Ecological and Construct Validity of a New Technical Level Cuban Dance Field Test

The study aimed to explore the sensitivity and specificity of a new methodological approach related to the musical rhythm for discriminating a competitive Cuban dancer’s (CDCs) level. Thirty CDCs (Age 23.87 ± 1.76 years, body mass 60.33 ± 9.45 kg, stature 1.68 ± 0.07 m) were divided into three groups: beginner (BEG, n = 10), intermediate (INT, n = 10), and advanced (ADV, n = 10) according to their training experience/level. Each dancer was assessed while dancing at three different musical rhythms: fast (118 BPM), medium (96 BPM), and slow (82 BPM). The assessed variables were average heart rate (HRM), peak (HRP), and dancing time (DCT). The ADV group succeeded at all three musical combinations (317, 302, 309 s for 82, 96, 118 BPM). The INT group correctly performed only the first two combinations (304, 304 s for 82, 96 BPM), while a significant time difference was shown at the fast musical rhythm (198 ± 6.64 s) compared to the medium (p < 0.001) and slow rhythms (p < 0.001) respectively. As the speed of the musical rhythms increased, the BEG group was not able to follow the rhythm: their results were 300 ± 1.25 s for the slow musical rhythm, 94.90 ± 12.80 s for the medium musical rhythm and 34.10 ± 5.17 s for the fast musical rhythm (p < 0.001). The HRM and HRP grew along with the increase in musical rhythm for all groups (p < 0.001). The ROC analysis showed a high sensitivity and specificity in discriminating the groups for each rhythm’s condition. The BEG and INT groups showed an AUC = 0.864 (95% CI = 0.864–0.954); INT and ADV showed an AUC = 0.864 (95% CI = 0.864–0.952); BEG and ADV showed an AUC = 0.998 (95% CI = 0.993–1.000). The results of this study provided evidence to support the construct and ecological validity of the time of the musical rhythms related to competitive CDCs. Furthermore, the differences in the performances according to various musical rhythms, fast (118 BPM), medium (96 BPM), and slow (82 BPM), succeeded in discriminating a dancer’s level. Coaches and strength and conditioning professionals should include the Cuban Dance Field Test (CDFT) in their test battery when dealing with talent detection, selection, and development.

Download Full-text

Semi-Automatic Signature-Based Segmentation Method for Quantification of Neuromelanin in Substantia Nigra

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9120335 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 335 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gašper Zupan ◽

Dušan Šuput ◽

Zvezdan Pirtošek ◽

Andrej Vovk

Keyword(s):

Substantia Nigra ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Automatic Segmentation ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Segmentation Method ◽

Surface Sensitivity ◽

Volume Sensitivity ◽

Segmentation Methods ◽

The Difference

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), there is a reduction of neuromelanin (NM) in the substantia nigra (SN). Manual quantification of the NM volume in the SN is unpractical and time-consuming; therefore, we aimed to quantify NM in the SN with a novel semi-automatic segmentation method. Twenty patients with PD and twelve healthy subjects (HC) were included in this study. T1-weighted spectral pre-saturation with inversion recovery (SPIR) images were acquired on a 3T scanner. Manual and semi-automatic atlas-free local statistics signature-based segmentations measured the surface and volume of SN, respectively. Midbrain volume (MV) was calculated to normalize the data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of both methods. PD patients had significantly lower SN mean surface (37.7 ± 8.0 vs. 56.9 ± 6.6 mm2) and volume (235.1 ± 45.4 vs. 382.9 ± 100.5 mm3) than HC. After normalization with MV, the difference remained significant. For surface, sensitivity and specificity were 91.7 and 95 percent, respectively. For volume, sensitivity and specificity were 91.7 and 90 percent, respectively. Manual and semi-automatic segmentation methods of the SN reliably distinguished between PD patients and HC. ROC analysis shows the high sensitivity and specificity of both methods.

Download Full-text

The Edinburgh cognitive and behavioral amyotrophic lateral sclerosis screen (ECAS): sensitivity in differentiating between ALS and Alzheimer’s disease in a Greek population

10.31234/osf.io/vghct ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Panagiotis Kourtesis ◽

Foteini Christidi ◽

Eleni Margioti ◽

Christina Demenega ◽

Mihail Rentzos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Normative Data ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Operating Characteristics ◽

Als Patients ◽

Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Better Than

Objectives: (1) Adapt the ECAS into Greek, validate it in ALS patients and compare with the ALS-CBS. (2) Determine the sensitivity and specificity of ECAS in the differentiation between AD and non-demented ALS patients as compared with the ACE-III and mini-ACE. Methods: ALS patients (n = 28) were recruited and AD patients (n = 26) were matched in age, sex, and education with ALS patients (n = 24). The normative data were derived from a random sample of controls (n = 52). Bayes correlation analysis was conducted to examine convergent validity. Bayes t-test was performed to assess between groups’ differences. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses and area under the curve (AUC) were implemented to appraise the sensitivity and specificity in the differentiation between the AD and non-demented ALS patients. Results: The ECAS and its sub-scores in addition to the behavior interview demonstrated robust correlations with the ALS-CBS. Impairment in language and verbal fluency were the most prominent deficits in the ALS patients. The most frequently reported change was apathy. The ROC analysis demonstrated that the ECAS-ALS nonspecific score (comprising memory and visuospatial domains) is the most sensitive and specific in differentiating the AD from ALS patients. The other measures expressed high sensitivity, yet a poor specificity. Conclusions: The ECAS is a multi-purpose screening tool. The ECAS-ALS specific appraises the whole spectrum of the highly prevalent cognitive impairments in ALS. The ECAS-ALS nonspecific (memory and visuospatial) is a sensitive score to detect AD related deficits and is able to differentiate the AD from the non-demented ALS patients better than the ACE-III and mini-ACE.

Download Full-text

Plasma-derived candidate biomarkers for detection of gallbladder carcinoma

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-02923-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ratna Priya ◽

Vaishali Jain ◽

Javed Akhtar ◽

Geeta Chauhan ◽

Puja Sakhuja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Gallbladder Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Operating Characteristic ◽

Early Stage ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Advanced Stage ◽

Associated Proteins ◽

Clinical Verification

AbstractGallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a major cancer of the gastrointestinal tract with poor prognosis. Reliable and affordable biomarker-based assays with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of this cancer are a clinical need. With the aim of studying the potential of the plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), we carried out quantitative proteomic analysis of the EV proteins, using three types of controls and various stages of the disease, which led to the identification of 86 proteins with altered abundance. These include 29 proteins unique to early stage, 44 unique to the advanced stage and 13 proteins being common to both the stages. Many proteins are functionally relevant to the tumor condition or have been also known to be differentially expressed in GBC tissues. Several of them are also present in the plasma in free state. Clinical verification of three tumor-associated proteins with elevated levels in comparison to all the three control types—5′-nucleotidase isoform 2 (NT5E), aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and neprilysin (MME) was carried out using individual plasma samples from early or advanced stage GBC. Sensitivity and specificity assessment based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated a significant association of NT5E and ANPEP with advanced stage GBC and MME with early stage GBC. These and other proteins identified in the study may be potentially useful for developing new diagnostics for GBC.

Download Full-text

Detector-C: A Blood-based IVD with High Sensitivity and Specificity for Early Detection and Screening of Colorectal Cancer

Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie ◽

10.1055/s-0030-1263628 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 48 (08) ◽

Author(s):

A Rosenthal ◽

H Köppen ◽

R Musikowski ◽

R Schwanitz ◽

J Behrendt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Early Detection ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

High Sensitivity

Download Full-text

Trends in Diagnosis for Active Tuberculosis Using Nanomaterials

Current Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/0929867325666180912105617 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 1946-1959 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Le Minh Tu Phan ◽

Lemma Teshome Tufa ◽

Hwa-Jung Kim ◽

Jaebeom Lee ◽

Tae Jung Park

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Point Of Care ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Treatment And Prevention ◽

Clinical Tools ◽

Diagnostic Applications

Background:Tuberculosis (TB), one of the leading causes of death worldwide, is difficult to diagnose based only on signs and symptoms. Methods for TB detection are continuously being researched to design novel effective clinical tools for the diagnosis of TB.Objective:This article reviews the methods to diagnose TB at the latent and active stages and to recognize prospective TB diagnostic methods based on nanomaterials.Methods:The current methods for TB diagnosis were reviewed by evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, the trends in TB detection using nanomaterials were discussed regarding their performance capacity for clinical diagnostic applications.Results:Current methods such as microscopy, culture, and tuberculin skin test are still being employed to diagnose TB, however, a highly sensitive point of care tool without false results is still needed. The utilization of nanomaterials to detect the specific TB biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity can provide a possible strategy to rapidly diagnose TB. Although it is challenging for nanodiagnostic platforms to be assessed in clinical trials, active TB diagnosis using nanomaterials is highly expected to achieve clinical significance for regular application. In addition, aspects and future directions in developing the high-efficiency tools to diagnose active TB using advanced nanomaterials are expounded.Conclusion:This review suggests that nanomaterials have high potential as rapid, costeffective tools to enhance the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of TB. Hence, portable nanobiosensors can be alternative effective tests to be exploited globally after clinical trial execution.

Download Full-text

Value of Coronary Calcium Scoring in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Current Medical Imaging Formerly Current Medical Imaging Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573405616666201023142030 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Hala T. Salem ◽

Eman A.S. Sabek

Keyword(s):

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Coronary Calcium ◽

Risk Estimate ◽

Calcium Scoring ◽

Coronary Calcium Scoring ◽

Framingham Risk ◽

Artery Disease

Aim and Objective: To estimate the relationship between Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS)and presence of different degrees of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) to avoid unnecessary examinations and hence unnecessary radiation exposure and contrast injection. Background: Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS) is a test uses x-ray equipment to produce pictures of the coronary arteries to determine the degree of its narrowing by the build-up of calcified plaques. Despite the lack of definitive data linking ionizing radiation with cancer, the American Heart Association supports widely that practitioners of Computed tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) should keep “patient radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable but consistent with obtaining the desired medical information”. Methods: Data obtained from 275 CTCA examinations were reviewed. Radiation effective doses were estimated for both CCS and CTCA, measures to keep it as low as possible were presented, CCS and Framingham risk estimate were compared to the final results of CTCA to detect sensitivity and specificity of each one in detecting obstructive lesions. Results: CCS is a strong discriminator for obstructive CAD and can with high sensitivity and specificity and correlates well with the degree of obstruction even more than Framingham risk estimate which has high sensitivity and low specificity. Conclusion: CCS helps reducing the effective radiation dose if properly evaluated to skip unnecessary CTCA if obstructive lesions was unlikely, and as a test does not use contrast material, harmful effect on the kidney will be avoided as most of coronary atherosclerotic patients have renal problems.

Download Full-text

Blood-Based Detection of Colorectal Cancer Using Cancer-Specific DNA Methylation Markers

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11010051 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Nam-Yun Cho ◽

Ji-Won Park ◽

Xianyu Wen ◽

Yun-Joo Shin ◽

Jun-Kyu Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Dna Methylation ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Stage Iv ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Liquid Biopsies ◽

Blood Leukocytes ◽

Marker Panel ◽

A Genome ◽

Methylight Assay

Cancer tissues have characteristic DNA methylation profiles compared with their corresponding normal tissues that can be utilized for cancer diagnosis with liquid biopsy. Using a genome-scale DNA methylation approach, we sought to identify a panel of DNA methylation markers specific for cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). By comparing DNA methylomes between CRC and normal mucosal tissues or blood leukocytes, we identified eight cancer-specific methylated loci (ADGRB1, ANKRD13, FAM123A, GLI3, PCDHG, PPP1R16B, SLIT3, and TMEM90B) and developed a five-marker panel (FAM123A, GLI3, PPP1R16B, SLIT3, and TMEM90B) that detected CRC in liquid biopsies with a high sensitivity and specificity with a droplet digital MethyLight assay. In a set of cfDNA samples from CRC patients (n = 117) and healthy volunteers (n = 60), a panel of five markers on the platform of the droplet digital MethyLight assay detected stages I–III and stage IV CRCs with sensitivities of 45.9% and 95.7%, respectively, and a specificity of 95.0%. The number of detected markers was correlated with the cancer stage, perineural invasion, lymphatic emboli, and venous invasion. Our five-marker panel with the droplet digital MethyLight assay showed a high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of CRC with cfDNA samples from patients with metastatic CRC.

Download Full-text