Influence of the Hawthorne effect on spatiotemporal parameters, kinematics, ground reaction force, and the symmetry of the dominant and nondominant lower limbs during gait.

The Hawthorne effect is a change in behavior resulting from awareness of being observed or evaluated. This study aimed to determine whether awareness of being evaluated or presence of an observer influence gait. Twenty-one young women were asked to walk in three conditions. In the first condition (unawareness of evaluation; UE), participants were aware that it was a practice trial, and there was no observer. In the second condition (awareness of evaluation; AE), participants were aware that their gait was being evaluated. The third condition (AE + researcher observation; RO) was similar to the second condition except that an additional researcher observed the participant' gait. The spatiotemporal, kinematic, ground reaction forces, and ratio index (symmetry of both lower limbs) were compared among the three conditions. A higher ratio index indicated a relative increase in the value on left versus right. Gait speed (P = 0.012) and stride length (right and left; P = 0.006 and 0.007, respectively) were significantly increased in the AE + RO than in UE. Range of motion of the right hip and left ankle was significantly greater in AE than in UE (P = 0.039 and 0.012, respectively). The ratio index of ground reaction force during push-off was significantly higher in AE and AE + RO conditions than in UE (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). The Hawthorne effect (awareness of being evaluated or presence of an observer) potentially influences gait. Thus, factors that influence gait analysis should be considered when evaluating normal gait.

Machine Learning Approach to find the relation between Endometriosis, benign breast disease, cystitis and non-toxic goiter.

The exact mechanism of endometriosis is unknown. The recommendation system (RS) based on item similarities of machine learning has never been applied to the relationship between diseases. The study aim was to identify diseases associated with endometriosis by applying RS based on item similarities to insurance data in South Korea. Women aged 15 to 45 years extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service National Inpatient Sample (HIRA-NIS) 2009-2015. We used the RS model to extract diseases that were correlated with an endometriosis diagnosis. Among women aged 15 to 45 years, endometriosis was defined as a diagnostic code of N80.x and a concurrent treatment code. A control group was defined as women who did not have the N80.x code. Benign breast diseases, cystitis, and non-toxic goitre were extracted by the RS. A total of 1,730,562 women were selected as the control group, and 11,273 women were selected as the endometriosis group. In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age per 5 years, data year, and socioeconomic status, benign neoplasm of breast (odds ratio (OR): 2.58; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.90-3.50), other cystitis (OR: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.56-4.44), and non-toxic single thyroid nodule (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.14-2.32) were statistically significant. Endometriosis was associated with benign breast disease, cystitis, and non-toxic goitre.

Graves Disease Is Associated With Endometriosis: A 3-Year Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the prevalence of thyroid diseases between women with and without endometriosis.We established the endometriosis group according to diagnosis codes, surgery codes, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist codes using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatients Sample (HIRA-NIS) from 2009 to 2011. Four controls were randomly matched to each endometriosis case. Thyroid disease cases were selected using the thyroid disease diagnosis code (E0X).Among the 1,843,451 women sampled, 5615 had endometriosis; 22,460 controls were matched to the endometriosis cases. After adjustment for age and sampling year, Graves disease was associated with endometriosis (odds ratio [OR]: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.30-4.88; P < 0.01), while hypothyroidism was not (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.90-1.52; P = 0.25). Autoimmune hypothyroidism was also not associated with endometriosis (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.88-2.94; P = 0.12).This study revealed an association between Graves disease and endometriosis.