Does footwear affect ankle coordination strategies?

The hypothesis of this study was that shoe hardness and footwear affect ankle coordinative strategies during the running stance period. Subjects ran at a self-selected pace under three conditions-barefoot, wearing a hard shoe, and wearing a soft shoe-while sagittal and frontal view kinematic data were collected. Dynamic systems theory tools were used to explore ankle coordinative strategies under the three conditions. No significant differences in coordination were found between the two shoe conditions. However, significant differences in ankle coordinative strategies existed between the shoe conditions and the barefoot condition. Changes in coordinative strategies may be related to different mechanisms to attenuate impact forces while running barefoot.     

Does patient knowledge affect the colorectal cancer risk in ulcerative colitis?

Objectives: Formal efforts to improve patient education are associated with fewer disease complications in a number of conditions. The possible relationship between knowledge about ulcerative colitis and its cancer risk, and the development of colorectal cancer using a previously developed and validated instrument—the Crohn''s and colitis knowledge (CCKNOW) score—were investigated. Methods: The 24 item CCKNOW questionnaire was mailed to patients known to have developed colorectal cancer as a complication of ulcerative colitis (cases) and to colitics from the Leicestershire inflammatory bowel disease patient database who had not developed cancer (controls). Results: The mean (SD) CCKNOW scores for cases was 8.21 (3.02) and for controls was 8.27 (4.3). These scores did not differ significantly between cases and controls (difference 0.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.7 to 1.5, p=0.9). There were four times as many members of the National Association of Crohn''s and Colitis (NACC) in the control group compared with the cancer group and patients who are members of NACC achieve statistically significantly higher scores than non-members (11.6 v 7.8, p=0.05, 95% CI -0.1 to 7.6). However, after adjusting for NACC membership, the CCKNOW score did not appear to be associated with having developed cancer (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.18, p=0.5). Conclusions: The CCKNOW scores were comparable in cases and controls. Thus, in a retrospective study, no evidence has been demonstrated of an association between patient knowledge and the risk of developing colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. However, knowledge may have been increased in cases as a direct result of having had colorectal cancer as a complication of ulcerative colitis.     

Does vitamin D affect disease severity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis?

Background Vitamin D has been found to have a role in the function of the immune system. There have been a lot of studies investigating a relation between vitamin D and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, there have not been any studies arranging AS in groups according to vitamin D levels and determining any differences among these patients in terms of disease activity, functional status, quality of life, and other clinical parameters. The aim of this study is to compare 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels in AS patients with those in normal healthy subjects and to determine the relationship between 25(OH)D3 levels and AS disease activity, functional status, and quality of life.

 

Methods  Ninety-nine consecutive patients and 42 healthy volunteers were included in this study. After a comparison between the patient group and the control group, the patient group was divided into normal, insufficient and deficient subgroups according to the plasma 25(OH)D3 levels for another comparison.

 

Results  The differences in the 25(OH)D3 level between the patient and the control groups were statistically insignificant. The number of AS patients whose 25(OH)D3 levels were classified as normal, insufficient, and deficient were 34, 29, and 36, respectively. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores were higher in the low (including insufficient and deficient) 25(OH)D3 level subgroups (P <0.05). The Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI) and AS Quality of Life (ASQoL) scores were significantly different between the normal and the deficient subgroups (P <0.05).  Pain, BASDAI, ESR, and CRP were inversely correlated to the 25(OH)D3 levels (P <0.05).

 

Conclusions  The plasma 25(OH)D3 levels may decrease in AS patients and this may negatively affect disease activity, functional status and quality of life.

     

Does acupuncture have a positive effect on school success in children?

ObjectiveTo evaluate school success in pediatric patients undergoing acupuncture treatment for various indications.MethodsThe grades achieved during both school terms by children undergoing acupuncture treatment for various indications at the pediatric outpatient clinic of Ulus State Hospital were analyzed. Exam grades in mathematics, social studies, and Turkish was compared between the first and the second terms. Forty children were included in the study, with 22 male and 18 female, and their average age was 11.1 years. These patients were undergoing acupuncture treatment for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), enuresis nocturna, migraine, obesity, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, and Tourette's syndrome. Treatments were done at the beginning of the second term. Four of the 25 patients with ADHD had borderline intelligence quotients. The report cards of all 40 patients were examined, and their grades in the first and the second school term were compared.ResultsThere was a statistically significant increase in the grades obtained in mathematics, social studies, and Turkish (P<0.005) by the students from the first to the second school term. When 4 ADHD patients with borderline deficiency in intelligence were excluded, and the grades among the 21 patients with ADHD were compared for both terms, there was also a statistically significant increase in mathematics, social studies, and Turkish grades (P<0.05).ConclusionsAcupuncture contributed to the academic success of the children who underwent acupuncture treatment for their primary symptoms.     

Does social support affect development of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with diabetes mellitus?

Objectives:

To determine cognitive functions and perceived social support (SS) among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM), and the effects of SS on the development of cognitive dysfunction (CD).

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 121 patients with DM presenting at the Endocrinology Clinic of Cumhuriyet University Health Services Application and Research Hospital, Sivas, Turkey between April and June 2014. Data were collected utilizing the “Patient Assessment Form”, “Standardized Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE)”, and “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)”.

Results:

The mean score obtained for DM patients from the SMMSE was 21.55±5.7, with 65.3% found to have cognitive impairment. The total mean score of the participants for MSPSS was considered moderate (66.61±14.42). There was a significant positive correlation between cognitive function and SS (r=0.273, p=0.002). It was determined that individuals with CD had low levels of perceived SS, and that insufficient support from families and significant others contributed to the development of CD (p=0.008).

Conclusion:

In this study, it was determined that the cognitive function of individuals with DM was impaired and would improve as the perception of SS increased, and that perceived SS would affect the development of CD. Therefore, health professionals can contribute to the improvement of cognitive function of individuals with DM by facilitating the use of SS sources.The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), a major public health problem affecting people’s quality of life - physically, mentally, socially, and economically,1 is on the rise in Turkey and the whole world. While 8.4% of the adult population suffers from DM worldwide, this rate is approximately 15% in Turkey.2 Diabetes mellitus leads to damage in a variety of tissues and organs over time. In the literature, DM is reported to impair cognitive functions due to damages it causes to the central nervous system.3 Cognitive function can be impaired in individuals with DM due to abnormalities in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism.4,5 Good cognitive function in diabetic individuals is important, since it facilitates metabolic control and treatment management.6 Therefore, early detection of cognitive impairment, and the implementation of effective treatment and coping methods will help people with DM to fulfill their professional and social activities, and thus, will facilitate management of the disease.7 One of the factors that affect diabetic individuals’ compliance with the treatment of DM and health outcomes is the perceived social support (SS). To manage the disease, an individual with DM needs the support of family and other individuals in the social environment, which he/she is in.8 The literature states that adequate SS will help a person to change his/her negative health behaviors, to increase his/her effectiveness, and to gain more control over his/her emotional state.9 The presence of SS in diabetic individuals affects their healthy eating habits’ compliance with treatment,8,10 and self-care processes specific to DM.11,12 In addition, the presence of perceived SS may be particularly useful in coping with difficulties likely to occur due to treatment.13 Cognitive dysfunction (CD) is a complication considered in the background in individuals with DM.7 Social support facilitates adaptation to treatment, and thus, reduces the likelihood of the development of complications.8,10 In the literature, there are studies investigating the effect of diabetic individuals’ perception of SS on metabolic parameters10,14 and other complications of DM.15 This study was conducted to determine the cognitive function and perceived SS among individuals with DM, and the effect of SS on the development of CD. This study may help determine whether SS provided for individuals with DM has an effect on cognitive functions such as attention, registration, and recall. A higher perceived SS is thought to positively contribute to the regulation of blood glucose levels, and thus, to prevent the deterioration of cognitive function caused by DM.     

SARS-CoV-2溯源新进展

从2019年12月~2020年11月19日,COVID-19大流行已导致全球55 928 327例确诊病例,造成1 344 003人死亡。但是,我们对这次疫情的病原体-新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）的来源仍然未了解清楚。本综述总结和分析SARS-CoV-2溯源研究进展,为进一步的研究提供启示。现有证据表明SARS-CoV-2有可能是在40~70年前由蝙蝠冠状病毒分化而来;该病毒在进化过程中同时存在多种变异及自然选择现象,病毒基因不同区域可能发生不同变异并受到不同的选择压力,这些都增加了病毒溯源的困难性;有多种动物被认为可能是SARS-CoV-2的宿主,包括猫、狮子、老虎、狗、水貂等;SARS-CoV-2可能可由人类传播给动物,且该病毒也可以在动物间互相传播;现有证据不支持该病毒的源头是中国。我们仍未清楚该病毒如何传播到人类,仍然需要更多的研究去探索SARS-CoV-2的来源、宿主、中间宿主及其跨物种传播的机制。