31 [95% CI 0.11 to 2.51]; P=.03) compared with the PA after 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the injection of corticosteroid into RI space is more effective than PA after 12 weeks in improving both pain and functional scores in patients with PFS.

Efficacy of whole-body cryotherapy in the treatment of chronic low back pain: Quasi-experimental study.

STUDY DESIGN: Single arm, quasi-experimental study design. BACKGROUND: To describe the effects of whole-body cryotherapy on pain, disability, and serum inflammatory markers in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: A quasi-experimental trial was performed on adult patients between 18 and 65 years with chronic low back pain. After obtaining informed consent, participants underwent 20 sessions of whole-body cryotherapy (at -160 °C) during a 5-week time span. Patient reported pain and disability measures (Pain Numerical Rating Scale [PNRS], Oswestry Disability Index [OSI], and Roland Morris Questionnaire [RMQ]) were obtained at each of the twenty sessions. Blood samples were obtained to analyze serum inflammatory markers at baseline, 10th and 20th session. RESULTS: Forty-one participants were included in the study. A significant decrease was observed between the initial and final PNRS, ODI, and RMQ scores (p < 0.001). A significant reduction in the PNRS was found after 4 sessions of whole-body cryotherapy (p < 0.001). We observed decreasing values of pro-inflammatory serum marker IL-2 (p = 0.046) and a significant increase in the anti-inflammatory serum marker IL-10 (p = 0.003). No adverse events were reported during the study. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-body cryotherapy is an effective therapy for pain and disability treatment in chronic low back pain. It also produces changes in serum markers of inflammation, decreasing pro-inflammatory markers and increasing anti-inflammatory markers.

Reliability and Validity of Computerized Adventitious Respiratory Sounds in People with Bronchiectasis.

Background: Computerized adventitious respiratory sounds (ARS), such as crackles and wheezes, have been poorly explored in bronchiectasis, especially their measurement properties. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of ARS in bronchiectasis. Methods: Respiratory sounds were recorded twice at 4 chest locations on 2 assessment sessions (7 days apart) in people with bronchiectasis and daily sputum expectoration. The total number of crackles, number of wheezes and wheeze occupation rate (%) were the parameters extracted. Results: 28 participants (9 men; 62 ± 12 y) were included. Total number of crackles and wheezes showed moderate within-day (ICC 0.87, 95% CI 0.74−0.94; ICC 0.86, 95% CI 0.71−0.93) and between-day reliability (ICC 0.70, 95% CI 0.43−0.86; ICC 0.78, 95% CI 0.56−0.90) considering all chest locations and both respiratory phases; wheeze occupation rate showed moderate within-day reliability (ICC 0.86, 95% CI 0.71−0.93), but poor between-day reliability (ICC 0.71, 95% CI 0.33−0.87). Bland−Altman plots revealed no systematic bias, but wide limits of agreement, particularly in the between-days analysis. All ARS parameters correlated moderately with the amount of daily sputum expectoration (r > 0.4; p < 0.05). No other significant correlations were observed. Conclusion: ARS presented moderate reliability and were correlated with the daily sputum expectoration in bronchiectasis. The use of sequential measurements may be an option to achieve greater accuracy when ARS are used to monitor or assess the effects of physiotherapy interventions in this population.

The first GHEP-ISFG collaborative exercise on forensic applications of massively parallel sequencing.

One of the main goals of the Spanish and Portuguese-Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GHEP-ISFG) is to promote and contribute to the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge in the field of forensic genetics. The GHEP-ISFG supports several Working Commissions which develop different scientific activities. One of them, the Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications", organized its first collaborative exercise on forensic applications of MPS technology in 2019. The aim of this exercise was to assess the concordance between the MPS results and those obtained with conventional technologies (capillary electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing), as well as to compare the results obtained within the different MPS platforms and/or the different kits/panels and analysis software packages (commercial and open-access) available on the market. The seven participating laboratories analyzed some samples of the annual GHEP-ISFG proficiency test (EIADN No. 27 (2019)), using Ion Torrent™ or MiSeq FGx® platforms. Six of them sent autosomal STR sequence data, five laboratories performed MPS analysis of individual identification SNPs, four laboratories reported MPS data of Y-chromosomal STRs, and X-chromosomal STRs, three laboratories performed MPS analysis of ancestry informative SNPs and phenotype informative SNPs, two labs performed MPS analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region, and only one lab produced MPS data of lineage informative SNPs. Autosomal STR sequencing results were highly concordant to the consensus obtained by capillary electrophoresis in the EIADN No. 27 (2019) exercise. Furthermore, in general, a high level of concordance was observed between the results of the participating laboratories, regardless of the platform used. The main discordances were due to errors during the analysis process or from sequence data obtained with low depth of coverage. In this paper we highlight some issues that still arise, such as standardization of the nomenclature for STRs analyzed by sequencing with MPS, the universal uptake of a nomenclature framework by the analysis software, and well established validation and accreditation of the new MPS platforms for use in routine forensic case-work.

Correlación entre el desarrollo psicomotor y el rendimiento escolar en niños de primer año de educación básica, pertenecientes a establecimientos municipales de dos comunas urbanas de la Región Metropolitana / Correlation between psychomotor development and academic performance of first grade children who attended public schools from two urban districts of the Metropolitan Region

El presente estudio correlacional, cuantitativo y no experimental, tiene por objeto determinar si existe relación entre el Desarrollo Psicomotor y el Rendimiento Escolar de niños de primer año básico pertenecientes a escuelas municipalizadas de la Región Metropolitana. Se evaluó una muestra de 106 niños a través del Manual de Observación Psicomotriz de Vitor da Fonseca, para determinar el desarrollo psicomotor, por otra parte, para establecer el Rendimiento Escolar se enfocó en las asignaturas de Lenguaje y Matemáticas, evaluadas a través de cuatro procedimientos: Prueba de Funciones Básicas (PFB) e Índice Lenguaje (IL) (notas-simce) para Lenguaje y Prueba de Precálculo (PPC) e Índice Matemáticas (IM) (notas-simce) para Matemáticas. Los resultados muestran una correlación ordinal estadísticamente significativa (p<0,01) entre el Desarrollo Psicomotor y cada una de las cuatro evaluaciones del Rendimiento Escolar, según el coeficiente de Spearman y la Prueba de t de Student. Además, se buscaron asociaciones significativas entre cada una de las áreas del Desarrollo Psicomotor y ambas pruebas Rendimiento Escolar. Los resultados indican que para la Prueba de Funciones Básicas sólo existe una asociación significativa estadísticamente, con el área de Praxia Fina (p<0,01), mientras que la Prueba de Precálculo se asocia significativamente con las áreas de Estructuración Temporo-Espacial (p<0,01), Praxia Global (p<0,05) y Praxia Fina (p<0,05). En conclusión, existe una correlación ordinal significativa entre el Desarrollo Psicomotor y el Rendimiento Escolar en niños de primer año básico.

Pubertad precoz central y hamartoma hipotalámico / Central precocious puberty and hypothalamic hamartoma

Se describe la presentación de un caso en un niño de 4 años y un mes con el diagnóstico de pubertad precoz central o "verdadera" y hamartoma hipotalámico. El diagnóstico definitivo se estableció con base en la presencia de un desarrollo puberal temprano, un patrón con test de estimulación hormonal compatible con pubertad de origen central y estudios de imágenes que evidenciaron la presencia de una masa sólida tipo hamartoma. La pubertad precoz es una patología de importancia, debido a las implicaciones en el desarrollo sexual prematuro, la baja talla secundaria, la rápida maduración esquelética y las dificultades psicosociales que el niño enfrenta. El hamartoma del hipotálamo es una de las causas que producen pubertad precoz central y debe sospecharse sobre todo en niños con cambios puberales a edades muy tempranas

[Factors associated with short duration of breast-feeding in Mexican working women]. / Factores que influyen en el abandono temprano de la lactancia por mujeres trabajadoras.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the maternal, work, and health services factors associated with a short duration of breast-feeding in working mothers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out between November 1998 and March 1999, among 265 mothers medically insured by (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS) Mexican Institute of Social Security, who completed a questionnaire when their babies were 3 to 9 months old. Mothers were divided into two groups, based on breast-feeding duration: those who breast-fed for less than 3 months and those who did so for three months or more. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with short duration of breast-feeding. RESULTS: One-hundred and twelve mothers (42.3%) abandoned breast-feeding early. Risk factors were: poor maternal knowledge on breast-feeding, odds ratio (OR) 5.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.67-20.67; mothers with no previous breast-feeding experience OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.66-5.36; mothers planning to breast-feed their babies for less than 3 months (OR 16.24, 95% CI 5.37-49.12); and mothers with no access to breast-feeding facilities at work (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.12-3.56). CONCLUSIONS: The main factors associated with short duration of breast-feeding were the maternal ones. The only work-related factor associated with short duration of breast-feeding was the absence of breast-feeding facilities. It is probable that maternal knowledge on breast-feeding, previous breast-feeding experience, and the availability of facilities at work for breast-feeding affect the maternal decisions on breast-feeding duration.

Factores que influyen en el abandono temprano de la lactancia por mujeres trabajadoras / Factors associated with short duration of breast-feeding in Mexican working women

OBJETIVO: Identificar los factores maternos, laborales y de los servicios de salud que influyen en el abandono temprano de la lactancia materna en madres trabajadoras. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Entre noviembre de 1998 y marzo de 1999 se efectuó un estudio transversal comparativo con madres derechohabientes del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social de Ensenada, Baja California, México. A 265 madres se les aplicó un cuestionario entre los tres y nueve meses posparto. Se distribuyeron en: grupo I: madres con abandono temprano de la lactancia materna; grupo II: madres que prolongaron la lactancia materna por más de tres meses. Para identificar los factores asociados con el abandono temprano de la lactancia materna, se utilizó regresión logística. RESULTADOS: El 42.3 por ciento (112) de las madres abandonaron temprano la lactancia materna. Los factores de riesgo fueron: tener conocimientos malos sobre lactancia materna, OR 5.97 (IC 95 por ciento 1.67-20.67), la ausencia del antecedente de haberla practicado en un hijo previo OR 2.98 (IC 95 por ciento 1.66-5.36), tener un plan de duración de la misma de 0 a 3 meses, OR 16.24 (IC 95 por ciento 5.37-49.12), y la falta de facilidades en el trabajo para efectuarla, OR 1.99 (IC 95 por ciento 1.12-3.56). CONCLUSIONES: Los principales factores asociados con el abandono temprano de la lactancia materna fueron maternos. El único factor laboral fue la ausencia de facilidades para amamantar. Es probable que la calidad de los conocimientos, la experiencia previa con ella y tener facilidades laborales influyan en la decisión de prolongarla

[Symptomatic parathyroid cysts. Report of one case]. / Quiste paratiroideo sintomático. A propósito de un caso.

Parathyroid cysts are unusual and do not have specific clinical manifestations or ultrasonographic findings. Therefore, they are usually confused with thyroid nodules. We report a 43 years old male, with normal thyroid function and normal calcium serum levels, that presented a nodule in the lower right third of the neck. Ultrasonography and CAT scan showed a well delimited 6 x 4.5 cm ovoid cyst that compressed and displaced the trachea and esophagus. A fine needle aspiration was done on three occasions, extracting 18, 40 and 60 ml of liquid. As the cyst recurred and symptoms intensified, the patient was operated removing the cyst and the right thyroid lobe. Pathological study disclosed a parathyroid cyst.

[Diabetic mastopathy. Report of a case]. / Mastopatía diabética. Un diagnóstico poco habitual.

Diabetic mastopathy is a rare condition that occurs in type I diabetic patients and that may mimic a breast cancer due to its intense fibrosis and inflammation. We report a 34 years old female consulting for a firm, painless and mobile retroareolar breast lump measuring 3.5 x 4 cm, that lead to the suspicion of a breast cancer. Mammography, mammary ultrasound and fine needle cytology were unspecific. A core biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of diabetic mastopathy. The patient continues under periodical assessments.

Mastitis granulomatosa idiopática / Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis

La mastitis granulomatosa idiopática es un proceso inflamatorio mamario benigno infrecuente, cuyo diagnóstico clínico es poco habitual debido a la rareza de la lesión y a la ausencia de manifestaciones específicas. Como el cuadro clínico es poco característico el diagnóstico definitivo se establece por hallazgos histopatológicos que están bien establecidos, siendo imprescindible descartar otras patologías que producen lesiones granulomatosas de la mama y también la presencia de un carcinoma mamario. Comunicamos los casos de dos mujeres, de 27 y 30 años, multíparas, que posterior a su lactancia desarrollaron abscesos mamarios, en una de ellas bilaterales. En ambas se realizó drenajes de las colecciones cuyos cultivos corrientes fueron negativos. Como no hubo mejoría de su cuadro se realizó resección y biopsia del tejido mamario afectado. El diagnóstico definitivo se estableció mediante el estudio histopatológico de los especímenes que reveló granulomas centrolobulillares y formación de abscesos. Las técnicas de histoquímica (PAS, Grocott, Ziehl-Neelsen) resultaron negativas. En ambas pacientes la resección quirúrgica se complementó con prednisona durante 3 meses

Caracterización de 46 mujeres ancianas con cáncer de mama / Characterization of 46 elderly women with breast cancer

El cáncer mamario en mujeres ancianas es frecuente, a menudo se diagnostica en estadios avanzados y su tratamiento motiva controversias. Entre 1980 y 1994 estudiamos retrospectivamente 46 mujeres con esta condición. La edad promedio fue de 78 años (rango 70 a 89 años). La detección fue realizada por la paciente en 39 (85 por ciento) casos y en 7 (15 por ciento) por examen médico. la estadificación correspondió en un (2,2 por ciento) caso estadio I, 18 (39,1 por ciento) a II, 23 (50 por ciento) a III, y 4 (8,7 por ciento) a IV. El tamaño promedio clínico del tumor primario fue de 5,5 cm y el histopatológico de 4,95 cm. Se realizó cirugía conservadora en 3 (6,1 por ciento) casos, mastectomía radical modificada en 9 (18,4 por ciento), mastectomía simple extendida en 18 (36,7 por ciento), mastectomía simple en 10 (20,4 por ciento) mastectomía de aseo en 5 (10,2 por ciento), y no se operaron 4 (8.2 por ciento) casos. En 32 pacientes se practicó disección axilar encontrando metástasis nodales en 16 (50 por ciento). El tipo histológico más frecuente fue carcinoma ductal en 35 (71,4 por ciento) casos; de éstos el grado histológico fue II en 21 (61,8 por ciento) y III en 7 (20,6 por ciento) y el grado nuclear fue 2 en 22 (64,7 por ciento) y 3 en 6 (17,6 por ciento). El seguimiento promedio de la serie fue de 58 meses (margen 2 a 204 meses). Al cierre de esta revisión 11 (23,9 por ciento) pacientes están vivas sin enfermedad, 30 (65,2 por ciento) fallecieron (13 (43,3 por ciento) por su cáncer mamario, 10 (33,3 por ciento) por otras causas, 7 (23,3 por ciento) por causa desconocida) y en 5 (10,9 por ciento) se ignora su estado

Tumores neurogénicos benignos de cuello / Benign neurogenic tumors of neck

Los tumores neurogénicos de cuello son poco habituales. Esta escasa frecuencia explica el motivo por el cual, usualmente, no se postula su diagnóstico. En una masa cervical ubicada en la región de los nervios craneales, plexo cervical, cadena simpática cervical o nervios periféricos mayores, debe considerarse un origen neurogénico. Una resección no planificada puede ocasionar secuelas neurológicas que en algunas ocasiones podrían evitarse. Presentamos 3 casos tratados en el Servicio de Cirugía del Hospital de Valdivia, describiendo las principales características clínicas e histológicas de cada uno de ellos, su tratamiento y evolución. Además, se entrega una revisión actualizada en relación a esta rara e infrecuente patología

Neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 2B / Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B

La neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 2B es un síndrome poco frecuente caracterizado por cáncer medular de tiroides, feocromocitoma, hábito marfanoide, neuromas mucosos y otras manifestaciones menos comunes. Habitualmente se presenta asociado a grupos familiares y tiene mal pronóstico, sobre todo cuando el diagnóstico se realiza en forma tardía. Generalmente el pronóstico guarda estrecha relación con la evolución del carcinoma medular de tiroides, el cual puede causar la muerte. Se presenta un caso esporádico de neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 2B, en un hombre de 30 años que se manifestó por carcinoma medular de tiroides, hábito marfanoide y neuronas múltiples de la lengua y de la mucosa vestibular. El carcinoma medular de tiroides fue tratado mediante tiroidectomía total más disección radical modificada bilateral de cuello

Linfedema de miembro superior secundario al tratamiento de cáncer de mama / Lymphedema of upper extremity secondary to the breast cancer treatment

El linfedema de miembro superior es una complicación común del tratamiento del cáncer de mama que afecta aproximadamente al 20 a 25 por ciento de las pacientes. Las enfermas pueden padecer desde un aumento de volumen, dolor, tensión y pesadez en el miembro comprometido, llegando hasta la invalidez de éste. A menudo presentan infecciones cutáneas recurrentes. Por lo general este linfedema produce efectos lamentables en la calidad de vida de la mujer, sin embargo como se trata de una complicación no letal, recibe poca atención y se investiga menos que otras complicaciones del tratamiento del cáncer mamario. La etiología de linfedema es multifactorial y aunque está estrechamente relacionado con la linfadenectomía axilar y la radioterapia, aún se desconocen otros factores que contribuyen al establecimiento de esta condición y la naturaleza de la interacción de estos factores. No existe consenso respecto a la precisión de los métodos para evaluar el grado de edema del miembro superior aquejado y aún no se han desarrollado métodos exactos para evaluar el impacto funcional de esta complicación. El linfedema representa un problema de difícil manejo incluso con el advenimiento de modalidades del tratamiento modernas. Cuando se presenta inmediato a la terapia, suele resolverse durante las primeras semanas o meses del postoperatorio en un buen número de casos pero el crónico y tardío es de difícil solución. Algunas de las terapias actualmente en uso incluyen la elevación del miembro afectado, drenaje linfático manual, mangas elásticas, compresión neumática intermitente y tratamientos descongestionantes. Los tratamientos farmacológicos y quirúrgicos son controvertidos