An attempt to optimize human resources allocation based on spatial diversity of the first wave of COVID–19 in Poland

Aim. Our task was to examine the relationship between the SARS–CoV–2 arrival and the number of confi rmed COVID–19 cases in the fi rst wave (period from March 4 to May 22, 2020 (unoffi cial data)), and socio–economic variables at the powiat (county) level.Methods. We were using simple statistical techniques such as data visualisation, correlation analysis, spatial clustering and multiple linear regression.Results. We showed that immigration and the logarithm of general mobility was the best predictor of SARS–CoV–2 arrival times, while emigration, industrialisation and air quality explain most of the size of the epidemic in poviats. On the other hand, infection dynamics is driven to a lesser extent by previously postulated variables such as population size and density, income or the size of the elderly population.Conclusions. Our analyses could support Polish authorities in preparation for the second wave of infections and optimal management of resources as we have provided a proposition of optimal distribution of human resources between poviats. Although this isa retrospective analysis of the initial phase of the epidemic, similar patterns could repeat in case of new variants of SARS–CoV–2 or new respiratory disease for immunologically naive populations.

Depression in Amputation Patients

Amputation alters the quality of life with an undeniable negative somatic and functional impact. The patient’s general mobility is impaired and there is an increase in metabolic needs as well as pain and discomfort. Etiologies are quite diverse: essentially vascular pathologies (74%) for the lower limbs and trauma related (61%) for the upper limbs. Thus, an important number of patients have to face amputation-related consequences. Pain (stump, phantom limb, back pain) is frequently described in 65 to 75% of patients after an amputation as well as the common onset of major depressive disorders for 35% of them. With the incidence of depression after limb amputation increasing in the patients, we sought to summarize the management of depression in amputation patients.

Functional Status among Polymedicated Geriatric Inpatients at Discharge: A Population-Based Hospital Register Analysis

This study explored and compared the functional status of polymedicated and non-polymedicated geriatric inpatients at hospital discharge. We used a cross-sectional registry of geriatric patients’ hospital records from a multi-site public hospital center in Switzerland. The analysis included all inpatients aged 65 years old or more admitted between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2017 (n = 53,690), of whom 67.5% were polymedicated at hospital discharge, 52.1% were women (n = 18,909), and 42.7% were 75–84 years old (n = 15,485). On average, the polymedicated patients’ hospital lengths of stay were six days longer, they presented with more than three comorbidities, and they were prescribed more than nine medications at hospital discharge (p < 0.001). They showed more frequent general mobility decline (43.2% vs. 41.9%), gait disorders (46.2% vs. 43%), fatigue (48.6% vs. 43.4%) and dependence on lower-body care (49.7% vs. 47.6%), and presented a higher malnutrition risk (OR = 1.411; 95%CI 1.263–1.577; p < 0.001). However, the non-polymedicated inpatients had proportionally more physical and cognitive impairments. The comparison of the functional status of polymedicated and non-polymedicated geriatric inpatients at hospital discharge is important for clinicians trying to identify and monitor those who are most vulnerable to functional decline, and to design targeted strategies for the prevention of functional impairment and related adverse health outcomes.

A Study on Physical Exercise and General Mobility in People with Cerebral Palsy: Health through Costless Routines

Sedentary behavior (SB) is a common problem that may produce health issues in people with cerebral palsy (CP). When added to a progressive reduction in motor functions over time, SB can lead to higher percentages of body fat, muscle stiffness and associated health issues in this population. Regular physical activity (RPA) may prevent the loss of motor skills and reduce health risks. In this work, we analyzed data collected from 40 people (20 children and teenagers, and 20 adults) who attend two specialist centers in Seville to obtain an up-to-date picture regarding the practice of RPA in people with CP. Roughly 60% of the participants showed mostly mid/severe mobility difficulties, while 38% also had communicative issues. Most of the participants performed light-intensity physical activity (PA) at least once or twice a week and, in the majority of cases, had a neutral or positive attitude to exercising. In the Asociación Sevillana de Parálisis Cerebral (ASPACE) sample test, the higher the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the higher the percentage of negative responses to doing exercise. Conversely, in the Centro Específico de Educación Especial Mercedes Sanromá (CEEEMS), people likes PA but slightly higher ratios of positive responses were found at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels V and II, agreeing with the higher personal engagement of people at those levels. We have also performed a literature review regarding RPA in CP and the use of low-cost equipment. As a conclusion, we found that RPA produces enormous benefits for health and motor functions, whatever its intensity and duration. Costless activities such as walking, running or playing sports; exercises requiring low-cost equipment such as elastic bands, certain smartwatches or video-games; or therapies with animals, among many others, have all demonstrated their suitability for such a purpose.

Depression in Amputation Patients

Amputation alters the quality of life with an undeniable negative somatic and functional impact. The patient’s general mobility is impaired and there is an increase in metabolic needs as well as pain and discomfort. Etiologies are quite diverse: essentially vascular pathologies (74%) for the lower limbs and trauma related (61%) for the upper limbs. Thus, an important number of patients have to face amputation-related consequences. Pain (stump, phantom limb, back pain) is frequently described in 65 to 75% of patients after an amputation as well as the common onset of major depressive disorders for 35% of them. With the incidence of depression after limb amputation increasing in the patients, we sought to summarize the management of depression in amputation patients.

An Early Examination: Psychological, Health, and Economic Correlates and Determinants of Social Distancing Amidst COVID-19

Federal and local government agencies were quick to issue orders for residents to shelter-in-place in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This study utilized data collected from Unacast Inc., spanning observations of 3,142 counties across 50 states and the District of Columbia (N = 230,846) from March 8, 2020 to April 13, 2020 (n = 104,930) and from April 14, 2020 to May 24, 2020 (n = 131,912) in a 3-level multilevel model to examine the correlates of social distancing behavior, as measured by the relative reduction in (1) distance traveled and (2) non-essential visitations since baseline pre-COVID-19 times. Results showed that educational attainment and political partisanship were the most consistent correlates of social distancing. State-level indicators of culture appeared to have differentiated effects depending on whether the model outcomes were reduction in general mobility or to non-essential venues. State-level neuroticism was generally positively related to social distancing, but states marked by high neuroticism were slower to engage in such behaviors. Counties and states characterized as already engaging in preventive health measures (e.g., vaccination rates, preparedness for at-risk populations) enjoyed quicker engagement in social distancing. Specific implications of findings and future directions are discussed.

Rater agreement for assessment of equine back mobility at walk and trot compared to quantitative gait analysis

Background Lameness assessment in horses is still predominantly performed using subjective methods. Visual assessment is known to have moderate to good intra-rater agreement but relatively poor inter-rater agreement. Little is known about inter- and intra-rater agreement on the evaluation of back motion, for which no objective measurement technique in a clinical setting is available thus far. Objectives To describe inter- and intra-rater agreement of visual evaluation of equine back mobility. Study design Rater reliability study using a fully crossed design in which all horses are rated by all observers. This data is compared with objective gait analysis. Methods Seventy equine professionals (veterinarians and physiotherapists) and veterinary students evaluated videos of 12 healthy horses at walk and trot on a hard, straight line. Nine parameters related to back mobility were scored: general mobility, thoracic, lumbar, lumbosacral flexion and extension and left and right thoracolumbar latero-flexion. All parameters were compared with simultaneously measured quantitative motion parameters. After 1 month, six randomly chosen horses were re-evaluated by 57 observers. Results For each parameter inter- and intra-rater agreements were calculated using intra-class correlation coefficients. For all parameters, inter-rater agreement was very poor (<0.2). The mean intra-rater agreement of all observers and for all parameters was poor (~0.4) but varied between 0.0 and 0.96 for individual observers. There was no correlation between the visual subjective scoring and objective gait analysis measurements. Main limitations Horses were scored from videos and by lack of any existing (semi-) quantitative system, a custom-made system had to be used. Conclusions The poor inter- and intra-rater agreements of visual scoring of mobility of the equine back and the disagreement between subjective and objective gait analysis data, demonstrate the need for the development and introduction of objective, quantitative and repeatable techniques to assess equine back motion.

Distinct cortical thickness patterns link disparate cerebral cortex regions to select mobility domains

The cortical control of gait and mobility involves multiple brain regions. Therefore, one could speculate that the association between specific spatial patterns of cortical thickness may be differentially associated with different mobility domains. To test this possibility, 115 healthy participants aged 27–82 (mean 60.5 ± 13.8) underwent a mobility assessment (usual-walk, dual-task walk, Timed Up and Go) and MRI scan. Ten mobility domains of relatively simple (e.g., usual-walking) and complex tasks (i.e., dual task walking, turns, transitions) and cortical thickness of 68 ROIs were extracted. All associations between mobility and cortical thickness were controlled for age and gender. Scaled Subprofile Modelling (SSM), a PCA-regression, identified thickness patterns that were correlated with the individual mobility domains, controlling for multiple comparisons. We found that lower mean global cortical thickness was correlated with worse general mobility (r = − 0.296, p = 0.003), as measured by the time to complete the Timed Up and Go test. Three distinct patterns of cortical thickness were associated with three different gait domains during simple, usual-walking: pace, rhythm, and symmetry. In contrast, cortical thickness patterns were not related to the more complex mobility domains. These findings demonstrate that robust and topographically distinct cortical thickness patterns are linked to select mobility domains during relatively simple walking, but not to more complex aspects of mobility. Functional connectivity may play a larger role in the more complex aspects of mobility.

Main aspects, principles and targets of teaching foreign languages

The language is entering the era of the information society and is undergoing changes associated with borrowing words from the dominant language. With the development of social, political, economic and cultural conditions with other societies, there is a “mixing of languages” or “language contact”. This process affects the structure or vocabulary of one of the languages. Since contact occurs through the social and speech interaction of native speakers, the result is either minor changes in vocabulary or significant structural changes at all language levels. In the vocabulary of any language, there are many borrowed words, which are very diverse both in their composition and in the degree of penetration into the language they are borrowed from. Of all the units of a language – phonetic, grammatical, and lexical-words are usually the most easily borrowed due to their General mobility. However, in the vocabulary of any language there are, as we already know, different “layers”, different categories of words that are borrowed in different ways. The problem of borrowing in vocabulary has both a general and a particular aspect, due to the peculiarity of the relationship between different languages.