Effects of combined whole body vibration and resistance training on lower quadrants electromyographic activity,muscle strength and power in athletes

BackgroundWhole body vibration (WBV) with resistance training is one of the increasing ways of gaining ankle and foot complex muscle strength and power for the rehabilitative and prophylactic purpose in athletes.ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to compare the effects of combined WBV and resistance training (RVE) with strength training alone (RE) on alteration of gastrocnemius lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus muscle activity and strength, and power performance in athletes.MethodsThe study was performed on 23 university-level male athletes who were randomized into two groups as RVE (n = 12; age 22.2 ± 1.94 years) and RE (n = 11; age 21.60 ± 1.78 years). The training program was scheduled three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions). Gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) and vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) were measured for muscle activity and isometric strength with surface EMG device and handheld dynamometer respectively. Counter-movement jump (CMJ) was used for measuring power. All the participants were assessed for outcome measures at baseline and then after 6 weeks. Group (RVE vs. RE) by time (pre vs. post) effects were compared through a 2-way interaction utilizing mixed model repeated measure ANOVA.ResultsAfter training, VMO muscle activity (group effects) increased significantly in the RVE group (p < 0.05). However, both the groups showed statistically significant time and group × time interaction effects for muscle activity of VMO, isometric strength (VMO and GL), and CMJ (p < 0.05).ConclusionWBV might serve as an adjunct modality for enhancement of the neuromuscular activity of the VMO muscle. However, RVE had no additive effect when compared to RE alone on muscle strength and power in athletes. The long-term impacts of combined WBV and resistance training on other foot and ankles muscle should be investigated in future studies.     

Quality of dictated feedback associated with SIMPL operative assessments of pediatric surgical trainees

BackgroundSIMPL is a workplace-based operative performance assessment tool which allows for dictated feedback (DF). To better understand the value of DF, we sought to characterize the type and quality of DF generated during SIMPL evaluations.MethodsThematic analysis of DF from SIMPL assessments between June 2017 and December 2018 at a single pediatric surgery fellowship program was performed. Comments were categorized as specific, encouraging or corrective. Categories were combined to determine DF quality as effective, mediocre or ineffective.ResultsOf 781 SIMPL assessments (21 faculty, 5 trainees), 451 (57%) had DF. Most comments were encouraging (93%) and specific (65%). Only 21% were corrective, 17% had entrustment features, and 8% had an explicit learning plan. Feedback quality was deemed mediocre (45%), ineffective (33%) and effective (21%).ConclusionSIMPL dictated feedback was mostly encouraging and specific. To improve quality, feedback should incorporate learning plans as well as corrective and entrustment features.     

Natural language processing and entrustable professional activity text feedback in surgery: A machine learning model of resident autonomy

BackgroundEntrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) contain narrative ‘entrustment roadmaps’ designed to describe specific behaviors associated with different entrustment levels. However, these roadmaps were created using expert committee consensus, with little data available for guidance. Analysis of actual EPA assessment narrative comments using natural language processing may enhance our understanding of resident entrustment in actual practice.MethodsAll text comments associated with EPA microassessments at a single institution were combined. EPA—entrustment level pairs (e.g. Gallbladder Disease—Level 1) were identified as documents. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a common machine learning algorithm, was used to identify latent topics in the documents associated with a single EPA. These topics were then reviewed for interpretability by human raters.ResultsOver 18 months, 1015 faculty EPA microassessments were collected from 64 faculty for 80 residents. LDA analysis identified topics that mapped 1:1 to EPA entrustment levels (Gammas >0.99). These LDA topics appeared to trend coherently with entrustment levels (words demonstrating high entrustment were consistently found in high entrustment topics, word demonstrating low entrustment were found in low entrustment topics).ConclusionsLDA is capable of identifying topics relevant to progressive surgical entrustment and autonomy in EPA comments. These topics provide insight into key behaviors that drive different level of resident autonomy and may allow for data-driven revision of EPA entrustment maps.     

Remote unaffiliated presurgical psychosocial evaluations: a qualitative assessment of the attitudes of ASMBS members

BackgroundA psychosocial evaluation is an important component of the preoperative assessment process for people seeking metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), and is required for accreditation of MBS programs. Recently, independent companies without affiliations with MBS programs have been marketing remotely administered, unaffiliated psychosocial evaluations for MBS (RUS), and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) members have raised concerns about these evaluations.ObjectivesTo explore ASMBS members’ beliefs about RUS.SettingOnline survey.MethodsWe developed a survey to evaluate ASMBS members’ opinions, experiences, and/or concerns about in-person and RUS psychosocial evaluations for MBS.ResultsIn total, 635 ASMBS members responded to the online survey and 156 responded to an open-ended question on RUS. Responses were coded based on a manual developed for this study, yielding themes of concerns about the quality of RUS, lack of ongoing relationships in RUS, and conditions under which/reasons why RUS evaluations could be acceptable.ConclusionRespondents expressed both interest in and concerns about RUS in pre-MBS psychosocial evaluations. Use of RUS has the potential to improve access to MBS by providing a convenient and efficient means of completing the psychosocial evaluation. Conversely, respondents expressed concerns about the background and training of RUS providers, the quality of the reports, and the limited relationships between the RUS provider and both the MBS patient and the MBS team. We discuss the clinical and research implications of response themes, particularly for patients in rural areas or those who have other barriers to care.     

Caffeine and nicotine improve visual tracking by rats: a comparison with amphetamine,cocaine and apomorphine

Psychomotor stimulant drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, amphetamine and cocaine, have been shown to improve vigilance in man under conditions of fatigue. Nicotine has also been shown to improve performance in some cognitive tests in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In rodents these drugs increase activity which may confound performance enhancing effects in rodent models. However, improvements have been found in a number of tests that do not seem to be directly dependent upon an enhancement of locomotor activation. In one example, Evenden and Robbins (1985) reported consistent improvements in a visual tracking test following amphetamine. The present study was undertaken to determine whether these performance enhancing effects of amphetamine could also be obtained with cocaine and apomorphine, which both have psychomotor stimulant effects through their actions as, respectively, indirect and direct dopamine agonists, and by caffeine and nicotine, which do not have a direct dopaminergic mechanism of action. The results of the study indicate that all five drugs improved tracking performance at one or more doses. The most consistent effects were obtained with amphetamine which, like cocaine and nicotine, improved tracking at a dose which did not produce other changes in behaviour. Taking into account previous studies (Evenden and Robbins 1983, 1985), these results were interpreted as indicating that psychomotor stimulant drugs produce ageneral activation of behaviour. At all but the highest doses of such drugs, the form of behaviour that is observed depends upon the environment. The results of this study support the conclusion that in the situation where stimuli are present which exert a strong control over behaviour in the undrugged state, then the stimulated behaviour will be directed towards those, and may result in an enhancement of performance.     

耶鲁抽动症整体严重度量表在儿科临床的初步应用

目的 为量化评估儿童抽动障碍症状的严重程度,翻译并初步应用耶鲁抽动症整体严重度量表（Ｙale Ｇic Ｓeverity Ｓcale,ＹＧＴＳＳ）。方法 对７２例抽动障碍病儿分别于 治疗前和治疗２周后作ＹＧＴＳＳ抽动评分,同时由病儿或监护人按显效、有效和无效自行评定疗效。比较７２例患儿中三种不同类型（暂时性抽动,慢性抽动和抽－秽语综合征）之间的积分差别,比较三组不同疗效病儿之间ＹＧＴＳＳ积分变化的差别。结果 治疗开始前     

Prediction of physical activity level in adulthood by physical characteristics,physical performance and physical activity in adolescence: an 11-year follow-up study

The purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent the physical activity pattern in adulthood can be predicted by physical characteristics, performance and activity in adolescence. A group of 62 men and 43 women completed a questionnaire concerning physical activity during their leisure time at the ages of 16 and 27 years. An activity index produced from the questionnaire. At the age of 16 years, the subjects were also tested for strength (strength test battery) and running performance (9-min run). Maximal oxygen uptake ( ) was estimated from a submaximal test and a muscle biopsy specimen was taken and analysed for fibre types (percentages of types I, IIA, 1113). The proportion of subjects engaged in some kind of physical activity during their leisure time was approximately 70% among the women and 80% among the men at both ages. The time spent on physical activity (minutes per week) decreased with age for the men but not for the women. The women devoted less time. to physical activity than the men both at age 16 and 27 years. The attitude to endurance activities had changed to a more positive attitude among the women and to a less positive attitude among the men at age 27 years. The aerobic potential ( and percentage of type I fibre), running performance, strength performance, physical activity and marks in physical education at age 16 years explained 82% of the physical activity level in adulthood for the women and 47% for the men. The aerobic potential at age 16 years alone explained 31% of the adult physical activity level in the women and 24% in the men. Strength performance, physical activity and marks in physical education at age 16 years further increased the predictive value for the physical activity level in adulthood for the women but not for the men. It is suggested that the major portion of the variation in physical activity level in adult women, but not in the adult men, could be predicted from physical characteristics, physical performance, and the activity level in adolescence.