Hematological Adaptations Following a Training Camp in Hot and/or Hypoxic Conditions in Elite Rugby Union Players.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a training camp with heat and/or hypoxia sessions on hematological and thermoregulatory adaptations.

Methods: Fifty-six elite male rugby players completed a 2-week training camp with 5 endurance and 5 repeated-sprint sessions, rugby practice, and resistance training. Players were separated into 4 groups: CAMP trained in temperate conditions at sea level, HEAT performed the endurance sessions in the heat, ALTI slept and performed the repeated sprints at altitude, and H + A was a combination of the heat and altitude groups.

Evaluation of and -Derived VOCs as Dual-Active Biostimulants and Pest Repellents in a Wireworm-Infested Potato Field.

Wireworm, the larval stages of click beetles, are a serious pest of tubers, brassicas and other important commercial crops throughout the northern hemisphere. No effective control agent has been developed specifically for them, and many of the pesticides marketed as having secondary application against them have been withdrawn from EU and Asian markets. , an effective entomopathogenic fungus, and its derived volatile metabolites are known to be effective plant biostimulants and plant protectants, although field efficacy has yet to be validated.

Evaluation of Athlete Monitoring Tools across 10 Weeks of Elite Youth Basketball Training: An Explorative Study.

The growth of sport science technology is enabling more sporting teams to implement athlete monitoring practices related to performance testing and load monitoring. Despite the increased emphasis on youth athlete development, the lack of longitudinal athlete monitoring literature in youth athletes is concerning, especially for indoor sports such as basketball. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of six different athlete monitoring methods over 10 weeks of youth basketball training.

Usefulness of computed tomography textural analysis in renal cell carcinoma nuclear grading.

To evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) texture descriptors integrated with machine-learning (ML) models in the identification of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and for the first time papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) tumor nuclear grades [World Health Organization (WHO)/International Society of Urologic Pathologists (ISUP) 1, 2, 3, and 4]. A total of 143 ccRCC and 21 pRCC patients were analyzed in this study. Texture features were extracted from late arterial phase CT images.

A multi-sequences MRI deep framework study applied to glioma classfication.

Glioma is one of the most important central nervous system tumors, ranked 15th in the most common cancer for men and women. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) represents a common tool for medical experts to the diagnosis of glioma. A set of multi-sequences from an MRI is selected according to the severity of the pathology.

Coherent beam combination of seven 1.5 µm fiber amplifiers through up to 1 km atmospheric turbulence: near- and far-field experimental analysis.

A laser testbed based on active coherent beam combination (CBC) of seven 1.5 µm, 3 W fiber amplifiers was developed for applications requiring high power such as power density deposition on targets or free space laser communication. For the first time to our knowledge, the frequency-tagging locking of optical coherence by single-detector electronic-frequency tagging technique was implemented in the field in real atmospheric turbulence conditions in a target-in-the-loop configuration.

Comparing methods of detecting and segmenting unruptured intracranial aneurysms on TOF-MRAS: The ADAM challenge.

Accurate detection and quantification of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) is important for rupture risk assessment and to allow an informed treatment decision to be made. Currently, 2D manual measures used to assess UIAs on Time-of-Flight magnetic resonance angiographies (TOF-MRAs) lack 3D information and there is substantial inter-observer variability for both aneurysm detection and assessment of aneurysm size and growth. 3D measures could be helpful to improve aneurysm detection and quantification but are time-consuming and would therefore benefit from a reliable automatic UIA detection and segmentation method.

Evolution of Physical Demands of Australian Football League Matches from 2005 to 2017: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression.

Background: There is extensive research investigating the match demands of players in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Objective: This systematic literature review and meta-regression sought to analyse the evolution of in-game demands in AFL matches from 2005 to 2017, focusing on the relationship between volume and intensity.

Methods: A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted.

Investigating efficient CNN architecture for multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation.

The automatic segmentation of multiple sclerosis lesions in magnetic resonance imaging has the potential to reduce radiologists' efforts on a daily time-consuming task and to bring more reproducibility. Almost all new segmentation techniques make use of convolutional neural networks with their own different architecture. Architectural choices are rarely explained.

Recent advances in medical image processing for the evaluation of chronic kidney disease.

Assessment of renal function and structure accurately remains essential in the diagnosis and prognosis of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Advanced imaging, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound Elastography (UE), Computed Tomography (CT) and scintigraphy (PET, SPECT) offers the opportunity to non-invasively retrieve structural, functional and molecular information that could detect changes in renal tissue properties and functionality. Currently, the ability of artificial intelligence to turn conventional medical imaging into a full-automated diagnostic tool is widely investigated.

Bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma Antithrombin and cytokines in inhalation and burn injury: a pilot study.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is initiated during the acute phase of thermal injury. The objective was to determine the SIRS impact on cytokine and Antithrombin (AT) levels in smoke inhalation and burn injury. This observational pilot study compared plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) cytokine and AT levels in the first six days post smoke inhalation and burn injury.

Realization and simulation of high-power holmium doped fiber lasers for long-range transmission.

We report on our realization of a high-power holmium doped fiber laser, together with the validation of our numerical simulation of the laser. We first present the measurements of the physical parameters that are mandatory to model accurately the laser-holmium interactions in our silica fiber. We then describe the realization of the clad-pumped laser, based on a triple-clad large mode area holmium (Ho) doped silica fiber.

Confidence-based dynamic optimization model for biomedical image mosaicking.

Biomedical image mosaicking is a trending topic. It consists of computing a single large image from multiple observations and becomes a challenging task when said observations barely overlap or are subject to illumination changes, poor resolution, blur, or either highly textured or predominantly homogeneous content. Because such challenges are common in biomedical images, classical keypoint/feature-based methods perform poorly.

Toothbrushing training programme using an iPad for children and adolescents with autism.

Aim: To improve the oral health of children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by using an iPad-based training programme.

Methods: Fifty-two children and teenagers with ASD (aged 3-19 years) educated in schools or in care centres participated in this cohort study and followed for 8 months. A training programme for teaching toothbrushing behaviours was proposed to the educational staff.

Coherent combining of mid-infrared difference frequency generators.

We report what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of coherent combining of two mid-infrared difference frequency generators by active phase control in the continuous-wave regime. Using the phase relation that is inherent to the nonlinear process, we are able to phase lock and combine the idler waves by the sole phase control of one of the pump waves. This control is done by an all-fiber electro-optic modulator.

Training children with autism spectrum disorder to undergo oral assessment using a digital iPad application.

Aim: To present a training programme for teaching children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to be compliant with a dental examination.

Methods: Fifty-two children and adolescents with ASD (age range 3-19 years) with a parent-signed consent form were enrolled. Dental examinations were performed once a month in education centres by a paediatric dentist using a visual activity schedule on an iPad that was created with a digital application, çATED.

[Teaching tooth brushing to children with autistic spectrum disorder : A tablet-based training programme.].

Objective: The primary objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate the short-term (four months) impact of a tooth brushing learning programme based on pictograms generated by the çATED app for iPad designed for patients with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Fifty-two ASD patients, between the ages of 3 and 19 years, from seven educational centres, were included. A tooth brushing training programme was proposed in collaboration with the educational teams.

[Integrating the touch-screen into oral health prevention programs for people with cognitive disabilities: An exploratory study in children].

Background: The oral diseases of people with disabilities are the same as those observed in the general population but occur earlier and more intensely. Primary prevention, especially toothbrushing, is at the forefront of the appropriate management of these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of a digital application on iPad as mediator for learning toothbrushing in children with disabilities.

Static and dynamic accuracy of a magnetic-inertial measurement unit used to provide racket swing kinematics.

Magnetic-inertial measurement units (MIMUs) are becoming more prevalent in sports biomechanics and may be a viable tool to evaluate kinematic parameters. This study examined the accuracy of a MIMU to estimate orientation angles under static conditions and dynamically from a squash racket during a forehand drive shot. A MIMU was mounted onto a goniometer and moved through 0-90°, with static data collected at 10° increments during 10 repetitions of all three axes.

Effects of Varying the Step Duration on the Determination of Lactate Thresholds in Elite Rowers.

This study aimed to identify the minimum increment duration required to accurately assess 2 distinct lactate thresholds. A total of 21 elite rowers (12 women and 9 men) participated in this study, and each performed 8 or 9 rowing tests comprising 5 progressive incremental tests (3-, 4-, 5-, 7-, or 10-min steps) and at least three 30-min constant-intensity maximal lactate steady-state assessments. Power output (PO) at lactate threshold 1 was higher in the 3- and 4-min incremental tests.

Coherent combining of second-harmonic generators by active phase control of the fundamental waves.

Coherent beam combining by active phase control could be useful for power scaling fiber-laser-pumped optical frequency converters. However, a fast phase modulator operating at the frequency-converted wavelength, a non-standard component, would be necessary. Fortunately, nonlinear conversion processes rely on a phase-matching condition allowing for indirect phase control using standard phase modulators.

Does the aerobic threshold correlate with the maximal fat oxidation rate in short stage treadmill tests?

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the exercise intensity that elicited the highest rate of fat utilization (FATmax) and to assess its relationship with the aerobic threshold (AeT) in male athletes. We hypothesized existence of high correlation of these two parameters when a short-staged graded treadmill test with AeT identified through breath-by-breath gas exchange analysis was used.

Methods: Fifty-six trained male athletes (age 25.

A step towards removing plasma volume variance from the Athlete's Biological Passport: The use of biomarkers to describe vascular volumes from a simple blood test.

The haematological module of the Athlete's Biological Passport (ABP) has significantly impacted the prevalence of blood manipulations in elite sports. However, the ABP relies on a number of concentration-based markers of erythropoiesis, such as haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), which are influenced by shifts in plasma volume (PV). Fluctuations in PV contribute to the majority of biological variance associated with volumetric ABP markers.