Relative Age Effect and Talent Identification in Youth Volleyball Players from the Polish Volleyball Federation Sports School

Introduction. This study sought to determine differences in the quarterly age distribution of young Polish volleyball players from the Sports School of the Polish Volleyball Federation (SS PVF), to investigate quarterly differences in anthropometric characteristics and jump test results. Material and Methods. RAE of young players from SS PVF (n = 232) born between 1989 and 2002 was identified in the course of the research. Furthermore, the study included anthropometric characteristics and jump test results (attack jump – AJ). Results. The chi-square test (χ2) revealed the overrepresentation of volleyball players born in quarters 1 and 2, both in the case of graduates (χ2 = 27.32, p < 0.0001) and students who did not finish school (χ2 = 17.95, p < 0.0005). Two-way ANOVA for unbalanced data for the Group factor showed significant differences in the value of estimated marginal means in the case of AJ (F(1,214) = 5.907, p < 0.016) and body mass (BM) (F(1,214) = 5.348, p < 0.022). Conclusions. These results point to the need for better understanding of RAE in order to avoid dropping out or the loss of potential talent, which will contribute to even greater development of volleyball in Poland.

COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Livelihood Struggles and Coping Experiences of Precarious Migrant Construction and Transport Workers in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

COVID-19 Pandemic has affected different categories of workers in diverse ways. The paper seeks to interrogate the livelihood challenges of those in precarious employment with a focus on migrant construction and transport workers in Awka during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The paper explores the coping strategies adopted by these urban poor in the face of the severe shutdown and abrupt termination of their marginal means of livelihood by the State and National governments. The paper also sought to find out the forms of assistance, or palliatives, if any from governmental, non-governmental organizations, corporate bodies and individuals. The paper is an indepth study of select construction and transport workers who are not indigenes of Anambra State, using In-depth Interview Method and Focus Group Discussion. The study revealed, that trapped in precariousness, the daily paid workers in the construction and transport sub sectors of the informal economy faced double jeopardy, not only in terms of the starvation earnings that are irregular, and uncertain, but in its total stoppage, with no safety nets, nor savings to fall back on. It also provides insights into the nature of the relationship that these masons, bricklayers and transport operators have with their ad hoc employers and the State.

Myocardial Deformation Analysis in MYBPC3 and MYH7 Related Sarcomeric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy—The Graz Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry

Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) carrying MYH7 mutations may have a worse prognosis than MYBPC3 mutation carriers. Myocardial deformation analysis is superior to standard echocardiography in detecting subtle myocardial dysfunction and scar formation, but studies evaluating the association with HCM genotype are scarce. We therefore aimed to compare myocardial strain parameters between MYBPC3 and MYH7 mutation carriers with proven HCM. Participants of the prospective Graz HCM Registry carrying at least one causative mutation in MYBPC3 (n = 39) or MYH7 (n = 18) were enrolled. MYBPC3 mutation carriers were older, predominantly male and more often treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (39% vs. 0%; p = 0.002). Using analyses of covariance, there were no significant differences between MYBPC3 and MYH7 mutation carriers with regard to left ventricular global longitudinal strain (estimated marginal means ± standard deviation: −16.9 ± 0.6% vs. −17.3 ± 0.9%; p = 0.807) and right ventricular 6-segments endocardial strain (−24.3, ± 1.0% vs. 26.3, ± 1.5%; p = 0.285). Our study suggests, that myocardial deformation analysis may not be helpful in concluding on the underlying HCM genotype, and vice versa.

Software-based Detection of Acute Rejection Changes in Face Transplant

Background An objective, non-invasive method for redness detection during acute allograft rejection in face transplantation (FT) is lacking. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed with 688 images of 7 patients with face transplant (range, 1 to 108 months post-transplant). Healthy controls were matched to donor age, sex, and had no prior facial procedures. Rejection state was confirmed via tissue biopsy. An image-analysis software developed alongside VicarVision (Amsterdam, Netherlands) was used to produce R, a measure of differences between detectable color and absolute red. R is inversely proportional to redness, where lower R values correspond to increased redness. Linear mixed models were used to study fixed effect of rejection state on R values. Estimated marginal means of fitted models were calculated for pairwise comparisons. Results Of 688 images, 175, 170, 202, and 141 images were attributable to Banff Grade 0,1,2, and 3, respectively. Estimated change in R value of facial allografts decreased with increasing Banff Grade (p = 0.0001). The mean R value of clinical rejection (Banff Grade ⅔) (16.67, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 14.79–18.58) was lower (p = 0.005) than non-rejection (Banff Grade 0/1) (19.38, 95%CI 17.43–21.33). Both clinical and non-rejection mean R values were lower (p = 0.0001) than healthy controls (24.12, 95%CI 20.96–27.28). Conclusion This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that software-based analysis can detect and monitor acute rejection changes in FT. Future studies should expand on this tool's potential application in telehealth and as a screening tool for allograft rejection.

Independent Dose–Response Associations between Fetuin-A and Lean Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Patients with lean NAFLD make up an increasing subset of liver disease patients. The association between lean NAFLD and feutin-A, which serves as a hepatokine and adipokine, has never been examined. Our study aimed to explore the association of serum fetuin-A among lean and non-lean patients. The study comprised 606 adults from the community, stratified into lean or non-lean (BMI </≥ 24 kg/m2) and NAFLD or non-NAFLD (scoring of ultrasonographic fatty liver indicator, US-FLI ≥ 2/<2). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratio of having NAFLD among the tertiles of fetuin-A after adjustment. The least square means were computed by general linear models to estimate marginal means of the serum fetuin-A concentrations in relation to the NAFLD groups. The odds ratio (OR) of having NAFLD for the highest versus the lowest tertile of fetuin-A was 2.62 (95% CI: 1.72–3.98; p for trend < 0.001). Stratifying by BMI, the OR of having lean NAFLD for the highest versus the lowest tertile of fetuin-A was 2.09 (95% CI: 1.09–3.98; p for trend 0.026), while non-lean NAFLD had no significant association with the fetuin-A gradient after adjustments. Fetuin-A was positively associated with lean NAFLD after adjusting for central obesity and insulin resistance.

Comparability of The Netherlands Physical Activity Questionnaire with Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity in Samoan Children: A Retrospective Analysis of Ola Tuputupua’e Data

Accurate measurement of physical activity is critical to understand its role in cardiometabolic health and obesity development in children and to monitor trends in behavior and evaluate interventions. An ongoing mixed-longitudinal study of child growth and development in Samoa is collecting physical activity data with both accelerometers and the Netherlands Physical Activity Questionnaire (NPAQ). The aims of our analyses were to (1) describe the response frequency and correlations of individual questions in the NPAQ, (2) develop modified NPAQ scores with selected questions and (3) examine the concordance of modified NPAQ scores with accelerometer outcomes among children aged 2–4 years. We developed two modified NPAQ scores with combinations of questions and assessed concordance of the modified scores with accelerometer data using estimated marginal means adjusted for monitor wear time. Although the evenly distributed tertiles of the modified 15-point NPAQ score showed promising trends of increasing minutes of accelerometer-assessed high-intensity physical activity with increasing tertile, the estimated marginal means were imprecise with high variance, demonstrating that NPAQ score could not accurately assess physical activity levels of preschool-aged children in Samoa. Considering that questionnaires are often considered more cost-effective tools for physical activity measurement than accelerometry, further research is necessary to develop a culturally and age-appropriate physical activity questionnaire in this population.

Medical School Clinical Knowledge Exam Scores, Not Demographic or Other Factors, Associated With Residency In-Training Exam Performance

ABSTRACT Background The anesthesiology in-training exam (ITE) is a 200-item multiple-choice assessment completed annually by physician residents. Because all matriculated U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) anesthesiology residents are “hired” by the DoD after residency graduation, it is important to ensure that ITE performance, as a proxy for core competencies achievement, is maximized. Methods Graduated resident program files from 2013 to 2020 were queried for age, sex, matriculant status (medical student vs. other), medical school (Uniformed Services University vs. other), military service (Army vs. Air Force), preresidency military service (yes vs. no), U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) score, and the American Board of Anesthesiologists ITE Score from the third clinical anesthesia year (CA-3 year). Results For every 1-point increase in USMLE Step 2 CK true z-score, the CA-3 ITE z-score increased by 0.59 points. Age was not associated with CA-3 ITE z-score in any dataset regression. Categorical covariates of sex, application status, medical school, service, and preresidency military service were not significantly associated with CA-3 ITE z-score (all P &gt;.05), as shown by estimated adjusted marginal means. The estimated adjusted grand mean of CA-3 ITE z-scores was 0.48 (standard error ± 0.14). Conclusion Resident physicians enter residency with varying degrees of past academic success, and it is important to develop early strategies to support them in acquiring the requisite knowledge base.

Concealed Carrying on Campus in the Post–Virginia Tech Era: Dimensions of State Regulation and Differences in Contexts of Influence Within Them

Debates over concealed carrying of guns on campus (CCOC) usually classify states as either “allowing” or “prohibiting” CCOC, thus ignoring research revealing state firearm regulatory frameworks are more nuanced. This study examined whether such subtleties existed in state CCOC regulatory frameworks by analyzing states’ 2018 CCOC regulatory provisions. Results showed that states used a multi-categorical restrictiveness-by-institutional discretion framework to regulate CCOC. In addition, indicators of intrastate contexts of influence (firearms, political, and religious) on regulatory policy differed across categories of restrictiveness and institutional discretion. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed significant differences in indicators of states’ political contexts, and post hoc comparisons of paired marginal means revealed significant differences in political indicators between states prohibiting CCOC and those allowing or those with mixed restrictiveness, and between states according schools full discretion and those according schools no discretion. Implications of the results are discussed for state-level research on firearms regulation and the ongoing CCOC debate.

Effect of Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) Supplementation on Reproductive Performance of Rabbit Does

Goji berry shows a wide range of beneficial properties in human health, but only a few studies evaluated its effects in livestock animals. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of goji berry supplementation on the hormonal profile, productive, and reproductive performance of does. Two months before artificial insemination, 105 nulliparous does were randomly divided into three groups (n = 35) based on the dietary treatment: commercial diet (C), or a diet supplemented with either 1% (G1), or 3% (G3) of goji berry, respectively. The results showed that receptivity was higher in G1 than in the C group (p < 0.05). Trends toward significance for differences between the G1 and G3 groups in marginal means of LH concentrations (p = 0.059), and between G1 and C in LH AUC values (p = 0.078), were evidenced. Estrogen concentrations showed a more fluctuating trend but a significant interaction effect (p < 0.001). The G1 group showed higher litter weight than C at birth (p = 0.008) and weaning (p < 0.001), as well as higher litter size at weaning (p = 0.020). The G1 group also exhibited the highest mean milk production (p < 0.01). In conclusion, goji berry influenced reproductive and productive performance, probably via modulating hormonal patterns and milk production in rabbits. However, further studies are needed to validate these preliminary results.

The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on quality of life for patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) undergoing cystectomy.

e18614 Background: To examine the relationship between neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) clinical risk factors, and patient reported quality of life in patients with MIBC undergoing cystectomy. Methods: cT2-T4, N0, M0 MIBC patients who underwent radical cystectomy were identified from a prospectively maintained institutional outcomes database. PROMIS-Ca surveys (physical function (PF), pain interference, fatigue, depression, and anxiety domains) were administered at consultation and follow-up as part of routine clinical care. Patients were stratified as receiving NAC vs. none and surveys were anchored to date of cystectomy. Non-parametric kernel regressions with variance-covariance matrix bootstrapping were used to estimate the mean effect of covariates on each domain T-score with 95% confidence intervals. Covariates were: body mass index, smoking history, age, Charlson comorbidity score, pT and pN stage, urinary diversion-type, and survey time relative to the cystectomy date. T-score changes over time were modeled by including univariable parameters with a P<=0.1 in a multivariable model (MVA) for each domain and predicting the marginal means at date of cystectomy, 6 and 12 months postop. Results: The median age was 68 (IQR 60-73) years. NAC was received by 69/134 patients (40 Gem/Cis, 24 MVAC, 5 unknown). On univariate analyses NAC significantly reduces PF (mean change in t-score, 95%CI; -2.4, -3.7 to -0.8, p=0.001), trends toward more pain (0.94, -0.20 to 1.78, p=0.074), but does not influence fatigue, depression or anxiety. Other covariates with p<0.05 reducing PF were BMI (-0.31, -0.53 to -0.03), pT4 vs pT1-2 (-0.31, -0.53 to -0.03), Charlson 1 vs 0 (-0.31, -0.53 to -0.03), age (-0.31, -0.53 to -0.03), and days from surgery (-0.31, -0.53 to -0.03). Table shows how t-scores predicted from the MVA change over time. Conclusions: MIBC patients have mild to moderate impairment in physical function, fatigue, and pain before and after cystectomy, suggesting a need for increased focus on rehabilitation and wellness programs. Although the univariable analysis implies there may be differences in PF and Pain for those receiving NAC vs none, future studies with increased power are needed to properly adjust for the interplay of other significant covariates.[Table: see text]