scholarly journals Bitter Taste Disrupts Spatial Discrimination of Piperine-Evoked Burning Sensations: A Pilot Study

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 886
Author(s):  
David T. Liu ◽  
Gerold Besser ◽  
Karina Bayer ◽  
Bernhard Prem ◽  
Christian A. Mueller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Taste Quality ◽  
Spatial Discrimination ◽  
Perceptual Similarity ◽  
Healthy Participants ◽  
One Way Anova ◽  
Disease Specific

This study aimed to investigate the perceptual similarity between piperine-induced burning sensations and bitter taste using piperine-impregnated taste strips (PTS). This pilot study included 42 healthy participants. PTS of six ascending concentrations (1 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, and 25 mg piperine/dL 96% ethanol) were presented at the anterior tongue, and participants rated perceived intensity and duration. Then, participants performed a spatial discrimination task in which they had to report which of the two strips presented to the anterior tongue contained an irritating stimulus when one strip was always a PTS while the other strip was impregnated with either a single taste quality (sweet or bitter) or a blank strip. Repeated measures one-way ANOVA revealed that burning sensations of higher concentrated PTS were perceived more intense and more prolonged compared to lower concentrated PTS. McNemar’s test showed that PTS were identified correctly significantly less often when presented with bitter strips compared to when presented with blank (p = 0.002) or sweet strips (p = 0.017). Our results showed that bitter taste disrupts the spatial discrimination of piperine-evoked burning sensations. PTS might serve as a basis for further studies on disease-specific patterns in chemosensory disorders.

Does transcranial direct current stimulation affect selective visual attention in children with left-sided infantile hemiplegia? A randomized, controlled pilot study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Raed A. Alharbi ◽  
Saleh A. Aloyuni ◽  
Faizan Kashoo ◽  
Mohamed I. Waly ◽  
Harpreet Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Selective Visual Attention ◽  
Subject Factor ◽  
And Control

Abstract Objective: Infantile hemiplegia due to brain injury is associated with poor attention span, which critically affects the learning and acquisition of new skills, especially among children with left-sided infantile hemiplegia (LSIH). This study aimed to improve the selective visual attention (SVA) of children with LSIH through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Methods: A total of 15 children participated in this randomized, double-blinded, pilot study; of them, 10 experienced LSIH, and the remaining 5 were healthy age-matched controls. All the children performed the Computerized Stroop Color-Word Test (CSCWT) at baseline, during the 5th and 10th treatment sessions, and at follow-up. The experimental (n = 5) and control groups (n = 5) received tDCS, while the sham group (n = 5) received placebo tDCS. All three groups received cognitive training on alternate days, for 3 weeks, with the aim to improve SVA. Results: Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant change in the mean scores of CSCWT between time points (baseline, 5th and 10th sessions, and follow-up) within-subject factor, group (experimental, sham) between-subject factor and interaction (time points X group) (p < 0.005). Furthermore, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between time point (p < 0.005) for the experimental and control group but not the sham group. Conclusion: These pilot results suggest that future research should be conducted with adequate samples to enable conclusions to be drawn.

The Effects of the BAILAMOSTM Dance Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cognition of Older Latino Adults: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110209
Author(s):  
Guilherme M. Balbim ◽  
Susan Aguiñaga ◽  
Olusola A. Ajilore ◽  
Eduardo E. Bustamante ◽  
Kirk I. Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Global Cognition ◽  
Latino Adults ◽  
And Performance

Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOSTM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOSTM dance program ( n = 28) or health education (HE) ( n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: BAILAMOSTM participants increased participation in leisure moderate-to-vigorous PA (LMVPA) ( F[1,53] = 3.17, p = .048, η2 G = .01) and performance in global cognition relative to HE participants ( F[1,52] = 4.19, p = .045, η2 G = .01). Attendance moderated increases in moderate PA, MVPA, LMVPA, and total PA ( p < .05). Participants of both groups with ≥75% attendance increased participation in PA. Among participants with <75% attendance, BAILAMOSTM participants increased PA relative to HE. Discussion: BAILAMOSTM positively impacted self-reported PA and global cognition in older Latinos. Even smaller doses of dance appear to impact self-reported PA levels.

Using reactive hyperemia to investigate the effect of cupping sizes of cupping therapy on skin blood flow responses

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xiangfeng He ◽  
Xueyan Zhang ◽  
Fuyuan Liao ◽  
Li He ◽  
Xin Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Laser Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Skin Blood Flow ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Recovery Time ◽  
Reactive Hyperemia ◽  
Cupping Therapy ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Healthy Participants ◽  
Hyperemic Response

BACKGROUND: Various cupping sizes of cupping therapy have been used in managing musculoskeletal conditions; however, the effect of cupping sizes on skin blood flow (SBF) responses is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of three cupping sizes of cupping therapy on SBF responses. METHODS: Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) was used to measure SBF on the triceps in 12 healthy participants in this repeated measures study. Three cup sizes (35, 40 and 45 mm in diameter) were blinded to the participants and were tested at -300 mmHg for 5 minutes. Reactive hyperemic response to cupping therapy was expressed as a ratio of baseline SBF. RESULTS: All three sizes of cupping cups resulted in a significant increase in peak SBF (p< 0.001). Peak SBF of the 45 mm cup (9.41 ± 1.32 times) was significantly higher than the 35 mm cup (5.62 ± 1.42 times, p< 0.05). Total SBF of the 45 mm cup ((24.33 ± 8.72) × 103 times) was significantly higher than the 35 mm cup ((8.05 ± 1.63) × 103 times, p< 0.05). Recovery time of the 45 mm cup (287.46 ± 39.54 seconds) was significantly longer than the 35 mm cup (180.12 ± 1.42 seconds, p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that all three cup sizes can significantly increase SBF. The 45 mm cup is more effective in increasing SBF compared to the 35 mm cup.

scholarly journals Tactile spatial discrimination on the torso using vibrotactile and force stimulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atena Fadaei Jouybari ◽  
Matteo Franza ◽  
Oliver Alan Kannape ◽  
Masayuki Hara ◽  
Olaf Blanke
Keyword(s):  
Thoracic Spine ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Spatial Discrimination ◽  
Dynamic Force ◽  
Tactile Information ◽  
Tactile Displays ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Healthy Participants

AbstractThere is a steadily growing number of mobile communication systems that provide spatially encoded tactile information to the humans’ torso. However, the increased use of such hands-off displays is currently not matched with or supported by systematic perceptual characterization of tactile spatial discrimination on the torso. Furthermore, there are currently no data testing spatial discrimination for dynamic force stimuli applied to the torso. In the present study, we measured tactile point localization (LOC) and tactile direction discrimination (DIR) on the thoracic spine using two unisex torso-worn tactile vests realized with arrays of 3 × 3 vibrotactile or force feedback actuators. We aimed to, first, evaluate and compare the spatial discrimination of vibrotactile and force stimulations on the thoracic spine and, second, to investigate the relationship between the LOC and DIR results across stimulations. Thirty-four healthy participants performed both tasks with both vests. Tactile accuracies for vibrotactile and force stimulations were 60.7% and 54.6% for the LOC task; 71.0% and 67.7% for the DIR task, respectively. Performance correlated positively with both stimulations, although accuracies were higher for the vibrotactile than for the force stimulation across tasks, arguably due to specific properties of vibrotactile stimulations. We observed comparable directional anisotropies in the LOC results for both stimulations; however, anisotropies in the DIR task were only observed with vibrotactile stimulations. We discuss our findings with respect to tactile perception research as well as their implications for the design of high-resolution torso-mounted tactile displays for spatial cueing.

scholarly journals Forefoot Striking Is More Effective in Reducing Loadrates than Increasing Cadence in Runners

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0005
Author(s):  
Erin Futrell ◽  
Irene Davis
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Auditory Signal ◽  
Gait Retraining ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Impact Forces ◽  
Running Injuries ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Wireless Accelerometer ◽  
One Way Anova ◽  
Vertical Impact

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: Vertical impact forces are highly influenced by the way the foot contacts the ground. These impact forces are associated with high loading rates which have been related to running injuries. As a result, clinicians have begun to use gait retraining interventions to reduce loadrates and prevent future impact-related injuries. Two types of gait retraining techniques have been promoted to reduce excessive running impacts. The first involves increasing cadence (CAD), or number of steps per minute, by 5-10%, thereby reducing stride length. The second type of gait retraining involves landing on the ball of the foot at ground contact, or using a forefoot strike (FFS). Both of these gait-retraining styles have been reported to reduce impacts, but they have not been compared with each other. Methods: 33 healthy runners (9M, 24F), running 5-15 mpw, with a rearfoot strike pattern with cadence < 170 steps/min were recruited. Subjects were randomly allocated to either FFS or CAD retraining. All subjects underwent an 8-session gait retraining program (over 2-3 wks) with auditory feedback on a treadmill. The CAD group ran to a digital metronome to increase cadence by 7.5%. The FFS group wore a wireless accelerometer that provided an auditory signal on footstrike pattern. A gait analysis was conducted at baseline, 1 wk, 1 month, and 6 months. Variables included vertical average and instantaneous load rates (VALR, VILR). A 2 x 4 repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare differences within and between the CAD and FFS groups at baseline, 1 week, 1 month and 6 months post retraining. For variables with significant interactions, simple main effects of group, as well as time were further explored using one-way ANOVA Results: There were significant interaction effects of time*group for VALR (p= 0.001), VILR (p=0.001) and foot angle (p< 0.001), but not cadence. For the simple main effects for the CAD group, VALR reduced by 14%, 7% and 16% at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months post gait retraining respectively, compared with baseline (Figure 1). However, these reductions were not significant. For the FFS group, VALR was significantly reduced by 50%, 51% and 51% at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months post gait retraining respectively. Interestingly, both the CAD and FFS groups increased cadence by similar amounts. Conclusion: Transitioning to a FFS pattern is significantly more effective than increasing CAD when reducing vertical loadrate (both VALR and VILR) is the goal. These changes persisted out to 6 months post gait retraining, suggesting permanence of the new pattern.

scholarly journals Depth-Related Curing Potential of Ormocer- and Dimethacrylate-Based Bulk-Fill Composites

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 6753
Author(s):  
Ramona S. Oltramare ◽  
Reto Odermatt ◽  
Phoebe Burrer ◽  
Thomas Attin ◽  
Tobias T. Tauböck
Keyword(s):  
Double Bond ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Degree Of Conversion ◽  
Double Bond Conversion ◽  
Nanohybrid Composite ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
One Way Anova

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the degree of C=C double bond conversion of high-viscosity dimethacrylate- or ormocer-based bulk-fill composites as a function of measurement depth. Four bulk-fill composites (Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill, x-tra fil, SonicFill, and Bulk Ormocer) and the conventional nanohybrid composite Tetric EvoCeram were applied in standardized Class II cavities (n = 6 per group) and photoactivated for 20 s at 1350 mW/cm2. The degree of conversion of the composites was assessed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy at seven measurement depths (0.15, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 mm). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests (α = 0.05). The investigated bulk-fill composites showed at least 80% of their maximum degree of conversion (80% DCmax) up to a measuring depth of at least 4 mm. Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill and Bulk Ormocer achieved more than 80% DCmax up to a measuring depth of 5 mm, x-tra fil up to 6 mm. The conventional nanohybrid composite Tetric EvoCeram achieved more than 80% DCmax up to 3 mm. In contrast to the conventional composite, the investigated ormocer- and dimethacrylate-based bulk-fill composites can be photo-polymerized in thick layers of up to at least 4 mm with regard to their degree of C=C double bond conversion.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Innovative Digital Assessment Tool in Dental Anatomy

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 366-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt T Lam ◽  
So Ran Kwon ◽  
Fang Qian ◽  
Gerald E Denehy
Keyword(s):  
Gold Standard ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
T Test ◽  
Pearson’S Correlation ◽  
Digital Assessment ◽  
Dental Anatomy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pearson's Correlation ◽  
One Way Anova

ABSTRACT Aim The E4D Compare software is an innovative tool that provides immediate feedback to students’ projects and competencies. It should provide consistent scores even when different scanners are used which may have inherent subtle differences in calibration. This study aimed to evaluate potential discrepancies in evaluation using the E4D Compare software based on four different NEVO scanners in dental anatomy projects. Additionally, correlation between digital and visual scores was evaluated. Materials and methods Thirty-five projects of maxillary left central incisors were evaluated. Among these, thirty wax-ups were performed by four operators and five consisted of standard dentoform teeth. Five scores were obtained for each project: one from an instructor that visually graded the project and from four different NEVO scanners. A faculty involved in teaching the dental anatomy course blindly scored the 35 projects. One operator scanned all projects to four NEVO scanners (D4D Technologies, Richardson, TX, USA). The images were aligned to the gold standard, and tolerance set at 0.3 mm to generate a score. The score reflected percentage match between the project and the gold standard. One-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in scores among the four NEVO scanners. Paired-sample t-test was used to detect any difference between visual scores and the average scores of the four NEVO scanners. Pearson's correlation test was used to assess the relationship between visual and average scores of NEVO scanners. Results There was no significant difference in mean scores among four different NEVO scanners [F(3, 102) = 2.27, p = 0.0852 one-way ANOVA with repeated measures]. Moreover, the data provided strong evidence that a significant difference existed between visual and digital scores (p = 0.0217; a pairedsample t-test). Mean visual scores were significantly lower than digital scores (72.4 vs 75.1). Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.85 indicated a strong correlation between visual and digital scores (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The E4D Compare software provides consistent scores even when different scanners are used and correlates well with visual scores. Clinical significance The use of innovative digital assessment tools in dental education is promising with the E4D Compare software correlating well with visual scores and providing consistent scores even when different scanners are used. How to cite this article Lam MT, Kwon SR, Qian F, Denehy GE. Evaluation of an Innovative Digital Assessment Tool in Dental Anatomy. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):366-371.

scholarly journals Engaging older adults as advocates for age-friendly, walkable communities: The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M Patch ◽  
Terry L Conway ◽  
Jacqueline Kerr ◽  
Elva M Arredondo ◽  
Susan Levy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Advocacy Training ◽  
Advocacy Program ◽  
Transportation Activity

Abstract As the U.S. population ages, communities must adapt to help older adults thrive. Built environment features, like safe sidewalks and crosswalks, provide the foundation for age- and physical activity-friendly communities. Controlled studies are needed to evaluate advocacy training programs that instruct and support seniors to advocate for more walkable neighborhoods. The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study evaluated an advocacy program that taught seniors to evaluate pedestrian environments using the validated MAPS-Mini audit tool, identify barriers, and advocate for improvements. Participants (n = 50) were recruited from four low-income senior housing sites in San Diego, CA, which were randomly assigned to an 8-week advocacy program or physical activity (PA) comparison intervention. Evaluation included surveys, accelerometers to assess PA, and direct observation. Primary outcomes were seniors’ advocacy confidence and skills. Main analyses used repeated measures ANOVAs. Seniors in the advocacy condition (n = 17) increased their advocacy outcome efficacy (p = .03) and knowledge of resources (p = .04) more than seniors in the PA condition (n = 33). Most seniors in the advocacy condition completed a street audit (84%), submitted an advocacy request (79%), or made an advocacy presentation to city staff (58%). Environmental changes included repairs to sidewalks and crosswalks. City staff approved requests for lighting, curb cuts, and crosswalk markings. Seniors’ accelerometer-measured PA did not significantly increase, but self-reported transportation activity increased in the PA condition (p = .04). This study showed the potential of advocacy training to empower seniors to make communities more age- and activity-friendly.

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