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Abstract Physical fitness is a critical marker of overall health across all age groups, influencing longevity and quality of life. This systematic review assessed the use of remote physical fitness assessments, a crucial adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic that broadened access to health monitoring outside traditional settings. The review included 35 studies, covering various age groups and health conditions, and evaluated 48 physical fitness tests across eight physical fitness components. Balance, muscular strength, and endurance were the most frequently assessed, with tests like the 30-second sit-to-stand (30s-STS) showing strong validity, reliability, and feasibility for remote use. However, the study population was mainly adults and older adults, with nearly no focus on children, revealing a significant gap in research for younger populations. Additionally, the review identified gaps in assessing components such as body composition, reaction time, and agility, which are crucial for a comprehensive assessment of physical fitness. These gaps underscore the need for further research and development of reliable and valid remote assessment tools. The findings of this review emphasize the importance of standardizing remote physical fitness assessments to ensure their validity, reliability, and feasibility making them effective tools for health monitoring across diverse populations and settings.

BackgroundTinnitus is the perception of sound without an external auditive stimulus and can be a severe burden for affected patients. Medical guidelines recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for tinnitus treatment, which effectively improves tinnitus-related distress and anxiety. ObjectiveThis study investigates the outcome of a 9-month smartphone-based CBT for patients with tinnitus. MethodsThe randomized controlled clinical trial in this study investigates the efficacy of a smartphone-based CBT for 187 patients with chronic tinnitus over a 9-month treatment period. In the initial 3 months, a waiting list design was applied, and in the subsequent study phase, the data of both treatment groups were collectively analyzed. The scores on the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ); 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); 9-item Self-Efficacy, Optimism, Pessimism (SWOP-K9) questionnaire; and 20-item Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20) were assessed as endpoints after 3 and 9 months of treatment. ResultsWe observed a statistically significant reduction in the tinnitus burden in patients who received the smartphone-based CBT intervention. Although no changes were observed initially in the TQ sum scores in the waiting control group (baseline mean, 37.8, SD 4.7; 3 months mean 37.5, SD 4.8; analysis of covariance [ANCOVA] P=.52), the scores significantly decreased once the app-based CBT had commenced. Data pooled from both groups revealed significant reduction in the TQ sum score by 12.49 (SD 1.44) (ANCOVA, P

Microplastic (MiP) contamination poses environmental risks, but harmonizing data from different quantification methods and sample matrices remains challenging. We compared analytical protocols for MiP quantification in soil, consisting of Digital, Fluorescence, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman Microscopy as well as quantitative Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (Py-GC-MS) and 1-proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy as detection techniques. Each technique was coupled with a specific extraction procedure and evaluated for three soils with different textures and organic carbon contents, amended with eight types of large MiPs (0.5–1 mm) – high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and a biodegradable mulch film product composed of polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate/ polylactic acid (PBAT/ PLA). In addition, we included two types of small MiPs (20–250 µm) composed of either LDPE or PBAT/ PLA in the tests. The results showed that protocols for Digital, Fluorescence, and ATR-FTIR microscopy recovered 74–98 % of the large MiPs, with fluorescence yielding the highest recoveries. Raman spectroscopy was most sensitive to soil organic matter residues, requiring more sophisticated sample pretreatment. Fluorescence staining with subsequent Fluorescence microscopy detection effectively recovered most small-sized LDPE-MiP but missed 56–93 % of small PBAT/ PLA particles. For the latter, reliable quantification was achieved only using Soxhlet extraction combined with 1H NMR spectroscopic quantification. Pyrolysis-GC-MS showed intermediate results, displaying low sensitivity to plastic type and lower recoveries as soil clay content increased. We conclude that different methods have different sensitivities for different MiP materials in different soils, i.e. comparisons of MiP loads and threshold settings for MiP loads across methodologies require careful consideration. Yet, our data indicate that adding stained large MiP as an internal standard could enhance extraction control, while Soxhlet-extraction with subsequent 1H NMR analysis is most powerful for controlling future thresholds of small MiP from biodegradable materials.

BackgroundGathering information directly from cancer survivors has advanced our understanding of the cancer survivorship experience. However, it is unknown whether surveys can distinguish important subgroups of cancer survivors. This study aimed to describe the current landscape of survey questions used to identify and describe cancer survivors in national cross-sectional studies.MethodsUsing publicly available databases, the authors identified national cross-sectional surveys used in the United States within the past 15 years that included a question on self-reported history of cancer. After abstracting questions and response items used to identify cancer survivors, they conducted a descriptive analysis.ResultsThe authors identified 14 national cross-sectional surveys, with half administered to the general population and the other half administered to cancer survivors. The most common question used to identify cancer survivors was "Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had cancer?" Most surveys had questions asking participants to identify a single cancer type (n = 11), multiple prior cancer diagnoses or types (n = 11), and the time from diagnosis (n = 12). Treatment questions varied from active treatment status to specific treatments received. Questions addressing cancer stage (n = 2), subtypes (n = 1), metastatic status (n = 3), and recurrence (n = 4) were less frequently included.ConclusionsThere is no standard method for assessing self-reported cancer history, and this limits the ability to distinguish among potentially important subgroups of survivors. Future cross-sectional surveys that capture nuanced data elements, such as cancer types, stages/subtypes, metastatic/recurrent status, and treatments received, can help to fill important gaps in cancer survivorship research and clinical care.

Background: Synchronizing a TMS pulse with a person's underlying EEG rhythm can modify the brain's response. It is unclear if synchronizing rTMS trains might boost the antidepressant effect of TMS. In this first-in-human trial, we demonstrated that a single TMS pulse over the prefrontal cortex produces larger effects in the anterior cingulate depending on when it is fired relative to the individual's EEG alpha phase. Objective/hypotheses: We had three hypotheses. 1) It is feasible to synchronize repetitive TMS (rTMS) delivery to a person's preferred prefrontal alpha phase in each train of every session during a 30-visit TMS depression treatment course. 2) EEG-synchronized rTMS would produce progressive entrainment greater than unsynchronized (UNSYNC) rTMS. And 3) SYNC TMS would have better antidepressant effects than UNSYNC (remission, final Hamilton Depression Rating

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease which in the majority of patients is treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPI). However, up to 45% of the patients remain symptomatic on a standard dose of PPI. This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of an add-on therapy with the gel-forming chewable tablet Sobrade® in patients unsatisfied with PPI treatment. The bioadhesive gel covers the oesophagus and thereby protects the mucosa from reflux events. Methods 47 patients with symptomatic GERD despite PPI treatment participated in this study. The gel-forming tablets were taken up to four times daily after meals and prior to bedtime. Severity and frequency of GERD symptoms were evaluated during two onsite visits prior and following 14 days of treatment and used to calculate the GERD score of the Reflux Disease Questionnaire. Furthermore, patients recorded symptoms as well as onset and duration of symptoms relief daily in their electronic dairies. Effectiveness of treatment was analysed using non-parametric paired Wilcoxon test. In addition, anchor-based minimal important differences (MID) were assessed. Results Treatment resulted in significant reduction of GERD symptoms. Severity and frequency of 8 of the 9 assessed symptoms improved significantly during the treatment phase whereby most pronounced improvement was observed for heartburn. In agreement, all three subscales of the GERD score improved significantly. MID results suggest that patients considered a mean improvement of symptoms > 30% of initial severity as beneficial. Self-assessments by patients revealed first significant improvements of symptoms like heartburn and regurgitation from day 5 of treatment onwards. 49% of patients reported relief of symptoms within 15 min which lasted on average for 3.5 h. During the study no treatment emergent adverse events were reported and in 98% of all cases tolerability of the product was rated as very good or good. Conclusions This study revealed a pronounced improvement of the symptoms after add-on treatment with the gel-forming medical device. The very good safety and tolerability profile indicate an advantageous risk-benefit ratio. Trial registration This non-interventional study was prospectively positively evaluated by the responsible ethic-committees.

Abstract The acute state of anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with widespread reductions in cortical gray matter (GM) thickness and white matter (WM) volume, suspected changes in myelin content and elevated levels of the neuronal damage marker neurofilament light (NF-L), but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. To gain a deeper understanding of brain changes in AN, we applied a multimodal approach combining advanced neuroimaging methods with analysis of blood-derived biomarkers. In addition to standard measures of cortical GM thickness and WM volume, we analyzed tissue-specific profiles of brain metabolites using multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, T1 relaxation time as a proxy of myelin content leveraging advanced quantitative MRI methods and serum NF-L concentrations in a sample of 30 female, predominately adolescent patients with AN and 30 age-matched female healthy control participants. In patients with AN, we found a reduction in GM cortical thickness and GM total N-acetyl aspartate. The latter predicted higher NF-L levels, which were elevated in AN. Furthermore, GM total choline was elevated. In WM, there were no group differences in either imaging markers, choline levels or N-acetyl aspartate levels. The current study provides evidence for neuronal damage processes as well as for increased membrane lipid catabolism and turnover in GM in acute AN but no evidence for WM pathology. Our results illustrate the potential of multimodal research including tissue-specific proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses to shed light on brain changes in psychiatric and neurological conditions, which may ultimately lead to better treatments.

Objective: Many reports of bacteriuria in domestic animals allude that animals may serve as hosts and means of spreading zoonotic pathogenic and multidrug-resistant bacteria via contamination of the environment with their urine. This cross-sectional study determined the bacterial load of urine from slaughtered cattle. It investigated the resistance to antimicrobials and pathogenicity potentials of the Gram-negative bacteria recovered from urine samples. Materials and Methods: Urine samples were obtained from 52 slaughtered cattle at the Wurukum Abattoir, Makurdi, Benue State, within a month. Standard microbiological procedures were used to process the samples for the isolation and identification of bacteria. Disc diffusion technique was used to determine the antibiogram of the isolates. Standard procedures also were deployed to examine the expression of virulence factors. Results: Bacteria were isolated from 20 of the 52 urine samples, with the positive samples yield¬ing total aerobic and coliform counts of 2.8 × 103 − 9.1 ×105 and 2.5 × 102 − 3.3 × 105 CFU/ml, respectively. Species of Gram-negative bacilli identified were Escherichia coli (n = 10), Tatumella ptyseous (n = 4), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 2), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1). The isolates were all resistant to at least three antimicrobial classes. All the isolates were resistant to the bac¬tericidal action of the serum, while 2 (11.8%) were hemolytic on blood agar. Conclusion: Adequate veterinary examination of slaughtered cattle before presenting for slaugh¬ter is imperative to reduce the contamination of the meat and environment with the urine of cattle with elevated levels of bacteriuria. [Vet. Res. Notes 2023; 3(5.000): 36-42]

Background: The communication through coherence model posits that brain rhythms are synchronized across different frequency bands and that effective connectivity strength between interacting regions depends on their phase relation. Evidence to support the model comes mostly from electrophysiological recordings in animals while evidence from human data is limited. Methods: Here, an fMRI-EEG-TMS (fET) instrument capable of acquiring simultaneous fMRI and EEG during noninvasive single pulse TMS applied to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was used to test whether prefrontal EEG alpha phase moderates TMS-evoked top-down influences on subgenual, rostral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Six runs (276 total trials) were acquired in each participant. Phase at each TMS pulse was determined post-hoc using single-trial sorting. Results were examined in two independent datasets: healthy volunteers (HV) (n = 11) and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 17) collected as part of an ongoing clinical trial. Results: In both groups, TMS-evoked functional connectivity between DLPFC and subgenual ACC (sgACC) depended on the EEG alpha phase. TMS-evoked DLPFC to sgACC fMRI-derived effective connectivity (EC) was modulated by EEG alpha phase in healthy volunteers, but not in the MDD patients. Top-down EC was inhibitory for TMS pulses during the upward slope of the alpha wave relative to TMS timed to the downward slope of the alpha wave. Prefrontal EEG alpha phase dependent effects on TMS-evoked fMRI BOLD activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex were detected in the MDD patient group, but not in the healthy volunteer group. Discussion: Results demonstrate that TMS-evoked top-down influences vary as a function of the prefrontal alpha rhythm, and suggest potential clinical applications whereby TMS is synchronized to the brain's internal rhythms in order to more efficiently engage deep therapeutic targets.

Abstract Background Urinary tract infections are among the most common indications for antibiotic therapy. The emergence of resistant uropathogens indicates the need for treatment alternatives. Replenishment of the glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder, achieved by intravesical instillation of e.g. chondroitin sulphate (CS), is described to be a cornerstone in the therapy of cystitis. To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of a therapy with 0.2% CS in patients suffering recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) in comparison to a treatment with low-dose long-term antibiotics (LDLTAB) and a combination of both. Methods A total of 151 patients with recurrent UTI who underwent intravesical therapy at Diaconesse hospital in Leiden, The Netherlands were included. 50 patients had been treated with CS, 51 patients had received LDLTAB, and 50 patients had received a combination therapy (LDLTABCS). Data recorded for baseline, after 6, and 12 months of treatment were evaluated. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Exploratory comparisons between groups and within groups were performed by using one-tailed and paired t-tests. Patients filled in a standardized quality of life questionnaire (EQ-5D). Results We found a statistically significant reduction of number of infections from 7.10 ± 0.50 SEM to 0.45 ± 0.07 SEM after 12 months therapy with CS compared to 12 months therapy with LDLTAB (from 7.04 ± 0.47 SEM to 1.8 ± 0.15 SEM). The number of visits to the urologist significantly decreased in the CS group from 7.46 ± 0.80 SEM to 1.28 ± 0.11 SEM and from 4.10 ± 0.29 SEM to 1.35 ± 0.11 SEM in the LDLTABCS group. In addition, a significant increase in Quality of life (QoL) was seen in the CS-group (from 58.2 ± 0.82 SEM to 80.43 ± 0.82 SEM) and in the LDLTABCS group (from 62.4 ± 0.97 SEM to 76.73 ± 1.06 SEM). There was no improvement in QoL with LDLTAB (from 58.24 ± 1.08 SEM to 58.96 ± 1.19 SEM). Evaluation’s evidence is limited due to its retrospective character. Conclusions Retrospective analysis of data from patients that underwent therapy for rUTIs confirms the safety and efficacy of CS and indicate a superiority to antibiotic treatment of rUTIs.

Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sounds, generates distress and anxiety in those affected. Cognitive behavioral treatment approaches reproducibly help patients in managing chronic tinnitus. This study systematically evaluated the usefulness of a tinnitus app (with areas of attention and relaxation, mindfulness, acceptance, self-efficacy), which is prescribed for a total of nine months. One hundred eighty-seven participants with chronic tinnitus were equally randomized to an intervention arm that used a smartphone-based intervention -marketed as Kalmeda Tinnitus app-. and a control arm with delayed onset of treatment by 3 months. The first 3 months of a 9-months prescribed intervention have been analyzed as primary outcome. The Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) was used as primary endpoint to determine the reduction of tinnitus distress. Following intervention, there was a statistically significant and clinically relevant reduction of the TQ sum score in the intervention group compared to the control group (p

Physical fitness is a critical marker of overall health across all age groups, influencing longevity and quality of life. This systematic review assessed the use of remote physical fitness assessments, a crucial adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic that broadened access to health monitoring outside traditional settings. The review included 35 studies, covering various age groups and health conditions, and evaluated 48 physical fitness tests across eight physical fitness components. Balance, muscular strength, and endurance were the most frequently assessed, with tests like the 30-second sit-to-stand (30s-STS) showing strong validity, reliability, and feasibility for remote use. However, the study population was mainly adults and older adults, with nearly no focus on children, revealing a significant gap in research for younger populations. Additionally, the review identified gaps in assessing components such as body composition, reaction time, and agility, which are crucial for a comprehensive assessment of physical fitness. These gaps underscore the need for further research and development of reliable and valid remote assessment tools. The findings of this review emphasize the importance of standardizing remote physical fitness assessments to ensure their validity, reliability, and feasibility making them effective tools for health monitoring across diverse populations and settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Axonal degeneration and defects in neuromuscular neurotransmission represent a pathological hallmark in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other forms of motoneuron disease. These pathological changes do not only base on altered axonal and presynaptic architecture, but also on alterations in dynamic movements of organelles and subcellular structures that are not necessarily reflected by static histopathological changes. The dynamic interplay between the axonal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and ribosomes is essential for stimulus-induced local translation in motor axons and presynaptic terminals. However, it remains enigmatic whether the ER and ribosome crosstalk is impaired in the presynaptic compartment of motoneurons with Smn (survival of motor neuron) deficiency that could contribute to axonopathy and presynaptic dysfunction in SMA. Methods Using super-resolution microscopy, proximity ligation assay (PLA) and live imaging of cultured motoneurons from a mouse model of SMA, we investigated the dynamics of the axonal ER and ribosome distribution and activation. Results We observed that the dynamic remodeling of ER was impaired in axon terminals of Smn-deficient motoneurons. In addition, in axon terminals of Smn-deficient motoneurons, ribosomes failed to respond to the brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulation, and did not undergo rapid association with the axonal ER in response to extracellular stimuli. Conclusions These findings implicate impaired dynamic interplay between the ribosomes and ER in axon terminals of motoneurons as a contributor to the pathophysiology of SMA and possibly also other motoneuron diseases.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) provide the largest source of electrical energy storage today. This paper covers the use of comminution processes and, thus, crushers and mills for particle breakage and dispersing, as well as classifiers for particle separation within the process chain, from the raw material to the final lithium battery cell and its recycling at end of life. First of all, the raw materials for the active material production have to be produced either by processing primary raw materials, or by recycling the spent lithium batteries. The end-of-life battery cells have to be shredded, the materials separated and then milled in order to achieve the so-called black mass, which provides a secondary material source with very valuable components. Using these materials for the synthesis of the cathode active materials, milling has to be applied in different stages. The natural graphite, increasingly used as anode material, has to be designed in mills and classifiers for achieving targeted properties. Nanosized silicon is produced by nanomilling using stirred media mills as a primary option. Conductive additives for LIBs, like carbon black, have to be dispersed in a solvent with machines like planetary mixers, extruders or stirred media mills. In the future, mechanochemical synthesis of solid electrolytes will especially require additional application of comminution processes.