Does grip strength correlate with rotator cuff strength in patients with atraumatic shoulder instability?

Aim To investigate if there is a correlation between grip strength (GS) and rotator cuff (RC) strength in patients with atraumatic shoulder instability (ASI) and to compare the relationship between these two measures with that previously published for a healthy population. Moreover, to determine if testing GS could be incorporated as a surrogate clinical assessment for RC strength in these patients. Methods A total of 20 subjects with ASI were included. Out of the 20 patients, eight presented with bilateral instability, which constituted a total of 28 atraumatic unstable shoulders (N = 28). GS was measured using a Jamar hand-dynamometer. External rotation (ER) and internal rotation (IR) strength was tested in inner and outer ranges using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD). Pearson’s correlation test was computed to investigate the relationship. Multiple linear regression was conducted to predict GS based on RC strength. Results Significant and strong positive correlations were found between GS and inner-range IR (r = 0.764, P < 0.001), inner-range ER (r = 0.611, P = 0.001), outer-range IR (r = 0.817, P < 0.001), and outer-range ER (r = 0.736, P < 0.001). A significant regression equation was found (F (4, 23) = 13.254, P < 0.001), with an R2 of 0.697 indicating that RC strength explained 69.7% of the variance in GS. Conclusions The results support the hypothesis showing that GS is strongly associated with RC strength in ASI patients. The simplicity of handgrip testing allows it to be used in clinical scenarios where sophisticated assessment tools are not available. GS is a convenient means to monitor patient progress during shoulder rehabilitation programs.

The Dark Tetrad and aesthetic preferences: The role of the dark side of personality in the aesthetic preference for paintings

The role of so-called normal and dark personality traits in everyday preferences, interests, and choices is visible in different domains of life. However, a small number of studies have dealt with individual differences in dark personality traits and aesthetic preferences. The domain of dark personality traits is in recent studies generally conceptualized as the Dark Tetrad — comprised of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the Dark Tetrad and visual aesthetic preferences. The sample consisted of 170 participants (Mage = 29.09, SDage = 10.66; 77.1 % females). Participants completed the Short Dark Triad and the Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies questionnaires, and also rated their familiarity and preference for 15 paintings with five different types of motives (religious, abstract, oriental, violence, and landscape). It was shown, based on looking at zero-order correlations that only narcissism positively correlates with the preference for paintings with violent motives. Also, a series of regression analyses were performed, which showed that the only significant regression model is the one that reflects the role of reduced psychopathy in the preference for religious motives. The first finding can be explained on the basis of stable findings on the relationship between narcissism and aggression, and also narcissism and violence. The second finding can be interpreted in the context that general religiosity has previously been shown to be negatively associated with psychopathy. It can be concluded that dark personality traits are one of the factors that affect aesthetic preferences.

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Zooplankton Inhabiting Sandy and Muddy Shore Habitats at Jazan Coastal Area

Few studies were made about zooplankton distribution in Jazan coastal area. The present study dealt with the identification of zooplankton at the sandy shore (AlSalwa coast) and mangrove muddy shore (Turfa peninsula) at the Almarjan coast. Species richness and population density at different seasons were determined for both study areas between May 2016-April 2017. Conductivity, pH, water temperature, and salinity were measured. The relationship between water characters and the seasonal abundance of zooplankton seasons was examined through regression analysis. Ciliates, Rotifers, Nauplius larva, Gammarus sp., Veliger larva, Nematodes, Planaria, Copepods, and Kinorhyncha were recorded for both study areas. The highest species richness and population density were recorded during the summer season for Almarjan sandy shore and Turfa peninsula mangrove. Ciliates were the most abundant zooplankton on the sandy shore, while Kinorhyncha was the least abundant. The zooplankton Nematode was the most abundant at the Turfa Peninsula mangrove, whereas Gnathostomulida was the least abundant. Conductivity, salinity, and water temperature showed a significant regression relationship (P<0.05) with zooplankton abundance. Data was discussed to highlight the role of zooplankton abundance in the mangrove and sandy shore ecosystem.

Neural network texture segmentation of satellite images of woodlands using the U-net model

With the advent of space equipment that allows obtaining panchromatic images of ultra-high spatial resolution (< 1 m) there was a tendency to develop methods of thematic processing of aerospace images in the direction of joint use of textural and spectral features of the objects under study. In this paper, we consider the problem of classification of forest canopy structures based on textural analysis of multispectral and panchromatic images of Worldview-2. Traditionally, a statistical approach is used to solve this problem, based on the construction of distributions of the common occurrence of gray gradations and the calculation of statistical moments that have significant regression relationships with the structural parameters of stands. An alternative approach to solving the problem of extracting texture features is based on frequency analysis of images. To date, one of the most promising methods of this kind is based on wavelet scattering. In comparison with the traditionally applied approaches based on the Fourier transform, in addition to the characteristic signal frequencies, the wavelet analysis allows us to identify characteristic spatial scales, which is fundamentally important for the textural analysis of spatially inhomogeneous images. This paper uses a more general approach to solving the problem of texture segmentation using the convolutional neural network U-net. This architecture is a sequence of convolution-pooling layers. At the first stage, the sampling of the original image is lowered and the content is captured. At the second stage, the exact localization of the recognized classes is carried out, while the discretization is increased to the original one. The RMSProp optimizer was used to train the network. At the preprocessing stage, the contrast of fragments is increased using the global contrast normalization algorithm. Numerical experiments using expert information have shown that the proposed method allows segmenting the structural classes of the forest canopy with high accuracy.

Experience of using photodynamic therapy for treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause

This study reports about efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy in Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).Material and methods. The study group included 12 patients with a diagnosis of urogenital syndrome of menopause. The trismeglumine salt of chlorin E6 in the form of a 1% gel was used as a photosensitizer. LED phototherapy apparatus Garmonia (photodynamic therapy apparatus (emitter 660 nm) was used as a radiation source. The PDT procedure was performed once every 7 days. The following scales were used to assess the effectiveness: Vaginal Health Index, Visual Analogue Scale, Dermatology Life Quality Index score, and general satisfaction with the course of procedures was also assessed.Results. The patients noted a significant regression of itching, burning, pain and dyspareunia after the course of photodynamic therapy. There was a decrease in dryness, on average, up to 3 points upon completing the course of procedures. Itching completely regressed in 6 out of patients. Dyspareunia significantly decreased in 4 patients and completely disappeared in 2 patients. The greatest effect according to the results of assessing the index of vaginal health was noted in relation to Ph-metry, as well as in relation to elasticity (4.17 points) and moisture (4.33 points). The median satisfaction score with treatment outcomes was 2.7 at last follow-up. There were no serious side effects during the entire period of treatment and after it.Conclusions. The following study reports that the photosensitizer with trismeglumine salt of chlorin E6 and PDT with a wavelength of 660 nm with an exposure for 30 minutes, an energy of 100 J/cm2, a power of 100 mV/cm2 , once every 7 days, is an effective and harmless method of treating GSM.

Modern possibilities of a supporting therapy and correction of post-inflammatory skin changes in patients with acne

Background. Acne has a net detrimental effect on the quality of life of patients, which is due not only to long-term treatment and predominance of dermatosis on the face, but also due to substantial risk of development of enduring post-inflammatory skin changes. The main part of treatment methods for post-acne marks is currently aimed at correction of already formed rash, and not at prevention of its development. In this respect, studies aimed at development of new methods for prevention and treatment of post-inflammatory skin changes in acne are particularly topical. Aim. To evaluate clinical efficiency and tolerability of Postacnetin gel at prevention and correction of significant post-inflammatory skin changes in patients with severe forms of acne vulgaris. Methods. 60 patients with severe forms of acne were under observation and were prescribed isotretinoin and topical medications in accordance with the Federal Guidelines of Treatment. Depending on the planned supporting therapy, the patients were divided into main and control groups of 30 people. Patients of the control group used only adapalene cream after the end of the course of systemic treatment with isotretinoin. Patients of the main group were additionally prescribed Postacnetin gel 2 months before reaching the cumulated dose of isotretinoin, and were also recommended to use it within 4 months after termination of isotretinoin therapy alongside with the use of adapalene cream. The effect of Postacnetin gel on post-inflammatory skin changes was assessed over time by counting post-acne elements, mexametry data and results of assessment of cicatrical changes according to the scale of G. Goodmann et al. Tolerability of the therapy was studied by means of monitoring of adverse reactions and calculation of the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). Results. By the end of application of the systemic medication, persistent erythema developed less often in patients of the main group, and pigmentation and scars were clinically less severe according to the data of the mexametry and the scale of G. Goodman et al. Subsequent dynamic observation of patients of the main group revealed more significant regression of post-inflammatory changes in them. Thus, dark spots were less common in these patients in the 2nd and 4th months in comparison with the control group, and according to mexametry data, they were less severe. They also had lower severity of scars and level of the total index of the quantitative scale of G. Goodman et al. According to the results of monitoring of side effects and DLQI, both treatment regimens were well tolerated. Conclusion. The use of Postacnetin gel in the complex therapy of patients with severe forms of acne vulgaris is an effective method for prevention and correction of persistent post-inflammatory skin changes and is well tolerated by patients.

Dual energy window imaging for optimisation of P/V ratios in VP SPECT

Purpose Ventilation–perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (VP SPECT) plays an important role in pulmonary embolism diagnosis. Rapid results may be obtained using same-day ventilation followed by perfusion imaging, but generally requires careful attention to achieving an optimal count rate ratio (P/V ratio) of ≥ 3:1. This study investigated whether the ratio of counts simultaneously acquired in adjacent primary and Compton scatter energy windows (Eratio) on V SPECT was predictive of final normalised perfusion count rate (PCRnorm) on P SPECT using [99mTc]Tc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA), thus allowing for optimisation of P/V ratios. Methods Same-day VP SPECT studies acquired using standard protocols in adult patients during a 2-year period (training dataset) were assessed. Studies were included provided they were acquired with correct imaging parameters, and injection site imaging and laboratory records were available for quality control and normalised count rate corrections. Extraction of DICOM information, and linear regression were performed using custom Python and R scripts. A predictive tool was developed in Microsoft Excel. This tool was then validated using a second (validation) dataset of same-day studies acquired over a subsequent 7-month period. Accuracy of the prediction tool was assessed by calculating the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Results Of 643 studies performed, the scans of 342 participants (median age 30.4 years, 318 female) were included in the training dataset, the analysis of which yielded a significant regression equation (F(1,340) = 1057.3, p < 0.0001), with an adjusted R2 of 0.756 and MSE of 0.001089. A prediction tool designed for routine clinical use was developed for predicting final P/V ratio. Of an additional 285 studies, 198 were included in the second (validation) dataset (median age 29.7 years, 188 female). The Excel-based tool was shown to be 91% accurate (MAPE: 9%) in predicting P/V ratio. Conclusion The relationship between the ratio of simultaneously acquired counts in adjacent energy windows on V SPECT and perfusion count rate after administration of a known activity of [99mTc]Tc-MAA can be linearly approximated. A predictive tool based on this work may assist in optimising the dose and timing of [99mTc]Tc-MAA administration in same-day studies to the benefit of patients and workflows.

PENGARUH JUMLAH ANGGOTA, SIMPANAN, PINJAMAN DAN MODAL KERJA TERHADAP SHU PADA KOPERASI KPRI MITRA KABUPATEN MAJALENGKA

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the number of members, total deposits, total loans and working capital on the acquisition of Business Profits (SHU) in the KPRI Mitra Koperasi of SMA Negeri 1 Maja, Majalengka. The data source uses secondary data, namely financial statement data. The financial report data used in this thesis is data for the last 6 years from 2015 to 2020 at the KPRI Mitra SMA Negeri 1 Maja, Majalengka. The sampling method used in this study, which is more specifically the type or method of non-probability sampling used in this study, is purposive sampling. Based on the results of research that has been done that the correlation coefficient simultaneously (together) between the total of members, deposits, loans, working capital to the remaining operating results, that the R Square is 0.550. This value is the result of the square of the correlation coefficient. The value of Rsquare x 100% is called the coefficient of determination. In this case it means that 55% of the influence of the total of members, total deposits, total of loans, working capital on the remaining operating results. For the rest, (100% - 55% = 45%) caused by other factors that were not studied. The result of interpretation of the coefficient of determination is 55%. Included in the strong or high influence. Based on the results of the F / ANOVA test, Fcount = 4.769 with a significance level of 0.000. As for the value of Ftable = 0.225 at a significance level of 0.05. So that Fcount > Ftable (4.769 > 0.225) with a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05 which indicates a significant regression model. So the conclusion is Fcount > Ftable, then H0 is rejected, meaning the total of members, total deposits, total loan, working capital simultaneously affect the SHU at the Koperasi KPRI Mitra of SMA Negeri 1 Maja, Majalengka.

Exploring the Relation between Emotional Intelligence, Subjective Wellness, and Psychological Distress: A Case Study of University Students in Taiwan

Given the importance of emotions in human life and the necessity of managing one’s emotions, this research project conducted an 18 week course on emotional management for a group of undergraduate students, investigated the differences in emotional intelligence (EI) levels before and after the course, and assessed EI’s effect on selected subjective wellness and psychological distress variables. The study indicated many significant results. Most importantly, the comparison of the pre-course and post-course EI scores indicated that the EI skills and competencies could be learned and enhanced through formal education. Additionally, there were also significant regression coefficients of pre-course and post-course EI scores on both subjective wellness and psychological distress variables. The significant results endorse that EI knowledge, skills, and competencies could indeed be enhanced through formal education. In particular, the understanding of EI could help the educationists and helping professionals in assessing people’s level of EI, designing relevant courses, and raising the impact of EI on both overall wellness and psychological distress.