Plos One
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Low levels of physical activity (PA) and high levels of physical inactivity (PI) are associated with higher mortality and cardiovascular diseases. Higher age is associated with a decrease of PA, only 2.4-29% of ≥60 year-olds achieve the PA times recommended by WHO. The aim of this study was to identify levels of and determinants for moderate PA, overall PA and PI in a sample of individuals aged ≥65 years. ⋯ The participants of our study showed high levels of PA. This is likely due to selection bias in this convenience sample. However, also levels of PI are very high and those correspond with average levels in the German population. The determinants for higher PA and lower PI differed between males and females. Thus, strategies for improving PA and decrease PI are likely different with respect to sex and should take individual factors (e.g. age, BMI) into account.
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The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound impact on global healthcare. Shortages in staff, operating theatre space and intensive care beds has led to a significant reduction in the provision of surgical care. Even vascular surgery, often insulated from resource scarcity due to its status as an urgent specialty, has limited capacity due to the pandemic. Furthermore, many vascular surgical patients are elderly with multiple comorbidities putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and its complications. There is an urgent need to investigate the impact on patients presenting to vascular surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The COvid-19 Vascular sERvice (COVER) study has been designed to investigate the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vascular surgery, at both service provision and individual patient level. COVER is running as a collaborative study through the Vascular and Endovascular Research Network (VERN), an independent, international vascular research collaborative with the support of numerous national and international organisations). The study has 3 'Tiers': Tier 1 is a survey of vascular surgeons to capture longitudinal changes to the provision of vascular services within their hospital; Tier 2 captures data on vascular and endovascular procedures performed during the pandemic; and Tier 3 will capture any deviations to patient management strategies from pre-pandemic best practice. Data submission and collection will be electronic using online survey tools (Tier 1: SurveyMonkey® for service provision data) and encrypted data capture forms (Tiers 2 and 3: REDCap® for patient level data). Tier 1 data will undergo real-time serial analysis to determine longitudinal changes in practice, with country-specific analyses also performed. The analysis of Tier 2 and Tier 3 data will occur on completion of the study as per the pre-specified statistical analysis plan.
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To "put oneself in the place of other road users" may improve understanding of the global traffic situation. It should be useful enabling drivers to anticipate and detect obstacles in time to prevent accidents to other road users, especially those most vulnerable. We created a pioneering Hazard Perception and Prediction test to explore this skill in different road users (pedestrians, cyclists and drivers), with videos recorded in naturalistic scenarios: walking, riding a bicycle and driving a car. ⋯ The results showed that the holistic test had acceptable psychometric properties (Cronbach's alpha = .846). The test was able to discriminate between the different conditions manipulated: a) between traffic hazards recorded from different perspectives: walking, riding a bicycle and driving a car; b) between participants with different user profiles: pedestrians, cyclists and drivers; c) between the two test blocks: the first evaluation only and the second combining evaluation with this complex intervention. We found modal bias effects in both Hazard Perception and Prediction; and in Risk Estimation.
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Hemodynamic monitoring during digestive endoscopy is usually minimal and involves intermittent brachial pressure measurements. New continuous noninvasive devices to acquire instantaneous arterial blood pressure may be more sensitive to detect procedural hypotension. ⋯ Noninvasive continuous monitoring was more sensitive than intermittent measurements to detect hypotension. Estimation of stroke volume revealed profound reductions in systemic flow. Noninvasive continuous monitoring in high-risk patients undergoing digestive endoscopy under sedation could help in detecting hypoperfusion earlier than the usual intermittent blood pressure measurements.
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Voice power is an important concept in daily life of voice hearers and in the support and therapy for voice hearers who seek help. Therefore, the ability to examine voice power differentials between a voice and a voice hearer is essential. The present study aimed to collect data on voice power differentials and to further validate the Voice Power Differential Scale (VPD). 105 participants aged ≥ 18 with an ICD10 F2-diagnosis that included hearing voices were included in this study. ⋯ Unexpectedly, no correlations were found with overall severity and command hallucinations. The Voice Power Differential Scale is an important tool for assessing and formulating a voice hearer's experience when they seek treatment or support for their verbal auditory hallucinations. The results of this study enrich the on-going discussion about the importance of voice power for voice hearers.